Legends Part I: Challenge By Denning Chow maloncanth@hotmail.com ~ "Becoming a Legend is not a path chosen by the unworthy. The road is riddled with hardships. A true master must withstand loneliness beyond the what a normal person may sustain and have a colder heart than the ice at the ends of the Earth. The mind must be clear as crystal. The Master and the Pokemon. Nothing else..." - Training records of Khyron, Lone Master of Blackthorne (circa 895 AD) ~ *** Part I: Challenge *** Rushing up the long dirt path from the Azalea Temple to the Royal Palace in Goldenrod compelled serious amounts of huffing and puffing from the worn out figure in grey, black-lined training robes and his Quilava. The situation was made worse by the cold air and the still questionable health of the young man who had just recovered from the local plague. The cold air lashed at the insides of his lung which pumped desperately to keep up with oxygen requirements. Perhaps after surviving a disease that had claimed four in every five victims, he should not have been pushing his luck quite so far. However, this was a special occassion that deserved the pressed trek through the snow of winter. He feared only that he had come late. Joseph and his Quilava, Scorch arrived huffing and puffing at the outskirts of the palace. Despite the recent vigorous activity, Joseph was already shivering in his robes. Scorch was far better off but could not warm up its exterior flame for fear of detection by the guards just beyond the tall hedge they were now against. With a swift jump, the two got onto the hedge and began a slow crawl atop the tight branches. The hedges were leafless but they were tall, the branches thick and incredibly strong, causing minimal noise as they creeped to the inner parts of the estate. Once there, they made another high jump onto the ceiling tiles of the first building. Leaping from roof to roof was a simple matter until they got to the tallest, largest building, the central keep of the palace. Jumping on Scorch's back, Joseph and his pokemon scaled the weathered granite walls to the tallest story. This area was as lifeless as a crypt at the moment but even a crypt has a few keepers.. Joseph was a young man in his twenties. Long, brown hair, brown eyes and moderately built though he'd lost a few pounds in his recent sickness. His training was exemplary, Scorch was his pokemon of a similar age. The two worked as a team of nearly perfect tandem. He was already well above the average trainer, yet, he was in the presence of those that could make him look like a child. "Has it begun yet?" He asked, gasping some more from the strenuous race against time. "They're about to. I knew you'd make it." Migel, his childhood friend replied. Migel was a bit slimmer than Joseph, darker hair and eyes and younger in age. Being the last and least of Azalea Temple's upper rank trainees gave him plenty of sway but being overshadowed by Joseph, Blythe and Colin turned him into someone quieter. "Well, it seems you made it on time." Blythe said, a large part haughtier and unfriendlier. "Barely..." Colin commented. Blythe and Colin were newer to the temple. They were accepted at a higher level for their talent, not entered as a small child as Joseph and Migel were. As a result, their attitude towards everyone there was not so...friendly. --- The situation on the roof of the royal palace was tense. A battle between masters could not take place anywhere where anyone might watch. Only those deserving the sight, and the very fortunate, were allowed to witness. The four elite trainees of Azalea were there since their Master was one of the combatants. Many other powerful pokemon masters of great skill from all over the world were present. The defender was Master Azain from Azalea Temple. His partner was Mind, a powerful Hypno. The two were a legendary team, officially considered one of the strongest in the world. The challenger was a figure that had abruptly appeared months ago. By all accounts, he and his Scizor had cut a swath through all who had stood in their way. Khyron, a heretofore unknown master from Blackthorne. His power was incredible and the surprising thing was that this master had somehow trained to a par with the world's greatest without anyone knowing. Two weeks past, he had issued a challenge to Southern Johto. Send their champion to best him. To save their considerable pride, Johto's community of master trainers answered the challenge with a cold note stating place, date and time. In this case, it was noon on the Winter Solstice at the pinnacle of the palace. Azain was elected as the champion. His skill was legendary in the land and his spirit and good will exemplary to all. The two stood at opposite ends of the roof. This battle would not be known to very many. Not even the king himself who resided within this palace. This battle was too good even for him. The small crowd which did have the privilege of seeing this fight were all pokemon masters. The clock struck noon. The two combatants took about three milliseconds to size each other up before starting up. Spreading its butterfly-like wings, the Scizor answered his master's instructions and boosted towards the Hypno at a level flight almost scraping the roof. The wind of its passage tore the tiles off the surface. Mind responded with confusion, forming a blast of psychic energy. Ripples could be seen in the air by the spectators but the Scizor barely slowed down and struck home with its Quick Attack. The psychic shield around the Hypno flared into being. The Psychic pokemon was forced back several inches while the metallic bug was stopped dead from its charge. The Scizor's slash attack ripped the ornament at the end of the roof off as Mind jumped into the air and let loose with psybeam. A hole was torn clear through until the cellar could be seen. Guards within the palace bgan mobilizing but they would be gently held at bay by the onlookers. The nobles would understand that an issue with the various training houses were not theirs to care about. The two combatants stood still once more. Scizor had backed up after dodging the beam, Hypno was back on the ground, ready for another attack. This time, Hpyno made the first move with a devestating Psychic. The blast tore through the air, flinging roof tiles aside and hit home. Surprisingly though, the Scizor survived the enormous attack and came in like a jet, tearing through the Reflect shields with Metal Claw. Hypno came back with Pound. Scizor sprang into the air with a flap of its wings. Hypnosis was launched, forcing a closure in Scizor's eyes to avoid the attack. At that moment, another powerful Psychic was launched though Scizor managed to save itself with Double Team. Azain calmly ordered Hypno to psybeam and swing around with it, causing everyone to duck. However, the real Scizor was in the air. Mind used Swift, the glowing stars flew out but were brushed aside by Scizor's armor. Scizor came in like a jet and with a single Steel Wing, ended the fight. Azain screamed as the psychic link of decades was suddenly broken as Mind flew over the edge of the palace. The crowd watching quickly went out to deal with more incoming palacial defense staff and the defeated Azain with dismay, the better part of their pride lost. Joseph looked at the Lone Master, turned and then looked again. He was gone but a knife landed on the pillar beside him. He'd be back. He'd return again and again until every Pokemon Master had been killed or defeated. Then, he'd be a Legend.