i'll challenge you even if it's unfair

[attr="class","starrytext"]you would think coming to a new region would make you nothing more than a stranger. but everywhere he went people made it their business to know of him. talk about embarrassing. but, no matter, he didn't let such a small thing deter him from the excitement.

as mateo was just about ready to accept a battle, he was offered an interesting opportunity. "oh?!" the cyclops was speaking his language. "the option to actually let my pokemon have a break for once? it's where they get such an opportunity. today i'm feelin' generous, hell yeah!" pounding his left fist into the palm of his right hand. he was excited, "let your trainer handle this one boys, i'm fired up!" he was excited to partake in the unorthodox choice.

"you're an interesting one, benoit!" mateo snickered. he couldn't quite contain himself, he was just so giddy. "i definitely wanna try my hand at that inner demons thing!" this was an opportunity to strengthen himself. he couldn't pass this up. "so how does this work? do i need to give you details or something or are we gonna take peek into this noggin'?"

i'll challenge you even if it's unfair

[attr="class","starrytext"]"no problem! let the alakazam work its magic! get all in there, maybe it'll help me find that hero sandwich i lost on the way here." walking to the position mateo was told to stand on. he'd turn around, asking, "so how's this work, do i get naked or somethin--" and like that, they were gone.

"hello?" mateo called out. he obtained no reply. did he cast some sort of illusion upon him? he wanted the other package, not this o--! "huh..." his body had been reverted to that of a child. he'd come to stare at the palm of his hand, awestruck. "this is one hell of an illusion..." it wasn't until he heard someone--a familiar voice--call his name, ❝ mateo! ❞ it was then he'd come to the realization that, at this very moment, he knew he wasn't in hoenn.




the voice that spoke didn't ring a bell. he wasn't exactly familiar with it. but it wasn't until mateo turned to face that voice which called him, did he realize, this moment was a memory buried deep within his psyche. it was because of alakazam that he was only able to remember such an old memory.




"d...dad?" a man with chessboard hair color stood alongside a garchomp. they were upon what looked to have been a gym. mateo was no longer a child, he was back to his present-self. alongside him stood a dragonair on his right and a grovyle on his left. "wait, dad, i--!" suddenly, his father would ask, ❝ w-woah, woah, woah, woah! why are you crying?! i literally did nothing wrong ?! ❞ he asked mateo.

mateo, confused, wasn't sure how to reply. until his younger self manifested before him, saying, "b-b-because u-uncle keeps saying g-grovyle i-isn't a d-dragon-type, b-but it is! grandpa said it is!" he'd begin to hug his grovyle tightly around the neck. choking him all at the same time. ❝ how are you my kid, was i this bipolar growing up? that damn idjit brother of mine...❞ ladon sighed upon scratching the back of his head.

❝ can you just...pick which pokemon you want to have go against garchomp. we can do one vs. two or one vs. one, your pick, my little dragon idjit ! ❞ a beaming grin. young mateo would wipe his tears away, ready to battle against his father. nodding, he'd say, "yeah! okay, i want to do one vs. one, dragonair's going to beat you this time. and if he doesn't, it's up to grovyle to cover his back! we're not going easy, idiot!" taken aback, his father would respond, ❝ it's 'idjit' id-jit, you brat, idjit ! ❞

as present mateo watched from afar. a door would open behind him. he'd leave the current scene before him and headed for the next part of his memory. upon entering, he heard shouting outside. he was within his home. at the front doorstep was mateo's mom, his father, and young mateo. it seemed as if they were arguing. young mateo would be heard shouting the following, "you're always gone! you liar, you don't ever make time for me anymore! i hate you!" his father, with a smile on his face, took the blunt words from his son.

he was just being a simple brat. "go to hell, old man. i don't care anymore, i don't need you anymore! i can train by myself, i'm already better than the other kids. i'll show you! don't even think about coming back, i hope you get hurt!" young mateo would, then, storm off. and as he stormed off elsewhere. mateo watched as his father still wore a smile upon his face. that was the last time young mateo saw his father for awhile before setting off.

another door spawned upon the side of his home's corridor, he'd enter. this time, it was his father, who was sick, and young mateo knelt over the side of where he laid--crying. mateo watched from afar, hiding around the corner as if he could be seen. mateo listened as his past self spoke, "i-it's my fault. i said those awful things to you." a time mateo will never forgive himself for.

mateo's father caressed his son's cheek, stroking it gently. ❝ you idjit. this isn't your fault. ❞ he reassured his son, ❝ your father pushed himself too hard. it's the price i pay for pursuing the career of a hero. ! ❞ coughing, he'd cover his mouth. wheezing, young mateo spoke, "it is my fault! you and mom taught that words have powers, you told me i needed to control my temper! and i couldn't even do something so simple. i-i'm stubborn, bratty, and selfish, this is my punishment--i'm being punished by--" his father would tap his forehead, his masculine knuckles gently uttering a blunt sound.

❝ you really are an idjit, idjit...how are you my son...? ❞ looking up at the ceiling, his father continued, ❝ my want to protect others is what got me here. it's what cost garchomp's life and, now, it's costing me mine. mateo....! ❞ turning to face him. his eyes focused upon young mateo, but present mateo stood behind. it was as if he, too, were looking toward mateo. ❝ you're fine just the way you are. it's okay to get angry, every now and then. it's okay to be bratty, it's okay to just want to become strong... ❞ but what wasn't okay? ❝ but what isn't okay is to put yourself before others. your feelings are also important, but never put them above others. though, that's to say you shouldn't put yourself last either, hehe... ❞ is mother would kill ladon if she heard him say that last bit.

❝ you wanna know why i wear that cape you always thought looked silly ? ❞both young and present listened intently. ❝ because it makes me feel like a superhero ! ❞ a childish opinion. he assumed that the cape meant something important, but he just wanted to be a hero?!

"talk about childish!" adult mateo uttered, but quickly he covered his mouth. returning to his hiding place, he'd peek to continue watching the memory. ❝ remember that story your mother used to tell you over and over before you went to bed? the 'dragon king's tale'. he wore a cape and looked really cool. i told your mother about that story when she asked the same question why i wore that cape. you can't be a hero without a cape. ! ❞ a snickering grin erupted from ladon.

mateo remembered why he wore that long trench coat. touching it, he'd realize that it reminded him of his father's cape. how could he forget such a memory? ❝ oh, and another thing. about the clan...our family,! ❞ mateo continued to listen intently. wondering, "what about them?" he uttered aloud, simultaneously as his young self, too, spewed the same words.




but it wasn't until something grabbed mateo from behind. covering his mouth, grabbing his arm, and wrapping around his torso, he was swept away and pulled through a doorway. he'd come to wake up within a strange, yet familiar, place. looking around, mateo would hear a cackle.

turning around, a silhouette sat upon what looked to have been a shrine; although, this wasn't just any shrine. it was the dragon shrine. mateo stood beneath at the bottom of the steps watching the silhouette figure reside atop.

"ya-hoh!" the voice spoke, distortion heard. "talk about a walk down memory lane, am i right?" he'd jump from the shrine and in front of mateo. with a simple snap of the fingers, luminescent orbs lit the once, but no longer, cave that they resided in. the male's face, half exposed, would come to reveal himself.

"sup, the name's mateo, you idjit dipshit, and i'm here to take control!" clenched teeth and a tightened grip, mateo responded, "the hell you are?! did you do that?! ever heard of personal space asshole, idjit?! and just the who the hell do you think you are?!" the copycat stared with a stale expression, asking, "are you an idiot? i just that i'm you, you don't seem to have a strong attention span--led alone the ability to listen..." he lazily dug in his ear as he spoke.

he wasn't too surprised by mateo's response. it was expected. after all, he was mateo. "anyway, you heard me kiddo. i'm taking control, you clearly lack the right to call yourself a trainer--led alone a gym leader, and you can forget about being known as a 'dragon master', you seriously lost three titles in one second. new record really!" a jovial laughter followed. "screw this, i don't have time for--" and as mateo turned his back, a fist was thrown directly at his face. causing the male to be flung to the floor with ease.

"seriously?! how did you let me hit you so easily. you should've seen that coming or at least had a proper reflex. man, you really do need me! haha, this is too, hilarious! you're a right 'me', haha!" he felt that. the pain stung as if he'd actually been hit.

standing, mateo rubbed his mouth. "what the h--" and then, in the blink of an eye, the copycat stood two feet from mateo. leaning in with eyes that screamed 'disgust'. "i can't believe how weak you are. it's an embarrassment that i'm apart of you. you garbage, trash, you poor excuse of a dragon master. how about we replace that title with 'sack of dragon shit', sounds better right? daddy killer!" mateo , would scream in terror. falling over, he'd begin to crawl away, screaming, "monster!?"

the man's face became distorted. part of it was nothing more than a black blob and a white eye, but the other side had human flesh. half of him looked like mateo, but the other half wasn't. "monster? you wound me. that's pretty harsh. i like to think of myself as the side that just...has a bit of trouble with playing nice. but, then again, it takes one to know one! come on, you can't act as if you forgot about me--the things we did? the people we hurt? you can forget, but you can't forgive..." he'd walk away, his back turned only to look back and point at mateo, a sinister smile worn, "...yourself, right?! ding! ding! ding! that temper of yours is still there. remember the battles you've fought? those time where you 'cut loose'?" he snickered with delight upon signing air quotes.

mateo, practically sweating, thought back to the times he battled. allowing himself to be lost in the excitement, uncaring of his surrounding. allowing himself to lose his temper when someone harmed his pokemon. "ah, those times were fun! they still are! you haven't changed at all! haha, i mean, seriously?! you tried playing, let's list it out, the following: a 'big brother', a 'mentor', a 'best friend', come on, when was that ever the real you?! weren't you too stuck on trying to become the strongest to actually care about your pokemon or even people! what's up with this false facade you got going on, it's pathetic! quit lying to yourself, only people who hate themselves and weaklings pretend to play these roles." he was gone in an instant. nowhere to be seen. it was silent for a moment as mateo panted heavily.

the man, then, manifested behind him. no longer wearing mateo's face. he was within his true form. a form mateo was too afraid to look back and see. mateo kept his head forward. "but it's okay, because now we're finally able to talk. you don't have to bury me down anymore, mateo..." an arm was slung over mateo's shoulder.

he took the form of kyle lopez. "when we battle, don't we just have a grand time?! remember that mall you destroyed? come on, you didn't really care about who was hurt? you were too busy battling to worry about that!" he was gone once more.

he took another form. he was, now, @bryony, "teach me how to be strong, mateo. show me that side you keep hidden--i wanna see the real you ♥" the false @bryony slid between mateo's legs. crawling up to him and placing her head upon his chest. begging him to show that side.

again, it vanished. preparing to take another form. chancelor, with a widened grin, stood in front of the still grounded mateo. the false @mrtm87 spoke, "hands on sight, remember ricky?! my charizard against your dragonite, let's tear this city asunder! no holdin' back!" he was gone. the entity, once more, taking another, and its final, form.

Noelle Lane, upon his back, placed her arms around him. "come on, mateo ♥, let's get lost in the addiction. lets show this region why we're called 'the hundred devouring family' don't hold back, you don't have to play pretend anymore. don't you want to become strong? release those inhibitions. let your anger flow more, and more, and more, and more, and more, and more, and more, and more, and more, and more..." taunting him, pressuring mateo to push aside his humanity and allow his draconian side to take over. she, the false noelle, continued, "you don't have to play the boring old hero. you don't have to care. it's more fun to be a dragon. dragons don't care what they burn, who they hurt. it's in our nature, it's in our blood, to fight. we tame them so we can control them." giggling, the entity that which played Noelle Lane continued.




mateo could do nothing. he could only sit and listen as his body, suddenly, began to sink within the water found inside of the dragon den. the water was black, murky, and slowly began to turn the color red. as they sunk together, she continued to speak, "our family are composed of monsters. offspring of murderers, children of our murderous ancestors. would it really be wrong to live up to our name? isn't that what successors are suppose to do? let me take control, and you won't have to do anything else. you can sleep away, deep within the red sea. you won't ever have to feel weak or responsible, you won't have to play pretend. just fall asleep, rest your head on my chest. let the sound of my voice sway you into eternal rest. no more training, no more living up to expectations, no more battling, no more blaming yourself." they sunk further. they sunk until there was nothing left above surface.




mateo fell alone. in that sea of darkness, he fell deep into his subconscious. he fell so deep that he was no longer able to see the surface--the light. mateo, unintentionally, sealed himself away. it felt like hours, days, months, being within this dark sea--his quiet mind. had time frozen still? was he dead? if he were dead that'd really suck. he was probably dead. ah man, his mom was going to be sad. their clan was practically totaled and definitely getting canned from the main branch, and after he worked so hard.

he thought about his life up until this point. the people he met, his family, his life. growing up wasn't a walk in the park, but for whom is it? that fake was right. everything he called mateo is what he deserved. he could be reckless, stubborn, abrasive, and a bit emotional. but that's just him. it's who he was. it's why he was born to wield dragon-types.

but, he forgot, that it's also okay to cry. to feel sad sometimes. to lash out. all of this is what makes a person human. but, eventually, he'll have to pick a side. does he want to acquire strength by becoming a ruthless dragon trainer or does he wish to remain weak, holding himself and the potential his team has back? a tough decision, he wasn't sure how to go about this. "i..." he lowly spoke. "i choose..." he tried to speak within the dark water. "i choose neither!"

reaching for the surface, a hand would come to expel from the water that was no longer red. the entity, posing Noelle Lane, would come to be shocked by his sudden revival. he'd emerge only to knee the fake Noelle Lane in the face. "are you serious?! i like me!" he shouted. "i like being me, i don't need you telling me how being me is awesome. sure, i can be a bit reckless. maybe a tad aggressive, but that's what makes me me. and no one can do a better me than me, not even some false ass whatever-you-are-thing!" pointing at the unconscious entity. he'd scatter in the wind. only to reappear behind mateo--this time?






"ew, that's disgusting! where's your skin?!" that was the least of his worry. the entity, ? ? ?, would suddenly speak, but with the voice his father, ❝ why must you be such a nuisance you useless, worthless child ! ❞ mateo, taking a step back, almost fell, "s-stop using my dad's voice. your trick won't work on me again!" mateo retorted, pointing at the black entity.

the figure continued to manifest disheartening words all around. echoing back and forth, right and left. he wasn't allowed to escape. no matter where he turned, the entity was there. he'd begin to ferociously scratch his head, "you're so annoying!?" this wasn't like him. thinking back to his time within this illusory, mateo spoke aloud, "my dad always said i had my own way of doing things. that he had high hopes for me. i was one of hell of an overconfident brat with a strong belief he couldn't lose. but i've had failures, i've lost countless battles and won just as many in the same." that's who mateo was, and he was fine just as is.

"i train not for strength, it's because..." what was it? why did he fight so hard? since the beginning of his journey in hoenn. he came here to fight strong people, but there was another reason. there was another reason why he left his home. why he left his family. was it for selfish reasons? but there was another reason. he just needed to understand what that reason was. he didn't care about stupid title ranks or being a dragon master. there was a reason why he fought so hard.

he fell to his knees. trying to remember, "...because...because..." he then thought about his father and their conversations in the past. memories surfaced throughout his head, there was a reason. ❝ if you can't remember, then i'll just beat it into you until you get it through your thick skull. you stupid child ! ❞ and thus a punch was slung across mateo's face. he fell to the ground.

though this was a false world. it was real to mateo. it was real to his central nervous system, and that punch definitely hurt. standing he'd wipe his mouth. "yeah...yeah, maybe this will help!" and so, with a grin, he'd remove his trench coat and toss his goggles aside. cracking his knuckles, he'd shout, "osu! bring it on! if you really are apart of me, then you should know i don't go down easy!" and so a brawl broke out.




"i remember!" punch. "i remember!" kick. "i remember!" headbutt. each hit helped remember. he remembered why he originally came to hoenn. why he trained so hard. why he fought so many strong trainers. "i wanted to be a hero, i wanted to be like dad!" in the midst of the fight he smiled. one punch after the other, his expression never faltered. "my...dad...!" he blocked, ducked, "fought hard...!" bobbed, weaved, "to be just just like the hero i admired from my story!" he continued to fight. "i want to be just like my dad, but i was so angry with myself!" jumping back. he kept his guard up and held it in place.

as he panted, the other entity did not (he was a mere illusion after all). "i...was always angry. every time my pokemon were hurt or felt pain when they were beaten. it hurt me to see dragonite, sceptile and the others frustrated. i failed them, even though they don't blame me. they should, i want to be strong like my dad. i want to be so strong that i'm able to protect people, i want them to rely on me! i need them all to rely on me!"

that's why he had to become strong.
that's why he has to fight.
that's why he has to train.

"that's why i'm going to find that dragon from the story, just like the dragon king and earn its blessing!" he was going to make his father proud. he was going to do what his father couldn't. he was going to do it for his father. because he remembered exactly what he wanted to say to his young child. he wanted mateo to protect them and those closest to him to the end. "my dad taught me that it was okay to be selfish!" he'd punch the entity square in his face. "i'm going to be selfish by taking on everyone, human and pokemon, burdens."

he'd march forward, kicking the entity down. "i'm going to get frustrated whenever i can't protect someone. i'm going to be angry when my pokemon get hurt. because, in the end, that's me. it's who i am!" he'd kick the entity back down. "i'm going to do better as a mentor," another kick, "as a friend," another kick, "as a brother," another kick, "and as a dragon master. i'm going to keep getting stronger, i'm going to the best hero this region's ever seen. so if i get angry, frustrated, or whatever, just know that's me beating myself up for my own faults. i won't allow myself to become jaded ever again." stepping upon the entity, he could crush the unneeded being that laid beneath his foot.

alas, he did not. he'd release it. "starting now i'm going to work on bettering myself, and that starts with learning to take it easy and not allow my emotions serve as power." a beaming smile, mateo chuckled. "ah, but...i really hate thinking, it's such a bother. when i do think it leads to a headache in the end. this is why dragons will always be superior!" a confident pose. ? ? ? stared at the dragon master.

as the being stood and began to walk away, mateo uttered, "oh! also..." a soft smile given, he'd continue, "thank you." and like that the demon was gone. the world around mateo began to collapse, shattering like glass as he'd return to the beginning point.

"huh? i'm back!" turning toward Thomas Benoit, he'd begin to flex a muscle. "see! easy peasy dragon squeeze!" a cocky grin. he'd come to fall upon his butt due to mental and physical exhaustion. "ah man, i'm so tired...and i'm hungry!" laying down upon the floor, he'd whine, "feed me some dragon flakes please..."