As the downpour stops, Navy reaches into his pocket. Realistically, he could call the match here. For better or worse, he thinks that there’s nothing more to be evaluated. What will follow doesn’t depend on the skill of the trainer but the might of the Pokemon. Out comes a stone. It catches in the sunlight that is once again shining through after Mike’s defeat.[break][break]
Garchompite. In the days before Rocket invaded Slateport, no one knew such a thing was possible. It’s power few can even dream of. These stones get handed out like candy here in Hoenn, but each one by all rights is worth a fortune. Some trainers would kill to have these stones.[break][break]
Navy locks the stone in place on top of his broken watch. The two prideful beasts are still going at it. Having helped raise a Gyarados himself, Navy knows what the color of its whiskers mean. It’s a female. Vortigern is trying to assert himself as the alpha male with a female. It’s amusing as it is sad.[break][break]
“Hey, Vortigern! You know what’s gotta happen next. This is gonna suck. It’s gonna hurt like hell, but you gotta win, alright?” The dragon doesn’t acknowledge the words. Maybe he doesn’t hear them. He simply rages.[break][break]
Vortigern is swept up in a ball of light. The light is a small mercy. It safeguards their eyes from what transpires within. His body warps in real time. It melts. His body changes shape. Bones crunch and reform.[break][break]
What emerges is a monster with scythes where his hands should be. Slower though this form might be, he is still quick. He is still powerful. Still ravenous. And he still strikes, sweeping with his scythe in a poison jab. Venom oozes like melting flesh from his scythes as he strikes.

[break][break]

+ Alexei Ivanov[break]
Garchomp mega evolves and poison jabs Gyarados.

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Ironsides is recalled amidst the chaos and the wailing of the gulls. All that remains are two dragons, two snarling creatures lusting for one another’s destruction. The hurricane is a nice trick. Indeed, were he any other Pokemon the might of the storm would pull him back.[break][break]
Vortigern is not any other Pokemon. When the winds resist him, he digs his claws into the ground. On the side of his head are jets. Vortigern does not prefer to fly. The skies are not a realm that interests him. He is the lord of the ground. The jets on the side of his head flare as he falls into a runner’s squat.[break][break]
Navy watches as Vortigern launches himself through the storm at jet speed. His scythe claws are raised. The black dragon demands victory. Nature will not stop him. Wind will not stop him. Nothing will stop him, least of all pain. This hurricane is powerful, summoned by a creature bathing in infinity energy. Lesser creatures would be swept away.[break][break]
Hera is all Vortigern can see. He blasts through the storm. His rough skin bleeds from the whipping winds, but he simply ignores that pain. His scythes claw. He puts all of himself into this fight. He acknowledges the same truth as Ironsides, that he must burn himself out. The difference is that he understands it. Knows it. Loves it.[break][break]
Let him burn. Let them all burn. Let him stand on top of a mountain of ashes.

[break][break]

+ Alexei Ivanov[break]
Garchomp continues to Outrage and reeees.

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Hera’s fangs freeze the cold blood running through the dragon’s veins. Vortigern screams out, as if the mere act of using his voice will dull the pain. Color fades, save red. Nothing matters save the drawing of blood.[break][break]
“You can’t tell a dragon what to do.” Navy says with a calm edge to his voice. “He listens, or he doesn’t. Up to him whether he wants to fly or not.”[break][break]
Vortigern sinks his scythes into Hera, pinning her there. Let his body be a pincushion, if it brings him victory. Once more, he fires the jets atop his head. Gripping the Gyarados in a grip that is almost intimate, he brings all of his tremendous strength to bear and begins to run. With a great burst of speed, he drags her along the arena floor, around and around, building up momentum, until…[break][break]
…they’re running head first into a wall with all the great and terrible speed of dragons.[break][break]

[break][break]

+ Alexei Ivanov[break]
3rd round of outrage, WWE slams Gyarados into a wall with jet speed.

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

In the end, the bird father gets his wish. This dragon’s wings are not clipped. Lashed with a point-blank hydro pump, Vortigern is launched back over a dozen yards, towards the center of the arena. Navy whistles from his vantage overlooking the battle. A pump that powerful from a creature like Gyarados is strong enough to shatter stone. Vortigern’s pain must be terrible, but he still does not fall.[break][break]
“Get up!” Navy shouts at his dragon. “What did we tell each other? A warrior never shows his back to anyone!”[break][break]
Vortigern hears him over the sound of the pump, the rain, and the chattering birds. Navy doesn’t know how he knows that, but the understanding that his black dragon acknowledges his words calms him, gives a sense that things might just be alright. He hears the sonic boom of those jets on the side of his head truly activating.[break][break]
Surging, he flies into the current. The sheer speed sends a wave of pressure that forces Dewford’s gym leader back.[break][break]
“Woah!” He cries, Vortigern riding the wave. A dragon has his pride. He will not fall alone. Hera will fall with him. Pushing through the water, he means to fly high into the sky with Hera in tow, leaving a beautiful jet stream of white behind them.[break][break]
If they are to fall, they will fall together.

[break][break]

+ Alexei Ivanov

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Ice spreads across his body. Rough skin isn’t enough to stop the chilly fangs from tearing his body apart. He accepted this, somewhere along the way: that he must destroy himself and come out stronger for it, if he is to win. To stand on top of nature, to stand on top of the world, you must lose part of yourself – lose your gentleness, lose your kindness, lose all the innocence in your heart. You must look to the skies and demand that it, too be your domain.[break][break]
Such is the path one who would be champion a dragon must walk. They careen downward in a spiral intimate as it is deadly. They will burn themselves out together. Crash. Crunch. Break. And through this synthesis of will and blood, something stronger will emerge.[break][break]
They meet the ground in a cascading crash. The ground under them shakes from the force. Navy steadies himself, looks down at the battlefield.[break][break]
“Come on, Vortigern. Be alright.” He prays as the dust clears. Vortigern stands. Mega evolution’s power has faded. He is left back as he was before, towering above the Gyarados. Snarling, he takes a single step forward.[break][break]
That step upsets the balance. He falls, landing on his broken fin.[break][break]
It looks like the match is done.[break][break]
“So,” Navy says to the birdfather, “what now?”

[break][break]

+ Alexei Ivanov

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Crossing his arms, Navy looks down at the combatants. He knows better than to baby Vortigern, or to show him pity. Instead, he pulls out the ultra ball that houses the beast and recalls him. There’s nothing that was done here that a trip to a Pokemon Center won’t fix.[break][break]
“Holy…shit. Well, I’ll say this…” His heart is beating so fast in his chest that it hurts. “Watching Vortigern fight’s fun. Thanks for being good enough that I could bring out my Ace.” Navy’s not one for formalities, so he just gives a two finger salute. Raising his right pointer and middle fingers to his temple, he gives them a lazy flick forward.[break][break]
“You trained that Gyarados well, but I think we could both stand to improve. Letting them have that little dance at the beginning wasn’t good, plus we let our fights devolve into two one on ones rather than a proper two on two match.” Falling into rigorous self-critique, he tries to rationalize how he would do better.[break][break]
“Rematch in my gym?” There’s hope in his voice, a subtle question of whether he’s getting a badge out of this or not.

[break][break]

+ Alexei Ivanov

[attr="class","pokeclass"]