CHAPTER 3
DÉJŔ VU


Kamon had just arrived at Indigo Plateau when the receptionist there asked him if he was registered to fight the Elite Four, or even Lance.
"I don't need to be registered," he responded, and headed to Lance's mansion.
Upon arrival, Kamon discovered that Lance was not there.
"Where would he be, then?" he asked himself.  He then recalled a conversation they had at dinner the night of the battle:
       "I have always loved Dragon Pokémon, Kamon," Lance said.  "I started out with Charmander because, at the time, Charizard was the only Pokémon that could be classified as a Dragon-type Pokémon."  He continued, "Clair was my idle.  She was in her thirties then.  She only had a Dratini, Seadra, and a Charmeleon."
"Why hasn't she evolved her Charmeleon?" Kamon asked.
"She felt that becoming a Flying-type Pokémon would make him have more weaknesses.  Anyway, I fought against the Kanto Gym Leaders, there were only six then, and the Johto Gym Leaders.  At the time, Johto had eight gyms, just like it has today.  But I hung around Blackthorn City, training in the Dragon Den.  I loved being around the sacred place of Dragon Pokémon.  I caught my first Dratini there, Kamon…"
"That's it," Kamon said.  "He must be at the Dragon Den."  He went back to Johto, and to Blackthorn City.


* * *



Kamon, now at the Dragon Den, was searching for Lance.  He had not found him in the underground cavern yet, but he had tried to think of several places he could be.  He had searched about everywhere and was about to give up when he remembered one place that he could be.  "The sacred place of the Dragon Pokémon," Kamon repeated Lance's words in his head, the Dragon Shrine!  Kamon ran to the Chinese-looking building and, just as Kamon had suspected, Lance was standing right there.
"…Kamon, what are you doing here?" he asked.
"Lance!" Kamon said, "I challenge you to a rematch!"
"I knew you would, Kamon.  Why don't we battle right here?" Lance asked.
"Fine with me.  Golem, you can come out and fight!"
"Kingdra, now, Hydro Pump!"  Kamon looked around.  He did not see Kingdra, until he pooped out of the water.  Kamon figured that some more of Lance's Pokémon could be hiding somewhere in the vast Dragon Den.
Kingdra blasted water at Golem, damaging him severely.  Golem retaliated with Explosion, knocking out Kingdra in one hit.
"Amazing," Lance said.  His Kingdra was only level 59, which meant if Golem knocked it out in one hit, he could possibly be level 62.  "Kingdra, come back.  Dragonair, go!"  Lance recalled the Water-and-Dragon-type Pokémon.  Kamon also called his Pokémon back, and commanded his next one to come out.  The blue dragon with a horn on its head rose from the water and awaited its opponent.
"Umbreon, go!  Use your Confuse Ray!"
"Dragonair…"  Lance gritted his teeth.  "…come on, Dragonair, use Thunder Wave."  Dragonair kept attacking itself.
"Toxic, now!  Follow up with Mean Look!" Kamon commanded.  His Umbreon poisoned Dragonair, further hindering the Pokémon.  Dragonair now could not escape, and managed to only pull off a Fire Blast before being defeated by a Faint Attack.
"You can come back, Dragonair.  Now, Aerodactyl, its your turn," Lance said.  This time, he threw a Great Ball out, and from it came the prehistoric Pokémon.  "Aerodactyl, Rock Slide!"  While Aerodactyl spun around, rocks flew at Umbreon, damaging and almost knocking out Umbreon.
"Umbreon, try to pull off a Shadow Ball!"  Umbreon's Ghost attack struck Aerodactyl, but did not even bring it down to half-life.  "Umbreon, Faint Attack!" Kamon yelled.  Umbreon disappeared for a second, struck Aerodactyl, and then reappeared where it was.
"Lucky, Kamon.  You are lucky…for bringing my Aerodactyl down to a little HP with two attacks…but, unfortunately for you, your Umbreon is in worse shape than my Aerodactyl.  Aerodactyl, finish it off!  Use Ancient Power!"  Rocks emerged from the ground, towards Umbreon, and then struck and knocked out Kamon's Pokémon.
"Come back.  Now, Typhlosion, its your turn to attack!"  Typhlosion came from the white, shimmering light of his Ultra Ball.  Typhlosion glanced over at Kamon, and smiled.  He was glad that Kamon had returned to his normal self.  "Typhlosion, Iron Tail!"  Typhlosion's tiny tail turned to sold steel and slammed onto Aerodactyl, finishing it.
       "Return, Aerodactyl," Lance said, calling him back and sending out another Pokémon, this one also from the sea.  The red, sparkling Gyarados.  "Gyarados, Surf!"  A wave from the lake washed over Typhlosion, almost a one-hit knock-out.
"Typhlosion, Seismic Toss!" Kamon commanded.  Typhlosion swung Gyarados around and around and then threw him towards a wall, making him slam up against a stone wall.  Gyarados dropped back into the ocean, and then disappeared.  "Where did it go?" Kamon asked himself.  All off a sudden, Gyarados rose up out of the water behind Typhlosion, and attacked him with Thrash.  "Typhlosion!  No…you deserve a rest in your Pokéball.  Delibird, I choose you!  Blizzard!"  Delibird blew a hail storm at Gyarados, critical hit, knocking out Gyarados.
"I…I can't…believe it.  Gyarados, return.  Dragonite, although you are at a slight disadvantage, you are my next Pokémon!"  Lance next Pokémon, the humongous orange Dragonite, was told to use Flamethrower.  Delibird was burnt, but continued to attack.
"Delibird, a second Blizzard.  Finish it off in one hit!" Kamon said, confident.  Delibird's snow and ice almost did as Kamon wanted.  Dragonite took an incredible amount of damage, but lived.
"Dragonite is still alive, Kamon.  Now, Dragonite, Steel Wing!"  Dragonite's wings turned to metal, and struck Delibird.  Delibird spun around a couple of times and then fell on the ground, fainted.
"Delibird, come back.  As my next to last Pokémon, I'm gonna choose Corsola!"  Kamon told Corsola to use Icy Wind, knocking Dragonite out.
"No…NO!  Dragonite, my most powerful Pokémon, you are gone.  But, my Charizard, you will seek vengeance.  Draco, go!"
"'Draco?'" Kamon asked.
"My Charizard's new nickname.  Draco, Earthquake!" Lance said.  Charizard dive-bombed the ground, making it shake and doing an incredible amount of damage to Corsola.
"Corsola, Rain Dance!  Follow up with Surf!"  Rain fell from the roof of the underground lake.  Charizard didn't seem to notice, not even the fact that steam was coming from the flame on its tail from the water hitting the fire.  Another wave came from the lake and over the Pokémon, this time damaging Lance's Pokémon.
"Draco, finish it," Lance said, now saying that there was only one way out of this, "Fissure!"  Charizard struck the ground once again, this time making it split and rupture underneath Corsola.
"Smart move, return, Corsola.  Electabuzz, you are my final Pokémon!" Kamon said, throwing the yellow Pokéball onto the ground.
"Déjŕ vu, Kamon," Lance taunted.
"All over again," Kamon joked.  "But this time I won't make the same mistake again.  Thunder, now!"
"Fool!  Draco, Sunny Day and then Fire Blast!"  Lightning struck Charizard, but it survived and made the dimly lit cave bright.  Then, flames gushed from his mouth, engulfing Electabuzz in them.  The same thing was happening.  History was going to repeat itself.  Kamon got angry.  Angry that he could not change anything.  The anger turned to rage, rage that Kamon wanted to take out on Lance.
"Electabuzz!" he started.  Thunder Wave…or Thunderbolt? He asked himself.  "Thunder Wave!"  Electabuzz paralyzed Charizard, immobilizing it.
"Draco, no!" Lance yelled.
"Finish it," Kamon said, victory in his voice, "Thunder Punch!"  Electabuzz punched Charizard in the stomach, making sparks fly everywhere.  Charizard fell to the ground, lifeless.  Lance looked concerned, but then smiled.
"Draco, you did good.  Return," he said, recalling his Pokémon.  "And so did you, Kamon.  You finally defeated me.  But…" his voice drifted away.
"But…what?" Kamon asked.  He called back his Electabuzz.
"To become the Champion, you must defeat the Kanto Gyms, and the grand master of them all: Ash.  But, you may now pass on to Kanto, with this pass.  Here, take it," Lance said, handing a slip of paper to Kamon.
"Wow…thank you," Kamon responded.  He walked away, and back to his home town to tell his Mom goodbye.  Lance turned around to Clair, who was glaring at him.
"Told you," he said, smiling.  He turned around, and left the Dragon Den.