When all was said and done. I only had one of the three Pokémon left in order to defeat my Father, Autumn. But this was already proving to be more tense then I wanted to give him credit for.

Sure, I understood that my Father was a lot more experienced than me when it came to Pokémon battles. However, I wanted to continue this journey; I didn't want to be the odd one out among my friends. Plus the threat of Ensign was growing every chance I wasted in all of this and I certainly didn't want my Dad facing the threat all on his own.

He doesn't know what I am capable of. I am going to show him that I am a great Pokemon Trainer! I've been in greater threats of danger already. All of these events leading up to now have only made me and my Pokémon stronger.

Reaching forth one last time into my tan laced bag I pulled out my last Pokémon among my party that was conscious enough to fight. I could feel the ball wiggling within my hand as if Lucy was telling me she was nervous just like I was. I couldn't help but agree with her.

"We'll get through this together you and I, I promise!" Without hesitation; I clasped hold of the final capsule for one final ferocious toss.

The ball pierced white as my slick flying, bug type sputtered out with anxiousness. Lucy turned back toward me and shook her head with disapproval. Letting me know her anxiety in this situation with a squeak. I could observe that she wanted to get right back into that Poké Ball instead of facing this monstrosity all on her own.

"Lucy, Lucy, look at me, look at me, I believe in you. I know you can do it!"

She paused, and with one look from her unidirectional compound eyes. She gave me a furrowed brow and a slight look of determination had suddenly surfaced.

My Father was just as surprised to see the slight change in this Pokémon's countenance from fear to courage from my confident voice. Almost as if it made him internally smile from within.

"That is one courageous Pokémon you have there Leaf! Look alive; she is about to teach you a very powerful lesson in pain. Courage is the only way to beat fear."

"Arrr!!" Yelped his Arcanine on the opposing field.

"Now's the time to be ready for my next move! Flamethrower attack Arcanine."

A powerful funnel of hot flame bellowed from the beast as it spiraled toward Butterfree's insignificant form. Overlapping her with such intense power that she was willing to take the hit.

"Brace for impact Lucy! Sweet Scent!"

She took the hit, despite how powerful and effective it was; she was exhausted from the intense heat that was slowly burning away at her wings. Lucy then released a powerful spout of pink powder from her glands. This powdered an area around the Arcanine of less than forty feet around him. This substance was so sticky that it became more of a nuisance for Arcanine to be able to maneuver the playing field at his leisure.

"I see, your Pokémon was able to alter the environment around Arcanine to lower his evasion within two turns. This also means you have a forty percent possibility that one of your moves will be able to land an attack without my Arcanine avoiding it, very impressive."

"But I must ask? Will your Pokémon be able to avoid this next move?"

"I'll do whatever it takes to make sure I land a hit on your Pokémon Dad! I am not coming home and you know it!"

"Then give it everything you got! Flamethrower!"

No! I can't let him land a hit on me! Not when I am so close to landing an attack!

"Lucy Confusion!—

Within what felt like seconds, both Pokémon started coming toward each other. A ring of powerful radiant emission came off of my bug types antennae while Arcanine came full speed towards her with aggression. Relieving a powerful typhoon flame from out of his jaws. Ignoring the amount of sticky powder that stuck to his massive furry paws. I literally thought at that moment he was going to collide with her, however.

"You did it! You avoided Arcanine!"

The flame came crashing down and ignited with such a massive explosion that it nearly rocked the creaking abandoned ship beside us.

"What!?" Shouted my Father with surprise and from what I could observe; he was panting and sweating at the same time. Like this battle was literally keeping him on edge.

The Confusion attack struck Arcanine and started slowing his pace to a screeching halt. He had taken a little bit of damage from this surprising attack and now was totally looking around in a daze as if he was confused about where he was in the moment.

"Arcanine! Are you confused?" Called out my Father with nervousness.

This was all but assured as he watched his big fluffy pup chase his tail around in a circle. I had a little bit of the upper-hand luckily when it came to evasiveness. But I still could have been hit by his Flamethrower move regardless had I not avoided the move to begin with.

I was extremely lucky to not have been hit by that move. It was an assured hit regardless if Lucy had not released the sticky residue on the ground in the first place.

"Arcanine Flamethrower again!" He shouted with fury toward his Pokémon.

"Losing your cool-eh Dad!?"

Arcanine didn't have the ability to let up; he was too confused that he aimed his attack directly toward my Father. Releasing the blast toward him; Autumn did his best to jump out of the way, somersaulting across the sand. With shocked apprehension across his face. He noticed his Pokémon charging toward a nearby boulder by the beach and ran straight for it, hurting himself in the process.

"Whoah! Arcanine are you alright!? I got to admit Leaf, that was an incredible combo that you were able to create just now. But your Pokémon looks really tired after all the blows she dealt. Do you think she'll outlast one more turn?" Smiled my Father with glee, like he was enjoying this battle. Each of us panting with exhaustion as we exerted our efforts with both of our Pokémon to resume the fight.

"Does this mean that I get to go back to being a Trainer now after I outlast this next one?" I teased with anxiousness.

"Don't kid yourself. Arcanine, pull yourself together buddy; your opponent is right before you. Get in the zone, its time to go to War!"

Shaking his head and turning his focus toward my Pokémon; I could tell that he somehow was able to shake himself free of the status infliction.

Oh no! I hope that we can manage another hit? Arcanine is more focused than ever.

"Grrroooaarrr!!!"

"Finish her off with ExtremeSpeed!" Furrowed my father with determination.

The Pokémon pounced toward my barely floating Butterfree. Her health in the worst condition it has ever been, braced for an inevitable defeat.

She was struck from the powerhouse and flown back seventy-feet toward the trees, crashing into several branches and colliding straight toward a five-foot thick trunk that knocked her lights clean out.

Lucy was defeated and so was my pride as a Trainer.

"L-Lucy I—

My knees sunk toward the ground with ungracious support. My hands planted themselves deep within the sand as I reached down to clasp hold of the clumps before me. My face completely pale and sick from the utter bitterness of defeat. This feeling felt dry within my mouth as I heaved from this negative thought.

Why Dad, why?

Pacing his way towards my direction. My father knew almost immediately that I was completely ashamed. My esteem and my self confidence seemed to have disappeared in an instant. Like a storm cloud disappearing on the horizon, promising no rain for another decade.

"I-I can't go home, Dad please don't make me go home!" I cried with desperation, welling up tears that appeared out of nowhere were wetting the ground below me.

"I worked too hard, I came too far! Please don't make me go..." I whimpered with shame.

I felt like my world came crumbling all around me. Like my life didn't matter, there was no reason for me to feel this way but my Father was concerned and didn't want me to feel hurt. But I wanted so badly to be the one to win and I failed.

Pulling out my Poké Ball I aimed to retrieve Lucy back into her home. Pressing the capsule along my forehead in complete hopelessness. I couldn't help but apologize to all my Pokémon who had gone through the ordeal.

"I am so sorry Lucy, Ivy, Clifford, Angel...."

"I let you all down and—

Suddenly an embrace from my parent had silenced my pain, if only for a moment. Those giant, warm arms of his had eased my shakiness. My tears flowed from the endless agony that I lost control over. But he allowed my bawling to ensue as I burrowed my face into his broad shoulder.

"Leaf, you came a long way. I can't tell you how proud I am for you to have grown so strong. Your Pokémon are extremely proud of you."

No they aren't, they are disappointed in me.

This was already beginning to be too much. My eyes had stained red from this and I began to wail with emotion as my pain and my heartache surged. That I felt like I was about to melt into the world around me. The depressing part was my inevitable absolution that I was going back home.

My Father loved me, but it was unfair.

Why does he need me to return?

I had nothing left when I was taken from this group and I had nothing when my Father was gone. Instead Autumn was attempting to comfort my pain and he knew that I wanted it. But did he really mean it, when all that was said and done, was to accept inevitability?

"Every Trainer must lose in order to learn how to become better. I watched the way you battled with your Pokémon and I can already say. You proved to me how powerful you have all become."

With his embrace he held me closer; he was worried about me for the longest time that I felt like he wanted so badly to be apart of my life and he had regretted every minute that he never shared each time he left to fight during the War.

Relieving me of my embrace and placing a finger between my eye to relieve whatever portion of anxious pain I felt. He tipped my chin up to face those wise and old hazel brown eyes of his. Granting me such a wide grin that it would melt those around him with joy.

"Leaf, I love you, I am your Father and I will always watch you as close as I can."

The man strapped his cape close around his shoulders and turned to walk away while retreating his Pokémon from within his own. He gave no thought anymore to the idea of me coming home and continued walking a distance away. Waving goodbye to my poor disheveled self.

"Wait! Dad! I thought you were going to take me home?"

"Not anymore, I decided that this is what you wanted and that's the best thing for me to do right now, even if I don't agree. Your freedom to be the Trainer you desire is what matters most and I should respect that as your parent."

"But I d-don't understand. What made you decide to have me stay and continue?"

Autumn stopped several feet ahead of me and turned to face me.

"Your Pokémon have lost a battle with me, but I have never seen a Trainer like you manage to land a hit on mine. Especially since he is a higher level than Butterfree. Don't underestimate your Pokémon's strength. They have already proven that they can hold their own when they are under your command."

"Where are you going? Dad! Will I ever see you again? What if I fail?"

The man turned back toward my direction and smiled once more. Proving in the most loving way he could that I deserved a shot at this. Facing me again for one last time before his exit.

"You must lose and lose some more in order to grow. That is the will of a Pokémon Trainer. Trust me, when it comes to battling you must be ready to fail at all costs in order to bring their potential to their highest peaks. When you wake your friends up, be sure to meet me at the Sea Foam Islands. If we are to defeat Ensign with all our collective strength. Your Pokémon must be prime and ready for the intense battles ahead." He continued.

"It's time to prove your worth, Leaf! Show Ensign that we don't tolerate his power and that he has no jurisdiction in the Kanto region to be stealing these Pokémon for their own lust. Let's both prove them wrong. Prove to him that through the love of your Pokémon only you are invincible."

He was right, there was more to my potential when it comes to failure. I may have lost but this was just the beginning; my Pokémon fought for my sake, for my energy and they all did it out of love. Autumn was wise beyond his years but I had know idea that even he had grown into such a fine Pokémon Trainer. He truly was wonderful in the sense that it was his greatest lesson he had learned on his own.

I watched with shaken palpitation and awe as my Father disappeared into the night. Showering me with contemplative thought; he like Professor Oak were such amazing teachers and had shown me how important it was to overcome fear and not only that, it was always okay to fail. Learning from this has shown me a grander determination as I looked up to the pale moonlight that radiated my skin.

My journey is not over and I still had a chance to prove my Father and those around me. That I will become the greatest Pokémon Trainer that ever lived and I will do it by the skills that I have obtained and learning from my own mistakes.