Travels of the Trifecta! (PG-13)

[Shinneth]

Barry just blinked, staring blankly at the cute little Pokémon that was designated his Staraptor's competitor. The fact that Smoochum by both her types was superior to Staraptor went right over his head as he couldn't believe he was facing something that looked so docile. The fact that Conway mentioned "debut" made it obvious that this was Smoochum's first battle against a trainer.

Conway was confident, knowing the advantage was on his side in spite of Smoochum's lack of experience. He was ready to make Barry regret that the two had ever met and he would do so in the most embarrassing way possible: by beating him with an unseasoned battler in Smoochum.

Smoochum was too eager at the prospect of battle to figure out what was going on in her trainer's head, but was ready to fight nonetheless.

"You're fighting me with that?" Barry asked Conway before slowly growing angry. "Wait, what… what is this, are you trying to insult me?"

"In the midst of battle? What a rude thing to do," Conway remarked, very amused. "But try and focus on the battle now. Smoochum, Confusion!"

Barry's reaction time was clearly lacking as he was far too late to give Staraptor a command before it was caught in the Psychic-type trap, only able to move as Smoochum wished it to. "Huh…? Staraptor!"

"Display the power of gravity before our guest, please," Conway calmly commanded; his smile widening as Staraptor swiftly hit the ground, and hard. Smoochum couldn't hold Confusion any longer, but looked happy at her early success.

"Gah!" Barry cried out, flailing in panic over a fierce first blow. He knew this wasn't the time to be joking around now; Conway apparently was a legitimate threat to him now. "You're not getting away with that! Come on, Staraptor!"

"I prefer Staraptor when they stand still," Conway suddenly said, somewhat randomly. "It's easier to admire their frightful beauty that way. Smoochum, Powder Snow!"

Of course, his aim was to confound his human opponent with vague words while his Pokémon took advantage of the break in the battle to attack preemptively. But this time, Smoochum was far too slow to effectively freeze Staraptor in time, as it broke free with ease and was soon high in the sky once again, circling over the Kiss Pokémon.

"Just for trying that, you're getting a mega-fine!" Barry cried out, well in the midst of another tantrum. "Staraptor, take that girly thing down with Steel Wing!"

Conway didn't even want to guess what a "mega-fine" would be, but he had to quickly think of a plan for Smoochum to brace herself against this attack. Inexperienced as she was, it would be difficult for her to match Staraptor in a direct clash.

"Sing!" Conway commanded, hoping Smoochum would get that much out before the clash, but Staraptor swept in and slammed into the poor, young Pokémon full-force. Being super-effective, Smoochum was already in bad shape as her defenses were absolutely pitiful. Seeing this firsthand left Conway horrified as Barry looked disappointed.

"Geez, it's still able to battle?" Barry complained. "Alright, whatever. Staraptor, Close Combat!"

"No…!" Even with neutral damage, Close Combat was a devastating move that was far beyond Smoochum's abilities to withstand. A few stiff kicks from Staraptor's talons knocked the baby Pokémon unconscious.

"That's more like it!" Barry celebrated, pumping his fist into the air victoriously. "Hah, so much for type advantage! At this rate we'll be out of here within the next minute, Staraptor!"

Insane as Barry was, at least he loved his Pokémon, unlike a certain former companion of Conway's, which was in a way refreshing. Still, exchanging the inability to care for a lack of sanity and common sense seemed in more ways than one an unfair trade in his eyes. After a sigh of acceptance that he had been defeated, Conway recalled Smoochum back into her Pokéball and looked to it sadly.

"I was in a little over my head, I suppose," Conway admitted quietly. "My apologies. I won't let it be at your expense in the future…" Glaring at Barry, who was still as smug (and impatient) as ever, greatly fueled his drive to compete. It was hard to explain, but something about Barry greatly livened up Conway's competitive drive. As a result, he felt a stronger desire to win this battle. "So you're not a complete imbecile," Conway somewhat complimented, which only made Barry frown back. "Good to know. This may not be such a waste of time after all."

"Bring it!" Barry challenged, shaking his fists. "And make it quick; I didn't battle just to hear you talk to yourself!"

Conway narrowed his eyes at this, unable to forget for even a moment why he wanted to defeat this guy so soundly. It wasn't going to be a complete shut-out, but Conway knew it was still early enough to make an impression, and the best way to pull that off would be to use his strongest, most reliable player on hand. "Come forth and conquer, Slowking…!"

Like Conway's previous Pokémon, Barry couldn't help but stare on, dumbfounded at his opponent's choice. "Wow, your taste in Pokémon is kind of… terrible, you know?"

"Famous last words," Conway replied with a smirk. "Slowking, Psychic!"

The much more powerful rendition of the Confusion attack was just as (and probably more) effective keeping Staraptor's movements completely controlled. Oddly, Conway wasn't doing anything other than keeping Staraptor in place for the first few moments, prompting Barry to complain again.

"Oh, come on!" he cried out. "This is an obvious stall-off! What, are your Pokémon just like you and too weak to throw a punch?"

Conway preferred to think of it as he was too "mature" to be throwing punches, but what was the difference? He made it no secret that he was more inclined to special attacks. "Strategic mental combat is an effective battling strategy, believe it or not," he claimed, unafraid to spill his own strategy out at a time like this because Conway had a feeling Barry would just forget it three seconds later and go off on a completely unrelated tangent. "Now, I just submitted you to the laws of gravity moments earlier… at this time, I would like to show you firsthand the laws of friction with objects in motion."

"Aw, I should've figured!" Barry grumbled. "A nerd would submit me to the most boring stuff in the world right in the middle of a battle… they're the worst!"

Conway couldn't help but be amused with this. "Believe me when I say this will be anything but boring. Now, pay attention: the laws of friction are largely irrelevant when the object – in this case, your Staraptor – is under the control of Psychic. This means I can make it move much faster than it can naturally on its own. Observe."

After a signal to Slowking, Staraptor, still helpless in Psychic's power, moved several times faster than it could naturally as it shot up and down like a rocket in the sky and past a tree, where several leaves were shaken from their limbs once Staraptor zoomed past. Barry watched both in horror and awe, as this was rather interesting to watch.

"Now, say I put a huge rock in Staraptor's way," Conway hypothesized. "Do you think Staraptor will be stopped by the rock, or is its friction plus its mass even stronger than that and will blast right through the rock?"

Barry grasped at his hair after hearing that. "Either way, that's not going to end well with Staraptor…!"

"Indeed," Conway agreed, as he gleefully planned for this all along. "Slowking, Power Gem!"

A large, golden rock formed in the air as Barry looked on helplessly. "You wouldn't…!"

"You've been quite a pain today," Conway admitted, sounding almost helpless himself about the matter. "But trust me; this will be fun. You wouldn't believe how much it pays off to train a Pokémon to handle two attacks at once. Slowking?"

The Royal Pokémon nodded, knowing this was its cue. At the very last second, it released its Psychic hold on Staraptor in order to focus on forcing it back with the Power Gem attack. Staraptor was completely helpless all this time and had no way to make a difference even with its freedom back mere moments before it smashed into the massive, sparkling rock.

There was an explosion that followed this; trails of glitter from the rock rained down over the trainers as they watched on to see the result of this catastrophe. Staraptor did manage to force its way a short distance into the rock, but that was it. What remained of the rock smashed Staraptor ruthlessly into the ground, and needless to say it was going to be out of commission for quite a while.

Barry gaped at the sight for a while before coming to his senses and recalling Staraptor back to its Pokéball. Apparently he didn't handle defeat with even half the grace of Conway. "… Staraptor… I'm gonna avenge you! I'll make that nerd pay in more ways than one and win this for both of us!"

"Then go ahead; show us what you've got next," Conway invited. "Slowking here barely broke a sweat."

"I'll make you sorry for what you did!" Barry promised as he threw his next Pokéball. "Roserade, gimme a hand here…!"

This was an interesting choice, as the type advantages and disadvantages were even. Conway could use his Psychic-type attacks to exploit Roserade's vulnerability in its Poison-type while its Grass-type could critically injure Slowking's partial Water-type identity if Barry played his cards right. He was realizing by now that Conway wasn't only inclined towards special attacks; his opponent was also keen on keeping his Pokémon well-defended even without directly using defensive moves. So far most of Conway's blows have been aided by Psychic or Confusion. While Barry had more of a melee strategy, Conway clearly preferred alternative options… which made him quite a threat, much to Barry's surprise. By being comparatively passive compared to Barry's battling prowess, Conway successfully created an air of mystery around himself by mostly hanging in the background without doing too much. He was clearly one frightful contender, and even Conway didn't give himself enough credit in that regard.

After some consideration, Conway decided to keep Slowking in this round. "Very well; I'll stick with Slowking. By all means, take the initiative.

Asking Barry to attack was already suspicious, but Barry really had no other choice. He tried to shove his concerns aside and focus on the match. "It's your funeral, then!" A funny choice of words considering what Conway recently went through. "Roserade, Poison Jab!"

A bum rush strategy could succeed or fail depending on the situation. Barry wisely decided to overwhelm Conway with a never-ending stream of physical attacks which would force Conway to fight back by traditional means.

"Protect!" Conway called out, wondering why Barry didn't just call for a Grass-type attack instead. He was fully expecting something like Grass Knot or Energy Ball; certainly not Poison Jab. Slowking successfully surrounded itself in a protective barrier of light, blocking the first wave of Poison Jabs.

"Poison Jab, Poison Jab, Poison Jab!" Barry repeated, shouting at the top of his lungs. "Protect's not going to hold out forever! We'll force Slowking out and beat it into submission! Go for it, Roserade!"

Conway frowned at this, hoping Roserade would back off with a recharge and then finally use a Grass-type attack like a sensible trainer would call for. What Barry said was true; Slowking's Protect barrier would soon break and Protect had a good chance of failing when called for a second time consecutively.

All he could think of for the moment was to attempt to hold Roserade off until it tired itself out, making it child's play to defeat. It wasn't very likely it would work out as Conway wanted it to, but it didn't stop him from trying his best. Fast-paced as battles were, Conway knew it was best to stick to his plan, as improvising was very risky for players like him.

"Keep defending, Slowking," Conway ordered. "You can outlast a Roserade easily."

"Doesn't that pink thing just make you mad, Roserade?" Barry asked his partner, smirking. "I know it makes me mad, and we're gonna make it go down no matter what! So just keep using Poison Jab! That geeky trainer doesn't know about the true power we've got inside!"

"True power?" Conway wondered out loud. "Are you just tossing out a red herring for me or are you going somewhere with this?"

Barry just pouted for a moment, putting his hands on his hips. "What, you claim to be smart and you don't even know who my dad is?"

"How is your father's identity even relevant to your own strength?" Conway asked him, looking skeptical. Father topics were never fun to talk about. "You're not your father; you're your own person and you make your own destiny."

"My dad's one of the strongest trainers in the world!" Barry proudly proclaimed. "I've got his genes and people say I fight like him all the time! Flattering, really. You know what the Battle Frontier is, right?"

Conway's jaw nearly dropped when he heard the words "battle" and "frontier" used together. "You're implying that your father is a Frontier Brain?"

"Who's implying?" Barry shot back. "It's the truth! My dad's Tower Tycoon Palmer of Sinnoh's Battle Frontier!"

To this revelation, Conway gasped. Since the Sinnoh Battle Frontier was relatively new, Conway wasn't as privy to all its dirty little secrets like he was with the longstanding Kanto Battle Frontier. But now it suddenly made sense why Conway was so pumped and ready to take Barry on… while vastly different, Barry had a special way of getting underneath Conway's skin; a way only pulled off by Paul in the past. Both were sons of the most powerful Frontier Brains of their respective chapters… it was hard to say it was just a coincidence now.

"Man, you must've been living under a rock to not know that," Barry mocked. "Everyone knows me and loves me!"

Conway had a very hard time believing that; maybe it was also a personality clash, but Conway couldn't figure out how Barry was by any means tolerable to the general public. He wasn't coldhearted and antisocial like Paul, but Barry made up for that by being outrageously obnoxious and possibly even haughtier than Paul himself is. Conway also wasn't exactly keeping up to date with everything considering what he had been through in the past month. Taking care of Paul was a full-day job in itself and life had been nothing but sheer disaster for him since the two split ways.

"What is it with these Frontier Brain children?" Conway muttered. "I swear, Reggie's the only sane one and he's emotionally unstable…"

"Hey, what's with the mumbling?!" Barry complained. "We're in the middle of a battle; why do I even have to tell you all of this?"

Conway just rolled his eyes, looking back at the fight where Roserade was still spamming Poison Jab at Slowking, who was clearly struggling to keep up its defensive barrier any longer. "Why in the world are you only using one move? And a Poison-type move, at that!"

"One move's all I need to beat you!" Barry replied. "You think you're so special with all your training and you think Roserade's gonna tire out… well, think again!"

Barry had a point: for all the minutes that had passed since this round's beginning, Roserade really didn't look all that burdened by the sheer amounts of energy it was putting into every single punch. "No Psychic tricks this time; we're gonna force you to fight!"

Conway was about to retort until he heard a piercing sound of something shattering; namely Slowking's barrier. Unprotected, Slowking was forced to take in these blows directly without being given much of a chance to counterattack. "Curses," Conway quietly grumbled, watching the battle closely. "I can't get Slowking to focus on a Psychic attack if Roserade keeps hammering at him. If he can't get out of there, we're sunk…"

"We've got 'im now, Roserade!" Barry victoriously proclaimed. "Just keep Poison Jabbing till there's nothing left!"

Cheap as this strategy was, it was genius against a trainer like Conway, who had no reliable method of countering it without possibly sacrificing his own Pokémon.

It was making Conway seriously consider a kamikaze move just to throw Barry off the trail. This opponent left much to be desired in regards to personality and brainpower, but otherwise was indeed more than the average trainer… the progeny of Frontier Brains seemed to be in a league of their own.

When it came right down to it, Conway was honestly out of options. Slowking needed to focus in order to truly use its power and it was impossible to do so while getting endlessly Poison Jabbed. A move that would take them both down would be abrupt and wouldn't require much time at all to execute.

"Guess we'll just have to shove back after all," Conway decided. "Time to let loose a bit, Slowking. Water Pulse!"

By sacrificing the control of its power, Slowking had a tendency to be unstable. This wasn't a strategy Conway often resorted to, but it was a desperation measure nonetheless. It at least allowed Slowking to conjure up power more quickly, and hence was able to haphazardly hurl Water Pulse straight into Roserade… which of course wasn't enough to keep Roserade down by a long shot, but it gave Slowking ample time to surround itself in a barrier of pure Psychic energy. While looking similar, this was nothing like Protect. A point blank ranged hit from Water Pulse at least knocked Roserade back considerably, but both it and Barry stared in shock as Slowking was no longer calm and collected.

"This is it!" Conway called out, pointing directly at Roserade. "Fire!"

Slowking was anything but slow on the uptake as it zoomed across the gap between its opponent in a split second and attached itself to Roserade, letting the built-up psychic energy loose, resulting in a massive explosion.

As the dust and smoke settled, the nerve-wracked Barry and Conway squinted at the battle site, seeing pretty much what Conway expected: Slowking and Roserade were unable to battle.

"I-… I swear, your Pokémon are all the same!" Barry spat out as he recalled Roserade. "Psychic this! Psychic that! A-and that was cheap!"

"No more cheap than your own strategy, thank you," Conway corrected as he much more calmly recalled Slowking, glad to have the odds evened out again. The final round would have both sides' Pokémon at full health and energy, which hopefully would conclude well. "Well, the next round should definitely decide the battle overall."

Barry growled and shook his fists. "Don't talk about what's obvious! What are you gonna have, another Psychic-type for me to smash?"

"Guess you'll just have to find out," Conway replied with a smirk, taking out his last Pokéball. "I'm rather interested in what you have in store for me as well."

"Like I'd tell you before you send yours out!" Barry barked back. He looked very stubborn about this minor detail.

To that, Conway nodded. "Understandable. Perhaps we should just send out our Pokémon simultaneously so we'll both be surprised."

"You're on!" Barry agreed, looking down at his Pokétch. "Alright then, in five! Four! Three! Two…!"

Conway nodded and threw his Pokéball. "Let's come forth…!"

Barry followed a couple of beats later. "It's your turn…!"

"Heracross!"

There were several moments of awkward silence after this; after all, it was rather unexpected on both sides that they would actually have the same species of Pokémon.

"Wh-what's this all about?!" Barry cried out in confusion. "What are you, a witch?! How could you know that I was going to send out Heracross next?!"

That was by far the most bizarre accusation that was ever directed at Conway. "… Oh, you were serious?" he asked Barry after a pause. "I had no idea that you had a Heracross."

"Well, one of us has to switch out!" Barry declared. "There's no way we can keep up the battle when our Pokémon look exactly the same!"

Conway hated to admit it, but Barry was right. "Well, you could tie your scarf around yours and that would solve the problem…"

"Not unless you tie something to your Heracross, too!" Barry protested. "That would be giving my Heracross an unfair weight handicap!"

"Well, unfortunately, I don't have anything to tie around my Heracross," Conway pointed out with a sigh. "It's also not fair if one of us switches out because we'll have the strategic advantage over each other. We would both have to switch our Pokémon…"

Barry was not satisfied with this at all. "What are you doing with a Heracross, anyway? That's totally unlike you!"

Never mind that Barry only just met Conway today… what would he know? "You said you wanted something different," Conway reminded him. "So I chose Heracross. What in the world are you complaining about?"

"I wanna see what your strategy is with something that's not gonna stall me or trap my Pokémon with Psychic!" Barry explained, still rather whiny. "And I've already decided on my strategy and I'm not gonna change my mind!"

"You're behaving like a petulant child," Conway grumbled. "You're insisting the match stays as it is? Our Heracross are even the same gender… what are the odds?"

Said Heracross looked at their trainers' bickering back and forth; both rather annoyed that their trainers were unable to tell the difference between them. Though visually, for humans it was rather difficult most of the time, many Pokémon species were offended regardless of the typical "All Heracross look alike"… disregarding the gender differences, of course, but that wasn't even relevant in this case.

"You're the immature one!" Barry claimed, pointing at Conway. "You oughta be honored to battle somebody like me! It's not every day you run into the son of a Frontier Brain!"

"Well, you ran into me, first of all," Conway corrected for him, very annoyed at how Barry could be as astonishingly wrong about his conclusions as he could be right. He couldn't help but notice the irony of what Barry was saying… for being a fan of Paul to this extent, Conway found it surprising that Barry apparently was unaware of the fact that his idol was also a Frontier Brain's son. "Second… your background remains irrelevant even now. So please stop wasting your breath and don't bring it up again. I only need to be told these things once." If even that.

"So even after learning that, you treat me like I'm not a threat?" Barry argued. "Like I'm below you or something?"

Conway was baffled at where Barry's mind must be at this time. "Er… what? I've never even implied that, much less ever said such a thing-"

"There you go, on the defense again!" Barry complained tiredly, not caring that he interrupted Conway at all.

"Because you keep accusing me of things that aren't true!" Conway barked back, about to lose his cool with this guy… he definitely stood out from Paul. Paul really never got Conway this flustered by himself. Barry was single-handedly driving him mad with his insanity. "Of course I'll defend myself against your lies!"

Barry just rolled his eyes and waved Conway off. "Whatever; you've so got issues. Let's just get this battle over with before I start sending you bills every week!"

"Fine by me," Conway stiffly agreed. "Now, let's…"

Something was wrong… very wrong. The second Conway refocused on the battlefield, he realized neither Heracross were present. He looked around frantically before finally looking up, seeing them both high up in the sky, flying away. "Oh no…!"

"What the heck is this?!" Barry cried out as he realized what was going on. "Where are they going?! Why?!"

"I have a feeling we may have offended them," Conway supposed, looking on thoughtfully. "All this time, we've been arguing and completely ignoring them… and maybe they wanted to battle after all."

"Heracross, you get back here!" Barry cried out, aiming his Pokéball into the sky. "Return, now!" Though he attempted to recall Heracross, it failed as the laser from the Pokéball simply couldn't go out that far.

Conway shook his head, knowing it would be hopeless to get them back unless they chased after their Pokémon to wherever they were headed. "We're out of range to get them back so easily," he told Barry. "We'll need to go after them."

"Then let's book it!" Barry decided immediately, forgetting about everything he had left on the ground. "Before they get too far away to catch up with…!"

Conway just gaped at how speedy Barry was and groaned when he realized he'd have to push his limits just to keep up with the guy. Physical endurance was definitely something Conway struggled with, but he just had to grin and bear it in order to reach his Heracross.

Barry was both disappointed and unsurprised about this weakness. Just as he considered complimenting Conway, he decided against it once he saw how pathetic Conway looked just by trying to match his pace. "Come on, get the lead out, nerd! We're losing them!"

Conway just coughed and moaned in response, wondering if this was what cardiac arrest felt like. Eventually, the pair did lose track of the Heracross and petered out… Conway especially, as they stopped at a road to catch their breath.

"I'm blaming you for this completely!" Barry breathed out. "You're such dead weight!"

"S-sorry," Conway quietly said in a rather pathetic tone. He was laying flat on his back on the ground. "I've really neglected improving my own physical endurance…"

"Well, we're lost and we don't have any idea where our Heracross went," Barry grumbled, kicking a rock. "Great, just great!"

While Conway was catching his breath, he cautiously watched the sun, realizing (without needing a watch to check) that it was late afternoon heading into evening. With that, he was able to at least tell which direction was west. "Well, we were both heading for Hearthome City," he mentioned. "And it looks like our Heracross went off directly east from our position. I wonder if they smelled a source heavy with tree sap or honey… they do tend to act on their own when that happens."

"Hold on; since when were you going to Hearthome City?" Barry asked him, sounding suspicious. "You can't be heading there… I am!"

"I was heading there long before you ran into me," Conway explained. "It has nothing to do with you. I'll be challenging Fantina."

"But not until I'm done with her!" Barry shouted defiantly. "Sorry, but I've got a score to settle with that lady. You'll just have to wait your turn, and since I'm a lot faster than you, I'm definitely going to reach her before you."

Conway shrugged, because he honestly didn't care who got there first. "Whatever you say. But this really isn't what we should be dwelling on right this second."

Barry blinked before it all came back to him. "Oh! Right, Heracross… uh, what are we going to do about that again?"

"We need to predict where our Pokémon are before we start the chase again," Conway instructed. "We won't find them if we run around haphazardly. How well do you know this area, Barry?"

"Uh, depends on what we're talking about," Barry answered, unsure of what Conway wanted from him.

Conway looked around, not expecting Barry to be of much help here. "Is there a forest or garden or a city nearby? To be flying off that quickly, they must have smelled something sweet."

"Well, let's see," Barry mumbled as he remembered his Pokétch had a map function that could make it easier to tell where they were. "If we're southeast of Hearthome City and north of the swamps, then the closest place from where we are would be… Angel Grove City. I think this road leads straight to it."

"Anything notable about it?" Conway asked.

Barry looked up and tried to think. "I know they've got a really big juice bar called Ernie's but that's about it."

Juice… yeah, that sealed the deal. "That's all we need to know," Conway assured, getting up and dragging Barry by the road immediately. "Come on! There's still time!"

Though taken off-guard from Conway's sudden revival, he followed along steadily. Mismatched as they were, they still were able to work together towards a common goal whenever necessary. They eventually made it to Angel Grove City by evening and were quickly directed to Ernie's Juice Bar, as it seemed their Pokémon had caused quite a commotion since arriving.

When Barry and Conway entered the juice bar, they were aghast at what they saw. Innocent civilians, what few still remained in the establishment after all this time, were backed up against the wall in horror as two ferociously hungry Heracross had torn the place apart to suck up every drop of juice they could find. Apparently they were very adept at scaring people off in order to have a monopoly on the juice and were very much enjoying their reward until they heard a loud, indignant "Heracross!" from both their trainers at once.

"How dare you be so rude!" Barry scolded, promptly taking out Heracross' Pokéball and managed to successfully recall it. "Good to see you're okay, but we're going to have a talk about this tomorrow; you better believe it!"

Conway just shook his head with disappointment as he recalled his own Heracross. "We didn't mean to hurt your feelings, but really, you're usually above this sort of nonsense."

While it was a relief to have their Heracross back, Conway and Barry both felt uneasy when they sensed a taller figure looming over them. Judging by the apron, bowtie and especially nametag, it looked like this was the bar's owner himself, Ernie.

"Ah, crap!" Barry cursed before turning around and bowing a bit, scratching his head. "Okay, right. We didn't mean for all this to happen. We're really sorry about your place, believe me! You'd believe the son of Tower Tycoon Palmer, right?"

At that attempt to pull rank, Ernie showed them both a bill with an outrageous price to pay… obviously for all of the damage and juice consumption.

"Ack!" Barry cried out. "Are you kidding me? What kid has that kind of money, I ask you? What, are you gonna make us work off the bill?"

The smirk and nod on Ernie's part indicated that… yes, if it came to that, he would go that far.

Barry brought his hands together, looking up at Ernie with fear overcoming him as he tried to beg for mercy. "Oh, have a heart! Just put it on my dad's tab, okay? Come on, please…?"

Conway sighed, bumping Barry aside to get Ernie's attention, which he did very well considering he was holding quite the flashy credit card in his hand. "I'll cover the damages," he offered. "You take cards, right?"

Without a word, Ernie took Conway's credit card and made his way over to where the register was. It seems that was enough to sway him. "Be sure to count both of us!" Conway reminded. "I don't mind covering for him!"

At first, Barry was baffled that Conway would be carrying credit cards of all things and was even more bewildered in regards to his offer to pull him out of the fire that was this mess when all Barry had done was antagonize him all day. At the same time, Barry was finally beginning to feel a bit of respect for Conway as a person. After doubting his integrity all day, the creepy guy went out of his way to save both of them with no benefit for himself to reap. It was very… noble, oddly enough. More importantly, it was something Barry couldn't ignore.

"But that bill… that bill was huge!" Barry exclaimed. "Conway, you didn't have to…"

Conway smirked and shook his head. "Nice to see you calling me by my name rather than "nerd". But still, you're just as innocent as I am; there's no reason to make you needlessly suffer a punishment you don't deserve."

Barry blinked at that statement. "But if it were the other way around, I totally would've ditched you…"

That made Conway just stare at Barry; the look clearly said that he wished he could be surprised by this. "Well, I at least appreciate your honesty," he said flatly, clearly annoyed by the mere thought. "Don't worry about it. You should be happy I'm actually paying considering how much you fined me all day."

"Hey, yeah!" Barry smiled, very content with that answer. "What goes around comes around, huh?"

"Uh, sure… let's go with that," Conway awkwardly concurred. "Too bad we're losing daylight now. I may as well stay the night in the city."

"Count me in!" Barry cheered, practically inviting himself along. "We're both going to the same place anyway."

Conway wasn't sure what to make of this. "That doesn't mean you have to stick by me or anything," he assured. "No need to feel obligated."

"Nope; made up my mind," Barry said, obstinacy coming to the fore. "You're clearly a trainer I've gotta look out for and I've been bored out of my mind by myself, so that's that. You're coming with me."

As a traveling companion… Conway wasn't sure if he wanted to go through that again. While it would be immensely useful to have an ally close by him, it was… Barry. Conway could make do with the hard-to-get-along-with Paul, but Barry flat out annoyed Conway most of the time. It was hard to explain, still.

Then again, Conway figured a different spin on a traveling companion might do him some good when it came to getting over the Paul thing. He'd keep himself from getting too emotionally invested this time… and with someone as flaky as Barry, it would be best to not take his partnership to heart to begin with. Through this, Conway would learn from his previous mistakes, and who knows? Perhaps this would even enlighten him on how to appeal to Paul again someday. Even now, Conway didn't like the thought of never seeing Paul again, and as crazy as Barry was over the guy, it was obvious that Conway wouldn't have an easy time getting Paul off his mind as it was.

"I suppose it would be a fulfilling experiment," Conway conceded, trying to remain open-minded about this. "So long as you behave, that is."

"Well, you'd better behave too," Barry warned. "I've still got my eyes on you, and if you try anything, I'll fine you and your kids and your grandkids and your great-"

Conway cut him off right there. "I get the point. We'll both behave."

"So that's settled," Barry decided, extending a hand. "Glad to have you aboard, Conway!"

Paul never did anything like this… for once, Conway wished he would have. After smiling sincerely, Conway accepted and shook Barry's hand. "Here's to wishing for many happy days by tomorrow, Barry."

This was not something Conway expected to come up in his journey, and he was almost certain that he and Barry would be parting ways in the near future for whatever reason… most importantly, Conway didn't want to get Barry too involved with his problems. Obnoxious as he tended to be, Barry was still a relatively stand-up guy and didn't deserve to have his life put on the line because of Conway's issues with Saturn.

Still, in a way, it was a pleasant surprise… and Conway was willing to take any opportunity to be lighthearted and fun-loving as he freely used to be on this long and depressing journey of his.

The chase had taken a lot out of both trainers, thus once all dues were paid for in full, Conway directed Barry to the finest hotel Angel Grove City had to offer for a relaxing night of expensive pampering.




"Magmar, Flamethrower one last time!"

The Spitfire Pokémon fired off what must have been the twentieth attempt at a widespread Flamethrower attack under the command of Paul, who, in order to last in the cold in spite of his weakened condition, finally caved and contacted Maylene briefly to bring out his Fire-type (exchanging Weavile to do so) for support against the weather. As Paul's newest Pokémon, Magmar needed all the training it could get, anyway.

The end of the third day since Paul's ultimatum was nigh as the sun started to set under the horizon. Upon noticing this, Paul sighed and held up a hand to Magmar. "That'll do for today," he called out. "It's been three days now… this should be enough," he determined. "This strategy will crush Candice."

He recalled Magmar back into its Pokéball and started to head for Snowpoint City, which was only a small distance away from where Paul was training. "It's not too late," he realized. "She's probably still at the Gym… if I could get this over with today…"

Then it would finally allow Paul to move on from this dreadfully frigid place and allow him to clear his mind of all the terrible things that have happened just by trying to reach Snowpoint City. Paul desperately wanted the ability to leave, and his strong desires would only fuel his drive to battle and defeat Candice properly. There's no time like the present, after all.

After resting up his Pokémon at the Pokémon Center for a few moments, Paul walked briskly towards the accursed establishment that revealed his true weaknesses to both the Gym Leader and a sizable crowd of local children. That was all in the past now… it wasn't easy, but Paul finally managed to push it in the back of his mind in favor of conquering the Gym he spent nearly a month trying to reach.

As he approached the Snowpoint Gym, he heard some commotion from a distance near the building, which proved that Candice was still there and available. However, Paul slowed to a stop as he got a good look at who was making the noise… who else would annoy him so badly (other than Conway)?

Ash Ketchum and his friends; all decked out in winter gear suitable for the climate (though it seemed Dawn still had something against wearing pants as her legs remained just as bare as they were in her normal outfit). Ash was all hyped up to the point where he forgot to put his coat back on once he was back outside, which Dawn gladly handed over to him. Candice was carrying a case of sorts… also present was a girl with short, spiky red hair. This was a new one for Paul as he was pretty sure he never met this friend of Ash and friends, but at this time he really didn't care.

But this was the kind of mindset Paul wanted to avoid; the mere presence of Ash alone would not deter him from accomplishing this task. Knowing it was too late to exit without making a scene, Paul took a deep breath of mental preparation before closing in on the group. The only sound coming from Paul was the sound of snow being crunched underneath his shoes, which was enough to alert the group of his presence.

"Paul…!" Ash called out with surprise, not expecting to run into him in a place like this.

Paul tuned it out completely and looked directly at Candice instead. The way his eyes pierced into hers was jarring… this was her first time seeing Paul this clearly and it wasn't really even hitting her yet. Still, her instincts told her to just play along for now until her memories would remind her of what this was exactly about. After a hard battle, she was understandably weary and therefore vulnerable to Paul's intense focus.

"So you must be Candice, the Gym Leader?" he asked politely, but the tone in his voice made it obvious that he was forcing it out… mainly due to his irritation that Ash was present now of all times.

"Y-yes," Candice uneasily forced out her reply, still a bit shaken by this young man's presence. Despite his question there was a feeling of inherent knowledge within him… as if he weren't really asking a question at all. It was perplexing to be caught off-guard like this.

Paul figured he might as well be straightforward with his intentions here and now. Getting his point across as soon as possible was priority one right now. Within that Gym laid dark memories of the weaknesses that Paul was now using everything in the fiber of his being to hide. He kept a strong tone in his voice as if to tell the world… "No, there really isn't anything wrong with me after all." It simply wasn't true no matter how convincing Paul could make the statement sound… but it was the impression that counted.

"I challenge you to a Gym Battle."

( TBC )

[JJDalts]

Hey Shinneth, may I ask, when will you decide to end this story? Will you end it say, after the league, like the anime? Or will you continue Paul's journey, maybe to Isshu?

Not that I'm in a hurry for it end of course, I'm just curious as to when you plan to draw the fic to a close.

[Shinneth]

Hey Shinneth, may I ask, when will you decide to end this story? Will you end it say, after the league, like the anime? Or will you continue Paul's journey, maybe to Isshu?

Not that I'm in a hurry for it end of course, I'm just curious as to when you plan to draw the fic to a close.

Whoops. I need to stop forgetting about this place. Interesting you would ask that, though, since one of my FFN reviewers asked the exact same thing once I posted this chapter. So, here's the skinny:

The main plot of Trifecta is Paul and Reggie struggling to become strong enough to defeat Brandon. That said, the climax of the story will be when the two finally get to battle him (Reggie will probably do so much sooner than Paul, so Paul vs Brandon will be this story's ultimate clash).

Early on it was established that Paul was required to, at a bare minimum, complete the Sinnoh League (whether or not he wins... which we know he won't) and then complete one of the Battle Frontiers. I think I said way back in Chapter 1/2 that he'd have to complete the Sinnoh Battle Frontier, but I'll likely retcon that because I only see one feasible way of writing Paul out of the show at this point (since it seems pretty definite that Paul won't be going to Isshu, yet he's already been to all of the other regions Ash has been to) is to ship him off to Kanto's Battle Frontier so he can win himself some Symbols (the only thing he doesn't have matched up with Ash in) and have that promised rematch with Brandon.

I'm obviously still waiting for the anime to confirm that. So yeah, I will be stretching this story across the entire Diamond & Pearl saga and beyond. I'll have a lot more freedom with the characters once D/P ends since it seems none of them will be continuing on to the next series, hence I'll be plotting out the Battle Frontier half of the story relatively quickly. Right now I've planned up to Chapter 25, which extends to Gotta Get a Gible! (the end of the Galactic Battles season). I'll be squishing in some captures/exchanges now, obviously, given what's revealed to us in the League.

I have a feeling we'll be getting more Paul backstory in the 3-parter battle; hopefully it won't be anything that shoots down this story's structure, but I'll work around it even if it does.

... Ah, needless to say this story will take a very long time to finish. Though it's been to my advantage to be this far behind the anime (Chapter 15 represents DP128 only, so I'm almost 60 episodes behind); when it ends, I won't have to be cautious... and hopefully that'll mean the updates become more frequent.

So... yeah! I plan on sticking with this to the bitter end.

[Giratina!]

Procrastination, life is revelation, etc. etc. etc.

That said, another wicked chapter from Shinneth. I especially liked this one; the narrative was done well and managed to make me giggle on more than one occasion, and all of the characters seem to be for the most part in character (except for Conway, who's just a little too pessimistic, but that's to be expected after the Saturn Incident). Barry is utterly fantastic, and you've got his hyperactive ways down perfectly. Actually, I've got just one little complaint, and even that is just a syntax error:

He kept a strong tone in his voice as if to tell the world… "No, there really isn't anything wrong with me after all."

It should be a comma, not an ellipsis, since the sentence is suggesting that Paul's voice is telling the world something.

[JJDalts]

So... yeah! I plan on sticking with this to the bitter end.

And I'll stick with it too XD

[ESPNfanatic35]

Um, ok...WOW! I was searching for good fics and I noticed this thread had a lot of views so I took a look inside and was pulled right in! I got so hooked, I stayed up most of last night reading it and I finished what you have so far today.

I just love everything about this fic and I love you for writing it! Paul is probably my favorite character in the anime because he's so mysterious. I love how you made a background story for him. I really tried to find something to critique so I could give a constructive review but I couldn't.

The anime only explains in one episode where Paul battles Brandon ANYTHING about Paul's past at all. I love that you gave Paul a reason to be so grumpy: it's in his genes, he has a deceased mother, he inherited her disease, and he has a broken family. Ash has a happy-go-lucky life (love how you made him as kind of a villian almost) so he doesn't understand why Paul is so mean. He just jumps to conclusions and constantly lectures Paul. I always hated Ash's lectures in the anime, it got so annoying!

And btw, you made me love Conway. You made him sweet. Instead of the sneaky perv we see him as in the anime, he has a genuine love for Dawn. He's hilarious, too. You almost killed me with laughter when he started talking like Yoda.

You also did really well in mixing the events of the anime with your own story. I noticed you were keeping in mind what was happening in the anime as you wrote your fic. That's kind of what I did with my fic. I'm having Ash fight the Elite Four before we even know if he wins the Sinnoh League in the anime. Though it's mostly about a hypothetical final episode of the Pokemon anime (at the rate it's going, however, the anime will probably never end lol!)

So anyway, that's just my thoughts and a long way of asking you to add me to your PM List. I also have a great idea for a Fanart I could do for your fic if you want me to. Keep up the great work!

[Shinneth]

(Finally, Chapter 15, aka Let's Stretch Out A Pyramiding Rage! As Far As Humanly Possible! Yeah, you enjoy that. This'll likely be the last chapter before the Diamond & Pearl anime series ends too, sob. I appreciate all the comments, too! Thanks a bunch!)



"So you must be Candice, the Gym Leader?"

"Y-yes."

"I challenge you to a Gym Battle."


All those present at the entrance of the Snowpoint Gym stared on at the very determined Paul who had just shown up in the area a mere moment ago. Short, quick, and to the point… that was who he was; naturally, that left those surprised by his appearance a tad shaken. This was especially true for Zoey; for her this was her very first impression of Paul, and it was less than pleasant for her, to say the least. She looked to her mentor, Candice, wondering how she would address this stranger.

Candice had just come fresh off an intense four-on-four battle with Ash… naturally she was flighty anyway, but in her present state, she hadn't quite caught on yet that she very well knew who this person challenging her was. But that voice… that very distinct voice was subconsciously guiding her as she stumbled into an explanation to serve as her official response to the direct challenge.

"I'm sure you must have come a long way for this," she said, clearly uneasy in turning him down, but brought out a smile so that she wouldn't worry the others with her sudden, insecure sentiments… though Zoey had already well caught on. "But I just finished a battle with Ash and I'd like to give the gang a rest. … How about tomorrow?" Just by having to address him, she was sensing the familiarity…

Much to Candice's relief, Paul softened a bit as he consented to her suggestion. "Alright then. Tomorrow it is."

Though he was determined to settle the score once and for all as soon as he could, Paul could deal with another night of waiting… it would give him the chance to rest and review his planned strategy… again, nothing like Conway's, and not nearly as effective as his former partner's… but it was better than nothing, which was what Paul had the first time he challenged Candice. The result from that… Paul was sure to prevent an embarrassing loss like that in the future. Having no further business with Candice, he turned around and started to walk off to where he would be staying for the night. He was concerned with the confused and tense look on Candice's face, but was relieved that she still managed to keep her word and not treat him as a familiar.

If only his escape from this group could be this simple. Ash was definitely not settling for letting his rival go already. Though he knew better to bring up what happened in Squallville… knowing Paul, he would definitely blow it off. He opted for proving to Paul that he was indeed progressing as he held up his freshly-won Icicle Badge.

"Hey, Paul! Check it out; I just got my seventh badge," Ash told him gleefully, unable to contain the giddiness of winning a hard-fought battle not even an hour ago. "One more and I'm in the Sinnoh League! So how many do you have?"

Paul stopped, but didn't turn around to face the group again. But his eyes widened as his rival specifically mentioned that the badge he just won… was his seventh.

How many badges did Paul currently have again…? Oh, yes. Only six. Ash was officially ahead of him. Paul resisted the surge of pain that coursed through his body as that fact registered in his mind… he was definitely going to have to take more of his medication once he got settled in. Of course, there was no way Paul would admit to Ash that he was the one behind in the journey to the Sinnoh League… even if only by a small amount. Paul may be terminally ill, but he still had shreds of his pride remaining.

It was time to drop the act and just be himself. "That's none of your business."

Following that, it was definitely time for Paul to get out of there as he briskly walked away, managing to get away this time.

"Hmph," Ash sulked. "What's his problem?" Not a day went by that Ash, whenever meeting Paul, would not end up complaining about his attitude.

Brock was a bit more understanding over the matter, though he could tell Paul did seem to carry himself a bit differently from the time the group saw him last. "Ash, that's how he is," he said reassuringly. Really, that's all that could be said for anything related to Paul.

"Who is?" Zoey finally asked, already getting bad vibes from merely seeing Paul for the first time.

Dawn was quick to give her rival the details. "His name is Paul. He's really Ash's rival…" Dawn laughed hollowly at her own statement; even now she wasn't certain if "rival" was really the best word to describe Paul and his significance to Ash. "They seem to get into fights whenever they meet."

Though it had yet to reach that point, Dawn worried one day that a confrontation between the two would get physical. That was the last thing she wanted to see, though with Brock on hand, he would be able to patch Ash up should he suffer any severe blows. Still, it was scary for her to imagine the scenario all the same.

Candice meanwhile kept her eyes on Paul until he was too far away to see. Having heard his name multiple times now, remembering his voice and demeanor… it finally came back to her. She was glad she didn't spill any details on accident, but even though she had dealt with Paul in the past, this was her first time seeing him interact with his so-hated rival. She remembered Paul namedropped him a few days ago during their brief meeting. Though he spoke of Ash in such a vile way, it still shook Candice to see the friction right before her very eyes.

"Dawn… you and Zozo are rivals too," she said, sounding uneasy. "But it's nothing like this; that's for sure…"

It just then occurred to Candice… none of Paul's peers knew about his recently-diagnosed condition. Then again, she remembered Paul wanted her to keep her mouth shut about that detail especially. Zoey remained unsettled by Candice's reactions, but as daylight was swiftly fading, it was time for the group to go their separate ways for the night.




Nighttime was no excuse to Paul; now that he had a little extra time for last-minute preparations before his Gym Battle, he knew it was important for him to go over and review his strategy. Just to keep his senses sharp, he decided to spend a little more time getting his newest Pokémon, Magmar, up to speed with the rest of his team by using Electabuzz, the only other Pokémon on his team that wouldn't be used for the Gym Battle. It was a shame, as Electabuzz had a powerful Brick Break attack that would devastate Candice's team, but Paul was still determined to challenge himself as much and he possibly could… now that he knew he was dying, it made sense why Paul needlessly made things so much harder for himself.

By undergoing these extremes… Paul felt alive. Otherwise, he practically regarded himself as the walking dead.

While Ash's presence in Snowpoint City bothered Paul greatly, it was likely only because this issue was stacked on top of so many other problems Paul was having right now. By having Ash around, it was just one more setback Paul had no choice but to deal with. Not to mention, seeing the familiar trio knowing they weren't aware of his most serious problem made it a bit harder for Paul to communicate with them than it already was. His illness prevented him from saying much to Ash at Squallville and even cost him the PokéRinger competition in a way. On the plus side, Ash had finished his business with Snowpoint City today… with any luck, Paul hoped, Ash would be out of the area completely by the next day.

"Use Smog!" Paul commanded Magmar, testing out the effectiveness of his Pokémon's move set. Magmar delivered, just as Paul expected with all of his Pokémon, as a thick, poisonous haze covered the field and all those present within it.

It was very dense; very widespread. Paul nodded with approval. "Alright. Electabuzz, try to find it and use Brick Break. Magmar, I expect you to defend."

He was looking forward to evolving Magmar very soon. Both it and Electabuzz were long overdue for it; Lairon aside, they were the only active teammates who had not fully evolved. Paul intended to have his full team at their maximum potential before it was time for the Sinnoh League Conference. However, Paul had neglected to actually rest yet even though he reached the Pokémon Center, instead opting to train immediately and go over his plans for Candice tomorrow… which also meant he neglected to take his medication. Most importantly of that, he did not take his antibiotics. As a result, once Paul was consumed with the Smog attack, he found himself coughing uncontrollably. Poison-type attacks were going to be risky measures from now on as long as Paul was a potential target. It was apparent his disease rendered his body extremely vulnerable to an array of bacteria and poisons.

Paul winced as he coughed so hard that he felt the tiny speckles of blood shooting out from his mouth. His lips trembled a bit as he realized what he had just done, completely forgetting about the training. Magmar blocked Electabuzz's Brick Break efficiently, but once the Smog move cleared out and they clearly heard their trainer in pain, they looked over to him with concern. Once he noticed, Paul stood straight and silently assured his Pokémon that he was fine. There was one important thing Paul always kept in mind… that a leader must not even look weak. The last thing he wanted was his Pokémon doubting his abilities… even though his past actions had already given them all more than enough reason to worry for his health; both physical and mental.

"Adequate," he said hollowly, attempting to shrug off his ailment like he did with every other problem in his life. "Now, Electabuzz… see how your defense holds up against Magmar."

Meanwhile, inside the Pokémon Center, many of Paul's peers huddled near a fireplace in the lobby. Brock (holding Happiny) and Dawn (holding Piplup) were filling Zoey in on everything they knew about Paul. Zoey's trusty Glameow was by her side as her friends exposited about this unsettling stranger she just met.

"Wow," Zoey remarked, somewhat in shock. "I've gotta admit I'm surprised Paul was Chimchar's first trainer…" Thinking it over, something else very apparent and odd occurred to her. "Whoa, and from what I can see, Ash and Paul couldn't be any more different if they tried."

"Which is exactly why the two of them couldn't ignore each other if they tried," Brock pointed out. That much was evident given how many times those two had crossed paths in the vast region of Sinnoh over the past year. It was both fascinating and horrifying at the same time.

Dawn looked around, realizing something. "Speaking of Ash, where did he go?"

"Didn't he say he had to use the bathroom?" Zoey asked.

"That was at least half an hour ago," Brock noticed, sounding concerned. "We'd better check up on him."

Dawn nodded in agreement. "I mean, he can get distracted real easily; that's for sure… but where else would he go at this hour?"

Zoey stood up, frowning and clearly concerned. "From what you both have been telling me, I've got a feeling we should check outside first. If what you said is true, Brock…"

Brock understood what Zoey was getting at. "It's true that he's staying the night here as well… wherever he is, Ash is sure to follow."

"Then we'd better hurry," Dawn sputtered, already paranoid and concerned. "If we leave those two alone for too long…"

"He'll have to answer to me," Zoey assured. Ever since the Wallace Cup tournament came and went, Zoey considered Ash a good friend of hers just as she felt with Dawn in spite of their conflicting viewpoints initially. She learned from him, Nando, and Fantina that there really was no problem with being a Trainer and Coordinator simultaneously. Not to mention this was her turf; Zoey wasn't about to let any friend of hers be harmed in her neighborhood. She was the proactive one of the three, immediately heading outside while Brock and Dawn hastily trailed behind her.

It was like yin and yang with Ash and Paul, almost. Though it was an unpleasant, twisted version of the concept where the two were unable to compliment each other or maintain any form of balance. Aside from the recent trend of Ash's Pokémon evolving every time he battled with Paul…

Meanwhile, Ash was caught up in watching Paul train, having discovered him through the window just as he was leaving the bathroom. Even Ash could admit that his rival, in spite of his usual cruel ways, certainly had effective methods of training. It seemed true after all that Paul's Pokémon, his formerly-owned Chimchar aside, worked well with his brutal training and managed just fine without constant praise and support. Why that was the case was beyond Ash's comprehension, but he had a feeling Chimchar's designated replacement, Magmar, was going to be a fierce contender in future battles. Of course, Ash already very well knew of Electabuzz's capabilities since the day it defeated Pikachu as an Elekid… the very day he and Paul met. He had watched several rounds of Electabuzz assaulting Magmar with Brick Break; Magmar mostly staying on the defensive to build its endurance.

"Hate 'im or like 'im… Paul's really good at this," Ash admitted to Pikachu, who quietly agreed while watching the training alongside its trainer. "That attitude sure hasn't changed since we met, but y'know, we've learned a lot from him from all our battles, haven't we?"

Pikachu concurred with this, leaning against Ash. "I know you're down, buddy," Ash comforted. "Just wait; I promise you we'll beat him one day. I sure hope it's sooner than later…"

As he watched Magmar just stand there and take the blows, Ash remembered one of the most important lessons he learned from Paul… albeit indirectly. "Either way, I can't say he was wrong back when Grotle battled Honchkrow. I've got to understand how my Pokémon change after they evolve… I'll never stop believing in them, but I don't wanna let 'em down and think they're exactly the same as they were before evolving. Grotle, Buizel, and Chimchar could still evolve at any time, you know," he pointed out. "I can't be caught unprepared again if it happens."

He smiled; Ash knew he couldn't dwell on the past for long since he scored a major victory today. "Maybe Paul will open up a little more if I thank him again for what Torterra did," he hypothesized. "Grotle did an awesome job in our Gym Battle and I owe Torterra's training for it. Whaddya say, Pikachu?"

An ecstatic "Pika!" from his Pokémon's end told Ash all he needed to know. He smiled as his thoughtful and serious side quickly faded away into his happy-go-lucky self, as he usually was. Very few people could drag Ash out of his happy wonderland state of mind… Paul stood out as one who could do it effortlessly.

Ash proceeded to go outside to meet up with Paul at the training grounds. At the same time, Paul was focusing on Magmar again with its Flamethrower attack. It seemed Electabuzz's endurance was being tested this time around as it stood its ground in spite of the intense flames threatening to singe its bright yellow fur. Seeing Electabuzz handle such an attack this well placated Paul, at the very least.

"That's good," he remarked. "Now use Flamethrower and face the sky." Paul was testing Magmar's trajectory abilities, apparently. Magmar fired a perfectly angled pillar of fire from its Flamethrower attack high up into the night sky. Paul looked up thoughtfully as he took note of how much Magmar had improved over the past few days. It really seemed as if it was on par with the rest of his team at last. However, his only word to express this feeling was… "Good."

Just one short moment later, Ash reached Paul, attempting to catch his attention. "Hey, Paul!"

"Huh…?" Paul looked to the direction of that familiar, annoying voice and surely enough found Ash with Pikachu approaching him, though when Ash stopped running to him, the two were still a good distance away from each other.

Ash immediately jumped to the subject that was on his mind, paying no mind to what Paul was in the middle of just then. "Man, you should've seen how totally awesome Grotle was today. I wanted to thank Torterra again for the help."

Paul honestly wondered how Ash could possibly think that he would care about such a thing when he was right in the middle of preparing for Candice tomorrow. Figuring he would get no further with his training with his rival getting up in his business tonight, he recalled Magmar back into its Pokéball and trudged his way back towards the Pokémon Center; Electabuzz trailing not far behind.

Ash continued trying to get through to Paul as he walked by. "That battling style Torterra showed us a while back worked out really well."

A while back, indeed. Paul clearly remembered that night when Torterra went off on its own – quite odd behavior for Paul's starter – to give Ash's Grotle advice in order to deal with the drastic changes in its physique. This had nothing to do with helping Ash, per se; merely Torterra expressed sympathy for its fellow species… after all, years ago, Torterra had dealt with the same grief when it evolved to Grotle. Unlike Ash's Grotle, Paul's Torterra had no real support whatsoever from its trainer when this happened.

Of course, the way Paul trained, even if it had undergone some changes since he started, never had much in common with Ash's methods. Paul knew better to train his Turtwig for speed when he started out. He already had about four years of Pokémon experience when he began, all thanks to being with Reggie for most of his journey before his retirement. Still, in spite of these differences, Paul's Torterra was just as bad as Ash's Grotle as a Turtwig when it came to exploring things with its massive jaws… most of all Paul's head and various parts of his body. It agitated Paul to no end, but there was no helping it; this was the burden a trainer had to carry if they were to choose Turtwig as their starter Pokémon.

There were unique benefits and drawbacks to choosing any of the typical starter Pokémon in each region beyond the advantages and disadvantages of type. By choosing Piplup, as Dawn and Barry had, the trainer would have to deal with a Piplup's pride. It was no easy feat to bond with a Piplup and become the one thing that surpasses said pride. To choose Chimchar, like Reggie had, one would ideally need to be physically competent and patient. Chimchar could be mischievous or otherwise incorrigible, and as they evolved, their power would become increasingly difficult to control without a trainer's support and help. Chimchar ended up being a perfect match for Reggie, who could give such a Pokémon the unconditional positive regard a Chimchar would need to excel and mature… and it helped that Reggie was born naturally strong and agile; able to keep up with his starter even when it became Infernape. Needless to say, this did factor into why Paul was unable to work with his former Chimchar.

But his actual starter… Torterra, as a Turtwig, was a much better match for a trainer like Paul. The ability to assert authority, stubbornness, and a more calculated approach was necessary for Turtwig. This wouldn't stop the Tiny Leaf Pokémon from exploring absolutely everything possible with its jaws, so physical and mental endurance was a must. In spite of his susceptibility to illness, Paul was someone who would keep going until his body gave out.

When Paul's Turtwig evolved to Grotle and was no longer able to trap Paul within its jaws with ease, the at-the-time more immature Paul made sure to rub it in for a long time, "getting revenge", so to speak, for the countless times he had been bitten by his starter. When Paul's Grotle became Torterra, all hope was lost for Torterra to enjoy that freedom ever again. At the same time, Torterra significantly matured and felt a greater desire than ever before to protect its trainer.

Paul didn't like thinking about it, but Ash seemed to be the ideal trainer for his former Chimchar, yet at the same time he was showing competence with Grotle. Now being one badge ahead of Paul, it begged the question… was Ash beginning to truly measure up as a rival worth his time and attention?

Instead of searching out those feelings, which was making him feel sick already, Paul chose the route of hypocrisy as he passed by Ash. "You said you were serious about wanting to win in Snowpoint City," he reminded. "So why do you still need Torterra to hold your hand?"

Ash's friendly gestures quickly gave way to his anger as he turned around, glaring at Paul as he passed by. In times like this, where he went out of his way to give Paul a compliment, it was extremely difficult to contain the anger he felt. Thankfully, after almost four years of training, Ash had come a long way. Ash of his Kanto days would have tackled Paul by this point.

"Using a Grass-type in an Ice-type Gym…?" Paul wondered out loud, bringing forth the aforementioned hypocrisy. "I guess you chalked that up to blind faith."

Paul was very well aware of how hypocritical he was being, but silently justified his words with his belief that Ash really had no idea what he planned on doing in most battles and just winged it, hence he had no business trying to make a battle harder for himself. Paul, however… he had things planned out, and unlike Conway, Paul knew how to turn the tides in his favor if his strategies didn't go as planned.

While the rivals briefly conversed, Zoey and the others discovered them and silently watched and listened in on the conversation, though not overtly trying to hide. However, after hearing Paul's extremely rude response, Zoey couldn't take it anymore. She wasn't used to this kind of blunt rudeness from people, and seeing it get under Ash's skin made her blood boil. Zoey felt bad vibes around Paul since he arrived earlier that day… now she was ready to confront him.

"Stop right there!" Zoey shouted at Paul before he could completely re-enter the building. He paid no attention to the audience while going inside. "Just who do you think you are?"

In spite of her fury, Paul stood still, completely unfazed. Dawn had a feeling something more vicious was about to come from this confrontation, thus she was very quick to restrain Zoey. "Zoey…! Stop!"

"He has no right talking like that," Zoey growled lowly. Ash knew exactly how Zoey felt; this wasn't too different from how he reacted to Paul in their early days. He had mellowed out considerably since then, but he was no less angry about the situation, and the greatest struggle of all would be bringing himself to forgive Paul for what he had done to Chimchar in the past.

At a time like this, Ash knew he had to be the bigger man. After all, Paul had a Gym Battle upcoming. Ash would no doubt feel terrible if his short temper affected his rival's performance. He held up a hand to Zoey, signaling her to stop, though speaking gently. "It's okay, Zoey."

"Hmph." Paul was very ready to retire for the night now. Surrounded by chatty people, all of which he found annoying in their own special ways… now he knew for sure this redhead truly was no better than the ones he was already familiar with. He quietly used this opportunity to step inside the building and walk steadily down the hallway to where his room was. Electabuzz was quick to follow.

The others looked on; only Brock remained perfectly calm at this time. Zoey was still fuming. She remembered the unusual expression on Candice's face when Paul confronted them all earlier that evening. There was more to this guy than what there appeared to be, even though he and her mentor spoke as if they were meeting for the first time.

"I just hope tomorrow at the Gym Battle, Miss Senior wipes the floor with that jerk," Zoey muttered; loudly enough to get the attention of those who remained in the area with her.

She had no idea Candice had already been there and done that. Regardless, Zoey was already mentally making plans to speak to the Gym Leader the next day.

"Don't let the attitude fool you," Brock calmly warned. "Paul is a force to be reckoned with."

To that, Zoey just sighed and shook her head. "After everything you guys told me about him, it's frankly hard to believe. How can a guy who treats his Pokémon so poorly be a good trainer?"

"We're… still trying to figure that out ourselves," Dawn admitted, looking down at the floor. "But there's never a moment of peace when he and Ash meet up."

"I really don't mean to pick a fight," Ash said as he came in, smiling awkwardly. "He just acts like that no matter what I say to him. All this time I've traveled… I've never met a guy like him before."

Zoey narrowed her eyes as she continued to glare daggers at a now-empty hallway. "Someone needs to keep an eye on him. I don't trust him in a battle alone with Miss Senior."

Ash, Brock, and Dawn all looked to Zoey, but none of them said anything; they understood what she meant… she was worried for her mentor and wished Paul had never come to Snowpoint City.

Just as Paul swiftly swallowed down his medication (in the comfort of his own designated room, safe from any outsiders), he was beginning to wish he had never come to Snowpoint City as well. The journey to it was disastrous in itself, but his entire stay in the snow-covered civilization had been nothing but heartbreak, disappointment, and failure. Now Paul couldn't even muster up the will to tell himself there was nothing wrong with him… not when a group of people had just acted as if there were everything wrong with him. He worried that he looked noticeably weak and that Ash (or more likely one of his friends) would catch on.

For anyone, it would naturally take more than just a few days to come to terms with a terminal illness that was physically crippling. Despite that, Paul still hated that he couldn't be an exception to that rule. He still wondered why it had to be him, let alone how he was going to tell his family about it. Under this much stress, Paul couldn't hide his emotions if he tried. The fact that he remained relatively composed just moments ago in the face of adversity brought his adrenaline to an all-time high, which only caused him to crash down even harder when he finally made it to his bedroom.

He was quick to retire to his bed, feeling the dizziness come to him as an initial side-effect of his medication. Paul hated having to rely on it, but the pharmacist at the hospital was pretty blunt about the consequences, so he really didn't have a choice. The anxiety of facing Candice again was daunting enough for this unfortunate young man, but now he had to learn on the eve of the fated battle that his incompetent "rival" has suddenly surpassed him. Though his loss to Ash in the PokéRinger competition initially didn't faze Paul that much, the misfortunes that befell Paul since then and the fact that he got absolutely wrecked by Candice's Abomasnow… whom Ash had presumably defeated… was giving Paul a newfound doubt in his abilities. His body was quickly breaking down and his feet were feeling heavier with each passing day. It was reasonable to worry that this terminal disease would play a part in making Paul fall from grace, culminating in Ash's long-awaited victory against Paul in a proper battle.

Paul felt so torn; he felt the desperate need of another person's support. Reggie… even Conway would suffice for this particular moment. Conway had been taking care of him since they started out, but Paul no longer had that luxury. At the same time, he wanted to be alone.

He didn't want anyone to see him like this… ever.

Sleeping proved to be difficult that night for almost all parties.




The following morning, Paul woke up much earlier than he usually did. Insomnia brought on by his anxiety disallowed him to get much sleep, anyway. However, Paul was in no mood to deal with the peanut gallery today; he wanted to have his Gym Battle with Candice in peace and leave this frigid city once and for all.

Paul was sure to take his medication as soon as he woke up so he would have the energy to accomplish what he set out to do.

Meanwhile, further in the city, Reggie was finally finished with his assigned task of bringing a snowed-in customer his Pokémon back. Additionally, being the good samaritan he was, Reggie and his Pokémon actually helped clear out the snow in Alex's (his young customer) neighborhood, allowing residents to easily make their way into the city and go on about their lives. It was a challenging task to uphold, but Reggie was more than happy to be of help since he had one of the best things one could have on hand during a snow emergency: Infernape. The rest of Reggie's Pokémon also did their part to clear the roads and side blocks that the city's snow plows were unable to reach.

There was no monetary gain to be had in this job that no doubt took days to accomplish, if only because the residents would not allow Reggie to put himself in any danger by overdoing it. Aside from that minor annoyance and Alex's family's insistence on letting Reggie stay the night at their house in a guest room while he worked, it made the breeder feel at ease knowing that these people would no longer be cut off from the outside world. Snowpoint City certainly was a dangerous place to live in at times…

One could say Reggie was easily sidetracked, but he wholeheartedly trusted that Maylene was doing a good job taking care of the Pokémon in Veilstone City, even though his ability to contact her to check on the status of his home was severely limited. Power outages were frequent until the snow finally let up shortly before Reggie finished his job.

Reggie didn't know it yet, but this type of work would prove to have a very positive effect on himself and his Pokémon in the near future.

All of that was behind Reggie now, however; he was quick to start the drive home this very same morning. Due to the very convenient timing on both parties, one might say it could have been fate that Reggie would just happen to spot Paul on the sidewalk as he drove through the city. Genuinely surprised to see Paul still at Snowpoint City (as Reggie figured he must have reached this place at least a week ago), Reggie of course couldn't resist honking his van's horn at his little brother to get his attention. It had been ages since he'd seen Paul in person; of course Reggie wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to catch up with him.

Paul stopped short and held in a gasp as a very familiar van pulled up next to him. Of all people to come across in Snowpoint City… even Ash's presence was not much of a surprise to Paul since he suspected Ash may have been coming up this way since their encounter in Squallville. But his own brother…? Surely there had to be an explanation for this. "Reggie…?"

"Hey, Paul," Reggie casually greeted after stepping out of the van. "How's it going?" However casual Reggie was behaving, deeper within his mind were many questions and concerns… not the least of which being, where is Conway?

"Well enough," Paul tersely replied. Now that the surprise of his brother's presence had worn off, Paul had to focus on staying casual himself, because he certainly was not ready to confess to Reggie of his doomed fate, the hardships he suffered reaching this place on his own… but then he realized that Reggie had no idea that Conway was no longer with him. It was easy to make up excuses on the phone, but in real life… Paul had a feeling he was soon to be busted.

To make matters worse, Reggie was the type who had a sixth sense when it came to his little brother. It was only a waste of time for Paul to feign ignorance or "being okay"; Reggie would see right through it almost every time. "Well enough? I figured you must be having a blast here, Paul," Reggie assumed. "You've been here a while, haven't you?"

"Yes, well…" Paul looked to the side; one of his telltale signs of fibbing. "The weather here has been… dangerous for the last few weeks, I've heard."

"Glad to see you're playing it safe," Reggie said, sounding relieved. He believed this much, if only because he personally dealt with the dangerous weather his little brother spoke of on the way up. Still, both siblings did their absolute best to not behave in a way that was suspect, though naturally suspicion was on both their minds as their reuniting like this should not have happened under normal circumstances.

Paul remained focused on trying to expose his brother; that at least would hinder Reggie's ability to figure out what he was hiding. "So… what brings you up all the way here? Did you think I couldn't do it?"

"Actually, it's pure coincidence," Reggie said with a slight laugh, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I figured you'd be long gone by now… guess there's no wonder where you're headed next, right?"

"Sunyshore City," Paul confirmed with a nod. "I've conquered every Gym in this region that you had seven years ago… this far in, I don't intend to break the trend now."

Reggie smiled. "I'm flattered, really. I'm sure you'll do great there."

After a pause, he looked around. "So, is Conway off on another shopping spree?"

One of the dreaded subjects Paul didn't want to talk about, but knew he would have to at some point. If only it weren't now… not when he had a Gym Battle to focus on. After a moment's hesitation, he nodded again. "He blows so much money, it sickens me."

Ever sharp, Reggie caught the brief pause before Paul's response. He debated whether or not to interrogate Paul about it, much as he hated to do so. Thankfully (even on Paul's end), the brothers wouldn't be able to get much further into their conversation at this time.

Paul had only just started out towards the Snowpoint Gym, hence he was still right in front of the Pokémon Center. While Ash and his friends were watching the weather report, Ash overheard the van honking and was quick to look out the window to see what was going on. When he discovered who was outside, he couldn't contain the excitement he felt and had to tell everyone.

"Reggie!"

Brock, Dawn, and Zoey looked over to Ash who just shouted all of a sudden. They quickly stood up and followed Ash to the window; evidently the good weather was sticking around in Sinnoh for a while, which was all they really needed to know. When Dawn caught a glimpse of the familiar figure outside, she was instantly excited. "Wow, it's true!"

Like yesterday, Zoey had no idea why her friends reacted so strongly to people who were complete strangers to her. She was again quick to ask, "Who's that guy?"

"That's Paul's big brother, Reggie," Dawn happily explained to her rival. "He's a breeder down in Veilstone City."

"I'm sure he has his reasons for being here," Brock said assuredly. "That's a long way to come from…"

Ash simply grinned and raced to the front door, very eager to reunite with an important friend of his: the one who taught his Staraptor (at the time a Staravia, of course) Brave Bird, a move he's made good use of since his trip to Veilstone City. "Come on! Let's go say hi!"

Back outside, Reggie and Paul were discussing another topic.

"Have you gotten past the Snowpoint Gym?" Reggie asked, if only for the sake of clarification. For being in Snowpoint City this long, he figured defeating Candice was priority one for Paul regardless of how perilous the weather had recently been.

"Coming soon," was all Paul had to say about that; he obviously had no desire to confess to Reggie about his first failed attempt at the challenge. Not only was the end result catastrophic in that it confirmed his illness at last, but it was a pure blemish on Paul's record as well. Having all four of his Pokémon taken out with ease by just Abomasnow… it was hard for Paul to contain the hatred that he felt for himself for being so inadequate at the time.

"Well, keep in mind that Candice is tough," Reggie advised. In Reggie's days journeying through Sinnoh, which was eight years ago, the Snowpoint Gym was obviously run by another Gym Leader at the time when the young Reggie faced it. Candice was about Reggie's age, thus a beginning trainer herself during Reggie's conquest. When Reggie first reached Snowpoint City to earn his Icicle Badge (Paul was not with him, as this was merely a month or two before their mother passed on), Candice was a trainer he had to defeat before getting to challenge the Gym Leader. The cute little pigtailed girl adamantly declared to Reggie that she would one day inherit the Gym, so it was no surprise to Reggie at all when he learned a couple of years ago that Candice succeeded in achieving her goal.

Unlike Roark, Reggie wasn't close to Candice, per se, but remembered her well enough to consider her a familiar and on the very rare occasion would catch up with her. What he remembered most clearly was the very intense battle he had with her back in the day. Even back then, Candice was all about the "kiai" and didn't hold back even an ounce of her strength. After all, she was facing a mighty type disadvantage in Reggie's at-the-time Monferno. The fact that she put up such a good fight was telling enough for the elder brother; she was indeed tough. Candice was a menace to face even with type advantages… now it was no wonder that she was an absolute nightmare to face with type disadvantages. Paul didn't lose to her just because he lacked focus and common sense in his exhausted state… he grossly underestimated her, and finally Paul was coming to understand that.

"I have a plan for her," Paul grimly assured; from what he learned of his landslide loss, he was not about to go into this rematch without a strategy again.

"Reggie…!"

Caught up in the moment, Ash had forgotten to put on his jacket before rushing out into the below-freezing temperatures. Just in the mere attempt to keep up with their friend, Brock and Dawn also forgot to suit up. They quickly made themselves known to the pair of brothers, both of whom were secretly relieved to have a break in their tenuous conversation, even if it was the likes of Ash and his friends.

[Shinneth]

"Would you look at that!" Reggie exclaimed, pleasantly surprised. "Wow, it's been a long time."

"Yeah, it really has," Dawn agreed, all smiles as she usually was. She was even more cheerful getting to reunite with a good friend of hers, though her mere presence reminded both Paul and Reggie of Conway and his notable absence. Paul in particular imagined Conway completely losing his mind in a situation like this, highlighting the traits of Conway that Paul had always found pathetic.

"It's great to see ya," Ash greeted before asking the question that was on everyone's minds. "What're you doing here?"

How to put it succinctly… that was the true question. But Reggie had enough time to mull over that and finally had an appropriate answer to give. "I just finished bringing a Pokémon I was watching back to its trainer," he said. That much was true; complicated as things got after that. Still, Reggie would soon enough see firsthand the benefits reaped from his hard labor. But why Ash would be here in this remote location as well… that wasn't too hard for him to figure out. "You challenging the Snowpoint Gym, too?"

Ash was more than happy to brag about his victory once more. "Yeah, I battled Candice yesterday and won the badge!"

"Really? Awesome!" Reggie congratulated, happy to see Ash had made great progress since they last met. Truthfully, Reggie too could see a bit of himself in Ash just like Paul could; though Ash clearly retained more of his innocence through the years than Reggie did. Then again, Ash wasn't tasked with raising a baby brother throughout the majority of his Pokémon journey like Reggie was. However, the breeder did not regret this and never once found caring for Paul a daunting task, nor thought of Paul as someone holding him back or slowing him down.

He looked to his younger sibling with a knowing smile. "Hey, hear that, Paul? That's great, huh?"

"Hmph." Paul obviously hated being reminded of that. Not only of Ash being ahead of him, but defeating the person who wiped him out while barely breaking a sweat.

"He's your rival, isn't he?" Reggie playfully teased. "So you'd better keep up with him."

The discontented look on Paul's face contorted into one of pure stress and aggravation; he hated it when Reggie rubbed in things like this. So many negative thoughts were going through his mind at once and he hated this entire situation. Never before had he wished so much to be in the Snowpoint Gym again.

Reggie just smiled at him. "Okay if I come watch your battle?" After all, it was an unexpected treat for him to run into Paul when they hadn't seen each other in person for weeks. He was very talented in hiding it, but Reggie felt a particular aura of discomfort around Paul; something must have happened… something Paul was withholding from him. However, this wasn't the time to crack the tough nut that was his brother. Reggie figured there was no harm in getting to enjoy watching him in a Gym Battle for once.

"Whatever you want," Paul replied in a soft, neutral tone. Given his expressions just seconds ago, there was no doubt that he was repressing something fierce, if only because he was surrounded by several people at the moment and all of them were roadblocks in his path towards his seventh badge.

Zoey was perplexed at best as she carefully observed the interaction between the brothers. It was then that she came to the conclusion, "Man, that guy Paul may be the total opposite of Ash, but he's absolutely nothing like his brother, either."

"Ah, for sure," Dawn agreed, slightly shaken by the scene herself… if only because it was her first time seeing Paul and Reggie interact in person. However, the same was true for Ash and Brock as well. Naturally, Ash was for the most part oblivious to the negative nuances surrounding this conversation. Brock, on the other hand, was ever-silent, ever-observing. He had caught the details that went over the heads of everyone else, but reserved himself from making a remark of any kind.

However, concentration for all parties was soon broken as they felt the area rumble abruptly around them. Piplup was the first to notice, but seconds later everyone was shaken by the disturbance. It wasn't obvious what the cause of it was at first.

"What's that?" Ash cried out just before a shadow enveloped them all. It wasn't blinding darkness, but it was definitely a stark contrast to the pleasant sun they were all graced with. Everyone looked up to see what was obscuring the sun, but no one could make out what it was exactly until it passed over them, allowing the sun to shine down over them once more.

A large square-shaped shadow was on the move, and at last the group could finally get a clear look at what caused such a commotion.

Dawn, however, couldn't even hazard a guess as to what it was. "What's that?"

Pulling both hands together into fists, Ash knowingly grinned at the sight. No other aircraft had that kind of design; Ash knew this model by heart as often as he visited it in the not-so-distant past. "It's the Battle Pyramid!"

Hearing this prompted both Paul and Reggie to gape at Ash with sheer and utter surprise. Of course, they immediately identified the aircraft as well, but kept their mouths shut about it and didn't expect anyone else to be familiar with it.

"Wow, you guys know about that thing?" Reggie asked, clearly impressed, and at the same time aghast that he underestimated how cultured Ash's group was.

"Yeah," Ash affirmed proudly. "I finally beat it, but it took me a bunch of tries."

And just like that, Paul's entire world came crashing down once again. It had a habit of doing that quite a bit lately given what's happened recently, but this? The very idea was ludicrous; this was no small feat to brag about. He couldn't be lying; that wasn't how Ash operated. The Kanto native simply wasn't cunning enough to pull off a convincing lie, but he sounded purely honest when he outright told Reggie and Paul that he had already defeated their father… the man they had yet to defeat. Not only that, but Ash defeated the man very few people have ever defeated in the past.

It was not just Paul's father Ash defeated; it was one of the world's highest-ranked trainers. A previous Elite Four hopeful, and by this point there was no doubt that he would be a shoe-in for an Elite Four position if one were ever to open up… but years ago, Brandon had accepted his destiny and remained a Frontier Brain as the pillar. He was the glue that held it all together and was the standard set for all trainers to strive for; not to mention fellow Frontier Brains.

The revelations were coming to Paul all at once, and for the first time he was truly at a loss for words other than, "What…? You beat it?"

His lack of composure definitely got Reggie's attention, but the elder brother couldn't in all good conscience blame him. He too felt a great shock to his system as he realized he had trained with, battled, and taught Brave Bird to a young man who had already surpassed him in many ways. This begged the question of why Ash himself was not in Kanto as a Frontier Brain with his own facility, but simultaneously the brothers' minds raced back to the fact that Brandon just arrived in Snowpoint City. In little over a month's time, the family would be reunited in person once again, but for once, Reggie wasn't exactly feeling joyous over this occasion… especially after learning about Ash.

"Hey, I'm not saying it was easy," Ash assured. "But now that I'm thinkin' about it, why would Brandon be here?"

"While he's in the area, we might as well find out," Brock suggested. "You know he wouldn't forget somebody like you, Ash. This is a great opportunity to catch up with him."

Ash nodded vigorously. "You're right, Brock! He has to remember us! C'mon, let's go give him a call!"

Within seconds, Ash had already raced all the way to the front door of Snowpoint City's Pokémon Center. Brock trailed not far behind with Dawn and Zoey bringing up the rear.

"What are they going on about?" Zoey whispered to Dawn. "They seriously know a guy who owns a flying pyramid?"

"I'm just as confused as you are," Dawn sympathized. "I haven't got a clue what anyone's talking about… but I guess we'll find out soon, won't we?"

Zoey couldn't help but feel apprehensive about this. "Well, if Ash and Brock like this person, I guess they can't be too bad…" No worse than Paul, certainly.

Paul and Reggie watched the others dash inside as they mulled over how to handle this… not to mention the whole "Ash beat Brandon" thing was still sinking in for both of them.

"Did you know about this…?" Reggie quietly asked his brother. Said brother turned to face Reggie with a rather sudden outburst.

"Of course I didn't!" Paul barked out. "Did you?"

Reggie shook his head. "No, but he did say he was going to be in the area the last time we were together…"

"That was a month ago, Reggie," Paul countered. "You really think he's been up here this whole time and still hasn't found Regigigas yet?"

"He would have let us know if he found it," Reggie reminded him. "The fact that he's actually in the city now must mean he's desperate for clues…"

Paul nodded. "Makes sense. I think we'd better go pay the old man a visit with them, then."

"I can give us all a ride," Reggie offered. "Good thing I've got a van for such an occasion. Still, I'm sure Ash will be in for quite a shock when he finds out that Brandon is our-"

Just then, Paul gave his brother a harsh nudge. "Not a word out of you, Reggie," he warned. "I've got a plan, but I'm going to need your cooperation, and that involves making sure the others don't pick up on that bit of information."

Was Paul ever thankful he took his medication when he was supposed to for once; he was sure he wouldn't be able to handle the stress of Ash, his father, and all of the revelations in between in addition to the possibility that he could vomit blood at any time; the latter at least was controlled by that medicine with ease.

"If you don't want Ash to know, I'll respect that," Reggie promised. "But what do we need a plan for…?"

Paul just let out an aggravated sigh and shook his head. "You're so naïve… we always need a plan for the old man, even if it's just to talk to him. If you think he's going to be emotional like he was at home, think again. He only acted like that then because he thought you were going to die, remember?"

Way back when Reggie had been struck by lightning… while he made a fantastic recovery, it was true that Reggie almost died that day. Even still, there were lingering side-effects to worry about, as their bouts were completely random. Reggie grew somber after listening to Paul… he knew his wise little brother spoke the truth. Now that Reggie was fine and neither he nor Brandon knew about what ailed Paul, it would be back to business as usual with the three.

"Right back to not being his sons…" Reggie quietly stated. "I guess you're right; there's not much use in telling everybody that he's our dad. Brandon will just flat-out deny it because we haven't beaten him."

"We'll reflect on this later," Paul instructed; his harsh tone and unwillingness to let his emotions get the better of him for long was very reminiscent of his own hated father's nature. "Listen to me very carefully, because I don't have time to repeat myself."


The Battle Pyramid was very effective in drawing the attention of nearly every resident of Snowpoint City… as well as tourists and honored guests.

Even guests without any sort of honor whatsoever, such as the mere trio of persons representing Team Rocket in their attempt to create a presence in the Sinnoh region, watched in awe as the Battle Pyramid soared right over their heads and into the unknown.

A period of awkward silence later, self-proclaimed leader Jessie spoke up. "Tell me that's not the Battle Pyramid…"

Of course they knew of this facility; they went where Ash went, no matter the time or the place.

"I'd be lying if I did," James quietly stated, still staring at the sky with mild disbelief. "Though from Kanto it's quite a haul."

"Even flyboys need a change of scene!" was Meowth's explanation. "Though most guys would vacation in beaches, ya'd think."

James simply couldn't take his eyes off the sky. "As I recall, that man is not the type who fits in the "most guys" category…"

Jessie's Wobbuffet popped out just in to give its usual "Wooooh-buffet!" reaction.

"No way," Jessie muttered, still unable to suspend her disbelief of what she just saw.

Further out at the Snowpoint Gym, the rumbling and the loud noise disrupted Candice's training. She dashed outside as quickly as she could to see what was going on and came out just in time to see the mighty Battle Pyramid as it flew past her Gym and beyond.

"Oh, wow…" she quietly marveled. This was quite the enchanting sight for her. Even though Candice knew she would be having a Gym Battle soon, this phenomenon intrigued her far too much to go by ignored. The young Gym Leader kept up with the happenings across every region; this allowed her to quite easily identify this highly unusual aircraft. There was no doubt in her mind.

This was also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and Candice wasn't about to pass up on it. She promptly dug a Pokéball out of her pocket and tossed it out. "Come on, Dodrio!" the Gym Leader shouted, unleashing her method of transportation. "Let's go check this out! Follow that pyramid!"

All this time, Brandon had no idea how conspicuous his entrance into Snowpoint City was. His mind was firmly fixed on Regigigas and figuring out a way to get Maria to concede to his desires.

"Maria's on her way right now," Samuel informed Brandon, now in charge of handling the new systems installed into the Battle Pyramid while Brandon piloted his facility. "And we should be reaching the Valhalla Plains within a couple of minutes."

"Good. Very good," Brandon commended. "We'll likely get there before her, then. Punctuality will make a good first impression."

Samuel gulped at that. "It's now or never, isn't it…" Just then, the interface lit up and the plasma screen went from black to static, making a ringing noise. "Huh? Another call…?"

"Her again?" Brandon inquired. "She'd better not be cancelling…"

"The transmission's from the Snowpoint City Pokémon Center," Samuel reported. "It isn't Maria."

Brandon found this very odd; he wasn't expecting a call from anyone else, much less in Snowpoint City. "Most likely a misdialed number," the Pyramid King assumed. "But go ahead and patch it through."

His assistant heeded the order and allowed the call to go through. The static on the display screen abruptly disappeared, displaying a crisp, clear picture of Ash and his friends, who were all smiles upon seeing the visage of an old, familiar friend.

"Hey, Brandon! Long time no see!" Ash greeted, full of energy as ever. "It's Ash from Pallet Town!"

Not that Ash even needed to remind Brandon who he was; people who could manage to defeat the Pyramid King were few and far in between. Additionally, Brandon had just seen Ash's visage on a television a little over a week ago in the PokéRinger competition, winning the whole thing. Brandon smiled up at his young challenger. "I'll be. So how are ya, kid?"

"Great!" Ash replied. That enthusiasm of his would never die out. "Me and my friends were in the area and we saw your Battle Pyramid fly right over us, so how about we meet up soon if you're not too busy?"

While Samuel looked concerned, Brandon's smile never faded as he silently gave the okay in the form of a nod. "I would enjoy hearing what you've been doing since you conquered the Battle Frontier," he said. "We'll be making landfall in the Valhalla Plains just outside of the city."

"Not that far, huh?" Ash assumed. "Count us in! We'll be over there as soon as we can."

"I'll look forward to seeing you," Brandon assured. "Until then, kid."

He ended the call, now in much brighter spirits than before. "To think that little upstart is here as well… this will prove to be a very interesting day, indeed."

"Brandon, this is a business trip," Samuel reminded nervously. "Not for pleasure…" It was strange that he was the one saying this rather than his boss, come to think of it.

"I assure you, he won't slow us down," Brandon promised. "Remember, Sam: I have not set foot in my home region for seven years. My priorities are perfectly fine, but I won't pass up any opportunity to enjoy my time here while I still can. There's no telling when I'll be in Sinnoh again after today…" Brandon's voice grew quieter, taking on a more serious tone. "After what I've done, let alone the usual demands of this job, I may be old and gray before I can enjoy Sinnoh and the people in it again."

Samuel looked Brandon in the eye; something he rarely dared to do. "Having any regrets?"

"My regrets… are ones beyond my control," Brandon admitted. "I wish I could do things differently, but had I done what I wanted, the safety and financial security of my family would be compromised. I honestly can't say whether or not the Battle Frontier would have fared better without me, but that's another thing I didn't want to risk, even after having the chance to move on up…"

"You've definitely made a lot of sacrifices over the years," Samuel noted. "And I believe the rest of the committee sees that. I guess that's one reason why they've been lenient on you so far."

"But I don't need their pity," Brandon stiffly claimed. "All I need now is for this mission to go off without a hitch…"

All of a sudden, there was another call coming in. "Huh; weird," Samuel remarked, raising an eyebrow at the interface. "Another call from the same Pokémon Center…"

Brandon nodded immediately. "Perhaps they forgot to tell me something. Go ahead and accept it."




It was not Ash making the call, but rather someone else who was very familiar with Brandon. While Ash, Brock, Dawn, and Zoey were busy with the brief call to Brandon, Paul and Reggie very quietly eavesdropped; Paul in particular looked focused on getting something accomplished. Reggie had already planned on giving everyone a ride to Brandon's location, to which the others graciously accepted. As they all raced towards Reggie's van outside, Paul snagged the elder brother by the arm just as he was about to follow.

Paul seemed to have an agenda of his own as he ordered Reggie to stall for time by offering to load up everyone's belongings into the van's trunk (seeing as Ash, Brock, and Dawn were going to leave Snowpoint City today, anyway). While the others would be inside the van and waiting (Reggie insisting on not being helped), Paul was left on his own to call Brandon himself. If this was the way the remains of Paul's family had to reunite, then Paul decided he would have to lay some ground rules here and now.

When Brandon's visage appeared on the screen once more, Paul made sure to put on his best frown.

"Ah. I had a feeling you were lurking around somewhere in this city," Brandon smugly remarked. "Would it be off of me to assume you've been interacting with some friends of yours, kid?"

"Those people are not my friends," Paul spat. "Now drop the casual act. I called you for a reason."

It really was jarring for Brandon to be ordered around by his own son… but he had come to expect no less from Paul; this was how Brandon raised him to be in his early days. "Very well. State your reason."

"Expect to see me with the group when you land," Paul forewarned. "They already know about Reggie battling you in the past, so that much is unavoidable. Regardless, these people don't need to know any more than that, so when you see me, we're to be on no more than a strictly professional level." There was no clearer way Paul could put it, honestly. "So keep that in mind: familiar, but professional. Are we understood?"

How many children would talk to their own father like this? Though Paul barely considered Brandon a real father to begin with, he couldn't ignore the genetic evidence. That bore no relevance to how much respect (or lack thereof) Paul had for the man, either way. The Pyramid King might have been offended if he wasn't so absorbed in how Paul was gradually becoming more and more like himself as the days went by.

"So it's as I thought," Brandon presumed. "You know that Ash Ketchum boy quite well. Are you actually ashamed of your family roots?"

"It has nothing to do with that," Paul stiffly assured his father. "I'd just prefer that idiot doesn't stick his nose where it doesn't belong, and he's had a terrible habit of doing that every time we crossed paths in Sinnoh." The only thing Paul had to be ashamed about now in regards to his father was the fact that Ash defeated him already… quite a while ago, it seemed, while Paul himself continued to struggle in pulling off that feat.

Surprisingly, Brandon knew what it was like to be plagued by someone who seemed to carry only a small fraction of his own intelligence, and the Frontier Brain too was easily irritated by people who were ignorant and overly curious. He could see that in Ash the very day the two met in Kanto, so there was at least a clear understanding between Brandon and Paul on that subject.

"If that's what you wish, kid, consider it granted," Brandon assured. "Just don't ever say your old man never did you any favors from now on."

Paul rolled his eyes at that. "I'll see you soon," he muttered before ending the call. Goodbyes with his family were always awkward if not dealt with immediately. Besides that, he didn't want to waste too much time explaining things to Brandon, because there was one more important thing he had to accomplish before getting on the road.

"Paul, what's the holdup?" Reggie quietly asked, suddenly popping in. "Just how long do I have to stall the others? When they're excited like this…"

"Stop whining," Paul commanded in a sharp tone, already in the midst of dialing another number. "I just need a few more minutes. Tell them I'm in the bathroom, tell them a story… I don't care. Just don't go anywhere until I finish up here. Now get back out there and keep distracting them."

Reggie sighed, consenting to the order, scratching his head on the way out. "You're obviously up to something, but what…"

Just as he stepped outside the Pokémon Center, Paul's next call was finally answered: a familiar young lady with short pink hair appeared on the screen, less than enthused to see who was calling her. "Oh… Paul. Nice to hear from you again…" Even she couldn't force out a drop of false sincerity from her tone, but it wasn't like Paul cared about civility to begin with.

"Maylene, if you're busy with anything, drop it now," Paul instructed, remaining ever-so-callous. "I need to make some… exchanges, and I need them processed now."

The Gym Leader heaved out a sigh as she prepared herself with an abundance of Pokéballs. "Sounds like you're in a hurry, so I won't bother asking why. Which ones are you trading in, and what for?"

She hated when Paul was like this, especially during a time when Maylene felt there was so much to tell him… Conway's "death", Reggie being absent… but she could tell just by looking into Paul's eyes that she would only get yelled at if she strayed from the main subject even a little.

"For the moment, I'm giving you Gliscor, Honchkrow… and Torterra," Paul replied, clearly hesitating before deciding on the last Pokémon he would send back to Reggie's for the time being. All three of these Pokémon were scheduled to battle against Candice today, after all. However, the sudden rush of stress and anxiety coming with Brandon's arrival came with the expense of some logic on Paul's end. Still, he put great thought into who would be replacing these three Pokémon for a very important and specific purpose.

"In exchange, I'm going to need…"




"Ash, did you say Battle Pyramid?" Dawn asked her traveling companion inside the van, which was finally driving off to its destination: the very subject Dawn initiated. The rookie Coordinator was still completely in the dark and decided this was a good time as any to clear things up. What she saw in the sky was certainly a pyramid; there was no doubt about that. The very idea of a flying pyramid, however, was still a bit much for Dawn to comprehend in spite of the wacky adventures she had since leaving Twinleaf Town.

"Yeah, it was the final facility Ash challenged back in the Kanto Battle Frontier days," Brock explained for Ash… which was of course for the best; exposition was not one of Ash's strong points.

Dawn nodded and smiled, pretending she understood this perfectly. "The Battle Frontier! That's… uh…" Just like that, her cluelessness was made obvious to everyone again, though at least Zoey was in the same boat, more or less.

"It's a group of facilities, somewhat like a Gym, but more intense where you challenge and battle against an amazing group of powerful trainers called Frontier Brains," Brock told her, not the type who would mock Dawn for being this ignorant. Again, Dawn was still in her first year of training and mostly absorbed with Contests and creating appeals; her knowledge of what an average trainer could do, much less special challenges reserved for those with shining potential, was limited. "Brandon is the most powerful Frontier Brain," Brock continued. "And everyone calls him the Pyramid King."

Up in front, Paul quietly listened to the conversation going on behind him, but visually showed no signs of interest in what the others were saying; he didn't want to look too desperate to learn about how Ash defeated his father to make up for that unexpected and uncontrolled outburst earlier. If there was one thing Paul could bring himself to respect his father for, it was his strength. Even he couldn't deny that Brandon was one of the best trainers this world had to offer, and admittedly Paul was intrigued about how Brandon achieved this.

Brock paused for a moment, remembering something important that he learned several months ago that was quite relevant to this conversation. It was a question he always meant to ask, but got distracted and thus never got around to it. "Reggie, didn't you challenge him, too? I remember seeing the Frontier Symbols on display in your house."

This took Paul back as well; not quite as far, but back to just before all of his troubles began. Brock confronted Paul with this very same observation. While Brock was not nearly as irritating as Ash and Dawn were, the breeder had his own special way of getting under Paul's skin… his skills of observation could prove to be more invasive than Ash's curiosity any day.

Reggie, however, took this all in stride. After all, despite his struggles to rectify the unfinished business he left behind four years ago, the breeder (until recently) was fine with simply moving on with his loss and his decision to retire as a trainer. It was almost as if Reggie were browbeaten into this business again by his family. "Yeah, but I never got the Brave Symbol, which is proof of winning at the Battle Pyramid," he explained, sounding completely at ease with his shortcomings.

"Hmph." It wasn't easy, but Paul was at least very quiet and inconspicuous about his discontent with Reggie's attitude about the incident. Brandon too was not happy when Reggie never tried to challenge him to a rematch; it was a decision that broke both Brandon and Paul's hearts. While Brandon was much better at hiding this, the young Paul felt utterly betrayed. The unpleasant memories of four years ago smothered Paul's mind and concentration like an intangible tsunami of uncontrollable elements: sadness, disappointment, hopelessness, shock, uncertainty…

Even the medication wasn't enough to keep Paul even and painless. He was going to have to double up on it just to get through the rest of the day and it was hardly even noon yet.

It didn't matter how well Paul covered it up, though. Brock was observing him carefully as well as Reggie; more so than ever before. Paul's sudden emotional reaction in regards to Reggie not having a Brave Symbol back when he crossed paths with Ash near Hearthome City ages ago was a very obvious sign to Brock… that Brandon indeed was a strong influence on how and why Paul was the way he was.

"That's right; Brock told me," Ash recalled, also curious about this subject when he learned about it some time ago, though his line of thought didn't go nearly as deep as Brock's. "So why did you stop battlin'?"

Reggie's cheerful, casual demeanor faded a bit just then. He knew he'd be faced with this question someday, from somebody other than his relatives…

"Because I learned one thing," Reggie said in a low voice; his tone serious and a complete contrast from how he normally spoke. "That I have a lot more to learn."

The answer was… very, very vague and barely addressed the question at all. Even Paul was surprised by how Reggie seemed to change the minute that question was asked, considering he was perfectly casual and feigning cheerfulness just like he always did. He didn't seem to be struggling with maintaining this façade…

"About what?" Dawn asked innocently; if nothing else, she felt she might be able to relate to Reggie when it came to having more to learn. It was only to be expected with her: a first-year Coordinator who was anticipating her debut into a Grand Festival once she could gain just one more ribbon. "I mean… Brock said you had enough badges to get into at least four League Conferences and you were one step away from beating the Battle Frontier. For all the time it took to earn that, you must have learned a lot already…"

Reggie nodded, but Paul noticed he still looked rather grim… mildly so, but still enough of a stark contrast from Reggie's usual behavior. "The truth is, Dawn, you'll always learn something new no matter how far you make it," he told her. "That applies to all of you: even if you become Top Coordinator, the best Pokémon Breeder in your region, or even a Pokémon Master… the fact of the matter is that no one really ever masters everything."

"So what you're saying is… we should never think our journey is over even when we reach our goals," Zoey assumed. "Is that right?"

"Exactly," Reggie affirmed. "There are a lot of trainers out there with the same goals in mind as you guys. That's why it's important that you never lose your focus and don't let the achievement of your goal become your greatest weakness."

"But Reggie," Ash calmly interjected. "If you never got the Brave Symbol, then you didn't reach your goal, right?"

Brock noticed Paul tense up right after that inquiry was made. Clearly, this was some sort of soft spot for Paul even though it seemed to not have much to do with him.

"That's right," Reggie said; his head feeling heavy all of a sudden. He finally thought to cover up his fatigued sorrow with a smile, but it was far too late to fool anyone intuitive enough to notice something strange was going on. "My goal was a lot like yours back in the day, Ash. I wanted to be a Pokémon Master… the Champion of the Sinnoh Region, like what Cynthia is now."

Like Cynthia… merely namedropping the woman who single-handedly flattened Paul's team in a battle so long ago made it very difficult for Paul to keep his cool at this point. Interestingly, Paul never hated or even remotely disliked Cynthia. He disagreed with her, sure… but women who were mature, powerful, and atypical of their gender's nature stood out to Paul in a good way. In a way, one might say he even admired her in spite of all their conflicting views.

"Feel free to not answer if we're overstepping our boundaries," Brock calmly offered. "But what lesson did you really learn from your battle with Brandon that convinced you to stop battling from that day forward?"

"That lesson…" Reggie's voice had a hollow sound to it as he tried to put his complex feelings into words… words these naïve kids (Paul notwithstanding) could understand.

Then, all of a sudden, he smiled. It was just as false as the happy act Reggie was putting on, but nonetheless helped put most of the others at ease. "When I was defeated by Brandon, his lesson was the most important one I ever learned. He made me aware… of my own immaturity."

No one felt compelled to ask Reggie any further questions on the matter, although many more questions circled around their heads after hearing their driver's response. Zoey was aghast at how complicated Paul's family situation seemed to be, and she still didn't know the other half it; then again, neither did her friends.

Still yet, Brock was officially suspicious now. Going by Reggie's oddly serious behavior and Paul's intense reaction when he found out that Ash conquered the Battle Pyramid… the pieces of this puzzle were slowly but surely coming together for him.

The air was tense inside the van as the rest of the road trip to the Battle Pyramid was dead silent. Thankfully, their destination was just up ahead.


As the time elapsed, it was finally time for the battle to begin. Brandon and Paul were in position on the battlefield while Ash, Dawn, Reggie, Candice, and Zoey were seated in the stands. Brock was making his way down to the platform Samuel usually stood upon as he oversaw Brandon's various matches. With Samuel absent now, Brock took it upon himself to take his place.

"Brandon, I could referee…!" he called out. Brock wanted to see up close and personally what all of this meant, but before Brandon could approve, Paul cut in.

"Why? There's no need!" Paul yelled out suddenly, surprising Brandon and not even giving him time to ask what he was up to. He had already predetermined it a while ago: "It's a full six-on-six battle; Pokémon exchanges allowed. The battle will be over when one side's Pokémon are unable to continue."

Shocking as it was to be cut off, Brandon liked seeing this spark in Paul. These rules were rather interesting as Paul was only making it harder for himself by allowing Brandon to substitute as well. Not even Ash had to deal with that, nor did Reggie. Paul was determined to go above and beyond, which Brandon found to be quite admirable.

However… Brandon could still see his son was way in over his head, and it was high time to break that haughtiness and bring Paul back down to earth to face reality. How Brandon inherently knew Paul wasn't ready to take him on seriously yet was a mystery, but this was why Brandon humored him in the first place by allowing them to fight before their scheduled official challenge once Paul accomplished all of his tasks. Brandon figured Paul would succeed where Reggie failed if he had a traumatizing defeat to fuel his fighting prowess. Though Paul was more inclined to violence than Reggie ever was to begin with, Brandon was not going to take any chances. His faith in his sons was rather limited at this point. But if Paul was truly anything like Brandon was in his youth, the Pyramid King knew Paul would be able to bounce back from anything, unlike his brother.

"Very well," Brandon conceded. Brock, seeing that he wasn't needed after all, quietly made his way to the stands where his friends were. Ash stared at his very focused and determined rival, still in mild disbelief that just like this, Paul was making a bold move to do what his brother couldn't: defeat Brandon.

There was no need for a signal to begin the battle: Paul did it the old-fashioned way by reacting immediately, sending out a Pokémon. "Magmar, stand by for battle…!"

Brandon enjoyed seeing such initiative and quickly followed suit. "Regirock, I need your assistance!"

[Shinneth]

"Regirock…!" gasped Candice, in awe of seeing a Pokémon deemed of legendary status right in front of her. Dawn had never even heard of Regirock before, so she was quick to take out her PokéDex and learn a bit about it.

"Regirock, the Rock Peak Pokémon. Regirock's body is made up of rock and if something chips off in battle, it attaches rocks to repair itself."

"Sounds pretty resourceful, huh," Candice remarked.

Brock nodded in agreement. "I'd say Brandon's had Regirock for a long time now… even Ash couldn't defeat it."

Down on the field, Paul stared hard at the opponent he was faced with; not just the Pokémon, but also his past. "So Brandon starts with Regirock," he muttered. "Just like he did with my brother."

"I remember," Reggie said suddenly, getting everyone's attention. Seeing Regirock was a blast to his past as well, after all. "Paul was watching. Of course, that was back when my Pokémon and I were defeated by Brandon."

"So he was there the day you lost and retired," Brock realized. Things were finally beginning to make sense… why Paul felt so strongly about his brother's defeat, at least. "Then you faced Regirock, too?"

Reggie nodded somberly. He hated that he got himself into this topic just by being shocked by seeing Regirock again, but now he had no choice but to roll with it. "I did."

"Whoa, so Brandon really has had Regirock for a long time," Ash remarked, having no idea Regirock had that many years of experience. "No wonder I couldn't beat it even with a type advantage…"

Of course Reggie remembered that day four years ago… there was no way he could forget, given that it forever changed both his life and his brother's… for the latter case especially.

"Even so, no excuse would work on my brother," Reggie mentioned, his expressions hardening. "Paul was a new trainer and he'd just gotten his Turtwig. He had gone to Kanto during his Sinnoh journey… because he wanted to watch my battle."

Back then, Paul didn't look too different, but at least in those days he wasn't so hesitant to crack a smile. What was truly different about him was on the inside… his beliefs. He always had an attitude, but he wasn't quite as cold all those years ago, though shades of Brandon did shine through at times, especially when it came to how he handled Reggie's loss and eventual retirement.

"He put his journey on hold just to see you battle Brandon?" Dawn asked, surprised by this. "That sure doesn't sound like something he'd do today…"

Much as it hurt his feelings to think about it, Reggie figured Dawn was right. "Yeah. It's not so out-there as you might think… back when I was a trainer, Paul traveled with me for the majority of my journey, so when he finally parted from me in Kanto on his tenth birthday to receive his Turtwig and his PokéDex, he already knew where I was headed and promised to see me through to the end. I guess you might say he was true to his word."

"He was travelin' with ya that whole time?" Ash inquired, completely thrown back by this. "Then again, I guess it's not unheard of…"

"You're right," Brock concurred. "Max accompanied his sister May through two regions even though he was too young to be a trainer. In spite of that, the knowledge he gained was invaluable, so you can bet when Max becomes old enough to be a trainer, he'll be a major contender early on because of his past experiences that most younger siblings don't really get."

Dawn's mouth was gaping wide open. "Ah…! Yeah, you guys told me about how her little brother traveled with you guys before you joined me. So if the same was true with Paul, then he must've had a huge headstart at the beginning if he traveled with you for so many years, Reggie."

"Exactly," Reggie affirmed. "He's still my kid brother, but he's wise behind his years, no doubt. Since he traveled with me, Paul never really made the kind of mistakes I did when I was a beginner. Even when he was that young, he was hitting the books and studying my technique very carefully."

"Man, I never had that advantage at all," Ash complained, scratching his head. "No wonder he keeps kickin' my butt…"

Zoey couldn't help but raise her eyebrow at this. The brothers didn't seem very close at all from what she saw so far, though it wasn't for lack of effort on Reggie's part. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "It sounds like you guys were close, but then why does he hold that one loss against you so much? He's really quick to criticize you from what I've seen… was it really that bad?"

"Let's just… say Paul doesn't take well to changes in his life," Reggie explained, feeling awkward as he tried to word that in a way that wouldn't make them ask him more questions. "I had already gone from League to League and I felt ready to challenge Kanto's Battle Frontier, right around the time Paul turned ten. Due to my level of experience, I got through most of the Battle Frontier quite quickly. So to become a Frontier Brain, I had one more challenge I needed to face, and that was a battle against Brandon. But… we lost without defeating a single Pokémon."

Reggie couldn't help but wince as he recalled precisely what his father told him that day right after the battle ended.

"NO! You challenged me and I truly did enjoy our battle today, but the fact remains that your battling style is little more than standard ordinary fare! Now where is your true inner strength?"

"Harsh," Zoey sympathized as Reggie recalled the events for the group in detail. "And that's where you gave up?"

Reggie nodded. "Not only that, but Paul was asking himself that very question the second he heard it. As a beginning trainer, from the get-go Paul was determined to find his true inner strength."

Brock looked back to the battlefield, taking note of the new details he learned. "So the reason Paul's so obsessed with power is because of what happened to Reggie…"

Meanwhile, Brandon was sick of this stall for time, disgusted that his own son looked like he was about to choke at the last second. While the situation and the fact that this overdue battle was finally happening did shock Paul, he was also trying to figure out a way around Regirock. Already knowing it was powerful enough to take down six of Reggie's strongest Pokémon in their prime, Paul knew he had to play it safe with this one. He wasn't about to completely flop like his brother did. The type disadvantage was already a major misstep.

"Alright, I can handle anything you bring!" Brandon called out to him, knowing that mere taunts were always a weakness of Paul's. "Because that's my battling style." Yes, he also knew of how his battle with Reggie affected Paul for the long term.

However, Paul was not provoked enough to fall for this trick right now. He held out Magmar's Pokéball and recalled it immediately. "Magmar, return!"

"Return…?" Brandon figured Paul would charge right at him for certain. The fact that he was obviously playing it safe now told the Frontier Brain that his son was taking this battle very seriously.

Those who took this action for face value only, though, weren't able to comprehend this action. "What's with Paul?" Ash asked out loud.

"They haven't even started," Dawn muttered, shaking her head.

But it was easy to see why if one just paid attention to details well enough, such as Brock. "Paul must have decided that his Fire-type Magmar wouldn't be strong enough against Brandon's Rock-type Regirock."

"Hariyama, stand by for battle!" Paul yelled, sending out a Pokémon he hadn't used in quite some time. Obviously an early capture from his Hoenn days, Hariyama was once a much-less threatening Makuhita when Paul captured it. The "true inner strength" question that plagued Paul's mind was part of the reason why he was quick to capture a Fighting-type. It may have been a bit of a superficial resort in the past, but the type itself was a perfect choice to choose against Brandon.

Seeing another Pokémon she was unfamiliar with, Dawn drew out her PokéDex again.

"Hariyama, the Arm Thrust Pokémon. Hariyama can send a truck flying with its powerful Arm Thrusts."

"Sounds like the kind of Pokémon Paul would like," Dawn noted with a wince. She didn't like visualizing that entry in her head one bit.

Zoey, however, could see right away why Paul chose Hariyama. "A Fighting-type," she pointed out. "That's a good choice."

Brandon couldn't have cared less about his sudden disadvantage on the field. He was ready to get this over with already, hoping to get some satisfaction out of this. "Let's begin. Stone Edge, now!"

A very respectable and effective move, Stone Edge is. Paul knew well enough to get around that because he had been teaching his Torterra Stone Edge as well. Hariyama was bulky enough to take this on, and with the type advantage, he wasn't too worried. "Quick, block it!"

Hariyama's massive hands took the attack with ease; the rocks disintegrating upon impact. Paul was already suspicious… as far as he knew, Brandon wasn't the type to go easy on him. So why was Brandon practically giving Paul a perfect opening right off the bat? Paul decided it was high time to do a little taunting himself.

"You know Rock-type moves won't have much effect on Hariyama," Paul coldly reminded his father, really attempting to sound as condescending as he could. "Is this a test?"

This was the kind of reaction Brandon was looking for; he could already tell Paul was unsure of himself and the direction of this battle. "You'll have to see," he said back in quite the inviting tone.

Paul was willing enough to oblige him. "Arm Thrust!"

Now it was the full-frontal attack Paul was waiting for. Mirroring Paul's hatred for his father, Hariyama slammed its gargantuan palms against Regirock over and over, forcing it back as it took each hit directly. This was exactly the kind of thing Paul wished he could do to Brandon personally… thanks to his illness, however, the young trainer was beginning to think it would be nothing more than a distant fantasy. Paul aimed to overwhelm Regirock, figuring this onslaught would weaken it a bit.

However, Brandon remained firm as Regirock took the multiple Arm Thrust attacks until the precise, right moment. "Hold it down!"

Being in such close range, it was easy for Regirock to extend its arms and capture Hariyama within its grasp, even though it was being attacked nonstop. The grip was quick to be painful, causing the immobilized Hariyama to stop attacking.

"Oh no…!" Paul gasped out, not expecting a twist like this. He really didn't know his father as well as he thought, apparently. His mind raced to find a solution to this, but Brandon again reacted first.

"Now, Shock Wave!" Brandon commanded, smirking as Hariyama was ruthlessly electrocuted in addition to the crushing pain it was experiencing with Regirock's hold. After the attack, Hariyama managed to break away, but the visible twitching indicated that the damage had been done. The audience couldn't believe what they were seeing, either.

"Even after that much damage from Arm Thrust, Regirock has that much power!" Brock exclaimed. He had seen Regirock in action before, but not quite like this.

Reggie nodded somberly; he seemed to already know this round would soon be over. "I'd expect no less from Regirock…"

At least Hariyama was free now, enabling Paul to shout out whatever came to mind. He had a similar punishment in mind that would hopefully paralyze his opponent. "Force Palm…!"

"Use Focus Punch!" Brandon countered. In spite of inferior mobility and greater mass than Hariyama, Regirock was fluent enough in its movements to completely dodge the Force Palm assault, giving it the ample time needed to charge Focus Punch, which nailed Hariyama right on… unsurprisingly so, as Hariyama was essentially a huge target.

The point-blank bash to the head sent Hariyama to the ground. It quickly became obvious that it was not getting back up.

"It's unable to battle…" Candice remarked, purely in shock and surprise. This was giving her flashbacks to when she easily thrashed Paul's team, even though he wasn't in his right mind at that time. This time, there was no excuse to warrant this. Within a couple of attacks, Hariyama was knocked flat down even with a type advantage.

"That Regirock's tough," Ash stated, obviously enough. "What power!"

Paul silently recalled his Pokémon as usual, showing no sign of gratitude for its efforts whatsoever. While it was jarring to already be down one Pokémon, Paul was determined to not give into fear this early on. He quickly took out another Pokéball and tossed it. "Electabuzz, stand by for battle!"

Though Paul seemed sure of himself, Brandon had his doubts. "Huh…?" This choice was mildly perplexing for him, as it was the others.

"Why choose an Electric-type?" Candice wondered out loud. She knew Paul liked making challenges harder for himself, but this was ridiculous.

However, Ash quickly understood why Paul made this choice thanks to the time he invested in watching Paul sharpen Electabuzz's skills last night. "Of course; it makes total sense Paul would do that!"

The rest of the peanut gallery, Reggie included, just stared at Ash with widened eyes. How could he see something they couldn't when normally it was the other way around?

"Brick Break!" Paul ordered, not about to give Brandon an opening to ruin his plans. This time, the result was as Paul expected; Electabuzz flawlessly executed the move and hit Regirock directly, surely causing some damage.

This move was being used quite frequently during training last night, which is why Ash predicted Paul's motives with ease. "I knew he was gonna use Brick Break, too!" he exclaimed, sort of impressed that he could somewhat read Paul's mind for once.

"Well, Brandon's Regirock is a high-level Pokémon and Paul knows it," Reggie explained. He was beginning to understand why Paul was going this direction now… it was everything Reggie himself didn't do in his own battle against Brandon. Paul kept true to his word in just about any situation… his determination to not become like Reggie. "So of course he's got to use an attack that'll be a powerful match."

"This is getting complicated," Dawn commented with a wince. "Just what else is Electabuzz going to do now, then?"

Zoey looked on at the battle scene. "We'll just have to wait and see…"

Brandon didn't miss a beat. "Stone Edge; go!"

Electabuzz didn't have a resistance to Rock-type attacks like Hariyama did, so Paul wasn't going to let this be what would screw him over. "Protect!"

Surely… surely this would negate Regirock's attack without fail. After all, in every battle Paul had been in, nothing short of Feint could break the Protect move.

Imagine the horror when Paul turned out to be wrong; Regirock was so strong… and so vastly outclassed Electabuzz… that even normally-surefire moves like Protect could fail against the massive power Brandon possessed as one of the top trainers in the entire world.

Electabuzz was brutally thrown back and damaged by the unstoppable rocks after its Protect barrier was destroyed. Paul couldn't help but growl a bit at this point; things like this weren't normally supposed to happen… so why were they? Even Brandon was mildly surprised that a mere Stone Edge attack could break a move like Protect. He began to wonder just how weak his second son really was… and it was something he didn't like thinking about.

"And Protect wasn't strong enough…" Candice muttered with a sigh. "What's going on here? That couldn't have been normal."

"Only a sheer difference in levels could cause that," Reggie said, sounding distant. "Nothing else… he really is capable of doing the impossible, isn't he…"

Paul was still too slow on the uptake as Brandon took up the next turn. "Now, Hyper Beam!"

To do the impossible and follow it up with an attack like that? It was beginning to befuddle everybody. One mere hit on a massively-weakened Electabuzz was more than enough to knock it out. That was it for the Electric Pokémon.

"I can't believe how easily he took out Paul's Electabuzz," Ash remarked, remembering how much trouble he had with that Pokémon even as an Elekid. Even he felt a bit inadequate seeing how easily Brandon took it out.

While Paul recalled Electabuzz, Brandon saw it fit to make his first substitution. "Good; Regirock, return!" Back into the Pokéball Regirock went after easily taking down a third of Paul's team.

Brock nodded, understanding why Brandon chose now to switch. "After using Hyper Beam, a Pokémon can't act right away, so it's good he's making an exchange now."

Unlike Paul, Brandon wasn't bothering trying to make this harder for himself. That wasn't what Brandon had in mind; he merely decided to show Paul directly how foolishly stubborn he was and how that was leading his unfortunate son on a downward spiral. Indeed… it was Brandon's toughest example of tough love. At least he was privileging Paul by letting him see more than just Regirock this time as he threw his next Pokéball. "Registeel, I need your assistance…!"

Since Regirock had left such an impact, the group was more than unsettled to see a fearsome relative come out to the field. Dawn was making a habit out of abusing her PokéDex now, it seemed.

"Registeel, the Iron Pokémon. Because Registeel's body has been tempered by underground pressure for thousands of years, its body cannot be scratched."

"That's just… wow," Zoey commented. "You can't even scratch it? These Regis are definitely living up to their hype…"

"A Registeel…" Paul had seen Registeel through video phone conversations with Brandon, but that was it, and mostly it was when Brandon announced to his family that he captured it. Being a solid Steel-type, however… the choice seemed obvious. "Magmar, stand by for battle!"

Zoey nodded as Magmar was sent out. "Well, Fire-types have the advantage over Steel-types…"

"At this point, I'm beginning to doubt types even matter anymore in this battle," Brock wondered out loud.

"Use Flamethrower!" Paul shouted, immediately on the offense again. Registeel merely stood there and took the full attack, being utterly engulfed in the flames.

"A direct hit…!" Ash exclaimed. He was in awe watching Registeel buried under the bright, burning flames… Brandon was also finally looking a bit concerned, not expecting that much power out of Paul after his first two examples. However, the concern vanished as Registeel broke through the flames and survived the attack… still standing, even. Like the PokéDex entry said, nothing could land a scratch on Registeel.

Paul was aghast at this; he saw Registeel burning and it was still alright? "But how…?"

The elder brother watched closely, trying to make sense of this occurrence. "It must've had an effect, but… it's hanging in."

"Like a Steel-type," Brock supplemented. Reggie nodded in agreement.

"True to its type's stereotype…"

It was to Brandon's advantage to leave everyone in shock, of course. He was able to cut ahead of Paul in reaction time this way. "Use Iron Head!"

Once Paul heard his father's voice again, he immediately issued a command to counter the move. "Block it, and then Will-O-Wisp!"

He noticed Registeel was at least affected by Fire-type attacks, so Paul knew to stick with what worked and try to leave a burn on Registeel to gradually weaken it enough for him to knock out. Though Magmar tried to fend off Iron Head with its forearms, it simply wasn't powerful enough to completely negate it… again, in spite of its type advantage. Brock was turning out to be right about opposing types being meaningless in this battle. Even direct super-effective attacks weren't enough to bring down the powerhouse named Brandon.

Magmar was knocked back, but not knocked out. However, instead of executing Will-O-Wisp as ordered, Magmar was suddenly overcome with fear and cowered away instead.

Paul couldn't believe this. "Magmar's scared?" The very thing that shouldn't be displayed in front of Brandon…

"Where's the Will-O-Wisp…?" Dawn asked, almost panicked. She'd never seen such a fierce, one-sided battle before.

Brock was there to supply the answers. "Iron Head may cause opponents to flinch, and then it prevents them from attacking."

There was no way Paul could rely on Magmar like this. He hastily recalled Magmar back into its Pokéball and sent out its replacement. "Now, Nidoking! Stand by for battle…!"

Reggie raised an eyebrow at this. He was wondering why Paul was suddenly using Pokémon he hadn't used in a long time for a battle like this, but he realized this must have been what Paul wanted his privacy for earlier on today. He plotted out this party at the last minute once he saw that Brandon was in the area… based on types, Reggie figured that perhaps Torterra would be his trump card as usual, but Nidoking was also one of Paul's considerably stronger Pokémon.

Dawn again brought out her PokéDex to analyze a Pokémon unfamiliar to her.

"Nidoking, the Drill Pokémon. One swing of its mighty tail can snap a telephone pole as if it were nothing but a matchstick."

Upon hearing that, Dawn gulped. "Paul… really likes the scary ones, doesn't he?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say he seems more interested in function than looks and nature," Zoey hypothesized.

"Paul's been through many regions at this point," Reggie reminded them all. "And he keeps his reserves with me, so believe me when I say he has… quite a variety in spite of what you're seeing here."

Dawn looked back at her PokéDex entry and realized something. "Nidoking is a Poison-type, but I thought Poison-type moves don't work on Steel-types. Isn't that right?"

"That's true, but Nidoking is also a Ground-type, whose moves are effective on Steel-types," Zoey informed her rival. "We'll have to wait and see which move he calls."

But once again, Brandon was quick to take initiative. "Use Flash Cannon!"

That nearly-blinding attack hit Nidoking head-on, but unlike Paul's other Pokémon, it was relatively unscathed afterwards, only being forced to bend back a bit. After getting itself straightened out, Paul knew it was time to strike hard and finally take Registeel down. "Earth Power, now!"

Nidoking glowed with a bright light of power briefly before it slammed its fist into the ground, causing sudden tremors that directly approached Registeel. Another precise hit it was, as Registeel was visibly harmed by the attack and almost fell over once all was said and done… almost. Brandon's eyes widened at this, as he knew how difficult it was to actually push Registeel back this far. "Well, that's some impressive strength," he admitted. Perhaps he had too little faith in Paul after all.

And Paul wasn't done yet. "Double Kick!"

He was determined to not let his guard down this time and completely overwhelm his opponent for once. In spite of Nidoking's size and girth, it easily jumped high up enough to kick Registeel twice from overhead, sending it stumbling back even more… and yet it still remained on its feet after seeming like it would finally fall. The audience waited for Registeel to fall with bated breath and was horrified to see what actually happened.

"Whoa," Ash remarked. "A hit like that and Registeel's still up!"

Paul just tried to shake it off and continue. "Now use Thunderbolt!" he ordered. He wanted to afflict that Registeel with some kind of status… any status would do at this point.

"Iron Head; go!" Brandon countered, winning this clash. As Nidoking zapped Registeel, it charged at an unbelievable speed at the Drill Pokémon with a full-force Iron Head attack.

Even with a Pokémon that finally managed to really affect Brandon, Nidoking still wasn't enough. After a direct hit like that, it fainted.

"Nidoking's unable to battle, too!" Zoey exclaimed, thinking over the previous few turns that transpired. "It was a good attack, though… I guess he's not that bad a trainer after all, but still…"

That was three down for Paul now… half his team was unable to continue while Brandon hadn't even lost one on his side yet. Though Nidoking reflected the inherent abilities Brandon wanted to believe Paul had, his performance was still pitiful overall for a battle he was so serious about having. If he was this far behind, Brandon figured it would be a long time before Paul would be strong enough to even remotely become a threat. That… actually depressed him. Pushing that aside for now, however, Brandon decided he would have to invoke Paul's rage the best way he knew how: by exposing his weaknesses. Though Brandon barely spent any quality time with his kids, he could read them like a book… especially Paul, who was always more reflective of his youth than Reggie was. All Brandon needed to do was recall what lit his fighting spirit on fire as a child… truth be told, there were many similarities between Paul and Brandon that hadn't come to light yet for anyone but the Pyramid King himself.

All Brandon had to do… was think about the people he despised the most. What he needed to do became clear.

"All right, what's wrong?" Brandon taunted, making sure Paul wouldn't be able to ignore that demeaning tone of his… not to mention abusing his privileges as a "strictly professional acquaintance" rather than an estranged father. "And here I thought you wanted to beat the man who defeated your brother."

Paul finally came to his senses and recalled Nidoking to its Pokéball before glaring daggers at Brandon. Just hearing him talk like that already made him become increasingly unstable. The remains of his self-control were evident in his reply. "The truth is, it's only because you defeated Reggie that my victory over you will have meaning." But that was not the truth at all… "The challenge you always present to trainers to find their own strength…"

And just then, he snapped mid-sentence. "… Was something my brother wasn't able to do!"

Brandon blinked at the sudden outburst. Reggie's expressions hardened as he was namedropped by his family. It was so hard to keep everything under wraps… he could tell the battle would get unnecessarily brutal from here and he wanted to play mediator like he often did between Paul and Brandon, but in this crowd, there was just no way. All he could do was watch as his little brother completely lost his cool after all this time, evident with his raised fists now shaking.

"But I'm not like my brother!" Paul shouted. "My will gives me strength! And now, you'll see it firsthand!"

That was all Brandon needed to know Paul had no chance whatsoever in winning this battle. A superficial answer like that wasn't going to sway him; just convince him that Paul had no idea what he was talking about and really was making this up as he went along. Though there was some truth in what Paul said, as his willpower was probably the only thing that finally got him in Snowpoint City, the fact was he was too reliant on his own stubborn nature, assuming that he would outlast any opponent by that virtue alone. But as evident with Candice a few days ago, obviously that wasn't enough to overcome a competent opponent. Paul still hadn't learned from his prior mistakes… because he was blinded by his rage; his hatred for his father.

Brandon hoped he wouldn't have to go this low, because he was sure what kind of answer he would get from his son… but he found that he was left with no choice.

"NO!" Brandon bellowed, startling everyone in the stands but Reggie, who was more than used to this reaction by now. "All wrapped up in the past…" he remarked with disgust. "But then why do you walk the Pokémon path in the first place?"

Paul was losing it, as if the wrinkles under his eyes weren't telling enough. He couldn't believe he was being asked a question like this in the middle of their battle… with all these people watching…

And then… Brandon dropped the bomb that would end his child for sure: "Tell me, why do you battle?"

Of all things… this was something Paul never really thought about before. There were other ways to get his point across to his father… so why did he choose to do it with Pokémon, which he was rather unqualified for training and taking care of? It made perfect sense for a person like Reggie… he had an inherent love for Pokémon while Paul… did not. It made no real sense why Paul was a Pokémon trainer at all.

Once Paul realized that… once he was forced to take everything but Pokémon out of the equation for his motives… only then was he finally enlightened, but it was one that he wished never dawned upon him.

Paul had no idea why he worked with Pokémon. He had no answer for Brandon's inquiry.

That… was what Brandon expected, sadly. With no clue as to what he was doing with Pokémon, this was precisely why he had doubts in Paul ever reaching his level of achievement, much less surpassing it. Even with Reggie, the quitter, it seemed less hopeless.

But Paul… always bounced back. Brandon knew this to be true; if Paul could one day answer this question with validity, then the sky was the limit for him.

Until then… he was stuck here, right where he was… on a massive losing streak.

"Young man."

Paul snapped out of it, giving his father a murderous glare.

"I asked you a question," Brandon reminded him. "So tell me right now… what are you fighting for?"

The audience looked to Paul, awaiting his answer. Though Reggie looked skeptical; he too knew that Paul's motives were… either questionable or nonexistent. Paul could feel it, too; he could feel himself being watched and judged by those in the stands.

But he still didn't know what to say… other than growl as his emotional restraints finally gave way to his raw, uncontrolled rage.

"NOW, LAIRON! STAND BY FOR BATTLE!"

[Shinneth]

Brandon sighed. He didn't want to go so far as to break Paul, but he saw now that there was no choice. It wouldn't be much longer, he knew… and then this hurdle could finally be overcome.

A very shaken Dawn lifted up her PokéDex once more. She never heard Paul sound like this before, but now that she had, her image of him completely changed for the worse.

"Lairon, the Iron Armor Pokémon. It digs up iron ore for food and smashes its steely body up against others in battles over territory."

While saddened that it came down to this, Reggie wondered why Paul bothered taking a chance on something like Lairon against a man who was viewed as the ultimate challenge. From what Reggie remembered, Paul never cared that much for Lairon and couldn't even be bothered to fully evolve it even though it was one of the first Pokémon he caught by himself. Paul actually saw this as a perfect opportunity to invoke an evolution in Lairon so he would finally get his Aggron… not to mention its typing was ideal for going against Brandon. Then again, Paul hadn't been thinking straight all day. There was just too much going on for him to handle.

Brandon decided that while Paul had pretty much lost his mind at this point to further confuse him by choosing this moment to make his exchange. "Registeel, return!" All eyes were glued to Brandon as he sent out the final member of his famous legendary trio… "Regice, I need your assistance!"

"He's… gonna use an Ice-type against a Rock and Steel-type…?" Zoey asked no one in particular.

"They sure are alike," Candice quietly muttered, but her comment did not slip by Brock's ears.

Brock looked back at Candice questioningly. "What was that…?"

"Ack…!" Candice just grinned and laughed in a panicked way that practically screamed the fact that she was forcing it out. "Nothing, nothing!" She did not want to be the center of attention again.

"Anyway, it's obvious now," Reggie confirmed, unable to force a smile at this point. "Types… really are irrelevant in this battle."

Though Paul was consumed with rage by this point, he actually decided on a defensive beginning for once. "Iron Defense!"

Lairon's steely body gleamed as the technique took effect. Dawn stared at this, thinking she could put her finger on this for once. "Is that…?"

"Right, it increases defensive power," Brock confirmed, knowing Dawn was too shaken by this battle to finish her sentences now.

"Yeah, Paul wants to hang in there and look for a chance to counter-strike," Reggie added, knowing this would be the only reason why his desperate brother wouldn't lash out at the beginning.

However, Brandon paid no mind to this and proceeded to attack. "Ice Beam; go!"

"What the…?" Lairon stood there and took the hit… but increased defenses were absolutely worthless in this case, as the odds went against Paul once again. He looked on in pure, abject horror as he watched his Lairon become frozen solid in a block of ice, which was a possible side-effect if a target was hit with this attack.

Paul was sunk, and all he could do was growl about it, wishing that he would have challenged his father to a fist-fight or something less emotionally-draining instead. It was bad enough that for most of Paul's major battles since Byron was he constantly falling victim to the frozen status, which then rendered his Pokémon useless.

There was nothing else Paul could do but watch Brandon take out his Lairon without breaking a sweat. "Zap Cannon!" Brandon was actually thankful this happened, as this was a nice way of ending the battle faster. He knew now that he'd seen enough, and absolutely the best Paul had to offer him… it was time to accept the truth: Paul wasn't ready yet; not even close.

Lairon was down. Ash was particularly downtrodden by this. "Man, Lairon didn't even get to attack once…" It was something he was looking forward to every time he saw a new Pokémon of Paul's… even though Lairon wasn't "new", per se… it was still new to him.

Four down and two to go; Paul recalled Lairon and sent out his only fresh Pokémon left on the team. He seemed to know it, too, as he was back to growling and shaking uncontrollably as he threw out his next Pokéball as hard as he could. "URSARING, STAND BY FOR BATTLE!"

Even if he was fighting a losing battle, Paul didn't want to go down like a wimp… Brandon could commend him for that much at least, though it was depressing at the same time to see Paul go through all this trouble when he was going to lose, anyway.

"Use Hammer Arm!" Paul shouted at the top of his lungs. Yes, it was a wise move for him to have taken his medication prior to the match. Otherwise, his body would have failed him a while ago.

Brandon narrowed his eyes, determined to outdo his son in every way possible. "Focus Punch; go!"

Ursaring still remained a powerhouse of Paul's team, and therefore fared a bit better against the Pyramid King's Pokémon, matching Regice hit for hit until their clashes brought about an explosion, sending both Pokémon back sliding, but both still able to continue. That was nice; Brandon had to take what he could get from his son's abysmal attempt to defeat him. The small moments of standstill gave way to the two trainers giving commands almost simultaneously.

"Now, Focus Blast!" Paul cried out.

"Zap Cannon!" was Brandon's next move. Though Brandon called his out later, the execution of Focus Blast would prove to be detrimental to Paul just as it was for Reggie against Maylene when they battled last. Zap Cannon smacked into Ursaring before it could even launch Focus Blast, effectively cancelling the attack altogether.

Ursaring wasn't knocked down, but like Nidoking, it was going to likely need some sort of Pokémon chiropractor in the future as far back as its spine was bent from the force of the attack. The stunned look on Ursaring before it finally slumped over made it evident that something was wrong with it.

Ash had no idea, of course. "Whoa, what happened?" He hoped Brandon wasn't going too hard on Paul… Ash would know, after all.

"Zap Cannon always paralyzes the target if it hits," Brock pointed out. It was also evident that Zap Cannon hit Ursaring so hard that even its Guts ability wasn't going to save it this time. Against someone like Brandon, Ursaring may as well have been frozen in a block of ice like the previous times.

Paul knew it. This was a lost cause… and his adrenaline was beginning to peter out. He was still viciously angry, but now with Ursaring rendered useless… Paul could only glare at his father who did this to his Pokémon.

"Why isn't Paul switching?" Ash asked everybody after realizing that Paul was suddenly rather stationary.

Brandon had no interest in one last stall for time, however. "Now, Regice, return!" he commanded, making what he hoped would be his final substitution. "Regirock, I need your assistance…!"

Suddenly, Paul was riled up once more upon seeing the symbol of his past… the Pokémon that made Reggie give up and consequently made Paul lose his ability to trust people or even take in a bit of good faith. It was like a slap to his face, and Brandon was well aware of it, too. "Regirock again?!"

"Use Stone Edge!" The Frontier Brain paid no mind to Paul's hissy fits, only interested in ending this battle. In Ursaring's already-poor condition, it was needless to say the following attack crushed it completely beyond usability in this fight. It too was unable to battle.

Paul was sick of looking at it anyway; on the whole he'd been dissatisfied with Ursaring's performance lately and quickly recalled it. "Ursaring, return!"

"Paul had already given up on Ursaring," Reggie said as a belated response to Ash; he wanted to wait and see just to be sure, but this was what he figured out when he first saw it. "He just stopped giving it commands…"

"Hm…" Ash couldn't help but feel sorry for Paul at this point. This was very different from the time he watched Paul battle Cynthia to a full battle and lost miserably; at least then Paul knew when to quit. He had no idea why, but even though this battle was going no better than the one against Sinnoh's Champion, Paul just refused to concede defeat until he would be forced to; needlessly so, at that.

He really wondered what it was about the battle with Brandon that kept Paul as stubborn as Ash himself. The boy from Pallet Town never really had issues with family pride and whatnot. For all the times Ash encountered Paul before, never once was he this fierce… nor desperate, or even vulnerable. It was obvious even to Ash that Paul was doing himself no favors by losing his cool, but then again, that wasn't something Paul was able to control after a while. Reggie was actually impressed that Paul held in his rage for as long as he did, but he had a feeling that things would get too volatile for his little brother to be able to keep it up. It was Reggie who was truly the master of keeping his true feelings locked away within himself, but for now, he wouldn't acknowledge the fact that he was just as upset as Paul was, just by watching this…

Reggie realized his brother was right; now that nothing apparently ailed either of them, Brandon was back to his familiar cold and distant self. There was nothing to enjoy about this reunion whatsoever. He doubted even if Brandon finally caught Regigigas that it would make up for the nightmare he had just put Paul through. But… the nightmare wouldn't have to last for much longer, as Paul sent out his final Pokémon able to fight… who had already suffered a myriad of problems already…

"Now Magmar, stand by for battle!" Paul cried out, as if he still thought he could do something… somehow make his mark and show Brandon how far he had come. But ever since that question was directed towards him… Paul knew that's all what Brandon would care about until he finally gave an answer. Chances were that Brandon would never battle him again until he could find that answer.

The entire audience looked saddened as they watched Magmar come to the field a third time.

"Paul's last Pokémon…" Dawn mumbled. She too was feeling very sorry for Paul right now, though was also clueless as to why he was behaving so differently from before.

"Not only is it a bad matchup, but Regirock's just too powerful," Candice pointed out, hating to being faced with the harsh reality of this final battle. There was no doubt about it. "It's almost over…"

It was indeed the homestretch. All it required was one more move.

By now, it really didn't matter what Paul did. This was the end, and even though this was wrecking his body like crazy, Paul hated for it to end. Once this was over, it was time to face reality again as the walking dead… and accept the fact that he might not live long enough to become a real challenge for his father. Fear was hard to resist now; Paul really was afraid this would be the last time he'd ever get to challenge Brandon. In spite of that, the unfortunate trainer failed with flying colors.

"Now, Flamethrower!" That was Paul's last command. He knew it was a bad move to use against Regirock, but even if it wasn't, it wouldn't have been enough to make a difference. This was simply Paul's way of going out with a bang.

Said bang was easily nullified by Regirock's bulky, fire-resistant arms. It was finally time to end this.

"Shock Wave, let's go now!" Brandon called out. He figured he'd done enough damage to Paul by now to not need to rub salt in the wound with Stone Edge.

Despite that, it was a brutal and critical hit that smacked hard into an already-weary Magmar. It slumped over, its arms hanging like noodles as it tried its best to remain on its feet. Magmar knew it was Paul's last hope… and it remembered what Paul said to his entire team just before the match. Was it really Magmar's fault? This entire battle seemed utterly hopeless from start to finish… but was it a good idea to start doubting the trainer?

That would be a matter to worry about for another time; Magmar had no strength left as it fell to the ground at last. That was that; Brandon utterly swept his son… just like he had done with Reggie four years ago.

Once the action subsided, the drama was quick to take over. Paul looked on at his fallen Magmar, both looking and sounding effectively broken. He really thought this would finally be the day his old man would get his comeuppance. Paul was honestly sure of himself when he hastily put a plan together to deal with Brandon the second he laid his eyes on that flying pyramid in Snowpoint City. He wanted to believe he was ready… but he wasn't. He couldn't do what his brother couldn't, nor could he do what Ash did. As if that weren't bad enough, there was a large group of people that had witnessed this firsthand… this wasn't a dirty little secret Paul could sweep under the rug like his disease.

The experience had been surreal for every person within the facility. Yet Candice of all people was the only one who knew about said dirty little secret, though in turn was fully unaware of Paul and Brandon's relation… but ever-so-slightly, she was picking up on it. Brock was more suspicious than ever before; like Ash, he watched Paul battle Cynthia and was surprised that Paul didn't have good sense to quit when it was made obvious that he had no chance of winning. That was precisely what Paul did against Cynthia – despite it being a full battle, Paul understood when he had already lost after four of his Pokémon fell to the opponent and didn't hesitate to forfeit. Here, though… Paul couldn't have been unaware of it, but around Brandon, he acted completely differently regardless. It was only then that Brock decided he should attempt to speak with Reggie in private the next time he got the chance. While it was true that it was none of his business when it came down to it, Brock couldn't simply turn away now after all the time he invested in studying Paul's actions since coming to Sinnoh.

Zoey wasn't sure what to make of this. While she did think it was rather strange how Paul and Brandon interacted with each other, she had only met these two less than twenty-four hours ago. Already within that timeframe, Paul was showing many different sides of himself that made him quite difficult to read. The Top Coordinator-hopeful at least understood why Ash and the others even bothered with him in the first place, though; to say the least, he… was a very interesting case. After seeing this battle, Zoey gained even more respect for Ash when it hit her that the boy she formerly disliked actually defeated a fierce trainer like Brandon. Of course, the circumstances must have been different from now (especially when Ash admitted he never actually defeated Regirock), but that made him no less impressive in Zoey's eyes. She was looking forward to how both trainers would progress through the rest of their journey now.

Never before had Dawn felt sorrier for Paul than she did now. She clutched her Piplup tightly, hearing it squeak in response before quietly issuing an apology. The battle was absolutely horrifying for her… she could see why the prize won from Brandon here was called the Brave Symbol. One would need nerves of steel to not break down in front of this intimidating, powerful man. That made her all the more curious as to how Ash managed to beat him, especially given that Paul until recently had been routinely making short work of Ash in battle. But after taking it all in, going this far made Dawn's head hurt. Understanding now that the Battle Frontier was a way of saying a trainer was in the big leagues, she wondered how a first-year Coordinator like her would be able to perform in the big league equivalent of her path. It didn't help realizing that Ash only got the opportunity after over three years of training and battling. This went a long way in giving Dawn even more humility as she had to face the facts… and Paul here was a prime example of this: you can want something as badly to the ends of time and do whatever you can to get it. But in the end, none of that guaranteed that you would be successful. She had understood now that winning the Grand Festival was not going to be a mere one-year feat for her in all likelihood. She would still try her best, but if she failed this time… Dawn knew not to take it too hard. It didn't seem fair, but then again… life was never fair.

Ash had no idea why he felt this badly at seeing Paul lose. Really, as horrible as his rival had been to him and Pokémon alike, a loss like this would have served him right. It made him feel incredibly lucky and special remembering that he had actually beat Brandon already and earned his way through the Battle Frontier, but thinking back on that… it was only a 4-on-4 battle like he one he just had with Candice yesterday. Only Regice of the legendary trio was used in that particular battle and it was a fresh capture at the time. While Ash did face the other two Regis in previous attempts to defeat Brandon, he didn't beat either of them, and he only barely beat Regice to begin with.

He wondered… if he were in Paul's shoes, would he have done any better? This was no time to judge Paul now; foolish as he was to make the battle this way, it was admirable that Paul really wanted to go through with that kind of thing. The idea of a full battle with Brandon with half his team being Regi legendaries made Ash feel a little sick to his stomach. Even with his ultra-powerful reserves, Ash won against Brandon by the skin of his teeth. He still wondered why Paul didn't just forfeit before it got this bad like he did against Cynthia, but for now he was too preoccupied, feeling sympathy for his rival. "Paul lost…" he muttered. "After all that."

That was exactly what was on Reggie's mind right now. He knew Paul must have had this battle on the brain for the past month since the challenge was issued. After all the work Paul went through just to make it here and make this battle happen (and Reggie still didn't know the half of it), the result ended up like this regardless. No better than him… Reggie knew Paul was going to have a hard time living this down, especially since so many people were witnesses to it. As far as he recalled, Paul fought a lot harder than he did back then. Just as Reggie was beginning to feel good about his chances, this brought down his mood tremendously. He wasn't sure just how he and Paul stacked up these days, but Reggie figured his brother must be on par with him somehow. Knowing that… Reggie understood that there was still a lot of work to be done; this battle was proof of it.

Perhaps Paul had more of an uphill battle than his brother after all… this was something Reggie wanted to find out soon. Right now, he knew he was going to need to spend some quality time with his brother and get him through the healing process, because it was fairly obvious that Paul was going to need some help to make it through this.

Brandon stared down hard at Paul, who could no longer look him in the face. Once the terror phase had come and gone, Paul was slowly brought back down to earth, certainly looking worse for wear. He was dead silent as he finally recalled Magmar, who hadn't moved an inch since fainting. Once that was done, Paul felt so drained that his Pokéball nearly slipped through his hand's grasp as he let it down gently, though couldn't resist the urge to shiver. He slumped over, eyes closed and completely humbled by his experience. Paul couldn't even fathom what all went wrong with this battle, but the real question was… could he have performed any worse? Brandon met him at every corner and every moment; whenever Paul did land a hit, it might as well have missed. The damage he dealt did nothing but maybe extend the battle a couple of minutes. Whatever strategic move Paul had, Brandon negated it without fail. Every time there was a chance for a side effect when Brandon went on the offensive, it happened and crippled Paul's team in the process. The other way around, try as Paul did to afflict at least one of the Regis with a status effect, lady luck never shined upon him… almost as if he were meant to lose this battle.

The Pyramid King himself chose his next words carefully. It was his duty to give trainers who failed against him the proper constructive criticism; the tricky part was being able to give it while not compromising the confidentiality agreement. A major part of Paul's poor performance, as Brandon saw, was due to his lack of focus. Much unlike his brother, Paul was terrible when it came to managing stress. So much of that stress had to do with family issues that Brandon couldn't vocalize at this time… but he couldn't just leave Paul beside himself like this.

"Young man."

That got Paul's attention, though he didn't move… not even to open his eyes.

"This battle of yours… is that your true battle? The battle you'll present in the future?" Brandon asked, though not expecting an answer, of course. Reggie was a little surprised Brandon didn't holler a deafening "NO!" at first.

While it was very hard to maintain the position of power that Brandon held, the hardest thing of all for him – always – was to be a father. Even before his wife died, he struggled, though at least then he had her support and guidance. After that, Brandon had absolutely no idea what to do with himself, much less his kids. In spite of the lack of true respect he should have had for his sons, Brandon knew he would be awful to leave Paul hanging like this and had to leave something positive for him as a father should. All this he had to do… without actually coming off as a father. He only hoped that Paul would truly understand his message rather than take it at face value.

"You've done an excellent job raising and training your Pokémon," he said earnestly; that much was evident at least with Nidoking. "But you allow your emotions to betray you on the battlefield!"

This part he said much more forcefully; Brandon was determined to get his point across. It seemed to work, as Paul finally managed to look up and lock eyes with him again. Abysmal as Paul may have been in controlling his anger, he held in his urge to cry very well. It seemed vague, but Paul kept in mind that this was what he wanted. Desperate as he was for his father's words, had had to take what he could get from pure inference. With Brandon… he expected no less. This was the best way to convey Paul's biggest flaws as a trainer without going beyond the professional way of speaking. In addition to the question that would haunt him every day until he found a good answer for it, Paul had to come to terms with his lack of restraint. He was usually good at reserving himself, but a choice few were exceptions to this rule; many of which were in the stands right now.

But Brandon was the biggest exception of all… Paul, despite hating his father, was unable to consider that detail secondary to Brandon's status as a trainer. It largely had to do with Brandon's attitude; his professional and personal sides were similar in more ways than one. That alone invoked a powerful rage within the young trainer. He didn't have fond memories of his parents before his mother died, so he honestly didn't feel the connection that Reggie felt with Brandon, which enabled Reggie to forgive his father for his shortcomings.

As he stared hard at Brandon, the Pyramid King was delighted to see the hatred subdued at this time. He was already making an effort to rectify his weakness… and this was quite indicative of Paul bouncing back from a fall. Even if Paul himself didn't know it at the time… Brandon made it clear now that Paul really had nothing to worry about.

"We will battle again when you've learned to control them," Brandon assured with a smile. It wasn't his usual smug smile at all; that was the smile he once had when he was a full-time dad. Paul didn't recognize it, but he felt himself beginning to calm down at last. Brandon's changed tone and his swear to maintain the original challenge he set for Paul did much to save him from that endless pit of despair. Paul would still fear his illness holding him back later on, but for now this turned into a surprisingly nice moment. But all that was apparent on Paul's face was the calm; not the warm feeling inside him. Having lost this badly, though, Paul felt he had no right to even speak back. He merely bowed his head to show that he understood everything Brandon said.

And that was that. Brandon nodded back to his son and started to turn away from the battlefield. "Until then… best of luck. I'll look forward to seeing you in battle again."

He was walking off… and with him went those brief moments of the balancing calm that filled Paul's battle-ravaged body. Paul looked up to watch his father leave, his eyes widening and mouth gaping as that odd, almost fuzzy feeling faded away. He stumbled forward slightly and made a feeble reach towards where his father once was with the pitiful amount of energy he had left within him. Upon realizing that everyone was still watching him, however, Paul just froze after that before slowly easing down to a standing position as before.

[Shinneth]

Brock made a mental note of this just now. He was almost certain what he believed was true… and he'd make a point to talk to Reggie for sure to confirm his suspicions.

Reggie stood up first, letting out a small sigh as he continued to stare down at his brother, who apparently had no intention of leaving anytime soon. "Don't worry about it, guys," he assured. "Just leave him to me. Either way, we'd best be going."

"But this time, there's actually a need to worry," Dawn muttered as she stood up. "I mean, that fight…"

"Just have faith in Reggie," Zoey assured her. "If anyone can get Paul back to his usual jerk self, it's gonna be his older brother for sure…" But after saying something that rude, Zoey tensed up and grinned awkwardly at Reggie. "Er, no offense, of course…"

Reggie just smiled and shrugged. "None taken. I know he can be hard to deal with most of the time, but I can tell you all want him to change for the better. Hopefully… after today, that can begin."

"Wonder if he'll be a little nicer to me from now on," Ash thought out loud as he stood up and stretched. Continually looking down at Paul, however, Ash had an apprehensive look on his face as he thought about what he just said. "Eh… probably not."

It was rather funny of Ash to say that, Reggie thought. He chuckled a bit as he watched everyone slowly make their way out of the stands and towards the exit. "We'll just have to see. Brandon's probably waiting to escort you guys out of here by now," or so Reggie assumed. "Paul and I know our way around this place, so we'll escort ourselves out."

Brock wondered how those two could know the Battle Pyramid that well if they had only allegedly been in there all of two times. But, that was a question for another day… right now, there were many loaded questions stacked on top of one another as a result of today's events.

"Seeya soon, then," Ash said in a temporary farewell. The crowd gradually emptied out of the arena until only the two lowly brothers were left. Reggie was very careful in his movements, not wanting to do anything sudden that might possibly upset his little brother. He had a very lost and confused look on his face… which wasn't really something Reggie expected, admittedly.

Paul had to know Reggie was right beside him, but paid no mind to his older sibling regardless. There was just too much on his mind at the moment.

Reggie was not fond of the following periods of awkward silence, especially in a spacious area like this where a vicious battle just transpired. He had to break the ice somehow… however hard it was trying to find the right thing to say at a time like this. "You've lost battles before, Paul. It's no big deal."

But Paul didn't respond.

Reggie's genuine smile ever-quickly turned into a forced one. "You're… okay, right? If you're not…"

"I felt something," he said suddenly, cutting Reggie off. He still wouldn't look at his brother. "Weird…"

"Felt what?" Reggie was intrigued; what could Paul be feeling other than the sting of defeat? "Good weird? Bad weird?"

Paul held a hand to his chest for a moment before shaking his head. "I… don't know. I only felt it for a couple of minutes." He had been feeling even worse than before once that feeling left him… the one invoked by Brandon of all people. It was incomprehensible to Paul why he suddenly felt like this. "… Anyway, let's go now."

He wanted to cry; oh, how he wanted to cry… but not here. Not in this place. Paul rather would not cry in the first place, but if he would be forced to eventually, then by the gods he would be deciding where and when. But inside Reggie's van sounded like a good place to start… provided the kids didn't follow.

"Don't rush; take all the time you need," Reggie urged, resting his hands on Paul's shoulders. "I know what you're going through right now…"

Just being reminded that he was no better than his brother set Paul off immediately. He kept his calm for the most part, save for his facial expressions. They were back to being dark and menacing as per usual as he glared straight at Reggie just then. "I don't want to be here anymore," he clarified in a low growl.

After hearing that, Reggie quickly let go of Paul and backed off a step or two. He got the point. "Right, right. So how about we go outside now?"

That seemed to be an affirmative for Paul as he silently walked towards the exit. Though he felt a little dizzy after what he had been through today, his desire to leave this desolate place overpowered it. Of course Reggie was still worried about how Paul would react to his devastating loss throughout the day, so it went without saying that the elder brother was going to keep an eye on him for a while until he finally mellowed out. At the same time, Reggie hated to just leave it like that. Just winning against Candice eventually wasn't going to make that pain go away, and Reggie knew it. On his way out of the Battle Pyramid, he started brainstorming ideas to help get Paul back on his feet. There was an uncomfortable silence again for all parties involved as they made their way out of the Battle Pyramid. For once, they knew better than to try talking to Paul at a time like this.




Once they made it outside again, Paul quickened his pace to catch up with Candice and Zoey. He stopped right ahead of the Gym Leader to get her attention. Still, he wouldn't bring himself to look at her, though he seemed a bit more evened out after walking off some of the stress. "You can expect to see me at the Snowpoint Gym," he said suddenly, prompting everyone else to stop and stare. Paul felt the need to clarify. "… But not today," he made specific. "I'll give you a call to reschedule."

Candice smiled and nodded, figuring after all this that Paul wouldn't be up for another battle today, anyway. "Right, Paul. I'll be looking forward to it!" She prayed he would be well again once that time came. But she felt she had worn out her welcome by now and watching a battle like that made her antsy to get a battle herself. She already had one with Ash, and Paul was not an option…

She looked to Zoey. "So, Zozo! I guess it's our turn next, right?"

"Huh…?" Zoey looked at her mentor, not sure what she was getting at. She didn't make any plans for today…

"A kiai battle with you and me," Candice challenged, smirking at her childhood friend. "Let's get going."

Zoey knew that look… Candice was definitely fired up, most likely after seeing that horrifying battle. It seemed the aftershock of the battle that just took place wore off on her rather quickly, changing into her own desire to have a good battle. Zoey smiled knowingly at Candice upon understanding her motives. "You bet, Miss Senior."

Candice's Dodrio was sent out again; the owner quickly seated herself upon it and pulled Zoey up with her. The spunky Gym Leader looked to the others, bidding them farewell.

"And much good luck with your next Contest, Dawn!" Candice expressed with sincerity.

Dawn smiled and nodded; it was relieving to think about her own goals again after what she just saw. "Thank you."

"Okay, everyone! See you around…!" Candice waved as she rode her Dodrio back towards the actual city limits, still saying her goodbyes and waving as she distanced herself from the group.

Zoey added in her own farewell, though she knew soon enough she'd be seeing Dawn again. "See you, Dawn…!"

"Bye-bye, Zoey! Good luck!" Dawn shouted back.

"Take care!" Ash added. At least he was enjoying the variety of company that had been around his core group since they arrived in Snowpoint City.

Paul… couldn't have cared less. Seeing almost everyone distracted with saying goodbye to Candice and Zoey left him with an opening to slip away as well. Paul wasn't sure where he actually intended to go at this moment, but he felt increasingly uncomfortable the longer he remained with the group in spite of it dwindling down.

Almost everyone was distracted by bidding the girls farewell, but Paul couldn't escape Reggie's eyes no matter how hard he tried. While Reggie remained quiet the entire time, he had decided on what he would do for Paul to help him recover from the loss to Brandon.

Just as Paul thought he was in the clear, he heard Reggie call out to him, exposing his little scheme. "Hey, Paul!"

He didn't care, he didn't care…

"Do you think there's any chance you and Ash can treat us to a full battle at some point?"

He didn't-…

Paul froze in place, thankful that no one could see his eyes widening at such an idea. A full battle with Ash? Really…?

Ash too was surprised by Reggie's suggestion. "Me and Paul…?"

Brandon saw it fit to step in with his opinion, putting on a proud smile. "You two! Interesting idea."

Hearing his father's voice in an almost-friendly tone, Paul looked back to the others… but specifically at Brandon.

"Let's set the time and place and agree to meet again," Brandon decided. "That's bound to be a battle guaranteed to raise the level of both of you. Of that, there can be no doubt."

Way back when Brandon was still in Kanto, he fancied the idea of seeing such a battle. He wasn't sure if he would be able to see this particular one, but he was more than happy to support Reggie's idea. Reggie looked to Brandon with a smile, absolutely ecstatic inside that his father was actually supporting something he came up with for once. That… was a very rare occurrence.

It didn't take much to convince Ash, as usual. "Yeah! Great, I'm in!"

Was this really a good idea? Paul wondered about that. He couldn't defeat a man Ash defeated already… Ash had been improving as a trainer over time and already technically scored a victory against Paul, though informally. If he could accomplish that much, it was already a very real possibility that Ash might possibly defeat Paul the next time they battled.

Still, his instincts and what shreds remained of his pride provided the answer for Paul regardless. "I'm in, too."

This was a perfect opportunity for Paul to put his concerns to the test. Of course he couldn't pass it up.

Brock found this interesting, but was curious about one important detail. "Reggie, what about the time and place?"

Reggie had already decided on that before saying a word in the first place. "Exactly ten days from now," he said. "At the Pokémon Center at Lake Acuity."

No doubt Reggie was psyched for this. He looked pumped up and ready to do it now, even, but obviously this was not the right time at all. In the meantime, during those ten days, he had his own plans for Paul.

"Then it's decided," Brandon approved. He looked to both Ash and Paul, nodding to both of them. "I can't make any promises as to whether or not I'll be there… but regardless, I expect the utmost effort from both of you."

"It's nothing but that when it comes to me!" Ash assured him, grinning. "Even if ya don't make it, we'll be sure to tell ya all about it when we're done."

Paul merely nodded to Brandon, still feeling as if he lacked the right to speak with him directly after what happened. Still, just by seeing Brandon acknowledge him again in a way that didn't insult him brought back those wonderful feelings he briefly felt when Brandon spoke to him directly.

But like last time, Paul wouldn't get to enjoy them for long. Reggie snagged Paul by the arm and made his way to the van, waving goodbye to everyone. "Guess we'd best get going to prepare, then," Reggie said to excuse himself. Partially that was true, but he felt that Paul really needed to be out of there as soon as possible. He didn't notice Paul calming down again, nor did he realize that Paul was beginning to look discontented as he was pulled away from those unfamiliar warm vibes… "First thing's first: the Pokémon Center."

Brandon nodded in agreement. "Make sure that young man's Pokémon are well taken care of. Hopefully I wasn't too hard on them."

Reggie forced out a smile as he ushered Paul into his van. "Ahah, Paul's a tough guy and so are his Pokémon. They'll definitely be ready in time for the battle. It's, uh… been good seeing you again, Brandon!"

Man, how awkward did that feel? Reggie was forcing out more than a smile by now; that's why he was glad to just about be out of there.

"The feeling is mutual, Reggie," Brandon assured with a nod. "Stay safe… both of you."

Something had been bugging Reggie in the back of his mind all this time, but he couldn't put a finger on it. He waved with haste as he seated himself within his van, giving one final wave before driving off.

"Will do!" Reggie called back. "Bye, everybody! See you in ten days…!"

And just like that, the brothers were gone. A huge weight was lifted from the shoulders of the entire family.

The Battle Pyramid quickly became a distant sight to Paul and Reggie as they swiftly made their way back to Snowpoint City. Both were quiet; Paul's reasons were obvious, though now finally having some amount of privacy allowed him to soften a bit as he huddled over; both arms wrapped around himself. Reggie, however… it finally came to him; that mysterious intangible thing bothering him mentally.

"Dad…"

Paul looked up at Reggie upon the mention of that man, though he looked absolutely miserable in doing so.

"I can't believe it…" Reggie muttered to himself. "Dad's been… he's been calling me by my name all day!" Reggie couldn't even remember the last time Brandon did that. Paul blinked a couple of times, finding it weird that Brandon actually did that in spite of Reggie not yet defeating him…

"It couldn't… it couldn't have been part of the plan, right?" Reggie wondered out loud again. He had temporarily forgotten that Paul was right next to him. "Because… that makes no sense. If I didn't surpass him, I didn't earn that right…"

Reggie's mind raced around the possible explanations for this, but he felt excited regardless. Thinking back on it, how nice it felt to actually be addressed as something other than a noncommittal "boy"…

"Maybe there's hope after all!" Reggie cried out with joy, but Paul honestly had no idea what Reggie was talking about. Still, for being a good sport and going out of his way to comply with Paul's somewhat-unreasonable wishes, Paul decided to remain quiet and let his brother bask in the warm and comforting feelings that may or may not have been similar to the ones Paul briefly experienced.

He deserved to be happy once in a while, Paul believed. The younger brother chose to bury himself under his misery in silence until they would reach their destination. Even with doubled-up medication, Paul still felt like a train ran over him. The only way to put his frustration in words would be…

What a day.




"It was really great seeing ya again, Brandon."

Brandon nodded to Ash. "Time certainly flies. Show no mercy in the Sinnoh League; I at least expect that much out of the few who are Frontier Brain material."

"They won't know what hit 'em," Ash assured with a grin. "Maybe next time we see each other and you're not busy, we can battle again?"

"Sounds splendid," Brandon conceded. "I was just wondering how well you'd fare in a full battle against me like the little troublemaker just had to."

"Funny you should say that; I was wonderin' the same thing," Ash admitted with a laugh. "Gotta admit that was a pretty intense battle. But I think I can definitely do better!"

Brandon looked to the sky; this had been fun, to say the least, but now it was time for the Pyramid King to face his own harsh reality of obtaining Regigigas at least. "It's a deal. I may even have something new in store for you the next time we cross paths. Surely we'll meet again somewhere in Kanto."

"In the meantime, we'd best hurry back to Snowpoint City and find out the best way to get to Lake Acuity," Brock advised. "Even without a blizzard, northern Sinnoh is no place to be wandering around aimlessly."

The group was about to go about their way, but Dawn gazed out into the distance and pointed in the direction of a sudden noise that gradually got louder over time. "Hey, did you guys hear that?"

Brock was perplexed as he quickly identified that sound. "A motor…"

"Perhaps Maria's come back to pick me up," Brandon assumed, but looked uncertain. "Though I made it clear that I would catch up with them… I never said anything about asking them to return..."

The louder the noise got, the more nervous the traveling trio became. "So, uh… are temple maidens supposed to be crazy drivers?" Ash asked, his voice shaking a little as the group eyed that familiar jeep plowing through the snow at what was surely a beyond legal speed.

Brock shook his head. "This can't be good…"

And it wasn't; Brandon didn't need to hear that much from Brock. He remained firm as the jeep finally screeched to a halt closer to the group; the others weren't quite as fearless. Almost immediately, Maria and Samuel stepped out of the jeep, both in quite a state of panic.

"Brandon!" Samuel shouted, clearly in despair.

"Something terrible has happened at the temple!" Maria finished for him, sounding worried sick about this horrible turn of events.

Terrible was a broad term… but what was certain, based on what he had heard from Maria already was that this almost definitely had something to do with Regigigas. Something was about to stop Brandon in his tracks and prevent him from reaching his goal before the moral controversy got the chance.

"Oh no…!"

Even Brandon couldn't act calm at a time like this.

What a day, indeed.




( TBC )

[foxyman1167]

Umm the links on the OP for Chapter 15 both lead to Section 1.

So I've been busy for a while, and I've been catching up now, currently finishing Chap 15, but I have to say, I love this fic. I didn't really understand the break between 14 and 15 where he's at the funeral, and then suddenly he's battling Barry, but I probably just missed something.

[GaZsTiC]

This chapter was amazing. Simply put.

I love how you made Brock relevant!

[Shinji_Charizard]

Hey! I just read the story here, and then I read it again on fanfic... And I noticed something, you forgot to post a part of your chapter; the part where paul walks through the piramid and talks to brandon. XD And that was my favourite part, I just love it when the two interact with each other. That's probably why chapter 6 still is my favourite chapter. :P

[ESPNfanatic35]

Great chapter! This was probably my favorite DP episode because it explains so much about Paul. It was cool to see the same quotes from the episodes and how they ended up having a deeper meaning in this story. Great job!

[Shinneth]

(Alrighty, I've been aware that I accidentally left out a chunk of chapter 15 when I posted it here a couple of months ago. Sadly, this forum's server has been pretty stubborn in every attempt I've made to rectify that situation. So I'm really sorry about that; for those of you who missed out there, the full chapter is available to see both at the Bulbagarden forum and Fanfiction.net (my accounts linked in my signature; former's main thread is linked on my signature in that account). As for this chapter, blame the timing of Diamond & Pearl ending and Generation V's arrival, among other things. Still, at least it's done now! So try and enjoy Pillars of Friendship adaptation!)

Fresh off an easy victory after a scheduled grudge match with his son, Brandon (along with Ash and his two friends) was met up with a familiar jeep that sped across the plains in a panic. Stopping right in front of them was temple maiden Maria and Brandon's assistant, Samuel.

They alerted Brandon that a crisis was occurring at the Snowpoint Temple: the place where Brandon was finally to gain Regigigas after countless months of searching.

"What happened?" Ash asked, not one to be left out in incidents that had nothing to do with him, of course.

"Seems a mysterious group of people have sealed off the temple," Samuel reported. "There was no way to break through without being assaulted."

That piqued Dawn's curiosity, of course. "Mysterious people?" Of all the nasty characters she had witnessed since her journey began… she figured it could be anyone.

"Why would they do something like that?" Brock asked, unable to imagine why anyone would commandeer a very modest temple site.

The answer was obvious to Brandon… the why, that is; not the who. Still, he was hesitant to really go into detail with the children, especially since this was an issue that needed to be addressed immediately. This was no time for small talk. "Regardless, let's board the Battle Pyramid and head there right away," he decided. Naturally, he was addressing the adults in this group, which Ash and the others quickly took notice to.

Samuel agreed with a very formal "Sir!"; even though Brandon disliked most formalities, this was no time to nitpick.

"Please, Brandon, you gotta let the rest of us go with you!" Ash practically begged.

"Yes, please let us go!" Dawn and Brock followed up in unison. Brandon was rightfully apprehensive of letting these kids come along for what would be a very dangerous ride, but Brandon's dreams were about to end very soon if something wasn't done about this situation. He at least knew Ash and Brock were capable of putting up a fight, so they wouldn't necessarily be dead weight.

"Hm…" It was quite unfortunate timing for Reggie, Paul, Candice, and Zoey to leave the scene when they did. Their help combined would have been invaluable. For now, though, Brandon had to make do with what he had. "Alright, kids," Brandon conceded. "Let's get going!"

Everyone boarded the Battle Pyramid and it soon took flight, headed straight for the Snowpoint Temple. What they didn't know was that they had a certain trio of stragglers hanging on to the exterior plating of the pyramid, but the wind currents once the vessel was in flight were far too strong and eventually swept them all away to fall back to the earth below.

Brandon was making his prized facility go as fast as it possibly could; there was no doubt he was panicked, though he was excellent in masking it. The others couldn't believe how calm and collected he appeared to be. The Pyramid King was clearly focused, dead set on rectifying this situation. His goal was on the line… and quite possibly his job, too. He was sure to punish whoever threatened to take Regigigas away from him.

Ash gazed at the forest they passed through. This was all going way too fast for him, so he was curious as to what the panic was really all about. "I wonder what they're after…" Even to Ash, it seemed unusual that a suspicious group would pillage an old temple of all places.

Though Brandon was sure he knew the answer to the question he was about to ask, the Frontier Brain knew it was best to clarify things while the calm before the storm lasted. "Young man, you don't happen to know the legend of the Snowpoint Temple, do you?"

He still didn't really want to give these kids (or Maria) an idea of what his true intentions were, but Brandon was certain that they would be more useful as allies if they at least knew what was going on.

"No, I've never heard of it," Ash admitted, turning away from the window to face his former foe. "But I'd sure like to."

In spite of Brandon's hesitations, the unsuspecting Maria decided to tell the story for him. "Alright, then. It happened a long time ago," she recalled. Of course the maiden knew the legend by heart. "Once, after a volcano violently erupted, the Snowpoint Forest – rich in natural resources and beauty – was transformed into a sea of flowing lava."

This at least explained why there were so many clearings in the forest areas north of Snowpoint City.

"Then, out of a bright blue light, Regigigas appeared," Maria continued. While Brandon felt himself cringe, the children interrupted the temple maiden out of sheer surprise.

"Regigigas?"

"Correct," Maria affirmed, not at all minding the break in her story. "Along with Regice, Regirock, and Registeel. Together, the four of them halted the volcano's eruption, thus saving Snowpoint City from destruction."

The time of this alleged legendary miracle was never specified, but Maria guessed this to be right around the time Snowpoint City was founded a couple of centuries ago. Her generations and those past hers never knew Snowpoint Forest to be that magnificent, and none of them ever witnessed an active volcano during the course of their lives. But those generations past the shrine maiden knew well of this tale and passed it down all the way to the present generation.

"Later, Regigigas transformed itself into a stone of light and fell into a deep sleep, while in order to protect Regigigas, the legend says Regirock, Regice, and Registeel were transformed into the three guardian pillars made of the basic elements of the land: rock, ice, and steel," Maria continued.

"And their location is the Snowpoint Temple," Brandon finished with a heavy heart. It was difficult sharing this much information to a bunch of kids, but at least the Pyramid King knew they were on the up-and-up and wouldn't spill all of this across the world. He already heard this story from Maria yesterday afternoon, though the way she worded it made Brandon aware of a detail he had, up until now, been overlooking.

Let alone Regigigas being in the temple, according to Maria's legend, it was confirmed that there was a completely different set of the Regi trio in the exact same place, only now taking the form of pillars. This was quite a breakthrough and gave much credence to the theory that separate regions contain their own sets of legendary Pokémon that were usually regarded as one-of-a-kind.

"So what does that group of people have to do with it?" Ash finally asked.

Brandon's expressions hardened as he spoke the dreaded truth, and one of his greatest fears. "They're most likely after Regigigas."

The way Brandon expressed his belief hushed those who were in his company. These indeed were dark times suddenly coming upon the Pyramid King; he wasn't sure how he would feel if his petty grudge match with Paul actually prevented him from getting what he came to Sinnoh for in the first place. All those months… all the patience Brandon needed but honestly didn't have… all for nothing? That was completely unacceptable.

Samuel finally broke the silence the best way he knew how: focus on the technology he himself implemented into the airborne facility. "We're getting very close," he noted. "I'll put a view of the temple entrance onto the main monitor."

The Snowpoint Temple was now viewable to the entire entourage. An array of soldiers had the place surrounded, but something that caught the eye of everyone was the silver-haired woman approaching the temple directly all by herself. She clearly carried herself as a business woman. From various past experiences in the Sinnoh region, Ash and the others were very quick to recognize her.

"Look!" Dawn cried out with a gasp.

Ash glared at the screen. "Hey, it's Pokémon Hunter J!"

As a woman sheltered from the world, Maria was the only one who couldn't recognize her. "Who's Pokémon Hunter J…?" she asked, clueless as can be.

"Part of a group that steals Pokémon and sells them on the black market," Brandon answered; his tone stiff and stern. He couldn't recall directly dealing with any Pokémon hunters in his lifetime, but a worldly person like Brandon was very well aware of their existence. J herself had quite a reputation due to her past successes, so she was easy to identify.

Dawn was getting confused; the story she just heard from Maria was said to be a legend, yet Brandon seemed to think that legend was undeniably true without saying why. She felt the need to address this before preparing herself to deal with J again. "But Brandon, I thought you just told us that the sleeping Regigigas is just a legend, right?"

"Not so," Brandon shot back. He had studied into this particular "legend" long enough to tell whether or not it was legit. There was that and the fact that there was literally nothing else noteworthy in the Snowpoint Temple that would warrant a full-scale invasion such as this. "There has been sufficient evidence uncovered that shows it's not just a legend. That's why I came here."

That was the truth. Just from the trouble of finding the only factual book on Regigigas in the world… and the fact that there was only one book left on Regigigas told Brandon that this was a legend trying to be covered up as much as possible because of the shoddy defenses that housed the four Regis. It was interesting, actually, as Brandon found his set of Regis in Kanto under completely difference circumstances. There was obviously no Regigigas to be seen and no evidence of its existence at any of the three locations where the other Regis were found. Brandon's Regirock, Registeel, and Regice had their own separate shrines located in the most remote locations of the Kanto region. The shrines were small and rather unnoticeable outdoors, but inside, it was the polar opposite. Small but pristine, the temples clearly reflected the element that made up their legendary host… as well as some mysterious wall markings that resembled the Braille language. Brandon had spent many days studying them and their relation to the golems.

It was difficult to say why, exactly, the Regis were presented so differently in Sinnoh and why there was no sign of Regigigas in Kanto. But these were questions that would have to find answers another day… regardless of origin, Brandon was determined to make Regigigas his.

"That's right," Ash suddenly realized. "That means they'll do whatever it takes to catch Regigigas, so we've gotta do something first!"

Brandon resisted rolling his eyes at Captain Obvious's revelations. Sometimes it was hard to believe this boy actually defeated him in battle… but Brandon had a feeling Ash would never stand a chance against him in a full battle with all of his Regis. Even more so whenever Brandon got Regigigas… he would no doubt be an even greater challenge than before. To Ash, Brandon simply nodded in agreement without saying anything.

No doubt this was going to be a long shot… but Brandon believed this was his time to shine in the face of adversity. If the stakes weren't so high, Brandon would have appreciated the challenge of facing a Pokémon hunter and her troops.


"Whoa…! It's the Battle Pyramid!"

Various soldiers took notice to the rumble and the sound of the Battle Pyramid well before it actually arrived on the scene. They stared up in the sky in awe, never expecting his magnificent vessel to be their adversary in a place like this.

"Someone report to J immediately!" another soldier cried out. Even with power in numbers, several soldiers dreaded to face the wrath of the Pyramid King. It was imperative that their boss be aware of the threat she would soon face, as she was traveling within the temple at that time.

Once J was notified, she fought hard to resist a scowl. "Brandon the Pyramid King…? This could be a problem," she admitted. Just as Brandon made himself familiar with famous villainous figures, Brandon's reputation was something a Pokémon hunter could not ignore. Given his secondary profession as an archaeologist, paranoia of running into him spread deeply across many of her henchmen whenever their mission involved a place he may be researching on his own. "Make sure you keep them at bay," J ordered her men through her communicator. She was too close to reaching her goal to turn around and fight now.

Even if this was a place that Brandon would be interested in, J assumed they were in the clear from at least that threat simply because they were in a different region. This was a most unpleasant surprise, indeed.

In accordance to J's orders, her henchmen sent out their arsenal of Pokémon meant to take down a strong opposing force. Swarms of Skarmory and Metang took to the skies, swiftly approaching the Battle Pyramid.

Within the targeted facility, Brandon and the others came face to face with an overwhelming amount of Pokémon ready to tear them down. In spite of this, there was really only one option in this scenario: endure the onslaught and keep going. There was no point in trying to get a large and cumbersome facility to dodge the Pokémon or their attacks. The Battle Pyramid was Brandon's pride and joy; Samuel's upgrades made it even more worthy of the Pyramid King's pride. He was confident his vessel would complete the journey… but that didn't prevent Brandon from being cautious. "Here they come. Hang on!"

This would be a rough ride no matter the end result.

The henchmen called for Flash Cannon from the Skarmory and Sludge Bomb from the Metang. These were hard-hitting attacks in their own right; from a massive number of Pokémon, unarmed targets would be killed on sight within seconds. Even with its impressive defenses, the Battle Pyramid was soon overwhelmed with the barrage of attacks. The army of Pokémon, experienced in taking various aircrafts down, knew where to clip the wings of anything airborne. For flying objects without wings, such as the Battle Pyramid, there was an obvious alternative and/or equivalent target: the propulsion system.

After a few rounds of direct hits from hundreds of Pokémon, one of the four main engines that ran the Battle Pyramid's propellers was completely trashed, as evident with the thick trails of smoke coming from the source. This left a very uneven distribution and everyone was thrown around as a result. This made steering nigh impossible, especially in light of the nonstop attacks that continued to batter the airborne facility.

"Sir, one of the motors is no longer functioning!" Samuel confirmed as he struggled to read what the display screen reported. "At this rate, we'll lose the rest within minutes…!"

Brandon didn't like to resort to this, but he was not about to lose his Battle Pyramid. They weren't far from the temple at all; of course the Frontier Brain knew to carry emergency vehicles within his facility just in case something like this happened. Losing control of the Battle Pyramid while being so close to the temple was another reason to abandon it: if the Battle Pyramid were to crash into the Snowpoint Temple, all really would be lost. Brandon would not have that weighing down his conscience; enough weight existed there stemming from his family issues alone. To the best of the Pyramid King's abilities, the Battle Pyramid was steered away from the Temple and towards the neighboring forest.

"HANG ON, EVERYONE!" Brandon shouted as the others were tossed and tumbled about. "EMERGENCY LANDING!"

It was a rough landing as the Battle Pyramid skid along the frigid forest floor for a few miles before finally grinding to a halt. Those inside were extremely fortunate to not be injured, as the turbulence and impact combined left most of them falling and stumbling along the floor while Brandon held onto the steering wheel for dear life. He could already smell the smoke emitting from the busted motor… this was by far the most damage the Battle Pyramid had ever taken.

This was where it was very useful for Brandon to have an assistant who was a mechanical whiz. The Pyramid King would have been utterly lost in this scenario. Even though it looked bad now, Brandon was certain that Samuel would be able to fix his facility and restore it to its former glory.

But all of that was still secondary compared to the matter at hand. The Battle Pyramid was useless at present, as Brandon begrudgingly accepted. He looked to the others after recovering from the impact. "Is everyone alright?"

Ash and the others affirmed that they were. Dangerous missions and crash-landings were nothing new to them. Like Brandon, though, Ash remained focused on the matter at hand. "The temple can't wait," he muttered. "So what now? It'll be too late by the time we run over there…"

"Hm…" Brandon had an idea, recalling his emergency supplies. He rarely ever needed them, but it was always best to come prepared. It was a pity a certain son of his never considered this philosophy to be vital to his life. "We'll use a mini-craft to the temple; there's one securely sealed within the cargo hold, so it should be usable," he decided. "While we do that, Sam will stay behind and repair the motor."

This was to be expected… not that Samuel was offended in the least. He knew he was most useful this way rather than being out on the battlefield. "Sir! I'll get on it right away."

"One surprise after another," Dawn mumbled. "This place really is something else…"

"Indeed," Brandon concurred. "But we must leave immediately. Regigigas must not fall into J's hands."

Ash nodded, glaring at the idea of it. "I'm hearin' that. Let's go!"

Within a couple of minutes, the mini-craft took flight as it left its base. Ash, Brock, Dawn, and Maria looked on with concern as Brandon approached their destination at full speed. Just in case another attack occurred before reaching the temple, Ash and Dawn set Pikachu and Piplup to the sides of the aircraft to negate any attack coming their way. Getting hit in the mini-craft was much more dangerous than getting hit in the Battle Pyramid, thus there was no room for error to be had.

"There they are!" one of J's henchmen shouted, pointing into the sky. The mini-craft didn't stick out like a sore thumb in the bright sky like its mother vessel did, so the group was well within reach of the temple before the blockade noticed their presence.

As always, they were quick to act. "Prepare for another attack!"

The ominous swarm of Skarmory and Metang started to surround the mini-craft, but now it was Ash and company's turn to take initiative and go on the offensive.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt now…!" Ash commanded.

"Piplup, use Bubble Beam!" Dawn followed up. The combination of electricity and water proved to be a very useful combination when it came to getting rid of most threats… usually said threats were Team Rocket, but the combined attacks worked just as well against Pokémon owned by hardened henchmen. Skarmory was already weak to Electric-type attacks and the water from Bubble Beam amplified it. The years of experience Ash gained with Pikachu made the Mouse Pokémon able to handle almost any threat without too much trouble. Even Brandon could admit Ash's first Pokémon was quite a wondrous creature… it did manage to take down his Regice, after all.

After the group successfully blasted through the barrage, the mini-craft landed and everyone was quick to jump out. The henchmen were stunned to see their Pokémon fall one by one, but they still had their own manpower to make use of. Brandon knew there was no use in wasting time with them and led the group towards the temple.

"Let's go!" he commanded. Everyone agreed and followed his lead. Brandon couldn't believe he was so close… and yet so far.

It was at this time that Pokémon Hunter J reached the hidden chamber of the Snowpoint Temple; the dreary, stone-walled hovel that housed the legendary Pokémon she was hired to capture. J gazed at the sight before her as she approached it. She recognized the details of this landmark, given to her by her contractor.

"So these are the pillars that guard the sleeping Regigigas," she acknowledged out loud. Everything was matching up with what she was told. "Ice. Rock. Steel."

And presumably, if the legend was completely accurate, those pillars were once a Regi trio themselves. Their pillars were purely made of their respective element. Upon a pedestal nestled in the middle of the triad of pillars laid an orb of a fairly large size. Its color was blue as Maria said, but no glow emitted from it.

J also recognized this as the source of Regigigas, though even she wondered how such a gargantuan golem could come from a relatively small jewel. Nonetheless, she didn't have much room for skepticism; after all, everything else was matching up so far. "The only thing to do is destroy those pillars and awaken Regigigas," she decided. She took out a Pokéball and tossed it high into the air. "Salamence, let's go…!"

The wicked hunter knew destroying the pillars, thereby killing off this set of Regis, would have to invoke Regigigas' rage and force it out of its sleep. For such a cruel resort, J was completely professional about it. She was immune to the moral weight of her actions.

"We need to capture Regigigas," J told her Pokémon. "So use Hyper Beam, now!"

Salamence remained loyal without hesitation as it fired off a Hyper Beam attack directly at the ice pillar. From such a powerful Pokémon, the attack easily decimated the ice pillar and reduced it to rubble. One blast later, the rock pillar was met with the same fate.

Pleased with how smoothly this operation was going in spite of her concerns with potentially dealing with Brandon, J looked to the final pillar. "That's excellent," she complimented. "Now the steel pillar!"

"Stop this!"

Before the final line of defense could be obliterated, Brandon and the others finally reached the chamber after running a frantic marathon. They were all horrified to see what had already transpired prior to their arrival. It seemed as if it was too late already, but Brandon wouldn't give up that easily. This was where having a loud, booming voice came in handy; everyone, including J and Salamence, was startled by Brandon's command and it effectively halted Salamence's attack.

"Stop this at once!" Brandon reiterated. He glared daggers at J, not unlike the manner of which Paul glared at him during their battle earlier that day. Again, Brandon did well to withhold his emotions aside from the indignation; seeing the two destroyed pillars horrified him deep inside, as he quickly understood the severity of J's actions.

"So you got past all my men," J noted dryly. "I'd expect nothing less from the Pyramid King. Nonetheless, you're too late to stop me now."

Maria stepped forth, looking at the Pokémon hunter with pleading eyes. "You've got to understand, you mustn't awaken Regigigas!" she cried out. "The result would be disastrous!"

Brandon glanced at Maria (though she was too busy trying to beg J to stop to notice him – pointless as her attempt was), raising an eyebrow after hearing what she said. After all, when it came right down to it, Brandon's goal was not that different from J's. What would be done with Regigigas afterward was where their intentions differed, but the bottom line was that Maria's tone suggested that it was taboo to even awaken Regigigas at all. This was not something that crossed Brandon's mind before. Unfortunately, this was not the time to ask the temple maiden why exactly awakening the Colossal Pokémon would be a terrible thing to do.

"Hmph," J grumbled, ignoring Maria's warnings and turned back to face her Pokémon. "Salamence!" There was no need for her to say any more than that; her Pokémon knew what the hunter had in mind. Once more, it charged up energy to unleash Hyper Beam…

"Don't-…!" Ash cried out in desperation, but it was too little, too late. Hyper Beam went through the steel pillar like a hot knife through butter. It too was reduced to rubble, though being made of steel made it a little harder to crush into pieces like its rock and ice counterparts. Thus, a large chunk of the steel pillar came very close to collapsing on top of Ash, who evaded it at the last second. The others backed away as the dust and smoke kicked up by the debris faded away, revealing the large jewel said to contain Regigigas completely unguarded.

Ash couldn't believe this was happening. Then again, based on his previous experiences with the Pokémon hunter, it wasn't all that surprising. Every time Ash saw J, he realized the Team Rocket trio that stalked him on a near-daily basis were practically saints by comparison. Pokémon hunters were among the lowest of the low; the bottom of the barrel. What he was seeing here perfectly represented that. "J!" he called out to her, upset with the wanton destruction (and probably still startled by the fact that he was nearly crushed by debris of solid steel). "Do you know what you did?!"

He honestly thought J had no idea what she was doing. Underestimating this woman was a grave mistake to make, however. Brandon knew better than to do such a thing; it was clear to him that J knew exactly what she was doing.

Just then, in reaction to the three pillars being destroyed, the orb on the pedestal began to glow in a light blue hue, just as Maria described in the legend. The group (as well as J) braced themselves for some sort of devastating phenomenon.

"Uh-oh," Ash gulped, gaping at the glowing object. "This can't be good."

"Could Salamence's attack be waking up Regigigas…?" Maria wondered out loud.

Brock stared at the scene. His observational skills were kicking it into overdrive today considering what had happened before J showed up. "It's been rendered vulnerable," he pointed out. "Maybe it can sense that its guardians have been destroyed…"

That statement infuriated Brandon all the more as it became apparent that he was not the only one thinking about the consequences of destroying the pillars. It was needless to say that Brandon never would have resorted this, but now it was almost impossible to deny; the original Regirock, Registeel, and Regice of Sinnoh… were destroyed. A great deal of self-restraint was necessary for Brandon to prevent himself from outright attacking J then and there, but he did step forward as he witnessed J approaching the orb.

"I will not allow you to go through with this!" he vowed. Especially now that J had destroyed Pokémon that hit close to home for him… Brandon was going to make sure she would live to regret her actions for the rest of her life.

J was no more than a couple of feet from the orb while the others were still a good distance away from her, mostly due to the debris that came between them. She just smirked at the famous Frontier Brain, filled with glee to have one-upped him. "All you can do now is stand and watch," she shot back. And she had a point… based on Maria's warnings, there was no telling what might happen if the stone orb was to be approached… and even then, J's Salamence was on standby to blast anyone who would dare to come near the Pokémon hunter or the orb.

However, as the moments passed, J realized that nothing was really happening. The orb continued to glow, but nothing more came of it. It must have been awakened to some degree… but not enough to bring it out of its resting place. J wasn't given any other pointers as to how to awaken Regigigas from her contractor, so she quickly became frustrated.

"What? Why won't it wake up?!" J grumbled. It was just a matter of time before Brandon and the others would band together and attack her, so she had no desire to prolong this revival of the legendary golem. She looked to Salamence. "Quick, use Flamethrower!"

To attack the orb directly… that was far too risky. Brandon's hold on his emotions finally broke as he shouted at the top of his lungs to somehow prevent this. "DON'T DO IT!"

It was nothing more than a waste of the Frontier Brain's breath. Salamence spat a stream of fire directly at the glowing orb. Much to the relief of the others, this attack seemed to not do any external damage. Nerves were again unsettled as the earth began to tremble and quake… within a temple like this, earthquakes and the like would be the death knell for anyone inside, as the temple was unstable and could easily cause a cave-in. It was minor for now, but all eyes were on the pedestal as a triangle of red light emitted from the ground, rising up from the points where the pillars once stood. As the light intensified and rose higher, J wisely decided to jump onto Salamence and back off from the scene, though she was pleased to see that her actions were finally bringing out the beast within.

The red light was almost blinding by this point, but eventually receded back into the ground. However, once the light faded, a massive titan stood before all those present in the Snowpoint Temple.

"No…! It's Regigigas!" Brandon exclaimed with horror. Never did he think he would not be pleased to finally see the Pokémon he had sought for months, but something was very unsettling about the way it came into the world… and it was easy to see why. Finally facing the leader of the legendary golems was both amazing and horrifying, if only because of the circumstances Brandon was faced with.

Just as she did while watching Paul battle Brandon, Dawn once again brought out her Pokédex to identify a species she had never seen before.

"Regigigas, the Colossal Pokémon. According to legend, Regigigas has towed continents using ropes."

This was roughly what Brandon had gotten out of Professor Oak over a month ago. That only barely scratched the surface of what Regigigas was really all about. He would have felt privileged to be one of the few who knew the whole story now, but the fact remained that there was a crisis at hand and Brandon's mission was at stake as well.

To make matters worse, it appeared that Regigigas itself was consumed with rage… understandably so, given what had just happened, but this was one of the worst possible places for the legendary golem to vent its frustrations. However, rational thought was beyond Regigigas and it started blasting at the temple's ceilings regardless, causing more tremors that started to bring rocks falling down towards the unfortunate victims within the chamber.

"Regigigas, ya gotta stop!" Ash yelled at it, as if that was going to make a bit of difference. He always remained so naïve even after all these years. Regigigas ignored the young trainer and started to aim its blasts in random directions; the walls, the floor, and still the ceiling. This chamber was quickly becoming a danger zone. "STOP! STOP IT!" Ash cried out, but it was no use.

"Ash, it's not listening!" Dawn told him. "I don't think anything's going to snap Regigigas out of it now."

"Intense rage is making Regigigas go berserk!" Maria pointed out, terrified by what she was seeing. "I… I don't know how it could possibly be tamed; the legends have never portrayed Regigigas like this…"

This was when J finally saw it fit to make her move. With Regigigas out and distracted, to her it was practically begging to be snatched away. She aimed the cannon attached to her aim; this was the dreaded weapon designed to render living Pokémon as solid statues. It was a device Ash and the others were all too familiar with. Of course, as a typical villain's fallacy, J couldn't help but brag to those who opposed her.

"Well, you should thank me," J suggested in a tone of pure mockery. She readied her laser cannon and focused on Regigigas. "I'll preserve the rage that dwells deep inside of you forever!"

Even though it was consumed by anger, Regigigas heard that. It had the sense to turn straight towards J, which shocked her, and fired a blast right in her direction. To survive these dangerous scenarios, one would need light-speed reaction time to respond to these threats. J was fortunate enough to possess those skills, as she ordered her Salamence to counter the attack.

"Salamence, Dragon Pulse!"

Strong as J and her Pokémon were, they were no match for a legendary Pokémon. Regigigas' blast knocked the Pokémon hunter and her Salamence back, though they remained airborne. Begrudgingly, J had to admit to herself that this was a much more daunting task than it seemed. She would be sure her contractor would pay his end of the deal in full, if not more so for what she had to go through.

Once again, Regigigas blasted at the chamber's ceiling, and this time a full-blown cave-in was invoked. Several large rocks rained down upon the floor and everyone inside; they were very difficult to dodge. "If these attacks keep up, there's no doubt the temple will collapse!" Brandon shouted. This was a true living nightmare for the Pyramid King, indeed.

J understood that it was very unwise to remain in the temple for much longer, as the Colossal Pokémon's tantrums had officially compromised the structure of its home. It would be in shambles very soon… and J knew it would be much easier to capture Regigigas after it had fallen victim to the consequences of its own violent outbursts. "Retreat, now!" she ordered her Salamence, who quickly obeyed. J had the luxury of briskly escaping the chamber and the entire temple via her Dragon Pokémon. Everyone else, however… they were stuck having to foot it.

"We need to get out, too!" Brandon called out to the others as he watched J leave, scowling at the hunter for the travesty she caused. Just as the group attempted to leave, however, Regigigas blasted at the ceiling right over them, causing a massive avalanche of rocks that no doubt would crush and kill them all.

Again, this was where a fast reaction time was an essential. Brandon immediately threw out the Pokéballs containing his Regis for protection. "Let's go…!" he called out, not even having the time to shout his usual catchphrase, though ironically he needed their assistance now more than ever.

Regirock, Registeel, and Regice all protected the group and saved them from certain death. Once that wave of rocks ceased to fall, Brandon knew it was definitely time to get out of there. "That's it; out of here, quick!" he ordered his juniors. In a fast-paced disaster where one wrong move could lead to certain death, even Ash had no desire to protest and heeded the Frontier Brain's words, as did his friends and Maria.

Once Brandon was sure they were all at least out of the chamber, he turned around to face his trio of Regis. "Regirock, Regice, and Registeel: I need your protection until we get out," he requested. The hallways were a tad less treacherous than Regigigas' chamber, but it was evident the entire temple's structure was about to crumble completely. Brandon wanted to be sure that they all got out of there alive. The Regis perfectly understood their trainer's command and backed him and the others up as they frantically dashed for the temple's entrance. As the seconds passed, the road towards safety became increasingly deadly as Regigigas itself began to walk, making its way out of its chamber and slowly following the others while maintaining its consistent streams of destructive blasts.

J, of course, was the first one out of the Snowpoint Temple, relatively unscathed by the avalanche of rocks she and her Salamence had to dodge on the way out. She reconvened with her henchmen, all of which were quick to approach their boss as none of them had a clue of what was going on.

"Hunter J…!" one of them called out; most likely one of the higher-ups. "What is our next course of action?"

"Move to Point C and stand by," she ordered. J had gone a while without contacting her troops, so it was understandable why they were clueless right now. She looked back towards the temple she had just escaped from. "I'm going to check on our target once again."

"Yes, sir!" all of J's henchmen shouted in unison, saluting before relocating. J, meanwhile, took to the skies with her Salamence, but didn't go very far… in fact, she was still quite close to the temple (despite being well above it, therefore being in no danger for now). She situated herself in the perfect blind spot where no one would think to look… especially not during a crisis like this. She watched… and she waited.

J wouldn't be waiting long. Ash, Brandon, and the others could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. They were so close to safety, but a blast from Regigigas straight in their direction was about to make their efforts all for naught. It tore through the hallway the group had just run through and was headed straight for them. Even with the three Regis bringing up the rear and therefore blocking most of what could be seen behind them, the impending blast was very hard to not notice, even for Ash. He screamed "LOOK OUT!" at the top of his lungs just as he and the others finally made it outside.

Had the Regi trio not been there to cover them from behind, they all would have been disintegrated by the blast. Instead, it was buffered by the three guardian golems and the shockwaves roughly knocked the group off their feet upon their exit, throwing them all onto the cold, hard ground below. The blast shot right out of the Snowpoint Temple's entrance, extending quite a few feet out before dissipating. The cause of the dissipation was none other than the temple itself, unable to withstand any more of Regigigas' abuse. Before the very eyes of Brandon and the others, the majority of the Snowpoint Temple collapsed within itself, barely leaving any semblance of a structure left…

… Only a very unattractive pile of rubble, which could have been considered a makeshift grave mark for Regigigas; the only one who remained in the temple upon its destruction.

[Shinneth]

A chill silence filled the area after all was said and done. It was quite the literal train wreck, so the group could do little more than look on at the tragedy that unfolded before them. Brandon didn't want to believe that this was the end.

"Where's Regigigas…?" Ash finally asked; evidently not wanting to believe the worst-case scenario just happened either.

"Buried under the rubble," Brandon bitterly replied. It hurt so much to admit that, and it was getting increasingly difficult for the Pyramid King to hide just how torn up he was over this entire situation. "Chances are… it didn't make it."

Brock nodded in agreement; being more of a realist than Ash and Dawn were, he could accept what was most likely Regigigas' tragic fate more easily than his friends. "Even a legendary Pokémon like Regigigas can't break free from something like that, even if it did survive."

"So then… you're saying…?" Dawn asked Brock; her voice shaking as she considered the implications. When Brock nodded back to her, the Coordinator held a mouth to her hand, trying to hold back on crying.

"What… will I do about this…?" a helpless Maria wondered out loud, prompting Brandon to look over to her. He couldn't help but feel guilty; even though his intentions were pure, there was no guarantee that Regigigas would have reacted any better if he were the one to have awakened it. "The temple… it's been reduced to nothing after all these years, and poor Regigigas… poor Regirock, Regice, and Registeel who looked over it…"

Brandon let out a sigh as he looked back to where the temple once stood. From what few details he could gather by looking at it now (obviously having no time to analyze it when he arrived), it was obvious that the temple had been standing for at least a thousand years; most likely more. It truly was a tragedy in more ways than one. Not only were innocent Pokémon's lives taken in the name of greed, but a piece of Sinnoh's history was demolished along with them. "There was no reason for any of this to happen," he said. "We will find a way to make it past this, Maria, but it's too early to resign ourselves to that. Pokémon Hunter J is still out there and probably nearby."

"There's got to be some way to get her apprehended," Brock murmured. "We can't let her continue to roam throughout Sinnoh committing these crimes… or else another place will end up like the Snowpoint Temple."

"I wish we could have gotten her arrested sooner," Dawn lamented. "It's not like we haven't had the opportunity before. I feel like this is our fault in a way…"

Maria vehemently shook her head. "No. Children, don't blame yourselves. You shouldn't be expected to apprehend such dangerous criminals; that's Officer Jenny's job, and I know they all must have been doing their best if this woman's reputation precedes her."

Oddly enough, Brandon could sympathize with Dawn… because he too was blaming himself for this partially. At least this mess was all J's doing, but the possibility of something like this happening if he got ahold of Regigigas… Brandon wasn't sure if he could live with the guilt. Either way, this was looking worse for his future by the second. If nothing else, Brandon wanted that silver-haired, cold-hearted woman behind bars for what she had done. That would be the closest Brandon would ever get to atonement, he believed.

All of this was getting far too depressing for Ash to bear, however. He frowned and defiantly started walking over towards the site of the temple's remains. "You guys are really fine with thinkin' this is the end already?" he asked them angrily. "We're gonna get J – no doubt about it – but I'm not gonna give up on Regigigas just like that!"

Everyone was shocked at Ash's words… then again, he was always the stubborn one, often to a fault. "Boy, don't take another step further," Brandon warned. "We don't have time to waste on a lost cause."

"I can't believe you're just giving it up too, Brandon!" Ash shouted back. "Regigigas is the whole reason you came to Sinnoh, and you don't even wanna make sure it's alright?"

Brandon glared at Ash for what he insinuated. "That's not even remotely true; just get back over here and-…"

He was cut off by the ground suddenly starting to rumble… only faintly at first, but soon the tremors became quite violent, which was beginning to break off pieces of what little remained intact of the Snowpoint Temple. Ash froze in his place as he gazed at the giant pile of rubble – the source of the rumbling. And sure enough, quite abruptly, Regigigas erupted from the temple's remains… very much alive, and still full of rage as ever.

"No way…!" Dawn gasped. "It's alright after all!"

"Amazing," Maria commented, almost having fainted at the sight. "I thought nothing could have survived that…"

Brock's expressions remained grim, however. "Even so, it's still out of control," he reminded the women. "It's far too early to celebrate."

"Regigigas, stop it!" Ash screamed, once again in vain, as it went unheard by the Colossal Pokémon.

"Save your breath," Brandon sharply ordered. "You didn't get through to it the first time; don't expect it to work the fifth."

Harsh as Brandon was, Maria had to agree. "I am afraid no one is able to stop Regigigas now…" She feared for the temple, her home, and her own life… as well as the lives of others… were about to be lost to pure, unadulterated rage.

"Oh no," Dawn worried, shaking her head while keeping her distance. "We've got no choice but to stand here and watch Regigigas destroy everything, then?"

While Maria and the children worried about the imminent fates, Brandon approached his three Regis, all of which were at least still able to put up a fight and delay the inevitable long enough for him to think of some sort of solution. A solution was already in mind… a very convenient one, at that.

"Regice, Regirock, and Registeel," he addressed his Pokémon, staring intently at them which told the trio all they needed to know without their trainer saying a word. They went off to approach their superior. Meanwhile, Ash went over to Brandon, wondering what the Frontier Brain had in mind.

"Whoa, Brandon, what are you doin'?" a very confused Ash inquired, though it was a fair question considering Brandon issued no verbal commands.

In a tight crisis like this, Brandon decided he might as well share his plan… the all too convenient solution to this problem. "I'm going to calm down that rage by catching it," he told Ash, which the others overheard. Maria especially was taken aback by this, but at the same time, she felt she had no room to protest. She had no alternative in mind, after all.

"Of course," Brock realized. "Many out-of-control Pokémon become tame once captured by a trainer," he recalled. This wasn't always true and Brock knew that, if Ash's Charizard was anything to go by. But Brock also remembered when Ash told him about the way he and Paul first encountered a wild and deadly Ursaring… which eventually came to be Paul's own. Brock often wondered how Paul managed to control Ursaring's violent nature all by himself, but he imagined being officially being marked as owned by a trainer domesticated it to a degree. Intelligent as Brock was, he wasn't quite certain of how the Pokéballs functioned in every way.

Nonetheless, he trusted Brandon knew what he was doing. He was the expert, after all. Brandon didn't really care what the others thought at this point because he was the only one with a good idea at this time. He gave his Regis the signal. "Unleash Hyper Beam, together!"

A triple-effort Hyper Beam was nothing to sneeze at… unless one was legendary. As it turned out, Regigigas had the power of three in of itself, easily countering the boosted Hyper Beam with its own. The equal levels of energy left neither side affected, but caused a large explosion nonetheless. Brandon aside, everyone else shrieked and backed away to avoid getting hit by any potential debris. But the Pyramid King remained firm in his stance. He was eager to finally achieve his goal, though he regretted having to do it this way.

He would worry about repaying the temple and Maria later; for now, he focused on his true mission. "Now, get up close and unleash your Focus Punch!"

In triangle formation, the golems approached Regigigas while charging Focus Punch. Before they could land their hit, however, Regigigas' fists glowed with its own energy as the hands came together, rose up, and brutally clubbed all three subordinates to the ground.

"It zapped the three of them in one hit!" Dawn exclaimed. "What power…!"

"This leaves no choice," Brandon decided. "Regirock, Registeel; hurry and hold down Regigigas!"

To already strive for the last resort concerned Brandon; he thought the journey would be the hardest part of obtaining Regigigas. After catching three legendary Pokémon already, the Pyramid King thought he had this down by now. Evidently, he was sorely mistaken and that caused yet another inconvenience.

Regirock and Registeel emerged from the rubble they were buried under after that last hit and latched themselves to one arm each of Regigigas, effectively keeping it in one piece while Regice took its position.

"Regice, use Ice Beam!" Brandon commanded, valiant with his efforts as he strove to gain the one thing he wanted more than anything else. Ice Beam hit Regigigas directly as it could not dodge due to being apprehended by Regice's cohorts. However, this was considered a "last resort" for a reason. With Regirock and Registeel being stuck to hold Regigigas down, they too were frozen in a giant block of ice along with Regigigas.

But it was a small price to pay; Brandon knew Regirock and Registeel would be alright. The important thing to do was back Regigigas into a corner so it could finally join the family.

"You did it…!" Ash cheered, glad that something was working out here after all.

Brock nodded approvingly at Brandon's cunning work. "Amazing how you froze Regigigas along with Registeel and Regirock, too."

Dawn had to admit this was pretty impressive. Her first impression of a Frontier Brain's power was quite overwhelming, to be honest. "It was a last-ditch strategy," she realized. "But it worked… and that's what matters."

While Brandon and the others thought they were finally making progress, J was watching these actions transpire the entire time. With glee, she waited for the perfect moment. It was close, but not quite there yet. "Keep it up," she murmured quietly to herself. "And as soon as Regigigas is exhausted from battling all of you, that's when Salamence and I will step right in and make our capture."

The Pokémon hunter was about to take away all of that precious hard work, and they had no idea it was coming. Regigigas was simply too big of an issue to ignore in favor of the renegade J.

However effective this move was, Regigigas was beginning to break free of its frozen prison as the ice began to crack. All but Brandon gasped in horror, but the Pyramid King knew better than to underestimate his future prize. Now that he knew he could land a dent on Regigigas, at least, Brandon found that there was a point in holding out hope to the very end this time; it really was paying off.

After Regigigas broke free, Brandon was quick to counteract. "Regice, Zap Cannon!"

As with what happened to Paul's Ursaring earlier that day, Regigigas took the full hit and was overcome with paralysis as a result.

"It felt that," Brock remarked, seeing the Colossal Pokémon was quickly wearing down now.

Even so, Brandon knew better to even give Regigigas a moment to rest. The odds were becoming heavily stacked in his favor all of a sudden as his other two Regis became available to attack again. "Registeel, use Iron Head!" he ordered. "And Regirock, Stone Edge!"

Registeel's powerful headbutt had enough force to knock Regigigas back, causing it to momentarily lose control of its balance. Regirock seized that small window of opportunity by pelting it with its powerful boulders, bringing the Colossal Pokémon to its knees.

This was it; Regigigas was vulnerable. This was what Brandon was waiting for; so many months, an arduous journey, the stakes stacked so high up due to the nature of his actions… it all came down to this.

He was finally ready to capture Regigigas, right here and now.

"And now to get you in this Pokéball…!" Brandon hollered, charging forth with an empty Pokéball in his hand. Just as he was about to make the perfect toss, the nightmare known as Pokémon Hunter J stormed in to crush his hopes and dreams into dust.

No Pokéball was thrown; Brandon suddenly couldn't throw. In the blink of an eye, Brandon 's arms were bound up behind him within a sticky yet sturdy substance. He was still standing, but it was awkward at best when Brandon was unable to move his arms. If he were to fall down, he wouldn't be getting back up.

It wasn't just him; Maria, Ash, and his friends were all suddenly captured within the same substance. With it coming out of nowhere, everyone was distracted and confused. This was a window of opportunity for J, who slowly descended towards the group on her Salamence while recalling the Pokémon that just halted the group in their tracks: Ariados. They had all become victims of its String Shot attack.

"It's J!" Ash exclaimed with a scowl. "Should've known you were gonna stick around…"

J simply smirked and approached her target. "Nice work," she congratulated mockingly, eager to usurp control of the situation from the hard-working Brandon. "I'll be taking Regigigas."

"No way!" Ash barked back; he had seen what Brandon went through just to get this situation under control. At least with Brandon, he knew Regigigas would be safe under his control. The case would be the opposite with J getting her hands on the legendary golem. "That's not fair…!"

J casually aimed her laser cannon at Regigigas while closing in. "Such is life," she said quietly. "And now, for you…"

Even wasting a mere few seconds could ruin everything in this operation; apparently Brandon understood that better than J. All of a sudden, the dots on Regigigas' Braille-esque symbol flashed with a fierce, red light. The tables were turned once again.

"Oh no!" Brandon shouted, horrified as he recognized this technique. "That's Confuse Ray!"

That was exactly what didn't need to happen; as a result of Regigigas using Confuse Ray, the dots on the symbols of Regirock, Regice, and Registeel also glowed red, signifying that they were now as uncontrollable as Regigigas itself. Feeling the pure rage mutually with Regigigas now, all four raised their arms up before J, who couldn't hazard a guess of what was going on.

"So now what're they all doin'?!" Ash cried out, who was also in the dark as usual. He knew this couldn't mean anything good, at least.

"What the…?" J was soon to find out first what was going to happen: the three enraged subordinate Regis took aim and fired directly at J: Registeel using Flash Cannon while Regirock and Regice used Zap Cannon.

Unarmed, taking all of those hits at once would likely kill a person. Thankfully for J, she had Salamence to buffer most of it, but both were knocked back considerably regardless. Even a mighty Salamence couldn't face an onslaught of this magnitude.

While J made some distance away to rethink her strategy, the Regis were quick to go on the move. In a straight line at first, the four angered Regis eventually formed a pattern as they walked down a dusty road beyond the temple: Regirock, Regice, and Registeel eventually settled into triangle formation while Regigigas brought up the rear.

"Oh, whoa! Look at that!" Dawn shouted, being the first to notice the odd pattern in their formation. Maria especially focused on the details of what was happening now… and then she realized this correlated perfectly with their recorded history.

"It's just like the legend," Maria muttered quietly. It just so happened that she and Brock were tied together; however quietly Maria spoke, Brock could hear every word and wondered what she was getting at.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Brock asked her, purely innocent with his curiosity.

Maria looked on… she was sure of what she was saying. "Regirock, Regice, and Registeel have become the three pillars that will protect Regigigas. Just look at their formation; their movements…"

"Surrounding all sides of Regigigas," Dawn noted. "Because the original pillars are gone now…"

Pokémon Hunter J had no interest in the legend itself; only the bounty. After recollecting herself, she looked to her Salamence expectantly. "Now go to Point C so we can reconfigure our plan," she calmly requested, to which the Dragon Pokémon obliged. She returned to where she ordered her men to stand by, conveniently they were positioned so that they would eventually be blocking the Regis' progress along the road going across a mountain pass.

The Regis weren't just walking around like mindless zombies, either; they proved to be just as chaotic and destructive as their master as they all fired off random Hyper Beam blasts from their hands, decimating the landscape around them. It was obvious they couldn't be left like this.

Brandon was the most determined out of all those who remained. Even though his arms were still bound behind his back from the String Shot attack, that didn't stop him from making use of his legs, which remained to be free. It took great skill and balance to actually run without falling with your arms tied behind your back, but thankfully Brandon had skill in spades. He caught up to the raging quartet; even more impressively, Brandon was able to adjust his arms and free them slightly from the web restraining him as he ran. Frequent struggling in motion loosened the bindings enough so that Brandon could regain some control of his arms and take advantage of the positioning of his hands, which were close to his pockets. From there, he was able to grasp the three Pokéballs belonging to his Regis.

"This has gone on long enough!" Brandon called out, actually making it ahead of the destructive Pokémon and standing right on the path they were taking, making himself a one-man roadblock. He aimed his three Pokéballs (which were very tricky to hold with only two hands with limited control) at the group. The Pyramid King knew this situation would be much more manageable if his own Regis were taken out of the equation. "Return, all of you!"

Three beams of light shot straight at Regirock, Regice, and Registeel with the intent of forcing them back within their Pokéballs… under normal circumstances, this would have worked. But just like Regigigas, neither Brandon's voice nor anyone else's could reach the other three Regis. His commands were useless now; they may as well be as feral as Regigigas itself.

Just to rub salt in the wound, Regice specifically aimed a Zap Cannon attack on its own trainer whilst the others continued about their wanton destruction. Even with limited mobility, Brandon still managed to dodge the attack… but only barely. The shockwaves of the explosion knocked him off his feet, causing concern from the others.

"No, Brandon…!" Ash shouted as he and the others ran over to their fallen senior as best they could, given their own conditions.

Thankfully, Brandon was fine and even managed to balance himself back on his feet, but he couldn't take his eyes off the foursome of Pokémon continuing their rampage while walking past him. Even when the others came to Brandon's aid, his attention was only focused on what he was losing to the massive golem he pursued for so long…

"Regirock! Regice! Registeel! Come back…!" Brandon called out in desperation. But he knew it wouldn't get through to them; Brandon was on the verge of losing it and had to let out that stress somehow without worrying his companions. Brandon knew he was the one the others looked up to; he was undeniably the de facto leader of this operation. Luckily, Brandon had the leadership skills to spare… it had just been a long time since Brandon had last felt so distraught and helpless. The thought of not only failing to capture Regigigas, but losing the rest of his Regis in the process… that was unbearable, and on that virtue alone Brandon refused to give up.

As Dawn looked on at the scene, she realized something that made this travesty more severe and consequential over a hundredfold. "There's a town in that direction…"

Brock's expressions hardened as he realized Dawn spoke the truth. "If we don't stop them, it'll be a disaster," he understood. "So we can't just let this go."

Brandon was stuck in a sudden mental whirlpool, worried about what would happen if he were to fail. It wasn't just about him and his job now; several lives could be at stake, and Brandon stood a good chance to lose all of his Regis… and they were like family to him. This was a rare instance where Brandon showed similar mannerisms to his firstborn son; both took it the hardest when it came to enduring devastating losses… such as family members. For once, the fear of losing more of his "family" had visibly stunned the Frontier Brain. He lost his wife far too soon and he might as well have considered his sons lost as well, given that he hardly ever spoke to them, much less visited. That was one reason of many why Brandon made a point to change that after seeing Reggie in the hospital one month ago… it made him realize he was well underway in losing what remained of his family. Brandon realized it was hard not to cling to his sons earlier today when they made a surprise appearance in this remote location of Sinnoh. He thought he had become desensitized to any kind of tragedy, but Brandon realized it now… running away from his problems was not the same as overcoming the fear of them. It was easy to appear aloof when Brandon didn't have to deal with his family on a daily basis… when he could do whatever he pleased and live his life to the fullest, utilizing his potential as best he could every single day.

The Pyramid King had nearly drowned himself in denial for years. Given Reggie and Paul's individual personal struggles… it was evident that denial ran deeply in the family.

"Brandon…?"

"Huh?" Brandon looked to who called out to him; Ash, of course. Ash wasn't used to seeing Brandon like this… he wanted to see the Brandon he was more familiar with.

"You sure ya didn't get hit?" Ash asked more quietly than he usually did; he was clearly concerned. A de facto leader's weakness was reflected in the worries of his comrades. "Or are you still thinkin' of a plan…? Y'know we don't have time ta' sit around…" His Pikachu agreed.

That was all Brandon needed to get himself back into reality; he would have time to mope over this later for certain. His firm, determined expression returned as he nodded to Ash. "It's obvious now that it would be too dangerous to pursue them on foot," he told the young trainer. "We'll have to return to the mini-craft and continue the chase there and keep them at bay somehow. Your Pokémon should be useful for what I have in mind," Brandon noted, but then glared down at the String Shot binding that still plagued him and the others. "But before we do anything, we must find a way to break free from this."

"Believe me; I've been tryin'," Ash grumbled, trying to force himself out again like he'd attempted at least twice before, but the result was the same. "Anyone got any ideas…?"

Ash looked to the others. Brandon was already trying on his own as he quickly found a large, sharp rock to rub himself rub against in an attempt to snap his bindings apart with the friction (or at least have the rock tear into the web eventually). Brock and Maria were completely helpless to do much of anything as they were tied together.

That left Dawn, who looked down at her Piplup. "So… Piplup, do you think you can break through this String Shot and free us all?" she asked politely, knowing that buffing up her starter Pokémon's confidence would at least pump it up and strengthen the chances of this idea working.

Piplup was naturally more than happy to take on the challenge and quickly started to snap at Dawn's bindings with its beak… it proved to be very difficult to just snap in two like a string.

Dawn resisted the urge to sigh… somehow, she couldn't be that surprised that Piplup couldn't do the impossible… again.


Elsewhere in the tundra of the Sinnoh region, Reggie and Paul were still on the road on their way back to Snowpoint City. After Reggie's sheer delight in being addressed to by name by Brandon died down to a steady, mild contentedness, there was a long period of awkward silence between the brothers. Reggie was glad he had thought to arrange this battle between Paul and Ash, but his plans in getting his little brother fully recovered from what happened earlier were still going by one step at a time. This was a delicate situation, no doubt; Reggie couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Paul this depressed. It was only a pity that Reggie had no idea there was much more turmoil in Paul's life than he could have possibly imagined.

This was the perfect time to let Reggie know the truth, but for various reasons, Paul could not bear to even bring the matter up. Even in his greatest moments of weakness, there was still a part of Paul that would stubbornly hold back. If Reggie even remotely had an idea of what was going on, he might have gotten Paul to crack. As it stood, however, Paul's miserable appearance really did seem it was brought on completely by Brandon's presence and victory.

But there was one thing that suddenly struck Reggie's mind out of nowhere; another topic Paul wanted to avoid.

"Oh my gosh, we completely forgot about Conway!" Reggie exclaimed, looking panicked as he struggled to not allow his emotions to affect his ability to drive. "He must be worried sick looking all over for you by now, Paul!"

While this was a topic Paul was dreading would come up one day… given the present alternatives, it suddenly felt a lot less daunting to admit to Reggie about the break-up rather than his terminal illness.

"No… he's not, Reggie," Paul quietly denied. Even if this was the lesser evil, he was in no mood to talk at that moment.

"What are you talking about? He must be!" Reggie countered, looking even more worried. "He's had to watch over you for a month and with you suddenly disappearing, why wouldn't he be looking around for you?"

Paul couldn't help but sigh; it seemed as if this was as long he would be able to put it off. "He's not looking for me because he isn't here, Reggie," he finally revealed. "Conway was never with me in Snowpoint City. We went our separate ways well before I made it up here."

"Huh…?" Reggie's voice was very hushed now; it was quite a shock to be told this. If Brandon hadn't shown up, Reggie would have found out that Paul was lying all along about Conway's whereabouts; his little brother turned out to be very poor at being convincing when telling anything but the truth. It was just Paul's good luck that Brandon's presence had Reggie completely thrown off track until now. Still, even if Reggie had suspected things weren't well between the two former friends, he thought that Conway would have at least held up his end of the bargain between them. "You made it up here by yourself, then," Reggie understood; that in of itself terrified him. "But why? What happened?"

"Don't blame Conway," Paul requested first and foremost. Even if Paul was still sour at Conway, he knew it was only fair to admit that in spite of what happened, the break-up was entirely his own doing. "I'm the one who left him; not the other way around."

It was then that Reggie saw it fit to pull over from the road and stop the van. The elder brother knew this was going to be a lot to take; Paul's nerves weren't the only ones rattled by today's events. Now that Reggie finally got Paul to talk, it was time to stop for a moment and take it all in… because he knew the circumstances must have been brutal if something like this happened. Once Paul realized they had stopped for this reason, he couldn't help feeling nervous all of a sudden. Of course Reggie wasn't going to take this well.

After another period of awkward silence, Reggie finally faced Paul, looking completely serious. "Why?"

The tone of Reggie's voice was indicative of one thing: he wasn't going to put up with Paul's usual nonsense. After so many controversial stunts Paul pulled over the years, he knew by now when not to mess around and blow Reggie off as he often did. The whole story would be required in order to properly explain his actions, and that's what Paul eventually decided to give: his recollection of the events preceding their breaking apart.

Unsurprisingly, there was a frown on Reggie's face once Paul had spoken his side of the story. It was by no means a happy story, nor something to even remotely approve of Paul's actions for, especially once Paul referred to Conway's breakdown as "bawling like a spoiled crybaby".

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself," Reggie darkly scolded. Paul was left a bit shaken and confused; he still thought his actions were justified. "Even after all this time, you're still so blind to the consequences of your actions…"

"What do you mean?" Paul asked, almost feeling hurt to his brother's reaction. "He's… he's an unreliable traitor. He was-…"

"He disappointed you," Reggie corrected; his tone sharp. "That isn't the same as turning against you."

Paul glared back at him. "He promised me! I made him promise to not give that book up so easily… he swore to it, and he not only nearly give it away like an idiot, but he still ended up handing it over even after he realized what was going on! It's just like how you lost against the old man years ago…"

"I didn't turn my back on you, Paul," Reggie argued. "Just because I lost to him doesn't mean…"

"You broke your promise, too," Paul cut him off. His expressions showed that he was in no sort of forgiving mood. "When you told me you wouldn't give up until you defeated him… put him in his place. We both wanted that after seeing how much he changed over the years, didn't we?"

It was difficult for Reggie to not flinch at those memories. "I… I know. I remember. And I'm sorry I couldn't follow through with that, but…"

"But nothing," Paul interrupted again. "I trusted you and you let me down. You gave your word and then took it away just like that. You turned your back on me just like Conway did!"

That was it; Reggie was sick and tired of holding back on Paul. Even if he was clearly overly-sensitive from the fight, he still had enough bitterness in him to act this crude. Due to this, Reggie wanted to set things straight… he could deal with the irrational actions of his brother as long as he was the only target. When others came into the picture… Reggie was determined to not let them share his pain.

"Paul, that's enough!!" Reggie shouted, efficiently shutting his brother up. "I was hoping you'd figure it out on your own, but I can't let you treat people so unfairly! Conway's your friend…"

"Was my friend," Paul bitterly corrected. He seemed to no longer have a problem admitting that he did eventually see Conway as a friend… however briefly he understood that at last.

Reggie couldn't help suddenly grunting in frustration, but deep down he knew it wouldn't be easy to convince Paul of anything. "You've got to understand that we don't always fully understand our limitations," he urged, at least knowing Paul had a better chance of "getting it" if he got angry over this rather than downplaying everything as he usually did and plead with a smile on his face. "Back when I originally promised you, I didn't expect to be beaten so thoroughly by dad," he admitted. "And I didn't expect dad would show me why exactly I had no business being a trainer. I couldn't argue with him… if I had known of my own problems as a trainer before taking Brandon on… I wouldn't have made that promise, Paul."

Paul, of course, wasn't going to instantly take Reggie's words for granted. "You can't do that," he muttered. "You can't just… flippantly make promises like that and not follow up on them…"

"That's the point," Reggie emphasized. "I didn't make that promise without thinking it through… it was just something that never occurred to me, because I never focused that much on myself or my own needs… my whole world was you back then, Paul. In many ways, it still is."

"What kind of excuse is this…?" Paul growled back.

"The truth," Reggie retorted. He was completely sure of himself. "The point is… we never know what will become of ourselves in the future. Even if you feel completely sure, something along the way is going to surprise you. Some… more than others," he begrudgingly admitted. "We never intended to break our promises… but tell me, how was Conway supposed to expect that he would be assaulted by this mysterious group of people? How was he to prepare for the event that his cousin wasn't as great as he thought when there was nothing until then that showed signs of it?"

While Paul was prepared for the scolding, he didn't expect to have to argue his case. The extent of which Reggie went to defend Conway was very unsettling for him. "That woman," he said with a hint of a growl in his voice. "Even after Conway saw that she wasn't up to any good, he still blew it. He admitted to letting that book go…"

"Given the circumstances, you shouldn't have been so harsh on him," Reggie told his brother; his expressions hardened after considering what really happened to Paul's companion. The evidence was more than enough to tell Reggie that Paul wasn't exaggerating that, at least. "He just had a near-death experience right after being kidnapped and… what I mean is… it's way too much for anyone to take in at once… even you."

Paul glared at Reggie after hearing that. "Don't excuse him for being weak!"

"We all have our moments of weakness, Paul!" Reggie shouted back. "You had no right to judge Conway like that… much less abandon him when he clearly needed your help."

"You really are taking his side…" Paul whispered, trying to hold in his anguish.

It was hard doing this, especially after what Paul had been through, but Reggie simply couldn't let Paul think he was in the right to dump Conway in such a cold-hearted manner. "So you don't know where he is, I imagine," the breeder realized, now worrying of Conway's whereabouts. "You left him all by himself on a dangerous route…"

"We weren't that far away from civilization," Paul clarified. "And Conway isn't like me; anything exciting or dangerous scares him to death, so he wouldn't have tried to pull any stunts like I have. He's probably back in Veilstone City by now; there's no way he'd want to stick around in a place like this."

"I'd feel better if we got some confirmation," Reggie admitted. "His mental state must be so clouded by now… we shouldn't make assumptions."

"That happened over a week ago," Paul reminded him. "If you're thinking of looking for him, forget it."

Reggie shook his head. "You're right; he could be anywhere if it's been that long ago. Still, if he really is back home, I'd like to think he's tried to visit me or Maylene… I'm going to give her a call when we reach the Pokémon Center. I've been meaning to anyway, since she's stuck running the daycare all by herself…"

The mere mention of Maylene made Paul roll his eyes. Even though he loathed talking about these subjects, it was an excellent way to get that devastating loss off his mind for a moment. "Keep it quick," he gruffly requested. "We have a lot of work ahead of us, don't we?"

"We do," Reggie affirmed, finally smiling a little. "That's another reason why I need to call Maylene… to let her know what's up. It's been days since we last had contact, so she's probably worrying about me. Once we're done with that, you'd best prepare yourself for some intense training, bro."

"For the full ten days, I assume," Paul figured. "But you're still rusty… are you really the ideal training partner for me, Reggie?"

To that, Reggie smirked. "You'll just have to see. Until then, we-..."

Words ceased to come out of Reggie, yet his mouth continued to hang open as his eyes widened. Paul was quick to notice the change in his brother's demeanor, but couldn't see anything ahead of them that would frighten his brother like this. "What's wrong?" he asked; unease being present in his tone.

"Behind us…" Reggie uttered breathlessly as he pointed at the rearview mirror. When Paul followed his brother's gaze, his own mouth hung open as he caught sight of what horrified Reggie.

It was none other than a dark, thick trail of smoke billowing high up with the below-freezing breezes into the sky. There was quite a bit of distance between the van and the presumed site of the source of the smoke. Despite that, it was huge and very noticeable, especially in the clear and bright daylight sky where the black smoke contrasted. As the smoke towered higher and higher over the northern Sinnoh region, theories of this oddity blazed past Reggie's mind.

However, it was apparent that it couldn't have been anything normal and likely wasn't anything to just brush off. The Valhalla Plains past Snowpoint City were rather barren and devoid of any form of civilization aside from the Snowpoint Temple… and even then, the only permanent residents there were Maria and the Regis she spent her life watching over.

"Reggie," Paul suddenly whispered, looking intently at the trail of smoke. "It's hard to tell, but… isn't that coming from around the area we just left?"

Just like that, Reggie was terrified and overwhelmed with worries upon hearing that he and Paul were on the same wavelength, which only made his reasons to be concerned more credible. "I think you're right," Reggie said with a small gulp following. "And aside from the Snowpoint Temple and the Battle Pyramid, there's really nothing up that way that would warrant all of that-…"

"The Battle Pyramid!" Paul suddenly realized. "Maybe… something happened to it…?"

That's all the reason Reggie needed to turn his van right around and immediately speed off in the direction towards the massive pillar of smoke. Paul was shocked momentarily as the movements from the van swinging back into the direction they came from and Reggie flooring it afterward.

"If something did happen, we're going to find out," Reggie grunted, looking very determined now; partially to hide away his overwhelming feelings of paranoia if only for his brother's sake. "Dad… might need our help. If he does, we're not going to let him down the way he did to us."

Paul was not about to argue with him. He didn't want to vocalize it, but even though Brandon had just publicly humiliated him in battle, Paul was immensely concerned for his father's wellbeing. He hadn't forgotten those strange, yet-to-be-explained feelings of warmth and comfort that came with Brandon genuinely paying attention to him after their battle. The massive amount of effort Brandon put forth in conveying his constructive criticism was felt by his son. Paul didn't know what to make of it, but now his feelings for Brandon were more mixed than ever.

Right now, though… this wasn't the time to reflect; this was the time to act. Paul was determined to do whatever it took to ensure Brandon's safety, even if he would never admit that.

[Shinneth]

"We gotta… stop Regigigas and do it now!"

Back at what was once the Snowpoint Temple, Brandon and the others continued to struggle to break free from the String Shot bindings that imprisoned their arms. Brandon steadily worked on trying to break the web substance by rubbing it against a rock, but he was finding that whatever String Shot was made of was much tougher than any ordinary web. His progress was steady, but slow… and "slow" just wasn't acceptable during a crisis like this.

Ash continued trying to use his own brute strength to break himself and Pikachu out of their bindings, screaming things that firmly labeled him as Captain Obvious while doing so as if that would make a difference. Unsurprisingly, it didn't. Try as Piplup did, it was unable to snap apart the sticky, gooey strings that held its poor trainer in place. Dawn remained patient, but she was doubtful that she would be freed anytime soon.

Brock and Maria watched on; both unable to do much given that they were both tied together, limiting their desperation options for breaking out. As Brock watched everyone's efforts and focused on Piplup especially, however, an ingenious idea struck him. But he would have to be crafty in order for it to work… the Top Breeder-hopeful knew exactly what to do.

"Though still, if I must be tied up, it's great to be tied up with you!" Brock sung out, sounding dumb love struck as he often did whenever he was near a young woman. For this eccentricity to come out of nowhere during a very serious crisis, everyone's eyes were glued to Brock as the clueless Maria stared at him as best she could, a bit thankful that they were tied back-to-back right now rather than the alternative.

Dawn was especially exasperated at this inappropriate break in the drama. "Brock may be a genius, but his timing can be the pits," she muttered.

"Just hear me out, sweet Maria!" Brock begged, sounding especially desperate with his sing-song voice.

Maria… had no idea how to address this at all. "Huh…?" She wondered if perhaps she was even more sheltered from the world than she initially thought.

"The web of love that intertwines our romantic fate will stay tight and taut and never come undone…" Brock stated, as if he were reciting a poem from the generic book for helping desperate single losers. It was cheesy and easily grated Brandon's nerves, but before he even had the opportunity to shut the teenager up, a beam of light emitted through the web tangling up Brock's end. The sound accompanying it was very familiar: a Pokéball unleashing a Pokémon. In this case, it was none other than Brock's trusty Croagunk; one of the few Pokémon who regularly let itself in and out of its Pokéball without its trainer having to do a thing.

Croagunk was out to do its daily duty… for the second time today; give Brock a good, swift Poison Jab to restrain him and his desperation for love.

What surprised the others was that Croagunk's Poison Jab was the key to breaking a String Shot prison. Brock and Maria's bindings were shredded apart, effectively freeing the two and allowing Brock to fall flat on his face.

"Not without a little coaxing," Brock continued, sounding strained from the pain and paralysis that came with taking a direct Poison Jab attack. Landing on his face on the ground probably didn't help, either. "Which Croagunk's so good at…"

Goofy and absurd at Brock could be at times, Brandon had to commend the young man for finally finding a way to break free; by thinking out of the box, no less. "Brilliant ploy!"

"Yeah, good thinkin', Brocko!" Ash congratulated. He was elated to see that all hope was not lost yet. It was times like this that made Ash quite thankful to have Brock available at his side for all these years.

Dawn could only smile and chuckle awkwardly at the sight. It wasn't every day that Brock's skirt-chasing ways would actually benefit the group, after all.

With the matter of the String Shot trap finally behind them, the group could re-board the mini-craft and continue their pursuit of the Regis by air. Though they'd still have to worry about dodging any wayward Hyper Beams or other attacks from the legendary golems, they were still far safer in their position above the Regis instead of below them.

Brandon decided to check up on how things were going in his home vessel and used the communication system in the mini-craft to contact his assistant. "What's the Battle Pyramid's status?" Brandon asked Samuel, hoping his facility wasn't beyond repair. Not only would it damage his pride, but it would indefinitely damage his job.

"I'll need a little more time to get it fully repaired," Samuel replied; the feedback was very low-quality, indicating that he indeed wasn't quite near fixing the Battle Pyramid's damages yet. Brandon accepted this; he was simply thankful that the Battle Pyramid would make a comeback after all.

However, he intended to make every bit of use out of the help he had, including Samuel himself. "We're going to catch up to Regigigas by air," Brandon informed him. "Meanwhile, you get in touch with Officer Jenny and advise her to be on the alert."

These were precautionary measures for the town the Regis were headed for. In the event that Brandon and the others couldn't stop them from reaching civilization, it was direly important that the citizens become aware of any impending threat to their home.

"Sir!" Samuel understood his task very well. He too worried of what would come from this situation, as he never imagined it coming out quite like this. It was quite an extraordinary event… Samuel couldn't help but wonder if Scott and the rest of Kanto's Battle Frontier would believe this story whether or not Regigigas would be successfully captured.

"While he does that, let's do what we can to stop Regigigas in the others before they start really causing problems," Brandon told the others, to which there was no objection. He looked to Ash and Dawn. "Kids, get your Pokémon ready… it's a sure bet we'll need to defend ourselves regardless of who our opponent is." That was just another way of saying that they needed to prepare to defend against the Regis as well as J, who was still lurking around out there and likely awaiting them already.

Pokémon Hunter J herself, meanwhile, watched and waited with her troops at their assigned rendezvous point. Hearing the uncontrollable destruction on the horizon, J's men were alert. J's airship deactivated its cloaking device, only using it so as not to attract attention while waiting. Now it was time to use all power reserves for offense only; J knew there would be no other way to capture Regigigas otherwise.

"Master J, we're ready to attack on command," one of J's henchmen informed her. "The target will arrive shortly; is there anything specific we should do in regards to capturing that Pokémon and dealing with its cohorts?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact," J coldly replied; her real attention was only on her bounty. "Fire at the ground right beneath them when they appear." Her eyes narrowed. "Do not damage the merchandise no matter what."

"Sir!" J's henchmen were good about following their orders precisely as they could. However, managing to pull this off without directly damaging Regigigas would be very tricky and extremely risky… but everyone had faith that J knew exactly what she was doing. This time, she really did.

Two giant explosions on each side of the rocky cliffs creating a natural wall along the road J's troops were on (as well as debris from the rocks and dirt collapsing afterwards) signified the arrival of Regigigas and company. J looked up sharply and saw her prey approaching straight towards her.

Within J's airship, the henchmen operating it could zoom in on their opponents from afar to see important details early. "Target confirmed," one said. "Regigigas and its subordinates are headed straight our way with no further interference in sight."

"Excellent," J said to herself quietly. "So those pests may have been dealt with… then I can wrap this up quickly and collect the bounty." She looked to her men. "On my signal! Aim…"

It was all a matter of timing now. Once the destructive group of four legends came just within the ideal distance of J and her troops, she thrust her arm forward towards her target. "And fire…!"

All designated teams opened fire at the Regis, not caring to hit any of the three protecting Regigigas. As they were considerably smaller than their superior, the matter of taking them out of the equation along with aiming for the ground worked out conveniently. As expected, the three moving pillars retaliated and opened fire on their attackers all at once, aiming upwards towards J's airship. The ship's blast collided with the Regis' combined efforts and resulted in a massive explosion. As a side-effect, the type of blast that was fired at the Regis spread into multiple smaller laser beams that showered over the Regis and blasted through the ground, loosening it.

With Regigigas being so much heavier than its subordinates, its weight made the ground collapse around its feet, effectively implanting the Colossal Pokémon and rendering it immobile.

Seeing things going according to plan now, J moved on to the next phase of her plan. "Alright, liquid adhesive! Fire…!"

From J's airship, a bright pink ball was fired straight at Regigigas. The blob promptly splattered all over Regigigas, who was still struggling to break free from the ground. One of its arms was close to the ground at that time, where a large amount of the liquid adhesive sprayed. As a result, Regigigas could no longer move it, making the left arm the only usable limb… and even then, Regigigas was held down so tightly that it was difficult to make much use of its limited movement. The liquid adhesive's color quickly bleached out to white, signifying that it had dried.

At that time, the Braille-like signs on Regirock, Regice, and Registeel blinked red briefly before fading back to normal, signifying that Confuse Ray had worn off. All three were now back to their usual selves. However, this meant nothing to J other than the fact that it would be even easier to capture her prey if the three golems were no longer destructive and unpredictable.

"Regigigas can no longer move," J acknowledged as she watched on, seeing the Colossal Pokémon's struggles growing gradually weaker. The liquid adhesive would not let up no matter what. However, it managed to make use of its one free arm as Regigigas struggled to raise it, using the last of its energy to fire a Hyper Beam directly at J's airship. It was a critical hit that severely damaging the aircraft, much to J's annoyance.

"Hyper Beam hit us!" shouted one of J's men from inside the ship; J overheard this through her communicator. "Hard to stay airborne…!"

"Get out of Regigigas' firing range," J ordered over the communicator. She no longer needed her airship for this operation anyway now that Regigigas was stuck in one place. The vessel managed to ascend safely out of range, as Regigigas barely had any strength left to resist its restraints, much less try to fire off another attack.

This was the moment J had been waiting for. She was sure she had seen all there was to see from this Pokémon. "Now prepare to capture Regigigas!" she ordered, raising her voice to indicate that this was the critical moment; there was little to no room for error to be had here.

"Yes sir!" all of her henchmen shouted. They took their positions while J and her Salamence flew straight towards the golems.

Though Regigigas was spent, the others weren't entirely helpless. Even though Regigigas had forced them all to go berserk and destroy everything in their sight, they still felt the inherent need to protect their superior. J paid no mind to them, as Regigigas was such a huge target that it would be an easy shot to hit even with three guardians.

J aimed her petrifying laser cannon straight at her target. "Try this!" she said with glee, finally able to fire at her bounty.

Even if Regigigas had run out of surprises to bombard everyone with, there was still something that unexpectedly got in J's way: the other three Regis. Regirock went out of its way to take the blast for Regigigas, becoming the lifeless statue instead.

It was at this point that Brandon, Ash and the others finally arrived on the scene in the mini-craft. They arrived far too late to interfere, and so Brandon had no choice but to watch the first legendary Pokémon he ever captured become captive to J's wicked methods. "Regirock, no!"

Now that the aforementioned "pests" had not been dealt with as J had hoped, the Pokémon Hunter quickly grew frustrated as she took aim at Regigigas again, cursing its subordinates. "Get out of my way!" she muttered with a growl, firing another shot with her laser canon. This time, it was Registeel who took the dive – quite literally – by jumping straight into the beam's direction and following Regirock's example before crashing into the ground with a loud thud. Thankfully, it fell from a relatively short distance from the ground, hence did not suffer any irreparable damage upon impact.

However, that made Brandon no less upset as he drove the mini-craft very close to the scene, watching his Registeel fall to the ground. Though Brandon knew of Pokémon Hunter J, he was not that familiar with her methods, much less the technology behind it. He wasn't even aware that this effect could be reversed, but only in a very specific way. From Brandon's point of view, he was certain he had lost Regirock and Registeel forever.

"Look what's happened to Registeel…!" Dawn cried in horror. This truly was unpleasant for anyone to witness, even if they didn't own the victimized Pokémon.

Ash was furious. "That's enough, Hunter J!" he shouted to her, though as usual this did nothing to help their situation. "Stop it!"

"I don't think so," J smugly shot back, taking aim once more. She admittedly did enjoy seeing the ones who slowed her down this much being helpless and distraught while she had full control of what was going on. She fired another petrifying beam from her laser cannon, but unsurprisingly, Regice jumped up to take the hit itself like its brethren. Just like that, all three of Brandon's Regis had become lifeless, helpless statues in a cluster on the hard ground.

"And now Regice!" Dawn exclaimed in pure horror. She hated how helpless they were to stop this from happening…

Ash looked on at the scene, understanding at least what went down just then. "Whoa… they did what they did so they could save Regigigas…"

Brandon very well knew that already. It was a noble sacrifice, but he was still overcome with despair. He couldn't even bear to look at the scene… had he known that it could end up like this, the Pyramid King would have had second thoughts about coming to Sinnoh to begin with. It had taken a lot of courage and persistence to last this long and keep himself professional without his emotions getting in the way, but now it was just too much. Brandon felt himself so close to having a nervous breakdown, which he hadn't had since the day his wife died, and because of that he was thankful for Dawn speaking up and getting his attention.

"Look at Regigigas now!" she shouted, pointing down towards the scene.

Brandon snapped out of it and followed Dawn's gaze. "Huh…?"

Even though Regigigas was completely helpless, out of energy, and out of protectors, the Colossal Pokémon had paid attention to the sacrifices Regirock, Registeel, and Regice made to ensure its safety. Such noble and selfless acts struck Regigigas deep inside, effectively snapping its mind free of the rage that controlled it and caused all of the destruction. This was reflected in the dotted mark on Regigigas, which flashed red briefly and then faded away. Just like its subordinates, Regigigas was no longer consumed with rage.

"Regigigas is getting less angry," Maria noted, sounding relieved even though they were still in dire straits. "It's regaining its self-control…"

Brandon stared hard at Regigigas now; it was hard to believe, but it seemed both were on the same wavelength now. He could see why Regigigas was finally calming down; however upset it was, the legendary golem could not simply ignore the numerous sacrifices made for the sake of its safety.

He understood why his Regis forfeited their lives now. It was all so very clear… it wasn't just because they wanted to protect Regigigas; it was also because they knew how badly Brandon, their trainer, wanted this Pokémon. The long and arduous months Brandon spent trying to find any sign of Regigigas, the sacrifices Brandon had made and the numerous risks he took that could have potential long-term effects … Regirock, Registeel, and Regice were aware of all of this. They wanted Regigigas in the family just as much as Brandon did. They showed their devotion to both Brandon and Regigigas by doing whatever it took to make sure Brandon still had a shot at his goal.

"So… your true intentions are clear to me now…"

It was touching, yet painful at the same time because Brandon was unable to properly repay them or reward their efforts. There wasn't even a guarantee that he would be able to capture Regigigas even if J could be defeated. And now all of this came at the cost of the precious Regis he had… it seemed this story was destined to have no happy ending. With no Regigigas, Brandon wouldn't be able to follow up on his promise to his sons, either. He felt that would be the point where they would finally cut ties with him for good.

He'd have no Regigigas to show the Battle Frontier committee… so Brandon stood a good chance of losing his job. It seemed at this point that Brandon really had no more to lose. He hated just standing here and watching this; he couldn't bear to see Regigigas to fall to the same tragic fate as the others.

But he did have faith in Ash and the others… if they had prior experience with J, Brandon knew they would find some way to take her down without needing his help. After failing this much, Brandon felt there was only one way he could make himself useful. Though normally a rational and down-to-earth man, Brandon had undergone too much emotional turmoil that he mostly withheld while keeping company with the others. But now, all of that restraint backfired. To prevent a breakdown, Brandon's flighty instincts kicked in at that very moment.

"Regice… Regirock… Registeel…"

Brock overheard Brandon's murmurs as he wondered to himself how Brandon was handling this situation. "Huh…? What is it, Brandon?"

With the opposition stunned, J swooped in within a mere ten feet or so from Regigigas to take her bounty here and now. "I'm afraid it's all over," she gloated, aiming her laser cannon for what she hoped would be the last time…

That was the moment Brandon's reckless instincts kicked in. He abandoned his pilot's seat abruptly, startling the others while climbing onto one side of the mini-craft. He at least had the foresight to give one final instruction to his allies before taking action on his own. "Alright, young man! Take the controls!"

Ash and the others were stunned at this sudden turn of events. Brock quickly realized Brandon was referring to him and rushed over to Brandon's seat to pilot the mini-craft before it lost control.

This was unreal; it was easy to see what Brandon had in mind, and even Ash thought this was going way too far. "But Brandon…!" he urged, flabbergasted at seeing such a serious and straightforward man about to do something completely insane.

However, it was too late to talk Brandon out of it. Just as J fired the laser beam towards Regigigas, Brandon leaped off of the mini-craft and fell right into the line of fire, hollering out as loudly as he could.

That would be the last sound to be heard from Brandon. He fell straight into the laser beam just before it hit Regigigas and inadvertently made history…

… Brandon would be the first human to ever fall victim to J's petrifying laser cannon. It worked on a human just like it did a Pokémon; the Pyramid Kind was transformed into a lifeless bronze-colored statue. Afterwards, the petrified Frontier Brain proceeded to plummet towards the ground from a much greater height than which his Regis merely jumped. It really was a suicide dive, as Brandon would not have survived the fall regardless of whether or not he was a lifeless statue. However, it was Regigigas who made the save, reaching over to let Brandon land safely in the palm of its hand.

Still, even if Brandon was saved from falling to his death, his life was still in jeopardy. Even Ash and his friends had never seen humans blasted by Jay's laser cannon, therefore they had no idea if a human would be able to handle the effects.

"Oh no! BRANDON!" Ash cried out at the top of his lungs. He hated how even he was aware that he was utterly helpless to do anything about this. His hatred for J grew even stronger as he glared at her. "How could you…"

As Regigigas stared at the statue – the human who saved its life – its marks emitted a calm and soft blue light; a stark contrast to the bold and bright red. It had never been protected by a human quite like this… so far, Regigigas' impression of humans was a rather bad one thanks to J. But what the Colossal Pokémon held was solid proof that humans were capable of being just as noble as Pokémon. Brandon essentially threw his life away for this creature's sake… and now that Regigigas was no longer consumed with fury, it could clearly understand this.

Still, the revelation couldn't have come at a worse time. J was still right there in front of Regigigas, aiming her laser cannon once more. The onslaught of interruptions deeply annoyed her, but her persistence outlasted the determination to be free of most her bounties.

"Regigigas…!" Maria cried out. "There's nothing left to protect it!"

J tried so hard to not growl in frustration. "Meddlesome fools," she cursed. "But it's over now!"

"It's up to us now," Brock told the others, steering the mini-craft towards the danger zone. "Brandon had you guys prep Pikachu and Piplup for a reason…" He looked towards Ash and Dawn specifically. "We're the last line of defense, so let's do this for Brandon and the others!"

Ash nodded, looking to Pikachu, who understood the gesture and took its position on one side of the mini-craft. Piplup followed suit, taking the opposite side.

"We gotta stop her," Ash understood. "No matter what! We've gotta be brave!"

"Brandon's sacrifice can't be in vain," Dawn added, looking determined. "So let's do it!"

Just before J could fire yet another petrifying beam, the mini-craft promptly zoomed right over to where she aimed. They reacted quickly before J would fire off a shot regardless.

Simultaneously, Ash and Dawn issued their commands.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Piplup, use Bubble Beam!"

Before retaliating, J distanced herself from the group with Salamence. Afterwards, Salamence fired off a Dragon Pulse attack to combat Pikachu and Piplup's combined efforts. The attacks collided, naturally resulting in an explosion. However, Salamence's Dragon Pulse proved to be a vastly superior attack due to the seasoned Dragon Pokémon's strength and broke through the barrage – coming right at the unarmed group in the mini-craft. There was no way to evade taking damage and the others were terrified as they braced theirselves for what may likely be their demise.

However, it was time for another surprise: Regigigas finally broke free from what impeded its movement; both the adhesive (which shattered from being so cold and dry now) and the ground which its feet were implanted under. It moved over in front of the mini-craft; Regigigas' massive size being more than enough to cover the air vehicle completely.

While the others assumed Regigigas would simply take the attack for them, the downtime allowed Regigigas to significantly regain its strength so that it could be put to good use and actually deflect the remnants of Dragon Pulse and send it right back towards J and Salamence.

It was a direct hit; J did not expect this turn of events at all. Salamence was brutally battered, as it was a super-effective attack. Even more, one of the wayward blasts specifically hit J's laser cannon and shattered it to pieces. She no longer had the power to capture Regigigas, much to her irritation.

"Regigigas must be back to normal!" Dawn said with delight, also relieved that she wasn't blown into bits by that attack.

"Yeah!" Ash agreed, glad to see things finally turning in their favor. "Brandon's feelings must have gotten through to it somehow!"

That was indeed the case: Brandon's sacrifice brought forth the benevolent Regigigas known of in legends. His sacrifice wasn't in vain after all.

In spite of this, J was not deterred. She had been interrupted enough by Ash and friends to make back-up plans for such an occasion. "On to the next phase!" she shouted to her henchmen. "Prepare to attack!"

"Master J…!" a man's voice yelled; one of J's higher-ranked men. He ran over to her within hearing range as best he could.

J looked down at him, hoping this was important to warrant interrupting her mission. "Hm?"

"The clients have been scared off by all the commotion and retracted their request," he informed his boss. He had gotten the phone call no more than a couple of minutes ago. It was believable enough, given how much destruction had taken place since Regigigas' awakening and how loud it was; the sounds echoing all across the northern region.

"What?" J couldn't believe she had gone this far, put all of this effort into her capture, and came so close… all for her clients to flake out on her? "Why those spineless fools…"

It pained her to just turn around and leave the business unfinished, but as of now, there was no business to be had. Regigigas would be far too cumbersome to carry around until such a time that someone else might express an interest in it, so there really was no choice for J but to end it all abruptly. She wished she could take out her frustrations on her contractors, but knew due to their reputation that it would be a very bad idea.

She knew it was only a matter of time before the authorities arrived to become an even bigger problem if they truly caused so much commotion. With that in mind, she turned around to face her troops. "Retreat!" was all she said, but that simple order did well enough to get J's point across. Pokémon Hunter J and Salamence, her airship, and her troops vacated the premises in under a minute; back into obscurity until their next assigned task.

Ash was furious and wanted to chase her down and take J out once and for all, but even he knew there were far more serious issues to address at this point. He hoped today would be the day he'd see J behind bars, but her actions at the Snowpoint Temple made Ash all the more determined to see that the next time they cross paths would be the final time.

For now, though… there was a serious matter at hand. Regigigas had been awakened and tamed, but it seemed to be at the cost of the lives of Regirock, Registeel, Regice, and Brandon. All four statues were gathered together in a cluster as Regigigas gently laid Brandon down on the ground. His furious expressions and gaping mouth as he had hollered just before being hit by the beam were still present on the statue. J's weapons truly were horrifying.

Brock landed the mini-craft and everyone rushed out towards the group of statues. It was a depressing sight as everyone looked on, taking in the harsh reality.

"Oh no, Brandon…" Ash muttered, full of sorrow. Brandon had been one of the toughest opponents he ever faced; his defeat made Ash Frontier Brain material; something not many other trainers can boast. It was a true milestone in Ash's life, and it hurt the young Kanto native deeply to realize he couldn't do anything to help the Pyramid King and his Pokémon this time.

Dawn looked to Brock; the brain of their group. Whenever there was a problem, the Pokémon Breeder was there with some sort of home remedy to fix it. But it was obvious no home remedy would cure something like this. "Brock, isn't there any way for us to turn them all back to normal…?" Dawn asked anyway, ever hopeful that maybe the solution was right under their noses.

"I don't know…" Brock was hesitant to admit this, but he couldn't pretend nor make light of the situation. He resisted a wince as he heard a hushed but terrified sound from the Coordinator. But he understood how she felt; everyone was sorrowful for Brandon and his Pokémon's fate.

Even Maria had no idea how to make this right again. Still, she remembered that Regigigas was indeed right behind them and it was stable. If anyone could restore those brave souls back to normal… it would have to be the massive legendary golem itself.

To everyone's surprise, Maria rushed over to face Regigigas and faced it. She looked up with pleading eyes… inherently the temple maiden knew Regigigas was their last hope. "Regigigas, forgive us, please!" she begged, knowing they weren't exactly in a position to ask anything of Regigigas after failing to protect it. "I'm so sorry we weren't able to protect your slumber. But please, they all did their best to save you, so save them!"

She looked to the fallen heroes for a moment before continuing. "They honestly couldn't have tried any harder to save you; I swear it! Please help, Regigigas…" She took a deep breath, resisting the urge to cry. "Please help."

Ash and the others watched on as Regigigas seemed to be communicating with Maria through blinking blue lights on its symbol in various patterns. It remained peaceful, though not even Brock could hazard a guess as to what it was saying.

After a while, Regigigas finished and Maria smiled, apparently having understood it perfectly. Being one of the few in the world with in-depth knowledge of Regigigas came in handy here. "Thank you, Regigigas," she said graciously before turning to face the others. "Quick, everyone! Please stand back."

There was no argument from anyone; they listened and followed through with her request. However, they were all quite stunned that Maria could actually understand Regigigas' communication.

With the path to the statues cleared, Regigigas approached them slowly before getting into position. By concentrating its power, Regigigas invoked a soothing blue aura that consumed all of the statues. The details of this technique were quickly picked up on by Brock, who recognized the move Regigigas was using.

"Regigigas is using Hidden Power…" he muttered, prompting Dawn to look up towards him.

"Hidden Power?" she echoed, looking curious. "Isn't that an offensive attack, though?" Dawn had seen the move executed by various Pokémon several times during her journey, within Pokémon Contests, and even the Hearthome Collection Contest.

Brock had to agree that it was a strange choice. "That's true, but with a vague name like Hidden Power, there's obviously more to it than just offense. It's not hurting Brandon or his Pokémon right now…"

Dawn looked closely at Hidden Power's progress on the statues. "You're right about that, at least… I hope it'll work."

Sure enough, within a couple of minutes, the statues were converted back into living beings. All four of them looked disoriented, as things were quite chaotic just before they were petrified. Suddenly, it was rather peaceful with no commotion, much less Pokémon Hunter J, in sight.

"Hey, Brandon!" Ash greeted, elated that Regigigas was able to bring them all back to life. "Great to have ya back!"

"Huh…?" Brandon was still mildly confused about where he was, but looked to Ash and expected him to have the answers… for once. He just then remembered what he was doing seconds before what was originally his untimely demise. "Where's Regigigas?" he asked, sounding panicked.

Before anyone could answer, Brandon stood up immediately and rushed past his comrades to see for himself that Regigigas was not only alive and well, but peaceful at last. Brandon faced the gargantuan golem a mere few feet away and finally was delighted to see his goal right in front of his face. "Regigigas! Yes! You're alright!" he exclaimed, well beyond relieved that things seemed to work out after all, though Brandon still didn't know how.

"Thanks to you, Brandon, and the kind insistence of all your Pokémon, Regigigas has returned to its gentle and normal self," Maria noted, so gracious to finally see the silver lining on the cloud that was today's events.

"Great!" Brandon remarked, happy that his efforts really did make a difference after all. "And thank you, Regigigas." Even without having to be told, the Pyramid King knew somehow that this magnificent creature had something to do with his revival. A bond had been created between them; a bond that could not have formed under normal circumstances.

Regigigas accepted Brandon's gratitude in its own unique way of communicating before glowing in the same blue light described by Maria in the legend. As the light intensified, the massive Regigigas reverted back into the orb it slept in and slowly descended towards the ground, landing gently as Regigigas' spirit once again took to its shelter to recuperate.

Brandon approached the orb, kneeling down as it landed. He smiled gently towards the orb carrying the essence of what he so desired all this time. "Regigigas, I'm asking one thing…" he humbly requested. "That you'll entrust your future to me."

The orb stopped glowing, signifying that Regigigas had officially resumed its slumber. Brandon picked up the orb, still smiling all the while. Everyone else was speechless, but this time in a good way.

"Wow, Regigigas…" Ash muttered. "Even after all that, it still forgave us for not bein' able ta' protect it."

"It's magnificent how you bonded with a legendary Pokémon," Maria complimented. "That is not at all an easy task… and I believe that's why Regigigas decided to hear me out when I begged it to revive the lot of you."

Brandon nodded, looking down at the orb. "That was no small task… but I do feel the bond between myself and Regigigas. Evidently, my Pokémon already felt that bond well beforehand."

Regirock, Regice, and Registeel all gave their confirmations to what Brandon believed. Upon seeing the remains of an ancient generation of their kind, all three of them felt the inherent need to take place of those fallen pillars and pick up where they left off. The Pyramid King was still so immensely relieved not only to be alive again, but having Regigigas out of J's grasp that he had not yet fully understood the long-term consequences of what transpired today. On that subject, Brandon felt he had best get up to speed on what exactly happened while he was a statue, because the hatred he felt for J quickly went beyond for the people he hated the most before these events took place. Out of everyone, he would be the least satisfied of the results.

"It's too bad we had to let J get away again," Ash grumbled. "And man, they went out in a hurry."

Brock agreed. "Even if we weren't faced with people and Pokémon to save, I doubt we would have caught up with them. Besides that, there's no sense on taking J out with a full armada when we're such a small group by comparison."

"Well, for what we had going against us going in, I think this was the best we could've done," Dawn figured. "Especially when all of this was so short-notice. I wonder why J just took off, though. For all the trouble she went through in getting Regigigas awakened and making sure we stayed out of her way, she just seemed to stop all of a sudden and leave."

However displeased Brandon was, he could figure why a Pokémon hunter would do this. "Perhaps some connections fell through," he supposed. "I did tell Sam to give word to Officer Jenny about the situation, so the whole town ahead of us is likely on high alert right now thanks to his efforts. Chances are her clients were nearby and realized they were a little in over their heads when they made their request."

"One thing that troubles me is how some mysterious outsiders knew this much about Regigigas," Maria wondered out loud. "What happened today is exactly why I've done my best to suppress public knowledge of Regigigas. The Snowpoint Temple just isn't meant for handling vandals. And now it's gone…"

Brandon scowled as he looked back down at the orb. "If I weren't tied down to so many obligations at this time, I would chase that woman to the ends of the Sinnoh region and the rest of the world if I had to."

"Leave it to us," Ash assured. "We've had a habit of running into J a lot since I came to Sinnoh. Whenever the next time will be, we're finally gonna put an end to her group and we'll make sure to think of you when we face her head-on."

Just like that, Brandon smiled wryly and resisted a laugh. Handy as Ash could be, it was laughable still to think of him putting J in her place on his own, especially when he outright admitted that he's yet to be successful despite running into her more than once before. "Just stay out of trouble, kid," he replied. "But do let me know if she's ever caught. It would be a great weight off my shoulders knowing she won't be able to cause these tragedies in the future."

Ash simply smiled and nodded. "Definitely, Brandon."

"I believe it will all turn out right in the end," Maria said. "Just as this situation seemed so hopeless not that long ago, and now we're all here alive and well." Her smiled faded just then. "With… the exception of the pillars."

Even with this victory, everyone else began to realize what they had left now, however valiantly they fought to defend it. "That's right," Brock recalled. "The Snowpoint Temple is almost completely rubble now. And even if it weren't, J still destroyed the pillars first. So Regigigas will have to sleep without protection…?"

The three Regis seemed to want to speak up in regards to this topic. What they insinuated made Brandon's eyes widen, yet he remained silent. The innocent Dawn smiled knowingly at the smaller golems. "Maybe it won't after all."

"We'd best head back to the temple and make plans," Brandon suddenly suggested. He was going to need some time to let everything sink in, because from the sounds of things, in spite of his efforts… he was about to lose his Regis and fail to have Regigigas for himself anyway.

No one much felt like sticking around the area they were presently in, so they all boarded the mini-craft and voyaged back to where all the trouble began.

[Shinneth]

"… So just for the sake of professionalism itself, I would appreciate a reimbursement for all of the time, effort, and ammunition wasted in this assignment before it was withdrawn just as I was about to ensure the capture," a very irate J finished after a lengthy, but controlled tirade to the people… or rather, just one person now, it seemed, who made the Regigigas request to her in the first place.

"How rude you of the newer generation can be these days to your elders," the person chided; his tone completely at odds with the heavy and serious manner of which J spoke. Still, it was a rather distinctive older man's, yet he didn't sound the least be intimidating or influential. "These days, the very idea of patience is thrown out and self-centeredness is so glorified. I suppose I can blame the media for your sake, though. You aren't that young."

"Did you even hear a single word I said, old man?!" J shouted, having to deal with this man's mocking attitude both in the past and for the entirety of this conversation that she arranged once she was in a stable area, able to maintain her stealth. "Rest assured that I will inform your higher-up about your shenanigans, and he'll see to it you are punished and dismissed from your duties. Otherwise, if I'm commissioned by your organization in the future, I will not hesitate to raise my price and demand the money up front from now on. Is that clear, head scientist?"

The man with quite literal rose-colored glasses rolled his eyes, continuing to smile and snicker. "Of course. Now just run along; take a long, hot bath… whatever soothes those aches and pains before I start making cracks about Prince Albert in the can that will soar so far over your head that my nostalgia will cry itself to sleep tonight."

J wouldn't even dignify that with a response other than a disgusted and frustrated grunt before ending the call, prompting the older man to burst out into a barrel of laughter, smacking his knees with his hands as he tried to contain himself. Such a disturbing noise prompted a door to open, revealing none other than a perplexed and annoyed Saturn. He had been living a very comfortable life since returning back to the base after his cousin's funeral, making off with everything Conway ever had to his name that Conway himself couldn't take with him. He was in higher graces with Cyrus than ever and all finally felt right with the world… until he found earlier today that his cousin's computer was missing. Saturn hadn't finished pulling out every byte of data Conway held inside the console, so he had been making the rounds to find out who took it. Naturally, his first suspect was Mars, but much to his surprise she was clean, as was Jupiter.

Saturn honestly couldn't see why he'd even bother, but head scientist Charon of Team Galactic was near to the last of his list, and lo and behold, there was the entire console right in front of the old man as he laughed in glee.

"So this is where the personal computer has been all along," Saturn noted, much like J in trying to keep himself restrained and professional as best he could. Like many of his co-workers, Saturn definitely never went out of his way to interact with Charon, quick to find the old man insane. He did give Charon credit to being "more useful" than Mars to Team Galactic's cause, but stunts like this made Saturn regret ever giving that man a compliment. "Charon, I expect there's an explanation for this."

Charon smirked and turned his head slightly, just barely locking eyes with Saturn as he suppressed his laughter. "Word through the grapevine is that you've extracted a valuable source of information not long ago," he said slyly. "How unsurprising that the rumors were true; you like to overachieve, do you not, Saturn?"

"It pays off," Saturn dryly replied. "Now who were you just speaking with?"

"That Pokémon hunter," Charon said, merely waving off the mention. "I believe her name is K."

Saturn was taken aback. "Y-you… you used my cousin's computer to make an independent commission from Pokémon Hunter J?!"

"You're right about overachieving," Charon noted. "But the brightest among mankind know the best time to overachieve is when the opportunity to take it from someone else arrives." He was completely unafraid to admit what he did. "However, I suppose I was a little overzealous once I saw just how enormous Regigigas was in real life. A thing like that could never fit anywhere in the Galactic base and it doesn't fit this place's image at all, would it? The irony of it all… an organization made to change the world adopting the legends of the old world? Then again… I wonder just how different it is from Dialga and Palkia. What with also being fabrications of this old world…"

"This is why I wonder why Cyrus bothered to hire you," Saturn grumbled. "You can't so hastily compare something as simplistic as Regigigas to the gods of time and space. But… unlike them, I was under the impression that Regigigas was only a legend."

"Hah!" Charon mocked. "You really ought to do more reading in your spare time, Saturn. It does the mind wonders."

Saturn still didn't understand something, however. "I mainly targeted my cousin's belongings based on his knowledge of Uxie," he recalled. "He never said a single world to me about Regigigas. How did you discern that-…"

"The legend may be historically factual?" Charon finished for him. "You haven't done a very good job of combing through everything digital in your cousin's name, Saturn."

"I did look!" Saturn claimed. "I did not find one iota of Regigigas in a single file of his! I had weeks to do a thorough search!"

Charon smirked. "You can store data in so many different ways these days, Saturn."

"I checked his CDs as well," Saturn told him. "His flash drives, and even the obsolete floppy disks! Where are you fabricating this from? Did Mars put you up to this?"

"So so paranoid," Charon patronized. "Oh, Saturn, who would go through so much trouble? Everyone knows it's the most fun to aggravate you directly." Saturn frowned flatly at that. "But you still are leaving out one critical source… the internet, boy."

Saturn immediately looked defensive. "From what accounts of his that I am aware of… I saw nothing there, either," he said, certain that he had caught Charon in a lie now, but was sorely mistaken when Charon let out a brief laugh.

"That's where your new-age laziness has betrayed you, boy!" Charon exclaimed. "I see, of course, the most obvious place to check first would be those web logs of his… or what your generations know as blogs, Saturn."

"Of course I checked there first," Saturn said, not about to believe he missed something there. "I still saw nothing."

"All that looking… all without ever actually signing on to his account," Charon teased. Again, Saturn was on the defense.

There was something strange about the day he cleaned out Conway's room of its belongings. "Well… much to my surprise, I found no trace of a password book anywhere when I took everything of my cousin's from his home. As many accounts as he has, I assumed the logical conclusion was that the password book was with him while he was out," Saturn explained. Since he never could find Conway's body, it seemed Conway's accounts would remain safe. Normally, Conway did keep his password book at home, but it was one of the first things he thought to take with him while on his stealth mission during the funeral. He knew he'd have an upper-hand in his accounts' security unless Saturn resorted to hacking, of which Saturn was only an amateur at best. Of all things, this was where Conway's skills exceeded Saturn's own. It was just another reason to hate him, in Saturn's mind.

"Then you should be glad to have someone like me to pick up where you failed," Charon said with a chuckle. "In his protected, private entries, Regigigas was mentioned quite frequently around a month ago. It seems it wasn't so much his business as it was a friend of his, but regardless he took notes for that friend by reading what appeared to be the only known factual book on Regigigas in the entire world. After seeing the sorry, shoddy run-down excuse for a safe haven called the Snowpoint Temple, it became clear why Regigigas information was so hard to find."

Saturn just briskly nodded, unable to excuse himself for this. "Hence your motive to pursue Regigigas in the first place."

"I thought it would be harmless fun," was Charon's excuse. "For the big mission we'll have to task that Pokémon hunter with in the near future, I found it ideal to keep her on her feet so that it's a certainty that she will get the job done. I've monitored her performance today… and she certainly has a right to brag."

"Regardless, this ended up being a waste of valuable time and resources," Saturn spat. "Not to mention you pilfered my property without permission. You do realize you're getting written up for this."

Charon simply smiled and shook his head. "You can go ahead and try, but that would be an unwise move on your part."

"Your scare tactics won't work on me, Charon," Saturn countered, looking very agitated now. "By the time I finish reporting to Cyrus, I expect that computer back in my quarters or else."

"Such a mature threat," Charon teased. "But of course, what choice do I have? Do what you must, Saturn. Soon enough, you'll see…"

Saturn's eyes narrowed; he was sick of listening to this old man and endured it far too long, in his opinion. Like J, Saturn wouldn't dignify his co-worker with a response and slammed the door shut, immediately heading to Cyrus' office to file a complaint. Charon was in no hurry to return the computer, still. He simply looked to his computer, monitoring various areas of the Sinnoh region.

"Indeed, it's only a matter of time before the fun begins," Charon said to himself. "Northern Sinnoh as a whole is quite interesting, indeed. Lake Acuity… Regigigas… and of course, Mt. Coronet." The head scientist smirked. "The findings I'll make here will cancel out every little whine that child makes to Cyrus." He started to laugh again. "It will only get more fascinating from here on out scientifically… and in the end, that's all that matters."

Indeed, in due time Team Galactic would be scouting the northern parts of the region for various reasons. But little did any of them know… they would be met with company along the way.




It was nearing sunset once Brandon and the others reached the crumbled remains of the Snowpoint Temple. The pedestal that held the orb of the sleeping Regigigas had to be moved to one of the few chambers of the temple that wasn't completely totaled. All the while, Brandon had been thinking long and hard about what was about to happen… or rather, what was practically expected of him by this point. Even if this wasn't his fault, Brandon was going to be the one who paid the price for today's travesty. Though Brandon tried to think of every possible way to get out of the responsibility, maintain his Regis and keep Regigigas for himself, the Pyramid King was consumed with guilt at the thought of making off with all of that, leaving Maria to deal with the shambles of the temple she spent all her life protecting.

Brandon often thought back to the moment where he was mere seconds away from claiming Regigigas as his own in a manner that wouldn't bring about the guilt. All that went back to the anger he felt for J, the one who ruined that one and only opportunity to achieve the original goal.

But now things were different. Brandon couldn't bring himself to just leave after this. Maria wouldn't be able to rebuild the temple on her own and start over just the same as before. She was going to need help… a lot of it… and the temple by no stretch of the imagination would be able to be restored overnight. He couldn't make off with Regigigas, disturbing its slumber for his own personal reasons; especially after it went out of its way to save Brandon's life. In a way, Brandon was glad his sons weren't there to witness that. Samuel couldn't have been more right about the moral boundaries surrounding the entire matter of Regigigas. It was one of the most difficult decisions Brandon ever had to make; most of the time, he wasn't one for letting outside influence affect his decisions, much like Paul. Brandon's "my way or the highway" attitude defeated the determination of almost everyone who tried to fight against it.

This, however… this was entirely different altogether. The bond formed between Brandon and Regigigas had a drawback, as it was their connection that made Brandon realize that it wouldn't really be right to just take Regigigas away. Even if he was probably the best candidate to care for it and especially now would be a better option to ensure its rest would never again be disturbed, Brandon thought back to the legend and couldn't forget that the original set of Regis protecting their leader had been destroyed with no hope of being restored.

Regirock, Regice, and Registeel were way ahead of their trainer in that respect. They had all agreed to follow the legend and become the new pillars… meaning they too would be staying at the Snowpoint Temple indefinitely. Brandon was stuck in a position where he'd be gaining nothing and losing everything. But he wouldn't allow himself to show his conflicted nature in public; especially not to Maria.

As Brandon, Ash, Brock, Dawn, and Maria stood before the pedestal, the eldest of the group laid the orb back on the cushion, officially bringing it back to a full resting state. His Regis were already in position precisely the way his predecessors were placed. This was hard, and it went against everything Brandon worked so hard for… but like Paul, today Brandon had been taught a great lesson of humility… something that hadn't truly come to him in many years.

"Well, I guess this is the best we can do for Regigigas for now, right?" Dawn assumed. "At least the temple wasn't totally destroyed…"

Brock nodded in agreement. "It's a shame… I can't imagine how long it would take to restore this temple."

Ash looked to Brandon curiously. Something about the Frontier Brain did seem off to Ash, but like most oddities, he shrugged it off. After all, the man had been turned into a statue earlier today. Ash figured that might mess anyone up at least a little bit. "So what now, Brandon?" he asked. "You goin' back to Kanto now that you know the legend's true?"

The mere mention of Kanto was like a nightmare for Brandon now. Letting go everything he worked so hard for was bad enough… thinking of how to answer to Scott and the other Frontier Brains was just too much now, even for him. He vehemently shook his head on reflex before realizing he needed to finally make a decision here. Even with the battle over with, Brandon remained the de facto leader of this particular situation.

"One day, I will have to return," Brandon understood. "But right now, there's something more important to do. I've made my decision… I'm going to rebuild this temple so Regigigas' slumber will never be disturbed again," he said with a heavy heart. It was so difficult trying not to sound bitter about the way things turned out.

He looked to his Regis, and though he smiled, deep down both Brandon and his Pokémon knew how forced that smile really was. "And just like the legend states, I will have Regirock, Regice, and Registeel become the three guardian pillars that will protect Regigigas forever."

Forever… was such a long time. Brandon didn't even want to think about how his life would be like several years from now, just letting his Regis spend the rest of their days in a cold, distant temple. It seemed so wrong… but Brandon knew it was the right thing to do, given what happened. He wanted to honor the fallen pillars of generations long past the current. There was no other way to do it…

"Brandon, thanks!" Maria was immensely grateful for Brandon's contributions and loyalty. She was worried sick of how she would handle the loss of her temple by herself, but Brandon's mere presence made her feel secure and certain that it would all work out in the end. And still, Brandon was ashamed that Maria thought so highly of him, not knowing that the Pyramid King was much more self-centered than he made himself out to be.

However, Brandon was enough of an adult to know even he couldn't restore the Snowpoint Temple all on his own. Regardless of the tension with Maria, Brandon was going to need her help; at least they had the same goal in mind now. He looked to the temple maiden, pretty sure of what he answer would be, but just for the sake of making it solidly understood, he asked anyway. "Maria, will you work together with me to protect Regigigas' slumber?"

He extended his hand towards an awed Maria, who shook his hand without hesitation. No doubt she was filled with delight in knowing she wouldn't be alone on this. "Yes, I'd be honored to!"

"What about us?" Ash offered. "I mean, we've been in this together this far. I wouldn't mind helpin' out, 'cause it'll still be a big job with just you two, huh?"

To that, Brandon laughed before playfully knocking Ash on the head. "Young man, I believe you have something else to prepare for! Keeping you here would cut into the training you'll need to be doing for the next ten days."

"Oh, shoot! I forgot!" Ash cried out. "I have to battle Paul at Lake Acuity…!"

"Guess we shouldn't put that off," Dawn figured. "Still, I feel bad just leaving you guys here to do all this hard work…"

Brandon merely shook his head. "Enjoy your youth – all of you – I can assure you that you've done more than your fair share of saving the day."

"In that case, we'd best settle in for the night," Brock suggested. "It was great seeing you again, Brandon. I know you'll do a great job restoring this place."

"Same here," Ash added, looking to the orb. "Guess we have to say bye to the Pokémon, too. I'm glad for you, Regigigas."

Dawn nodded, smiling sweetly at the orb. "You sleep soundly from now on."

"Right…" Brock calmly agreed.

Brandon nodded to all of the brave, valiant children who helped him today. "That town that was in danger… I believe that's Silver Hills Town. That should be an ideal place for preparing for the upcoming battle and it has a train station that will take you straight to Lake Acuity."

"Well, I know where I'm spendin' the next ten days!" Ash said adamantly. "Thanks, Brandon. It really was great seeing ya again; thanks for lettin' us watch the battle and help ya out."

Dawn bowed respectfully. "It was a great honor to meet you."

Brandon and Maria saw them out, waving goodbye to the trio until they were out of sight, bidding their thanks and farewells all along the way. Brandon knew he was fond of those kids for a reason. All the same, it relieved him that they were finally gone. It was nearly twilight by that time, and things were suddenly (and rather uncomfortably) quiet.

Just when Brandon thought he could finally have a little privacy to mull over today's events, a glaring set of headlights illuminated the dreary area. A motor was running furiously and tires were heard smashing through the snow. Brandon and Maria turned around, soon faced with a certain van that had been going at full speed for quite a while now. As soon as the van was close enough, it stopped abruptly. The engine and lights remained turned on while certain familiar figures poured out of the vehicle and ran straight for Brandon, whose reaction was only shock.

"Dad!!"

That strangled, desperate cry came from Reggie, of course, who quickly embraced Brandon while catching his breath. Paul had initially come running out, but stopped short as his much faster brother reached Brandon first. Samuel also came out of the van, but he was considerably calmer given that he had a better idea of what went on.

"Y-you…" Brandon was almost speechless. "How did you…?"

"We saw the smoke trail from the Battle Pyramid!" Reggie sputtered. "You had to have been in danger, and-… and-… are you alright?!"

To that, Brandon smiled calmly. Maria was a bit in shock, as she remained unaware that those kids she saw earlier that day were actually related to the Pyramid King right until that moment. Brandon noticed Paul standing a few feet away, obviously at a loss for words himself. But for once, Brandon could see genuine concern from his second son's gestures… and he felt warm inside acknowledging that even Paul couldn't hide his true feelings in these kinds of situations.

"Never better," he finally said to Reggie. Brandon wanted to believe that, but just as it warmed his heart to see his sons running back to him out of love and concern, the future consequences of reality's harshness came crashing back down… as the Frontier Brain realized what today's events could mean for the future of his own kids. "But…"

Brandon rested his hands on Reggie's shoulders, straightening him out and giving him a hard look before briefly turning to give Paul the same gesture. All this time, he had withheld the entire truth of what his return to Sinnoh meant… namely the fact that his job was possibly on the line. While Reggie had already found out through Samuel, Paul remained none the wiser. Those consequences were the last thing on Reggie's mind as well; all he cared about was that his father was alive and well. But he calmed down once Brandon gave him that look.

Reggie was familiar with that look. He'd seen it a few times before from Brandon… and he could already predict what his father was about to say.

What Brandon actually said was right in line with Reggie's thoughts: "My sons… we need to talk."




( TBC )

[Shinneth]

(It's the new longest-chapter-of-the-fic! That means this will be a nightmare to split into segments here in particular. Please be patient with that until you see a bolded TBC!)


The day was not only long; it was loaded. Loaded with teases of unfinished business being completed (yet they remained only that – teases), emotional peaks reached that were never before imagined, destinies realized, and lessons of humility. Well, there was quite a bit more than just those aspects. If one had to sum up the day's events in a single word, however, there was no room for debate on what that word would be.

That word was failure.

Miles beyond Snowpoint City's limits, the ruins of what was once the Snowpoint Temple were barely habitable for the legends it contained, much less the human beings that remained in the area. As daylight faded from the sky, the temperature dropped accordingly. The Battle Pyramid sustained much more damage than what was initially thought. Because of that, its flying capabilities remained crippled… but the rest of the interior was relatively okay and a much more comfortable place to retire for the night than the tiny dank cavern that remained standing amongst piles of rubble. There was no concern for Regigigas any longer… as Brandon left all three of his hard-earned Regis behind to protect it indefinitely.

The Battle Pyramid was such a large facility, as it did double as Brandon's "home", so to speak. As such, there was ample space for five people to sleep and there was a kitchen. Samuel did most of the cooking, though… Brandon was not very used to working with the oven. With Reggie around, however, a well-earned hearty meal was given to the group, as the Pokémon Breeder did his absolute best to emulate his mother's cooking skills. Reggie was a natural at cooking, having won regional fairs with his talents.

It was odd for the majority of the group to be in a place like this. While Paul and Reggie were familiar with the facility, they never had the privilege of using Brandon's personal areas despite their relation. The kitchen in the Battle Pyramid wasn't large at all, but it had enough space to accommodate not only Brandon and his assistant, but also Paul, Reggie, and Maria as well. It wasn't very homely, of course… but given what happened, no one was in a position to complain.

Brandon thought it was only appropriate to talk to his children over a meal. It had been ages since all three sat together for dinner. Given that Brandon was going to be unloading bad news on them, the Frontier Brain thought he should at least make them comfortable first. The effects of the battle he had with Paul were still obvious on both sons – especially Paul, who was completely silent the entire time. Some small talk was had while dinner was being prepared, but once it was time to eat and everyone seated themselves at the table; there was an awkward silence at first. Maria and Samuel weren't sure if it was right to be present while Brandon had an honest talk with his sons, but since no one protested their presence, they wisely stayed silent and remained seated where they were.

Finally, Brandon mustered up the will to confess; his intention to have Regigigas for his own all along, his very unprofessional abandonment of his post in Kanto to pursue this Pokémon, the war waged with Pokémon Hunter J for this Pokémon, and finally how everything turned out in the end… most importantly, Brandon informed his sons of the consequences he was set to face now. The Pyramid King had no idea how he would be reprimanded upon his return to Kanto, but failing his mission was no doubt a major threat to his job… and consequently, the family's financial situation. Not to mention Brandon admitted he was now committed to rebuilding the Snowpoint Temple with Maria; there was no telling how long that would take, and it was doubtful that the Battle Frontier committee would approve of Brandon squandering even more time away from his real job.

Maria was a little shocked when she heard this confession. Brandon more or less had the same intentions as J, though Brandon's intentions were at least morally sound. Still, she didn't say a word. Samuel already knew most of what Brandon said already, so none of this surprised him. He looked a little somber, as he had been worried for Brandon's future from the start.

Reggie already knew about most of these consequences thanks to the brief visit from Samuel in Veilstone City. However, all of that was pushed far back in his mind until now because of the circumstances of today's events. It was not pleasant to be reminded of the risks Brandon was taking, though, and his expressions hardened when Brandon had nothing more to say.

The only one who was completely taken aback by this confession was Paul. All this time, he had no idea Brandon was in Sinnoh under very tenuous pretenses. This only made things worse for Paul's situation; sooner or later, Brandon was going to be assailed by medical bills thanks to him. Mysterious medical bills that Brandon would be interrogating Paul about… and Paul still wasn't ready to break out his own confession. He could barely bring himself to talk, much less unload a mass of life-changing news to his family. But he finally found his voice again after finding out that Brandon inadvertently doomed his family to a future of poverty they might not recover from.

"All this time…" Paul muttered, unable to help his body's shivering. It was hard being sick and being emotionally tormented at the same time. "All along, you were doing this… knowing you could lose your job…"

He couldn't take it anymore. Paul slammed his fists against the table and leaned over towards Brandon, glaring straight at him. "What where you thinking?!"

Brandon knew he deserved this. Despite his youngest son's revived rage, Brandon easily caught the hint of the expression of disbelief in Paul's face. This news horrified him and he obviously wanted to think it was just a terrible joke. "Destiny called for me," Brandon calmly answered after a moment of silence. "No thought was required… though I shouldn't have given into my baser instincts. I could have left my post in a manner that wouldn't put me in the position I'm in now. But given what happened today, there's no doubt that my return to Sinnoh was indeed for a reason. I thought it was to capture Regigigas… but now I see my reason for being here was to protect it instead."

"At the cost of your family's security," Reggie quietly added, as that statement put him in a passive-aggressive mode. "And almost at the cost of your life."

It was hard to argue that. Brandon actually already admitted it, so Reggie was well within his rights to vent. "Don't… get me wrong, dad. I'm proud of you for protecting Regigigas," Reggie said in a sudden, uneasy haste. "And it's amazing that you bonded with it, but… this whole quest was just a double-edged sword from the beginning. Helping Regigigas endangers us, while helping us would have endangered Regigigas."

It saddened Maria terribly to see this event for what it truly was. This was a hard day for her as well. But she saw it fit to step in, because she felt so indebted to Brandon now… that extended to helping his children as well. "It seems hopeless now… but that's how it was while we strived to get Regigigas back. And it worked out in the end… I believe the same will happen for all of you. And as the keeper of the temple, I'll put in a good word for your father, Reggie," she assured. "Surely the Battle Frontier committee will understand when I explain to them what exactly happened."

"Regardless of that, I broke the deal," Brandon said in a strict tone. "If I were the committee passing judgment on someone in my position now, I would not hesitate to terminate them despite their good excuses."

Reggie frowned and shook his head. "But Scott and the other Frontier Brains aren't just like you, dad. From what I remember of them, they were all pretty level-headed and rational people… and most importantly, I think they're more inclined to grant forgiveness."

"Don't bank on that possibility," Brandon denied. He eyed Samuel just then. "From what I've been told, they're all quite upset with me now due to my actions. The longer I'm gone, the less they'll be inclined to forgive me. And right now, from the looks of things, my absence will be extended well beyond the length of my coworkers' patience."

Paul was still considerably upset over this. "You've already dug your own grave, and you knowingly are going to dig yourself deeper now. You're out of your mind! You shouldn't have to rebuild this temple! You weren't the one who destroyed it!"

Brandon looked to Paul, stern and cold. He didn't want to be too hard on his son, as the verbal wounds he inflicted were still fresh, but as usual, Paul was being far too difficult to deal with in a gentle way. "So what do you suggest then, kid? Do you know how to track down Pokémon Hunter J, apprehend her, and drag her all the way back here to clean up the mess she made?"

"Stop patronizing me," Paul shot back. "How hard is it to just hire some construction workers to rebuild the temple? This temple isn't your responsibility; there's no reason for you to just stay here…"

"It's true that this is far too much of a task for me to do alone," Brandon solemnly admitted. He very rarely indicated his own limitations. "Even with Maria's help. And your suggestion is what I have in mind, but this is not any ordinary establishment we're rebuilding, kid. This is a precious piece of Sinnoh's history, barely hanging by a thread. Ordinary construction workers won't understand that… and that's why I must remain here. I must oversee the reconstruction from beginning to end and make sure the Snowpoint Temple is rebuilt faithfully… I owe Regigigas that much for saving my life."

Reggie seemed to be a bit more understanding of Brandon's position, but he couldn't help but feel this was a much more daunting task that Brandon was making it out to be. "Even with your supervision, how exactly are you going to remake an ancient relic? It's not like you can just glue the rubble together. You'd have to eliminate it… an all-new temple would just be a shell of the original. But that's your only option…"

"You leave worrying about the temple to me and Maria," Brandon assured. "Because you two have more important things to do than worry about my problems."

"Your problems directly affect us!" Paul shouted. "If you lose your job over this, it's going to jeopardize the entire family! How can you expect us not to worry?!"

It really was saying something when Paul was the one getting upset and worried over someone else's problems. Of course, Paul had his own reasons to fear the worst-case scenario. If his family couldn't afford hospital bills, he'd have a lot less than twenty years to live.

"Paul's got a point, dad," Reggie acknowledged. "We need to be thinking of ways to get out of a worst-case scenario. It's a very real possibility we can't ignore…"

"As head of this family, it's my duty to bear the burden," Brandon stated, stubbornly standing his ground. "Rest assured I will do everything in my power to keep you two afloat." But then, he quickly looked tired. The day's events and what was most likely a food coma combined made everyone pretty exhausted by this point. "But we'll get into that matter tomorrow… a good night's rest should clear our heads."

Now that Paul thought about it, he did feel quite faint; more so than usual. At this point he was getting a little better at knowing when to stop, though Paul still looked disapproving of his father's decision. "Just say so if you need time to stall," he insulted before turning around. "You're not evading this tomorrow morning, so follow through with your promises for once."

"On one condition," Brandon replied, still relatively professional in how he handled his own kin. "You don't spend all of tomorrow on this matter. You have a very important battle ahead of you in ten days; I expect you to be training for that up to the very day you see Ash again at Lake Acuity."

Thankful that his facial expressions were hidden now due to his shift in positioning, Paul's eyes narrowed at the reminder. He'd be more thankful eventually, but right now Reggie's suggestion for the future battle was the last thing on his mind. Given the events that went about after the grudge match, it was obvious that he completely forgot about it. Having the opportunity to one-up Ash was something Paul couldn't pass up, admittedly. If there was one thing he was always sure about, it was his superiority over the Kanto native in battling abilities… and now even that was in doubt. The fact that Ash had already defeated Brandon and conquered Kanto's Battle Frontier was still a lot for Paul to swallow.

Brandon knew it, too. Hence he smirked after hearing Paul's reluctant consent. "You don't need to remind me about that," he was lied to. But even without facial expressions giving it away, Brandon could tell Paul was lying if only due to the moments of silence that preceded Paul's claim. "It's a given I'll be training. So don't waste my time by prolonging this, if that isn't too much trouble."

Paul wasn't actually meaning to come off as cruel as he sounded, but it was quickly showing that Brandon was right about everyone needing rest. The youngest of this group was the one who needed it most of all, given that his inner turmoil prevented him from getting the sleep he needed the night before. He was beyond cranky as a result. No matter how old he got, there were childish moments Paul would continue having for years to come. Brandon directed Paul to where the guest rooms were and breathed a sigh of relief as he disappeared down the hall, assured that the others would follow suit soon enough.

"Sorry," Reggie apologized automatically. "I didn't think he'd have it in him to react so strongly, given what's happened."

"Given what's on the line, I'm surprised you're as calm as you are now," Brandon noted. "I was going to tell you to not let the pressure of living up to your mother's name crush you." This wasn't a shot at Reggie's giving up – this was a fair warning of what Brandon knew would befall his first son due to the position he was in. "You're not nearly making the kind of money she made," the Pyramid King said bluntly, making Reggie flinch a bit. That was just a painfully true statement right there. "I was certain you'd be just as upset as your brother because of that."

"Well, I can't lie… I am upset," Reggie begrudgingly confessed, unable to look Brandon in the eyes all of a sudden. "But in my case, I've had more time for this to sink in…"

Brandon's eyes widened at this statement while Samuel immediately looked nervous. "What are you implying?"

"I… er, I told him," Samuel spoke up, hoping he wouldn't get punished for admitting the truth. "I'm sorry, Brandon."

"Don't be sorry," Reggie urged. "You were right to tell me about it. And at the time you probably didn't think things would end up like this."

Samuel shook his head. "I didn't want to believe they would," he explained. "But I was very aware of the risks from the beginning, which is why I agreed to come here as well."

While Brandon didn't like this, he didn't have the heart to be harsh to his assistant. After all, it was ultimately Samuel's efforts that got him the opportunity to finally get Regigigas; there would be no telling how long it would have taken Brandon to reach the same location on his own. The upgrades he implemented to the Battle Pyramid would enable Brandon to keep his promise about staying in touch with his family a little better, so this was a gift of longevity that could not be ignored. All in all, it was a minor error that wasn't worth the time to even acknowledge.

"So you've known for a while now," Brandon understood, looking to Reggie. He was still apprehensive about looking directly at him. "Well, that would explain it. I do appreciate your maturity nonetheless."

Something about that statement rubbed Reggie the wrong way, even if it was a compliment. Most likely he just didn't like how even Brandon's compliments could come off so unpleasantly from certain perspectives… namely his brother's. The Pokémon Breeder had the energy to burn unlike Paul, but the frantic driving effectively wore him out and his nerves were more or less shattered since he came to the conclusion that his father might have been hurt.

He knew he was losing his mature touch when he couldn't help but blurt out a reply without thinking about it. "I'll just consider myself fortunate to not have been defeated by you today," Reggie muttered. "If I went through that…" He was getting a headache just thinking about it.

Brandon always seemed to push a little too hard, even without meaning to. Even he was as cranky as Paul by now. "We've all had a hard day," Brandon stated, cutting Reggie off. "It was not my intention to bring this on. Go to sleep, son. Make sure your brother's doing what he was told, if it's not too much trouble."

That was rather abrupt, but Reggie was too tired to question it. Looking uncertain the entire time, he finally stood up from his seat, nodded to Brandon, and silently walked off in the same direction as Paul. With the "kids" finally absent, Brandon looked expectantly at his assistant.

"Sam, direct Maria to the other sleeping quarters," he ordered, standing up himself.

Samuel followed suit, as did Maria shortly after. He nodded to Brandon cautiously. "So… we're all going to bed, then?"

"It's best this way," the Pyramid King decided. "We'll all need the rest to endure tomorrow… there isn't much more we can do about what happened tonight."

Maria nodded obediently. "I understand. Until the morrow, then."

The shrine maiden was going to be the easiest problem to deal with, Brandon figured. She lacked the abrasive personality to challenge Brandon, but it was likely to be the most awkward part of trying to make ends meet. They had the same goal in mind as far as rebuilding the temple went, but Maria was notably shocked when she realized Brandon's true intentions, and the Frontier Brain knew it was useless to carry on the façade any longer. He knew Maria seeing his shoddy fathering abilities wasn't going to help his case, either. But they were going to have to trust one another in order to accomplish the most important task… given what Brandon had on his plate, he figured Maria would come last. She was the most willing to wait (given how little she spoke during this aftermath), and she was the most unfamiliar territory. It only made sense to Brandon to skirt around the deal with her while he took care of some immediate problems.

As the three parted ways to retire for the night, Maria finally wanted to comment on something. "I'm honestly shocked that Brandon is a father," she whispered. "The connection with those three… seems a tad rigid."

"Don't feel bad about not figuring it out earlier," Samuel quietly assured. "You're not the first one to be confused by all this."

Maria nodded a little, looking quite thoughtful despite her tired state. "I've never seen a family so distant. And yet this means Brandon is a married man himself despite this job of his?"

"Not quite," Samuel replied. "It's… a long story."

A long story that wouldn't be told tonight. Things just kept piling up; one by one. One long day would eventually lead on to another.






Conway wished he could be surprised by the fact that Fantina, Gym Leader of Hearthome City, was absent from her Gym yet again. He had heard the rumors prior to his official trainer alignment, and even Paul admitted on one occasion that he had a hard time pinning Fantina down to a scheduled Gym Battle because of her frequent absences. Just scheduling a battle with her was harder than the battle itself, or so Paul claimed.

Fantina attracted a lot of attention when she first stepped into Sinnoh as a foreign citizen. Her frequent appearances in Contests attributed to her lack of appearances in her Gym, and yet she was charming and talented enough to keep her position despite her irresponsibility. Really, the more Conway learned about the woman, the more interested he was in meeting and battling her. That seemed to be her appeal, so to speak. But part of Conway remained hardened. He was still on a mission despite his new ditsy tagalong. Conway was taking a page out of Paul's book and doing his best to eliminate his inherent weaknesses… one of those being a fear of ghosts. Fantina, a Ghost-type specialist, would surely put that phobia to rest… Conway was sure of it.

At the same time, he had to endure life with Barry and make sure his team would be up to snuff against whatever Fantina might throw at him. There was no official statement on when Fantina would return, so Barry and Conway remained vigilant and hovered around Hearthome City all the meanwhile.

An idea struck Conway not long ago in terms of how to combat Fantina just as a wild Lickitung passed by. While Paul struggled against Brandon up north, Conway methodically captured this Lickitung for himself. Barry honestly didn't see the appeal, but Conway always saw things in Pokémon that Barry couldn't. Normal-type Pokémon like Lickitung were impervious to Ghost-type attacks. However, it was also true vice-versa; this was something Conway was determined to improve.

There was one move Lickitung could learn that could effectively damage a Ghost-type with ease. It already knew Lick – a Ghost-type attack – which would prove to be a valuable asset in the battle. The move Conway was determined to have Lickitung master, however, was Rollout. He indeed had a masterful plan in the works, though it wasn't obvious in the training regimen. All it appeared to be was Lickitung simply training on mastering Rollout. A simplistic attack in execution meant that the training wasn't exactly exciting to watch. Throughout the morning, Barry watched Conway encourage his Lickitung time and time again to execute the attack perfectly. He wasn't sure what was more grating – watching this or waiting for Fantina.

"I can't believe you woke me up just to watch this," Barry complained, sitting on the ground and leaning against a tree. "Seriously, what's the point?"

Conway simply smiled. "While we're compatriots in this little adventure, I figured it's only expected that we learn something from each other and better ourselves for it. Just pay attention and you'll learn how important it is to be precise in your move execution."

Barry just huffed. "And just what did you mean on that last part?"

"You're a bit sloppy, I'm afraid," Conway bluntly said all of a sudden. The friendly tone that was almost always present in his voice faded just then, but it quickly came back before Barry really took notice of it. "In theory, your hectic melee style works well with moves like Poison Jab, but you'd do well to get a little variety going on in your team."

"Sloppy, huh?" Barry never was that good with taking criticism. "This coming from a guy who won't even throw a real punch. You're one to talk!"

While the statement was valid, it didn't really affect Conway the way Barry hoped it would.

"Of course. I'm working for a greater variety in my team as we speak," Conway said with a nod. "Just look behind me: I'm teaching Lickitung physical attacks. Remember what I said about paying attention?"

It was all right in front of Barry's face. He looked embarrassed by his sheer lack of foresight and just glared at Conway, puffing his cheeks out like an angry small child would. "Alright, fine. You got me there. But who'd blame me? I don't get up this early in the morning! Only thing you're doing now is making me want to fall asleep again!"

Conway rolled his eyes and sighed, silently scolding himself for not realizing earlier that Barry needed constant activity in order to learn. It would speed up his Lickitung's development… With all of the weight of his destiny weighing upon him, Conway wondered if maybe he should follow Barry's example and maybe sleep in a little more often. Right now, he felt his judgment to be just a little clouded. "I suppose you have a valid point," Conway conceded. "You aren't much of a listener, so I'll simply have to beat the lesson into you."

That took Barry off-guard. "Wait, what…?"

Conway crossed his arms, looking at Barry expectantly. "Send out one of your Pokémon against Lickitung. Preferably something that would help in it mastering Rollout." He couldn't put it any simpler than that.

"I'll admit, I wanna see why you think it's so important to be picky about your moves," Barry said, smirking as he understood what he needed to do. "Alright, then! The choice seems clear to me. Wake up, Staraptor…!"

He tossed the Pokéball, though Staraptor needed no wake-up call; birds like it were natural early risers. It was completely awake and aware. Meanwhile, Conway couldn't help but be intrigued by Barry's choice. "Interesting. Didn't think you would be inclined to let Staraptor take more Rock-type punishment after Slowking flattened it with Power Gem," he said, mildly impressed.

"Like we'll make it that easy for you again!" Barry shouted back, stomping the ground to show how mad he was over that turn in their first battle a few days ago. "This is called revenge! Look it up!"

Conway couldn't help but smirk at Barry while adjusting his glasses. "How generous you are; even your vengeance will help me to get stronger. Lickitung will be thanking you later after I win my Relic Badge."

Barry pointed at Conway in dramatic fashion. "You're gonna lose even worse than I did with an attitude like that!" he announced. "Staraptor, use Double Team!" Upping the Predator Pokémon's evasiveness was very appropriate for the training Conway had in mind, though the mind-boggling task of dealing with multiple illusions of Staraptor at once was a bit ineffective when the real Staraptor had been stationary in a single spot for several seconds beforehand.

Not that Conway would announce this folly out loud before making Barry out to be a fool; that was just too tempting to pass up. "Lickitung, you know where to aim," he assured. Conway was relieved his Pokémon turned out to be infinitely more attentive than his traveling partner. "Now…!"

Needless to say Barry took a step back in horror when Lickitung nailed his Pokémon spot-on even with the task of having to throw such a large rock up into the air. "What the… what is this?!" Barry shrieked. Evidently Staraptor was as overconfident as its trainer, given how it didn't even try to dodge the attack before it was too late. "There's no way…! You shouldn't have been able to get it right on the first try!"

"Goodness, maybe this is a little too much for basic morning training," Conway mused. "Instead of perfecting Rollout, perhaps it would be better to teach you how to dodge first."

"Don't you start with that!" Barry protested, still believing Conway must have cheated. "There's no way you should've been able to tell which Staraptor was the real one that fast!"

Conway was not impressed with that response. His tone was flat and exasperated as he took it upon himself to inform Barry of how such an impossible feat was achieved. "Barry… your Staraptor stayed in one spot the entire time. I paid attention." He then pointed at Staraptor's position as it recovered from the hit and became airborne once again. "Not to mention this is the worst time of day to rely on eye tricks; the sun's current position casts your Pokémon's shadow from my viewpoint. That's another crucial detail setting apart one Staraptor from the fakes."

Barry never had a case fall apart so fast before. "But that's…!"

"The facts," Conway cut in with confidence. "And nothing more. Now please oblige me, Barry. A moving target is much more challenging."

It never ceased to amaze and horrify Barry how easily Conway could get under his skin. He was making it way too easy for his intellectual companion to call out his errors. His short fuse was burnt out and the day had just begun. "Fine, have it your way!" he cried out. "Staraptor, use Close Combat!"

"Huh?!" Conway didn't think Barry would go this far already. Lickitung, while holding another boulder to prepare another Rollout practice, never saw Staraptor coming until it was too late. Staraptor's fierce talons smashed the boulder into pieces and struck Lickitung across its face, causing the latter to reel back in pain from the super-effective attack. "Oh, now that was just uncalled for."

"Well, I'm teachin' you a thing or two now!" Barry proclaimed arrogantly. "In this case, it's reaction time! Act first, or regret it!"

That so-called lesson was one Conway decided to keep in mind for mysterious reasons. "That's all, then?"

"Not everything has to be complicated, you know," Barry mocked. "In fact, the less complicated the better! So you're better off surrendering now, really."

Conway was about to call a truce, but hearing an arrogant response like that quickly made him withhold it. He looked to his Lickitung, who was getting back on its feet. "Lickitung, do you believe you're ready for the real thing now?" Lickitung nodded without hesitation.

The fact that Conway wasn't bending to Barry's will deeply bothered the latter. What he was insinuating didn't make things better, either. "Wait, what the heck are you talking about?!" he inquired. "Tell me now or I'll fine you till the end of time!"

Truthfully, Conway figured that was a sacrifice he'd have to make just to travel with Barry in the first place. "Your lack of attentiveness will become your undoing," he said slyly. "Can you not even guess what I meant?"

Vague as he was, Barry thought back to what Conway said and tried to think of viable matching context. "You said "real thing"…" he recalled. "Are you talking about the battle or…?"

"The move?" Conway smugly finished for him. "Barry, if you paid attention, you'd know I've merely had Lickitung practice for Rollout; not actually utilizing the move. "

"That doesn't make any sense at all!" Barry exclaimed. "How do you practice for an attack without actually doing it?! Why are you being so confusing?!"

Conway just had to shake his head at that. "Pray no one ever battles you in the morning," he teased. "It would be a train wreck. But honestly, these methods are not unheard of."

Gesturing over to the bits of shattered rock surrounding him and his Pokémon, Conway proceeded to explain the scenario in full. "When a Pokémon really uses Rollout, they utilize their own body rather than simply throwing a rock. To perform the attack well, your Pokémon needs to be at the peak of physical health and strength. It also requires flexibility, but Lickitung is already quite adept in that department. What I am focusing on is the strength of its limbs."

All of this was going straight over Barry's head. "I don't get it. If Rollout's that simple, why are you trying to complicate it?"

"I'm having Lickitung master this attack for a specific purpose," Conway said as he adjusted his glasses. "Yes, it's rather easy to do a casual Rollout, but up against a Flying-type like your Staraptor, it's much harder to make good use of it. So I'm rectifying this because I am specifically incorporating the attack into my strategy to deal with any Flying-types Fantina may have."

"But she's a Ghost-type specialist," Barry pointed out. "How are you so sure she'll have a ghost that flies? I mean, I could tell you, but how could you find out for yourself before you battle her?"

Conway just smiled, looking up at the morning sky. "Let's just say I pay attention a lot. I'd prefer you keep me in the dark about her teammates as well," he requested. "It's more of a genuine challenge that way."

Barry glared at his traveling companion. "You didn't really answer the question, you know!"

"It's all in the details," Conway informed. "If you paid attention to how she dresses and if you've ever seen her in a Contest, odds are she's going to battle with a Pokémon she's blatantly a fan of. And what Pokémon does her gown represent, Barry?"

Really, in his true boyish nature, Barry didn't pay any mind to Fantina's absurd fashion. At the same time, her look was iconic enough to easily remember. "Huh, you know… her dress does kind of look like a Drifloon or Drifblim…"

"Both of which are Ghost and Flying-types," Conway noted. "It's very risky to hit a Ghost-type with a super-effective attack, but it's relatively safe with Lickitung since, being a Normal-type, it has immunity to Fantina's specialty. There's the added bonus of it already knowing Lick, which will also critically damage a Ghost-type team."

This was quite an ingenious strategy, Barry had to admit. At the same time, however, he scratched his head and looked almost intimidated by the confident nerd standing before him. "You're certain you're not a witch? Because… wow."

It was difficult for Conway to maintain his cool now. That blasted accusation and Barry seemingly taking it seriously was just too much. "I swear, if it's the last thing I do, I'm going to make sure you learn how to pay attention to details before charging in to a fight," he grumbled. "Lickitung, get into position!"

"Ack!" Barry forgot their Pokémon were kind-of-sort-of fighting now. "Staraptor, go higher up! Lickitung's not gonna be able to get you with Rollout high in the sky!"

A dark grin appeared on Conway's face as Staraptor followed its Trainer's orders. "And once again, you miss the point of the entire practice," he chided. Lickitung had curled itself into a ball and was ready to start rolling at any time. "Lickitung, it's time! Use Rollout and propel yourself up to get Staraptor!"

Lickitung kicked up mounds of dirt and dust as it revved itself up for a ride. Conway looked at Barry, enjoying the helpless, foolish look on his face. He had no idea what was about to happen. "It's not gonna happen!" Barry barked. "You're not gonna be able to reach Staraptor; no way, no how!"

"Staraptor is at a rather high altitude," Conway admitted, focusing on the Predator Pokémon in the sky. "But now you'll see where the training pays off, Barry. Lickitung, I truly believe the sky is the limit for you! Never give up; you can do this!"

Indeed, Conway was using the nonsensical yet extremely useful method of encouraging his Pokémon to go above and beyond. With Conway's faith and trust, somehow that was enough for Lickitung to do the impossible. Dust clouds formed all over the training vicinity as Lickitung took off; all the time it had spent revving up allowed it to roll at an amazing speed right off the bat.

"Barry, you'd best get out of the way," Conway warned in an eerie tone. Barry stared at his opponent, dumbstruck as usual. "Now."

"What're you-…" Barry had no time to finish his sentence before he saw Lickitung coming right towards him. "GAH!"

Barry threw himself to the ground away from the tree that was behind him – the actual target Lickitung was aiming for. At the last moment, the Licking Pokémon propelled itself from the ground using its massive and powerful tongue, and made contact with the midsection of the tree trunk. Using its legs, Lickitung rebounded upwards like a rubber ball and climbed steadily in altitude as it closed in on Staraptor. With its trainer too stunned to give a command, Staraptor was stuck. Well, there was that and the fact that Lickitung's body was soon enveloped in a cloak of light before colliding with the Predator Pokémon – quite a distracting sort of thing. Barry gaped at the sight while Conway smirked, quietly laughing to himself at the blinding light reflected off his glasses.

After the brightness faded away, Staraptor crashed hard into the ground, completely knocked out. Shortly after, Conway's Pokémon made a perfect ten landing. But the size and girth… not to mention the shade of pink, was quite a bit different from the usual Lickitung's.

"Absolute perfection!" Conway exclaimed with pride. He ran over to congratulate his partner for a job well done. Barry managed to sit up, but he was overcome with shock.

"But that-… what just happened, that was…" Barry stammered, managing to point at the large pink Pokémon in front of him.

"The whole point of this tedious procedure," Conway "finished" for him. "I now not only have Rollout perfected, but I got an evolution out of the deal." He looked up to his Pokémon and smiled. "Lickilicky, I dare say you might be fully ready to take on Fantina."

As Barry finally managed to stand back up, he was quick to throw a tantrum. "And you were okay with making me a target?!" Evidently, he saw that Conway intentionally was trying to hurt him. "That's just cruel! Unacceptable! And I'm fining you!"

Conway nonchalantly shrugged. "If you must, but I did tell you to get out of the way." He knew if Paul was in his position, he likely would have let a human target get rammed without warning. It could always be worse. "In any case, it's high time for a break. I completely forgot about breakfast."

Barry put his hands over his grumbling stomach, thinking over what Conway said. "No wonder this was so annoying," he muttered. "I'm starving!"

"Lickilicky, return," Conway called out, holding out a Pokéball that shot a beam at the Licking Pokémon and recalled it. Afterwards, Conway happily gazed at his Pokéball. "Such excellence must be rewarded," he decided. "And rewarded greatly. And for being such a good sport, Barry, consider breakfast on me."

"H-huh? Really?" Color Barry surprised. "Are you gonna order all the fancy stuff like you've been doing?"

Conway proudly pointed his index finger towards the air. "We are hard workers; we have earned this. So do not question it. Just indulge in a well-deserved reward. After that, we'll focus on your training. How does that sound?"

"Now you're speaking my language!" Barry agreed. Even though he'd been nothing but exasperated at Conway this morning ("exasperated" being an understatement at best), Barry was often quick to let go of the past… or rather, forget the past and move on to the good times. "We doing room service again?"

"But of course," Conway replied in a random fake accent. Meanwhile, Barry recalled Staraptor to its Pokéball. "Let's hurry along before breakfast hours are over."

"Way ahead of you, man!" Barry called back, immediately speeding off past Conway and back to the hotel they were staying in. Conway just smiled and shook his head at this, only slightly increasing his pace.

Nice as this was, the daunting task at hand for Conway was an ever-present concern. It never once left his mind, but in times like this, Conway could rest at ease. He was at least grateful for Barry being around to lighten up the scene; Conway wasn't really used to serious and dangerous situations yet. He knew he'd have to learn to adapt someday, but that's what this training was really all about. Conway's precise calculations rewarded the trainer with results. At this point, Conway knew he was ready for Fantina. He was ready to conquer his fear of ghosts. Now it was just a matter of time before Fantina would return and become available again…

But first, it was time for Conway to spoil himself. As long as he had his parents' credit cards, his money was seemingly infinite.

Even though there were so many other things going on in Conway's life now, not a day passed when he wouldn't wonder about how Paul was faring. Where could he be heading after Snowpoint City? He'd probably never know… slowly but surely, Conway was finding himself able to make peace with Paul if the opportunity ever arrived. He'd never change his mind about how blatantly cruel Paul was to him, but that was just his nature… Conway knew that. This was no easy ride for Paul either. Both had their fair share of disasters on the way up the mountain. If Paul would apologize, Conway would be ready to accept it. Even if they parted on bad terms, that was never Conway's intention. The split-up was entirely Paul's doing. Therefore the matter of whether or not the two could make amends in the future rested entirely in Paul's hands. Even if he was cold, bitter, and hateful more often than not, Conway had seen Paul's rarely-displayed better qualities. Where Maylene and even Reggie found Paul to be utterly despicable for his actions, Conway was the only one who saw where Paul was coming from.

The folly Conway made that broke the trust and consequently his friendship with Paul was one he regretted every single day. The intellectual knew no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't change the past.

Even so… he could always work for a better future. That was a universal constant that Conway liked more than any other.