"I was once the greatest trainer in the world," a man said.  He was talking to his children, a boy and a girl, apparently about being a Pokémon trainer.  He continued:  "No one could stop me.  I was invincible.  Until, of course, on that fateful day when a trainer, named Kamon, defeated me.  That was many years ago, however.  I had grown much stronger.  I was seventeen years old, blonde like I am now, and just (barely) under six feet tall.  My journey wasn't over then, like I, along with Kamon, believed they were.  For, on April 12th, two days after my birthday, a trainer came to Kamon and me and presented us with a new challenge.  And one of us would rise up to it.  It was our greatest challenge ever, and this is the story:

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

There was a knock on the door.  Kamon answered it; it was his house.  He invited my girlfriend, Eileen, and me over for some drinks and to catch-up.  Kamon's girlfriend, Jasmine (the Olivine City Gym Leader), was there too.
Anyway, Kamon answered the door.  The person, whoever it was, and Kamon talked for a few minutes, and then called me over.
'Hey, Drew,' Kamon said, 'listen to this guy.  Tell me what you think.'
The guy said, 'Well, Mr. Anderson, seeing how you and Mr.…uh, Kamon here and the most powerful trainers in the world, I thought that you two might be up for a little challenge.'
'What kind of challenge?' I asked.
'Well, there is a new league that has formed, 6 gyms, and one elite person, just to the north of here.  Over the mountains.  It's in a land called Gehta.'
'Yeah, well,' I started, 'I don't think I'm really into the whole battle scene anymore.  Retired, you see.'
'Well, I guess if don't have it anymore, that's fine with me…' the trainer said, and turned around.
'Hold on!' I shouted.
'You here that Drew?' Kamon asked.  'He says that we don't have it anymore.'
'I'll show him.  Hey, you, get back here!' I yelled.
'Oh, are you reconsidering my offer?'
'No.  I'm about to make you reconsider you're statement.  Three-on-three match.  Or do you think you don't have it?' I challenged.
'Oh I have it all right.  Heh…Fine then.  Three-on-three.'
'Let's step outside,' I said.
'Oh, Drew, honestly, do you have to do this?' Eileen asked.
'Of course.  You can watch me win, again, if you want,' I responded.
Kamon, the trainer, and I walked out onto the beach.
'I'll choose first,' I said.  'Go, Ampharos!'
'Ha!  Too easy!  Steelix, come out!'
'Give me a break.  Ampharos, Fire Punch!' I commanded.  Ampharos charged at Steelix and struck him with a flaming fist about halfway down his body.  It burnt Steelix.
'Er, yikes.  Steelix, Earthquake attack!' the trainer said.
'Ampharos, Detect!'  Ampharos protected himself from the Ground-type attack, and then prepared to strike again.  'All right, finish Steelix off with a Dynamic Punch!'  Ampharos again punched Steelix, this time creating an explosion, sending Steelix through the air and landing in the water.  A knockout.
'This doesn't look good.  Um, Steelix, return.'
'Come back, Ampharos,' I said.  'I want to use all three of my Pokémon.  It wouldn't be fair if just one of you got to fight.'
'Yeah, right,' the trainer snapped.  'We'll see.  I'm gonna use Fearow!'
'Tyranitar, go.  Use Crunch,' I said.  This is boring, I thought.  Tyranitar clamped down on  top of Fearow, doing extreme damage.
'Fearow, Drill Peck attack!'  Fearow tried drilling into Tyranitar's hide, but it didn't do hardly anything.
'Finish, Tyranitar.  Rock Slide!'  Tyranitar summoned an avalanche to come down on top of Fearow, finishing him.
'No way.  Well, my last Pokémon will beat your Tyranitar.  Cloyster, go!  Use your Clamp!'
'Tyranitar, Protect, and then return to your Pokéball.  Remember, whoever you are, I was going to use a different Pokémon for each of yours.  Now, face Heracross!'  I threw out the last Ultra Ball I could use, and from the shimmering white light emerged the blue beetle.  'Heracross, Cross Chop attack!'
'Cloyster, Protect!' he said.  'Great now use-'
'Finish it,' I interrupted, 'with a Mega Horn!'  Right when Cloyster opened up his shell, Heracross rammed into him with his antler, one-hit K.O.
'Uh…return,' the trainer said.  'Amazing, simply amazing.'  I recalled my Pokémon.
'What?' I asked.
'Your Pokémon and your skill.  You would do wonderful in the Prime League.  It's a shame, though, that you won't be travelling there.'
'Don't count on it,' Kamon said.  I agreed, although I didn't think the same way.  I almost wanted to go out again, to conquer another region.
The urge flowed through my veins.  I had to do it.  If I didn't…well, if I didn't, I wouldn't be happy, or I would feel empty inside, like a part of me was missing.
Kamon said that he almost felt that way when he was training by himself five years ago.
Kamon was a year older than I was, and still had his long hair, although his outfit had slightly changed.  Instead of the black vest over a white shirt and long jeans, he wore a red shirt with the black vest over it.  He also wore blue jeans, and black shoes.  Nothing else really had changed about him.
I, on the other hand, changed from my training clothes to a more regular apparel.  I wore a blue
tee shirt, with black jeans, but still tucked into my black boots.  I probably needed to get a new pair of
boots; these were getting worn out.
'Hey, Kamon, do you mind if Eileen and I leave now?  It's getting dark, anyway,' I asked.
'I don't see why not.  But hey, it was good talking to you, buddy,' Kamon responded, slapping me on the back.
Eileen got up from the chair, and said good-bye to Jasmine and Kamon.  We both hopped into a motor boat, and then headed back to Olivine.

* * *

Back at my house in Pallet Town, I was talking to Eileen.  We had gotten into a small argument.  She had gotten angry with me about training, and even slightly wanting to go to Gehta.
'Look, I am going out with you, not only because I like you, but because you also promised that you weren't going back into the, like, you know…the whole training scheme.'
'I didn't say I was going back…I just said I was thinking about seeing exactly what it was like, and, if it appeals to me…'  My voice faded away.  I waved my arm at the air.
'Yeah, well, ya know what!?' she demanded.
'What?' I asked.
'I always hoped to marry someone who actually had a college education.  And then there's you…who hasn't even graduated high school!'
'Actually, Eileen,' I began, 'for your information a trainer usually begins around the first days of middle-school or first days of high-school.  They get shipments of school papers to do.  You pick them up in Pokécenters and mail back your homework.  This June I am graduating.  And next year, I am going to get a degree in Engineering or Physics.'
'You just can't stand being wrong, can you?' Eileen said.
'What!?  I am not wrong!'
'See?  My point exactly.  You contradict everything people say.  You always have to be right.  Physics…ha!  You should be a lawyer.'
'Eileen, I want you to leave now.  I thought we could have had a nice evening, but you had to just destroy things, didn't you?' I said, as calmly as I could.
'I'll be happy to leave, Drew.  I am tired of your Pokémon, and how winning is everything…you put me second.  If it weren't for me, you'd already be in whatever the hell that place is called, trying to beat that league, too.  Goodbye Drew, forever.'  She kissed me on the cheek, and then stormed out of my house.  I shut the door behind her.

* * *

I decided I didn't want to make the choice to go to Gehta.  Kamon had already decided against it, and Eileen hated me for even thinking about it.  Screw her, I thought.  She dumped you, so now she doesn't matter.
I couldn't figure out whether I should go or not, so I went to Saffron City to let Sabrina, a psychic, tell me my future.  She could tell me whether I should go or not.  I flew there on my Lugia.
'Hmm…' Sabrina said as she held my hand.  Her eyes were shut, and it seemed like she was in a trance.  'I can indeed tell you your fate.'
'Well, then,' I said, 'what is it?'
'You are very special, Drew.  You have a gift.  The Prime League is your destiny.  But you, Drew…'  Her voice faded away.
'Yes?'
'You will face many, many tough challenges.  And victory will be very though to come by.  You, Drew, are not destined, however, to be the Prime League Champion.'
'You mean that…that I won't conquer it?' I asked.
'The future is in your hands, Drew.  But fate has you as not being the champion.'
'Fine.  Tell me, Sabrina.  What about Kamon?  What is his destiny?  I heard Lance say that he could be 'the one,' which I took to mean-'
'The most powerful trainer in the world.  Yes, that is indeed what Lance thinks,' Sabrina responded.
'Well, is it true?' I questioned.
'Lance is a fool.  Kamon's future is quite foggy.  It is still hard to tell.  But be warned, Drew.  I kept Kamon alive from that train wreck for a reason.  I told him that he wasn't the only one that lived.  I knew he wouldn't be able to handle the truth that I kept only him alive.  I saw the anger swell in him when I told him that I saved him.  He still has some part to play, in all of our lives.  The fate of many could rest on his shoulders.  You, on the other hand, will too affect the future.  But not in a way as Kamon will.  You could very well be more powerful than he, but you will never go down in history as being more famous than Kamon.'
There she ended her speech, and I bid farewell.  I went back to Pallet Town to ponder about my future, and to try to take in everything Sabrina just said.