The girl took a deep breath, and held it. Waiting. She licked her blood-stained lips, watching for any sign of movement. And then there it was. The huge towering pokemon slowly moved one of its arms back, ready to strike. Its sharp claws shimmered in the hazy sunlight. But she was ready.

"Ruby, quickly! Dodge it!" The girl shouted. In a flash of red, her Flareon ran across the barren ground, narrowly avoiding the Groudon's claws. The Flareon let out a low, deep growl as it came to a skidding stop. As the Groudon stumbled backwards, the steaming hot lava in which it stood in splashed. The girl drew in a sharp breath, then jumped out of the way and fell to the ground on her shoulder. She winced as a sharp piercing pain shot up through her arm. But she stood back up, shaking, ignoring the blood now dripping from her shoulder. She didn't care about it. Nor did she care that she had the disadvantage in the battle. The Groudon let a roar.

"Ruby, try to get behind it! And quickly!" The girl shouted, clutching her shoulder. Her Flareon carefully jumped onto a bobbing piece of gravel that was on top of the lava. Then onto another, and another. The Groudon let out another thundering roar, and slowly started turning around. The girl grinned. Despite how powerful the Groudon was, she knew it wasn't very fast- especially in lava. The red blur that was her Flareon finally got behind the Groudon, then took a flying leap and soared through the steamy air. It landed on the Groudon's back and winced at the heat. The girl noticed the wince- her sharp eyes noticed everything. "Stop stalling, you wimp! Are you a pokemon or not?!" The girl shouted angrily at her Flareon. She remembered that she had been wincing at the pain in her shoulder, and reminded herself she would be punished later. She shook her head, driving all the anger out of it. She had to keep calm, keep focused on the monster before her.

"Ruby, get closer to it's head!" The girl commanded. Her Flareon nodded and carefully climbed the thrashing Groudon's back. The Groudon tilted to the right. The girl's eyes widened. No, this wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't supposed to do that. Why hadn't she thought of it before? "Ruby!!" The girl screamed. "Get out of there!!"

But she was too late. As the Groudon kept tilting to the right, it fell into the lava, and her Flareon went soaring. Funny, how determined a trainer can be, only to lose. No, not just lose, but lose everything. Lose their life, or rather, someone else's life. Someone who means everything to them, who was with them since forever. Their pokemon, their battler, and the special friend they have. It's like a nightmare. A nightmare that only exists in a true pokemon trainer's mind, in their dreams. And as the Groudon disappeared into the lava forever, the girl knew her Flareon Ruby would disappear. Forever. For as Ruby cried out in pain as she fell into the lava, and the girl ran across the bobbing mounds of gravel faster then she had ever ran before, Ruby's eyes slowly closed. The girl carefully picked up Ruby from the lava, and ran back to land.

Ruby was dead. Of course she was dead. It was no surprise.

For the first time in the girl's life, someone she dearly loved died. For the first time in her life, tears were streaming down her face. She had always told herself that true pokemon trainers never cried. Oh, how wrong she was. Little did she know that sadness is one of the toughest feelings to hide. But now she knew. Now she was just sitting there, bent over the dead Flareon's body, crying.

Then she ran.

She ran, and ran, and ran. She ran away to the wilderness beyond, not daring to look back at Ruby. The wind blowing through her tangled blood-red hair felt hot, as if someone were breathing down her neck, chasing her. Dirt kicked up behind her as her long legs ran faster then ever, running away from the death behind her.

She did not see the eyes that were staring down at her the whole time the battle was going on. The eyes that were now staring at the limp Flareon lying on the barren ground. But in a flash and wave of fire, it disappeared.

And so did Ruby.