Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, or any of the Canon characters present in this one-shot.

Claimer: I own the entire plot and all credits for the resplendent cover go to VanillaWind. Copying any of them is unadvisable (unless, of course, you have a death wish).

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

She would hide in the shrubs, and stare in awe at the brawny behemoths sparring.

The Garchomps' lithe yet deadly sharp claws would glow an iridescent burgundy as they prepared a Poison Jab; their already-sinew muscles would bulge out even more as they shook the ground and everything in a 50 feet radius; their eyes would dilate and turn a frightening shade of crimson as they powered up a Draco Meteor.

The Garchomp trained ruthlessly. They would claw at slash at each other, deliver one kick after the other, and left no stone unturned when it came to using every figment of strength they possessed when battling.

It was all so resplendent to her eyes to see Dragons of unimaginable prowess battling each other to brandish their strength; to have their name known by every Dragon in the village; to gain recognition and admiration by everyone. It was something she also wished to achieve once she grew up and evolved.

As she would crawl out of the bushes and meander back home, her mind would still be whirling with flashes of the battles she just witnessed.

One day, she would also be strong like the Garchomp.

One day, her name would be known by everyone who inhabited Earth.

One day, she would stand at the top of the world and bask in praise and attention.

One day, she would make her dreams come true.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

She knew the journey to success would be long and tumultuous. It would require her to put every ounce of strength she possessed in training ruthlessly. Sacrifices would be made; blood, sweat and tears would be shed. She had to garner a name for herself, after all. Slacking off wasn't an option.

And that's just what she did. She trained vigorously from dawn to dusk, honing her skills, learning new moves and beefing up her weaknesses. She would carefully observe the her senior's training pattern, and would try to imitate it (and fail, much to her chagrin).

The other Gible would eye her quizzically ― after all, who trains so vigorously at such a young age? They were Dragons for Arceus' sake. Power and and success came to them naturally.

But she knew that nothing could be achieved without working hard. Hard-work and perseverance were the recipe to success. It was ludicrous beyond words to believe that power came by default. The entire concept was nothing but a mere fallacy; an excuse for those too tardy to actually get up and work.

With that thought in mind, she'd resume her training, a smirk gracing her countenance at just how right she was.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Gible of her age would alienate themselves from her; the haughty Gabite would consider her too trivial and trifling to be among them; the staid Garchomp had their own responsibilities to attend. There was no one she could share her training experiences with, but at least her parents were always there for her, loving her unconditionally.

Her father, a towering and wizened Garchomp, was an experienced battler. He was ― like everyone else ― a bit wary at her training so vigorously, but her determination removed his qualms. He supported her, taught her battle tactics, and even sparred with her occasionally, but of course, went a bit easy on her; something she didn't like.

She knew her father was only looking out for her, but she still found it a bit disappointing to not be at par with him. He warned her that it wasn't possible for her to reach the same level as him since she was still in her first evolutionary form, and that she shouldn't push herself beyond her limits. There was this glint of dead graveness in his eyes as he said so, which convinced her that yes, she was till too young to face the dauntless Garchomp.

And so the father-and-daughter duo made a promise: they would have a real, arduous battle once she evolved ― a battle in which none of them would hold anything back.

Her mother, also a Garchomp, was demure and definitely less intimidating than her father, but she had such an air of grace and sedateness that made her likeable yet alarming to everyone. Unlike her father, her mother was not a battler. She would instead trek through the woods and gather berries and other herbs to make remedies for Pokémon. She was what those funny humans called a 'Doctor'.

Her mother familiarized her with the splendors of nature. She would often accompany the female Garchomp to the woods, where she'd marvel at the magnificent flowers and trees, and revel in the halcyon atmosphere of the forest.

Her mother taught her how to make healing concoctions by using the various berries in the forest. She initially thought it was useless, though in hindsight, it proved to be fortuitous, as she later realized her penchant for getting injured a lot.

And so as the sun would set and she'll return home after another day of training, she'd remind herself that it doesn't matter if the whole world is against her; as long as her parents were there, she would continue chasing her dreams.

She would make them proud by being the strongest of all.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

It was a lovely, placid day. Her parents were out running some errands, and she had decided to take a day off from training. She was lounging in her bed, toying with a leaf ornament her mother had made her.

And that's when she felt it.

A cold shiver ran down her spine, completely petrifying her. A brooding feeling gnawed at her heart, a feeling that foretold her that something bad ― something sinister ― is about to transpire.

Trepidation kept on bubbling within her; her heart began palpitating frenetically; her callous hands began sweating profusely.

Never had she felt such anxious in her life. Regaining her bearings, she bolted out her abode.

As she ran through the earthern streets of Draco Village, she noticed that not a single soul was out. It was rather queer, since the Village was always bustling with life.

As she increased her pace, her nose caught on the smell of something burning. As she traversed further through the village, the smoke kept on growing more acrid.

At last, she reached the forest ― the point which marked the end of the village. And the sight she witnessed would forever scar her mind.

The tall, proud trees of the forest were all alight on fire. The lolling flames were spreading wildly, charring everything in their wake. Garchomp and Gabite were using Sandstorm to put out the fire, although it seemed to have little affect.

The sight was, in the simplest words, absolutely terrifying.

From her peripheral vision, she could make out the figure of her mother along with some other Pokémon tending to the injured Pokémon. She sauntered over to the older Garchomp, and cringed at the sight of the grotesque bruises she was nursing.

Her father was nowhere to be seen, and this worried her. Her mother told her that he had gone deep in the forest to rescue the stranded Pokémon.

She gawked at her mother. Did she not know how dangerous it was to go into the forest‽ Of course she did, yet she still let him meander into the forest. This was preposterous, absolutely absurd. And so she decided to go help her father out.

She swerved around, and was about to propel her body forward to zoom into the forest, when she felt the claws of her mother hold her back. She looked up at the older Garchomp, who simply shook her head in a defiant no.

Like she'd take no for an answer.

She thrashed wildly in her mother's grasp, begging her to let her go, but the older Garchomp refused. Her mother said that her father will be back. He was a Pokémon of righteous and noble character, and he'd deemed it his duty to help out other Pokémon.

But still ― despite her mother's attempts to guise her quivering tone ― she could detect the doubt and uncertainty in the Garchomp's voice.

Her mother handed her over to a stout Gabite, who was rounding up all the juvenile Gible and keeping them away from harm.

She again begged her mother, tears welling up in her eyes, but the older Garchomp forlorbly shook her head. The Gabite took her away, as she wailed and cried.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Nature was tranquil, yes, but it was also dangerous and capricious. And she learned this the hard way.

The fire had caused unfathomable pandemonium. A lot of Pokémon lost their lives. And her father was one of them.

She felt numb when the news broke upon her mother and her. It was as if someone ripped her soul out and imbibed it again.

She had cried. She had cried in the lap of her mother, who was equally as heartbroken. They had spent sleepless nights, wallowing in the trench of despair and agony. But now, the tears just wouldn't come.

She felt empty, affectless even. Nothing seemed to matter to her anymore. She felt lost, stranded in an uncharted territory.

Her father was no more. He was the man who encouraged her, the one who told her to remain undeterred and continue chasing her dreams no matter what.

Her dream was to make become strong and make him proud. But was there any use in clinging on to that dream anymore?

But things weren't completely bleak. Her mother was still with her, and she was grateful for it. Both of them were scarred by the entire ordeal, but at least they had each other. Her father may not be there anymore, but she could ― and would ― be strong for her mother.

Her mother seemed to be taking the news even worse than her. She would randomly break into a hysterical crying fit, and blame himself for her mate's demise.

She concluded that she couldn't give up just yet. There was still so much she could do. She could become strong, reach the apex of success, and make her mother and deceased father proud.

With that thought in mind, she stumbled out her home and looked up at the sky, newfound determination flaring in her eyes.

She was done moping. It was time to get to work.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

She again found herself at square-one.

She began training ruthlessly day and night, pushing her body beyond its limit.

She had promised her father not to push herself too far, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Even her personality changed. She was always reserved, but now, she completely shut off everyone from her. She became cold and affectless, only focusing on her training.

She build impenetrable steel walls around her heart to make sure that no one came too close to her. The pain of losing someone was insourmountable, and she knew that no amount of training in the world would help her cope with that.

She was scared of being hurt again. She was scared of losing someone again. And that's how her life became reclusive.

Her mother was the only person with whom she actually felt at peace. The Garchomp's health was gradually deteriorating. She knew her mother only had a few years left, and was determined to make them as blissful as possible.

She withdrew from society and cared for her mother, training being her primary focus for a copious amount of time.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Time kept ticking, and soon the winter solstice had come ― the time of the year when humans travelled to Draco Village in hopes of catching a Dragon.

They would fail miserably. Ten-year-olds trying to catch a pseudo-legendary had convinced her that humans were indeed stupid.

She never played heed to the humans. Unlike the other Dragons, she could care less whether a human tried to catch her or not. She was going to garner a name for herself without the aid of a puny human.

But this year was different. Rumors spread that a strong fifteen-year-old had come to Draco Village. She had a Spiritomb and Glaceon, and using these two Pokémon, she'd already defeated several Gible and Gabite.

This trainer was peculiar. Even though she'd defeated many Dragon Pokémon, she didn't catch a single one. Her Pokémon said that she was "looking for the right Dragon".

Ah well, it didn't matter to her. She was only concerned with her own training.

And that was exactly her mindset, until the day she crossed paths with the human.

The girl was tall and slim, with curls of platinum-blonde hair cascading down her back. She was dressed entirely in black, but her most prominent features were those alluring grey eyes.

Her eyes were mystical and cryptic. They held affection and love, yet a bizarre glint of level-headness. She could easily detect a million emotions enshrouded in those enigmatic eyes.

She stared at the human; the human stared back. They were communicating without uttering a single word. A strange sense of empathy washed over both of them, both somehow understanding the raging turmoil each had been experiencing for so long.

She turned and ambled back home; the human turned and resumed her training. But this bizarre first meeting would forever be implanted in their mind.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

She knew she was gonna evolve soon.

While she would train, her energy levels would suddenly skyrocket, and then drop again. She identified this as a sign of pre-evolution, as her father once told her.

A sad smile stretched across her countenance as she remembered her father.

If only someone knew how much she missed him. She tried not to dwell on the past too much, but his death always lingered in the back of her mind. Still, she'd put aside those bittersweet feelings and focus on her training.

When she reached home, she realized it was unusually quiet. Her mother wasn't in the kitchen as she usually was, so she waddled to her room.

Again the same trepidation she felt before her father's death began asphyxiating her. She tried to push back those aggravating feelings, and entered her mother's room.

The female Garchomp was nestled up in her leaf bed, and appeared to be sleeping soundly. She looked so tranquil, so relaxed, yet there was still something off about her.

She walked over to her mother's sleeping form, and gently nudged her.

No response.

She then shook her with a little force.

Again no response.

With rheumy eyes, she detected her pulse.

Tears trickled down her cheeks as she realized the imminent truth.

She collapsed down onto the ground, tears cascading down her face. She knew her mother would leave her one day, but she didn't expect that day to come so soon. And it had only been four months since her father's demise. Perhaps her mother had taken his death even worse than she could ever fathom.

She felt as though the entire burden of the world had collapsed down onto her. She felt so numb, so broken and so lost that the only thing she could do was cry.

And she cried the entire night till next morning, when her mother was given a proper funeral and burial.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Her parents were dead.

What was the use of chasing success when there was no one left to impress?

She had no friends, no relatives, simply no one. Just what was she going to do now?
Once again, she felt utterly stranded in an uncharted territory, only this time, she had no one next to her.

She was snapped out of her moping reverie when she heard footsteps approaching. She turned around, and was surprised to see the human girl.

The girl leaned against a tree, and stared at her. She stared back. Just like their first meeting, no words were said to convey emotions. After a brief period of silence, the girl began speaking.

The girl had also lost her parents when she was young, and was raised by her grandmother. She knew how it feels like to have everything you care about to be ripped away from so mercilessly. She knew how painstaking those sleepless nights were, and how those raging maelstroms of ambiguity and doubt drove you to the brink of insanity.

She gawked starry-eyed at the human, as it dawned upon her why she felt that weird connection with the girl. It was queer to say the least how alike they were.

The girl reached out her hand, a soft smile on her face. She understood what the gesture meant.

She put her small paw in her hand, signifying that yes, she will become her Pokémon.

And that's when the transformation took place.

She felt her body grow in size, her arms extending and energy levels skyrocket. A whirl of pure white energy enveloped her, and once the light died down, a tall and proud Gabite stood in her place.

Next morning, she set out on a journey with her new trainer, eager to explore the wonders of the outside world.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

It took one year of weathering tough climatic conditions, arduous training and sheer willpower, but eventually, they did it.

She and her trainer ― Cynthia ― collected all eight Sinnoh Gym Badges, defeated the Pokémon League and Elite Four, and were now facing off against the Sinnoh Champion.

The Champion was at his last Pokémon, and she was Cynthia's last Pokémon as well. This was the final, decisive battle.

She closed her eyes, and put every ounce of her strength in powering up the Draco Meteor. She remembered all the pain, the hardships, the sacrifices, and the losses. She remembered how far she had come, how much Cynthia was relying on her right now, and every single event in her life that kept her going forward. She remembered her deceased parents, her solitary days as a Gible, and her dreams.

She hadn't given up on her dreams yet. She was still raring to be renown throughout the world. She was only one step away from making her dreams come true, and this time, it wasn't just about her; Cynthia's dreams and ambitions were on the line as well.

Her eyes snapped open-

-and she released the Draco Meteor at the Gallade, who couldn't take the intensity of her attack and fainted instantaneously.

The audience broke into a riotous applaud. The stadium was practically shaking with cheers and joviality.

She roared her name in triumph. Finally, after years of hard-work, tears and hardships, she had achieved her goal.

She looked at her trainer, who in turn gave her a look filled with pride and affection.

She grinned back, and looked down at her new form. She was taller now, with a wider wingspan and more strong limbs. She crouched down, and then launched herself in the air, soaring through the stadium proudly.

Flying was fun.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Even after Cynthia's inauguration as the new Champion of Sinnoh, they didn't stop travelling. They travelled to Kanto, Johto and Hoenn, meeting new people and trainers, and having exhilarating battles along the way.

Wherever they'd go, fans would surround them, starry-eyed and dumbstruck, and feebly ask for an autograph. She would often chuckle when they'd cower in fear upon seeing her large frame.
They visited Unova as well, a modern and thrilling region. Unovan traditions were certainly very different from what she'd ever seen, and it was a memorable experience familiarizing herself with them.

Kalos, a region where a special power known as Mega Evolution was said to originate, was next on their list. Cynthia had gotten a Mega Stone for her, and was currently scavenging for a Key Stone.

Often when she'd be alone without her trainer and fellow Pokémon, she'd ponder over the events of her life in complete solitude.

She had definitely come a long way from the impetuous little Gible she once was.

She had grown stronger, more mature, and more rational. She also came to realize two things.

One, you aren't a failure or disappointment unless you give up. There will be many obstacles and tests, there will many moments of doubts and insecurities, but as long as you have faith in yourself and keep on weathering through every storm, you will eventually make it out on top.

And two, she sucked at keeping promises made to herself.

She promised herself not to get too attached with people and Pokémon, as emotions make you weak. That was the reason why she build impenetrable steel walls around her heart, but those so-called indestructible walls had crumbled away a long time ago.

She knew you could either think positively or negatively. She tried thinking both ways, but still couldn't find herself at peace. And so she settled for thinking realistically, constantly reminding herself that things could never be completely good nor bad.

Even the most dangerous storms cease; even the most blissful utopias collapse. Life was the very personification of unpredictability. One can never know what's going to happen next.

Dwelling too much on the past or thinking too much about the future wasn't going to get her anywhere, and so she chose to immune herself to such thoughts. She would live in the present, where she knew she could find peace.

She knew adversity could knock on her door any time, and maybe that'll lead to something better or worse. But she also knew that she could tackle it.

Because she was invulnerable.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

A/N: Garchomp had claimed herself to be invulnerable on the basis of finally understanding that she cannot live in the present or fret over the future. She accepted life's capricious game.

Anyhow, I hoped you enjoyed this one-shot! Feel free to leave some nice comments, constructive criticism and votes c:

~A.R.