Shout out to KickTyan, of DeviantART, for the artwork above.

Again, Trevor stood in his box, while gazing at his opponent, who stood across from him. Ritchie didn't look intimidated by the outcome of the match.

It didn't surprise Trevor at all. If anyone could match Ash's love for battling and fighting spirit, it was Ritchie. Everyone viewed the two as carbon copies, which is why so many were disappointed when they never met up again in the various conferences. They were the best trainers, of their generation, to come from Kanto and Ash held Ritchie in high esteem. If Ritchie would happen to win here today, he would face Ash in the next round; unfortunately for him, Trevor was the only obstacle standing in Ritchie's way.

As of right now, Trevor is currently beating Ritchie, as he hasn't lost a single Pokémon yet, while Ritchie lost three of his.

"Ready for round two?" Trevor questioned Ritchie.

Ritchie smiled as he enlarged a Pokéball. "Always! Come on out, Cruise!" Ritchie threw a Pokéball into the air to reveal a large green Pokémon.

The Pokémon had a grey mid-section with black markings on its knees and shoulders. It had spikes running down its spine to a large green tail. The Pokémon let out a roar.

"Impressive, Ritchie," Trevor responded calmly, while not flinching at the slight of the Tyranitar that stood in front of him.

"Thanks, but flattery will get you nowhere!" Ritchie answered back.

"That's true. But Ritchie," Trevor began as he reached down for his next Pokémon. "Do you really think your Pokémon will even stand a chance against my most powerful Pokémon!"

Trevor, with a determined, yet serious, grin on his face, showed the Pokéball of his third Pokémon, that he would be using in battle today, to Ritchie. The expression, on Ritchie's face, shows that he's feeling nervous, yet cautious, about Trevor's next Pokémon.

"Because right now," Trevor started as he holds the Pokéball, in his right hand, tightly, ready to toss it into the air. "You have the opportunity to face it, in battle! I chose you, Gregor!"

Trevor threw the Pokéball into the air to reveal his strongest Pokémon. Standing before Trevor, was Gregor. As the light, from the Pokéball, faded away,  Gregor let out an intimating and powerful cry that shook the whole stadium and sent chills up the bystanders' spines. The Genetic Pokémon let his opponent know that it was in, for the battle of its life.

---

"Huh?" Lucario communicated through aura, as he reacted to Gregor's cry that it had just heard, which caused him to stop playing with Ashley's Pokémon. "That cry..."

Pikachu, along with the small Pokémon, who he and Lucario were playing with during the battle, stared at the aura Pokémon with confusion in their eyes. Lucario was gazing on the battlefield below. It then walked to where Ash was sitting, and then, it froze, as it reached the row, where was Ash was sitting in.

Serena, who was next to Ash, noticed Lucario, just standing still, near the entryway to their row of seats.

She, with a puzzled look in her eyes, turned to Ash, who was next to her, and asked him, "Hey Aaron, what's up with Lucario over there?"

Ash turned and looked at Serena, before noticing Lucario, near the entryway of their row of seats.

He closed his eyes and chuckled, before responding, "Lucario must be sensing the incredible power that Gregor's aura is expressing at this moment. That's what drew him near here. He wants to watch Gregor battle and witness how strong it really is."

"Oh, I get it." Brittany, who was sitting next to Ash, joined in on the discussion, as she was listening to Ash's explanation about Lucario's strange behavior. "Lucario is like Gregor's rival in this tournament, correct?"

"Yeah," Ash replied, as he was stunned to hear that Brittany guessed that his Lucario and Trevor's Mewtwo are rivals. "How did you know about that?"

"Oh, Trevor called me, the other day, and talked about how Gregor felt a power that was somewhat equal to its. As well as stating that Mewtwo had found itself a worthy rival in this competition. I guessed that means your Lucario is its rival. Wow."

"He told you that?" Ash asked as he was shocked that Trevor told Brittany about that.

"Of course," Brittany replied. "Trevor has been telling me what's been going on with him and his friends, especially how are his Pokémon doing. He doesn't keep any secret from me."

"I see," Ash responded, before turning his attention back to the battle, that would be starting soon, below. His thoughts were racing as he stared at Trevor, with a curious look in his eyes. What else did you tell her, Trevor?

Similar to what Ash was doing, right now, Lucario gazes down upon Mewtwo, with great concentration, as he studied his rival's power in combat.

---

Gregor silently sticks one of its paws out and motioned for Cruise to challenge its power. His opponent let out another roar to show that it wasn't intimated by Gregor's power. As it roared again, it noticed that the Genetic Pokémon didn't flinch at all. He just stood there, smirking, as he waits for his opponent to make a move."

Ritchie's thoughts began racing, as he looked at his opponent with a cautious look in his eyes. Although we have a type advantage here, we still have to be very careful, as we're not dealing with a normal psychic type here. We're dealing with the most powerful Pokémon in the world, who no one has ever defeated before!

Ritchie clenched his right hand into a fist. Trevor noticed this happening and decided to snap Ritchie back into reality, especially since the ref was getting impatience, as Ritchie hasn't made the first move of the battle yet.

"Hey, Ritchie!" Trevor yelled out as Ritchie snapped out of his thoughts and came back into reality. Ritchie noticed Trevor, with his arms crossed, looking at him with a serious look on his face.

"What's wrong? You too scared to attack?"

Ritchie shook his head and looked back at Trevor, with determination burning in his eyes. "No! I'm not afraid of you! Cruise, use Stone Edge!" Ritchie shouted out as he called the first attack

A circle of stones appeared, before the armor Pokémon, as they were sent hurling at the psychic type. Gregor didn't panic or even attempted to dodge the volley of stones coming towards it.

"Gregor, use Psychic on that Stone Edge!" Trevor commanded.

Gregor's eyes and body glow light blue. The volley became surrounded by a light blue, stopping them from hitting the Genetic Pokémon.

"Now, send them back!" Trevor shouted out.

Ritchie and his Pokémon looked on in horror, as their own attack was being used against them. Gregor, while extending its hand, with its finger glowing a light blue color, outward, uses his psychic powers to send the volley of stones back towards the opponent.

"Quick! Block it!" Ritchie commanded.

Cruise crossed its arms, to form an x-shape, across its chest, as it tries to hold its ground while being hit by the volley of stones being sent back towards it. Even though that the volley didn't do much damage to the armored Pokémon, it gasped in shock, as it saw its own attack being used against it.

"You'll have to do better than that, Ritchie!" Trevor taunted his opponent, while Ritchie growls in frustration, after watching his own attack being used against him.

"Cruise, use Earthquake!" Ritchie shouted out.

"Escape it by using Psychic on yourself!" Trevor commanded.

A light blue aura is glowing around Gregor, as he uses Psychic to make himself levitate before the ground started shaking. Cruise looked up in the air and noticed the Psychic-type, who is staring it down with a smirk across his face.

"Alright, get in close, and then, use Aura Sphere," Trevor stated calmly.

Gregor, still using Psychic on itself, started to fly downward, from the air, as it charges a ball of blue energy in its right hand. Cruise looked on in horror as the Psychic-type gets closer to it.

"Stay calm, Cruise! Use Dark Pulse!" Ritchie commanded his Pokémon.

Just as Cruise was about to fire the ball of black and purple circles from its mouth, Mewtwo suddenly vanishes, but only to reappear behind the armored Pokémon and slammed the ball of blue energy directly into Cruise's back, causing an explosion behind the giant Pokémon. It sent the gigantic Pokemon flying straight into the stadium wall. When the dust was settled, it revealed an unconscious Tyranitar.

Ritchie was horrified that one of his strongest Pokémon was defeated so easily. Ritchie returned Cruise to its Pokéball, as his eyes made way to Mewtwo's trainer.

"They don't call Mewtwo 'the strongest Pokémon ever' for nothing that's for sure!" Ritchie shouted as his body began shaking, due to Gregor's overwhelming power.

"Yeah," Trevor agreed with his opponent. "No trainer has ever defeated Gregor in battle. What makes you think that you even have a chance here?"

Ritchie ground his teeth as he reached for his next choice. "Simple! With my next Pokémon! Zippo, let's go!"

Trevor grinned as he saw Ritchie's Charizard stand before him. He had the fiery persona of a true fire type, in its eyes, and the flame, on its tail, gave off intense heat. Trevor's grin grew wider, as he heard a low cry from the Genetic Pokémon.

"You may start, Ritchie," Trevor said to his opponent, allowing him to attack first.

"Flamethrower, Zippo!" Ritchie shouted out with determination in his voice.

"Gregor, redirect that Flamethrower with Psychic, and then, use it on Zippo!" Trevor commanded.

Zippo released a red-orange stream of fire, from his mouth, towards the Genetic Pokémon, but only for it to be redirected by Mewtwo's Psychic and hit the stadium wall instead. Zippo's body is then encased with a light blue aura, as it's lifted high up into the air by Gregor.

When the flame Pokémon reached a certain height, Gregor then waved his hand, the one that was glowing in a light blue aura, downward in a swift move. This forces Zippo to crash into the ground very rapid, while causing a big dust cloud to cover the battlefield. Ritchie, while coughing due to the dust cloud, calls out to his Pokémon, to see if it survived the crash.

As the dust cloud settled down, the crowd gasped in shock and horror, as the fading dust revealed a knocked out Charizard lying on the ground.

Ritchie returned his loyal fire type back to its Pokéball while expressing a horrified look in his eyes. Th-That Pokémon, it took out Zippo with just one move! How am I going to beat that monster with only one Pokémon remaining!

He bent down to his Raichu, to ask if it was ready to battle.

"You ready, buddy?" Ritchie asked the mouse Pokémon.

Raichu nodded as sparks fly from its cheeks.

"You're my last hope, Sparky! Let's do our best!" Ritchie shouted as his last Pokémon headed out onto the battlefield, to face its opponent.

Sparky let out a low growl, as sparks began to fly from its cheeks. Mewtwo turned back to its trainer, as it waits for him to call out the next attack.

"This is it, Ritchie," Trevor began saying to his opponent, with enthusiasm in his voice. "Your last attempt to beat Gregor! Show me what you got!"

"I will!" Ritchie responded. "Why don't you start things off, this time?"

"Alright then," Trevor stated as he called out the first attack of this round. "Use Aura Sphere!"

Gregor forms a ball of blue energy, with one hand, and then, fires it towards the opponent.

"Quick! Dodge it, Sparky!" Ritchie shouted.

Sparky jumped out of the way of the fighting type move, as the ball of blue energy hits the wall instead. Sparky, thinking that it avoided the attack, notices Gregor suddenly appeared right next to the mouse Pokémon, while still in midair.

The Genetic Pokémon gave a smirk as he heard his trainer's voice.

"Iron Tail!"

Even though Sparky had dodged the initial attack, he has left himself open to another attack from his opponent's tail, which was right next to him. Gregor's tail glowed white as he twisted his body and connected with the electric type's mid-section.

Ritchie looked on in frustration as his companion was sent crashing down onto the ground. Sparky grimaced as he got up to his feet, but sparks still flew from the yellow pouched on his cheeks.

"Fight back with Volt Tackle!" Ritchie pressed on.

Sparky gave a small jump into the air, before being encased in electricity and speeding toward his opponent. Ritchie growled as Gregor quickly used his Psychic powers to hover itself, above the battlefield, and away from the mouse Pokémon's attack.

"Follow Gregor, and then use Iron Tail!"

Sparky jumped at his opponent. His tail began to glow white, as he maintained the yellow aura around his body.

"Time to finish this! Gregor, use Psystrike!" Trevor countered.

The Genetic Pokemon smirked as he gave an extra push, through his Psychic powers, which causes Sparky to flip in the air while exposing his back to the genetic Pokémon's attack. The Psychic-type then creates a white force field that's expanding rapidly from around it and explodes upon contact with the defenseless electric type, causing a scream to come out of its mouth.

Ritchie watched as his Raichu plummeted toward the ground. He had to think quickly.

"Sparky, use Dig and go underground!"

Sparky regained composure, just before hitting the ground.

"Oh no, you don't! Gregor, use Psychic! End this now!" Trevor countered Ritchie's move.

Sparky's falling body suddenly froze in midair, as a light blue aura surrounded its body. The trapped Electric-type turns and gazes upon Gregor, expressing fear in its eyes. The Genetic Pokémon smirks, before slamming the Electric-type into the ground with its Psychic attack, causing the whole battlefield to be covered in a cloud of dust once again.

The stadium fell into an eerie silence, as those watching the battle, wait for the dust to settle, to see if the mouse Pokémon survived or not. Ritchie watched as he felt a lump come into his throat. He was completely silent. He couldn't even think of a strategy. He felt helpless as his loyal Pokémon was smashed into the battlefield, without any warning from their opponent at all.

The dust and debris quickly settled to reveal Gregor, standing over is the unconscious opponent. Gregor, having made sure that Sparky was down for the count, turned around and walked over to where Trevor was standing.

"That'll do, Gregor, that'll do," Trevor said to the smiling Genetic Pokémon as they walked over to Ritchie, who was embracing his fallen companion. "It's clear that you truly care for your Pokémon with great love and attention."

Ritchie looked up and smiled. "Thanks, Trevor." He responded as Trevor extended his hand out to him. Ritchie then reached out to grab his hand, and then, shook it. "Hey, good luck in the Semi-Finals. That Aaron is no pushover."

Trevor chuckled as he let go of his opponent's grip. "Yeah. That's for sure." He replied as his eyes, with a determined look, made their way to the elite suite and Ash and his Lucario, who was also looking at him and Gregor, with the same determination burning in their eyes. As they both looked back at each other, they knew that their upcoming battle will be one for the ages.