Darrius walked into the Arena, standing across the field from a much older Trainer. His opponent, Eugene, dusted off his monacle.
"About time young man. Are you prepared to tango?" A strong breeze rippled the grassy field between them.
"Indeed I am. I'll lead first. Go Reaper!" Darrius shouted, tossing the net ball into the air, sending out his Scizor.
"A Scizor huh? Very well. Ninetales, if you would!" his opponent called, and the pale yellow fox appeared on the field.
"Already at a disadvantage huh? No matter, the tides of battle have no master." Darrius thought to himself. But he still wasn't willing to risk a whole lot against a 4x disadvantage.
"Ninetales, use Sunny Day!" Eugene ordered. The fox let out a howl, and the sun's intensisty flared up.
"Reaper, use U-turn!" Darrius shouted. Curling into a ball of pale green energy, Reaper charged forward, slammed into Ninetales, then immediately retreated to her Pokeball. Darrius tossed another one out, and Storm, his Raichu appeared on the battlefield.
"I see, a Volt-Turn strategy to wear me down eh? I don't suspect that will work my boy. Ninetales, Flamethrower."
"Storm, use Fake Out!" Darrius commanded. With a quick dash, the Raichu ran up to the Ninetales, and smacked it in the face with it's tail, causing the Ninetales to flinch.
"Now Storm, Thunderbolt!" At such a close range, the Ninetales had no chance of dodging, and the thunderbolt scored a critical hit, knocking out the Ninetales.
"My my, quite the well-trained Raichu you have there. Come along Mamoswine, let's teach this rodent a lesson!" Eugene called, tossing another Pokeball into the air. The large pig-mammoth burst from the Pokeball.
"Storm, return!" Darrius called, holding up its Pokeball, drawing her back in. "Come back out Reaper!" he said, tossing her Pokeball into the air.
"Scizor!" Reaper cried.
"Reaper, use Iron Head!" Darrius commanded.
"An excellent move, however it's a predictible one. Mamoswine, use Hidden Power!" The Mamoswine gathered a mysterious red energy around it, and fired it at Reaper just as she was closing in for the hit. The blast exploded, sending Reaper back, knocked out.
"What!?" Darrius shouted, shocked that the blow had knocked Scizor out in one hit.
"You see, I've studied your strategies against your previous opponents, and your Gym Battles. My Mamoswine's Hidden Power Type is Fire, and boosted by the intense sunlight, your Scizor didn't have a chance." Eugene said with a smirk.
"This isn't an opponent I can take lightly. Reaper is among the stronger of my Pokemon, and it would appear he knows that." Darrius thought as he recalled Reaper.
"Let's go Sabre!" Darrius shouted, and a Gardevoir burst from it's Pokeball.
"A Gardevoir huh? Interesting, I haven't seen you use that one before. Mamoswine, use Ice Shard!"
"Sabre, counter with Will-O-Wisp!" Darrius called. The Mamoswine fired small shards of ice twoards the Gardevoir, but the small fireballs intercepted them, and made direct contact with Mamoswine, burning it.
"Clever move, well done Darrius." Eugene said.
"Sabre, use Calm Mind!" Darrius called.
"Mamoswine return. Come on out Klingklang!" Eugene shouted.
"A steel type. What could he be up to?" Darrius thought to himself.
"Sabre, use Focus Blast!" Darrius shouted. An orb of blue energy spawned in Sabre's hands, then rocketed across the field towards the KlingKlang. With an usual amount of dexterity, the KlingKlang dodged out of the way.
"It didn't even use Gear Shift. How is it that fast...? Wait, i'm stupid. I was reading about this guy's Zoroark last night. This has to be it."
"Sabre, use Moonblast!" Darrius shouted. Gardevoir became cloaked in a pale blue energy, and a pink orb, not unlike the Focus Blast appeared in it's hands.
"Seems like you've figured it out. Zoroark, Night Daze!" The illusion of the Klingklang faded, and the Zoroark, arms aglow with black energy, slams into the ground, unleashing a blast directly towards Sabre.
"Sabre now! Fire!" Darrius shouted. Gardevoir launched the Moonblast into the oncoming energy wave, pierced through it, and slammed the Zoroark straight on. The blast of energy then slammed into Sabre, causing him to stagger, but not fall. On the other hand, the Zoroark fell.
"Now i know four of his Pokemon, and he only knows three of mine. Mamoswine is crippled, but I don't know what else he may be packing..." Darrius thought to himself.
"Go ahead Klingklang!" Eugene shouted. "Use Gear Shift!"
"Sabre, Focus Blast! Finish this early!" Gardevoir sent another pulse of blue energy towards the Klingklang, however, it had already completed it's gear shift, and nimbly dodged out of the way.
"Now Klingklang, use Gear Grind!" Eugene shouted. The giant Gear Pokemon charged in, and slammed into Sabre, catching him between it's gears, and spinning them. Once the move was completed, Sabre fell, unable to continue.
"Sabre, return. You did well my friend."
"That ties this battle up at two knockouts a piece. How will Darrius respond next?" the announcer shouted. Darrius reached under his jacket, and drew out the necklace with his prized Luxury ball on it.
"Alright Sol, time to get this show on the road!" Darrius shouted, tossing the ball into the air.
"Sol!" she cried as she burst from the ball.
"So, this is the legendary Sol I've read about. To think i'd get to knock her out so early in the running." Eugene said with a smirk. "Klingklang, use Gear Grind!"
"Sol, dodge it and use Superpower!"
"Superpower!?" Darrius smirked at his opponents shock. Sol jumped into the air over the Klingklang, then descended down onto it, all four paws glowing with a red-hot energy, slamming the Klingklang into the ground, knocking it out.
"Incredible agility. Never seen anything like it." Eugene said in awe, as Sol retreated from the battlefield to Darrius' side.
"After the third knockout, the Battlefield will change to a Rock/Water field!" The announcer stated, and the battlefield shifted as such.
"Darrius was the one who knocked out Eugene's third pokemon, so he will reveal his Pokemon first!"
"Nessie, come on out!" Darrius called, tossing his Pokeball into the air. The Lapras appeared from the Pokeball, and dove into the pool at the center of the field.
"Luxray, I choose you!" Eugene shouted, and a Luxray lept from the Pokeball onto the battlefeld.
"An Electric type. I should have suspected as much." Darrius thought.
"Nessie, use Psychic!"
"Psychic?" Eugene said with surprise. The Lapras' eyes glowed a bright blue, and a psychic pulse rocketed into Luxray.
"Luxray, use Electric Terrain!" Eugene shouted.
"Electric Terrain? I saw that in my battle with Ry in Vermillion City. It boosts the power of electric type moves. This could be bad."
"Now Luxray, use Thunder!"
"Nessie, Counter with Hydro Pump!" Darrius shouted. The two attacks collided in midair, but the Thunder traveled along the jet of water and struck Nessie hard.
"Nessie no!" Darrius cried. Nessie floated placidly on the surface of the pool, unable to continue.
"Nessie, return!" he called, recalling her to her Pokeball. "You did good Nessie. Rest well."
"Who will Darrius choose next? He has three Pokemon remaining."
"Alright Havoc, let's go!" Darrius called, and his Salamence burst from it's Pokeball.
"Luxray, use Thunder again!" Eugene commanded. The bolt of lightning fired towards Havoc.
"Havoc, Dodge it and use Draco Meteor!" Darrius called. With a superb aerial maneuver, Salamence dodges around the lightning bolt, then fires a Draco Meteor down to the battlefield, slamming Luxray.
"Luxray is unable to battle, Salamence is the winner!" the official shouted.
"An explosive attack! Salamence's Draco Meteor is among the strongest moves a Pokemon can learn."
"Alright Mamoswine, come back out!" Eugene called with confidence. The large Mammoth Pokemon appeared as the Electric Terrain faded away.
"Mamoswine, use Hail!" he called.
"Hail? I know what he's doing." "Havoc, return!" Darrius shouted, and recalled the blue dragon.
"Storm, Let's Go!" Darrius yelled.
"Using an Electric type against a Ground Type seems like a very rookie mistake. However, given Darrius' track record, I can't imagine that he doesn't have some kind of strategy!" the announcer told to the crowd.
"Mamoswine, Earthquake!" Eugene shouted.
"Storm, jump and use Iron Tail!" Darrius shouted. Raichu jumped over the shockwave from the Earthquake, and brought it's tail down onto the mammoth's head. The Mammoth staggered back.
"Now Storm, spring off of Mamoswine and use Focus Blast!" Darrus called. Raichu did as commanded, and blasted Mamoswine with a focus blast, knocking it out.
"Good job Mamoswine, come on back." Eugene said.
"I must say Darrius, I'm thoroughly impressed. I've battled a lot of youngsters before, but none who have had such a deep connection with their Pokemon like you do. However, i'm afraid this is where things have to end. Dragonite, I choose you!" He shouts, and the orange dragon bursts from it's Pokeball.
"This will be the second time Darrius has battled against a Dragonite here at the Kanto League. However, with an overwhelming 3 to 1 advantage, it looks like this will seal the deal for Darrius.
"Number of Pokemon means nothing to a well-trained Dragon Type Pokemon, especially a Dragonite." Darrius thought to himself, musing about how strong his own Dragonite was.
"Alright Storm, use Thunderbolt!"
"Dragonite, use Extremespeed!" Eugene called. In a blur of orange, Dragonite slammed into Storm, sending it flying. Upon landing, Storm is knocked out.
"That's what i was expecting, an attack like Extremespeed. It doesn't matter how fast you are, Extremespeed will always move first." Darrius thought, gritting his teeth all the while.
"Darrius is now down to his Salamence and his Absol. Who will he use next?"
"Havoc, let's go!" Darrius yelled, sending out the blue dragon once again.
"Dragonite, use Dragon Dance!" Eugene called. The bluish-red aura cloaked Dragonite, raising it's attack and speed.
"Havoc, use Draco Meteor!" Darrius shouted. The incredible Dragon Type attack rained down from the sky, striking Dragonite, however, it tanked the attack well, and a bright item glowed on it's chest.
"! A Weakness Policy!" Darrius exclaimed.
"For the folks at home, A Weakness Policy is a hold item that cranks up both attack stats for Dragonite. Eugene took full advantage of Dragonite's Multiscale ability to take that Draco Meteor, and increase both of Dragonites attack stats." The announcer called.
"Now, Dragonite, hit back with a Draco Meteor of your own!" Eugene calls. The same attack that had just rained down on Dragonite fired up into the sky, collided with Havoc, and sent it plummeting to the ground, knocking it out.
"Incredible. I would never have imagined something like a Weakness Policy being used in a League match." Darrius thought to himself.
"Sol! Sol!" came the excited cry of Sol from his side. Darrius knelt down beside her and pet her head gently.
"Alright baby, you ready for this? This is going to be the toughest battle we've faced thus far in the league. Let's not hold back." he said with a smile. Sol returned said smile, then trotted out to the battlefield.
"Rumor has it that Darrius' Absol is capable of performing Mega Evolution, let's see if he unviels it here." The announcer called.
"Read my mind." "Sol, unleash your true power, MEGA EVOLVE!" Darrius shouted, then held up his right hand, the Keystone on his hand resonating with the Absolite embedded in Sol's harness.
"SOL!" Absol cried out confidently as the light of Mega Evolution engulfed her. In an explosion of power, Mega Absol was revealed.
"Dragonite, finish this quickly, use Extremespeed!" Eugene called out. In a blur of orange, the Dragonite raced towards Sol.
"Sol, duck under and use Night Slash!" Darrius cried. Sol, with perfect timing, ducked under Dragonite's dash, and slammed her claws into it's chest, knocking it into the air.
"Sol, Use Psycho Storm!" Darrius shouted.
"Psycho Storm? What's that?" The announcer asked aloud what the crowd was all wondering. Sol fired off a series of Psycho Cuts, sending them in pursuit of the Dragonite. Dragonite recovered from the initial strike of Night Slash only to be barraged with a series of psionic blades.
"Dragonite!" Eugene called as the orange dragon plummeted to the ground below.
"Sol, finish it with Play Rough!" Darrius called. Sprinting at top speed across the battlefield, Sol jumped into the air, and slammed her hind paws into Dragonite's stomach, sending it crashing into the arena wall.
"Dragonite is unable to battle! Absol is the winner! and moving onto the Top 8 of the Indigo League tournament is Darrius!" the announcer shouted. The stadium erupted with applause, as Darrius ran out onto the battlefield. Sol ran back to him, her mega evolved form fading, and tackled her trainer, nuzzling his face with the unhorned side of her head.
"You did great Sol, I'm so proud of you." Darrius exclaimed. Eugene walked over to Darrius, who stood to shake his hand.
"That was a fine battle Darrius. I'll reiterate, the bond you share with your Pokemon is truly extraordinary." Eugene said with a smile.
"Thank you. Your Pokemon are well-trained themselves. I must admit, this battle went nothing like I had expected it to." The two trainers shook hands and exited the arena.
After a long rest at the Pokemon Center, Darrius took all his Pokemon to a park within the village to let them all get out and relax after a harsh battle.
"I'm proud of each and every one of you for the role you played in this battle. It's going to get even tougher from here, so get as much R&R as you need. The battle for Top 8 and Top 4 are tomorrow, then, with any luck, the championship round and our shot at the Elite 4 and Champion the following day." he said with a smile.
"I've made it past the top 16, which was already better than my Hoenn League appearance. Hopefully we can go all the way this time. Mom, Dad, Professor, I hope you guys are all watching. And Kazusa, wherever you are, I hope you'll hear about my triumph over the Kanto League." Darrius thought as he sat on a bench, and watched his Pokemon do their things in the park.