'You dare challenge me?' Sandy called.
'That's right,' I said.  She looked past me.
'What about the long-haired one?' she asked. 'The other person already battled me and lost...'
'The "long-haired one" isn't battling,' I replied.  'Only I am.'
'Then choose your Pokémon, trainer,' she said.
'All right,' I replied, 'go Feraligatr!'
'Typical,' Sandy said, 'Kangaskhan, go!'  The red-head Sandra threw a green Pokéball (presumably a Safari Ball) into the stadium.  'Kangaskhan, use Dizzy Punch!'  The brown Normal-type Pokémon attacked Feraligatr with a devastating punch, confusing him.
'Feraligatr,' I said, 'shake it off and use Earthquake!'  Feraligatr, still confused, used Earthquake, highly damaging Kangaskhan.
'Come back Kangaskhan, and go Nidoqueen!' Sandy yelled.
Why did she do that? I asked myself.  Kangaskhan wasn't knocked out.
'Nidoqueen!  Use Thunderbolt!'  Nidoqueen was surrounded by electricity.  She then fired it at Feraligatr.
'Feraligatr, Hydro Pump!'  Feraligatr shot a blast of water at Nidoqueen, critical hit.  A one-hit knock-out.  Sandy recalled her Nidoqueen and then sent out her Kangaskhan again.
'Kangaskhan, use Skull Bash!' said Sandy.  The enemy Kangaskhan lowered her head, and then rammed into Feraligatr, making him flinch.
'Feraligatr,' I said.  'Ice Punch attack!'  Feraligatr's fist was surrounded by sub-zero ice; he punched Kangaskhan and froze her.
'Lucky,' Sandy said.  'Come back Kangaskhan.  Dugtrio, go!  Use Dig!'  The three-headed Ground-type Pokémon burrowed its way underground.
'Feraligatr, Earthquake!' I instructed.  It was too late, however, because Sandy's Dugtrio attacked Feraligatr from beneath the earth before he was able to counter-attack.  Feraligatr retaliated with Surf, however, which did a tremendous amount of damage to Dugtrio.
'Dugtrio, Slash!' Sandy commanded.  Somehow (don't ask how, it's still a mystery), Dugtrio slashed my Feraligatr, critical hit, knocking it out.
'Return.  Lugia, let's go.  Waterfall!' I cried.  Lugia slammed itself into the ground, making water crash down onto Dugtrio.  Because of Dugtrio's low defense, it was knocked out.  Too easy, I thought.  Dugtrio was swallowed up by the red beam of light emitted from the Pokéball.
'Marowak!  Come out and use Bone Club!' Sandy shouted.  The orange Pokémon with a skull on its head threw a bone at Lugia, hitting it in the head and made it flinch.  'Good job.  Now use Hyper Beam!'  Marowak twirled its club around, and the pointed it at Lugia.  Out of the end a golden beam was fired at my Pokémon.  It did an incredible amount of damage.
'Lugia, Blizzard!'  Lugia spread its wings apart, blasting snow and ice at Marowak.  He couldn't attack (he had to recharge from Hyper Beam), allowing Lugia to perform another move.  This time Lugia used Aeroblast, but it missed.
'Marowak, try a Faint Attack,' said Sandy.  Marowak disappeared for a second, but then quickly reappeared behind Lugia, striking it with his bone club.  'Great, now-'
'Lugia, Psychic!' I said.  Marowak took some serious damage, but was still on its feet.
'Marowak, use Mega Kick!' said Sandy.  Marowak jumped into the air, and then swung his foot around, kicking Lugia with all his force.
'Lugia, enough fooling around!  Use Hyper Beam, now!'  Lugia blasted a gold light beam at Marowak, but he used Detect to avoid it.
'Marowak, finish Lugia off with Rock Slide!' Sandy shouted.
No way will Marowak knock my Lugia out with Rock Slide, I thought.  Several rocks smashed into Lugia, causing severe damage.  'Lugia,' I said, 'take Marowak down with Steel Wing!'  Lugia whacked Marowak with its wings, knocking him out.
'Dang it, return.  I'll use you now, Larvitar!'  Sandy threw a Pokéball into the amphitheate, unleashing the very small Pokémon.
'You're-you're kidding, right?' I questioned.  'You're not honestly using a Larvitar against my Lugia!?'
'We'll show him, won't we, Larvitar?' Sandy spoke to her Ground-type Pokémon.  'Larvitar, use Outrage! Follow up with Crunch!'  Larvitar shot several large, white, glowing balls of energy at Lugia, nearly knocking it out.  Crunch did Lugia in.
'Come back Lugia,' I said.  'Go Ho-oh!'
'You,' Sandy remarked, 'must be the crazy one here.  Ho-oh has quadruple weakness to Rock-type attacks.'
'Okay,' I replied.  'Ho-oh, Sunny Day.'  Ho-oh made the room unbearably bright, and then awaited Larvitar's next move.
'Larvitar, use Rock Slide!'
'Ho-oh, Protect, and then use Solarbeam!'  As soon as the rocks were shattered, Ho-oh fired a ray of sunlight at Larvitar.  'Oh, and by the way, Sandy,' I said.  'Larvitar has quadruple weakness to Grass.'
'I've...I've never seen a Ho-oh-or any Fire Pokémon for that matter-use Solarbeam before,' Sandy said.
'Well,' I responded.  'Get ready, because you're about to see it again.  Another Solarbeam, Ho-oh.'  Ho-oh repeated the attack, knocking Larvitar out.  'Too easy.  Would you like to try another Pokémon?'
'Cocky loser jerk,' Sandy retorted.
'Loser?  I think you're the one who's lost, not me.'
'Shut up.  Rhydon, go!  On second thought...I'll just forfeit now.  You'll defeat him with one of the several Pokémon you have left in some sort of glorious attack, won't you?'
'Probably,' I said.
'All right, then.  I concede.  You are truly better than I am.'
'That,' I said, 'is just about one of the smartest things I have heard a trainer say since I first arrived here.'  I handed my Pokédex to Sandy, who transferred the badge onto it.  I recalled my Pokémon and walked out of the gym full of confidence and assurance that I would win, no matter what.

*     *     *

'That was the best battle I have ever seen,' Travis said to me while I was standing around in the Pokécenter, waiting for my Pokémon to heal.
'Thanks,' I replied.
'No wonder I didn't win.  I think I should go back to the first city, train my Pokémon, and try to fight all of the leaders, fair and square,' Travis said.
Thank goodness, I thought, for a moment I thought he was going to follow us.  'You do that,' I said to him.  Travis got up and left.
Kamon and I left for the final gym, in Nimbus Town.  After that, I would travel back to Chrono and then north to Center Stadium, where I would show everyone that I was the best, and that Sabrina was wrong, and that Kamon wasn't as good as I was.  I was the best.  Always was, and always will be.