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"I... Impossible..." Pikablu stammered as he suddenly felt himself run low on air, "My technique... It was so difficult to master..."

Raikou stood before him and looked down with an intimidating glare, covered by a veil of electricity with sparks randomly shooting out of his body.

"... Your...?" Raikou said questioningly as his voice was distorted from all the electricity running through his body, making him even less intelligible than usual. Thinking back to the merciless training Pikablu had put himself through, he did not believe for a second that Raikou or anyone else for that matter had managed to go through the same torturous ordeal.

However, what truly worried him was that fact that if the technique let a regular Pikachu like himself take on legendaries such as Celebi, how strong would it make an already beastly foe like Raikou?

"Tch!" Pikablu spat as he crouched down and activated 25%, his body exploding into an aura of thunder. He had not done it a moment too soon as Raikou sprang into action, the huge monster flying at him like a bullet. Pikablu did not even have time to react as he found himself struck by a few hundred kilograms of charging legendary, Raikou tackling him with the side of his body.

"UGH!" Pikablu coughed as he flew back, but immediately as he landed on the ground he retaliated, jumping back and responding with his own tackle to Raikou's face. Staggering for only a fraction of a second, the large tiger charged and struck back at Pikablu again, instantly moving at the speed of a rampant locomotive despite not having accelerated at all. Pikablu grit his teeth through the pain and once more tried to retaliate as he hit the ground, but instead felt his body shut down and collapse from exertion.

"Gh... Gah..." Pikablu stammered as he struggled to keep control the electricity running through him, but felt it grow unwieldy. About to be torn asunder from inside out, he was forced to conduct the electricity into the ground where it quickly dissipated.

"I suggest you cease trying to trade blows with someone approximately fifteen times your size..." Red mused as he emerged from Raikou's mane and crossed his arms, "... And although that technique makes you both very fast, your reaction time should remain unchanged. You may move like a bolt of lightning... But can you dodge one...?"

Pikablu groaned and clutched his forehead. His strenuous training had made him nearly immune to all pain, so he had not realized that his body had taken so much damage and was too frail to match brute force with Raikou. He knew he would have to try a different approach, or this battle would not last much longer.

"... Don't make me laugh!" Pikablu taunted as he stood up and reactivated 25%, "Your body's too big and bulky! You're just a big canister of electricity! Let me show you the difference between you and a genuine bolt of lightning!"

---

The deeper they went into Pokémon Stadium, the less certain of herself Zerobi became. Each footstep added another layer to the already heavy musk of blood in the air, and she was certain she was already feeling some of their effects just by inhaling. She lowered her head and breathed in and out at a slow pace to keep her mind steady, hoping things would not get worse before they got any better.

Lucario and Zoroark looked at her with concerned expressions, the foul stench not going lost on either of them. They had arrived at the iron gates leading up to the stands, which was their destination. Sighing audibly, Zoroark went ahead and began to fiddle with the lock, inserting two of her spiky claws.

"Zerobi. The source of this blood is where we are heading," Zoroark muttered as Zerobi flinched and lifted her head, "Can you handle it? This mission is far too important for you to become a liability."

"I can..." Zerobi said before stopping herself, thinking this was probably not the best subject to feign hardiness with, "I... Probably can... Depends on how much blood there is..."

"Smells like a lot," Lucario pointed out as he clutched his queasy stomach, "Urk... Maybe even I can't handle it. I just barely managed to force down breakfast."

A clinking sound echoed through the hall Zoroark finished undoing the lock, but deliberately kept the gate closed. Turning around, she faced Zerobi with a stern expression. Zerobi met her gaze as Zoroark examined her, the two Dark-types staring at each other for a while. Noticing Zerobi's labored breathing, Zoroark decided to ease up and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Listen. Lucario and I can handle things from now on, you stay here and secure our escape route," Zoroark said with calmness to her voice, "The last thing we need is a surprise ambush as we flee."

Zerobi looked down before slowly nodding, feeling disappointed in herself.

"Hey," Lucario muttered as he patted her back, "It's the smart thing to do, we didn't expect there to be blood down there. Anything's better than you going crazy, right?"

"Ah... Well..." Zoroark suddenly interrupted, holding up a finger. She stopped herself as Zerobi and Lucario looked at her in confusion, the revolutionary obviously at a loss for words.

"... I was hoping it would come naturally... That I would not have to ORDER you to do this, but..." Zoroark whispered before putting more strength behind her voice, "If Lucario and I fail, I want you to head inside, lather yourself in blood and slaughter everyone."

A moment of silence passed before Zerobi gasped and Lucario inhaled sharply, feeling an involuntary twitch of anger and surprise around his temples.

"A... Are you insane!?" Zerobi burst out with indignation, forcing Zoroark to approach her and make a hushing gesture.

"Shh! Listen! Have you forgotten what is at stake here?" Zoroark explained with a shred of panic across her face, "Even if we die and even if you must surrender your reformed life... The virus cannot remaining in their hands, or this was all for nothing!"

Swallowing hard, Zerobi forced herself to keep a straight face. The very same person that had demanded she never touch a drop of blood again was now practically forcing her to do it.

"You are this team's greatest asset, and it is for this express purpose I brought you along," Zoroark continued while moving her arms around, displaying a sense of urgency, "You have experience with killing in vast quantities, do you not? If we do not return, the main force will make their move to retrieve the virus. Just cooperate, they have been ordered to put you down should you prove troublesome."

"... I'm not some rabid animal!" Zerobi hissed angrily at the sinister proposal, "And I did not come here ready to risk my life!"

"Everyone's life is already at risk, yours included," Zoroark muttered depressingly, "I am giving you a chance at redemption. Is that not what you told me you wanted? Lucario, am I out of line here?"

"Yes!" Lucario burst out, having finally reclaimed the words he was looking for all this time, "The enemy is out there, not here! You're saying something down there's going to kill us!? Like I'd let that happen!"

"... You don't know that..." Zerobi whispered quietly before shaking her head. It seemed unreal, that she might be forced to engage in what she had abstained from for so long. A few years back the prospect might have excited her, but now she could only associate her bloodlust with misery and regret.

"Stop thinking about it," Lucario said reassuringly as he suddenly put his arms on both her shoulders, "I won't die. But if I do, I'll give 'em hell so you don't have to."

Zerobi did not have time to react or respond as Lucario was suddenly pulled away from her, Zoroark dragging him with her behind the steel fence.

"We have already wasted too much time," Zoroark muttered sternly, "People are bleeding for us up there. Let us hurry."

"W-Wait!" Zerobi stammered abruptly as she reached out for Lucario, "K-Kiss for good luck?"

"Uh... Sure, when I get back," Lucario replied while scratching the back of his head, not having brought any mint and already close to barfing from the smell of death and roasted skin all around. Detaching from one another, Zoroark and Lucario hastily slipped behind the iron bars and disappeared down the corridor, out of sight from Zerobi but definitively not out of mind.

---

Raikou threw his massive body into a tackle, narrowly missing as Pikablu rolled to the side in the very last second. As the legendary skidded over the frosty soil, Pikablu saw his opportunity and moved gracefully on top of the snow, chasing down the considerably heavier legendary still recovering from the fearsome lunge. He mustered up all his strength and shot out like a rocket towards his opponent's hindquarters, but Raikou proved himself to be just as agile as his opponent by avoiding it through a strangely acrobatic jump and mid-air twirl.

"Whew," Pikablu exhaled as he landed on the ground and decided to take a break from the assault, "Your ballet might give uncle sissy a run for his money!"

"... You talk... Big..." Raikou wheezed as he caught his breath, "... For such a... Tiny rodent..."

"Oh, do I? In truth, I could just go all-out and wipe the floor with you any second..." Pikablu growled before drawing a heavy breath, "... But those techniques are too unwieldy and would kill you, Red and probably me too. I've got things to live for now, and I'm not squandering them for you."

Unable to read Raikou's expression behind the mask, Pikablu found himself thinking of Anne back home again. It felt strange that a world containing such a peaceful existence was the very same that had placed him into this hectic battle.

He knew that if he had wanted to, he could have avoided all of this and stayed at home. He was old after all, Celebi and the rest of the trio would have understood. Yet still, although he was beginning to feel the labors of a bad back and stiff neck, his youthful spirit was all but extinguished. There was still something he had never quite finished.

"Going down in legend's one thing. Could've done that whenever I wanted to," Pikablu explained before shrugging, "But now, I actually want to be there to enjoy it. Ain't no use to me when I'm dead. Fight with all your might, because the battle of how a simple Pikachu became a legendary will be retold for generations to come!"

"... Unwarranted... Self-confidence..." Raikou muttered angrily, the small rat's arrogance serving to defile his precious memories of Red's Pikachu.

"Maybe. But to win, I don't need to go 75% or 100% anymore," Pikablu said before raising his voice to a shout, "One might say I have a more POSITIVE outlook on life!"

The effect of his shout was immediate. For the first time since the start of the battle, Red's eyes darted away from the yellow mouse to witness a sudden altercation to the battlefield. In two separate areas, the snow was beginning to move, two previously unseen figures standing up and making their appearance. The first quietly shook in order to get the snow off him, while the other one suddenly jumped ahead, instantly clearing himself from the frozen water and landing directly in front of Raikou. Red stared in disbelief as the Gallade in front of him suddenly pointed to the heavens and struck a pose.

"Sha-zaam! Prepare from trouble, and make it double!" the Gallade spoke with a big smile and determination in his voice, "To protect the world from devastation, the impregnable duo is here to rescue our trusted companion from a painful death at the hands of a psychotic legendary! Our journey has been long... Our trials many... But in this pale moonlight, we find ourselves at the gates of the final confrontation! Say your last prayers as we, the heroes of justice, put an end to your tyrannical rule over Pokémon so unfairly captured! Time has come for you to step down, and leave the world to a new generation! With me as the king and you as an old queen, let the snow be our ballroom and the wind our orchestra! Now, come with me and let's boogie, baby!"

The Gallade finished by striking another pose, holding his hands in front of him in a taunting gesture. A long, awkward silence followed as everyone stared at him, Pikablu slapping his forehead with an open palm while Kabutops shook out the last bit of snow caught inside his left shoulder.

"The camera is broken," Kabutops said monotonously, "Raikou stepped on it."

The Gallade was wondering why Kabutops wasn't following the script as he put extra effort into smiling for the hidden camera, suddenly noticing a cracked lens sticking up from one of the many paw-shaped footprints in the snow. His mouth fell open as his scripted sequence came crashing down all around him, staring at the wreck that was supposed to have captured his greatest moment of cinema.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" the Gallade screamed with anguish and ran up to the broken camera, kneeling next to it and slowly picking up the ruined lens. In it, he saw a broken reflection of himself, telling him his gallant speech had not been recorded. With a furious gaze, he turned towards Red and pointed at Raikou.

"You will pay for this, you... You simpleton!" he yelled angrily as his voice turned into a higher pitch, "You may think me bested, but I brought a Polaroid! I will pose on top of your unconscious body and take pictures! SO MANY PICTURES!"

Still flabbergasted by the psychic's odd behavior, Pikablu was the first to snap out of it and walked up to the Gallade with the intention of kicking him in the shin for ruining the atmosphere. However, he found his trek hindered as a most unusual sound was emanating from in front of the Gallade. Looking up in disbelief, he saw what looked like Red, hunched over himself and shaking lightly. He felt as if his own senses were betraying him as he realized that the aged trainer, the very same person who so far had not shown even a shred of emotion, was without any doubt laughing to himself.

"Hnf... Hnffnf..." Red chuckled before lifting his head and looking at the Gallade, "I believe you and Blue would get along quite well with one another."

The Gallade stood frozen for a second before nodding in gratitude, completely forgetting his position. The old man had broken into a smile, and he soon turned his head towards Kabutops who remained unfazed in face of the happy expression.

"And you look an awful lot like that fossil I gave up in Mt. Moon," Red said as he tapped the side of his chin, "I suppose that super nerd successfully revived you? Who'd have thought it was actually possible...? Be grateful, the one I picked is still lying in a box somewhere."

At the sound of this, even the stoic Kabutops could not help but twitch. He did not have time to ponder Red's statement before the Pokémon trainer suddenly unhinged his backpack, opening the biggest pocket and beginning to rummage around. Ignoring that he was in the middle of combat, his smile only grew wider as he seemed to have sunken into his own little world.

"What a night... A genuine ambush, of all things..." Red whispered to himself with a hint of admiration in his voice, "A wild Pikachu, handling himself like a legendary... An extinct being, about to put that old museum in Pewter out of business... And that Gallade... Fellow..."

The members of the legendary trio wondered what was about to happen when Red suddenly pulled something out of his backpack. Expecting it to be a Masterball or some manner of trainer's tool, they were surprised to see that it was but a regular white and red cap. It looked very old, lightly torn and tattered at the edges. There were signs of repetitive damage and repair, stitches and filth covering every inch. It would have seemed like garbage to anyone else, but Red continued staring at it with an adoring gaze, lightly caressing it. He had not seen it for quite some time. It had been lying at the bottom of the backpack he always brought, but never had to use because all his fights were usually over in one stroke.

The cap seemed to be in disrepair, but such was not the case. Every notch, every burn mark and every faint fragrance brought another memory to life inside of Red. A mildly displeasing aroma hung in the air as he recalled the time he had accidentally slept next to a Gloom after forgetting to put her back in her Pokéball for the night, worrying that the stench would never go away. He snickered to himself, thinking of how right he had been. He felt a slightly sticky segment inside, where Blue had placed a piece of gum to get it stuck in his hair after their seemingly peaceful encounter on S.S. Anne. He knew the hat looked like crap, but to him it was far more beautiful now than when he had first won it from the Pokémon League Expo all those decades ago. Slowly lifting it, he placed it on top of his head, glad to see that it still fit.

"Appears there are still a few interesting encounters to be had in this life," Red mumbled quietly as he felt a tinge of discomfort, "But... Something seems off..."

He twisted and turned the hat which seemed unfamiliar somehow, not quite finding the correct spot around his cranium. Suddenly it hit him, and he grabbed a hold of the front. Pulling it, he turned it backwards on his head and as if it was sending signals directly into his brain, he was immediately overcome by even more nostalgia.

Pikablu grit his teeth. Normally he would have intervened and put a stop to the silly display, but something had drastically changed in the trainer before him. His eyes were no longer the weary oculars of a man with one foot in the grave. They were sharp, filled with confidence and frightening competence. His tired expression had been replaced by the cockiness of a prodigy teenager, one that knew he was the best and would gladly show everyone why. The faded being upon the massive legendary was gone, and Red was now exuding such an overwhelming presence that even Raikou dwarfed beneath him. Grabbing a Pokéball from his backpack, he held it in front of himself as his smile turned into a grin.

"Gotta catch 'em all isn't a goal... It's a way of life," Red said as he threw up the Pokéball, letting it spin around in midair before catching it again, "And unfortunately for you, it seems mine has just picked back up."