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  1. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
    Posts:
    100
    PokéPoints:
    ₽36.3
    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    The Return of the Leviathan

    At the same time that Brendan and Gwen were on the ferry to Mossdeep, May was pacing in her cell, unknowingly copying her boyfriend. Her reason for pacing, however, was because her nerves were on edge. She had been trapped in this cell for nearly a week now, and even though her own Pokémon were with her, she severely missed Gwen and Brendan above all else. And Arceus knew that Brendan was probably losing his mind over the fact that he had just barely missed saving her.

    Shelly came into the room while May was pacing. "So, worried, are we?" May looked up, and her expression said everything Shelly needed to know. She smiled sympathetically, sitting across from the cell. "You know, I'm honestly jealous of you and Brendan. You were so lucky to find such a good relationship so early. At your age, I was struggling to even get a boy to notice me."

    May looked her over, noticing that Shelly was really beautiful, finding it hard to believe that she struggled for attention from boys. "You struggled to get boys to notice you? Most guys I know would be drooling over you."

    Shelly chuckled. "Yeah, I've heard that a lot. Unfortunately, it was always from other girls." She sighed as she said that. "I sometimes wish I could go back and focus more on my social skills when I was your age. Maybe I wouldn't have joined Team Aqua if I had…but then I wouldn't be here now to help you and Brendan, so I guess it was all for a reason."

    May seemed to still be uncomfortable as she sat and listened to the engine, having let silence fall. She then decided to get to more important business. "How will I escape when we get to the cave?"

    Shelly looked a bit sad. "I don't know if you'll be able to. The caves are very tight and the only way out is to swim through about a mile-long tunnel that's underwater. Unless you have an oxygen tank and a very fast swimmer for a water Pokémon, you likely won't make it out."

    "Then Brendan will just have to save me. Damn it, I hate being this damsel in distress, but I can't do anything," she said as she hit the nearby wall.

    Shelly looked down with some guilt. "I know this is hard for you. You're the strongest person I think I've ever met, and I admire your unwillingness to be helpless…but right now there is nothing we can do. There's no use in worrying when you can't do anything about it."

    May just groaned and fell on the bed, her arm covering her eyes. "How is it that I'm always the one that gets kidnapped? It's not like I even wanted to get involved in this shit. It was Team Aqua that made us want to help the way we did in the first place with a damn mugging in the Petalburg Woods. I was just happy to travel and become a coordinator with Brendan beside me."

    Shelly seemed to be more personally affected by that, almost looking guilty. "Had I known then what I know now, I never would have ordered that robbery attempt."

    May looked up at Shelly, her expression less shocked than the lieutenant of Team Aqua had expected from such a revelation. "So, you're the one who got us mixed up in all this shit."

    Shelly looked down in what appeared to be shame. "Yes, I had no idea what that one order would bring…Arceus knows you and Brendan would have enjoyed your journey like you should have. However, I think that if it hadn't been Team Aqua, it would have been Team Magma. That doesn't excuse what we've done…"

    May shook her head. "It's okay, if it hadn't been for Team Aqua and Team Magma, I doubt Brendan and I would be in such a close relationship. So, in a way, I guess it's something that we should thank you for."

    Shelly smiled slightly, showing she appreciated the humor, then she shook her head. "No, you shouldn't. We've caused you two more trouble than anybody should be ever have to go through."

    May sighed. "How long before we get to the cave?"

    "It will probably be tomorrow morning. You should try to get some sleep first. You'll need it."

    May pursed her lips then nodded. She loathed being the helpless girl, but she knew there was nothing she could do. She laid back on the very uncomfortable cot, starting to fall asleep. "Please lock the door when you go. I don't like the idea of other people watching me while I sleep." She got her response as the door closed and the lock fell into place. "Thank you," she whispered as an exhaustion she didn't know she had fell over her and she fell asleep.

    a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a

    Brendan felt the wind in his hair, with his hat in his hand, as he and Gwen rode on the bow of Steven's luxury speedboat. They saw a cove approaching in the distance, and it was already clear that it was the Seafloor Cavern. "Well, May, we're almost there to get you to safety. Just wait a little longer." Gwen smiled as she heard him say it with such passion and determination.

    They stopped over a deeper area when Steven approached from the cabin. "Alright, the cavern is below us. You should be able to dive in from here. It'll be a straight shot down." Gwen and Brendan nodded.

    "Thank you for this Steven. Will you be joining us?"

    "No, I'll be up here and ready to start the boat at a moment's notice," he said.

    Then be sure to keep an eye out for a sudden downpour. That should tell you if we made it in time to stop Archie, Gwen said with a serious tone.

    "I will." As he said this, he handed two air masks to Brendan and one to Gwen. "This is the diving gear. Just put it on and the rest of the wet suit will cover your body from there, and they already have radio communications set up between them. The third one is for May when you get her."

    Brendan and Gwen both put their masks on, and true to Steven's words, a wetsuit seemed to appear from nowhere as the masks got a tight seal around their faces as air began to flow. Their feet were then covered by flippers as they got to the edge of the boat and prepared to jump in.

    "Remember, either Groudon or Kyogre in their Primal form alone would be enough to bring cataclysm to Earth. Both at the same time could destroy the world as we know it. Be sure you get there in time," Steven's tone told them that there was no room for debate, not that Brendan wanted to debate that point. They simply nodded before falling back into the water, diving down immediately, and finding the cavern that had only recently been drilled by Team Aqua's submarine.

    May, I swear I will hold you in my arms when we get you safe, Brendan thought.

    a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a

    May was currently being dragged through the caverns by Shelly, who had worked with her to make this a convincing act. They were going to let Archie get to Kyogre, but they would act to stop him as soon as they got there. This was a risky strategy, but Archie was planning to leave grunts behind as they went. He was expecting Brendan to follow them, so he wanted multiple people to stay back and at least slow him down. May and Shelly figured that he would only have himself and the two of them when they got to Kyogre. It would help immensely when they tried to stop Archie, who was proudly carrying the Blue Orb in his hand, from awakening the great beast.

    The walk was very uneventful, other than the grunts being stationed around the cave, and the rooms they passed through pretty much all looked the same to her, short of some boulders in the path, or a couple rooms filled with water that had very strong currents. That near monotony came to an end as Archie dismissed the last grunt and they entered a room full of mist and small crystals that seemed to glow a light blue color. It was a beautiful, but chilling room. It gave the sense that they were close to something powerful and dangerous, yet beautiful at the same time. As they descended into the cavern, there was a looming mass of what looked like grey stone, but the details were too sharp, even for the best sculptors. Then there was the sheer size of the statue, looming at least seven feet tall, with half of it being underwater. While she couldn't confirm it with her Pokédex, there was no doubt in her mind that this was the super ancient Pokémon. The mere sight of the leviathan made her heart skip a beat with a mixture of fear and awe.

    May then looked back at Shelly, who nodded as she let go of her wrists and May's hand immediately went to Miranda's Pokéball. She let out her Blaziken, who glared at Archie as he turned in shock. "What is this? Shelly, why is she not still bound, and how does she have her Pokémon? And why are you not doing anything to stop this?" he nearly shouted. Before he could get his answer, his radio sounded. "Speak, what is it?"

    "Sir, this is Tom, the grunt you stationed at the entrance. The kid with the Gardevoir is already here. He swept my team and his Gardevoir put me to sleep briefly. He's likely almost to you by now." Archie cursed at this message.

    "Very well, get everybody you can back to the sub and start the engine. I'm almost finished here. Over and out." He then turned to Shelly with a deep glare. "Well, have you thought of your answer? What is the meaning of this?"

    Shelly sighed. "Sir, you've lost sight of what this organization should stand for. You started us as a conservation group. We worked to keep waterways clean. Now, however, you're so obsessed with this dream of expanding the ocean that you've lost your integrity. You even resorted to kidnapping a girl who only did what was right. I couldn't allow you to continue this."

    Archie just glared and sent out his Sharpedo, who began to swim in the pool of water Kyogre was in. The leader of Team Aqua then grabbed his keystone, and, without saying anything, initiated a Mega-Evolution. The Sharpedo changed significantly, his fins all growing longer as he also gained multiple, yellow markings around his body. The Pokémon looked intimidating, but Miranda would be fine. After all, she had her mega evolution too. May sighed, seeing that the talking route would do no good.

    "Alright, Archie, I don't hold anything personal against you…but I cannot allow you to wake Kyogre. You saw the destruction caused by Groudon, and I know you know deep down that Kyogre will only bring more destruction on that scale. So, if you refuse to admit that you're wrong, I'll just have to use force." May stood straight and lifted her wrist, touching her Keystone. Miranda's body changed into the more streamline form of her Mega Evolution. The Blaziken closed her eyes, her muscles all flexing at once as both she and May waited for their chance. What they didn't notice, however, was that the Blue Orb, which was powered by the same kind of energy a mega stone, was beginning to glow with the energy released from the mega evolution.

    "Samerios, use Crunch!" Archie said, using his Sharpedo's real name. The shark Pokémon leapt from the water and began to fly toward Miranda.

    May smirked and spoke calmly. "Miranda, use Sky Uppercut." Miranda opened her eyes and immediately leapt forward, her hands both glowing with energy before she leapt at Samerios, closing both hands. She then ducked just as Samerios was about to bite down on her shoulder, driving her right fist into his underbelly. The Sharpedo's mouth hung open as he fought for his breath. "Again," she said quietly. Miranda switched hands, hitting him again in the same spot on his body, making him fly back and collapse behind Archie.

    May smiled and recalled Miranda as the Pokémon reverted to her normal form. That was when she heard running footsteps behind her, and she felt a very familiar, and warming presence. She barely had time to turn around before Brendan wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. Despite her trying to be composed, she just hugged back and felt a tear of joy falling down her face. "I missed you, what took you so long?"

    "May, I'm so sorry I didn't keep you safe. I promise I'll-" Brendan started to say, only to have May pull back and silence him with a kiss. It didn't last long, but it told Brendan all he needed to know. She always knew he would protect her, and she couldn't be happier with her choice. The moment was then cut short by a burst of energy that pushed Brendan back, only for Gwen to take his spot. While Brendan wasn't thrilled about being separated from the woman he loved, he could only laugh slightly at Gwen's actions.

    We missed you so much, May. Please don't ever get kidnapped like that again. You're too important to us, Gwen said, her mental voice even making it clear that she was crying too.

    "I promise you both, I will not get kidnapped again. It wasn't fun for me either," May just sighed happily after saying this.

    Unfortunately, Archie had other plans as he noticed the glowing of the orb. After recalling Samerios, he wound-up to throw the Blue Orb at Kyogre. "I don't care if I lost the battle. Kyogre must awaken. I must fulfill my dream to make the world right!" Brendan saw this, and he quickly ran to try and restrain Archie, hoping to stop the throw, but it was too late. The Aqua leader let go of the stone just before Brendan tackled him.

    All he could do was watch helplessly as the Blue Orb struck the leviathan and it began to glow brilliantly. Cracks began to form in the stone covering the creature, letting out a blue light. Brendan stood up shakily, looking on in awe. "Fuck…not again." Before he could say any more, Shelly slapped him to get his attention, and she looked serious.

    "Get May and Gwen to the submarine, tell them to power up the engines. I'm going to try and get Archie to follow me," she seemed desperate as she said this.

    Brendan just nodded. "Alright, but be sure you get out of here too, regardless of whether Archie comes with you." She seemed to agree with her expression, as she ran to Archie's side, trying to pull him with her as more of the legendary Pokémon slowly became more visible as the stone crumbled. It's body mostly seemed to be glowing a shade of blue that looked like the depths of the ocean, with white and yellow streaks along its body.

    The creature began to grow to more than double in size, and the power it radiated almost made the air feel thick. Luckily, it didn't slow any of them down. But, as they were about to get to the end of the misty cavern, there was a deafening roar, which held such a primal level of power that it even caused the ceiling to start crumbling. Boulders began to crash to the floor around them. Just before they left the room, Brendan turned and was surprisingly grateful to see both Shelly and Archie running toward them. There was a massive torrent of water cascading from the ceiling now, and the water level was rising behind them. Gwen saw them as well and teleported them to her side, and all five of them made their way toward the exit. Unfortunately, it seemed they would not escape the rising water in time as they came to one of the rooms full of fast-moving water. Brendan was about to have Gwen teleport them to the other side when there was a massive earthquake, causing a weaker section of the wall began to collapse, opening to the beach where the submarine was stationed, and the engines were already running.

    "Come on, let's get out of here!" May shouted. Brendan grabbed her hand and they all sprinted out, going up the gangplank as the grunts inside had it retract, and they all got below deck just as the submarine began to dive. Shelly led the group to the bridge, where she immediately ordered a full speed out of the cavern, knowing the hole they drilled in was just a straight shot out, and with the engines on this submarine they knew they should be able to escape, barring any damage. The grunts got the sub in-line with the tunnel, and hit the throttle, moving faster than would be considered safe under any other conditions. They were about halfway out of the tunnel when Kyogre broke through the ceiling of the cavern, causing three massive boulders to start to cave-in.

    "Can't this thing go faster?" Brendan shouted, his fear radiating through his voice.

    "No, it can't. We're already pushing it. The engines will overheat if we go any faster than we're moving now," Shelly said.

    Oh, and what am I, chopped liver? Gwen said, trying to break the clear tension and fear in the room. Her eyes began to glow as she used psychic to stop the boulders from falling. Brendan and May could both tell she was struggling to hold them up, but they knew that any attempt to help would just distract her. Thankfully, the submarine's speed allowed her to gradually drop the stones as they cleared each one. Brendan, who hadn't let go of May's hand since they got on the submarine, slightly tightened his grip. May just turned to him and gave him a tight, reassuring hug.

    "We will be fine," she said. That was when Gwen let the last boulder fall, blocking off the cavern, even if it hadn't already collapsed entirely. From there, they were able to escape without any further scares. At least, that was until they started to surface. Immediately, they could see that there were massive storm clouds, rain was coming down harder than anybody in the ship had ever seen, and there were multiple cyclones forming around them, and the water was swirling violently, waves reaching nearly twenty feet high. Not too far away, they watched Kyogre breach through the waves, almost flying before diving back into the water and creating a massive wave, which struck the submarine, making it rock, even while it was still mostly underwater.

    Inside, the submarine was as silent as a tomb, nobody fully comprehending what they were seeing. They had been told that waking Kyogre would be what saved the world, but this looked more like the end. Archie looked the most affected, his expression was both broken and terrified. "What is this? I just thought-" Shelly slapped him hard across the face.

    "YOU DID NOT THINK! If you had been thinking, you wouldn't have given that orb to Kyogre. You knew your grand plan was wrong the moment your brother woke Groudon. He's dead now, and you just went ahead with your plan because you couldn't admit you were wrong," she yelled.

    "But the Blue Orb was supposed to control Kyogre. I should have been in control," he said.

    This time, Brendan spoke up. "That's not even close to true. If you hadn't assaulted the old couple on Mt. Pyre to get the orb, you might have learned that the orbs control the Primal Reversion of Kyogre and Groudon. You not only woke up the second of the super ancient Pokémon, you and Maxie both gave them the key to gaining more power than most Pokémon get from a Mega Evolution."

    Archie glared at him briefly, but then something in him broke, as if the weight of what he had just wrought on the world was now hitting him. Before anybody could do anything to stop him, Archie went to the hatch and hit a button to deploy an aluminum lifeboat with two oars inside. He got in and began to row out. From the bridge, Shelly looked on helplessly as the leader of Team Aqua rowed into the distance, but he did not see the massive form in the water approaching from the bow of his boat. And it was moving too fast for anybody to even react. All they could do was watch as the boat was launched into the air with a powerful Water Spout attack.

    From the bridge of the submarine, Archie's body could be clearly seen flailing as he fell back to the water, but Kyogre had other plans. He breached again, this time, directly under Archie, with his mouth open. As soon as Archie landed on the Pokémon's tongue, it snapped its jaws shut and swallowed him whole.

    While Brendan tried to keep himself from vomiting at the sight, Shelly was sitting in utter shock with tears falling. It was just like with Maxie. In the end, Archie's twisted goals wound up putting him in his grave.
     
  2. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
    Posts:
    100
    PokéPoints:
    ₽36.3
    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    Hope from Above

    Kyogre swam around the area for a while, building up a storm that could easily be stronger than a category five hurricane, before going northwest, which would put it on a direct collision course with Groudon in Sootopolis. It would be a clash on the level of gods when they met, and everybody in the submarine knew absolutely nothing good would come of something that destructive.

    "What the hell can we do now?" Brendan said. "We have two Pokémon on the loose, each one holding the strength to destroy the planet, and there's no way to stop them."

    Gwen perked up just as Brendan said that. Steven Stone is approaching in his boat, and he has somebody else with him. I just don't recognize the other person. Brendan looked a bit more hopeful.

    "Maybe Steven has a solution," Brendan said, but his tone didn't seem to contain any optimism.

    May, however, looked out the window as the boat approached and seemed very interested. "Brendan, I think I recognize the other person. It's Lisia's uncle, and the Hoenn Champion: Wallace Rain. He was also big in Pokémon contests. He wound up winning ten consecutive Grand Festivals before retiring."

    Brendan and Gwen both looked up. "Wait, seriously? We should go out to meet them."

    "No need. They're already coming aboard," as she said that, the hatch opened again, and the silver-haired gentleman entered, followed by a man who looked much like Lisia, or maybe it was really that Lisia looked like him. Most of his hair was covered in a white hat, except for his sideburns, which looked like two lightning bolts, and his bangs which swooped to the left and looked like sails. He was quite eccentrically dressed, with a tasseled suit, a purple undershirt that showed off his midriff, and pants that had a green belt-like addition that covered his belly button and wrapped around his hips. On his feet were white shoes that looked more like closed-toe sandals. On his back was a long, white cape with had two clasps that each draped a slightly transparent green cloth over his shoulders, reaching almost to his knees. He even had three white bracelets on each wrist, and there was a crystal that looked slightly like a keystone, but it had a different shape to it. Just from his outfit, it was now very clear where Lisia got her eccentric nature.

    "May, I'm happy to see you safe," Steven said with a smile before turning to Brendan as well. "So, it seems our worst fears came true. Which is why I'm glad I took precautions and went to get a good friend of mine from Sootopolis. Wallace, if you will." Steven gestured to his friend then stepped aside.

    When Wallace spoke, his deep and commanding voice gained the attention of all in the room. "So, you three are May, Gwen, and Brendan. My niece has spoken quite highly of you three." He took May's hand and gave it a kiss. She seemed more flattered by the gesture than Brendan was expecting, but he couldn't exactly blame her considering who was kissing her hand. "I am honored to meet you both…but we have more important business to discuss at the moment," he said solemnly.

    "You mean Kyogre and Groudon. I'm not sure what else we can do. We don't have the strength as trainers to beat either of them, and I don't think we'll be able to catch them, even with the Master Balls I got from Shelly," Brendan said.

    "Well, the Master Balls may be the only human-made item capable of containing them, so we should keep them as a fail-safe. But, there is another option: the third super ancient Pokémon, Rayquaza. It almost never leaves the ozone layer, but in the past, it was the Pokémon that stopped the conflict between Kyogre and Groudon," Wallace seemed to be speaking matter-of-factly, but Brendan could hear some slight worry in his voice. After all, what he was suggesting was a shaky plan at best. It all depended on whether Rayquaza even cared yet about Kyogre and Groudon being awake and ready to fight.

    "May and I can both go find Rayquaza now. Just tell us where to look," Brendan said.

    Wallace smiled. "Just the type of fearlessness I was expecting. Thankfully, you won't need to look that hard. When Rayquaza does appear before humans, it only does so at the top of Sky Pillar, a shrine near Pacifidlog that was built by a now deceased clan of humans who practically worshipped the dragon, but now only I, the region's champion, holds the key to open the tower." His face then turned back to solemn. "I should warn you, though, the other Pokémon that took residence there are far stronger than what most trainers can handle. Knowing that, will you continue?"

    May looked just as determined as Brendan when she stepped forward. "We came this far, and there isn't much else we can do. Besides, I hate being in a terrible situation when I can't do anything to help with it."

    Wallace nodded. "Well, I certainly understand. If you two have faster transportation than this submarine, then we should get moving to the area near Pacifidlog Town. You won't be able to miss the Sky Pillar."

    Brendan and May both looked at Shelly, who still hadn't even registered that there were two more people in the submarine now, and felt guilty about leaving her like this. One of the grunts stepped forward. "Don't worry. We can take care of our lieutenant. We'll go to Sootopolis and meet you there. You three try to get whatever chance at salvation we may have."

    Reluctantly, Brendan nodded and went with Wallace to the top of the submarine, followed closely by May, then Gwen. The instant they stepped out, they were assaulted by the heaviest rain they had ever seen. Many of the drops even hurt on impact. "Damn, can we really put Avery and Drake through this rain?" Brendan asked loudly, to be heard over the crashing waves.

    Do we have any other choice? They're our best chances at making it to Sky Pillar before this mess gets worse, Gwen said.

    "Unfortunately, I think she's right," Wallace said. A Latios and Latias may be the only Pokémon other than Rayquaza and the Pokémon of Creation that can get there fast enough," Wallace said.

    While Brendan didn't like putting his Pokémon through pain like this, Wallace was right. They had no choice. He sent out Avery at the same time as May sent out Drake. Neither of them seemed too pleased with being out in this rain, but they could sense the danger and weight of the situation, so they decided to endure it.

    "Drake, and Avery, we need to get to Sky Pillar as fast as possible. Can you two manage it?" May said. Avery nodded then nudged Brendan's Keystone.

    "I see, you'll need to be in your mega forms. Then let's do it," Brendan said, but May beat him to it, mega-evolving Drake. Brendan followed quickly, getting Avery into her mega evolution. When both Eon Pokémon took their new forms, Brendan and Gwen got on Avery's back, while May and Wallace got on Drake's. Just as all four riders got comfortable, Avery and Drake shot off to the south, going at breakneck pace, first going south until the storm was behind them, then heading west. Brendan could already see that there was an incredibly tall building extending into the sky, but he could also see that both the storm clouds, and multiple rays of intense sunlight were expanding; the sunlight was coming from the west, and the storm from the east, and both were approaching what looked like a single volcano. Brendan looked at his PokéNav map and saw that that volcano was the location of Sootopolis City. It made Brendan curious about why that city was the location those two creatures had chosen for their clash, but it was something he'd consider later. After all, they were already about to land at Sky Pillar, and both Avery and Drake were returned to their Pokéball.

    The island the massive shrine stood on was mostly barren, with sand covering most of it. The tower itself had two massive doors of stone that were sealed with what looked like a gold chain. But that chain wasn't bound by a lock. Wallace looked at both Brendan and May. "Now, this will be the tough part. While I have the key, only a descendent of the dragon clan can use it…except for a chosen trainer every generation. I am not of the dragon clan…" he pulled out what looked like a gold dragon statuette. "And the key doesn't work in my hands. Luckily, I know the only two trainers who could possibly be that chosen trainer. Brendan, May, you two are the only possible trainers who fit that description."

    "W-wait, what?" May said. "How do you even know that?"

    "It's because you two can achieve Mega-Evolution with your respective Eon Pokémon. That is a strong indication that you have been chosen. So, I want each of you to hold this key up to the chain. If you are the chosen trainer, it will be made clear when you do."

    Brendan looked at May. "You can go first. You've earned it," he said, kissing her cheek as he said that. She nodded, then smiled at him as she walked forward and took the key in her hand. She then held up the little statue and aimed it toward the door. They waited for three minutes with nothing happening. She shook her head. "I don't feel anything, and nothing is happening," her tone sounding disappointed as she held the statuette out for Brendan. Brendan stepped forward, and he took it in his hand, then held it up to the door.

    Immediately, there was an intense glowing and Brendan felt a surge of energy go through his body to the figurine. Then a focused beam of golden light extended from the key to the chain on the door. The energy began to make the chain nearly vanish into thin air. Gwen rolled her eyes. Great, another thing that you can lord over us, Gwen teased.

    Brendan just chuckled at her joke, but his main focus was the door as it seemed to be disappearing just like the chain did, and a loud roar of could be heard from high above them. While Brendan wanted to keep May with him for this next part, it seemed fate had other plans, as the rain from Kyogre's storm began to fall on the small island.

    Wallace seemed to be nervous at this sight. "Shit, I was hoping we'd have more time to get to the top. Brendan, May, I need to get back to Sootopolis and help in whatever way I can…but I don't have a Pokémon who can get me there fast enough."

    Brendan looked to May, already knowing where this was going, and he didn't like it. "You want May to go with you while Gwen and I stay here and get Rayquaza, don't you?"

    Wallace looked very sympathetic, almost to the point of regretting that he needed to ask them to separate so soon after reuniting. "I wouldn't ask this if there was another way and it wasn't of the utmost importance," he said.

    May turned Brendan toward her and hugged him tightly. "It's okay. I'll be safe, and I know we will see each other soon," she kissed him softly, then began to whisper. "Besides, I'd prefer to have our full reunion celebration when the world isn't being destroyed."

    Brendan laughed slightly, knowing she was right. They had a job that took priority, and they could truly celebrate when that was finished. Now, they needed to make sure there would be a world to celebrate in. "May, I love you more than you'll ever know. Please don't do anything dangerous until I'm with you." She smiled and hugged a little tighter, resting her head on his chest, feeling thankful that she was shorter than Brendan by just enough so she could do this without hunching over.

    As much as they wanted to stay like that, destiny was calling, so they both let go of the other. May took out Drake's Pokéball again, sending out her Eon Pokémon and Mega-Evolving him again. She and Wallace both got on and the Latios took off, rocketing north toward the titanic clash.

    They'll be alright. We just need to do our job and hopefully Rayquaza will decide to help us. If not, then we will just need to deal with the problem ourselves, Gwen said as she began to pull Brendan into the tower to begin their long ascent.

    When May and Wallace began to fly over the city, they could already see that the two monstrous Pokémon had done major damage to the cliffs. Thankfully, none of those cliffs appeared to have any residencies on or beneath them. The spectacle right now was the two massive Pokémon and the definitive line splitting the intense sunlight, which was causing the water around Groudon to evaporate, and the hurricane-force rain, which was keeping the water around Kyogre maintaining the water on his side of the conflict. Both the Pokémon had what looked like a very intense hatred and anger toward their counterpart.

    "Wallace, what exactly are we going to do here?" May asked.

    "We need to get citizens out of the city and to the evacuation shelter. I know it won't do us much good, but it's worth a try to keep them where they'll at least feel safe and not cause a panic," Wallace said.

    May nodded. "Alright, where should we start?"

    "The residential areas," Wallace made a mark on May's PokéNav map as he said that. "That's the evacuation shelter. Get people there as you find them. If you can't convince them to come, tell them Wallace is issuing the order. If it doesn't work, just move on. Don't risk your life for the stubborn."

    May nodded. "I'll take the hot side of the island," she said.

    "Agreed. My Pokémon thrive in water, so I'm better suited for the rainy side," Wallace said as they landed at what appeared to be the line directly between the effects of the two titanic Pokémon clashing repeatedly, which was the only spot where the rain was falling at a soothing rate, and the sunlight made it comfortable to stay outside. Under normal circumstances, May might be pulling out an umbrella, some rain gear, and a pair of tap dancing shoes so she could start acting out the famous movie scene. Now, however, there was a much more important task she needed to get done. She recalled Drake and both she and Wallace went to their separate sides of the city she could hope for now was that Brendan could get help from Rayquaza in time.

    Just as May and Wallace were starting to get the citizens of Sootopolis to the evacuation shelter, Brendan and Gwen were taking a breather on one of the few floors that seemed devoid of wild Pokémon. They had already climbed sixty flights of stairs, but it seemed they still had another fifty to go. "Why the hell are there so many stairs?"

    It's called Sky Pillar, and it was built before there was such a thing as an elevator. This is probably just as much of a test as the key to the entrance, Gwen said as she levitated a stone in front of her face in a circle, trying to calm her nerves with the simple practice.

    "Do you think Rayquaza will even care about what Kyogre and Groudon?" Brendan said. "From what I remember hearing, those two fought for almost a millennium before the dragon did anything about it."

    But that was when the world was still being formed. I guess the world needed it then. This was caused by two people trying to upset the balance of nature. I think Rayquaza will help us once we get to the top of this tower.

    Brendan nodded and stood up, his legs feeling rested enough to continue the long climb. "I hope you're right, but we just need to find out for ourselves when we get to the top." With that, they both continued their climb, moving at a quick pace, hoping to put an end to the crisis as soon as possible.

    After nearly another hour of climbing, Brendan was crawling up the last of the steps to the roof of the tower, his exhaustion evident after both climbing and battling extremely powerful wild Pokémon. "Gwen, do me a favor," he said as his Gardevoir floated up to his side.

    What is it? she asked.

    "Never let me climb that many stairs again…for any reason," he said.

    Well, I can't really promise that, since I hear there are a lot of stairs in the Pokémon League's headquarters.

    "Ah damn it," he said under his breath. He took his time getting to his feet, his body thoroughly hating him for climbing so many stairs at once. Just as he got to his feet, Brendan and Gwen both heard one of the most powerful roars either had ever heard, and they saw a gigantic, serpentine creature circling the tower above them. Brendan stood in awe of the creature, whose raw power could be felt from this distance, and it was already as strong as either Kyogre or Groudon. The difference was that this power felt more comforting in a way, whereas Kyogre and Groudon both had an aura that screamed the Pokémon were dangerous. "Rayquaza," was all Brendan could whisper, but even with the lowest volume he could speak, his voice still caught the attention of the green serpent.

    Within a second, the legendary Pokémon had come to the triangular stand at the very peak of the tower, and its intense gaze was focused on Brendan and Gwen. It gave a low growl, making every fiber of Brendan's being vibrate in response. Gwen nodded and looked to Brendan.

    Rayquaza knows why we're here, and he said he will help. He just needs your help with one thing. In his current state, he won't be able to even intimidate Kyogre or Groudon in their primal forms.

    Brendan looked directly at the Pokémon, whose piercing yellow eyes made him feel very small. "What do you need me to do?" Rayquaza's gaze turned to Brendan's Keystone, and Brendan understood what the legendary Pokémon wanted. "Don't you need a Mega stone to do that?" Rayquaza growled lowly again.

    He said that he is the only Pokémon who doesn't need one. Just touch the keystone and we will get to Sootopolis in no time. Gwen said.

    Without another question, Brendan lifted his arm and touched the Keystone, and immediately Rayquaza began to glow brightly. The transformation began with the four extensions at the back of Rayquaza's lower jaw and those on top of his head all extended forward so his head looked like an arrowhead. His arms both got slightly longer and thicker, and the small wings along his body extended out. Next, the yellow line and ring patterns on the sides of his body began to glow and attach to his lower jaw extensions as they began to float off his body, looking almost like contrails, and where they used to be were now black. Finally, the tips of the upper fins on his head and the wings at the end of his tail both grew their own energy contrails. When his body stopped glowing and his form became visible, an intense wind picked up, forcing Brendan to put his hat in his pocket or risk losing it altogether. With a single look from Rayquaza's now red eyes, Brendan and Gwen both walked up to the massive dragon and they started climbing onto his back, directly in front of the sky dragon's arms. Just as Rayquaza was taking off, he reached forward and grabbed both Brendan and Gwen by their legs. Immediately after grabbing them, the dragon shot off like a rocket toward Sootopolis, the incredible wind carrying them even faster than Avery and Drake could have.

    Gwen, I think we may have just saved the entire world, Brendan said.

    Maybe, we just need to see how Kyogre and Groudon react, Gwen said.

    A stray blast of water at insanely high pressure hit a cliff almost directly under the shelter, cutting a thirty-ton boulder from the edge. The people of the city sprinted quickly as they tried to get inside the building as the rock that had been cut free fell and crushed three houses beneath it like they were nothing but paper mache. On the other side of the city, many of the trees were ablaze from the heat, and that fire was beginning to spread.

    "Get inside, everybody!" May said as she ushered the last of the citizens of Sootopolis into the evacuation shelter, all of them either completely soaked or badly dehydrated. Thankfully, nobody had been stubborn enough to stay in their houses any longer than they needed to grab essentials. Now, even though they were all inside the safest place in the city, May wasn't sure it would be safe enough. By now, the buildings along the white cliffs of Sootopolis were either severely damaged, or they had already been destroyed completely. The two monsters, which was now the only word that May could really use to describe the two Pokémon in the center of the city's lake, seemed to be taking some time to catch their breath after their last bout, the force of their colliding attacks alone had nearly destroyed the city as a whole. May could tell they were about to start again. She was terrified, and she knew she couldn't do anything about it without sending her Pokémon to their deaths.

    She continued to watch as she stood under the small canopy hanging over the entrance to the shelter, her fear rising as both Kyogre and Groudon began to straighten up and charge their attacks. The power from them was so great that May could feel it radiating from their positions. They stopped as the wind began to speed up. At least, that's what she thought until she sensed Gwen's presence suddenly, followed by a roar that caused Kyogre and Groudon to both stop their onslaughts altogether. She looked up and saw the clouds parting in a circle of light, revealing a serpentine creature that looked almost like an arrow flying at a target. The only things that ruined the nearly perfect streamline form of the Pokémon were two figures on its back. Brendan, Gwen, you did it, she thought in awe, not knowing that Gwen heard her thoughts clearly. Rayquaza took up a powerful posture as a massive wind made Kyogre's storm dissipate and Groudon's massive heat wave cease completely, and he let loose a single, powerful roar. The instant the sound was heard, Kyogre and Groudon both retreated, vanishing into a cave in the center of the island. Rayquaza then descended toward the evacuation shelter, letting Brendan and Gwen get off on solid ground.

    "Thank you Rayquaza. We owe you, and I hope we meet again," Brendan said as he gave the dragon a light pet on the snout. Rayquaza growled contentedly, then pulled away, flying back into the upper atmosphere.

    The wind died down as the sky Pokémon vanished from sight, but May couldn't have cared less. She immediately sprinted over to Brendan and knocked him to the ground with the force of her hug. "I love you so much, Brendan," she said through tears of joy.

    "I love you too May," he kissed her cheek and pet her hair softly, while Gwen just smiled. She decided not to tell them that everybody in the evacuation shelter was at the windows with a video camera recording every second of what they were doing. After all, they'd see it when it went viral the next day.
     
  3. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
    Posts:
    100
    PokéPoints:
    ₽36.3
    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    Fighting Nature

    Brendan and May both stood up after a few minutes of laying in puddles, only to see that the people in the shelter had come out and there was now a fleet of helicopters over the city. Most of them were from news stations, but there was a single red one with the Team Magma symbol on it, and it was flying toward the lower sections of the city where Brendan could see another entrance to the caves below Sootopolis. From the water, Team Aqua's submarine rose and went toward the same location. "Seems that we know where we're going," Brendan said as Wallace came through the crowd, putting his cell phone away after what Brendan assumed was an important call.

    "That was Steven. He wants you two to meet him at the entrance to the Cave of Origin. I can lead you there…but we may take a while due to one factor," he said before gesturing to the crowd of people and the news crews that were approaching them quickly. At the front of the pack was none other than Gabby and Ty from In Search of Trainers.

    Brendan sighed, not really looking forward to being interviewed, but May kissed his cheek to reassure him that it would be fine. Gwen just smiled at them, having felt their bond and love for each other growing stronger ever since their trio met, and she could tell there was something more on Brendan's mind at this point, but she was letting him keep his secret until he was ready. She then walked directly next to Brendan on the opposite side as May just in time, since they were soon swarmed with microphones and a cacophony of questions. Thankfully, Wallace stepped in.

    "Alright, all of you, treat it as a formal press conference, hands raised and ask one at a time!" he said. "But we are also pressed for time, so they will only take a few questions for now. I will be organizing a full session for later in Ever Grande City, so save all questions for then!" The reporters went quiet and nodded respectfully, thinking about what they would ask. Gabby, however, was ready first, and Brendan was more than happy to take her question first.

    "Brendan and May, I hope you remember me and Ty from our battle on Route 111 almost two months ago. Clearly you have both gotten stronger since then, but the focus today is on how you two just stopped what can only be described as a cataclysm. Could you possibly explain what was causing the terrible weather and destruction?" she asked.

    May decided to start. "While it may seem unbelievable, it was the result of two legendary Pokémon being awoken: Kyogre and Groudon," she said, leaving out the part about the Primal Reversions. "Their power alone was what caused the weather to change." The reporters all raised their hands, new questions springing from that answer. Gwen picked the next reporter, this one from Vulpix News.

    "You said the Pokémon that caused this were awoken, do you know what caused that?" he asked.

    Brendan nodded. "Both were awoken by the former leaders of Team Magma and Team Aqua. They both let their ideals cloud their judgement, and wound up unleashing a power they couldn't even hope to control. Both men are now deceased, and their lieutenants have taken over with the promise of returning to conservation efforts," he said calmly before May picked the next reporter.

    "Does this incident have any connection to the eruption of Mt. Chimney that destroyed Lavaridge and parts of both Rustboro and Fallarbor?" she asked.

    Unfortunately, yes. That incident was caused by Groudon immediately after he was awoken by Maxie of Team Magma, Gwen said. The reporters all nodded, and then only Gabby's hand was raised again.

    "What are your plans, now that the crisis has been stopped?" she asked.

    Brendan just looked at May and smiled. "We will continue to travel to get gym badges and contest ribbons. Then I will be competing in the Pokémon League tournament and May will be in the Grand Festival." With that, Wallace stepped in.

    "But first, there is still something they need to help me take care of. If you all don't mind, Brendan and May need to come with me," he said. The crowd parted and allowed the four of them to walk past as they walked toward what Brendan and May both assumed to be the Cave of Origins. Gwen just floated beside them, and it seemed that they would get there just as Team Magma and Team Aqua both arrived. Steven exited the Aqua submarine, followed by Shelly, while Courtney exited the Magma helicopter, and they all gathered in the center of the isle.

    Steven smiled at Brendan, May, and Gwen. "You two have already done so much to protect Hoenn…but I'm afraid we must ask something more of you."

    Gwen crossed her arms and looked annoyed. You want us to go battle Kyogre and Groudon, don't you?

    Steven cringed slightly, not having seen Gwen with an expression as angry as what she was showing now. "I'm sorry, but yes. Wallace and I need to help to make sure the city and the residents are all safe."

    Brendan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine, but this is the last time for a long time that I help with something like this, got it?" May seemed to nod in agreement with Brendan.

    "Agreed. I've been kidnapped twice, and now we're being asked to go up against the literal embodiments of the forces of nature. I don't want to do that again after this…not that we want to do it now either."

    Steven nodded. "I don't blame you. In the past few months, you two have been through more than most people have in their lifetime. After this, you deserve a rest from risking your lives, and hopefully it will be more than just a rest."

    That was when Shelly and Courtney stepped forward, Shelly speaking first. "We know that we caused this, so, let us help you make it right. Brendan, do you still have what I gave you back at the base?"

    Brendan reached into his bag and pulled out the two Master Balls. "Yeah, you want me to give one to May? I was planning on that anyway," he smiled and handed one to her.

    That's when Courtney came forward. "Problem is, Master Balls are still freshly out of the prototype phase of development. The test subjects were never Pokémon on the level as Kyogre and Groudon in terms of power, let alone their primal forms. There's no telling if they'll even activate if those two aren't worn down from battle. So, you'll need to fight them with everything you have, and wear them down before attempting to use the Master Balls. We need to take every precaution to make sure they work."

    "So, we need to put not only our lives, but those of our Pokémon at risk?" Brendan said.

    Everybody winced, knowing that was exactly what they had asked, but they didn't want to put it into words. That's when Wallace stepped forward. "I know how much you both love and cherish your Pokémon. But if we don't stop those two giants now, nobody will survive the next onslaught. Even Rayquaza can't stop their fighting indefinitely.

    May nodded. "We understand…Brendan, we might as well stop debating it and get it over with."

    Brendan hesitantly nodded. "Alright, I think it would be best if we battled both Kyogre and Groudon at the same time so that we don't lose more time than we need to."

    "Which one will you take on?" May asked, already knowing that he'd take the one he felt was more dangerous.

    "I'm going for Groudon. I don't want you anywhere near that lava monster," he said.

    "Okay, then I guess I'm going for Kyogre," May said with a shrug as they began to walk toward the entrance of the Cave of Origin, but Steven stopped them before they got too far."

    "Don't forget to actually challenge them. The legends say they're very proud creatures, and if you openly challenge them to a battle, they should give you a fair fight. Keep that in mind."

    Brendan nodded. "Thank you. Let's hope the legends are right, otherwise you may not see us come back," he said. "If we don't, then let our families know we love them." With that, Brendan, May, and Gwen all entered the cave.

    As the door closed behind them, Steven and Wallace both looked after them. "Godspeed you two," Wallace said.

    "They'll comeback. With their skill, I wouldn't be surprised if Brendan takes your title soon," Steven said.

    "You mean the title you deserve to have. You stepped down because you felt you got too strong. Not the best reason, if you ask me," Wallace said.

    "My friend, I gave you that title because new trainers should have an achievable goal. Besides, I can't run Devon while also being the Champion."

    "I suppose that's true," Wallace said as they all fell silent, knowing that the fate of Hoenn now rested completely in the hands of Brendan and May.

    And now we're at the last fork in the road, Gwen said with a small pout. To the left, the walls of the cave were lined with glowing red crystals, while the right side had glowing blue crystals. It was obvious to them which way they needed to go for their respective battles.

    "Alright, I guess we should get to our battles now," May said.

    Brendan nodded silently, his mind now debating something he'd been considering for a while now, but he'd always thought it was too soon. Now, considering the circumstances and that he may not get another chance, he decided to go with his gut. He reached out and grabbed May's arm before she got too far, earning a surprised look from her.

    "Wait, May, I have to ask you something," he said, his nervousness clear in his voice.

    She looked a bit confused, so she turned to face him directly. "What is it?" She saw Gwen smiling behind him, but if she knew what he was going to say, and she wasn't saying it first meant that it was very important.

    "I know that we've only known each other for less than a year, and I know we're both younger than twenty, but considering how much we've been through together, I think now is the best for me to ask this," Brendan looked her in the eye directly, and showed her the strong emotion behind what he was about to say as he lowered himself to one knee. "May Birch, I don't have a ring, but will you please…marry me?"

    May was stunned, to say the least. She certainly loved Brendan, but was she really ready to commit to that level of a relationship with anybody? But, she had to agree that after everything they had been through, just the thought of being with Brendan for the rest of their lives made her feel a sense of euphoria that she had never known before. And the thought of one day raising a family with him made her even happier than words could describe. All of these emotions came together into the only, tearful response she could say. "Yes, I will marry you, because we will survive this and we will make it to our dreams together. Just promise me one thing," she said, the tears of joy falling freely, when Brendan stood up, she kissed him softly and pulled away. "Promise that you will love me for the rest of our lives together."

    "Of course, if I couldn't do that, I wouldn't be wasting your time with this," Brendan leaned in and gave her another kiss. "Now, want to go save the world?"

    "Of course. Let's do it like bad-asses," May said, making Brendan laugh at her tone. That was when Gwen joined in the moment with a tight hug.

    Don't forget that I'm pretty much the PokéAunt to your future kids, she said with a smile.

    May laughed harder there, her smile showing that she loved this moment and didn't want it to end. But, fate was calling them elsewhere for now. So, she decided then and there that she would show him just how much he meant to her.

    "Well, let's get these battles over with," Brendan said. "Then we can be together tonight." May just gave him a brief kiss before they parted ways and walked to their battles.

    Brendan and Gwen were steadily feeling the heat increasing as they got lower into the cave, almost getting as hot as the inside of Mt. Chimney had been. Brendan was already sweating while Gwen was making a heat shield of sorts for herself, though it wasn't as effective as she would have liked it to be.

    So, we're about to fight the embodiment of magma and continental expansion, and we're supposed to win, right?

    "Yeah, we don't really have many other options," Brendan said as they got to the entrance to a massive cavern that glowed with lava from below. Just inside, they both saw the head of the massive legendary Pokémon, which appeared to be almost asleep, like it was still recovering from the battle with Kyogre. This could be perfect timing. We won't be battling it at full strength.

    I wouldn't count on that. We still need to battle a force of nature, Gwen said. Brendan just nodded, knowing she was right about that much. So, before he could stop himself with doubt, he stepped forward and raised his voice. "Groudon, I challenge you to a battle!" Brendan's voice was stronger sounding than he expected it to be. Groudon, however, was slow to even open his eyes in response. When it looked at Brendan, the Pokémon just seemed to sigh, and straighten itself before positioning itself closer to him, leaning in closer. Brendan came face to eye with the massive Pokémon, who seemed to be getting a read on his power as a trainer, the heat coming from its body making Brendan sweat more than he ever had before, and Gwen's heat shield was straining to keep her from overheating.

    Groudon nodded, as if to tell Brendan "Give it your best shot." Brendan reached for his belt and picked out Jack's Pokéball, sending out the Camerupt quickly. He figured that Jack would be faster than the behemoth, and his typing might help a little in the battle with another fire and ground type.

    "Alright, Jack, use Stone Edge!" Brendan's command was firm, yet his tone showed an edge of urgency. Jack stomped hard, sending multiple pillars of jagged rocks out from the pathway they were standing on, striking Groudon in the chest. The entity of magma seemed to stagger slightly, but a fierce look appeared in his eyes. He swung his hand and struck the ground, sending multiple thick, but sharp pillars of stone from the ground from directly under Jack, knocking out the Camerupt in one hit.

    Brendan was beyond stunned at the sheer power behind the Stone Edge…no, it wasn't a Stone Edge. This was a far more powerful attack. He had no idea what it was, but it was something fitting of a Pokémon of this caliber. To fight this, he needed to use something with strategy and smart battling. So, he pulled out Turk's Pokéball next and threw it, letting out the water type.

    Brendan, be careful, I don't know if this is going to work like any other Pokémon battle, Gwen warned.

    "I know," Brendan said. "Turk, use a Water Pulse!" The Crawdaunt tried to gather water at Brendan's command, but just as quickly as the orb formed, it evaporated.

    It's the heat and its ability are causing this. I doubt water attacks can touch him.

    Groudon is a fire and ground type, and water is our best chance at beating him. How the hell are we supposed to beat him now? Brendan scowled slightly. "Alright, Turk, let's change out tactics. Try Swift!"

    The star on Turk's head began to glow before firing a stream of star-shaped beams at Groudon. The monstrous Pokémon seemed to roll his eyes before opening his mouth and firing a gigantic Solar Beam. Swift hit its mark, but Turk had no way to avoid the incoming beam. His best chance would have been Aqua Jet, but that wasn't possible in these conditions. The Solar Beam hit hard, and Brendan physically felt the pain Turk felt. I'm sorry Turk, I promise your effort won't be wasted. When the dust settled, Brendan saw that Turk was struggling to stay up. It was obvious that the crustacean's pride was what kept it from falling. Brendan was truly touched by what he saw, but he couldn't bear to see his Pokémon like this.

    "Turk, come back, please. You've done enough!" Brendan said, the crustacean seemed unhappy with being called back, but he couldn't get the strength to stand back up and resist. Brendan knew this would hurt Turk's pride, but it was better to fix that small issue than to let his friend be one of the few Pokémon to die from a battle. After all, it was well-known that the loss of his Raticate nearly drove the legendary trainer, Blue to insanity.

    With Turk safe, Brendan then began to strategize more. He couldn't beat Groudon with water, its greatest weakness, and it had power beyond anything he had imagined. So, he decided he needed sheer power to combat that. He grabbed Nikki's Pokéball and threw it, letting out the massive sloth-ape Pokémon. Nikki just stretched before the heat made her take on an uncomfortable look. "Nikki, I know it's hot, but we don't have a choice, we need to battle now. I promise you'll get a lot of rest after this." Nikki nodded, and stood with one fist on the ground. Her eyes gleamed with determination as she waited for Brendan's command. "Use Crush Claw!"

    Nikki leapt toward Groudon, her hands glowing as she punched the magma golem across the face, doing some serious damage, and causing it to release a purple aura, indicating a loss in defense. Groudon, however, just looked annoyed as he arched his back and let loose with a massive Lava Plume attack. He then simply punched Nikki, sending her back onto the stone path Brendan and Gwen were standing on, just to be doused with the incoming magma. She fell to her knees and tried to shake off the lava, but Groudon decided to end it there. He slammed his fist onto the ground again, creating the more powerful version of Stone Edge, sending Nikki flying into the air. Groudon then caught her and slammed her into the ground again. When he removed his massive hand, Nikki was in a heap, her body seeming to shiver despite the heat. Brendan didn't hesitate to recall her.

    He now had only three choices: Gwen, Avery, and Clint. And against this type of power, Brendan needed to play it smart, especially since those three were all able to Mega-Evolve. Brendan needed to pick the right one for this battle, but he couldn't jump the gun on it either. This next decision could easily decide the direction of this battle.

    Gwen put a hand on his shoulder. I think Clint will be a good choice now. He's got the speed to dodge the attacks, and he's got attacks to counter Groudon's ground type.

    True, but he's also weak against Groudon's fire type, Brendan said.

    Well, we don't have many other choices for this, she said.

    Brendan nodded, taking Clint's Pokéball off his belt and sent out the grass raptor. Thankfully, it seemed that the Pokémon enjoyed the high heat around them. Brendan figured this would help with the battle to an extent.

    "Clint, start this with a Dragon Pulse!" Brendan said. Clint reared back and fired a bright stream of energy, hitting Groudon in his chest. Brendan smiled when he saw Groudon stagger even farther than he had from Jack's Stone Edge. That was short-lived as Groudon fired three massive Fire Blasts at Clint. Without Brendan needing to say anything, Clint sprinted out of the way, then used the heat to fire off a Solar Beam of his own.

    Brendan was partly surprised at how well Clint was doing. After all, he had been on Brendan's team for just as long as Gwen had been. But the level Groudon was at was nearly unbelievable. Even with the skill Clint had, the other Pokémon in his party had at least been on par with the Sceptile, yet they had been almost rag-dolled by the legendary Pokémon. But, he couldn't just sit back and admire his Pokémon's work.

    "Alright, Clint, use Solar Beam again!" Brendan said. Clint fired another stream of solar energy at Groudon, who fired his own Solar Beam to counter. The difference was that Groudon's was much larger than Clint's. The two beams collided, and began to fight for dominance. Brendan, however, had a different idea. "Dodge and use Leaf Storm!" Brendan said. Clint stopped his attack as he spun to the side enough to let the beam pass and land behind him before whipping his tail around and throwing a massive cyclone of leaves at Groudon, hitting the legendary Pokémon's face.

    Groudon seemed to take some damage from the attack, but when he glared at Sceptile, Brendan knew that he was done holding anything back. The giant Pokémon closed its fist and had fire gather around it before punching Clint hard, his fist alone being as tall as Clint's entire body. Clint then flew almost out the same corridor from which Brendan and Gwen had entered. When he struck the wall, Brendan knew immediately that Clint was out of the battle. He recalled the Sceptile, and immediately went with his gut this time, choosing Avery's Pokéball next and sending out the Eon Pokémon.

    Avery, unlike usual, did not try to play with Brendan, fully grasping the importance of this battle. She looked back at Brendan, nodding to tell him that she trusted him completely for this battle. With her superior speed, she knew she'd be able to at least out maneuver Groudon, if not outright defeat him.

    "Avery, use Mist Ball!" Brendan said. A ball of fluffy down gathered with a light blue aura in front of Latias before she fired off the shot. She hit her mark and made the titan stagger again, and another purple aura came off the Pokémon, this time for a drop in special attacking power. As much as he wanted to smile at the step forward, Gwen reminded Brendan that they hadn't won yet, so he remained focused. Avery then began fly around Groudon at speeds the beast couldn't hope to match, trying to buy some time for Brendan to strategize. Thankfully, she didn't need to do that for a long time. "Use Calm Mind, then use Psychic!"

    Avery began to glow with a green aura as she flew, increasing her special abilities. That aura then turned blue as Avery gripped the titan of the continents. She knew her opponent would be way too heavy to lift, so she settled for a very tight grip that slowly got tighter. Groudon roared out in protest, but that shifted to anger as he let loose another primal version of Stone Edge, this time sending the pillars up in a ring around himself, hoping to hit Avery with at least one.

    Unfortunately for Brendan and for Avery, that hope was fulfilled, as Avery's right wing was clipped by a pillar, cutting the skin and nearly shattering the bone. The Eon Pokémon cried out in pain with the hit, and only barely made it back to Brendan before collapsing onto the ground, her expression showing that she was in a great deal of pain. Brendan put their foreheads together, trying to soothe her. "You did very well, Avery, and I know you have a lot of spirit, but I cannot let you get hurt any more than you already have. I promise, you'll get the best healing once we all get back." With that, he recalled Avery. Now, it was just Gwen and himself standing against Groudon. He didn't even need to say anything for Gwen to float out.

    Are we going Mega? Gwen asked.

    I don't think we have any other choice, Brendan said as he held up the ring and put his hand to the keystone. Gwen's Gardevoirite began to glow with Brendan's keystone, and once the streams of light connected, she began to transform, taking on her mega form. Now, she was fully ready.

    Alright, you have a plan? Gwen asked.

    You remember when we first battled Maxie and Aesir? Brendan asked.

    You mean a stall and power-up tactic? I don't know how long I can stall with Groudon, but I can try, Gwen smirked as she began to make copies of herself with double team. Soon enough, the copies were flooding the walkway, but Groudon seemed to not care. Instead, he just fired off a Lava Plume. Gwen tried to ignore it and continue making copies of herself, teleporting between them as she started using Calm Mind. Gwen only barely dodged Lava Plume attack. Okay, I managed to get two Calm Minds off. Do you think that's enough? Gwen asked.

    If you can manage it, get one more, then use Hyper Voice, Brendan said. Gwen nodded and created more copies while using an additional Calm Mind. Groudon decided to use what Brendan now realized was his signature attack, slamming his fist down and sending more stone pillars at Gwen, but she managed to dodge with a Teleport, timing it well, but not well enough. In a flash of painful memory, Gwen's left arm was hit with a pillar, and she knew immediately that it was broken. Ow, damn it, Gwen said before she shrieked loudly, the pink soundwave striking harder than any of the previous attacks any of Brendan's other Pokémon had used before. And, thankfully, it made Groudon slump over to catch his breath. Brendan wasted no time in taking the lone Master Ball off his belt and activating it.

    "Groudon, sorry it came to this, but I have to do this to protect the world," Brendan said this as he made his throw, the ball hitting perfectly on Groudon's head, pulling him in and falling back to the walkway, where it began to shake. Brendan held his breath, hoping the Silph Company hadn't just been exaggerating the strength of their prototype Pokéball. Surely enough, though, the Master Ball stopped and sparks appeared around it. The capture was complete. All Brendan could to was walk over and breathe a heavy sigh of relief. He'd made it through the battle. Now, he just had to hope May had done as well as he had.

    After parting with Brendan and Gwen, May was flustered from the proposal to say the absolute least. She had just said yes to marrying Brendan, all while feeling like the day he had appeared in her room while she wore nothing but a towel had only been yesterday. It was honestly funny how fast time had seemed to pass for their journey, but at the same time, it was frightening. She was still only…going to be nineteen in a few days, since she just realized that it was April 25, her birthday being on May 1.

    "Well, this is one hell of a birthday gift," May said to herself with a smile. Even if she felt some uncertainty, it was overwhelmed by her happiness and excitement. Now, however, she needed to get focused on what she had to do now, especially since she could see the entrance to the cavern where she could see the massive leviathan Pokémon almost sleeping. "I guess this is it." The cave itself was massive, with mist filling it completely.

    She stepped into the cave and spoke loudly. "Kyogre, I challenge you to a battle!" She didn't waver as the massive Pokémon opened its eyes, and regarding her with almost disinterest before he began to swim around the area, showing that he had accepted her challenge.

    May then noticed that it was almost raining inside the cave. She knew she'd be soaked to the bone by the time this battle was over, but the less restrained side of her felt she could use it with Brendan later.

    No, focus, stop thinking like that! May thought before she grabbed Asteroth's Pokéball, sending out the Spiritomb. The Pokémon almost hissed as he appeared, but Kyogre seemed to continue his disinterested look. "Alright, let's start this off strong. Thunderbolt!" May called.

    Asteroth's body seemed to crackle with electricity before it spiraled out toward the leviathan. The attack hit its mark, causing the Pokémon groan in protest. It then dove under the water, staying there for a while before leaping out, firing four massive torrents of water, each with about the same force of a Hydro Pump attack. The attack pummeled Asteroth, and the Forbidden Pokémon almost howled in protest. When the water stopped flooding in, Asteroth had retreated into his Keystone, fainting from the heavy water pressure alone. May didn't know what to say.

    What the hell was that attack? I've never seen anything like that, May wasn't sure what to think as she recalled her Spiritomb. Well, if it has that kind of power, then I may need to weaken it slightly with a status condition. With that thought, she threw Lily's Pokéball, letting out the Beautifly.

    "Lily, I need you to use Stun Spore as fast as you can!" May's voice conveyed the importance of the situation. Lily flew over the giant Pokémon and sprinkled a cloud of yellow dust over the Pokémon. The "rain" from the cave's ceiling was actually helping to speed up the delivery of the powder, and even mixing it slightly with the surrounding water in the cavern. It was very diluted, but May knew it would have to do for now. She'd let Kyogre gather a paralysis status over time, then he'd hopefully be weak enough to catch.

    Kyogre, however, wasn't going to have any of that right now. Suddenly, there was a massive chill in the air as Kyogre leapt from the water and fired off what May could only guess was a Sheer Cold attack. Unfortunately, the attack hit its mark and Lily plummeted to the ground, fainting as she landed. May sighed and called back her Pokémon, considering her next move. Perhaps a water type is needed, she grabbed Graham's Pokéball and sent out the Pelipper.

    "Graham, hit him with Super Sonic!" May said. The pelican Pokémon shrieked at an extremely high pitch, the sound waves hitting Kyogre, who looked almost unaffected, but he also had a new look of disorientation. Alright, that should make it easier to face him. Kyogre leapt from the water, gathering what looked like another quadruple hydro pump, only for it to explode in the legendary's face, sending him back into the water, creating a large wave, which rolled completely across the platform May was standing on, soaking her shoes and feet completely. Damn it. I hate having wet socks.

    May then looked to Graham. "Alright, use Stockpile as many times as possible." Graham then began glowing lightly, gathering energy in his bill and increasing his defensive abilities. Kyogre, who now seemed to have shaken off his confusion, gathered energy as rocks began to come off the walls. Oh no, is that Ancient Power? Before she could answer that question, Kyogre did it for her, throwing the rocks as a scarlet aura surrounded him, indicating an increase in all of his abilities. The attack hit Graham, and buried him under the stones. Kyogre then used an Aqua Tail to clear the stones and let May see that her Pokémon was knocked out.

    May recalled Graham, gritting her teeth in frustration before sending out Erza. The Lairon seemed to be very ready to battle. May was happy to see that, knowing it would prove vital to winning the battle in the end. "Use Shock Wave!" May said, hoping to hit Kyogre with a super-effective attack to speed things up. As Kyogre was swimming around the area, Erza picked her shot and fired, sending out a wave of electricity in all directions except at May. The leviathan was unable to dodge the incoming attack, so he chose to counter it by firing another quadruple hydro pump, and breaking through the electricity and just barely missing Erza and hitting the ground around her. Erza looked a bit angry as her attack failed, so, with a roar of defiance, she began to glow brightly, slowly gaining a bipedal stance, horns growing from her head and her tail growing much longer. Her front legs shrunk to look more like arms, and her plating seemed to get thicker.

    When the glowing ceased, May saw Erza had evolved into an Aggron. This was a literal game changer for this battle. "Alright, Erza, use another Shock Wave. Let's see if Kyogre can counter this now!"

    Kyogre heard her, however, and he decided he wanted none of it. So, just as Erza was about to fire her next attack Kyogre leapt from the water and fired another quadruple hydro pump, and this time his aim was true. Erza roared slightly, but she managed to power through the attack, and she fired off another Shock Wave, hitting Kyogre just before he got back into the water. Erza, however, could not continue and she collapsed from exhaustion. Even with the boost of an evolution, the Aggron could not match Kyogre's power.

    May recalled Erza and made a decision on her next Pokémon, sending out Drake. Unknowingly, she had followed Brendan's thought process in saving her first Pokémon for the last part of the battle.

    Drake looked determined, and was definitely exuding an aura of confidence. He then decided to fire off a Thunderbolt without May needing to say anything. This one was significantly more powerful than what came from Asteroth, but Kyogre saw it coming, diving underwater and narrowly dodging the attack. So, Drake fired another one, hitting the water and hoping it was salt water. If it wasn't, then the attack was just wasted. Kyogre then leapt from the water like a bullet, slamming into Drake as he passed overhead, dealing some damage to himself with his Double-Edge attack. The Latios, however, was more durable than that. He would not yield just because of a few bruises.

    "Alright, try a Dragon Pulse!" May shouted as Drake flew around the cave, keeping pace with the knots Kyogre was swimming at. With his body glowing slightly, Drake fired a powerful Dragon Pulse at Kyogre's back, making the Sea Basin Pokémon roar in protest before he dove under again, only to leap back up and fire off a Sheer Cold at point-blank range, knocking out the blue Eon Pokémon instantly. May wasted no time in recalling the Pokémon from the air. She was now down to only Miranda, who had a major type disadvantage. Nonetheless, May sent out her Blaziken. With a grunt of confidence from Miranda, May decided that she needed a mega-evolution to make sure she won this.

    She hit her keystone, unknowingly at the exact same time Brendan hit his to mega-evolve Gwen, and Miranda's Blazikenite started to glow, linking with the glowing keystone as she swiftly took her streamline mega form. May smiled and Miranda turned toward her trainer, nodding with confidence. Sure, they might be in a bad situation, but they had turned around worse together.

    "Alright, bide your time, and once he surfaces, use Sky Uppercut. That should be enough," May said calmly, her hair now matted down by the pseudo rain. Surely enough, Kyogre had chosen that moment to try and use the quadruple hydro pump again. But, Miranda was far too fast for him to match as she leapt at him and, with her fists glowing, punched the massive fish in the underbelly. Kyogre grunted loudly, but May decided that enough was enough. She was cold, she was soaked, and she just wanted to hold her boyfriend…no, her fiancé, for the rest of the night. So, as Kyogre was briefly airborne, May grabbed the Master Ball and threw it at Kyogre. The massive sea creature was pulled inside, and the ball landed on the slightly drier land. It rolled around briefly, only for sparks to fly an instant later.

    Not really feeling the overwhelming sense of excitement at the capture, May just breathed a sigh of relief as Miranda returned to her normal form and was recalled to her Pokéball. After picking up the Master Ball on the ground, May began the trek back through the cave to the fork where Brendan had proposed.

    As both trainers rounded the last corner that had blocked their view of the junction, they both broke out into bright smiles, May running across the path and leaping into Brendan's arms, wrapping her legs around his waist.

    "We did it. It's finally over, and we can finally go back to just having fun on our journey," she whispered happily as she kissed his cheek.

    Brendan just sat on a nearby rock that was shaped conveniently like a stool, and was soon embraced by Gwen too, even with one of her arms hanging limply by her side. He didn't say anything. He didn't need to. After all, May had said everything that needed to be said in that moment.
     
  4. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
    Posts:
    100
    PokéPoints:
    ₽36.3
    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    The Joy of Life

    Through the battles, Wallace, Steven, and every member of Team Aqua and Team Magma could feel all the powerful tremors, and they all seemed to be holding their breath collectively as they waited for the battles to end. When the tremors finally stopped, they all began to wait on baited breath, unsure if Brendan and May had been victorious, or if they had been defeated. It took about ten minutes, during which time Brendan and May were telling each other what they'd experienced in their battles, but they kept it brief, knowing that their Pokémon needed to be healed as soon as possible. When the doors to the Cave of Origin finally opened, everybody breathed with relief, and Steven ran up to the trio as they walked out of the cavern. Gwen looked worse for wear, and her shoulder was heavily bruised.

    "Is it over?" Steven asked, keeping it simple.

    "Yeah, it's over," Brendan said as both he and May held up the now filled Master Balls. "I got Groudon, May has Kyogre."

    Steven nodded. "I see, and it looks like it took everything you had."

    May nodded this time. "Yes, it was like fighting a storm for us…we only barely won. And it was only because we were lucky."

    Steven looked at Gwen, and realized that her arm definitely needed immediate medical attention. "Alright, I'm going to take you guys to my personal wing of the Pokémon Center here. It has its own doctor and nurse, and they're some of the best in the region," he said.

    Brendan seemed to perk up a bit at that suggestion. "Really? That'd be great," his voice, however, seemed to show his thorough exhaustion with the whole experience more than excitement, and May's face showed it as well.

    Steven started to lead the way out of the grove. Wallace stopped them briefly before they left. "I'll be in contact in a few days. You two should take that time for some rest and relaxation," he said. Brendan and May just nodded and continued to follow Steven to the Pokémon Center, only taking about twenty minutes to get there. When they walked in, a nurse immediately walked up to greet them.

    "Hello Mr. Stone. It's a pleasure to see you again. How may we be of service to you?" She asked.

    "I'm having two of my friends stay here for a few days. They just had some very intense battles and their Pokémon need to treatment," he said, gesturing to Gwen as an example, the bruise having gotten worse as they walked.

    The nurse looked to Brendan and May. "Alright, please give me all your Pokémon, and I will take them to the healing area for the doctor to start healing them." Brendan and May both removed their Pokéball belts and handed them to the nurse. "What Pokémon do you two have?"

    "I have a Sceptile, a Slaking, a Crawdaunt, a Camerupt, a Gardevoir, and a Latias," Brendan said. The nurse seemed to perk up slightly at the mention of Avery.

    "And I have a Blaziken, a Beautifly, a Pelipper, an Aggron, a Spiritomb, and a Latios," May said. The nurse once again seemed surprised at the mention of an Eon Pokémon.

    "Alright, we'll assess their injuries and let you know when they'll be fully healed. We can call to the residence area when we finish the assessment to let you know how long their healing will take.

    Brendan nodded. "I think I should mention that just battled the two Pokémon that were battling out in the middle of the lake earlier." The nurse looked like she was about to faint when he said that.

    "Why in the name of Arceus would you put yourselves or your Pokémon through that?" she said as she took their Pokéballs and belts.

    "Ask him later," May said as she pointed to Steven. "He'll explain it." They then walked with the thoroughly confused nurse to the treatment rooms, where they saw the doctor seemingly waiting for them to call for her. She had short brown hair, a curvy figure, and slightly tanned skin. She seemed to give off a reassuring aura that told Brendan and May their Pokémon would be in good hands.

    "Hello, you two, I am Dr. Alicia Reynolds, and it seems I'll be caring for your Pokémon. I promise you that no matter how long it takes, we will have your Pokémon fully healed and in peak condition. In the meantime, please enjoy the residence as long as you'd like," she shook hands with both May and Brendan before taking the Pokéballs with her. With that, May and Brendan both gave Gwen a gentle hug, taking care to not cause her any pain.

    I'll be okay. I'll see you both in two days at most, she said.

    Brendan nodded. I'll stop by to make sure you're doing alright tomorrow morning. He gave her one more hug before letting her go with Dr. Reynolds. The nurse then led them to the other side of the wing where she opened a door, revealing a huge room with a king-sized bed, and a bathroom easily big enough for at least twenty people to fit comfortably.

    "Well, thank you for your help," May said to the nurse.

    "Of course, I'm very happy to help in any way," she said. May just smiled and whispered something in the nurse's ear, before the woman left the young couple and closed the door behind her. That was when May turned to Brendan, her smile telling him that she had something more on her mind than just resting for their time here.

    "You know, I'm really cold, and I feel like we could both use a hot shower, why don't we go together and…have some fun?" May said, pulling Brendan close, her eyes looking more than seductive. "After all, we really should celebrate not dying today."

    Brendan kissed her, holding her waist gently. "I think that's a good idea." He let May take him by the hand and pull him into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind them.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Meanwhile, Gwen was once again laying in a healing pod, Dr. Reynolds streaming the anime Bleach for the Gardevoir's entertainment while she was healing. Gwen was on the fifth episode when she began to sense what Brendan and May were doing.

    Oh, come on! Again? she thought as she did her best to block out the sensations. Well, at least now they're engaged.
     
  5. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
    Posts:
    100
    PokéPoints:
    ₽36.3
    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    Juan of the Best

    Three days after the incident with Kyogre and Groudon, Brendan was lying awake in the bed with May, both still naked from last night, just looking at his new fiancée, marveling at just how beautiful she was. They had spent their days sightseeing in the city, even getting a TM for Brick Break from a kind-hearted martial artist. There were even a few people who recognized them from the news broadcast and asked for their autographs. During the evenings, they would get passionate and let their primal instincts take over. During all this time, every minute they were together just served to reaffirm how he felt about her, and Brendan could definitely feel it as he watched her sleeping with her head resting on his chest. I hope this moment never ends, he thought as he remembered the activities of the previous night. Literally, nothing had been off-limits, and May even asked him to put it where most guys only dream of with their woman. Sure, he was sore now, but it was the type of soreness that came with a sense of pride.

    Just as he was getting lost in thought, the phone rang. May groaned at the loud ringing, waking up while Brendan answered the phone. "Hello?" he said.

    "Hi Brendan, this is Dr. Reynolds. I'm just calling to let you know that all of your Pokémon have all made a full recovery. You may pick them up from the front counter at your leisure," said the voice on the other line.

    "Thank you, doctor, we'll be there around…" he looked at the clock and saw that it was only nine in the morning. "Noon." With that, they both hung up, and Brendan turned his attention back to May. She looked absolutely beautiful, even with bedhead, and he couldn't deny how good it felt to have their bodies in such close contact.

    "Hey," she said with a tired smile. "How's my stud today?"

    Brendan blushed a bit when she called him stud, not expecting her to say that. "I'm great, just thinking about how lucky I am to be in love with you."

    May smiled and kissed his chest. "Well, you're too sweet," she said as she moved her body over his, slowly straddling him like she had last night.

    "Do you want to go again?" Brendan asked, a bit surprised.

    May just giggled. "Would that be a bad thing?"

    Brendan smirked. "No, I guess it wouldn't be." May kissed him softly, and began to lightly grind her hips on him. It didn't take long before they were continuing their activities from last night. They lost track of time as they showered and pleasured each other that morning, miraculously getting ready by noon almost exactly. It was more miraculous that they both looked presentable, and not like they had just rolled out of bed. The nurse at the counter already had their Pokéballs out on the counter when the two trainers got to the front desk, while Gwen seemed to be chatting with her happily.

    Well, looks like the lovebirds finally decided to join us today, Gwen said. Brendan went slightly wide-eyed as Gwen gave him a knowing look.

    "Yeah, yeah, we slept later than usual today. Cut us some slack," Brendan said as he collected his Pokéballs and put them on his belt, where they belonged. May did the same, slightly giggling when she heard Gwen speaking to her.

    So, you're saying you two didn't "engage" each other this morning? Gwen said, with a giggle. Brendan did the best he could to ignore her. That was when he had a realization, almost feeling guilty about it.

    "Excuse me, nurse," he said, getting her attention. "Is there a video phone in this building? I'd like to make a call."

    "Yes, there is a private phone just down the hall and to the left. The walls of the room are sound proof," she said.

    "Thank you so much," Brendan said, and May immediately picked up on what he wanted to do. In all honesty, she was thinking the same thing. All three of them went to the booth, which was very spacious, and Brendan dialed the number for his house.

    In Littleroot Town, the Maple family was sitting with the Birch family, enjoying a lunch Norman had prepared for everybody.

    "Well, Norman, you're one hell of a chef. If ever you decide you don't want to be a gym leader anymore, you should definitely look into opening a restaurant," Professor Birch said with a hearty laugh. Caroline gave Edmund a look that just said, 'don't encourage him,' which only made Norman smile more.

    "It was nothing, just a simple burger cookout," Norman said.

    That's when Lily Birch spoke up. "Well, on a different note than Norman's cooking, did you two see the news broadcast from Sootopolis this week?"

    "No, we haven't had the chance to watch the news much recently," Caroline said as Sylveon came up to her and nudged her hand to get some attention.

    "Brendan and May were on it. I think you need to watch it, because I honestly have trouble believing what I saw there. There are other videos too, and they're going viral pretty fast," Ed told them. Just as he said that, the video phone on the wall began ringing. When they saw that it was from the Sootopolis Pokémon Center, Caroline automatically answered the call, bringing up the image of Brendan, May, and Gwen, all smiling

    "Well, speak of the Giratina, and he shall appear," she said as the others joined by her side.

    "How's it going you three? Haven't heard from you in a few weeks," Norman said

    "Hey, sorry we haven't called in a while, we've been really busy lately," Brendan said.

    "Honestly, I don't know if you'd believe us if we told you everything that's happened," May said.

    "Well, start wherever you want, we've got nothing but time," Lily said.

    May seemed happy to see her parents after so long, but she knew that she was about to worry them tremendously. "First, promise you won't freak out when we tell you what we've been doing recently," she said.

    Edmund noticed that all three of them looked exhausted at that moment. "We can't really promise that right now, but we will try to temper ourselves," he said with a tone that showed he was already a bit worried.

    "Well, we should start with what happened over the last month since we were last in Littleroot," Brendan said, beginning the story with catching Avery and Drake on the Southern Isle, and they went from there, May occasionally taking over. They didn't mention their new betrothal when they got to that part of the story, but Brendan could see a look in Norman's eyes that told him his father knew that he was waiting for that part of the story.

    Needless to say, both of their parents looked more than a little scared for their children when the story ended, but they also looked relieved at the same time. "Well, we're just glad everybody is safe," Lily said, breaking a silence that had built.

    "Agreed," the professor said. "As interested as I am in studying Groudon and Kyogre, I'm much happier that you're both alive and well."

    That was when Norman spoke up. "That's all great to hear, but I can see you both have something else you want to tell us," he said.

    May decided to answer that question with a slight blush. "Well, Brendan and I just got engaged," she said, earning a very surprised look from both of their parents.

    "Wait, already?" Caroline asked, clearly questioning the speed that the teens had made such a big decision. Norman, however, seemed more like he expected to hear something like that.

    "It makes sense. After what you two have been through together, I can see that you two are extremely close, much more than you were last time you called us," he said.

    "Are you at least going to take some time before the wedding?" Lily asked.

    "Yes, of course. We still have to finish our journey, and we'll keep dating each other for a while before getting married," May said.

    Caroline sighed in relief. "That makes me feel better," she said before looking at May. "I think you and Brendan will make a beautiful family together some day." Brendan blushed slightly, and Gwen's sly look didn't help.

    "It's really early for that, isn't it, Mom?" Brendan a bit quietly, making Norman laugh loudly.

    "Well, good luck to both of you. Brendan, since you're in Sootopolis, then I should tell you this: Do not underestimate the gym leader there. Word among the other gym leaders in Hoenn is that the man mentored the current champion," he said.

    "Thanks Dad, I'll remember that while I'm battling him," Brendan said.

    "You two keep working hard, you have no idea how proud of both of you we all are. And please let us know when the league tournament and the grand festival are," Professor Birch said. "We will all be there to watch you in person."

    "Of course, neither will be for a few weeks, but we'll let you know as soon as we find out when they are," May said with a smile.

    "Alright, we'll talk to you both soon, keep in touch, and please be careful. Remember that you guys can always come home if you want to," Norman said.

    "We will. See you in a few months at most," Brendan said. They said their goodbyes and ended the call. Gwen was still giving them both a sly look when they turned to the door, but she stopped when Brendan gave her a playful glare. She giggled and they all walked out to the waiting room, where they were pleasantly surprised to see both Steven and Wallace, who were evidently waiting for them.

    "Good morning you two, you seem to be well-rested. How'd you enjoy the suite?" Steven asked.

    "It was very comfortable. Thank you so much for letting us use it," Brendan said.

    "Yeah, we loved it so much," May said.

    "You are most welcome," Steven said. "However, it just so happens that there is something else that we are here for."

    Brendan looked interested, so Wallace stepped forward. "I would like to lead you to the Sootopolis Gym. The leader, Juan, has been eagerly awaiting Brendan's challenge," he said.

    Oh, cool, Norman just told us about him, that should be an awesome battle! Gwen said, earning a chuckle from Steven.

    "I should've figured that you were talking to your families," he said. "Norman probably couldn't resist giving his son a little warning."

    Brendan smiled a bit. "Yeah, seems he couldn't, but I can say that he only told me not to underestimate the leader."

    "That seems like something Norman would do, for sure," Wallace said before he started walking and leading the group out of the Pokémon Center and to the center of town, where the gym sat, surprisingly completely unaffected by the devastating battle a few days ago.

    "Wow, this place is beautiful!" May said, almost having stars in her eyes. The building was reminiscent of an ancient temple, made completely out of white marble granite on the outside. It was accentuated with fountains resembling various water Pokémon, with one grand statue in the center that was an exact image of a Kingdra.

    "The gym was modeled to fit the tastes of Juan, and he's very eccentric," Steven said.

    As he said that, a Spaniard, who looked about ten years older than Norman exited the building and joined them. He was wearing a blue traveler's coat with white trim along the edges, along with a white blouse with a round blue jewel around his neck. He had a black dress shirt on underneath and a pair of violet dress shorts over black leggings. He wore a pair of very fashionable aqua shoes, and his sleeves were rolled up at the cuff and accentuated by the frilled white sleeves of his blouse. He had a thin mustache the same black color as his hair, which was accentuated with what looked like three white feathers.

    "Wallace, my old student!" Juan said as he embraced the blue-haired man, a Spanish accent clear in his voice. "It's great to see you again, my boy."

    "It's great to see you too Juan, my friend," Wallace said with a wide smile on his face.

    Brendan, didn't Norman say that this town's leader was the mentor to the champion? Gwen said to only him.

    Yeah, he did. You don't think that Wallace is…

    "Brendan, isn't it?" Juan said enthusiastically. "I am quite happy to meet the savior of the region. I am Juan, leader of the Sootopolis City gym."

    Brendan smiled and shook hands with the man. "It's a pleasure to meet you too. Wallace and Steven have both spoken quite highly of you."

    "Well, I am sure their descriptions pale in comparison to your exploits in the past few months. Ever since I heard that you defeated your own father in a battle, I have been expecting to see you in my gym. Our battle will be one of elegance and splendor, truly one for the history books," Juan said, moving his hands in a slightly pompous, but fitting gesture to accentuate his words.

    Gwen smiled back. And we look forward to our battle. I promise you that Brendan and I will give you a great battle.

    Juan looked only slightly surprised when he heard Gwen speaking. "It has been quite some time since I saw a Pokémon with the ability to speak like a human. You are truly a rare specimen of your kind, and such a beautiful one as well." Gwen blushed happily, and Brendan could tell that her ego had just gotten a massive boost just by looking at her.

    Juan then turned to Brendan and smirked confidently. "Shall we head inside now? The battlefield awaits us," he said. Steven and Wallace started to follow Juan inside while Brendan, May, and Gwen all brought up the rear.

    So, looks like our audience is going to be a bit bigger than usual, Gwen said.

    Yeah, and a hell of a lot more influential, Brendan said, getting a slight giggle from Gwen.

    Just before they were to get into the gym, May grabbed Brendan's hand and pulled him into a quick kiss. "That's for luck. I know you'll do great," she said.

    Brendan smiled at her and gave her a hug. "This is why I love you so much," he said. "I'll be sure to give it back for your next contest." May giggled before they entered the truly amazingly decorated gym.

    The battlefield was a perfect combination of water and dry land to allow water Pokémon to battle without restriction, and it seemed bigger than the other battlefields Brendan had seen in Hoenn. The interior of the building was extravagant as well, with a combination of Unovan and Kalosian architecture styles forming archways. The stands looked almost like the ones from the famous Orre Colosseum, just with a better polish and finish to them.

    He's clearly very well-traveled, Gwen said, her voice making it clear that she was impressed.

    Yeah, especially since he's got designs from Orre, Brendan said as they took their positions on the battlefield.

    "Well, Brendan, what do you say to a battle of attrition. The last trainer with Pokémon fit for battle is the winner," Juan said.

    "Sounds good to me," he said, which caused the screen on the side of the battlefield to light up and show both Juan and Brendan's profiles with five Pokéballs beside Juan's face, and six beside Brendan's.

    "I'll start us off with Maria!" Juan said as he threw a Pokéball, letting out a Pokémon that looked like a little heart. Brendan pulled out his Pokédex, knowing he'd need information on his opponent.

    It scanned the Pokémon and displayed the picture, the electronic voice giving him the data. "Luvdisc, the Rendezvous Pokémon. Type: Water. Luvdisc live in shallow seas in the tropics. This heart-shaped Pokémon earned its name by swimming after loving couples it spotted in the ocean's waves. Luvdisc's heart-shaped body is a symbol of love and romance. It is said that any couple meeting this Pokémon is promised a loving relationship that never ends."

    Brendan just looked over at May, who just blushed slightly when it said the part about a "loving relationship that never ends," but he needed to focus. He decided that, even though the opponent's Pokémon was a water type, he might still be able to win at least one round with Jack. So, he sent out the Camerupt. The images of both Jack and Maria appeared on the screen with green health bars beside them.

    Juan seemed to get an almost disappointed expression. "Dios mio, niño, surely you know that you put yourself at a severe disadvantage."

    "Type-wise, perhaps, but maybe I have another strategy," Brendan said, realizing that Juan hadn't noticed the Heat Rock pendent around Jack's neck. "Like this! Jack, use Sunny Day!" Jack gathered what looked like a bright white light on one of his volcanos before launching it up into the air, creating an imitation of the sun, intensifying the heat of the battlefield. Juan raised an eyebrow, now seemingly intrigued.

    "Very well, Maria, use Water Pulse," Juan said. Before Brendan could even react, the Luvdisc leapt from the water and fired three rings of water at Jack, all with perfect accuracy. They hit their mark, making Jack's health bar drop to about half of the maximum.

    "Damn, she's still strong. Then we'll just use Stone Edge!" Brendan smiled as he watched Maria dive back into her pool of water just in time for Jack to step on the ground, making multiple stone spears erupt from the pool…with none of them hitting the intended target. "How is that possible? How did she dodge it?"

    "How, you ask? Simple, Maria is very good at dodging. Her form makes it easy for her to swim gracefully around any attack," Juan said. Maria, as if wanting to mock Brendan, did a graceful leap from the water, and twirled in the air as the Stone Edge retreated back into the ground before going back into the water. Brendan gritted his teeth in mild annoyance.

    "I see, then I'll just need to be much more careful. So, I'll just do something a bit more rash. Jack, use Earthquake!" Jack stomped on the ground again, making the battlefield quake and break apart, one breaking directly under Maria, knocking her into the air. Juan, however, seemed to be just fine despite Maria's health dropping by a third.

    "Maria, use Aqua Jet," Juan said. Maria twirled quickly and surrounded herself with water and she began to spiral forward, hitting Jack hard in the side, making him stagger as his health dropped to less than the one eighth mark. "Now, make that a Water Pulse!"

    "Counter with Flamethrower!" Brendan said. Jack turned and unleashed a jet of fire from his mouth. At the same time, Maria transferred all of the water from her Aqua Jet into three rings of water, firing all of them at Jack. The attack from the Luvdisc wrapped around the Flamethrower from Jack, neither attack affecting the other, but it was now clear to Brendan that he had failed Jack. When the attacks both hit, Maria simply dove back into her pool, while her health bar stopped at the quarter mark. There came a buzzer as Jack fainted. Brendan sighed and recalled Jack. "I'm sorry, buddy. I shouldn't have put you out there without gauging his skill. I promise you that we'll win this for you." Brendan put the Pokéball back on his belt.

    You'll need some speed. It might be smart to use Turk now, Gwen said. He's got the speed, and he's got at least some neutrally effective attacks.

    Brendan nodded to her and grabbed Turk's Pokéball, letting out the Crawdaunt, who seemed very ready to battle. Juan smiled. "So, you have a Crawdaunt as well. That's very interesting to see. Let's see how you use him," he said.

    "Turk, use Night Slash!" Brendan said with a smile. Turk's claws both began to glow with a black and violet light.

    "Use Flail!" Juan said. Maria leapt from the water and began whipping her body around, slapping against Turk before he swiped his claw across her body, launching her across the field. The buzzer sounded as Maria fainted. Juan sighed, but Brendan stayed focused, seeing that Maria had done a lot of damage with that single Flail.

    Juan recalled Maria, thanking her extensively in Spanish, before pulling out his next Pokéball. "Vamos, Santiago!" he said as he sent out a Crawdaunt of his own. This one, however, was more brown than red, which told Brendan that this one was, like Erza, a shiny. "Now, use Dragon Dance!" Santiago gathered energy, which formed a red and black aura, boosting his speed and his attacking strength.

    Brendan gritted his teeth a bit. This would make things more difficult going forward. "Alright, Turk, use Brick Break!" he said, happy that he and May had done their sightseeing earlier in their visit to Sootopolis. Turk's claw began to glow brightly as he raced forward toward Santiago, swinging hard.

    "Santiago, use your own Brick Break!" Juan said. Santiago's claws glowed the same way as Turk's but he moved just slightly faster than his red counterpart. So, despite Turk starting his attack faster, the two Crawdaunts hit each other at the same time. Turk grunted loudly as he took a lot of damage, and it showed on the battle monitor as his HP dropped to a tiny sliver. Santiago, however, only dropped to about the halfway mark.

    Damn, Dad wasn't kidding about not underestimating Juan, this guy is an amazing battler, Brendan thought, but he couldn't dwell on that. "Turk, use Aqua Jet!"

    "Santiago, use Crabhammer," Juan said as Turk surrounded himself with water and leaping at Santiago. Santiago's claws both began to glow brightly. Turk hit his opponent directly, dropping his health by only a small amount, but it would still help. Santiago, however, was done dealing with Turk. He pivoted slightly and slammed his claws into Turk's back, the buzzer sounding almost immediately as Turk was knocked out. Brendan recalled his Pokémon, his focus not wavering. He knew the consequences he would face if he did lose focus.

    "Well, niño, it seems that you've got some good instincts in battle. I wonder how far that will carry you," Juan said, his expression bordering on a confident smirk.

    We have more than that, Gwen said. We'll win this for sure.

    "Right, and to help me prove it, I choose Nikki!" he said, throwing her Pokéball out. The Slaking gave a grunt, showing her readiness to battle.

    "I see. You take after your father. I should've been ready for something like this," Juan said with a chuckle. "But then again, you did recently defeat Norman, and that is no small feat. Let's see how you handle yourself."

    "I agree, so I'll start it like this. Nikki, use Hammer Arm!" Brendan said, his passion for this battle clear in his voice. Nikki moved fast, closing the distance in two seconds as her arm began to glow. She swung hard, sending Santiago rocketing into the walls around the field. She snorted as the buzzer sounded again, making it clear that she meant to win this entire match.

    Juan smiled and chuckled slightly as he recalled Santiago. "I see, you love battling a lot, don't you? It's clear from the way both you and your Pokémon are so passionate for what you're doing. I haven't seen that type of passion since Wallace was my student," he said with a smile. "Now, let's see if you can win this round. Go, Bagre!"

    Brendan was shocked to see a Pokémon that looked like blue catfish with a yellow underbelly and a yellow "W" on his forehead, that dove into the water on Juan's side before sticking his head out so he could fight effectively. Brendan pulled out his Pokédex once again, needing some information. The image appeared and the device began to speak. "Whiscash, the Whiskers Pokémon. Type: Water and Ground. Whiscash is extremely territorial. Just one of these Pokémon will claim a large pond as its exclusive territory. If a foe approaches it, it thrashes about and triggers a massive earthquake. If Whiscash goes on a wild rampage, it sets off a quake-like tremor with a radius of over three miles. This Pokémon has the ability to predict real earthquakes."

    I see, this should be interesting. There's no distinct advantage on either side, Brendan thought. Gwen just smiled. This was how she knew Brendan loved to battle. It wasn't with the life or death pressure that he'd been having almost exclusively recently. This was the Brendan she and May both loved so much. "Alright Nikki, start this with a Slash!" Nikki began to run again, albeit a bit slower as she felt the effects of Hammer Arm. As she approached the catfish.

    Juan just gave a "tch-tch" sound to Brendan. "You should really be more cautious sometimes. Bagre, use Fissure!"

    Brendan's eyes went wide as a massive crack formed in the field directly in front of Nikki, who was helpless as she fell into it. The crevice closed hard and then opened again, launching the unconscious Slaking into the air. It closed a final time as Nikki hit the field, the buzzer sounding immediately. Brendan was in shock. Nikki was one of his strongest Pokémon, and she had just been beaten so easily. He recalled her, debating his next Pokémon. Clint could make this a quick win, but Brendan wanted to save him for later. The Sceptile would likely prove a good final trump card, but not just yet. So, he went with the one Pokémon he knew couldn't be hit by a ground type.

    "Avery, come on out!" he said as he sent out his Latias. The Eon Pokémon cooed happily and went through her usual routine of flying to Brendan and nuzzling him sweetly. "Hey, I know, I missed you too. Are you ready to win some battles?" Avery gave a soft coo and a nod. Brendan smiled as she turned toward Bagre.

    "So, niño, you brought an Eon Pokémon. You are truly quite the trainer. Let me see just how well you two work together," Juan seemed more intrigued than before.

    "Then we won't disappoint. Avery, use Dragon Pulse!" he called. Avery reared back and fired off a beam of purple and green energy at Bagre. Bagre dove to try and dodge, but it was useless. The attack was already too strong as it split the water almost like a biblical scene, and the beam hit the Whiscash. It dropped his health significantly, almost making it turn red on the screen, while the water settled back into place. "Great, now use Psychic!"

    "Hydro Pump!" Juan said. Avery began to glow as Bagre opened his mouth. Just as Avery gripped her target, Bagre fired a massive torrent of water. While it didn't do much to her damage-wise, it threw off her concentration. Bagre broke free of the Psychic attack, taking only minimal damage from the attack. Even so, he was starting to slow down, his fatigue apparent.

    "Well, that was well done, my boy. You should be proud, but you still have a long way to go," Juan said. "Now, Bagre, use Ice Beam!" The Whiscash leapt from the water and fired a beam of freezing energy at Avery.

    "Dodge, then use an Ice Beam of your own!" Brendan said. Avery was more than cheerful as she twirled around, causing the incoming attack to fly past her and hit the ceiling. She then fired a beam exactly like Bagre's, but it moved with much greater speed by comparison, hitting her target directly on his belly. Bagre groaned loudly and the buzzer sounded as he fell to the ground again, landing in a heap. Juan recalled his Pokémon and pulled out his next one.

    "You're doing much better than most of my other challengers, especially with this being your final gym battle before the league tournament," Juan said. "But, I still won't go easy on you. Nor will Léo!" He threw his next Pokéball and sent out a large sea lion Pokémon. Brendan once again needed to go to his Pokédex for help.

    "Sealeo, the Ball Roll Pokémon. Type: Water and Ice. Sealeo has the habit of always juggling on the tip of its nose anything it sees for the first time. This Pokémon occasionally entertains itself by balancing and rolling a Spheal on its nose. While the Pokémon is rolling something, it checks the object's aroma and texture to determine whether it likes the object or not." Brendan chuckled a bit. Sealeo definitely sounded like a fun Pokémon, but his impression of the one in front of them now was that he meant business and only business.

    "I suppose I'll keep the ball rolling. Avery, use Thunderbolt!" Brendan said. Avery launched a spiraling stream of electricity directly at Léo.

    Juan would not let his Pokémon lose so easily. "Léo, use Sheer Cold!" The Sealeo reared back, and for the second time in this match, one of Juan's Pokémon fired off a one-hit K.O. attack. Avery, knowing that her losing would make it much harder for Brendan to win this gym match, boosted her attack power by using a fast Calm Mind. The two attacks collided and vied for dominance. In the end, they just exploded in the middle, creating a cloud of dust and smoke.

    "Avery, now's your chance! Use another Thunderbolt!" Avery was faster in firing her next stream of lightning, and this shot hit Léo before he had a chance to dodge or even react. The buzzer sounded after a few seconds as the attack finished off the Pokémon.

    "Very well, it seems you've come to my final Pokémon. He will not go down without a major fight," Juan said. "Go, Rey!"

    Brendan almost groaned when he saw the final evolution in the Horsea line dive into the pool on Juan's side of the field. He knew that Kingdra was a powerful Pokémon, with Clair in Johto also having one on her team. It was one of those Pokémon that trainers almost universally wanted, but very few ever actually got.

    "I see, so dragon against dragon? Seems fitting," Brendan said.

    "Indeed, niño, but you are about to find that one of our dragons is stronger than the other by a significant margin. Rey, use Dragon Dance!" Kingdra was surrounded with a red and black aura as his power and speed were both boosted.

    "Avery, Calm Mind!" Avery was surrounded by a green aura and her special abilities increased.

    Juan smirked slightly. "Dragon Rush!" Rey's body began to glow with a light blue aura before he dove deeper into the water before leaping and flying directly at Avery at incredible speeds.

    "Dragon Pulse!" Brendan called. Avery fired her attack, but Rey had other plans. Rather than try to dodge and call of his attack, the Kingdra plowed right through the beam, losing about half of his health in the process. However, when he slammed into Avery and sent her plummeting into the ground, Brendan could see his reasoning. It was even more apparent when the buzzer sounded. Avery cooed sadly to Brendan, despite being just barely conscious.

    "Juan, could I get a brief timeout?" Brendan asked. Juan nodded, understanding that Brendan was going to console his Pokémon. He knew from his few encounters with trainers and their Eon Pokémon that there was a strong bond between the Pokémon and the trainer.

    When he got to her side, Avery looked at Brendan in a way that said she was about to cry. Brendan knelt down and gave her a hug. "It's okay, Avery. You were incredible out there. You battled with more heart than ever before, and I never thought a standard that high could be raised," he said. Avery cooed softly, rubbing her face against his cheek. "I love you too Avery. Now, get some rest. I promise that I will win this match."

    He recalled Avery and walked back to where he had been standing, and thinking about whether he should use Clint or Gwen now. Oh, forget the debate with yourself, it's my turn, Gwen said as she walked out onto the field. Let's do this.

    "I see, so it's time for your Gardevoir to take the field. I have been looking forward to meeting the one rumored among the gym leaders to be one of the strongest of her species in the modern era," Juan said.

    "Well, we won't be disappointing you," Brendan said. Gwen, let's go mega! He touched his keystone and both it and Gwen's Gardevoirite lit up simultaneously. When their light beams connected, Gwen morphed into her Mega Form, smiling confidently.

    Listen up Juan, we're here kick some ass and chew bubble gum, and we're all out of gum, Gwen said. Brendan face-palmed as she said that, and Juan started to laugh heartily at her joke.

    I really should stop letting you watch so many quotable movies, Brendan said. But this isn't time to joke. I need you to use Hyper Voice.

    Oh fine, Mr. Kill-Joke, Gwen said as she shouted loudly, sending a sonic wave toward Rey.

    "Don't take advantage of when I'm distracted, that's not honorable," Juan said. "It seems that I must teach you a lesson, niño tonto. Rey, use Double Team, then Dragon Dance!"

    Brendan got a bit nervous as the Kingdra began to multiply around the field like Gwen would usually do when facing a strong opponent. It was a bit daunting, but Brendan knew they could win, even after the Hyper Voice missed its mark. That was, at least, until Rey started to glow with a red and black, boosting his power and speed again.

    Gwen, be careful. Use Calm Mind again, then use Shock Wave! Brendan said. Gwen smirked, knowing that Brendan had a plan to win this. She began to concentrate deeply, a green aura appearing around her.

    Juan, however, had different plans. "Rey, end this round with Iron Head!" Just as Gwen finished gathering power, Rey launched himself out of the pool, the crown of his head glowing brightly like polished metal.

    Gwen, Shock Wave, NOW! Brendan said with worry in his voice. Gwen managed to get off an attack, sending some powerful electricity in a ring. The Kingdra grunted as he was hit, but he kept going, slamming his head into Gwen's stomach, knocking the wind from her lungs. GWEN!

    Brendan looked on with worry as Gwen's health bar dropped rapidly. S-sorry Brendan, I think I- the buzzer sounded as Gwen hit the ground and passed out. Rey, however, dove into the water again, his eyes showing determination.

    "Gwen!" Brendan yelled with worry as he ran to her side. She reverted to her normal state just as he got to her. "I-I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have sent you out without knowing that he could use a Steel-Type move," he said with regret.

    Gwen barely came back to consciousness, and smiled at her trainer, putting her hand on his cheek. It's fine, guess my luck of winning every battle I've been in has dried up, she said with a weak giggle. Now, don't worry about me. Just win this battle.

    Brendan nodded as he picked her up bridal style and carried her back to his side of the field and set her down in a more comfortable position. He took a look at the screen, seeing that Rey was below half his health, and he saw that Jack's Sunny Day was still in effect thanks to the Heat Rock. Without a second thought, he threw out Clint's Pokéball, sending out the grass type.

    "I see, so the niño had a Sceptile lying in wait. I'm glad to see you had a strategic fail-safe," Juan said. "But so do I. ICE BEAM!" Rey leapt from the water, firing a stream of icy energy.

    "Clint, dodge, then use Solar Beam!" Brendan said. Clint leapt out of the way, but Rey was fast with adjusting his aim, hitting the Sceptile in his chest. Brendan was worried as he saw his Pokémon's health drop fast, but practically sighed in relief when it stopped just after it got to the one-quarter mark. Clint struggled to his knees, and, with the help of the Sunny Day, immediately fired off an incredible beam of green, yellow, and white energy, his aim perfect. The attack hit Kingdra just as the water dragon was about to re-enter the pool.

    When the blinding light cleared, Rey was slumped against the far wall with a scorch mark on a large area surrounding him. The buzzer sounded, and Juan sighed. "I see. Your dance of battle was, indeed, superior to mine." The gym leader recalled his Pokémon and walked over to Brendan. "I am positive that you will do very well in the upcoming Pokémon League Tournament."

    Brendan smiled confidently. "Thank you, Juan. I really enjoyed that battle. I'd definitely agree to a rematch if you ever want one."

    Gwen stood up as he said that, her legs clearly unsteady, but she still stood nonetheless. And I promise you that I will be much stronger next time. Rey will not beat me as easily as he did, she said.

    Juan laughed slightly. "I am sure that you will be." He pulled out a badge shaped like a trio of rain drops, handing it to Brendan. "I now confer onto you the Rain Badge, and the badge that qualifies you for the Pokémon League Tournament."

    Brendan graciously took the badge, only to be turned around by his fiancée once he had it in his hand. "Well, that was a great battle. Deserving of another reward," she said before she kissed him briefly.

    Brendan smiled. "Well, I think it's your turn to get back on the contest circuit," he said.

    "Then I guess we'd better get back to the Pokémon Center and plan that out," May said.

    With that, the trio said their farewells to Steven, Wallace, and Juan, heading to the Pokémon Center. Brendan helping Gwen walk back as they got out of sight.

    "Well, Wallace, are you a bit nervous now? I get the feeling that you won't have your title for much longer," Juan said.

    "The boy was good, I admit. But he has a long way to go before he takes the Champion title from me," Wallace said, smiling softly. "But he is a remarkable young man, Champion or not."

    "That he is," Steven said. "I got that feeling from the moment I met him in Granite Cave, and he has yet to prove me wrong."

    "Perhaps, but I think he will be surprised to find out that the champion title is pretty meaningless with a trainer as strong as you still around," Wallace said, referring to Steven.

    Steven just smiled back. "Perhaps, but give it time…give it time."
     
  6. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
    Posts:
    100
    PokéPoints:
    ₽36.3
    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    The Pacifidlog Dream

    Brendan woke up slowly two days later, as he and May were traveling by ferry to Pacifidlog town, where May could get her fifth and final ribbon before she could compete in the grand festival. May was beside him, sound asleep and was wearing only a pair of panties and a bra, while Brendan wore only a pair of boxers. They weren't touching this time, but it was still good to be so close to each other. Gwen was over in the other bed still asleep, so Brendan decided that now was a good time to order some room service for everyone. He got out of bed and picked up the phone, dialing for the kitchen and ordering enough omelets, Pecha and Razz Berry smoothies, and home fried potatoes for himself, May, Gwen, and all the rest of their Pokémon. They deserved that type of treat after all they had been through.

    When he finished placing the order, Brendan casually looked around the cabin, that Steven had booked for them as additional thanks for their help with Kyogre and Groudon. It was a massive room easily big enough to hold all their Pokémon at once. It was impressive to say the least, and the view from the balcony was typically amazing. So, to pass the time before the food arrived, he put on some shorts and a t-shirt, grabbed a bottle of water, and sat down on the Adirondack chairs outside, enjoying the ocean air. He could even see the Sky Pillar from where they were, albeit it was still far away. From that information, Brendan figured they had at least a few more hours before getting to their destination. "This is what a journey should be. No fighting to save the world, just being with the ones I love, and continuing to get stronger for no better reason than to have fun and bond with my team," he said. As he said that, he felt a pair of hands cover his eyes as his vision went black.

    "Guess who!" May said, sounding cheerful and well-rested.

    "Hmm…Is it Gwen?" Brendan said, clearly joking. May giggled and moved her hands to his cheeks to tilt his head toward her. She then gave Brendan a sweet kiss before sitting down next to him. "Did you sleep well?"

    We both did, thank you for asking, Gwen said as she came out onto the balcony as well, sitting on the third chair as well.

    "Gwen, I know what you're thinking and feeling. I always know when you sleep well," Brendan said, with a sly smile.

    "Well, I slept like a rock. It's always comforting with you next to me," May said with a smile.

    "I'm really glad to hear it. Seems that our lives are back to normal after all," Brendan said. He took another deep breath, enjoying the breeze in his hair, when a knock came from the door. "And that is perfect timing."

    Brendan went inside the cabin briefly before coming back out with the tray provided for their meals, and set it all down before May and Gwen. "My treat."

    "Wow, Brendan, you didn't have to get these for us," May said happily.

    "Oh, but I wanted to get it for you," Brendan said. "Why wouldn't I treat my beautiful women to a great meal?"

    May blushed. "Damn, you're so flirty for the morning."

    Brendan smiled. "I plan to do even more flirty later today too."

    Oh, just stop before I throw up, Gwen teased.

    Brendan just laughed as he sent out his other Pokémon, May doing the same thing, so they could all have their breakfast. Brendan gave all the Pokémon their food, and they all began to enjoy their meals. All of the Pokémon were extremely pleased and they all ate quickly, thoroughly enjoying their delicious meals, just as Brendan and May did the same. May was almost giving a face Brendan had learned intimately while in Steven's personal wing of the Sootopolis Pokémon Center, and Brendan couldn't blame her. The food was exquisite, and it had superb flavor.

    "Brendan, you just love to spoil us, don't you?" May said. She was blushing deeply at this point. Brendan just smiled and winked. That was when Drake and Avery began a game of tag in the air around the ship, playing cutely and causing a few passengers on the main deck below to start filming. Just from that, Brendan knew it would be a great day. Hell, it might even be smooth sailing from now on.

    By about three in the afternoon, they made landfall, getting to Pacifidlog Island quickly. It was a small island with a few of the homes practically floating on the ocean to protect the reef while the city expanded. It was a beautiful location, looking like the most tropical area in the entire region, which was saying a lot for the Hoenn region, all things considered.

    They got to the Pokémon Center easily enough, finding it at the center of the town next to what Brendan assumed was the contest hall for the city. It wasn't until they got inside that they saw someone that they had been missing for the past month. "Lisia!" May said as she ran forward, giving her friend and mentor a tight hug.

    Lisia looked shocked at the sudden hug, but that changed quickly to a mixture of fear, worry, and happiness. "Oh, my Arceus, where have you three been? May, you missed the Sootopolis contest, and the next thing I know I see you three on the news in Sootopolis less than a week after!"

    May laughed a bit awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head. "Yeah, about that…it's…kind of a long story," she said.

    Lisia just pulled May along with her to a private room, followed closely by Brendan and Gwen. "Alright, it sounded like it wasn't a story just anybody should know, so spill. Tell me exactly what happened and don't skimp on the details," the eccentric coordinator said.

    May nodded as she got into the story, describing it as best she could while Brendan filled in the details of what happened while May wasn't with him. All throughout the experience, Lisia looked more than intrigued, and even appeared to be slightly terrified at some points. May, however, left out the part about the engagement for the main story, wanting to save that for the last detail she told her friend.

    "Wow, I…I don't know how you two are still sane after that," Lisia asked.

    "Well, to be honest, I almost lost my sanity without May," Brendan said, feeling a bit ashamed of himself for how far he had almost gone multiple times. While he had acted to help the woman he loved, it had nearly been at the cost of who he was as a person.

    "But you didn't…it makes me wonder if you two had something else happen that you aren't telling me," Lisia said, raising an eyebrow.

    "Well, I didn't get a chance to get the ring from Fallarbor yet, but May and I decided to get engaged," Brendan said.

    Lisia almost squealed with excitement as she hugged May. "Congratulations you two. You must be so excited!"

    "That's an understatement," May said with just as much giddiness as Lisia was showing. "Honestly, I had no idea that he would do that at the time, in all honesty. But I know for sure that he's the one for me."

    "That's so sweet! When's the wedding?" she asked.

    "It won't be for a few more years now, since we agreed we're both still a bit young for marriage," Brendan said.

    Lisia nodded in understanding. "Makes sense. You don't want to marry before you're ready, but it must be nice to know that you love somebody so much this early on," she said. She gave May one last hug before deciding to talk business. "Have you gotten any training for this contest's routine?"

    "Honestly, no. Being held captive by Team Aqua kind of interfered with that," May said.

    "Well, then you should know that this is a doubles contest. You'll have two Pokémon at once for both the performance and the battle," Lisia said. "Think you can handle that?"

    May just smirked and held out her hand jokingly. "Hi, my name is May, it seems we haven't met." Lisia just rolled her eyes and laughed.

    Brendan looked at Gwen as the two coordinators began to get lost in the strategic planning for this contest. Well, another sign of returning to normalcy, Brendan thought.

    "Welcome one and all to the final contest before the Grand Festival, The Pacifidlog Town Extravaganza!" Vivian Meridian said happily. The entire crowd lost it with excitement as she began to introduce the judges, all of whom were pretty much the same as they had been in the other contests.

    Brendan, Lisia, and Gwen all sat in the best seating in the massive contest hall that surrounded the stage like in a colosseum. The architecture was a lot like Juan's gym, but it was made from concrete rather than marble and there were no statues around the building. It's really nice here. I honestly really like Orre architecture. Can we please visit there some day? Gwen asked Brendan.

    Sure, but that may need to wait for a few years as well. It's not going to be a cheap trip. Plus, Orre is a massive desert, there's not much really there.

    "Now, please give it up for our first contestant! She missed our last contest in Sootopolis, but she's back again! It's May Birch!" Vivian said.

    May walked out onto the stage, wearing a new outfit made by Lisia's personal stylist. It looked almost like Gwen's dress, but it was a pearlescent pink, and her hair had a lot of blue highlights in it, at least only for this contest. She then took out her two Pokéballs. "Come on out, Miranda and Graham." Both the Blaziken and the Pelipper appeared out of their Pokéballs and they looked enthusiastic.

    "Now, Miranda, Graham, you both know what to do!" May said. The two Pokémon nodded and leapt into action, Miranda starting a Fire Spin, and Graham using Hydro Pump. Both attacks flew at each other, but rather than collide and erupt into steam, the attacks swirled together, making a cyclone of fire and water, showing a beautiful swirling of color. One could even interpret it as a metaphor for two opposites coming together to make something beautiful. At least, that was how it looked until the two Pokémon redirected their aim. It then formed a heart of water with flames in the center, making it look like an embodiment of passion. Graham then fired an Ice Beam, freezing the water on the outside of the fiery heart, making it a true combination of opposites. That was Miranda's cue as she lit the ice on fire with a weaker Flamethrower, intentionally keeping the heat lower. The attack caused the ice to melt slowly. It was clear to Brendan that May was making a metaphor meant for him. She was telling him that her love for him would keep getting stronger until the very end. The flames did their job, dissipating once the ice had melted. That was May's cue to take a bow, which Graham and Miranda both copied The judges seemed to love it as well, giving her a perfect score as the crowd thoroughly agreed with their applause.

    "I think May has something on her mind with this performance," Lisia said with a smile as she looked over at Brendan. "She's really excited about marrying you, you know that, right?"

    "Oh, she's shown that a few times recently," Brendan said.

    Yeah, sometimes it was really physical. I even think she took him for a ride, Gwen said shamelessly.

    "Arceus, Gwen," Brendan said, trying to keep his voice down as he watched the next coordinator, who used a Machamp with a Rhyperior. Lisia was blushing heavily at Gwen's comment.

    "S-so, was it…ummm…good?" Lisia asked, clearly not sure what else to say in response, and that her question was just the first to come to mind.

    They've done it almost every other night since they got engaged, Gwen said.

    "Seriously, Gwen, cool it," Brendan said. Gwen just giggled.

    What's the problem? I'm only speaking to you and Lisia. She's one of May's best friends, after all, so I doubt she wouldn't have found out soon.

    Lisia seemed to look away innocently and scratched, secretly having planned to ask May about that subject later tonight. Brendan turned his attention back to the next performer to try and end that conversation. The Pokémon being used currently were a Scizor and a Milotic to great effect, but Brendan could tell that this contest was going to be a repeat of the Lilycove Contest. May was clearly the best in this pool of coordinators.

    Two more performances later, and it was time for the battle rounds. Brendan sat back in his seat and watched as May, Miranda, and Graham cut through their competition like a hot knife through butter. The last battle arrived quickly, with May facing off against a girl, named Rachel who looked about seventeen, and she used a Typhlosion, named Wanda and a Gallade, named Eddard, to combat Miranda and Graham.

    "Alright, Miranda, use Shadow Claw on Eddard. Graham, you use Hydro Pump on Wanda!" May called out. Miranda's talons began to glow with a black and purple light as she leapt at Eddard, while Graham fired a torrent of water at Wanda.

    "Wanda, use Solar Beam to counter that Hydro Pump. Gallade, use Psycho Cut to counter the Shadow Claw!" Rachel commanded. Graham and Wanda both fired, and their attacks collided, the two Pokémon vying for dominance. Miranda and Eddard, however, began battling and dodging with apparent ease, making it look like they were in a dance as Miranda ducked and weaved before lunging and slashing at Eddard. The four Pokémon all seemed to be in their own world of battle as they dodged, dove, ducked, dipped, and dodged all the attacks sent their way.

    It was actually quite a beautiful display, but there was no doubt in Brendan's mind that May would win this. That thought was just affirmed when May called off Graham's attack.

    "Graham, dodge that Solar Beam and use Hurricane!" she called. Graham twirled in the air as the attack flew by. He then beat his wings and got both Gallade and Typhlosion in a tornado, making them tumble around inside, doing damage to them as he went. The buzzer sounded as Rachel's score hit zero, and Graham stopped his attack. Wanda and Eddard both landed well, but they looked disappointed in themselves for the loss. Hell, even Brendan kind of felt bad for them. They looked like they had worked hard, but they just didn't pull through in the end. May walked over to her competitor and thanked her for the great battle. The audience began to applaud loudly.

    "There you have it, May Birch has earned her fifth ribbon, qualifying her for the Grand Festival, which will be in Slateport City in three weeks. That means it will be exactly one month before the Pokémon League Tournament. See you all there!" Vivian said.

    Brendan was barely tired from the day's events as he relaxed in bed later that night. "Well, Gwen, it seems that our journey in Hoenn is almost finished. Just May's festival, then the League. And, if we're lucky, I'll go up against the Elite Four," he said. Gwen was on the other bed in the room, and she just looked at Brendan slightly.

    Yeah, it's hard to believe that was only about a year ago that we just started. So much has happened since then that it feels like a lifetime ago, she said.

    "And to think, it landed me the most beautiful woman in the entire region," he said. "I'm not sure I could get any luckier."

    Well, you may get even luckier on our way to Slateport, Gwen said quietly.

    "Wait, what was that?" Brendan asked.

    Nothing you won't find out about soon enough, Gwen said as she fell asleep. Brendan shrugged slightly as he began to unknowingly fall asleep. When May came in from the bathroom, she just rested her head on Brendan's chest, wearing only a blue, Chandelures concert shirt and some ruby red panties.

    "Good night, my love. Dream about me, please," she said, kissing his cheek before falling asleep herself.
     
  7. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
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    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    The Pinnacle of Performance - Part One

    Brendan woke up slowly, feeling sore but full of personal pride. It had been two weeks since the Pacifidlog Contest, May still sleeping on his left. Brendan smiled, but he had something else on his mind. He wanted to check something, but he knew he couldn't move, or he'd risk waking his fiancée. Hey, Gwen, could I get some help with something? Brendan called telepathically.

    Oh, you're finally awake? Gwen said. You know it's almost noon.

    Yes, I know. But I need your help with something. Can you first teleport me out of the bed without waking May up? Brendan asked.

    Sure, what's your plan for when you get free of your "prison"? Gwen said, clearly just making fun of him and trying to make it harder for him to be productive.

    Promise you won't tell May? Brendan asked.

    Is it a bad secret or a good secret? Gwen asked.

    Oh, come on, you can tell exactly what I'm thinking. You know what I'm planning. Brendan put some force behind his words, making Gwen laugh as he suddenly found himself in the bathroom. Thank you. Brendan showered quickly and went into the room's small kitchen, where Gwen was already drinking some coffee.

    So, want me to join you for the excursion? Gwen asked, sounding sincere now.

    "Actually, could you stay here with May, and hang out with her and Lisia. I need you to keep them occupied. Besides, May could use some help developing her performance for the Grand Festival. It's only a week away, after all," he said.

    Gwen sighed slightly. Alright, I'll stay, she said. Get the best that you can find, but make sure it fits her.

    Brendan smiled. "Why would I cut corners with my fiancée?" With that, Brendan grabbed a bagel, then went to the balcony, sending out Avery before she flew from the building. "Alright Avery, to Fallarbor Town. With any luck, Mt. Chimney erupting didn't destroy the jewelry shop there," he said. There was a gentle tailwind for the trip, speeding them through the mainland of Hoenn.

    Within an hour, Brendan had landed in Fallarbor, seeing that, aside from a few new impact craters, the town was unharmed. Brendan sighed with relief as he approached the shop, and saw the shop was completely in-tact without so much as a scorch mark. Talk about lucky, he thought to himself as he opened the door of the shop.

    "Hello, welcome!" the shop keeper, Jared, said. "How can I he-." He stopped when he saw Brendan. "Oh, Brendan! I wasn't expecting you to be back here so soon."

    "Yeah, I wasn't expecting to be back here so soon either, but life is moving at its own pace. With all the events that have happened recently, May and I wound up getting engaged. So, like we agreed, I'm here to get her ring," Brendan said.

    "Congratulations on the engagement," Jared said. "Now, I need to ask, what's your budget?"

    Brendan pulled out his trainer card and saw that he currently had over 2 million PokéDollars from all of his battles recently. "I might be able to afford one of your more expensive pieces."

    "In that case, I think I have a few that you'll like," Jared said as he led Brendan to a display case in the back. It was full of engagement rings, but none of them had diamonds on them. The bands of the rings were all made of either white, yellow, or rose gold. There were multiple different types of gemstones on them.

    "Wow, these are beautiful. You have very good craftsmanship," Brendan said as he saw a section of rings that caught his eye. He had a feeling that they would be the best choice to fit May's personality, and even though these rings were all gorgeous, Brendan needed to look at them individually.

    It took him about half an hour of checking each one, and even though he felt there were a few that would be better than others, none of them seemed like the right one for May. Brendan then glanced over at a different display case, and a ring there that he hadn't noticed caught his eye.

    "Jared, could I see that one?" he asked. Jared smiled.

    "Ah, that one. You have fine tastes. This may be my best ring yet. It's a 22 carat rose gold ring with three blue garnets and three red garnets on the top, about a carat each. The price is 1.8 million PokéDollars."

    "Well, that's in my price range, and, even if it sounds cliché, but when I look at this one, I think of everything we've been through together," Brendan said.

    Jared nodded. "Then I think we've found the right one for May," he said. "Let's get you checked out, since I'm sure you want to get back to May as soon as possible." Brendan went to the cash register with Jared, getting his trainer card out for the payment.

    On Route 110, just outside Slateport, May was practicing the routine for the Grand Festival, planning to use Miranda for both the appeals and the battle round. It would be her last contest this year. She might as well end it where it began, with her first Pokémon, and with Brendan watching happily from the crowd. Miranda had just finished their most recent run-through of their routine.

    "Well, Gwen, what do you think? Was that good?" May asked.

    Aside from a few minor adjustments should be made, it's incredible. It might honestly be your best appeal performance yet, Gwen said as she got a brief glimpse of what Brendan was seeing at the jewelry store. She saw the ring that he had chosen, thinking it was the perfect choice. Want to go once more?

    "Sure, one more time before lunch," May said. "Alright Miranda, let's try that Thunder Punch and Flamethrower combo!"

    "Hello everybody, and welcome to this year's Grand Festival!" Vivian said. "It's been an incredible year for contests. We've had highs, we've had lows, and now, we've got a phenomenal pool of coordinators here to show us just how far they've come since this year began. For the tradition, this contest will feature none other than Hoenn's top coordinator, Lisia!"

    The crowd began to applaud loudly, many people seeming to go berserk. Brendan clapped normally with Gwen beside him, and his mother's Sylveon curled up in his lap. Right behind the three of them, sat both the Maple and the Birch families. "It should be interesting to see these performances in-person," Caroline said. "The last one I was at was the one in Goldenrod so many years ago."

    Lily Birch nodded. "And I just know May will do well this time. I can feel it in my bones that she's going to do well," she said.

    Meanwhile, in the dressing room, May was fully dressed in an outfit that her mother had given her. It was a sapphire mermaid sheath style dress made of silk. It wasn't just soft, it was luxurious. Her make-up looked great as well, with a small, perfectly drawn wing on each eye. She had on a pair of ruby earrings that, in all honesty, made her think of Brendan.

    "Well, look at you. You look like a prime candidate for the runner-up spot," said a familiar and friendly voice. May turned and smiled.

    "Grace! It's good to see you again!" she said as she gave her friend a hug. "How've you been since the Fallarbor contest?"

    "I've been practicing my routine for the festival, mostly. Otherwise, it's been a bit boring for me," Grace said. "But, a little bird told me that a certain somebody is newly engaged."

    May blushed slightly, smiling. "The wedding won't be for another few years."

    "Oh, I figured as much. You're still a bit young for marriage," Grace said. "But it's still impressive that you found your match so easily." She paused for a moment. "Anyway, when are you going on for your appeal?"

    "I'm last in line before Lisia," May said, laughing and scratching the back of her neck slightly. "And what about you?"

    "I'm at the exact middle: number ten," Grace said.

    "Well, look at these two lazy losers," said a nasally, annoying voice. May barely recognized it, but when she turned to the source, she saw none other than Chaz with Macherie by his side.

    "This coming from the guy who lost to both of us. How did you even get enough ribbons to participate in the Festival?" May said.

    "Wouldn't you like to know," Chaz said, looking angry at May's comment.

    "So, you're saying you don't want to explain yourself. So, I guess it's safe to assume that you cheated somehow. Or, perhaps you just went to small name contests and competed against those who couldn't beat you," Grace said.

    Chaz blushed with frustration, only for Lisia to come behind him. She was wearing a blue tutu with multiple white frills and lace. It was essentially a blue version of the costume she gave May for the double contest. The biggest difference was that Lisia's outfit was adorned with puffy white cotton on her wrists, around her neck and waist, and on top of her boots. She also wore a thigh-high sock with blue and white stripes on her left leg. Beside her was an Altaria, which May knew for a fact she had never met before. "Chaz, stop starting shit," Lisia said. "Besides, you know you're no match for Ali here." Lisia gave her Altaria a quick pet on his neck.

    Chaz almost growled before he and Macherie stormed off. "We'll see what happens when I perform as the fifth coordinator! I'll prove that May isn't worthy to be Lisia's student!"

    Lisia just sighed. "He's always so annoying, isn't he?" May nodded in response. "Anyway, May, I don't think you've had the chance to meet my Pokémon yet."

    May smiled as she stood up and walked over to her mentor. "No, I haven't. You said his name is Ali?"

    Lisia nodded. "Yep, he's actually my only Pokémon, but we work together so well that we became the top coordinator and Pokémon team," she said with a smile. Ali walked over to May, letting her pet his head and neck.

    "Hello there, it's great to meet you, Ali!" May said. "I'm looking forward to seeing what you and Lisia do with your appeal."

    Lisia smiled. "You should watch it from the tunnel after your performance. After all, I'll be right behind you," she winked at May when she said that.

    May chuckled. "You won't win, though. I had Gwen helping me the entire time I perfected my appeal," she said confidently.

    "We'll definitely see what happens, won't we?" May said.

    "Yes, we will," Lisia said. Grace smiled confidently behind them.

    How am I being so confident? May thought deep down. I lost to Grace last time, and Lisia seems to be on a completely different level.

    Now, now, don't think like that, Gwen said. She had secretly been listening in on May's conversation, and she wasn't about to let her favorite girl doubt herself in the most important contest in her journey so far.

    G-Gwen! How long have you been listening in? May asked.

    For a few minutes now, but that's not important right now, Gwen said. You need to remember that you're here because you won five contests already. And don't you dare forget that you've beaten Grace a few times too. And Lisia would not have picked you as her protégé if she hadn't seen something in you. And, in all honesty, students almost always surpass their master if they study hard and practice. So, tell me, have you not been training hard all this time?

    May smiled. I have been.

    Then you're going to win this. Believe me! Gwen said enthusiastically.

    May giggled silently. Thanks, Gwen. That means a lot.

    "And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. The first perfect score of the contest comes with the fifth appeal, courtesy of Chaz and Macherie!" came Vivian's voice over the television in the dressing room. May looked shocked at the announcement.

    "That moron got a perfect score?" May said quietly.

    "Yeah, and it wasn't a fluke either," Lisia said. "That combo of Thunder Punch and Flamethrower was incredible."

    May looked worried, then she watched the short replay, immediately getting furious, clenching her jaw. That's exactly what I was planning to do. Chaz was spying on me while I was practicing! How did he even watch us without us knowing

    Lisia saw May's reaction, getting worried. "M-May, are you alright?"

    "That…appeal stealing…jerk!" May said, trying to hold back tears to not mess up her make up, not fully hearing Lisia. The top coordinator looked more shocked now.

    "What do you mean?" Lisia said, her tone serious now.

    May heard Lisia this time, turning to face her, now starting to get choked up in frustration, like she was about to cry. "That was exactly the same appeal I was planning. I practiced it with Miranda, Gwen, and Brendan for a month, and that jerk just goes out there and steals it!"

    Lisia looked angry now too. "Damn it. He just broke an unspoken rule for contests. You don't steal another coordinator's appeal," she said.

    Grace walked over after having overheard their conversation. "Is there anything that can be done now?"

    Lisia sighed angrily. "Not unless you can prove that you were planning on performing that appeal too. May, do you have any videos of your practice sessions?"

    May now looked like she was about to cry. "No, Gwen would take mental notes for us when we were practicing, but we never took video," she said.

    Lisia seemed upset as well. "Then, as much as it pains me to say it, you'll need to improvise."

    That's when Chaz came back into the dressing room. "Well, Lisia, I guess you're thinking that I'm clearly the better choice for your st-" Lisia made him shut up by slapping him across the face with all her strength, leaving a red handprint.

    "So, you just weren't smart enough to come up with an appeal of your own. You had to steal May's appeal." Lisia said, her anger overflowing in her voice. "I will NEVER take a student as pathetic as you!"

    Chaz just smirked. "Whatever, I just sealed my position in the battle rounds. I wonder how your little protégé will do when she can't perform what she practiced."

    May clenched her fists tightly, then she went calm, something that sent a chill through the room. "No, I won't let your underhanded tactics beat me," she said as she glared at Chaz and walked toward him. "I may not be able to perform what I prepared, but Miranda and I are closer than you can imagine." She stopped right in front of the boy, starting to raise her voice in anger. "We even managed to beat and capture Kyogre together in Sootopolis. You think something like you stealing my routine will have any impact on my performance?" May scoffed slightly at the boy. "Don't insult me, you little prick!"

    When she said that, not only did Chaz go pale, but the entire dressing room went silent and they had their undivided attention on May.

    "M-May, is that really true?" Grace asked with a tone bordering on disbelief. May looked at her friend and smirked confidently, telling Grace that there was no exaggeration. Grace looked like she was in awe now. Was her friend really so strong a trainer that she took on the embodiment of the ocean?

    Chaz shook his head. "Liar. Kyogre doesn't even exist," he said.

    May smirked as she went to her bag, pulling out the Master Ball containing the Sea Basin Pokémon that she kept there. "Do you want to bet?" Hey, Gwen, tell Brendan that I have a new plan for the contest appeal. I don't want him to worry about me. She turned to Lisia. "Hey, Lisia, is there a way to make the stage expand for a massive Pokémon?"

    "Umm, y-yeah I could help arrange that, but…" Lisia's eyes went wide. "May, you're not actually considering using Kyogre, are you?"

    May took out her Pokédex in response, scanning the Pokéball for a full list of the Sea Basin Pokémon's attacks. "Yes, I am. Chaz seems to be giving me no choice this time, so I need to go to more extreme measures."

    "But, can you even control that Pokémon," Lisia said.

    "Don't know, maybe I can't. But Kyogre is the only Pokémon in my possession that I have yet to use in a contest, and he has attacks that no other Pokémon can perform," May looked confident now.

    "Grace, you're on in five minutes," said the contest organizer, whose nametag identified her as Harley. With the surreal note, Grace walked out to the stage, composing herself, silently smirking as Chaz now looked worried. Lisia followed shortly to speak to the organizer.

    "Ma'am, I'm really sorry about this, but there's a problem," Lisia said.

    "Hmm…Ms. Lisia, what's the issue?" Harley asked.

    Lisia took a moment to explain May's entire situation to Harley. "So, she needs to make a last-minute change in her Pokémon," Lisia asked.

    "I'm sorry, I want to help, but the rules are set. All coordinators must use the Pokémon that they registered with for each round of the contest. I can't change the rules for anybody, not even you," Harley said, clearly conflicted.

    Lisia sighed. "Alright, I understand. Thanks anyway," she said in a disappointed tone. "I'll let her know." She walked over to May, who was looking at the Master ball in her hand. "May, you should put that back on your belt."

    May looked up. "What do you mean?"

    "I couldn't convince the organizer to let you switch your Pokémon. You'll need to use Miranda this time, but you'll need to improvise a new routine on the spot," Lisia said.

    May cursed under her breath. "I really hate Chaz," she said quietly. "Miranda already perfected that appeal. It took about a month of planning and practice. It's not fair to her that she'll need to go out and do something she's never even practiced with." May's tears began to well up again, but she wiped them away before they smudged her make up.

    Lisia put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you can both do this. I think I have an idea for you to blow them away."

    May looked interested as she let out Miranda, knowing the Blaziken needed to hear the new plan. "Okay, what is it?"

    "Alright, first step…"

    In the crowd, Brendan was fuming. "How did we not notice that douche? He had to have been watching us at least once while we were practicing, so how'd we miss him?" he said through gritted teeth.

    I don't know, I honestly don't know. And I should've been able to sense him…unless he has a Pokémon that lives on Route 110, put a camera on its head, and had it film us for him, Gwen cursed a little. I thought I sensed and Electrike that was spending a lot of time watching us one day, but I just assumed it was territorial.

    That was when Grace came on stage. "Alright, Arya, time to shine!" She sent out the Beautifly that Brendan and May had seen in the Petalburg contest when they had first met Grace. Arya then looked at Grace, nodded, and flew up into the air, spinning slowly as she used a soft Silver Wind, sprinkling the stage with a gorgeous array of silver dust. Arya then combined Sunny Day and Morning Sun. The attack made the stage glitter and sparkle with a rainbow. Arya then used a new take on Gust, drawing all the powder toward herself, then firing a glittering, rainbow Solar Beam. It went straight up, before she used a Signal Beam to hit her Solarbeam. It resulted in multiple fireworks going off over the stage, wowing the audience. Arya landed on Grace's outstretched arm and they both took a bow.

    The audience erupted into cheers, and the judges talked among themselves, putting the final score at a perfect 30. "And another astounding performance from Grace, one of the top-runners of this contest. With that score, she has likely secured her spot among the four who will move on to the battle round." Vivian said happily. Grace took another bow before leaving the stage.

    Back in the dressing room, May and Miranda had just cleared all of their concerns. The routine they now had in mind was one they knew would get them a perfect score, even if it was improvised.

    Lisia, however, had another talk with the organizer, Harley, in the back of the room as the next coordinator went forward. "So, I think you and I both know that May and I will be in the battle rounds too. Would it be possible to make it so I battle Chaz first?"

    Harley smiled deviously. "You want to teach the kid a hard lesson?"

    "Not officially," Lisia said, smirking back.

    "I'll make sure it gets done," Harley said before touching her earpiece and getting back to business. "Sam, you're on in five minutes!"

    Back with Miranda, May smiled brighter than before. "We can do this," she said. All the performances were superb with no mediocrity among the ranks, so far, making it clear that this was not a contest where May could relax. It was thoroughly enjoyable to watch for them, but sure enough, the call came.

    "May, you're on in five minutes," Harley said.

    May smiled, returned Miranda, and walked to the tunnel. "I can do this. I can do this," she said.

    "And now, we're down to our last two coordinators. It's now time for the rising star of contests, and the student of Lisia Rain. Here's May!" Vivian said. May stepped onto the stage, her keystone bracelet on her wrist and she had a moment where she felt everything, yet felt nothing at the same time. It was a moment where she felt like everything she had been through was culminating to this exact moment. She took a breath before throwing out Miranda's Pokéball.

    "Miranda, let's show them what we can do!" May said as she sent out her first Pokémon. Miranda appeared on one knee and her fist planted on the ground. May raised her arm, putting her keystone across her heart, touching it. "Alright, Miranda, MEGA EVOLVE!" This earned multiple gasps through the crowd. Other than Lisia, nobody else ever used Mega Evolution in their appeal. Even the judges seemed already impressed. Miranda began to glow and her body morphed into her Mega form. "Now, you know what to do from here!" Miranda threw a Thunder Punch into the ground, causing exactly twenty rocks to fly into the air, electricity coursing through them already. Miranda then powered up a Blaze Kick, getting a running start before flipping upside-down and beginning to spin on her head almost like a break-dancer, kicking out her legs easily, breaking through the rocks, which were still charged with electricity, releasing it into twenty columns of lightning that stayed in place for a while. Miranda then flipped back to her feet, leapt in to the air, and charged another Thunder Punch, drawing the electricity to her hand as she flew overhead. She landed smoothly, starting to get faster with her speed boost ability, and she then gathered flames into a Flare Blitz attack. She then leapt high into the air, spiraling as she ascended to nearly 40 feet in the air. She seemed to stay suspended in the air as she spun around her z-axis, sending the combination of fire and electricity into the air around her, almost like she was using a Discharge attack. She then took a dive, the remaining fire and electricity still surrounding her as she did a superhero landing, sending the electric fire into the sky, making her temporarily look almost like a Super Saiyan from Dragon Ball Z.

    Well, Kamehameha to you too! Gwen said jokingly to May. May smiled, and she giggled happily as Miranda stood back up before both trainer and Pokémon took a bow simultaneously.

    The crowd was in silent shock for a while, but they all stood up and broke into roaring applause, as did all the judges. May could even see Brendan, Gwen, her parents and her soon-to-be in-laws, and they were all cheering, Brendan even whistling for her. She then turned to the screen, seeing that she had a perfect score.

    She couldn't contain her excitement as she leapt into the air, hugging Miranda and laughing with elation. We did it, we improvised our way to the battle rounds! May thought. Miranda reverted to her normal form after that, and the two walked off the stage, seeing Lisia waiting for them.

    "Well, what'd I tell you? If there's anything that wins the judges over more than anything else, it's seeing the bond between a Pokémon and trainer," Lisia said. "Mega Evolution gets them every time."

    May gave Lisia a quick hug in response. "Thank you for your help," she said. "Now, go out there and kill it." Lisia smirked and touched the brooch necklace she was wearing, showing off her own keystone.

    "Oh, Ali and I plan to," Lisia said. "There's a reason I only do appeals once per year." She began walking toward the stage, stopping before the crowd would be able to see her.

    "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, this is the moment of the appeals round that you've all been waiting for. It's a special treat that only comes for the Grand Festival. You know her, and you love her. Give it up for Hoenn's top coordinator, Lisia Rain!"

    The crowd then went nuts, a few of the people in the crowd even trying to claw their way forward to get better pictures of her. Lisia smiled to the crowd and waved before readying Ali's Pokéball.

    "Alright, Ali, let's rock it!" Lisia said. The cloud-winged dragon-type flew majestically from his Pokéball, chirping beautifully. "Now, you know the plan!" Immediately, Lisia touched her keystone and Ali's form began to change. The fluffy downy feathers on his belly moved to his back, forming a five-pointed star of fluff, while he grew more fluff around his neck just under his jaw line and another set of feathers growing from the top of his head, making what looked like a hat. Finally, his tail extended to about three feet long. Once his transformation was completed, Ali began using Cotton Guard repeatedly, filling the stage with fluff, but he flew around the outside to make sure he was still visible. He then began using Dragon Pulse to burn off major pieces of the pile, quickly making it take a faintly humanoid shape with a strange bulge near the center. That's when the fairy dragon shouted, using Hyper Voice to remove the excess, making a perfectly detailed fluff statue of Lisia laughing brightly while she held a fluff statue of Ali. The entire crowd gave an "aww" before Ali flew into the air and began to glow pink as he gathered fairy energy. He fired the Moonblast at the statue making it break apart beautifully. He then flew down and Lisia did exactly what Ali had created with the statue. She happily laughed with her Pokémon nuzzling her before they took a bow.

    Wow, she really is a great coordinator. To focus a Hyper Voice to do something like that is beyond impressive, May thought, a sentiment which Gwen and Brendan both mentally agreed. It was no surprise, then, when the perfect 30 showed up on the screen.

    "Now, that's it for the appeal round. We hope you enjoyed that, but we will now be moving to the battle round!" Vivian said as Lisia and Ali came into the tunnel to greet May. "The judges have made their decisions quickly, and here they are!"

    May looked at the screen, seeing that Lisia was paired against Chaz, while she was to go against Grace. "This should be fun," May said.

    Lisia patted her on the shoulder. "Oh, and I promise you that Chaz will not get a pass for what he did today."

    "Good, I wouldn't want him to go free," May said. "Just make sure he's humiliated."

    Lisia scoffed playfully. "Oh please, like there's any other way to expose a cheater."

    The two girls shared a laugh at that statement. This battle round was going to be quite fun.
     
  8. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
    Posts:
    100
    PokéPoints:
    ₽36.3
    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    The Pinnacle of Performance – Part 2

    Brendan sat in the crowd, ready to watch the battle rounds. "Well, May pulled that appeal off with aplomb," he said. "But Lisia was incredible."

    I wonder if I could learn to control my Hyper Voice to that level, Gwen said.

    "I'm sure that you'll get there eventually," Brendan said. Sylveon perked up when he spoke and she smiled at Brendan and Gwen. Behind them, Norman whistled in appreciation.

    "You know, teaching Pokémon to control their attacks like they do in contests could be really beneficial for gym battles," Norman said. "A Slaking learning that level of control would be unstoppable."

    "You and your non-stop training talk," Caroline said, laying her head on Norman's shoulder. "I swear, you're obsessive sometimes." Her tone told everybody she was just teasing her husband.

    "Well, I guess that's what got us to this point. Think about it, if I hadn't been obsessive with training like I was, I wouldn't have become the Petalburg Gym Leader," Norman said. "And Brendan and May wouldn't have met, and they wouldn't have gotten engaged."

    "Well, I supposed that's true," Caroline admitted.

    Gwen simply smiled. Her new family was getting bigger now. The soon-to-be in-laws were already best friends. Not to mention that May was her best friend other than Brendan. And it was always good to have a good relationship with your trainer-in-law…if that was how it worked.

    "Well, ladies and gentlemen, we've come to the time for the first round of the battle round. We'll be starting off with the battle between Lisia and Chaz!" Vivian said. "Let's hear it for them!"

    The crowd roared with excitement as Hoenn's top coordinator entered the ring, but very little seemed to be directed toward Chaz. The two walked in side-by-side, and they had a clear tension between them.

    Lisia turned to Chaz, glaring at him. "You know, we may not be able to prove you stole May's routine, but I can guarantee you that you'll never win a Grand Festival that way," she said.

    "Tch, what do you know? I'm going to win this anyway, so maybe you should have respect for the next top coordinator," Chaz said.

    I do respect her, in fact, I've never had a closer friend before. If she can beat me, then I will know that I've done a good job at teaching her, Lisia thought. She just smirked to Chaz. "You won't even get to stand on the podium for the award ceremony."

    They then separated and walked to their respective spots on the battlefield. "Chaz, Lisia, you both know the rules: five minutes on the clock, one-hundred points each. The one with the lowest score by the end of those five minutes, or the one who runs out of points first will lose the round. The clock starts when both of your Pokémon are out of their Pokéballs and ready to battle. Start when you're ready."

    Wordlessly, both coordinators sent out their Pokémon, Macherie looking nervous when she saw Ali was her opponent. The clock started at that moment. "Ali, we aren't holding anything back. Mega Evolve!" Lisia said as she touched her keystone. Ali transformed to his puffy Mega Evolution. That alone dropped Chaz's points to 90.

    "Macherie, be careful. Start with Ice Punch!" Chaz said.

    "So, you tell your Pokémon to be careful, then you go and give a reckless command? Pathetic," Lisia said quietly. "Ali, dodge, then use Hyper Voice!"

    Chaz looked worried, knowing that Lisia had decided to punish and humiliate him. And indeed, Ali did just that for his trainer, using an incredibly powerful, yet refined Hyper Voice, blasting the Machoke with sound, making the Pokémon stop and cover her ears, trying to hide away from the sound.

    Unfortunately, with her inability to respond and Chaz's lack of composure becoming increasingly obvious, it took a record speed of twenty seconds for Chaz's score to hit zero. The buzzer sounded, and the crowd was in silent shock. "Oh, my word, ladies and gentlemen, it seems we have a new record of taking only 20 seconds to defeat an opponent in the battle round, and it seems it was a win by knockout as well!" Vivian said, and indeed she was right. Macherie was out cold. "It seems that Chaz was just outclassed by Lisia Rain." Chaz recalled Macherie, scowling in anger at his abysmal performance on the biggest contest stage in Hoenn.

    "That wasn't even a challenge. My talents deserve a real opponent, not some punk who can't even come up with his own routine for the Grand Festival. Instead this guy had to try and sabotage May by stealing her routine," Lisia said. This earned stunned gasps from the audience. Lisia as if to affirm what she had just said. "Unfortunately, I don't have video evidence, but I'm positive that Chaz has it. He would have needed to keep it in order to study the performance."

    Ali flew over to the other coordinator, plucking his phone out of his pocket, holding it so that when he lunged for it, his thumb hit the unlock button. Ali flew over to Lisia and the coordinator scrolled through his pictures and videos, taking no time to find what she was looking for. "Yep, here it is," she said as she gave the phone to Vivian. "Project this onto the screen, please."

    "Oh, s-sure," the announcer said as she was a bit caught off-guard by this request. She took it over to the technician booth, and they plugged it in, projecting the image onto the screen. The audience and the judges all watched intently as they watched a video filmed with leaves and grass on the edges of the camera lens, indicating that the one who filmed it was doing so in secret. In the main frame of the shot was a video of May, Miranda, and Gwen. When Miranda began to perform the exact same appeal that Macherie had performed on stage, the crowd gasped again.

    "There you have it," Lisia said. "May was clearly planning on performing this appeal well before the contest. But, consequences will have to be decided on later." Lisia's gaze turned into a mixture of confidence and excitement. "Ali and I are quite anxious to battle my student." She walked off the stage, leaving Chaz in shock as he sat on the ground on his hands and knees, staring at his hands. He had just been thoroughly defeated and now he could face the consequence of possibly being banned from contests for the next year. Not to mention the fact that the likely irreparable damage done to his reputation would stop him from getting into another contest circuit in another region.

    That was when two security guards showed up and grabbed Chaz, one holding the coordinator's phone as they escorted him off the stage and out of the contest hall. All of this was accompanied by stunned silence. Once the kid was out of the arena, the focus of the audience returned to the stage.

    "Well, that was interesting, and it seems we had an improvisation tonight. Now, moving on from the disgraceful coordinator, let's go to the next round of the semi-finals but I can say with certainty that this next battle will be one to remember. Please put your hands together for May and Grace!" Vivian said. May and Grace both walked out to the center of the battlefield before facing each other.

    "May the better coordinator win," May said as she held out her hand.

    Grace shook May's hand. "Yeah, let's make this one for the record books," she said.

    The two coordinators went to their respective sides of the field, and Vivian seemed to beam happily. "Well, as a nice change of tone, we went from a battle of what felt like disdain, to a battle of friends!" she said happily. "Now, you both know the rules, so, the time begins once you send out your Pokémon!"

    May held Miranda's Pokéball close to her chest. "I'm counting on you. Give it your all," she said as she sent out the Blaziken.

    "Arya, let's dazzle them!" Grace said. The Beautifly came out of her Pokéball and spun happily.

    "Well, no need to hold back, right? This is the Grand Festival after all," May said as she touched her keystone, starting the mega evolution, which finished in ten seconds. Those ten seconds were worth it, since they made Grace's points drop to 90.

    Grace smiled. "You know, I never told you something…I once traveled to Alola with my husband. During that time, I managed to learn an interesting technique that the Alolans developed. It's similar to Mega Evolution because it requires a strong bond, but it works with all Pokémon," she said as she showed off her bracelet, which had a strange stone sitting in it. It wasn't a keystone, but May could tell it had some power. "They're called Z-Moves, but unfortunately, I can only use it once per battle."

    May seemed surprised. "So, it's like a one-shot cannon," she said. "Then I'll need to win before you can use it."

    "Good luck with that. Arya, use Gust!" Grace said. Arya began to beat her wings hard, making a small cyclone.

    "Miranda, Flame Charge!" May said. Miranda sprinted in a circle, going the opposite direction of the Gust attack, gradually gaining speed and canceling out the attack. That dropped Grace's points to 80.

    "Very well, Arya, use Quiver Dance!" Grace said. The Beautifly began to dance by floating in a "V" type motion. Her speed and special abilities both increased as she danced, making May's score drop to 90.

    "Miranda, use Bulk Up!" May said. With the Blaziken's speed already increasing gradually, she took a deep breath, seeming to get bigger, and increasing her physical power and defenses. This dropped Grace's score to 70.

    "Now, use Bug Buzz!" Grace said. Beautifly began to make an irritating and loud sound. Miranda flinched a bit at the sound, causing May's score to drop to 75.

    "Miranda, don't let it get to you. Use Thunder Punch!" May said. Miranda began to gather electricity around her hand before she leapt into the air and delivered a powerful punch to Arya's body. The attack was strong enough to knock Arya back, dropping Grace's points to 50.

    "Well, this is a fun battle, and I would expect nothing less from you," Grace said as her bracelet began to glow. "Now, Arya, it's time for Supersonic Skystrike!" Grace said as she held her arms out, almost flapping like a bird, before she crouched down, and jumped up again, thrusting her left hand into the air and holding her right hand in front of her chest. Arya became surrounded by a powerful aura before she launched herself into the air, going far above the open ceiling of the stadium. Once she got high enough into the air, she dove back at Miranda, accelerating almost dangerously fast, creating a sonic boom just as she passed the opening. There was no time for Miranda to respond as the Beautifly slammed into her, making a pillar of energy fly up. The Pokémon struck hard and fast, and Miranda flipped back fast, barely landing on her feet. The impact dropped May's score rapidly, putting her at 35, and with the time limit now below one minute, she needed to go for the knock out.

    Shit, I can't let myself lose this one. Otherwise, I can't rightly call myself Lisia's student, May thought. "Miranda, I know that one hurt, but I need you to use Flare Blitz!" she called. Miranda nodded as she launched herself at Arya, her body becoming electrically charged and bursting into a comet's tail of flames. The Blaziken moved fast, infusing a Thunder Punch into the attack for good measure. Arya, who was trying to slightly recover from the Z-Move, didn't have much chance to dodge as she took the full force of the incoming attack. She wound up landing on her side just as Miranda did another superhero landing, but she grimaced as she took the recoil damage. But, when the buzzer sounded, May saw that Grace's score had hit 25, which was now identical to her own score. Regardless, the judges had declared a knock out. "Wait, that actually worked?" May said quietly.

    "Well, I have to say that I may need a breather after that battle," Vivian said. "That was an amazing battle. We not only saw a Mega Evolution, but we also witnessed a legendary Z-Move, which is rarely seen outside of its home region of Alola. Now, we'll have a ten-minute intermission for May to heal Miranda before the final battle between her and Lisia!"

    Eight minutes, and a healing for Miranda later, it was finally time. Lisia came up behind May in the tunnel to the stage, ready for a pre-match talk.

    "Hey," she said, getting May to nearly jump out of her skin. "Woah, calm down there. It's just me." Lisia laughed at her friend as she said that.

    May sighed. "Damn it Lisia, don't sneak up on me like that," she said through a slight laugh.

    "I can tell you're nervous. Just relax. Trust me, when you battle up here for this title, there's nothing that quite compares. You'll shut out all else except your opponent and the Pokémon," Lisia said. "After all, this round will be what decides it all."

    "Well, let's make it one to remember for the rest of our lives," May said, holding out her hand.

    Lisia slightly surprised her by giving May a hug instead. "I will always remember this battle, believe me," she said as she pulled back. When they heard Vivian make her announcement that the final battle was about to commence, Lisia just smiled. "Now, let's do this."

    May just nodded as she walked with Lisia onto the stage. It was almost surreal, as if all she could see in the crowd was Brendan, Gwen, and their families. Despite physically hearing everything, all she could hear was Vivian's call for the match to start.

    "Alright, Miranda, one last time for this year, let's dazzle them!" May said.

    Lisia smiled widely as well. "Ali, come out and let's show them what we're made of!"

    Simultaneously, both Lisia and May had their Pokémon Mega Evolve, getting their Pokémon into their strongest forms. Since both trainers had the Mega Evolution, there was no loss of points for either.

    "Now, Miranda, use Bulk Up!" May said. Miranda took her deep breath, strengthening her attacking and defensive abilities. That dropped Lisia's points to 97.

    "Ali, Cotton Guard," Lisia said. Altaria began to puff up his downy feathers, making them much thicker, boosting his defensive powers significantly, which dropped May's points to 94.

    "Now, use Flame Charge!" May said. She knew it wasn't very effective, but she was going for a strategy that she felt in her heart would win this for her. Miranda leapt at Ali as she was coated in flames. She body-checked Ali, sending him higher into the air and speeding herself up.

    "Ali, fly up and use Hyper Voice!" Lisia said.

    Here it comes, May thought as she watched the dragon type fly into the air and angle toward Miranda. He inhaled deeply, which May took as the signal. "Miranda, Protect!" Miranda took a quick knee, crossing her arm as she generated a field of green energy. As Ali screamed, the sound put deep cracks into the battlefield, but it didn't do any damage to Miranda. Her attack having been blocked, Lisia's score dropped to 90.

    "Not bad there, May," Lisia said with a smirk. "But I just baited you there. Ali, Aerial Ace!" May's eyes went wide as Ali began to dive fast.

    "Miranda, counter that with a Blaze Kick!" she said. As Ali flew at Miranda, the Blaziken's foot lit on fire and she spun fast, striking Ali's body just as his beak hit her in the chest. Both May and Lisia lost points, putting them at 70 and 73 respectively.

    "Ali, use Hyper Voice!" Lisia said. She knew there was little chance for a response at this distance. May smirked subtly. Like Lisia said earlier to her, that previous attack had been bait. She still had a secret weapon.

    "Miranda, Poison Jab!" May said. Just as Ali was rearing back to shriek again, Miranda slammed a purple-glowing fist into his chest. Lisia looked shocked as her points dropped to 55, and she noticed Ali take on a sickly color.

    "When did Miranda learn Poison Jab?" Lisia asked.

    "Well, to be honest, I taught it to her so she could battle Gwen and have a better coverage move. I was just keeping it secret, but I guess now is as good a time as any to unveil it," May said with a shrug. Ali, however, was not going to give up just because of that hit. He reared back, and, before May could notice, let loose with a Hyper Voice. Miranda was launched back as she took some damage. She slid across the ground, bracing against the attack, which dropped May's score drastically, making them hit 45. However, Ali was forced to stop by the poison status that Miranda had inflicted. That dropped Lisia's score to 50.

    "Great job, Ali!" Lisia said. "Now, use another Aerial Ace!"

    May smiled, as she noticed Miranda rhythmically jumping from foot to foot. "Miranda, ready both a Poison Jab and a Thunder Punch," she said. She knew Miranda's Speed Boost ability was making the Blaziken unbelievably fast, and she intended to put that speed to good use.

    Ali flew in, knowing he was going to land his attack, grimacing as the poison hurt him again, dropping Lisia's points to 45, but he would not let Lisia down. They had been through too much together to just make this an easy win for May, if the student indeed was to defeat the master. Miranda, however, was feeling just the opposite. She loved May too much to not win this battle, and she knew she would have to give it her all to achieve that, especially with how strong Ali was proving to be. Had it not been for the poisoning, she was sure that this would be more one-sided.

    Just as Ali was about to strike, however, Miranda moved. She first hit him under the jaw with a Poison Jab uppercut, followed by a Thunder Punch to the stomach. Ali's eyes bugged out a bit as he took the hits, but he powered through, pecking at Miranda's face once he'd just barely recovered enough.

    This is getting intense, May said as she looked at the board briefly. She had 25 now, while Lisia was sitting at 20. But if we risk it, we can do this. May thought. "Miranda, let's do it once more. I need you to use Flare Blitz!" Miranda looked confident now as she surrounded herself in blue fire and she leapt at Ali, moving like a cannonball.

    "Ali, we need to do the same. Use, Hyper Voice!" Lisia said. Ali reared back, and he let loose with a loud shriek. The sound began to hit Miranda as the Blaziken flew at him, making May's points drop steadily. Just as May's points hit 11, Miranda collided with Ali. The entire crowd held their collective breath as they watched the points drop. May's points stopped at exactly 1, but Lisia's points kept going until they hit 0.

    The buzzer sounded, but May was still processing what had just happened. "Wait, I…won?" she asked in surprise. Lisia and Ali walked over to her, the former wrapping May in a hug. What May saw on her friend's face, however, was unexpected. The girl was crying, but she was smiling all the same.

    "Congratulations, it seems I can't call you my student anymore," Lisia said happily before turning to the audience and switching on a microphone May didn't realize her friend had been wearing. "Ladies and Gentlemen, with bittersweet joy in my heart, I officially will declare, with you all as my witnesses, that there is a brand new top coordinator of the Hoenn region. Let's all give a huge round of applause for both May and Miranda for their incredible victory here!"

    As she said that, Gwen took Sylveon off Brendan's lap, and smiled at him. Now's the time to ask her formally. Go get her, she said as she teleported Brendan to May's side. At that moment, he wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her a bit, only to catch her at a 45-degree angle and kiss her in front of the entire audience. This earned plenty of whistles from the crowd, and one person even gave a "WOOOOOOOOO!" May didn't care what sounds they were making. All that mattered to her in that moment was Brendan. All too soon, however, the moment had to end as he brought her back to her feet.

    "Well, that was certainly a pleasant surprise," May said with a smile, suspecting that there was another reason for Brendan to be up on stage.

    "Well, I know you already said yes in the Cave of Origin, but back then I didn't have the ring," Brendan said as he pulled the box out of his pocket, getting an excited gasp from the audience. "May, in this past year we've been through so much together, but through it all I never once found myself in a moment that I wasn't thinking about you." He got on one knee. "I love you, and I know beyond a doubt that we were meant to be together." He opened the box, and May gasped at the beauty of the ring she saw. She couldn't stop herself from letting out some tears of joy, not caring if they messed up her mascara. "Will you marry me?"

    May pulled him to his feet and kissed him again as she hugged him around his neck. She pulled away and smiled. "Yes, I will marry you. You know I will," she said through tears of joy.

    "Well, folks, let's hear it for both the new top coordinator, and the lovely couple. Let's wish them a happy life together!" Vivian said, causing a standing ovation, which Norman and Gwen started simultaneously. May started to cry more openly with joy. Her first journey had effectively come to an end for her part. Now, it was time for her to focus on Brendan's journey.

    Back in the dressing room, May and Lisia were getting back into their street clothes, Grace having left shortly after the trophy ceremony, when Lisia started talking after a comfortable silence.

    "You know, I'm actually glad that you won today," she said with a shy blush.

    May looked curious at the comment. "How do you mean?"

    "Well, I never really told you this, but my goal was never truly the top coordinator spot. I'm looking to take over the position of chairwoman of the Hoenn contest circuit," she said.

    "Wait, really?" May asked with intrigue,

    "Yep, but before I took the job, I decided that I wanted to make sure the position of top coordinator went to one who really deserved it," Lisia said.

    "So, that's why you decided to take me on as your student?" May asked.

    "Kind of," Lisia said. "I took you as my student because I was realizing that the talent was limited to Chaz and Grace. The former of whom was denied for obvious reasons, and the latter of whom was too skilled for me to be of much help anyway. You were neither, but you had such potential that I knew you were the perfect student."

    "So, this was all a way for you to make your dream come true?" May asked.

    "Yeah, but I helped you achieve your dream along the way, didn't I?" Lisia said.

    May just giggled slightly as she played with the ring on her finger. "You did much more than that…Lisia you're my best friend. You've done so much for me that I can't even begin to repay you," she said. "To be honest, I actually planned to ask if you'd be the maid of honor at my wedding."

    Lisia didn't hesitate to nearly strangle May in a tight hug. "Of course, I'll be your maid of honor, but I know your wedding isn't for a few years, so we'll have to plan stuff later."

    May just continued to smile softly. She honestly couldn't have imagined a better way this Grand Festival could've gone. And the celebration was sure to be amazing back at home.
     
  9. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
    Posts:
    100
    PokéPoints:
    ₽36.3
    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    Keep Calm

    Just under a month after May's win at the Grand Festival, Brendan and Gwen were just disembarking from a ferry with May, after they had landed in Hoenn's Capital, Ever Grande City. It was already about 10 at night, so they knew they needed to hurry to the Pokémon Center for Brendan to register. Luckily, the Pokémon Center was not too far from the docks, so they could move normally.

    "This is one hell of a nice city," Brendan said as he took in the scenery. "But then again, I suppose the capital city of Hoenn would have to be something like this."

    "I know, the Edo-period Johto architecture for the league headquarters was an excellent choice," May said as she looked at the city they saw. There was also a section of the city that looked like an Olympic athlete residency. In the center of the city, Brendan saw a mountain with an opening at the base.

    They all walked to the nearby Pokémon Center and approached the tournament registration booth. The girl at the registration looked up at them. Admittedly, she was very cute. She had her short black hair that barely went past the top of her neck, and it was in a style that had her bangs about halfway down her forehead and parted a bit off from the center. And, even though May wasn't exactly looking, she noticed that the girl had even bigger curves than she had herself, bordering on DD-cups. On her lapel was a nametag that said Zinnia. "Name, hometown, badges, and ID, please."

    "I'm Brendan Maple, from Littleroot Town," Brendan said as he handed the woman his trainer card and his badge case. She looked up at him, scanned the badges to ensure their validity, and then back at the trainer card.

    "I'll need to see you without your hat on," Zinnia said, clearly not enjoying the fact that she needed to ask such a formality.

    Brendan sighed and did as she asked. "Damn, I probably have hat hair," May, however, blushed at how nice Brendan's hair actually looked without his hat on. Even though his hair was a tousled mess, it looked cute on him.

    Zinnia looked back at the card. "Well, everything checks out. You're all set," she said. "But, I do have a personal request."

    Brendan looked at her with some aroused interest. "What is it?"

    "Well, see, my three-year-old daughter, Aster, is a huge fan of yours. Unfortunately, even though she really wanted to, she's not able to get here for the event to meet you," she said with a slight blush as she set up a digital camera on a tripod on the registration table. "So, I thought that me taking a picture with you would help cheer her up."

    "Of course, do you want to get Gwen and May in there too?" Brendan said.

    "Oh, absolutely!" Zinnia said as she set up a timer on the camera for 20 seconds. "You all get into position, this will make Aster so happy!" Brendan took a few steps back and put his hat back on. Gwen took a position to Brendan's right, with May on his right. Zinnia ran forward and took a knee in front of Brendan, smiling so wide that her eyes closed as she put up two peace signs. The camera flashed as the picture was taken. Zinnia stood back up and went to the camera to see the display.

    "Yes, this is perfect! Thank you so much!" Zinnia said as she hugged Brendan, then she went to hug May, and finally Gwen.

    "It was no trouble. Tell your daughter that I'm glad she's my biggest fan," Brendan said with a smile. Zinnia then typed in a few commands and printed out both a rule pamphlet and two room keys before handing it to Brendan. She then did something that made both Brendan and May blush: she kissed Brendan on the cheek.

    "Sorry if that was out of nowhere, but even if it wasn't much, what you did for me means more than you could know," Zinnia said. "Best of luck to you in the tournament."

    "Thank you very much," Brendan said as he left for the residence.

    Zinnia was about to sit back down when one of the three nurses of the Pokémon Center walked up to her. "Zinnia, you have a phone call. I'll take over for you here if you want."

    "Oh, thank you," Zinnia said as she stood up with her camera, and she went to the backroom where the phone was. She picked it up.

    "Hello, this is Zinnia," she said.

    On the other side of the call, came a choked-up voice of an elderly woman that the girl knew. "Zinnia, this is your grandmother," she said. "I'm calling from the hospital."

    Zinnia got worried, her mind going immediately to Aster, who had been born with leukemia. Since her birth, Aster had been practically hooked up to life support. Zinnia had been desperate with bills piling up, so she had joined Team Magma when they offered her a good deal. It had left a bad taste in her mouth since she was one of the Lore Keepers of Hoenn. She knew that waking up Groudon or Kyogre would doom the world. However, she had no skills that would get her a job that paid enough to cover the medical bills. She wasn't proud of her actions, but she did what needed to be done. Once Rayquaza had appeared over Sootopolis, though, she had gone to Ever Grande and taken a job as a registrar for the League Tournament. Now, however, that all seemed to be a meaningless effort and tainting on her life.

    "Grandma, did something happen with Aster?" The crying that broke out on the other end of the line told the woman the truth of the matter. Tears immediately fell from her eyes.

    "I'm so sorry, Zinnia. She started coding while she slept. The doctors did everything they could but it wasn't enough," the old woman said. Zinnia dropped the phone onto the nearby desk with a loud clatter, falling to her knees and shrieking with unimaginable agony, something only the worst fortune can bring about: the pain of a mother losing her child.

    When Brendan and May got to the hotel they'd be staying at, they immediately saw a person that they hadn't expected to see here. "Wally? Is that you?" Brendan asked when he saw the boy. The Petalburg native looked up at the sound of his name.

    "Brendan, May, Gwen! How are you three? I haven't seen you all since Mauville!" he said as he ran over to them.

    "We've been great, I'm just surprised to see that you're here," Brendan said. "You must have been booking it to get your badges in time."

    "Yeah, take a look!" Wally said, holding his badge case out, which had seven of the eight badges that Brendan had, but he didn't have the Rain Badge, nor did he have the Balance Badge. Instead, he had two other badges Brendan didn't recognize. "I got the last one just after that whole incident in Sootopolis."

    "Well, great job with that," May said.

    "And I should say the same to you, Miss Top Coordinator," Wally said. "I loved that performance, in all honesty."

    "Thank you, I appreciate the compliment," May said.

    Is Sammy doing alright still? Gwen asked, seeming hesitant to ask that question.

    "Oh, he's great, but he's resting for now. We had a good training session earlier today, so he's a bit tired," Wally said. "But, I promise you'll see him later in the week."

    Sounds like you're talking shit, Gwen said with an eyebrow raised.

    "I just might be, but only in a friendly way," Wally said. Brendan, however, was just smiling. The boy before them was not that sickly kid he met so many months ago in Petalburg. He was clearly healthy and more confident, and he had an air of strength to him. It was strange, but Brendan felt a sense that this boy was not the same one he had helped with catching a Pokémon.

    "By the way, Brendan, did you hear the rumors about the qualifying tournament?" Wally said, breaking Brendan's mild trance.

    "I didn't, what are they?" Brendan asked.

    "Well, the best way to describe it is that the planners made something completely unheard of before. You saw the cave in that mountain, right?" Brendan nodded, starting to guess where this was going. "Well, it seems that will be the battle ground for the qualifiers. The details are unclear, but it should be interesting."

    "Not just interesting; it's genius," Brendan said. "Honestly, as fun as it is to watch battles in a stadium, it can get boring if there are forty on the same field."

    May smiled, but she knew that they had the opening ceremonies at noon tomorrow, and Brendan would want to be up early to prepare. "Well, Wally, it was great to see you again, but it's getting late. Come on Brendan, let's go get into our room, and settle in for the night," she said.

    "Yeah, I think you're right, May," Brendan said. "Like she said, it's great to see you here Wally, but just realize that I'm coming out on top." He gave a nod of respect to Wally. "Have a good night, and I will see you in that stadium by noon.'

    "Good night to both of you as well," Wally said with a wave as the others went to the elevators. Brendan hit the button for the tenth floor, and they ascended quickly.

    "So, it'll be a new type of tournament. I wonder what it will entail," Brendan said.

    "I guess you'll just have to wait until tomorrow," May said teasingly.

    Yep, and I can tell that Goldenrod is ready for it. After that solid month of training after the Grand Festival, I doubt there's anybody who can stop us now, Gwen said.

    "Huh, it's been a while since you called me that nickname," Brendan said.

    Well, I decided to use it for old-time's sake, Gwen said with a sweet smile.

    "It seems like a great idea, since it shows how close you two are," May said with a slight blush.

    "Hello ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the beautiful Ever Grande City. It's now 11:55, and it is time for the opening ceremonies to begin! My name is Caesar Flickerman and I will be your host for the events of this next week," the announcer said from his booth in the optimal seats in the press booth. The stadium was massive, seating over two hundred thousand people comfortably. It was an incredibly beautiful stadium, with red support pillars made of concrete and steel around the entire structure. It was almost as elegant as Juan's gym, but not quite as eccentric.

    May cheered as she sat in the one place she had not expected to be: the Devon Corporation's luxury box. Steven Stone had decided to invite the Maple and Birch families to the seats, so May was sitting with her family and soon-to-be in-laws. "So, May, how does it feel to be the coordinator's version of the Pokémon League Champion," Steven said as he sat beside her.

    "Well, I'm still trying to comprehend it, but so far it feels great. It's like my dream came true that day," May said.

    Steven smiled slightly at that statement. "It was the same way for me when I became Champion," he said as he looked at the battlefield. "It happened down on that same battlefield where I beat the champion before me. I remember it like it was yesterday."

    May looked over at Steven in shock. "You're the Champion?" she asked.

    "I was, but I had to step down from the position for personal reasons. The current champion is actually in the next box over to the right, the Elite Four and Champion's box," Steven said.

    May looked over, seeing four interesting people. The first was a red-haired man with the sides of his head shaved down and the rest of it was slicked back. He wore a red button-down shirt, a black vest from a tuxedo, and a pair of khakis. Based on what she knew of the Elite Four of Hoenn, which was rather limited since they seemed to be a secretive bunch, May guessed that that man was Sidney.

    Beside him was a Polynesian-looking woman with two floral clips in her hair, which was very short and dark, a blue clothe top around her chest, and a long blue skirt with white tropical flowers printed on them. That woman had to be Phoebe.

    Next to her sat a woman in a flowing icy blue dress, with her blonde hair tied into four braids that seemed to float in the air behind her. She even had a cool demeanor about her, telling May that this woman was Glacia.

    The last one she saw was an old man in what looked like an admiral's coat with a similar sailing hat with both leggings and boots fit for a sailor. Under his coat, however, he didn't wear a shirt, which showed off his astonishingly well-sculpted body considering his age. What really drew attention, however, was the man's epic moustache that extended out past his jawline. This was clearly Drake, and of all the members of the Elite Four, May could somehow sense that he was by far the strongest just by the aura of sheer confidence he exuded.

    Other than them, however, May saw nobody. "Steven, are you sure the champion is over there?"

    Steven smiled. "The man probably just went in to mix a mojito, and that's something I'd be willing to bet my fortune on. Every league tournament without fail, he has one each day," he said. Sure enough, true to Steven's word, a very familiar face appeared from within the box as he headed to his seat with his mojito in-hand.

    "I knew it," May gasped when she saw Wallace, who had now donned a long white cape. "Ever since Juan greeted him as his student, I knew it."

    "Yes, I figured that detail wouldn't slip past you and Brendan," Steven said with a grin. "But, by this point, I doubt I could take over my old role as Champion. If I did, I doubt anybody would even want to try for the position.

    "Now, without further ado, please help me in welcoming our 40 qualifiers!" Caesar said. From the two tunnels at each end of the battlefield, came the forty trainers, with twenty on each side. They all waved in different directions except for one who wore a long blue trench coat, with hair that almost looked silver, and with riding goggles on his head. He definitely looked stoic, but he also seemed like he had a dark past.

    May leaned over to Steven. "Hey, do you know who that guy with the trench coat is?" she asked.

    "Oh, haven't you heard about him? It was all over the news. His name is Wes, and he comes from Agate Village in the Orre Region. He used to be part of a criminal gang there, but he wound up changing his ways and rescuing the region during a time of crisis," Steven said.

    "Woah, so now he's a regular trainer?" May said.

    "I wouldn't call him 'regular.' If anything, that man is on-par with Brendan, if not stronger," Steven replied.

    "Now, this looks like a fantastic group of trainers," Caesar said. That was when Brendan became visible with Gwen by his side. "I don't think I've ever seen a more fit group of trainers, and it clearly shows that they are not to be trifled with."

    Down on the field, Brendan could feel the tracer bracelet that the officials had given to all the competitors on his right arm. In his pocket, he had what looked like a GPS of sorts. The reason for the two devices was not clear, but Brendan figured it had something to do with the tournament being held in Victory road. That was just further confirmed to him when he saw that there were multiple jumbotrons around the stadium.

    That was when the referees came out, the head referee speaking. "Now, trainers," he said into his microphone. "You've been told the rumor that this tournament will be unlike any other before it. So, I will now explain the rules to all of you." There was a slight stirring in the audience. "The entirety of the tournament will take place inside Victory Road. You will all be teleported by a team of Abras to a random location within the cave. The cave's exits will be blocked until you are the last trainer who still has Pokémon that can battle. Each battle is a full 6-on-6 battle. Teaming up with other trainers is allowed, but if you do, each trainer of a duo may only use 3 of their Pokémon, in a trio, the limit is 2, and so on. If you lose in as a team, then every trainer in that team will lose. Once a trainer has lost, we will have an Abra teleport them out of the cave and to the Pokémon Center."

    The crowd kept murmuring in excitement, but the referee continued anyway. "Trainers have all been provided with a tracer band and a tracking device that will map out the entirety of each floor and where each trainer is. Tracer bands cannot be removed until a trainer is eliminated from the tournament. The positions of trainers on that map will be updated every five minutes. Trainers have each been provided with twelve Full Restores and six Revives in an effort to keep the battles fair for all parties, but items may only be used after the battle. A losing trainer will not be allowed to keep his or her bag of items, and the trainer who defeated them may take the items for themselves." The crowd was now definitely excited, and Brendan could tell that Gwen was feeling the same way. "There are a lot of strong wild Pokémon inside Victory Road, so caution is advised. There will be no time limit for this tournament, so there will be live streams of the battles for spectators on both the screens above, and on the screens in their hotels." For the last rule, the referee turned toward the Elite Four's box seats. "The trainer who wins the tournament will be awarded with the opportunity to challenge the Elite Four, and then the Champion for his title."

    The other referees all took out Pokéballs and sent out Abras as that last rule was stated. Caesar then gave a farewell to the trainers. "Good luck trainers, may the odds be ever in your favor." When he said that, the Abras used their power.

    Brendan and Gwen both blinked, as the loud roar of the crowd was now silent and they were in the middle of a massive cavern. Farther away, they could hear the sounds of wild Pokémon. Nearby, however, there was next to nothing.

    Well, we're finally here, Gwen said. The Pokémon League Tournament.

    And I don't know if we'll even need this tracer. I've got you to help me find people, Brendan half-joked.

    Well, why don't we do that? It'll make the audience wonder how we're doing it, Gwen said. By the way, we have a person already running this way. Want to keep this terrain for the battle?

    Brendan looked around and saw that there was no water nearby, so people with fish-type water Pokémon would be at a disadvantage here. On top of that, the ceiling was high for Avery to battle freely. This should be perfect, he thought. Just as he did, the first person came around the corner to Brendan's left. "Found someone!" the guy said. This person looked to be about 5'11" and he had brown hair in a military style, but his voice was one that Brendan had hoped he never heard again. Brendan looked at him and tried to put on a polite face.

    "Francis, is that you?" he asked.

    "Wait…bitchy Brendan?" the guy said in a cocky tone. "Damn, I can't believe how lucky I am. The first person I get to battle in this tournament is you." Brendan gritted his teeth as he remembered all the times when he lived in Goldenrod City where this kid had taken his lunch money, beaten him up only to leave him in an alleyway, and a whole slew of other forms of torment. "Seems I'm gonna be set to win this tournament after I beat you. And I'll bet you've been so scared o' me that I've been your greatest fear since we were ten."

    Brendan sighed, keeping his cool as he realized how pathetic it was that Francis was still the exact same as he was until high school started. "Francis, I'm going to be honest with you here. I haven't even thought about you since you decided to start training Pokémon once you turned fifteen. In fact, seeing you now only tells me just how little all that matters anymore," he said as he saw Gwen getting a bit angry. "But, since it seems you're eternally fixated on me, why don't you stop being a bag of hot air and I'll show you exactly which of us should be afraid of the other."

    Francis scowled as he took out his first Pokéball. "Your dad may have been the strongest Gym Leader in Johto, and he may be the strongest in Hoenn, but I'll still beat your ass. When I challenged him in Goldenrod, I got to his last Pokémon before losing, and I got to the same point when I challenged him in Petalburg."

    Brendan just started to burst out laughing. "You're bragging about that? You challenged the same gym leader twice, and you lost both times. That's not an accomplishment," he said as he pulled out his badge case. "That's a sign that you haven't changed. You haven't progressed." Brendan pulled the Balance Badge from his case. "I beat Dad on the first try." Brendan put the badge and the case back in his bag. "Still think you want to battle me?"

    Francis looked like he was about to erupt with anger. "Up yours! Go, Floyd!" he shouted as he threw his Pokéball, letting out a Machamp.

    A Machamp? I've got this, Gwen said to Brendan as she stepped forward.

    "And the little bitch has a little bitch for a Pokémon, how fitting," Francis said.

    "Oh, trust me, she can be a bitch, but only to our opponents," Brendan said as he lifted his keystone bracelet, hitting the button and initiating Gwen's Mega Evolution. Francis, being from Johto, had never seen a mega evolution, and he hadn't met any trainers who could use it either. When he saw Gwen finish her transformation, he said the first thing that came to his mind.

    "Cheating! Everyone knows that Gardevoir can't evolve!" he said. "Looks like I win by default!" Back in the stadium, unbeknownst to Francis, everybody was laughing at him.

    "Actually, Francis, if you had paid any attention in school, you would already know about Mega Evolution. It's not something that a simpleton like you would be able to understand with a verbal explanation," Brendan said. "So instead, Gwen and I will demonstrate it for you."

    "You won't get the chance. Floyd, use Focus Punch!" Francis said.

    Gwen, how's your Hyper Voice since Lisia helped you train it? Brendan asked.

    You really want to overwhelm him instead of toying with him to make it funnier? Gwen asked.

    I like how you think, Brendan said. Teleport just as he starts to attack. It didn't take long before Floyd was running at Gwen. To anybody else, it might've been an unavoidable attack. To Gwen, however, it was child's play. She teleported just as she was about to take the hit, appearing behind the Machamp, who continued on and wound up punching a wall. Despite Machamp being rumored to be able to topple mountains with a single punch, Brendan had to chuckle a bit when the Pokémon recoiled, holding his hand like a boxer in need of ice. Okay, let's take care of this one. No need to make his Pokémon suffer, Brendan said.

    Sounds good to me, Gwen said as she raised her arm, making Floyd levitate shortly before throwing him into a wall, knocking him out.

    "Arceus, it's like you didn't even train your Pokémon," Brendan said.

    "Shut up pipsqueak!" Francis yelled. "Go Milo!" He sent out his next Pokémon, which Brendan knew as a Dugtrio.

    Dugtrio is really fast by nature, be careful, Brendan said.

    I know, I'll be careful, Gwen said with a smile. You say that like I can't read your thoughts in my sleep.

    Oh well, just use Psyshock. That should be enough, Brendan said.

    Sounds good, but only once I embarrass this guy, Gwen said.

    "Milo, use Stone Edge!" Francis said. The Dugtrio pushed through the ground fast, making a line of rocks shoot up. Without so much as opening her eyes, Gwen sidestepped the incoming attack then levitated multiple stones around the ground type before pelting it with the attack. The Pokémon fainted with that attack, earning a "tch" from Francis who recalled the Pokémon. "Damn it," Francis said. "Fine, I choose Kristine!" He threw out a Pokéball that released a massive Gyarados. While normally a Gyarados would swim in battle, this one was coiled like a normal snake with her upper body towering over the field.

    You know, I honestly feel bad for these Pokémon. Their trainer doesn't know how to accept defeat, Brendan said. Gwen, Thunderbolt whenever you feel like it.

    You got it, Gwen said.

    "Kristine, use Hydro Pump!" Francis said. The Gyarados reared back and began to pump a massive stream of water at Gwen.

    You know what? Turn that attack right back at him, Brendan said. And infuse it the Thunderbolt. Gwen smirked as she raised a hand, making the water turn back as she put in a Thunderbolt with the water. The attack struck Kristine directly under her jaw, electrocuting the sea serpent brutally. The Pokémon collapsed to the ground as she fainted.

    "Okay, time out, time right the hell out!" Francis said as he recalled his Pokémon. "You're not even giving commands, that can't be allowed!"

    Brendan sighed. "Gwen, go ahead," he said. "Let him hear you."

    Oh, you mean like this? Gwen said loudly. To make it easier for the douche to comprehend non-verbal commands?

    "Yes, exactly like that," Brendan said as he turned to Francis. "Now then, shall we continue this battle, or do you want to forfeit with some shred of your dignity."

    Francis responded by throwing a Pokéball. "Go Isaac!" The Pokémon that came out was a strong-looking Arcanine. Brendan just sighed.

    "Fine, we'll finish this. Just remember, I gave you an out," Brendan said. Gwen, Psychic.

    Gwen raised her hand and Arcanine followed the motion. Was this guy such a huge idiot while you were in school together? She asked.

    He's worse now, and that's a high watermark, Brendan said as Gwen threw the Arcanine back. The Pokémon hadn't even gotten a chance to attack before losing the battle. Seriously, I'm starting to really feel bad about doing this to the Pokémon. They probably worked hard to get here, but their trainer is a fuck-up.

    Well, not much you can do about that, Gwen said.

    "Leah, get out there!" Francis called as he sent out a Meganium.

    "So, you chose a Chikorita when you started. Interesting, but let's see how she holds up," Brendan said.

    "She's going to mop the floor with that sissy Gardevoir of yours!" Francis said. "Now, Frenzy Plant!" Leah slammed her feet onto the ground and made multiple massive roots to shoot up from the ground and fly at Gwen.

    Child's play, Gwen said as she teleported sideways and let the attack just soar straight by her. Sorry Leah, I swear this isn't personal. She then used a powerful Hyper Voice, launching the Meganium back and knocking her out.

    Francis gritted his teeth as he recalled the Meganium. "Let's go, Salvatore!" The Pokémon that came out this time made Gwen's eyes go wide with a fear she thought she had gotten over.

    A Honchkrow, Gwen said, her worry evident.

    Back in the stadium, the screens were showing multiple battles going on. Wally had beaten his first opponent in a close match, and Wes, the guy from Orre, was battling ruthlessly. May's attention, however, was on Brendan's battle. And when she saw Gwen's expression, she got worried too. "Brendan, switch her out, please," May pleaded quietly.

    Brendan felt the same concern the others felt, so he was about to go for Jack's Pokéball when his arm stopped. Gwen gave him a slight, but meaningful glare. No, I'm staying in this. I will not let this fear control me anymore. You're overcoming a problem from your past just the same as I have to now. So, let's do it together, she said before letting go.

    Brendan nodded. Alright, let's win this together, he said.

    "Let's go for the kill! Use Brave Bird!" Francis said.

    Gwen glared for a moment, but then, her memories of her late mother came to her. These memories were not of the fateful night. Instead, she thought about all the good times with Serenity, like when her mother would sing her to sleep, or when they baked her mother's Oran Berry pie together. She simply smiled happily. Now, when she saw the Honchkrow approaching in the flames of Brave Bird, even though she was going to teleport out of the way, she didn't feel any fear. All she felt was a new sense of closure as the attack missed her. Let's end this farce, Gwen said as she gathered a pearlescent energy in the palm of her hand and straightened her arm, flattening her palm and giving another reference as she let loose the Moonblast. BIG BANG ATTACK!

    Brendan chuckled as Francis fell to his knees in defeat. "Damn it, the bitch beat me," the former bully said as his body and his Honchkrow were teleported out of the cave. Their bag of items, however, were still there.

    Well, he won't be needing these anymore, Brendan said as he got a total of 24 Full Restores and 12 Revives. Well, that was an easy start. I doubt the rest of these battles will be that way.

    If they were, then I would have serious doubts about the standards of the Hoenn Pokémon League, Gwen said with a smile.
     
  10. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
    Posts:
    100
    PokéPoints:
    ₽36.3
    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    Bonds

    Wally was trying not to panic at this point as he looked at his scanner, seeing that the count of trainers was already at 35. He had beaten one of the five who had been defeated, but based on the locations of everyone on the map, he guessed that there were at least five more battles going on. He already knew that Brendan had won his battle against that Francis guy, but he wasn't too concerned with Brendan and Gwen. He was more concerned with the fact that, aside from Meredith, the Unovan girl he defeated earlier, he hadn't encountered anybody. It was strange, but even though it felt like this tournament was taking a long time, his clock told him that only ten minutes had passed.

    "Damn, it doesn't feel right in this cave," he said as he kept moving. He barely avoided a pack of Lairon while he walked. He could easily beat them if he wanted to, but he knew that conservation of his Pokémon's energy would be key to winning this tournament. Then the next part would be to defeat Brendan. He already knew that he would meet and battle Brendan eventually. He didn't know how he knew, he just knew it.

    "Alright, who's the closest person to me now?" he said with his map up in front of him. He looked over it before he noticed that there was somebody named Justin who was close when the scan was taken. "Might as well find him," Wally said. He ran in the direction that Justin had been in, and he thankfully didn't have to run far. Even though Wally knew his asthma was improving, and he hadn't had any trouble with it in almost a year, he didn't want to risk having an attack in the tournament. He knew that would be a bad way to end his try for the title.

    A short distance away, Wally saw the guy he assumed to be Justin sitting by a small river. "Wally, right? I saw you were nearby on the last scan," he said. The guy looked like he was 17, and he was ginger and he had a lot of freckles. He stood about six feet tall and he walked with confidence. He extended his hand in greeting. "I'm Justin, and it's a pleasure to meet you."

    "Very nice to meet you too," Wally said. "So, where you from?"

    "Cherrygrove City in Johto. You?" Justin asked.

    "Petalburg City in Hoenn," Wally said.

    "Well, Wally from Petalburg, I guess the pleasantries are out of the way. Want to start?" Justin seemed confident.

    Wally took the first of his Pokéballs from his belt. "I'm good to go whenever you are."

    "Then let's go, Hailey!" Justin said as he sent out a Reuniclus a green cell-like Pokémon that almost looked like it had a torso and two arm-like appendages. "Well, let's see what you've got."

    "I'll show you. Go, Wraith!" Wally said. The Pokémon that came out was mostly black with a grey head that looked like a tombstone surrounded by a grey collar. Over her head, the Pokémon had multiple gold rings around her elbows and forehead, with one that looked almost like a crown over her head. She had a single red eye and what looked like a jagged mouth of gold under two golden eye-shaped adornments on her body.

    "Woah, a Dusknoir," Justin said with an impressed look on his face.

    "Yeah, I met a guy near Mt. Pyre who had a Reaper Cloth, but he didn't have a Dusclops to utilize it. So, I briefly traded him my Dusclops so he could put the Reaper Cloth on it and trade her back to have her evolve."

    "Interesting," Justin said. "Now, let's see how you work with her."

    "Like this," Wally said. "Wraith, use Will-O-Wisp!" The ghost Pokémon made a small ball of eerie blue flames in her hands before throwing it at Hailey. The attack moved quickly, but instead of doing damage, the Reuniclus suffered a burn as her body was coated in smoldering flames.

    "Damn, a bit sneaky there, but not enough," Justin said. "Now, use Shadow Ball!"

    "Use Shadow Sneak," Wally said. Just as Hailey threw a ball of inky black energy at Wraith, the Dusknoir vanished into a shadow, making the attack fly overhead. Wraith then reappeared behind Hailey, and punched her. The attack didn't take out the Reuniclus, but it certainly did some damage. It made Wally silently wish that there was a way for battles to be monitored in the field the same way they were in gym battles. It would make life so much easier for trainers.

    "Hailey, Psychic!" Justin called. Wraith looked at Wally, who just nodded. The ghost-type gathered a cloud of black mist and put it in Hailey's face, letting loose with a powerful Hex attack. Due to her having a burn, Hex doubled in power. Hailey collapsed and fainted on the spot. "Damn, that was really done well." Justin recalled Hailey and sent out his next Pokémon. What came out looked like a hellhound with black fur on the majority of his body except for around his muzzle and his belly. He also had two silver horns on his head, and three horizontal arches on his back that led to his arrow-headed tail.

    "A Houndoom? Amazing!" Wally said. Silently, Wally was cursing his bad luck. Wraith was strong, but a Houndoom could definitely beat her.

    "Liam is his name," Justin said as he crouched down beside the hellhound, scratching the Pokémon under the chin. "And yeah, he's really amazing. Let me show you just how cool he is. Liam, start with Nasty Plot." The Houndoom leapt forward and closed its eyes in concentration, then gave an almost evil smirk as his special abilities increased.

    "Wraith, Confuse Ray!" Wally said. He wasn't confident that he could win this round, but he was positive that he would at least give Liam and Justin one hell of a time with a win. Wraith gathered three orbs of lights before sending it toward Liam. The Houndoom was mesmerized by the lights briefly before they spun around the Pokémon and then seemed to fuse with it. Liam then looked worriedly confused as he lost both his balance and his vision got blurry.

    "Liam, I know you can hear me. I need you to use Dark Pulse!" Justin said. Liam shook his head, unsuccessfully trying to clear his head. He tried to fire a Dark Pulse, but he stumbled and fell hard onto its face.

    "Alright, use Brick Break!" Wally said. Wraith levitated over to Liam, moving quickly as her fist glowed yellow and she swung hard at the opponent's Pokémon. The attack struck and did a lot of damage, but it also wound up knocking Liam back into his senses.

    "Liam, use Dark Pulse!" Justin said. The Houndoom howled briefly before firing a beam of black, interconnected rings. The beam flew fast and slammed into Wraith, dealing enough damage for Wally to know immediately that Wraith was out of the fight.

    "Wraith, you fought excellently. Return and get some rest!" Wally said. "Now, come on out, Paul!" The Pokémon that came out was almost all blue with orange cheeks. He had two black crests over his eyes, a black tail that almost looked like a boat's rudder, and each cheek had a set of three orange spikes. His arms were now fully developed and he seemed to be built powerfully. On his wrist was a steel bracelet with a piece of Swampertite. Wally's keystone was currently on a necklace, but he had another Pokémon ready to be the Mega Evolution.

    "Paul, use Hydro Pump!" Wally said. Paul fired a stream of water, hitting Houndoom squarely. The attack did a lot of damage, and Wally could only smirk. Justin was good, but he wasn't on the level of the trainer Wally had been working to beat. Brendan, you won't beat me this time.

    "Clint, finish this with Leaf Storm!" Brendan said to Sceptile. Clint slammed the massive otter Pokémon, Samurott, across from him with a wall of leaves. The attack immediately ended his third battle of the tournament, which was against a girl from Unova, named Lillith. She was really good, but her Samurott wasn't quite fast or strong enough to beat Clint. Despite that, the Unovan Pokémon were quite formidable. The battle had actually been closer than usual, coming closer than any trainer thus far to beating Brendan, getting him down only to Gwen and Clint. But, Avery had done a number on Lillith's team and made it tough for her to recover.

    "Well, that was a fun battle," Lillith said as she both she and Brendan recalled their respective Pokémon. The girl was fair-skinned, clearly a city girl, with nearly black hair. She was also quite pretty, but she was only about 16. Brendan stepped forward and held out his hand politely.

    "You fought well," he said as he shook her hand. "Thank you for giving it your all."

    Lillith smiled. "Well, you showed me that I need to train harder for the next year," she said. She then took off her bag and handed it to him. "Here are my items," she said. "Good luck in your next battles, especially since you probably only have two or three more left."

    "Thank you. And you take care of yourself," Brendan said.

    "Of course. Be sure to come visit the Unova region soon," she said. "I think you'd love it there…" she trailed off in what she was saying as she seemed to look behind Brendan. "I think your next challenge is here." With that, Lillith was teleported from the cave, and Brendan heard the footsteps behind him.

    "So, I have a few questions for you before we battle, and I want you to answer me truthfully," the guy said. Brendan turned and saw the Orre-native, Wes, whose trench coat made him look like a bad-ass. His expression, however, conveyed a message that he was not up for any nonsense.

    "Oh, uh sure," Brendan said, slightly caught off guard by the directness of this trainer.

    "Is it true that you took out both Team Aqua and Team Magma single-handedly?" Wes asked.

    Brendan was shocked that this person from Orre would know anything about Team Magma or Team Aqua. It was doubly surprising that Wes actually knew that Brendan had a direct hand in beating both groups.

    Well, aside from the help that we got from May, yes, Gwen said, getting Wes to change his expression by raising his eyebrow to show interest.

    "And the rumors that your Gardevoir can speak are true as well," Wes said. "I can tell that the two of you are close, as you should be."

    "Well, thank you. But, before you go on, my Pokémon need to be healed. Mind if I tend to them now?" Brendan asked as he sent out the rest of his Pokémon.

    "By all means," Wes said. He sounded very sincere when he spoke, even though his expression remained as unchanged as a statue. Brendan knelt beside his Pokémon and started to use revives on each of them. "So, my next question is whether you have heard of either Team Snagem, or Cipher."

    "I think I saw a few news reports about them a while back, but nothing too big was mentioned in Hoenn," he said.

    "Well, if I might inform you, I will let you know that Snagem is an organization that takes Pokémon from trainers by using devices called Snag Machines," Wes said. "Cipher was paired with Snagem to force Pokémon to close their hearts, making them into fighting machines that would attack humans unprovoked." He seemed to pause. "I was once a Snagger for Team Snagem. It's something I'm not proud of. But, when I found out that Cipher was taking those Pokémon I had snagged for evil purposes, I stole back the Snag Machine to undo all the damage I had done."

    You referred to Cipher in the past tense. Is it not around anymore? Gwen asked.

    "I don't believe so, but I've always suspected that they're still waiting in the shadows, licking their wounds," Wes said. "But they're keeping such a low profile that I can't find anything about them. So, I've decided to travel the globe to strengthen myself and my Pokémon in case Cipher does return."

    "That's very honorable of you," Brendan said. "And I can tell that you're at an incredibly high level as a trainer. So, would you like to get this battle started?"

    "Definitely, but you should know, where I come from, we specialize in double battles. Would you be okay with battling like that?"

    "A double battle? Sounds fun to me," Brendan said as he finished healing Avery with a Full Restore and he began to recall his team.

    "Then, let's begin," Wes said as he pulled out his first two Pokéballs. "Come on out Marshall and Corona!" The two Pokémon that came out were both typically found in the Johto Region. Marshall was a blue salamander-like Pokémon, who Brendan recognized as Quagsire, and Corona was a bear-like Pokémon with a cream-colored underbelly and black fur on his back. It was one of the Pokémon that Brendan had been considering choosing for his journey before the move to Hoenn.

    "So, a Typhlosion and a Quagsire? I like it," Brendan said as he picked two Pokéballs off his own belt. "Then I choose Turk and Nikki!" When the Crawdaunt and Slaking appeared on the field, the two trainers got serious.

    "I'll start us off. Corona, use Flamethrower on Slaking. Marshall, use Yawn on Crawdaunt!" Wes said. Corona's neck flames roared to life as he launched a stream of flames at Nikki. The Slaking, however, seemed unconcerned with the attack. Marshall, however, looked directly into Crawdaunt's eyes, yawning loudly. Since yawning is extremely contagious, Crawdaunt also yawned, his eyes looking heavy. Despite this, Crawdaunt still ran forward.

    "Nikki, jump and use Brick Break on Marshall. Turk, use Crab-Hammer on Corona!" Brendan called. Nikki did exactly as Brendan asked, leaping into the air as her hand began to glow. She came down in front of the Quagsire and punched him in the stomach, sending him sliding back. Corona glared hard, but he was stopped by Turk running at him and punching him with a glowing claw. The attack launched Corona back, but he was still standing strong.

    "Marshall, use Water Pulse on Nikki," Wes said calmly. "Corona, use Thunder Punch on Turk!" Marshall reared back and fired three balls of water at Nikki, who was still recovering from using her attack. The Slaking couldn't dodge it in time and she was hit with the attack. Corona then charged a Thunder Punch, and slammed her hand across Turk's body, doing severe damage to him.

    "Nikki, Slash on Marshall. Turk use-" Brendan stopped himself when he saw Turk fast asleep. No, not now, he thought. Item use was forbidden in battle, so Brendan was stuck with only one active Pokémon on the field, while Wes had two.

    Wes smirked at that. "Corona, finish Turk off with another Thunder Punch," he said. Corona jumped at Turk, punching the Crawdaunt again, and knocking him out. "Now, Marshall, use Slam on Nikki!" The Quagsire swung his tail and hit Nikki across the chest with it.

    "Nikki, Counter!" Brendan called out. Nikki recovered from the hit, then grabbed Marshall's tail. She then swung him as her entire body began to glow slightly. She then slammed Marshall into the ground the same way Hulk did to Loki in The Avengers. Needless to say, Marshall was out of the fight after that. Both Brendan and Wes recalled their respective water types before looking each other in the eyes.

    "Damn, the rumors about you were true," Wes said with a smile. "I haven't seen an opponent this strong since Evice. Plus, this one's already much more fun."

    "Well, I'm not sure who Evice is," Brendan said. "But I agree that this is much more fun than battling Groudon."

    Wes just chuckled as he pulled out his next Pokéball. "Come on out, Walnut!" The Pokémon that came out was another Johto Pokémon. It was the bagworm Pokémon, Forretress.

    "Huh, interesting. You have a wall on your team," Brendan said. "I guess my best choice is…" he threw his next Pokéball. "Jack, come on out!" The Camerupt came out and grunted, spitting out a small tongue of fire.

    "Smart move…but I have counters to that," Wes said. "Walnut, use Stealth Rock! Corona, use Flamethrower on Nikki!"

    "Nikki, use Crush Claw on Corona!" Brendan said. "Jack, use Eruption!" Walnut's four prongs launched and scattered pointed stones onto the fields. When they landed, however, they all vanished from sight. Nikki began running at Corona, her hands glowing as she extended her long and thick claws. Corona was rearing back at the same time, breathing a jet of flames at Nikki. Nikki was engulfed in flames as she charged forward, but she was still able to reach out and slash Corona across his body. Both Pokémon then fell to the ground and fainted. Jack, however, launched multiple magma-covered rocks, and they were all on target, hitting Walnut easily, but the Pokémon managed to hold on with a little health left.

    "Nice job Walnut," Wes said. Brendan chided himself at that point, knowing he should've been careful about Forretress's Sturdy ability.

    Both trainers recalled their knocked-out Pokémon, and took out their next Pokéballs. Wes was the first to send out his next Pokémon. "Go Affection!" The Pokémon that appeared was a dark purple ghost that looked like it was a woman with a witch's hat, a long dress, and three smooth, oval-shaped, orange gems around her neck. The edges of the dress and the hat were a lighter shade of purple, almost looking pink.

    "A Mismagius?" Brendan said as he sent out Avery. The Latias, true to her nature, appeared beside Brendan and nuzzled his hand. Brendan chuckled as he pet her happily. She cooed softly before flying out onto the battlefield. Unfortunately, Stealth Rocks was still in effect, so Avery was pelted with multiple small rocks that seemed to leap from the ground. She shook it off, barely having been hurt by the attack.

    "Well, your Latias reminds me a bit of my Umbreon," Wes said with a chuckle.

    "So, an Umbreon is one of your last three Pokémon?" Brendan asked.

    "Oh, no. My Umbreon is in the stands with my girlfriend, Rui," Wes said. "She doesn't exactly like battles, so she chose to be her Pokémon."

    "Should've guessed a trainer of your caliber wouldn't give away any information about his team," Brendan smiled as he spoke.

    "You're right about that," Wes said. "Now, Affection, use Taunt on Jack. Walnut, you fought well, and thank you for working so hard, now use Explosion!"

    Brendan's eyes went wide at the order for Explosion. Wes was obviously very smart, using such a devastating Normal type attack when his other Pokémon was a Ghost type. But, Brendan was also smart, and he had come prepared for something like this.

    "Both of you, use Protect now!" Brendan said. Avery was surrounded by green shields of energy. But, then, Affection began to glow slightly red, angering Jack and preventing him from protecting himself. Walnut then began to glow brightly as he gathered energy. And instant later, Walnut released the energy and caused an immense explosion, rattling the entire cave with its intensity. Gwen, acting on her instincts, ran in front of Brendan and threw up a Protect barrier in front of Brendan, blocking the attack to keep her trainer safe. Wes was just standing there with strength in his eyes as his coat flew back like a cape in the wind.

    Thanks for that, Gwen, Brendan said as the explosion subsided. Walnut was on the ground, knocked out. Thankfully, Jack was still standing, but he was hurting. "Stay strong Jack. I know you can." Jack turned and nodded confidently toward Brendan.

    No problem, Goldenrod, Gwen said. Can't let my trainer get hurt like that.

    Brendan smiled, then looked over at Wes, who was just shielding his face with his arm. "Very nicely done," Wes said as he recalled Walnut. "Now, I think I'll go with Munchkin next!" He threw out his next Pokéball, sending out a purple bulldog Pokémon with a massive lower jaw and two massive tusks on that jaw.

    "Nice, a Granbull," Brendan said. "It's been a while since I saw one in battle."

    "Yep, and he was actually the last Pokémon I added to my team while I was in Orre," Wes said with a smirk.

    "He looks strong too," Brendan said with a smile. "Let's see how he does. Avery, use Dragon Pulse on Affection. Jack, use another Eruption!"

    Wes smirked there. "Affection, use Psychic on Jack. Munchkin, use Play Rough on Avery," he said. Avery was the first to use her attack as she fired a stream of purple energy, aiming for the Mismagius. It was thankfully able to hit its mark just as Jack launched more magma-covered rocks from his back. Before they were able to land, Affection was able to grab Jack tightly with her power, throwing him at a stalagmite. The impact almost broke the stone apart. Brendan could tell that Jack was out of the fight from that. Fortunately for Brendan, Affection and Munchkin couldn't dodge Eruption, but, due to Jack being low on energy, the attack didn't do much damage. That was when Munchkin ran at Avery, his body glowing pink. He leapt at Latias, and started to punch, kick, and headbutt her. Avery, knowing she couldn't take too much of this attack, grabbed Munchkin with Psychic, and threw him at the ground by Wes. It wasn't enough to knock him out, but it did stop Avery from taking too much damage.

    "You know, Wes, I have to admit that you might be the strongest trainer I've faced so far," Brendan said as he recalled Jack, then grabbed Clint's Pokéball, his smile showing his confidence. "So, let's keep going. I want to see how you deal with Clint!" With that, he sent out his Sceptile.

    "So, a grass-type," Wes said thoughtfully. "He looks quite strong."

    "He definitely is," Brendan said. "Let us show you what we mean. Clint, use Sunny Day. Avery, use Dragon Pulse on Affection!"

    "Affection, use Shadow Ball! Munchkin, use Fire Fang on Clint!" Clint shot a ball of light into the air, and it increased the heat as it seemed to act as a sun. Avery then fired another Dragon Pulse at the Mismagius. Affection couldn't avoid the attack in time, but she did fire off a powerful Shadow Ball. Avery, ever the playful Pokémon, simply flew up and dodged, not seeming to try too hard as she grabbed the Shadow Ball and dove at Affection like a Talonflame catching a Rattata. When she was about to body slam Affection, she let go of the Shadow Ball and pulled up from her dive. The momentum carried the Shadow Ball forward and it slammed into Mismagius. The ghost-type moaned in protest for a moment before she passed out.

    At the same time, Munchkin's mouth began to burn with fire as he leapt at Clint. Acting on his instincts, Clint stepped to the side and used a fast Slam attack with his tail, making Munchkin faceplant hard. The dog stood up and shook himself out of the daze, glaring at Clint.

    Wes gritted his teeth as he recalled Affection. "Well, that was really interesting. You have a smart and innovative Latias," he said as he pulled out a Pokéball. "But you're not the only one with Pokémon like that. Go, Saikou!" He threw the ball and it let out a pink feline with two hair tufts, and ruby on his forehead. His tail split into two halfway to the tips, his ears were very long and pointed, and his eyes were a light purple surrounding pure white pupils.

    "An Espeon? That could be troublesome," Brendan said. "I think we can handle it."

    "Can you? Saikou, use Dazzling Gleam!" Wes said. "Munchkin, use an Ice Fang on Clint!"

    "Clint, Solar Beam on Munchkin! Avery, use Shadow Ball on Espeon!" Brendan commanded. Clint, using the Sunny Day earlier hastened the attack. He fired off the Solar Beam with nearly perfect aim. But Munchkin was not about to let the attack hit him. So, he jumped immediately out of the way, then, with his jaws misting with icy energy. He then ran at Clint and clamped onto the closest part of the Sceptile that he could, which just happened to be his right arm. Clint grunted angrily and, without stopping his Solar Beam, lifted his arm and forced Munchkin into the attack. When Clint stopped, Munchkin let go and fell to the ground as he passed out.

    Avery fired a Shadow Ball at Saikou, but the Espeon just lazily opened his eyes, as if this was all beneath him. The Shadow Ball was instantly redirected toward Clint, speeding up to the point that Clint didn't even have time to look at the attack before it hit him with more than enough force to knock him out in an instant.

    Saikou then took notice of Munchkin knocked out. It must have made him angry, because he glared and the gemstone on his head began to glow brightly. The attack made a sparkling field around Avery, multiple orbs of light exploding around the Eon Pokémon. Avery cried out with each explosion until they subsided. When they did, with her body still smoldering slightly, Avery collapsed to the ground.

    Brendan was stunned by the attacks. "Woah…how is your Espeon so strong?"

    "Unlike my Umbreon, Nyx, Saikou loves battling and he does it a lot. He's extremely competitive and he's protective of his friends," Wes said as Brendan recalled his Pokémon. "And, once he's angry, there's really not much that can stop him. Too bad, looks like you won't be getting the title this time."

    Gwen smirked as she walked forward, exhibiting more grace than Brendan ever remembered seeing before. Sorry, Wes, but you're wrong about that, she said. I can definitely beat Saikou here and now.

    Wes raised his eyebrow. "Quite the confident Gardevoir you have there," he said. "But is her bite as vicious as her bark?"

    "Oh, trust me, she is quite vicious when she needs to be," Brendan said as he held up his left hand, showing Wes his keystone.

    "Mega Evolution?" Wes said with curiosity. "I've only met a few trainers who have the necessary ability and the bond with their Pokémon. Seems this may be interesting after all."

    Let's go, Gwen! Mega Evolve! Brendan said. He touched the keystone and the cave was flooded with light as Gwen took on her mega form. Wes, however, remained unfazed.

    "I've faced the polar opposite of this," he said. "Pokémon with so much hatred, pain, and anger that they sealed their hearts off to everyone else. They were powerful…but I can say that the power I feel from her is immense. It makes me wonder…were the Shadow Pokémon on par with a Mega Evolved Pokémon in terms of sheer power?"

    "Let's find out right now, how does that sound?" Brendan said

    Gwen smiled confidently. Ready when you are.

    Then use the Double Team, Teleport, and Calm Mind combination. We'll need as much power as we can get here. Gwen nodded and began to glow with a green aura as she created a virtual horde of illusory copies of herself. Wes and Saikou began to look disoriented as they tried and find the real Gwen. Meanwhile, Gwen was powering up. Use Thunderbolt!

    So many copies to choose from, Gwen said as the clones all began to gather electricity between her palms. Her voice sounding like it came from every clone. But, just like with Jango Fett, the army of my clones just isn't as good as the original. The clones vanished as Gwen appeared behind Saikou and unleashed the electricity she had built up. Saikou couldn't dodge in time, so he countered with a Calm Mind of his own, hoping to buffer the damage, and it worked. Saikou emerged from the dust unscathed as Gwen teleported back to Brendan's side. Although, I will admit that if I wind up getting a Boba Fett, that "clone" would most likely be able to surpass me, she said to herself.

    "Saikou, use Shadow Ball!" Wes said. Saikou gathered the Shadow Ball quickly, firing it at near Mach speeds. Gwen just raised a hand and caught it in midair.

    That's pretty impressive speed, Gwen said as she made the attack bigger as she gathered more power. She then threw it back at Saikou. The Espeon once again deflected it. This time, it flew at the same stalagmite that Jack had hit earlier. The attack caused the entire rock formation to break.

    Hyper Voice, Brendan said.

    Good idea, he can't redirect that, Gwen said.

    "Use Dazzling Gleam," Wes said. He had realized that Brendan and Gwen were using some type of silent communication, but what he didn't notice was Gwen taking a deep breath. It was too late once Gwen began to shout louder than anything Wes had ever heard. Saikou was hit by a powerful soundwave. The attack was intense, and Gwen was in complete control of the power behind it, so she kept increasing the power as the attack went on longer. Saikou then glared and a Light Screen appeared in front him. Brendan smirked at the intelligence Saikou was displaying. He had responded with an almost perfect counter to reduce the damage of the attack.

    "Saikou, use Signal Beam!" Wes called. The gem on Saikou's head started to alternate between a red and green glow before firing a beam with a sine wave of those color inside it. It hit Gwen's center, making her slide back from the power. Gwen and Saikou both looked winded from the battle so far. It was clear that neither would be able to fight for much longer.

    Gwen, you good to keep going? Brendan asked.

    Gwen looked at Brendan like that was a stupid question for her to ask. Brendan, you remember the promise we made to each other when this journey started?

    How could I forget? Brendan said.

    Well, we've come so far, and we've gone through so much together, Gwen said with passion in her voice. I don't know about you, but I refuse to just lay down and give up when we're this close.

    Brendan smiled at her words. Well, I won't give up either. If we're going to lose, we do it fighting at our best.

    Gwen smiled back as she quietly gathered the energy needed for both a Shadow Ball and a Moonblast, but she did it subtly and making them both in the blind-spots of both Wes and Saikou. Then let's finish this now. She lifted her hands to get a psychic grip on the two orbs of energy, then she clapped her hands in front of her, making the Shadow Ball and the Moonblast both fly at Saikou. Like it had been with Clint, Saikou didn't even have time to look before the attacks struck and exploded around him. The dust settled quickly, but Wes could already tell that the battle was over. Gwen then reverted to her normal form

    "Damn, you two really are strong," Wes said as he recalled Saikou and walked over to Brendan, extending his hand. "That last bout was all the proof I needed that strong bonds with your Pokémon will always trump pure power."

    Brendan smiled and shook Wes's hand. "You needed proof?"

    "No, this just made it more abundantly clear that Mega Evolution is stronger than even the strongest power that can be achieved with anger and hatred," Wes said.

    "Well, if you travel to Alola, I've heard you could learn a power similar to Mega Evolution. I'm sure you could try something like that," Brendan said.

    "You mean Z-Power? I'll consider it," Wes said. "But Rui would have to agree to that first." He smiled again. "Anyway, you'd better win this tournament. If anybody here can even pose a challenge the Elite Four of this region, it's you."

    We promise we will,Gwen said as she smiled sweetly. Wes gave a slight salute as a farewell before he was teleported from the cave.

    In the stands, May was cheering lightly with all people in the audience applauding the amazing battle they had just seen between Brendan and Wes. It very well could have been the best battle of the entire tournament. A close second had to be the battle that Wally just won against the guy from Cherrygrove.

    Another surprise had come earlier in the day when Caroline's Sylveon had warmed up to May so much that she was now sleeping in her lap. Caroline was also sitting next to her, smiling as she looked at Sylveon. "She must smell Brendan on you," Mrs. Maple said.

    May smiled. "I sure hope that's not the only thing that made her like me," she said.

    "I know it's not the only reason, but, for Sylveon, it may really be all she needs to like anybody," Caroline said with a smile and a reminiscent tone. "It's funny, I raised Sylveon since she hatched. I love her, and I know she loves me no matter what."

    "Sounds like you and her were very close to each other," May said with a smile.

    Caroline laughed slightly. "But…when Brendan was born, her affections shifted. She went from being beside me to always being with him." Caroline reached over and pet Sylveon's ear. "In fact, one of my favorite memories was from when Brendan was learning how to walk. Sylveon would hold him up with her ribbons to help him get more confidence."

    "Aww," May said. "She's such a sweetheart."

    "She is, but just so you know, when you and Brendan start your own family, there's a good chance that your Pokémon will want to protect them," Caroline said. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Gwen did exactly what Sylveon did for your kid."

    May blushed. "I think that's likely," she said. "To be honest, I think Gwen is too sweet of a Pokémon to not be protective of her family."

    Caroline laughed again. "No question about that," she said.

    On the opposite side of the stadium, a nineteen-year-old girl with orange hair and blue eyes sat in stunned silence as the Umbreon in her lap had her ears pulled back sadly. "Well, it seems that Brendan was just a little stronger," she said as she scratched the Umbreon behind one of her ears to comfort her.

    "Breon?" she cooed softly.

    "It's okay Nyx. Brendan just had a better day today, that's all," Rui said. "Besides, Wes will have better luck in the next region we go to." She then stood up, carrying Nyx in her arms as she walked from the stadium. "Let's go find Wes and get some drinks."
     
  11. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
    Posts:
    100
    PokéPoints:
    ₽36.3
    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    A Rivalry Ends

    Brendan and Gwen both sat for a moment after using the last of his items to heal his team after the battle with Wes. They were at the entrance to a very beautiful area of the cave that had grass growing and some waterfalls around them. He was getting tired as well, this tournament being much more difficult than Brendan had expected. He knew it had only been about three hours since the tournament started, and at the rate that trainers had been knocked out of the tournament, Brendan was wondering how many trainers were left. He pulled out the tracker as his five-minute timer went off and his eyes went wide. "There's only one other trainer left in the tournament," he said in surprise. He then used the touch screen of the tracker and pulled up the tag identifying the trainer.

    No way! Wally? Gwen asked.

    "Seems like it," Brendan said. "I should've guessed he got stronger based on how confident he was back in the hotel." He then pulled out his cell phone and started typing a message to Wally.

    What are you doing? Gwen asked.

    "We're the last two trainers in the tournament. We might as well group up and get the battles over with," Brendan said. "And he's nearby. Want to wait here for him?"

    We may just need to walk a little further, she said. I think I see him and Samuel higher in the cavern.

    Brendan looked up the cliff, seeing the boy from Petalburg on the cliff almost like he was sending them a silent challenge from above. Brendan took the message. "Gwen, could you teleport us up there?"

    Sure. No reason to waste energy climbing, Gwen said as she put her hand on Brendan's shoulder and they teleported up to where Wally was standing. Behind him, Samuel was waiting. He had originally looked confident, but Brendan noticed his eyes go wide and he started to blush when he saw Gwen.

    "Hey Brendan. I had a feeling that we would meet up here," Wally said. "In fact, it's where I planned to battle you."

    Brendan looked at Wally curiously. "Why is that?"

    "It feels strange to say this," Wally said as he walked over to the blooming flowers. "But it's because of the flowers that grow here." Brendan, who had never been one for horticulture, stood politely and waited for Wally to explain. "They're red spider lilies, they commonly bloom in cemeteries, and they are used to symbolize something unique. It's believed that they also bloom when you're meeting a person you will never see again."

    Brendan looked at Wally curiously. "And what, exactly, do you mean by that?"

    "Well, to be honest, while I may still be Wally, I've changed a lot since we battled in Mauville…and infinitely more since Samuel and I first met," Wally said.

    So, you're saying that this battle will be the last we all see of the timid, sickly Wally? Gwen asked, her tone showing sincerity and it sounded like she was impressed. She too had noticed Samuel's blushing, especially since he would suddenly take an intense interest in the floor of the cave each time she glanced his way.

    "That's exactly what I mean," Wally said as he stood up, his expression beyond confident. "So, are you two ready to begin?"

    Brendan saw what Wally was talking about. The person before him was not the same one he had met in the Petalburg gym. He could see this person was much stronger, and healthier for that matter. "I'm ready whenever you are."

    "Then let's begin," he said as he picked a Pokéball from his belt. "Come on out Wraith!"

    Brendan pulled Jack's ball from his belt at the same time. "Let's do this. Go Jack!" Brendan's Camerupt and Wally's Dusknoir appeared at the same time. "Wow, you got a Dusknoir? She looks strong," Brendan said. "Jack, use Eruption!"

    "She is, now let her show you. Wraith, Shadow Ball!" Wally said. The two Pokémon launched their attacks. Jack fired the cluster of magma rocks into the air, and, at the same time, Wraith fired the Shadow Ball. The attacks both hit nearly simultaneously, but the damage was negligible.

    Interesting, Wraith is actually pretty strong, Brendan thought. "Jack, use Flamethrower!" he said. Jack spat a stream of flames at Wraith, but Wally was ready for it.

    "Wraith, use Shadow Sneak!" Wally said. The Dusknoir vanished into the ground, making a shadow as she raced at Jack. The Flamethrower hit the wall of the cave behind them and it made a red-hot crater in the wall behind Wally. Wraith then appeared behind Jack and punched him between his volcano humps. Jack grunted loudly with the hit and the ghost-type returned to Wally's half of the field.

    Brendan grimaced as he saw the sheer strength behind Wraith's attack. It reconfirmed to Brendan that Wally hadn't just gotten to this level by mere chance. He was damn good at training his Pokémon. "You surprise me, Wally. You've definitely improved since Mauville," Brendan said.

    "As have you," Wally said. "But I think Jack will have trouble when he's confused. Wraith, use Confuse Ray!" Wraith gathered four orbs of eerie purple light in her hands before throwing it at Jack. The Camerupt couldn't dodge in time as the orbs seemed to fuse with his body, making him stumble as if he had been drinking heavily. Brendan silently cursed when Jack fell to his side from his dizzy stupor. It looked like the fall did some damage, but Brendan could tell Jack still had some fight in him. He probably only had one shot to win this battle.

    "Jack, use Fissure!" Brendan said.

    "Wraith, Destiny Bond!" Wally said. Just as Jack was powering up, Wraith sent multiple dark, solid tendrils at Jack. As the Camerupt stomped on the ground, making a massive crack appear and race toward Wraith, the tendrils wrapped around Jack loosely. They then vanished from sight, but as the Fissure hit Wraith and knocked her out, they reappeared with a dark, purple lightning. The attack seemed to electrocute Jack with enough power to make him fall to the ground, knocking him out.

    Brendan recalled Jack. Despite being unhappy with the Camerupt being defeated, Brendan looked very impressed with Wally's strategy. At a moment's notice, even though there was only a small chance that Jack's attack would hit, he countered in a way that ensured that Brendan would not walk away with the win in that round. "Very well planned out," Brendan complimented.

    Wally smiled. "Thank you," he said as he recalled Wraith. "Now, I think it's time to increase the intensity here." He then threw out his next Pokéball. "Go, Emilia!" The Pokémon that appeared was a white and pink bunny-cat with a bowtie and ribbons extending from her neck.

    "A Sylveon? Your Pokémon must really love you," Brendan said before taking out his next Pokéball. "But so do mine. Go Turk!" The Crawdaunt appeared with a confident look on his face. Emilia, however, seemed to be even more confident, like she enjoyed battling just as much as Turk, if not more.

    "Well, you should know that Emilia's blood runs very hot. She loves the exhilaration of a good battle," Wally said. "Think you can handle it?"

    "We'll just have to see how much she loves it," Brendan said. "Turk, start with Dragon Dance!" Turk surrounded himself in a red aura, increasing his speed and strength.

    "Emilia, use Echoed Voice!" Wally said. The Sylveon shouted, using the vibrations like a less-powerful version of Hyper Voice. However, it seemed to reverberate a lot more than Hyper Voice would have done. The sound waves hit Turk directly and powerfully, doing surprising damage. "Echoed Voice, it's usually Normal-Type, but now, it's Fairy-Type. It's thanks to Emilia's Pixilate ability."

    "I see," Brendan said, slightly grimacing at the implications of that ability.

    It's no different than with my ability when I Mega Evolve, Gwen said. Just be careful.

    I know, but thanks, Brendan said with a slight grimace. "Turk, use Aqua Jet into Crab Hammer!" Turk surrounded himself with water as he launched himself forward in a bullet-shaped trail of water as he flew at Emilia. Wally didn't say anything, and Emilia seemed to smirk confidently. Turk slammed into the Sylveon and clubbed her with his claw. It made her grimace, but then her ribbons wrapped around Turk's body.

    "Another Echoed Voice!" Wally called. Emilia shouted again, her voice resonating much louder this time. The sound waves struck hard and launched Turk back across the field, only for him to land in front of Brendan, completely unconscious.

    "Good job Turk, you fought well," Brendan said as he recalled the Crawdaunt. "Nikki, you're up!" Slaking appeared with her arms flexed and ready for battle.

    Wally chuckled. "Of course, this seems to be a pattern of yours in battle. It's always Jack, Turk, and Nikki before you go to Clint, Avery, and Gwen. You tend to vary who goes in what order within those two groups, but it's always that pattern. I have no idea why, but I guess that's just your style."

    Brendan was surprised to hear Wally say that, especially considering that this was their first full battle with each other. How much had Wally been studying his battle style? It didn't matter at this point, Brendan had to win this. "Nikki, use Slash!" he called, wanting to make this count. Nikki leapt into the air, her claws extending with a subtle glow. Emilia just dodged almost nonchalantly, using her ribbons to grab Nikki by the wrists and plant her claws into the ground with a redirection.

    "Easy," Wally said. "Now, Emilia, use another Echoed Voice!" Emilia started to shout again, with the sound waves. This attack shook a few rocks loose from the ceiling.

    Damn, we can't let Emilia use another Echoed Voice, or we might be buried. I wanted to save this for the Elite Four, but I guess I can't keep this attack a secret any longer, Brendan thought. "Nikki, time to use your new move!" I'll have to thank that old gentleman I met in Petalburg a few weeks ago for teaching her this attack. "Gunk Shot!" Nikki wrenched her claws from the floor, breaking some rocks free before she put her hands together. A moment later, she separated them and an orb of toxins formed between her palms. Steadily, the orb got bigger until Nikki was holding it over her head, and its diameter was as tall as Brendan. Nikki then threw the attack at Emilia. It was moving at such high speeds that neither Wally nor Emilia could process its approach. The attack struck and Emilia cried out with the impact as a geyser of sludge flew into the air. Nikki just leapt back to Brendan's side of the field. When the dust from the Gunk Shot faded, Emilia was out cold, completely out of the fight.

    "Emilia, return!" Wally said. "You fought well, now rest up." He then put Emilia's Pokéball on his belt and pulled out what looked like a Great Ball. "Now, I'm counting on you, Ivy!" The Pokémon that came out looked like a living plant. Her hands were like bouquets of roses, red on the right and blue on the left. It looked like she had hair made of a type of raw cotton, and a dark green mask-like covering over her eyes. Around her neck was what looked like a gold necklace with a long leaf for a cape on her back.

    "A Roserade," Brendan noted. "This'll be interesting."

    "Especially with this. Ivy, use Toxic!" Wally said. Ivy's hands gathered a strange sludge before she threw it at Nikki. The Slaking tried to dodge, but she was still soaked in the toxins. When the liquid from the toxin evaporated, Nikki had a very sickly expression. "Now, use Ingrain!" The Roserade's feet began to extend, cracking the rocks beneath her as roots extended into the rich soil beneath her. As she did, her body seemed to lightly glow green.

    "Nikki, use Façade!" Brendan said, hoping the attack would turn the disadvantage of Toxic into an advantage with this one attack. Nikki's body was cloaked in a golden light as she leapt at Ivy. The Slaking slammed her fists onto the Roserade, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. When they could all see, however, Brendan could see that Ivy had just barely held on. She then extended three green tendrils, which wrapped around Nikki. Then, what almost looked like green electricity lanced out as Ivy began to drain energy from Nikki.

    "Nice job with that Giga Drain!" Wally said happily. "Now, use Solar Beam and end this round." An orb of bright light formed in her hands.

    "Nikki, use Ice Punch before she can fire that!" Brendan said. Nikki closed her fist as icy energy began to gather around her hand. She then swung her fist at Ivy, hitting the Pokémon just as the Solar Beam fired. When the glaring light died down, both Nikki and Ivy were passed out.

    "Another draw," Brendan said as he recalled Nikki. "This is getting interesting."

    "Agreed," Wally said with a smirk. "Now, let's go to the next round. Go Jet!" He threw his Pokéball, sending out a falcon-like Pokémon with a grey and orange-speckled breast, and with orange plumage that looked like flames going out about halfway down his wings and his back, where they ended with what looked like a fire that led to jet black feathers. The tail feathers made four points, and the center two had three yellow lines that angled toward each other in a V-formation.

    Brendan smiled and threw Avery's Pokéball out. "Come on out and let's battle!" The Latias came out with a coo as she shook her head cheerfully. While she didn't nuzzle Brendan this time the way she usually did, she still looked back and nodded reassuringly.

    "Jet, use Brave Bird!" Wally said.

    "Avery, use Thunderbolt," Brendan said. Jet flew high into the air, then began to dive. The speed behind his attack should have been much slower, but something was speeding him up in the process. He pulled out of the dive extremely close to the ground and flew quickly, gathering blue flames as he kept flying. At the same time, Avery had been gathering electricity. She was just about to discharge the attack when Jet struck, hitting with intense power. Thankfully, just as Jet was about to get out of range, Avery's attack hit her target, zapping the Talonflame quickly. Jet groaned from the voltage coursing through his body, and he winced as he felt the recoil from his attack, but neither Pokémon was about to give up on this battle.

    "Jet, Flame Charge!" Wally said. Jet flew up into the air and flew directly at Avery again with flames erupting around him as his speed increased with his flight.

    "Use Psychic!" Brendan said. Just before Jet got a hit in, Latias stopped him cold in his tracks with her power. She then decided it would be a fun game to bounce Jet on the ground like a ball. She even seemed to giggle sadistically as she did this.

    "Jet, use Flamethrower!" Wally said. The bird spat out a stream of fire directly at Avery, hitting his mark for about five seconds before Avery slammed him into the ground again, knocking him out. Avery emerged from the flames with only some light charring on her body, looking happy at her win. Wally recalled Jet and sighed slightly. "You're great, Brendan. But I will not lose to you." He pulled his next Pokéball, throwing it onto the field. "Go, Paul!"

    The Pokémon that appeared was the Swampert Wally had been given by Professor Birch all those months ago in Petalburg. "Well, he certainly looks formidable," Brendan said. "Let's see how strong he is."

    "Given the damage that Avery's taken, this won't take long," Wally said. "Use Ice Punch!" Paul immediately made a fist that became surrounded in ice quickly. Moving surprisingly fast for a Pokèmon of that size. That was when Brendan noticed the claw pendant around Paul's neck.

    A Quick Claw. It's unclear how it works, but if it's worn by a Pokémon in battle, it can make the wearer move faster on occasion, Gwen said.

    "Avery, Energy Ball!" Brendan said. It was an attack he had only recently taught the Latias via TM. Just as Avery was gathering the energy for the attack, Paul struck. The Ice Punch was strong, doing enough damage to knock her out almost instantly. When she landed on the ground, Brendan was almost in shock. "Wow, Paul got strong, didn't he?" Brendan asked rhetorically as he recalled Avery. "But, I have to wonder if he's as strong as Clint." He then threw out his next Pokéball. When Sceptile came out of his ball and saw Paul, he immediately grinned competitively. Paul grinned back with the same fire in his eyes.

    "Seems these two want to battle at their best," Wally said with a smirk.

    "Well, Clint and I will not disappoint you," Brendan said. "Clint, start with Dragon Pulse!" Clint fired a stream of violet energy directly at Paul. Swampert would have none of that as he used a Mud Shot to break up the incoming energy. Before Clint could dodge, Paul hit his real target perfectly, sending Clint sliding back. Clint was now covered in mud that weighed and slowed him down significantly.

    Clint just glared competitively before his forearm leaves began to glow a bright green color as they extended for a Leaf Blade. He then sprinted at Paul and began to slash at the Swampert with his blades. The Swampert tried to block for a while, but with an onslaught of these slashes, there was only so much he could take. So, Paul grabbed Clint by his right forearm, charging up an Ice Punch. He then slammed his fist into Clint's chin, just as Clint slashed Paul once more. The two attacks sent both Pokémon were knocked back, and knocked out simultaneously.

    "Wow," Brendan said as he recalled Clint. "Three draws in this battle alone. This battle is very close."

    "I know, this should be incredible for our last battle," Wally said as he recalled Paul. He then turned to his Gallade. "Sam, you ready?"

    Samuel stepped out onto the field and smiled, specifically at Gwen.

    Ready to get some payback on your childhood bully? Brendan asked.

    Of course, let's make this fun too, Gwen said as she walked out onto the field, a sly smile on her face.

    In that moment, both Brendan and Wally touched their Keystones, and a blinding light filled the cavern. When the light faded, Gwen was in the form of a Mega Gardevoir. Across from her, Samuel had transformed as well. The crest on his head had grown slightly taller and hooked forward like a light blue crescent. His two ears looked almost like fins on the sides of his head. Sam's entire body was white and he had much longer forearms that extended to look like blades coming from his elbows. Those blades had a red edge, and there was now a cape split down the middle on his back, making sure both sides were covered.

    "Psycho Cut!" Wally said. Samuel's forearms began to glow blue and he swung each arm, launching a spinning crescent blade at Gwen.

    Teleport, and then Psyshock! Brendan thought. Gwen nodded as she teleported, to the side as the Psycho Cut flew into the cave walls, leaving deep grooves in the wall. A small cluster of rocks then levitated into the air with a blue aura around them, which surrounded Sam for a moment before pelting him with the stones.

    Now THAT felt good. How does it feel to be on the other end of a pelting? Gwen said loudly.

    OKAY, OKAY! I get it, a rather commanding male voice said as Sam raised his arms into a defensive posture. Brendan and Gwen both perked up at that. This broke Gwen's focus on her attack and the barrage stopped.

    "Was that-?" Brendan started to ask.

    That was me, Sam raised his arm. Didn't mean to startle you.

    "Yeah, after Sammy and I first achieved Mega Evolution he figured out how to speak like Gwen, but it only seems to work when in his Mega Evolved form," Wally said.

    Right… Sam stepped forward. And, Gwen, I need to tell you somethingit's important.

    Save it for after we finish this battle, Gwen said as she concentrated, using a Calm Mind attack. When her body began to glow green, Sam smiled as if looking at his crush doing something he thought was cute, something Gwen noticed easily. At the same time, he became surrounded in a ring of illusory swords, he moved his body around to dodge and strengthen his body, boosting his attacking power.

    As you wish, he said as his arms began to glow with a black light. Gwen could see that he was preparing a Night Slash, something that could prove lethal in terms of a Pokémon battle if it hit its mark. And Gwen could tell from his expression that Sammy wasn't about to go easy with his attacks. Gwen decided to get creative at this point, having picked up on an exploitable weakness. Just as Samuel was in range and he started swinging his blade like arms, combining Night Slash with Close Combat as he started to nimbly attack and flip acrobatically. Gwen, not being too used to dodging attacks like this, barely managed to dodge Samuel's attacks in time, using Teleport. Just as she thought she had the distance to breathe, Samuel appeared right in front of her, having used a Teleport of his own. Gwen just barely moved her head out of the way of the downward slash Sam aimed at her.

    Great, my usual strategy is out of the question, Gwen thought. She quickly began to formulate a plan, and she even considered the way he looked at her. That's it! Gwen internally smirked at her cunning plan, deciding to use Sam's attack to her own advantage.

    As soon as Sam took a swing close to her cheek, Gwen allowed the edge of his arm to lightly cut her left cheek, then she let his other hand strike her side, cushioning it with a small protect to convince Sam that he landed a hit. That's check. Now for checkmate, Gwen internally smirked as she slid back and fell to her knees, clutching her cheek and her side.

    Oh no, Wally thought to himself. Don't tell me

    I get it, Brendan thought as Gwen relayed her plan to him. Nice work Gwen.

    Gwen then looked up with tears in her eyes, having learned how to cry on command. That look alone made Samuel stop in his tracks. Ow, Sammy, that really hurt! Gwen said, her voice and thoughts sounding extremely convincing. Why did you have to be so mean?

    Samuel had a look of panicked concern, like he had no intention to actually harm Gwen beyond what was needed to win the battle. But now he looked like he was afraid to anything more in order to avoid hurting her. He completely ignored the green aura surrounding her again.

    No, come on! Is this how Brendan is going to beat me? No, I can't go out like that! Wally thought. "Samuel, don't listen to her!" he cried out. Gwen heard him, and she knew that Sam had the advantage in terms of speed and strength, and, with teleporting turning ineffective, she needed to keep her plan moving. So, Gwen did the one thing that she could think of to win this battle. She pulled Samuel close to her and kissed him.

    What happened in the middle of that battlefield made not only Brendan and Wally, but the entire stadium, and nearly every viewer watching the tournament from home, all went wide-eyed. Certainly, there had been Pokémon and trainers who had been friendly before and after a match, but Pokémon romance was unheard of during the league finals. Samuel was now completely lost in his world of bliss, while Gwen was surprised that she was actually enjoying this. Who knew Samuel could kiss this well. Gwen mentally sighed. Oh well, time to show him that all is fair in love and war. At that moment, Gwen's lips began to glow pink, and Samuel felt his energy dropping.

    "Sam, stop kissing her! She's using Draining Kiss!" Wally said with panic in his voice. Samuel's eyes went wide as he broke their lip contact and let go of Gwen, having unconsciously wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her closer.

    Gwen, what the fuck? Sam asked, sounding almost hurt.

    Gwen just deviously smiled and winked at Sam as she twirled back a few feet. Sorry Sammy, you really shouldn't have let your guard down during a battle with such high stakes, Gwen said playfully before inhaling deeply and shouting as loudly as possible. Her Hyper Voice attack struck and launched Sam like a bullet into a nearby stalagmite.

    Wally ran over to his Pokémon with concern. "Sam, are you okay?"

    Sam just smiled like he had just conquered the world, mixed with an expression that said he couldn't be mad at Gwen. Sorry Wally, but that kiss was totally worth it, Sam said as he fell forward and passed out, reverting to his normal form. At the same time, Gwen powered down and returned to her regular form.

    Wally sighed and recalled Sam, only for a buzzer to sound throughout the cave. Just as it sounded, Wally, Brendan, and Gwen were teleported out of Victory Road, and were returned to the stadium.

    "AND WHAT A MATCH!" the announcer called out happily. "Certainly, it was an unexpected tactic from Brendan and his Gardevoir, but this battle will surely be one for the history books. Now, please join me in congratulating Brendan, and also in wishing him and his team good luck in their endeavor against the Elite Four and the Champion of Hoenn. All of these battles will be happening in three days. I will see you all there!"

    Wally then came up to Brendan. "You know, that was a really great battle," he said with a chuckle. "Guess I need to work with Sam on seeing through clever ploys like that one."

    Gwen blushed slightly. I honestly only came up with it on the fly.

    Brendan smiled and laughed. "Well, Wally, will you be staying for my battles against the Elite Four? It would mean a lot to me, and I think Sam would like to see Gwen more often," he said in a half-teasing tone.

    Wally smiled slightly. "Well, I think I can manage that," he said. "After all, my flight to Alola isn't for another month."

    "Wait, Alola?" Brendan asked. "Why there?"

    "Well, it's more for sightseeing, and it was meant to be a family vacation to celebrate my health," Wally said as he began to walk to the locker rooms to grab his bag and phone.

    "Sounds like a fun trip," Brendan said with a playful nudge as they entered the tunnel, now able to hear much easier with the cheering muffled. "Who knows, you might meet a girl there."

    Gwen just followed behind them, basking in the mirth of the conversation. At the same time, however, her thoughts were also on that kiss she had with Sammy. I kind of feel bad about tricking him like that. Plus, that kiss was… Gwen paused in her thoughts, then shook her head and quietly slapped her cheeks to snap herself out of her trance. Wait, what am I doing? Stop it! Stop it!

    Brendan just chuckled as he heard Gwen's thoughts, which she wasn't making very difficult. It seemed that, like when she teased him about May, he now had some ammo to use with her. But, in only three days, he knew that this levity would need to be replaced with some serious thought and strategizing. After all, the Elite Four would not be a bunch of pushovers. He needed to be mentally and physically ready.
     
  12. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
    Posts:
    100
    PokéPoints:
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    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    Be Afraid of the Dark

    The three days between Brendan's victory in the tournament and the battles with the Elite Four seemed to pass all too quickly. All of Brendan's team had been healed, and they were all eager for a battle, or five if they were lucky. In the hopes of preparing for the matches, Brendan had tried to research the teams of the Elite Four based on videos of their battles. Unfortunately, he had been largely unsuccessful other than some speculation videos made by PokéTube personalities who really had no business conducting an analysis of Pokémon trainers. In other words, there was nothing of value to be found about his upcoming opponents. Despite his lack of preparation, it was now time for Brendan to face the music, as the saying goes. All they were waiting for now was the announcer to call them out of the tunnel.

    The roar of the crowd was louder than anything Brendan had ever heard in a Pokémon-related event, and he could understand why. This was the one time of the year that the Elite Four and Champion would have official battles outside of their own ranks. Otherwise, the only time that they fought was for dominance within their own ranks, and those battles were rarely televised or ticketed.

    You're nervous? Gwen asked.

    You need to ask? Brendan said. I'm about to face the five strongest trainers in the region, and I hardly get any rest between each battle.

    I know, but we wouldn't be here if we weren't on par with the Elite Four, Gwen said.

    Yeah, I suppose you're right, Brendan said.

    Up in the stands, May was sitting with Lisia, Wally, and Sam next to her in Steven's box seats. Next to their box, the Elite Four and Champion's booth was empty, all of them in their own separate tunnels of the stadium. The screen above the battlefield was displaying only Brendan's face and a cookie-cutter silhouette over where the Elite Four member's picture would go for each battle.

    "So, Wally and Sam, are you doing any better since your battle with Gwen?" Lisia asked, having seen the match live on television, getting a good laugh from Gwen's tactics.

    Sam gave his best thumbs up and a goofy grin that told May and Lisia that he was still pretty drunk on his happiness. "Oh, we're just fine," Wally said, sounding a bit bitter. "But, who knows. It might have been for the better." Lisia gave a slight nod, respecting how Wally looked at life. They had met last night when she arrived to watch Brendan's battles with the Elite Four and possibly the champion, and they had become fast friends while spending time with Brendan and Gwen.

    "Who knows, maybe you can try to battle the Elite Four for next year's league tournament," Lisia said encouragingly. Wally smiled, liking the idea, and Lisia's cheerful attitude.

    "Well, I think that'd be a very good goal, but good luck," Norman said politely as he walked up from behind them. "I actually challenged them when I was interviewed for the Petalburg Gym Leader position."

    May looked shocked. "You did? Why?" she asked.

    "To be honest, they were, and still are, looking for a new member, since Drake is getting ready to retire," Norman said. "So, they battled me to determine whether I would be able to take a position, and allow him to retire sooner."

    "How did you do against them?" Wally asked.

    Norman looked at both of the teenagers and laughed like a man who had seen Hell, and miraculously survived. "I got beaten badly by Sidney. I have to be blunt, that level of power is absolutely not normal among trainers. It makes me worried about how Brendan will fare against them," he said.

    "They're that strong?" May asked rhetorically. Brendan, please be careful out there.

    "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, the time has now come for today's main event. This is something that only happens once a year, and, I won't lie, there's no telling how far our challenger will go. Will we see the rise of a new Champion for the Hoenn League? Or will we keep our current Champion? Let's find out together," the announcer said, getting a lot of cheers. "Now, please help me welcome the challenger. Since his family moved to Littleroot Town from Goldenrod City in Johto, this trainer has taken the Hoenn League by storm, along with his powerful Pokémon. He's the son of the new Petalburg Gym Leader, though many people now believe that he's surpassed his father. Please help me in welcoming Brendan Maple, and his Gardevoir, Gwen!"

    May stood up and cheered with the crowd as Brendan and Gwen entered the stadium. Gwen gave a few waves like a princess waving to a crowd. When they got to their place in the stadium, a referee stepped forward. "The rules for this battle are very simple. The challenger will be facing the Elite Four in order and without stopping. Since these battles will all be full six-on-six battles, should the challenger defeat one member of the Elite Four, he will be given access to a healing machine. There will be no substitutions for either side at any point in the battle. If a Pokémon is recalled, it will be counted the same as that Pokémon being knocked. Once the challenger is ready after his previous battle, the next Elite Four member shall come out and battle. For the protection of the spectators, there are teams of Pokémon stationed all around the stadium putting up a Protect field around the walls of the battlefield." May's eyes went wide. This was the first time she'd ever heard of a Pokémon battle needing to have shielding around the field for the sake of spectators. If they were taking these kinds of safety measures, how strong were the Pokémon who would be battling?

    "Alright folks, it seems the battles are about to get underway. It's now time for the first of the Elite Four to start us off. He's a man of mystery, and he absolutely hates a boring battle. Please welcome Sidney!" As the announcer said that, the man with the red hair styled in a metro, Kalosian swoop with shaved sideburns. Today, he wore a black collared shirt with gold lapels and cuffs. His pants were red and his belt was very dark brown with a golden buckle. His shoes were completely black.

    Down on the battlefield, Brendan could see Sidney much more clearly. He was ready to battle, and his red eyes showed deep-seated confidence. This man was clearly not one to fool around. "So, you're Brendan Maple? I battled your old man about a year ago when he was interviewing for a position. He didn't do too well, but he was definitely Gym Leader material," Sidney said. Brendan was about to speak, but Sidney held up his hand to stop him. "No, no words are needed. I know you're not your father, and you're quite the skillful battler. I just want to let you know that, regardless of their skill, I absolutely do not tolerate opponents who don't battle with their all. The battles you're about to engage in will be of the highest effort for both the trainers and their Pokémon, and, unlike gym leaders who are testing their challengers at an appropriate skill level, an Elite Four member never holds back against any opponent." Sidney then pulled a Pokéball from his belt. "Now, let's have fun with this battle…one that can only happen here, in the Pokémon League Headquarters."

    Brendan smiled. He already liked this guy. He was serious about his profession without being so uptight that he couldn't enjoy himself. Brendan picked his first Pokémon for this battle, Avery.

    "Let's go, Peter!" Sidney said as he sent out his first Pokémon, a Scrafty. It was an orange, lizard-like Pokémon with a black underbelly, yellow shed skin that looked like baggy sweatpants and a baggy hoodie. It had a red crest that looked like a mohawk.

    "Avery, you're up!" Brendan said as he sent out his Latias. He had listened to Wally's comment during their battle regarding the order of his Pokémon. And, if he were to have any hope of winning against the Elite Four, he needed to be unpredictable. Latias flew around the field for a little bit before coming to Brendan's side and nuzzling him to get attention. The crowd loved it a lot as they snapped pictures, and some even recorded their own videos. "Hey Avery, are you ready to battle?" The Latias cooed happily and nodded before nudging Gwen as well. Gwen smiled and gave her a hug as well.

    You've got this, Avery, Gwen said reassuringly. Avery nodded to Gwen with confidence before turning and flying onto the battlefield.

    "Begin the match!" the official said. The screens around the stadium all lit up with the health bars of Avery and Peter along with their pictures next to them. Behind the pictures of the Pokémon were those of their trainers.

    Neither Brendan nor Sidney gave any commands, but both of their Pokémon attacked regardless. Scrafty moved unbelievably fast, his hands glowing with the purple fire of a Dragon Claw as he began to swing at Avery, and he clearly had a lot power behind his attack. Avery rolled sideways to dodge, not even making it seem like the fun and lighthearted dodge as she typically did during battles. This time, she was serious, and showed strong determination. She then fired a Dragon Pulse at Peter, at nearly point-blank range, only for it to be met with a green shield between the two Pokémon. Since he was in mid-air when the attack hit, Peter was launched back like a pinball being shot into play. Once he was close to the ground, Peter righted himself and took a stable stance to withstand the rest of the onslaught.

    Avery stopped her attack by cutting off the stream, then flew at the fastest pace she could. As soon as the shield dropped, she struck with an Aerial Ace. It wasn't as strong as it would've been ideally, since neither of the Eon Pokémon were exactly physical-attackers. Peter responded by leaping at Avery, his hand covered in the bright flame of a Dragon Claw, but it seemed to have a higher intensity than before.

    Avery saw the attack on its way, so she fired a Dragon Pulse just as the Scrafty leapt at her. This time, her attack was too fast for Peter to use protect. Peter was hit hard with the attack, and his health bar on the screen dropped to a third of his maximum health. Peter, however, just flew straight through the beam, slashing Avery across her face, dropping her health by a third as well. Brendan swore under his breath. He knew this would be a tough battle, but this was grueling already, and it was only the first round of the battle. Avery, however, was ready for the battle to keep going.

    Avery gathered electricity in front of herself before firing it at Peter. The attack hit hard, and caused electricity to course through Peter's body. Even after the attack ended, the electricity continued to course through him, leaving the Scrafty paralyzed. "Great job Avery! Now, finish this!" Avery turned and nodded to Brendan confidently before gathering a ball of energy and launching it into the air. It then split into multiple parts: a perfect Draco Meteor. The smaller orbs of energy that showered the battlefield, a few were making multiple craters in the ground. That alone would make moving on the ground difficult. However, that wasn't all the attack did. Four separate orbs flew at Peter from all sides. The Pokémon had been slowed down by his status condition, so he couldn't dodge, but he was able to launch a stream of interwoven black rings at Avery. The attack was short, but it was fast and very strong, both of which were shown when it hit its mark. Avery cried out as the attack dropped her health to below a quarter of the maximum. Those two attacks together were enough to bring Peter's health to zero and knock him out. The buzzers sounded and the round was finished.

    "Well, isn't that something," Sidney said as he recalled Peter. "You just beat the one Pokémon on my team Norman couldn't beat, and you did it with some real strategy and coordination." The elite four member spoke to both Brendan and his Pokémon. "You've got quite a strong bond with your Pokémon. That's good, you'll need it with this next opponent. GO, CYRUS" He threw out a Pokéball, sending out a Pokémon that looked like a walking nutcracker with three green leaves on each hand. The Pokémon's feet looked like Johtonese stilted sandals, but rather than having two stilts per foot, each had only one stilt. Brendan pulled out his PokéDex, which quickly identified it as a Shiftry.

    Avery knew she would be in trouble if she didn't act fast, so she began to gather icy energy for an Ice Beam. Cyrus saw her and immediately leapt at her, using a quick Fake Out to make her flinch and lose her Ice Beam's energy. With that, Cyrus's right hand began to glow black before he slapped Avery with all his might, knocking Avery into the ground with a vicious Knock Off attack. The buzzer sounded as Avery's health hit zero.

    "Avery!" Brendan called as he ran to the Eon Pokémon. Luckily, she was only about three feet from his trainer's box. "Are you alright?" Avery looked at him sadly, feeling like she failed him. "You did great out there," Brendan said to soothe her. "And I know you gave it everything you had." He held her forehead close to his own. "I promise you, we will win this battle." Avery cooed happily and nuzzled her trainer at his reassurance. He then recalled her and went back to the trainer's box. He then pulled out Jack's Pokéball. "Go, Jack!"
    The Camerupt appeared with a long grunt. "You know what to do!" Brendan said. "Let's use your Scorched Earth combo!" Jack immediately used an Eruption, launching multiple boulders covered in lava. Cyrus, however, was a very fast Pokémon. He made it look almost easy to weave between the falling rocks, dodging all of them without even a look of worry. Jack, however, had been counting on that, as he fired a massive Fire Blast directly where Eruption had forced him to dodge. Cyrus, with wide eyes, couldn't dodge in time. The flames hit perfectly, but despite the power behind that attack, Cyrus's health stopped right before it hit zero. Before Jack could do anything, Cyrus ran and grabbed Jack, his body glowing.

    "Well, Brendan," Sidney said. "Your Pokémon is strong, but I think it's time you saw the true meaning of 'Scorched Earth.' EXPLOSION!" The Shiftry looked confident as his body gathered just a little more energy before unleashing it. His own health bar dropped to zero, but that only started the ensuing explosion. A blinding white light flooded the stadium before the explosion formed a massive mushroom cloud. Thankfully for the spectators, the Protect around the field held and kept the crowd safe. Brendan and Sidney both stood strong until the light faded. On the field, both Pokémon looked charred, but Jack was miraculously standing.

    "By Arceus! It seems that Jack has, through sheer might of will, withstood the power of an Explosion at point blank range," the announcer said in shock. "This is a phenomenal display of determination."

    Sidney recalled Cyrus, his smirk showing that Jack's determination would change nothing. "Go, Bruce!" he said as he sent out his next Pokémon. As it materialized, the battlefield floor opened to reveal a pool underneath as a Sharpedo came out and splashed into the water. Once again, without a word spoken, the shark Pokémon launched himself from the pool, surrounded in a pillar of water. The Aqua Jet hit fast, and with Jack being exhausted, there was nothing he could do in response except for launching small, pointed stones around the battlefield, making a Stealth Rock entry hazard.

    Brendan recalled Jack, thanking him for being so strong. He looked up at the board and saw that Bruce had barely lost any health from the flamethrower, but it was a start. I need a fast Pokémon to win this, Brendan thought as his hand then moving to the second Pokéball on his belt. "Clint, I need you out here!" he called as he threw the Pokéball onto the field. The Sceptile appeared on the field, standing and calmly placing a twig in his mouth, looking calm and collected.

    For what felt like an eternity, neither Pokémon did anything. The tension built quickly in the stadium as the standoff continued. Finally, Clint broke the stalemate with Sunny Day, sending a ball of white light and energy into the air, intensifying the heat on the field. It was a very smart move, and Sidney knew it. It would weaken Bruce's water attacks, and make things like leech seed more effective…but it was nothing they hadn't beaten before. As soon as Sunny Day was in the air, Bruce took an opportunity to jump out of the water, his teeth covered in icy energy. Clint just rolled to the side, using his tail in a Slam attack to knock Bruce back into the water.

    The Sharpedo dove deep into the water as his health bar dropped by less than a quarter. Brendan grimaced, but Clint and Gwen both gave him looks that told him to calm down and let the battle develop. Brendan nodded in understanding, and seemingly on cue, Bruce leapt from the water in another Aqua Jet, but his fangs were coated in a purplish-brown sludge as he flew at Clint. Brendan could tell that he was going for a combo of Aqua Jet and Poison Fang, and Clint knew exactly how to respond. Just before Bruce was about to get a hit, Clint dodged to the left and quickly fired a Solar Beam, the gold beam of energy moving at frightening speeds. Bruce saw the beam, managing to change the course of his Aqua Jet and fly toward Clint with speed characteristic of the shark Pokémon's species. He easily returned to his Aqua Jet's normal rhythm of flying around the field, and, without much warning, Bruce turned back and bit down on Clint's chest, using his Poison Fang perfectly. Clint's health dropped to its half-point, which seemed to piss Clint off. The Sceptile pried open Bruce's jaws before throwing the shark into the air. He then fired a powerful Solar Beam, hitting Bruce perfectly. To ensure that the beam kept hitting its target, Clint adjusted his aim until Bruce was forced back into the pool. When the dark-type hit the water, the buzzer sounded to indicate that the Sharpedo's health had hit zero.

    "Well, kid, you're a lot stronger than I expected," Sidney said with tone somewhere between cheerful and competitive as he recalled. "I can tell that you've trained exceptionally hard to get here. Let's see how far that can carry you in these battles." He then pulled out and threw a Dusk Ball. "Particularly, against Loki!"

    The Pokémon that appeared was covered in white fur except for his face, part of his forehead, his claws, his sword-like tail, and a scythe-like horn on one side of his face. His fur was incredibly sleek, until it got to his chest, where it tufted. On his head, the fur looked almost like a "yang" symbol.

    "An Absol?" Brendan said under his breath. "Interesting."

    As quickly as the Pokémon took form, he winced, losing about ten percent of his health from the Stealth Rocks. Despite that, Loki leapt forward like it was no problem whatsoever. His horn glowed black with energy as he prepared a Night Slash. He closed the distance with Clint quickly, and swung hard. Clint rolled to the side, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid taking damage, as Loki's horn slashed his side. Clint grunted with the impact, his health plummeting quickly, before he spun in the air, using his tail for a Slam attack. When his tail landed, however, Loki's body shimmered and changed.

    "Wait, what?" Brendan asked as a different Pokémon appeared where the Absol used to be. This one was a wolf-like Pokémon with black fur on most of his slim body. The exception was the mane of dark red hair on his back. His claws were all the same shade of red as the fur on his back.

    "For those fans who aren't sure what just happened, you've just witnessed the unique ability of the Zoroark evolutionary line. Loki used Illusion to conceal himself as another of Sidney's Pokémon," the announcer said excitedly.

    For Brendan, that information made little difference, as Clint's health bar hit zero, the buzzer sounding again. "Clint, you fought well, now return and get some rest," he said while pulling out and throwing his next Pokéball. "Turk, come on out!"

    His Crawdaunt punched his claws into the ground in an attempt to intimidate Loki. The fox, however, was completely unaffected, even going so far as to pick his ear to show disinterest. Turk glared as he powered up a Brick Break and raced forward. He was about to strike when Loki simply moved sideways casually. The Brick Break attack hit the ground, making a crack in the ground, but Loki then decided to huff confidently, annoying Turk immensely, and making his attack rise, all while he became disoriented. It was a perfectly executed Swagger attack.

    Turk flew into the air with an Aqua Jet, flying around the field until he got an angle he thought would be a blind-spot for Loki. The fox turned and glared, huffing again, before side-stepping casually. Turk crashed into the ground with more force, his attacking strength increasing again. That power boost came with a trade-off, as Turk's health bar dropped to nearly zero with that one crash into the ground. Brendan cursed under his breath. This Zoroark was powerful, and it was incredibly smart. The strategy he was employing was brilliant to nearly the point of perfection. The flaw was revealed when Turk shook himself out of his stupor, but his attacking power remained high. Loki stood behind Turk, seeming to gloat with his apparent victory as his arms began to glow black as tendrils of energy arced from Turk's body. It wasn't draining Turk's energy, but it was increasing the strength of Loki's Punishment attack. Turk, however, gathered a bluish energy around his claw, powering up a Crab Hammer. At the exact same time, both Pokémon swung at each other. The attacks both hit simultaneously doing severe damage, making their health bars drop rapidly. The buzzer sounded twice within the span of a few seconds, indicating that both Pokémon had been knocked out at the same time.

    Sidney recalled Loki, smirking confidently. "Well, we have two Pokémon left. Let's see how you like this next one. Go, Anne!"

    An avian Pokémon with dark brown feathers and an almost vulture-like appearance came out. The feathers on her body were all brown, but in varying shades, with a tan-colored tuft around her neck. In the dark tuft on her head was a single bone, and she had a jaw-like belt made of bone, with extremely sharp spikes on her belly. Her skin was nearly pink in color, which starkly contrasted with her plumage. Immediately after she appeared, a cluster of the Stealth Rock flew at her, dropping her health bar by a quarter.

    It's a Mandibuzz. She's a Dark and Flying type, Gwen said.

    Brendan nodded, pulling out his last Pokéball. "Come on out Nikki!" he called. The sloth ape beat her chest in a show of dominance and strength. In that moment, Nikki slammed her fists into the ground, sending a concentrated shockwave in Anne's direction. The Mandibuzz rolled to the side in a casual, aerial barrel-roll as a cluster of incredibly sharp rocks. As Anne dodged the attack, she let a cluster of feathers fly into the air, she was then surrounded by a green aura, and her health bar returned to its maximum.

    Nikki snorted aggressively and punched the ground in frustration. Anne smirked and flew high into the sky before diving quickly. Just as she was about to crash, she pulled up sharply, flying parallel with the ground, becoming covered in a fiery blue energy as she broke the sound barrier. Nikki squared up as the Mandibuzz came closer. She put her hands out and caught Anne by the wings, stopping her in her flight path. Despite stopping the attack from doing major damage, Nikki still lost at least another quarter of her health from the impact. With her right hand, Nikki grabbed Anne by the neck. With her left hand, she powered up a Brick Break and punched straight forward, letting go of Anne at the last moment before punching the vulture. Anne's eyes bugged out as she flew across the field and tumbled along the ground. Her health bar dropped below one quarter left, but it wasn't quite enough to put her out of the fight. Anne fluttered back into the air, another cluster of feathers flying out before she's surrounded by another green aura. Her injuries healed mostly, making her health bar go up to about a quarter of the maximum. Nikki just snorted angrily again as she punched the ground, sending another concentrated shockwave toward Anne. The ground beneath the Mandibuzz shot up as spikes, moving fast enough that Anne couldn't dodge in time. The stone spikes hit with such immense force that, when the buzzer sounded, Brendan was a bit worried that Nikki had overdone it. Anne looked very battered, and it looked like her right wing was broken in multiple places.

    Sidney sighed, and recalled Anne. "You're the first trainer in a long time to reach this Pokémon," he said. "He's my strongest and first Pokémon," Sidney says as he pulls out his next Pokéball. "Let me introduce you to Apophis!" He threw the Pokéball, releasing an Absol, this one Brendan knew was the real one. "Just so you know, Apophis to me is the same as Gwen is to you," Sidney said as he pulled a pendant necklace with a sparkling keystone. "I'll demonstrate that bond now."

    With that, Sidney touched the keystone and initiated the Mega evolution with a blinding light. When it faded, the Absol had grown wings like an angel from his shoulders. The horn on his right had grown longer, while he had also grown a new horn on his left. The fur on his forehead had also lengthened to cover his right eye. His tail had also gotten longer, gaining what looked like a serrated edge on the underside. Finally, there were tufts of fur now growing on each of his ankles under sharp dewclaws. While looks conveyed beauty, the aura that this Absol seemed to be radiating made a chill run down the spines of both Brendan and Gwen. It was rightly deserved, as Apophis leapt forward and, with his twin horns glowing black, delivered a brutal Night Slash across Nikki's chest before kicking her in the chest, and jumping back to his side of the field. It all happened so fast that Nikki just stood there, not realizing what had happened for a few seconds before she suddenly staggered back ten feet and fell to the ground at the exact time that the buzzer sounded.

    Brendan was speechless. He had seen Nikki take hits that would have crippled a semitruck, but this Absol had just taken her out when she still had about half her health. Brendan recalled Nikki wordlessly, before turning to Gwen. She nodded to him, then stepped out onto the battlefield, trying to radiate poise and grace. Unfortunately, after what she had just witnessed, she was extremely nervous. She knew deep down that she was strong, but was she on the same level as Apophis…or any of the other Pokémon they had yet to face?

    As she was about to get to the starting position for Brendan's Pokémon, she felt an immense sense of ease washing over her out of nowhere, as well as a presence she hadn't felt in years. No, don't let yourself get sentimental now, she thought as she refocused on the battle.

    Ready, Gwen? Brendan asked.

    Time to go Super Saiyan! she said in a joking, confident tone as Brendan touched his Keystone. Another blinding light filled the arena as Gwen turned into her Mega form, her long white dress flowing in the slight wind she created to add dramatic effect.

    Apophis seemed unimpressed by her appearance, something that Gwen did not take well. She immediately started off the final round of this battle with one of the techniques she had almost perfected over the journey through Hoenn: Teleport, Double Team, and Calm Mind together to power up. Apophis rolled his eyes, apparently having seen this strategy before. His eyes glowed red and he huffed loudly, and just as Gwen's clones began to disappear and glow green, she was stopped in her tracks and couldn't use any of those three moves. Apophis smiled, knowing that his Taunt had been perfectly timed.

    Cursing silently, Gwen knew her dodge and power up strategy was off the table, which meant she would need to move faster than ever before without her ability to teleport around the field like she wanted. Plus, this battle would not be able to be won with a kiss the way she beat Sammy in Victory Road. Now she needed real strategy based on power of her attacks. As her mind was reeling, she only barely noticed that Apophis was surrounded by illusory swords as he used a Swords Dance to power up. When she realized what had happened, however, Apophis was already starting to gather black energy on his horn. Just as it finished charging up, Apophis leapt forward at Gwen, moving at incredible speeds that neither Brendan nor Gwen thought possible.

    She barely had time to move to the side, narrowly avoiding the full impact of the attack. Despite avoiding the devastating hit, Gwen was still thrown back across the field as the shockwave of wind slammed into her. Augh, damn it! she cried out as she tumbled along ground a short distance. Just as she was about to hit the edge of the battlefield, Gwen stopped herself. Alright, I can't take a hit like that head-on, and the sheer force of the wind will probably take me out of this fight if I get hit three more times, Gwen thought. Apophis smirked at her, as if he was reading her mind, and shrouded his claws in what looked like shadow energy. Gwen knew from the look of it that he was preparing a Shadow Claw. With a deep crouch, the Absol leapt at her, moving quickly. She knew that dodging would only put her in the same position she was in now, so Gwen did the one thing she could do. She screamed, using the strongest Hyper Voice she could muster. The sheer volume of her shout was deafening, to the point that even May, Lisia, and Wally had to cover their ears for protection. Brendan just stood confidently, but he knew he'd have tinnitus for a while now.

    Apophis couldn't resist the force of Gwen's attack, and, since he was already in the air from his jump, it was strong enough to throw him clear across the battlefield, where he landed hard. The impact dropped his health by slightly over half, and Apophis clearly knew he needed to avoid direct lines like he had just tried. Otherwise, this would be a very short battle. But, he and Sidney had been in tougher corners than this before and come out on top. In order to buy himself more time, the Absol began to make an irritating chattering noise, grating on Gwen's senses. In response, she tried to use another Hyper Voice, but she felt some force blocking it.

    Shit, that was just Torment. Now I need to be more creative and use multiple attacks, Gwen thought as she got a silent command from Brendan. She held her hands up to the sky silently gathering energy high above the stadium, hoping that her opponents wouldn't notice it. Okay, just gotta make like Goku did against Freeza!

    Apophis gave her an odd look that seemed to ask "What are you doing?" Gwen just ignored his look and just kept charging her attack. Apophis took this time to leap at her. Gwen jumped to the side, and forward past him, rolling quickly to avoid his Night Slash. The resulting shockwave went forward, breaking the ground up, but Gwen didn't pay it any heed. She just put her hands back into the air. Apophis gave her another look as if asking "Seriously, what is that all about?"

    Oh, don't mind me, just doing some stretches, Gwen said coyly. In response, Apophis launched a massive Dark Pulse, timed perfectly with his Taunt losing its effect. Gwen silently thanked Arceus as she teleported out of the way of the attack, which exploded against the protective barrier around the field. When Gwen reappeared, her hands were still in the air.

    Apophis looked at her suspiciously, wondering why she was throwing her hands in the air like she just didn't care. It made him angry, and his expression changed in such a way that Gwen could hear him thinking "CARE DAMN IT!" as he powered up another Night Slash and leapt forward, swinging at her with all the power he could muster. Gwen only managed to throw up a Reflect before Apophis's horn hit her across her stomach, sending her flying across the ground again. When she came to a stop, her health bar was at less than an eighth of its maximum. She was laying on her back when Apophis casually walked over and stood over her with a smug look of superiority. Gwen started laughing as she felt her Moonblast finish charging, and she lifted her hand toward it, pulling the attack down and toward Apophis, putting a protect around her body as she did.

    Apophis barely noticed the attack coming in as a gleam in Gwen's eyes, and he turned his head to see what was creating the light. When he did, the Moonblast hit him squarely in the face, and it exploded on impact. The ensuing explosion filled the entirety of the shielded battlefield, and the light was utterly blinding for everyone in the stadium. During the chaos, the buzzer sounded, but everyone was silent until the dust settled, revealing that Apophis was knocked out, and had reverted to his normal form.

    Sidney sighed in slight disappointment, but it was mixed with appreciation as he recalled Apophis. "Would you look at that, I lost," he said with a chuckle. "Eh, it was fun, so I guess it doesn't make much of a difference." He walked across the field to Brendan, who was just helping Gwen to her feet. "Well, Brendan, listen to what this loser has to say: you've got what it takes to got far, so don't you dare let your guard down, or think the others will go any easier on you. They'll pummel you if you let up even a little."

    Brendan nodded. "I would expect nothing less of the Elite Four," he said with an extended hand. "That was a great battle."

    Sidney gave Brendan a firm handshake. "Hopefully we can have another one like that in the near future. Maybe when I challenge you for your seat in the league's ranks," he says. "Now that you've beaten me, you've qualified to be in the Elite Four, but I've got a feeling that you aren't content with just that."

    Brendan and Gwen both smiled. "We will become the strongest team in the Hoenn region," they both said simultaneously. Sidney just chuckled as he walked back into the Elite Four's locker room. This challenger had to be the most interesting in a long time.
     
  13. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
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    100
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    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    Phasmophoebea

    Twenty minutes after his battle with Sidney, Brendan took his Pokéballs from the healing machine and let Gwen out immediately. He looked over to the official, nodding to indicate that he was now ready. The referee nodded back and pressed a button on his belt, which must have given an indication to the announcer, as well as turning on a green light in the tunnel on the Elite Four's side of the stadium.

    "Alright ladies and gentlemen, it's now time for the next of the Elite Four to make her appearance. She originally comes from Malie City in the tropical region of Alola, but she traveled to Hoenn, and has since become the mistress of spectral mystery. Give a round of applause for the second-seated member of the Elite Four: Phoebe!"

    When the announcer said her name, Phoebe came out of the tunnel her blue floral skirt flowing nicely around her well-toned legs. Her abs were also perfectly toned, and she walked with an air of confidence that seemed to rightfully surpass Sidney's. That on its own worried Brendan, since Sidney had almost beaten him, but he kept his confident appearance. This woman, however, also had a grace of motion that rivaled both May and Gwen.

    "Well, you are certainly an interesting challenger," she said playfully. "As the announcer just said, I am Phoebe. After coming to Hoenn, I decided to do my training up on Mt. Pyre. It was such a peaceful, yet motivating place that I knew it was where I would surpass the limitations of a normal trainer." She giggled as she pulled out her first Pokéball from her…tube top of all places. "Have you ever faced a ghost-type Pokémon at the world-class level?"

    "No, I can't say that I have," Brendan said politely.

    Phoebe giggled. "Well, regardless, I'm sure this will be an amazing battle…if you can even land an attack on my Pokémon," she said before throwing out the Pokéball. "Go Lillith!"

    The Pokémon that came out looked like a demented marionette, her body all black with a tail that looked like it came from a jester's hat. Her arms were thin like a cloth that had three claw-like extensions where the hands should have been. Her main body was short and stubby, with two short legs without knees. She had a jagged gold tail that looked more like it belonged on a sonophone than on a Pokémon. Her teeth were completely gold with one that hung out and looked like a zipper. Her eyes were both glowing bright red, and her eyelids had a triangular gap, making her look permanently sinister.

    "A Banette?" Brendan asked, remembering it from only one of the speculative videos he had watched during his research. "I guess some of those PokéTubers knew what they were talking about." Brendan pulled out Clint's Pokéball. "I think we can handle it, though." He threw out the Pokéball, letting out the Sceptile. Clint smirked as he got to his feet, ready for battle. He, unfortunately, wasn't ready for what Lillith had planned. In an instant, a dark circular portal opened in the ground, and Lillith immediately vanished into it before it shut. Brendan had didn't know what this attack was, but he didn't like the look of it. This didn't deter Clint, though. He shot up a ball of light energy, causing a Sunny Day. As soon as he did, though, a black hole opened behind him, and Lillith came out, slamming into his back and sending him tumbling across the field. Clint's health dropped by a quarter from the Phantom Force attack. Brendan was impressed at how Lillith had effortlessly pulled off that attack, but he and Clint were not going to let that prevent them from winning this round.

    Clint, with the help of his Sunny Day, gathered an orb of solar energy and fired a powerful Solar Beam at Lillith. The Banette, without so much as a glance back, put up a Protect and blocked all the incoming damage. She then whipped around and threw a ball of brownish-purple sludge at Clint, hitting him perfectly in the mouth. Clint gagged and coughed up most of it, but it was too late. Enough of the Toxic attack had made its way into his system to make him feel the effects, and take on a sickly expression. His health dropped slowly as the poison began to take effect. He knew he needed to end this fast, or Brendan would be at a disadvantage moving forward. He quickly sent a tendril of green energy out, which wrapped around Lillith's body, starting to drain her of energy and replenish Clint's own. Lillith grinned evilly, never opening her mouth as she seemed to revel in the pain, even as her health dropped by a third. Clint's health bar then rose by about an eighth

    In her hands, Lillith began to gather black, murky energy, throwing the Shadow Ball at Sceptile and doing a lot of damage, and dropping his health by half. Clint slid back and fell to his knees as the poison caused more damage, cutting his health by another eighth of the maximum. Clint knew he needed to end this fast, or he'd lose this round, and his pride would not allow him to be the first knocked out in this battle. His tail began to glow green for an instant before he whipped around and launched a swirling tornado of green energy particles in the shape of leaves at Lillith. It was his most powerful attack, but it was also a dangerous gamble, because it took a lot of energy to pull off, thus weakening attacks until he got some rest. His attack luckily hit its mark, swamping and cutting Lillith's body repeatedly.

    The buzzer sounded while the leaf-like scythes dissipated, showing that Lillith had fainted. Unfortunately, the Toxic poisoning increased its damage, and, as he coughed one last time, Clint collapsed, his health bar only inches away from hitting 0. Brendan sighed, watching Phoebe recall Lillith. "Referee, I'm recalling my Pokémon now. There's no way that he can keep going in this state," Brendan said, getting Clint's Pokéball out. The referee nodded and hit a button on a small remote in his hand. The buzzer sounded again, and a red 'X' appeared over Clint's picture, indicating a forfeit. Clint looked at Brendan, silently thanking his trainer for letting him hold onto his pride while keeping him safe, before going back into his Pokéball.

    "That was a very wise decision," Phoebe said. "And it tells me that you are a compassionate person, and you care more about the well-being of your Pokémon than about winning a battle." The island girl smiled as she spoke. "I think you've certainly earned a seat among the Elite Four. As for where in the Elite Four you fit, we will find that out soon. Go, Malice!" Phoebe then threw her next Pokéball, releasing a Mismagius much like the one Wes had used in Victory Road, except, instead of being violet, her body was entirely golden, and she definitely had more experience.

    "Interesting," Brendan said as he pulled out his next Pokéball. "Go, Turk!" The Crawdaunt appeared and punched into the ground aggressively, getting the attention of Malice. The Mismagius seemed to smirk with confidence at the Crawdaunt's display. She had seen this type so wearily often, she knew that they could almost never back up their bravado. She quickly gathered electricity in front of her, firing a Thunderbolt at Turk. Turk barely got out of the way, the electricity striking the ground behind him. The Crawdaunt then leapt forward, his claws getting a dark glow as he powered up a Night Slash. When he got within striking distance, Turk swung hard, making glancing contact. That slight contact, however, was enough to make Malice stagger in the air, and drop her health by an eighth. Turk was immediately blindsided by a cluster of multi-colored scythe-shaped leaves, this resulted in a loss of at least a quarter of his health. Turk slid to a stop on the ground close to Malice, then quickly whipped his body around, his claws now covered in the light blue energy of a Crab Hammer, and clubbed Malice's body, sending her spinning backwards.

    Once she had steadied herself, Malice shouted incredibly loudly, using a Hyper Voice on par with the strength of Gwen's. Turk had no time to dodge it, taking the attack full-force. His health dropped by nearly half of the maximum. The Crawdaunt was not pleased with how events had been turning out. So, to help turn the advantage in his favor, he quickly gathered the red and black aura of a Dragon Dance, increasing his strength and speed in the process. He then concentrated more black, dark-type energy in his claws, but then took it a step further, concentrating it on the inside of the pincers. He then leapt quickly, moving too fast for Malice to dodge as his claws clamped down on her body, causing her to cry out as her health dropped to nearly zero.

    Phoebe sighed. "Malice, I know you've fought hard. Thank you for that. Now, leave them with a little going-away gift," she says. Malice grinned as a black aura surrounded her body as an ethereal needle appeared in front of her body. But, it was aimed at herself, not at Turk. That needle then stabbed her directly in the center gemstone on her body. When she did that, the buzzer immediately sounded as she collapsed, but, as she fell, a strange mark appeared on his body, looking almost like the Fog Badge of Ecruteak City in Johto. Before Brendan could even guess what it was, the mark began to glow, and Turk cried in pain as his health dropped by another eighth. Brendan knew what it was at that point. It was a Curse from Mismagius, and it did severe damage when it activated.

    Brendan muttered a curse of his own under his breath. Phoebe was strong and her skills were reflected in how her Pokémon battled. She calmly recalled Malice, and pulled out her next Pokéball. "Come on out Monty!" The Pokémon that came out looked like a purple hot air balloon with four extensions that looked almost like arms with a yellow color on the forearm. There was a yellow "X" where his mouth might have been, and two purely red eyes over the top of the X. On the top of his body was a puffy white cloud that looked like a hairdo. It was a Drifblim, a Pokémon Brendan had seen only a few times before, and that was only in books from in school or the occasional appearance in Pokémon League tournaments in Johto. It was a slow and cumbersome Pokémon, but it still could hit hard.

    Monty decided to show just how hard he could hit as his arms wrapped around Turk and, without using an actual attack, lifted him and threw him into the ground, making a crater as the buzzer sounded. The mark of the Curse from Mismagius faded as Turk passed out. Brendan quickly recalled Turk, thanking him. "So, if I'm against power, I'll fight with power of my own," he said as he took out Nikki's Pokéball, and sent out the Slaking.

    Nikki glared at Monty, while Phoebe just smirked, knowing that, even though the Normal type would be immune to all ghost-type attacks, the Slaking would be unable to hit with normal or fighting attacks. This would be an interesting round.

    Nikki, not being one for patience, slammed her fists into the ground and sprints forward on all fours. Her hands began to glow almost black with shadow energy as she powered up a Shadow Claw. Just as she got close, however, Monty seemed to glow as energy gathered into his body. His defensive abilities seemed to increase, as Nikki used a powerful Shadow Claw. Unfortunately, Nikki's attack only dropped Monty's health by less than an eighth. Monty, however, just kept gathering energy, his defenses increasing steadily as he continued to use Stockpile for about fifteen seconds. He then turned to face Nikki, opening his mouth and firing a massive white beam of energy at Nikki, hitting her in her center-mass. Nikki was pushed back, sliding almost ten feet before she found enough traction to stop being pushed back, but Brendan was more concerned with how her health bar was dropping quickly, losing over three-quarters of her health in that one shot.

    "How'd you like the Stockpile-Spit Up combo?" Phoebe asked tauntingly.

    "It was interesting, but I think you'll be more surprised by what's next," Brendan said. Nikki punched the ground as he said that, sending out a shockwave for a Stone Edge, which launches the rocks up, hitting Monty in the chest. The balloon Pokémon shuddered, but he only lost about half of his health. It was shocking that such a powerful attack would do so little damage, relatively speaking. There were very few Pokémon who could withstand such a powerful super-effective attack, and they were usually forces to be feared. Monty seemed to be no exception, as he flew at Nikki with his body being surrounded by a white aura before he seemed to vanish. He reappeared an instant later behind Nikki, and hit her into the air. He then began to almost teleport around Nikki, getting powerful hits in as he moved, until finally hitting her over the head and sending Nikki plummeting into the ground. The Slaking crashed hard, leaving a small crater. She struggled back to her feet, the damage from the Acrobatics attack taking almost all of the health she had left. She then took a deep breath, and leapt into the air with her claws glowing with another Shadow Claw. With that jump, she came face-to-face with Monty, slashing him across the face. His remaining health dropped fast, but, just as the buzzer sounded, a black ethereal arm came out of Monty's body and punched Nikki into the ground with incredible force. The Slaking and the Drifblim both fainted at the same time, with the buzzer sounding twice in a row, showing that the two Pokémon had been knocked out. Both Brendan and Phoebe recalled their Pokémon, but Phoebe had a smirk on her face.

    "Well, it seems Aftermath did its job there," Phoebe said with a laugh. "It takes out a large portion of health from the opponent if they used an attack that made physical contact to win a round. It's sort of like Monty made sure to bring his opponent with him."

    "Maybe," Brendan said as he took Jack's ball off his belt. "But I'd rather continue with this battle than discuss abilities."

    "Very well," Phoebe said with a smirk. "Then, come on out Lumiere!" She threw out her next Pokéball, or a Dusk Ball in this case, and it sent out a Pokémon who looked like a living chandelier, with blue flames on the ends of each of his multiple arms, as well as in the central chamber of his body. The entire rest of his body looked like black wrought iron, but Brendan knew it was ethereal. This was, after all, the namesake of his and May's favorite band: Chandelure.

    "Then I'll fight fire with fire. Go, Jack!" Brendan said as he sent out the volcanic yak. Jack seemed ready for battle, as he snorted in a show of dominance. Lumiere seemed uninterested, even though he knew he was at a disadvantage in terms of types. With a loud bellowing, Jack fired a cluster of rocks into the air over Lumiere, where they started to rain down as a Rock Slide.

    Lumiere calmly looked up as a green shield surrounded him and the rocks bounced off harmlessly. Jack didn't like his attack failing, so he shot another cluster, this one surrounded with lava, making what would've been a great Eruption.

    "Wait, Jack, NO!" Brendan tried to shout, but it was too late. Lumiere just closed his eyes and let the stones hit him. The rocks did a little damage, but the lava was what did the real damage…to Brendan's chances. Lumiere's flames seemed to get stronger and flare up more as they absorbed the lava. It seemed that Lumiere had the ability Flash Fire, which meant that all of Jack's fire-type attacks would not only be useless, but they would serve to strengthen Lumiere's own fire-type attacks. This fight was now squarely in Phoebe's favor. Jack seemed to know that he messed up with that attack, as he looked back at Brendan apologetically. "It's okay, Jack, let's make sure that it doesn't make a difference for her!" Brendan's tone was comforting, yet it showed that there was still a sense of urgency for winning this battle. Jack nodded, only to get a Shadow Ball to his face. His health dropped to the halfway point, but it seemed that the attack did something else to Jack. His anger seemed to be boiling over, and a brief crimson aura radiating out showed Brendan that, perhaps this battle was back in his favor. It seemed that Jack's own ability had been activated: Anger Point.

    "Well…shit," Phoebe said as she watched Jack launch two clusters of stones for a Rock Slide, but he staggered the launches so Protect could only block one. And, with his attacking power now at its maximum, this would not be a pretty end for Lumiere in this round. Jack stomped his foot on the ground to show more dominance as the first set of stones were blocked by Protect, but the second was able to land just as the shield fell. Lumiere groaned as he was buried by the rocks. The buzzer sounded almost immediately after that attack.

    "Damn," Phoebe said under her breath as she recalled Lumiere. "That was almost too easy for you…and I was the one who caused my loss. You're the first outsider to reach this point in a while. Let's see how you handle Umbra!" she said as she sent out a Pokémon that made Brendan smirk as he glanced up toward Wally and May in the Devon Corporation's box seats. This Dusknoir, however, had a darker presence around her, radiating more power than Wraith did.

    Jack gave another snort, hoping to show dominance. Without even a flinch, Umbra threw a ball of sludge at the Camerupt, hitting him in the face again, getting a blob in his mouth the same way Clint did when fighting the Banette. It was a Toxic attack, that much was obvious to Brendan. What wasn't so obvious was why Umbra was gathering a dark ball of fog in her hands.

    Brendan, that's a Hex attack. Its power doubles if the target is poisoned, asleep, burned, paralyzed, or frozen, Gwen says.

    Jack coughed from the poison in his mouth, but he had enough of his wits about him to be able to launch a stream of fire at Umbra, using the most powerful Flamethrower he could muster. The Dusknoir threw her Hex anyway, the attack swirling around the Flamethrower, and striking Jack at the same time as his Flamethrower hit Umbra, but it didn't do nearly as much damage as Hex did to Jack. The Camerupt was down to his last bit of health, but he refused to give in. With a defiant bellow, he used the last of his strength to let out a Fire Blast. The attack hit as the buzzer sounded for Jack, while Umbra had barely lost a third of her health from that attack. Brendan grimaced at the outcome. Wraith had been strong, but it seemed Umbra was in a class all her own among ghost types.

    Brendan recalled Jack, thanking the Pokémon for his hard work. "Alright," he said to himself. "Avery and Gwen are all I have left in this battle." He took hold of Avery's ball. "Perfect. I can still win this." He sent out his Latias, who shook her head with excitement as she came onto the battlefield. She smiled back at Brendan, wanting to get a hug again, but she decided that could wait until she beat this Dusknoir.

    "You've got a beautiful Latias," Phoebe says, deciding to have a short conversation with Brendan. While the battle was exhilarating, she did enjoy conversations with the challengers on occasion, if they proved strong enough.

    "Well, uh, thank you," Brendan said. "Your Pokémon look very well cared for as well." He wanted to sound polite, because he wasn't entirely sure how to describe a ghost Pokémon.

    Phoebe giggled. "Not used to ghost-types, are you?"

    "Honestly, the only ghost I've ever met is May's Spiritomb, Asteroth," he said with a hint of embarrassment.

    "Well, I admit, their creepier appearance can be off-putting to some…well, most people," Phoebe said. "I was once one of those people at first. When I was just starting, I struggled as a trainer, but I wound up being helped by a ghost Pokémon, and I completed my island challenge with her help. She was especially helpful with my Ghost Trial, which is when I decided to start to exclusively training ghost Pokémon. But, without a league in Alola, I was forced to travel around other regions to become more powerful as a trainer."

    Brendan and Avery were both listening quietly, not wanting to interrupt.

    "It wasn't until I reached Hoenn that my full potential as a trainer came forth, not unlike yourself, since your potential came out when you came to Hoenn," Phoebe said with a grin. People in the crowd seemed interested in the conversation, but they were now waiting on baited breath to see the battle continue. "Now, with those gorgeous Pokémon of yours, I want to see how much of your own potential you've realized."

    That was Umbra's cue to begin as she threw a Shadow Ball at Avery. The Eon Pokémon did a barrel roll out of the way casually and letting the attack hit the ground and kick up dust. Avery already knew that Umbra just threw that to get her attention, and that the next shot would not be so slow.

    Avery fired a strong Dragon Pulse at Umbra, aiming for the Dusknoir's center. The Gripper Pokémon, however, lived up to its name as she held out one hand and stopped the stream of energy from scoring a direct hit. The beam spread out and showered the field behind her, losing less than a sixth of her health from the attack, but a majority was avoided. She closed her hand confidently as a Shadow Punch charged on her hand. She threw the punch forward, seemingly aiming for open air. Next, a shadowy fist of energy flew out from Umbra's hand, and quickly punched Avery powerfully. The attack took a full third of Avery's health, but the Eon Pokémon was not one to give up. Her eyes began to glow as she gathered a Shadow Ball of her own, getting it to the size and density of a 6.41 inch bore cannon ball, and fired it at Umbra at speeds comparable to Super-Man on foot.

    Umbra, with all her experience, didn't have time to block or dodge. The attack landed perfectly, but the damage turned out to be lower than expected, taking about a quarter of what was left.

    Umbra just smirked as she flew forward blindingly fast, and used an extremely cold Ice Punch to pummel Avery into the ground. Avery got back into the air, shaking herself off before she fired an Ice Beam, hitting Umbra again. The Dusknoir lost only a quarter more of her health, but she seemed to become stiff and frozen in-place. An icy blue highlighting appeared around Umbra's half of the scoreboard, indicating that Avery had gotten lucky. Umbra's eye was the only part that she could move expressively, and she was clearly glaring at Avery with utter contempt. Brendan was positive that Umbra was trying to give Avery an obscene gesture at that moment. Avery smirked like Gwen would, and she fired multiple Shadow Balls at Umbra, showering the Dusknoir with the attacks. Just as Avery started hitting her target repeatedly, the ice shattered and Umbra sent four tendrils out, tying them around both of Avery's wings, her body, and her neck. As the Shadow Balls hit, Avery began to share in the pain she was inflicting on Umbra. In seconds, both Pokémon collapsed and fainted, the buzzer sounding twice.

    "Avery!" Brendan called as she fell, landing close to Brendan. She seemed to still be conscious for now, but she felt very weak, and Brendan could see it in her eyes. "You did very well," he said comfortingly. "I'm so proud of you. Now, get some rest for the next battle."

    Phoebe nodded in appreciation of Avery's skill, and the obvious bond she had with Brendan. "Well done, Brendan," she said. "You're the first trainer to make it to this point in nearly a decade," she says, still remembering how Wallace had completely overwhelmed her when he was interviewed for the Champion's position. It still gave the island girl nightmares. "Having said that, I think your challenge is over now." Phoebe pulled out a Luxury Ball, and gave it a kiss, not unlike how Green Oak did with his Charizard's Pokéball. "Come on out Amethyst!"

    The Pokémon that appeared was small and looked almost like an imp from an epic fantasy movie, with a completely purple body. She had two diamonds for eyes, another diamond on her back, and a ruby on her chest. When she smiled, her devious nature could be further seen with a mouth full of fangs. Brendan also noticed the Sablenite hanging from her neck. This would be a Mega Evolution battle, and Brendan knew it. She seemed to cackle at the thought of battling, but given her size, Brendan could guess she wasn't going to be a hard-hitting fighter. Phoebe wasted no time as she tapped her keystone pendant. "MEGA EVOLVE!" The Sableye began to glow with blinding radiance as the ruby on her chest detatched and grew to an enormous size, forming a shield of sorts. When the light faded, her body hadn't grown any, but her eyes were now rubies, she had a horn on the top of her head, and she was smiling devilishly as she hid behind her gem.

    Gwen smirked as she stepped out onto the field. Brendan nodded to her as he touched his own Keystone. Gwen kept walking onto the field as she transformed into her wedding dress-like Mega form.

    Alright, Amethyst, come at me! Gwen said. Amethyst just sniggered behind her gem, wanting Gwen to make the first move. Gwen decided to try a more strategic approach, but not with her usual strategy of Double Team and Calm Mind. She gathered a small ball of blue flames in her hand, throwing the Will-O-Wisp at the Sableye. What Gwen didn't expect, however, was Amethyst to rotate her gem slightly, and have the stone absorb the fire with a ripple in the massive ruby. With a loud cackle, Amethyst's eyes began to glow softly as the ball of fire flew back out of the stone toward Gwen.

    What the fuuuuuOOOOOWWW! Gwen said as the flames hit her chest spikes. Phoebe, Brendan, and even Amethyst cringed a little, knowing that those were extremely sensitive, and a burn there was almost an unfair target against a Gardevoir, or a Gallade. Okay, Gwen, think fast, she thought to herself, but the pain was just too intense to just ignore. Fuck, that hurts! she says. She is then hit by a Shadow Ball from a cackling Amethyst, knocking her into a backwards roll, ending with her in a prone position, struggling to her feet. I just need to get rid of this burn…

    She started to use Double Team, avoiding Amethyst's repeated, and blindingly quick Shadow Sneak attacks to figure out a solution. However, the burn was still hurting her greatly, and the fact that her health was already below half was terrifying to both Brendan and Gwen. Well, she's probably going to be very defensive, but I'm running out of time. Gwen inhaled sharply, and shrieked, using a powerful Hyper Voice. Amethyst crouched behind her massive ruby, hoping to weather the metaphorical storm, but the vibrations were intense as they came through the gemstone. Amethyst grimaced, but she managed to hang on as her health dropped to match Gwen's with less than a quarter left in total. Gwen grimaced as the burn caused more pain, making her health drop to an eighth.

    Like Apophis had during the last battle, Amethyst seemed to get a smug look of victory on her face. Gwen glared daggers at the Ghost-type as she fell to her knee, gasping for breath. This is my last chance to win, she thought. Silently, Gwen began to create a shadow ball, forming it behind Amethyst to avoid the massive ruby entirely, knowing that a direct hit to Amethyst's body would be the best way to win this battle.

    Phoebe, however, noticed the Shadow Ball. "Amethyst, behind you!" The Sableye turned and jumped into the air as the Shadow Ball flew into the gem, the energy dispersing into the air. At that moment, Gwen's frustration got to a boiling point. All she could do was shout, the Hyper Voice was significantly weaker than the last one, but it was on-target. Amethyst couldn't dodge as the attack knocked her off the gem, making her land hard on the ground. Gwen winced again as the burn took its toll, stopping at exactly one point of health. She was breathing heavily, and she could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness. No, I can't lose, she said to herself as she focused her mind. That was when the buzzer sounded. Gwen and Brendan both looked up, seeing that Amethyst had returned to her natural form, and her health had hit zero.

    "It's over. With a heart-stopping finish, Brendan has won against Phoebe, meaning he has made it halfway through his Elite Four Challenge!"
    Gwen smiled as she reverted to her normal form as Brendan came to her side. "Hey, you fought really well. I'm really proud of you," he said as he held out her Pokéball. "Let's get you completely healed up. That burn looks like it hurts like hell."

    Gwen laughed weakly. You have absolutely no idea, she said as she tapped the button of her Pokéball, going inside and feeling a slight sense of relief as the pain from the burn was reduced.

    Phoebe recalled Amethyst and she walked over to Brendan as he stood back up. "Well, your skills are certainly worthy of being in the Elite Four, as Sidney told us. It seems that your bond with your Pokémon was strong enough to overcome my team. I suppose it's only natural that you won." Phoebe extended her hand out to Brendan, which he shook politely. "Now, good luck going forward. You have no idea how terrifying the rest of the Elite Four can be."

    "Don't worry about me," Brendan said. "I'll be ready for them." Phoebe smiled as she turned and headed back to the tunnel of the Elite Four. Brendan just silently wished he was right about being able to handle the rest of the Elite Four. If the second seat was saying the third-seat was scarily strong, then how strong would the leader of the Elite Four be? Or, even worse, the Champion?
     
  14. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
    Posts:
    100
    PokéPoints:
    ₽36.3
    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    A Battle in Niflheim

    Brendan felt himself becoming mentally exhausted as his Pokémon finished healing and he let Gwen back out, the burn on her crest already healed. He was only two battles in, and he was already almost as tired as when he battled Groudon. Well, I can see why people struggle with this challenge. The Elite Four are scary strong, and five battles like this in a row is daunting in its own right, he said.

    No joke. I'm just glad we get to rest and heal between battles. Otherwise we'd have lost in the first second of our battle with Phoebe, Gwen said.

    I just hope we can keep our momentum, Brendan said.

    Up in the stands, May was nervously playing with the ring on her finger, which she was still getting used to wearing. But, her nerves weren't on-edge from being engaged to Brendan. She was having trouble comprehending the skill, power, and sheer terror at the combination she was witnessing in these battles. "I can't believe how strong those Pokémon are. I didn't even think this level of strength was attainable," she said.

    "Well, this is the purest form of tournament battling. Trainers at this level have taken battling and turned it into an art," Lisia said. "I've only seen this level of power twice when I attend the tournaments here for my uncle, Wallace."

    "Your uncle is the league champion?" Wally asked, not having seen Wallace in the Champion and Elite Four's box the previous day.

    "Yeah, he got the job three years ago, today, and he's been getting stronger ever since then," Lisia said. "He started his training as a coordinator, as you probably have heard. But, he changed to a trainer after traveling to Alola to try the island challenge. His apparent favorite spot was Brooklet Hill, which is where he caught his signature Pokémon. That was ten years ago."

    "Yes, I remember when he did that," Steven said, having overheard the conversation. "When he came back to Hoenn, he was this perfect combination of coordinator and trainer, so he took the mantle of the Sootopolis Gym leader. I realized he was on-par with my level of skill in battle when I held the title of Champion. Then, three years ago, due to the obligations I will be taking on as the President of Devon Corporation, I couldn't realistically keep the position. So, three years ago, Wallace came and proved his right to be Champion by beating the Elite Four."

    May seemed to be getting more nervous as Steven spoke. "D-did he beat you?" she asked, remembering how strong Steven's Metagross had been, taking out Gwen in one hit.

    "Yes, but don't forget that he took the position two years ago. A lot has changed since then," Steven said confidently. "I know why you're concerned, considering my battle with Brendan. But, the main reason I lost was because Wallace's style is a bad match-up for mine. I'm a strong defense and strong offense Steel and Rock-type trainer. He is a graceful and strategic Water-Type trainer."

    "I see," May said quietly. "So, he had a consistent type advantage over you."

    "Yeah, he did. But, I have been training a lot since that day, and I've made adjustments to avoid that, should he and I ever battle again," Steven said, his tone whimsical. "That would be a battle to remember."

    May nodded. "Well, right now, I just hope Brendan can show Wallace a battle to remember."

    "Knowing how the Elite Four is in Hoenn, I think Brendan's team will struggle against Glacia, but as for who will win…I couldn't say," Steven said.

    May's concern only seemed to grow with the realization that Brendan would most likely struggle with this battle, and the ones to come after it. Brendan, Gwen, you two had better play it smart. Don't go in guns-blazing, she thought.

    "Ladies and Gentlemen, I have just been given the signal that both battlers are ready for this battle to begin. The next member of the Elite Four is a chillingly strong presence on the battlefield. She comes from Snowbelle City in Kalos, and she is known for her fiery passion in battle. Give it up for GLACIA!" the announcer said enthusiastically. The crowd seemed to go crazy with joy at the sight of the blonde-haired woman in a periwinkle, ankle-length dress that flared out a little at the hips, and had a collar colored and shaped like a snowflake. She wore white gloves and a pair of sky blue high-heeled shoes. She wore a thick white cloth choker around her neck, which held Glacia's keystone a short distance over her sternum.

    "So, you're Brendan? The trainer I've heard so many great things about, and the one who rode Rayquaza into Sootopolis to stop the rampage of Kyogre and Groudon," she said with a smile, her voice having the slightest hint of an Eastern Kalosian accent. "Allow me to personally introduce myself. I am Glacia, daughter of the Gym Leader, Wulfric."

    "It's a pleasure to meet you Glacia," Brendan said. "And this Gardevoir here is Gwen. Yes, she is as sassy as the rumors say she is."

    Thanks for the intro Goldenrod, Gwen said playfully, using her nickname for Brendan.

    Glacia giggled slightly. "It seems your bond with her is indeed as strong as the rumors say. That's good," she said. "See, I've traveled the entire world, battling with an icy passion, hoping to find trainers who could match my fiery determination, and my strength in battle. And, I found…nothing. All I ever seem to come across are weak trainers and their Pokémon who get arrogant and think they're strong." She looked at Brendan, a fire already burning in her eyes. "But you…I'm intrigued by your reputation. You've made it to me as a challenger, and the others tell me your passion and ferocity in battle are comparable to a force of nature. Is that true? I hope it is." She smiled with confidence as she and Brendan both pulled out a Pokéball, his first choice being Jack. If what she said was a reflection of her Pokémon type of choice, a fire-type would be essential to winning this battle.

    Glacia tossed the Pokéball in her hand like a tennis ball, her smile growing more determined as she saw a similar fire in Brendan's eyes. "I see you're excited. Now, show me what you've got. It would please me to no end if I could battle with everything in my arsenal against you. Now, I choose Khione!" she and Brendan both threw their Pokéballs out onto the field. The fire yak bellowed with determination like his trainer's, making Glacia smile. Her Pokémon, however, put a slightly worried expression on Brendan's face. In front of him was a blue walrus-like Pokémon with lighter blue hair on her head. She had four flippers, and her two tusks looked sharp.

    "I think that's a Walrein," Brendan said with uncertainty. "A Water and Ice type. This could get interesting."

    As he spoke, Khione fired an icy ball into the air, not unlike a Sunny Day. As she did, gray clouds began to form over the battlefield, and hailstones began to fall quickly, pelting the battlers. Khione seemed unaffected by it, which was to be expected due to her ice-typing. Jack flinched as he was struck by the hailstones, losing a small portion of his health.

    "Are you prepared to fight a hailstorm, Brendan? You'd better be," Glacia says. "If you aren't, this will be as far as you go."

    Jack snorted angrily as he launched a cluster of boulders into the air, using a Rock Slide to start his attacks. The rocks began to hit the Walrus, who seemed to have limited mobility. Her health initially dropped by about a third, but Brendan immediately noticed something odd. The health bar was increasing each time a hailstone connected with Khione. Does that thing have…the Ice Body ability? Glacia's smirk was all Brendan needed to see to know that was, in fact, the case.

    Khione smirked as she opened her mouth and fired a massive torrent of water at Jack, who barely avoided the attack. The resulting splash, however, was enough to take out at least half of Jack's health, and the hail didn't help either as Jack's health further depleted. Meanwhile, Khione's health was steadily being restored.

    "Jack, let's increase the power!" Brendan said. Jack nods as he slams his foot into the ground, sending out a focused shockwave. Just as the stones were about to erupt from under Khione, the Walrein jumped into the air. It was a maneuver that Brendan thought impossible for such a hefty Pokémon. She then fired an Ice Beam, the attack barely missing Jack as it formed an ice tower that looked like a pine tree. Khione landed surprisingly softly and fired two more Ice Beams at the ground, making more obstacles and barriers of ice around the field.

    Jack snorted and, with a loud bellow, a cone of pure, fiery heat flew from his mouth. It was a powerful Heat Wave attack, and it quickly began to melt the ice around the field. The heat even caused some damage to Khione, but the Walrein was too sturdy to lose like that, as her health dropped to a quarter of her maximum. Khione, however, disliked losing so much health. She gathered an orb of icy energy in front of her and she shot it at Jack, the Ice Beam attack hitting his face, and, with the help of the Hail, Jack's health hit zero. The yak stood for only another moment before he collapsed and the buzzer sounded.

    "Jack, come on back!" Brendan said, recalling the Camerupt. "You fought well, I promise you that we will pull through this for you." He then pulled out Clint's Pokéball. "Come on out, Clint!"

    Sceptile came out of his Pokéball, looking at the screen as a hailstone hit him on the head. His health bar dropped a little but he was more concerned with the steadily rising health of Khione. Clint grunted, and immediately launched an orb of energy for Sunny Day, nullifying the Hail storm and causing intense heat and sunlight to hit the field. As the sunlight got stronger, Clint seemed to grow more confident. An instant later, Clint fired a Solar Beam at Khione, who fired back with an Ice Beam. Unfortunately for the Walrein, all her attack did was reduce the damage. Clint expression turned to anger, even as the Solar Beam hit Khione, her health nearly hitting zero.

    Clint huffed a bit, knowing his fight wasn't done. He powered up a Dragon Pulse this time, firing the purple energy at Khione. The Walrein responded with an Ice Beam, but it wasn't meant to intercept the attack. Instead, she fired it at the ground, launching herself into the air as she came down attempting to land a Body Slam on top of Clint. Clint saw the Walrein hurtling down toward him, but he smirked as he powered up a Leaf Storm and launched it up at the Walrein. Khione was knocked backwards, and she quickly found herself on the ground, the attack taking out the last of her health. The buzzer sounded, and Clint put his hands into the air in victory. Glacia just smirked softly as she recalled Khione, sending out her next Pokémon.

    "Go, Fūjin!" she called. The Pokémon that came out looked like a walking, snow-covered evergreen tree mixed with a yeti. He had two green feet, and two green hands, followed by white fur for the rest of his body. His face looked like he had a moustache of pine needles for fur. "Say hello to my Abomasnow, and his ability: Snow Warning!" As Glacia spoke, the sky returned to a hail storm. "It will last the rest of the match, and I am quite certain of that."

    To prove her point, Fūjin took a breath and used a powerful Frost Breath. Clint couldn't dodge it as the attack flew at him. He fell to his knees as his health dropped by three-quarters. "Oh no," Brendan said, watching Clint's health drop again. "This isn't good."

    "It seems you weren't ready to face me," Glacia said almost condescendingly. "You're indeed strong, but I don't think you were ready for this level." Clint's eyes began to light up with even more anger at her words. He, like Brendan didn't like it when people talked down to him or his friends. He stood up, feeling the sting of hail on him as his health dropped. The Sceptile looked back at Gwen, smirking at his friend. During this journey, they had trained together more often than he thought they would, and during their training together, he had picked up a couple of her attacks. He knew one that would help greatly if it hit its mark…but it wasn't very accurate, and his Leaf Storm against had drained him of a lot of energy. Regardless, Clint knew he had to try. He gathered a golden ball of energy, making it the size of a large cannon shot. He felt another hailstone strike him, and he knew he was close to losing the round, so he fired the Focus Blast. The attack wasn't nearly as strong as it would have been if Clint was in perfect condition, but it would have to do. Unfortunately, Fūjin unleashed a vicious attack of ice and snow, working off the hailstorm for a perfect Blizzard. Focus Blast hit its mark, halving Fūjin's health just as the buzzer sounded for Clint, who looked to be shivering from the cold of the Blizzard.

    Brendan cursed a little as he recalled Clint. Thinking for a moment about who he would send out. Avery and Turk would be bad choices, with Abomasnow having a type advantage over both of them.

    "Well, so much for you being a hot challenger," Glacia said in a disappointed voice. Brendan looked at her with a slight glare. "So far, you've shown skill…but there's just a spark missing from how you and your Pokémon battle." She sighed. "Oh well. I suppose we can wait for another challenger to show us the passionate fighting that we've been seeking."

    Brendan's eyes seemed to light up with a fiercely burning fire. "You want passion?" he asked as he pulls out Nikki's Pokéball. "Let me show it to you!" Nikki came out onto the field, immediately charging forward with her hands both on fire as she prepared two Fire Punches. She charged forward, the blaze on her hands getting more furious. Fūjin smirked, his hands beginning to glow gold as he charged a Brick Break with both arms, seeing what kind of fight this would become. He and Nikki both started what could only be described as a boxing match. Fūjin got the first hits, landing four quick jabs to Nikki's chest. The Slaking groaned and punched back, landing a much more devastating hit. Brendan watched as both Nikki and Abomasnow fought with everything they had, Nikki using a switch-hitter slugger style, while Fūjin was using a more orthodox swarmer style. They both exchanged hits, and both of their health bars were then left with only a quarter total. That was when Fūjin made a critical mistake, going for a Haye-Maker. Nikki took the massive window for a slip, and she delivered a much more devastating uppercut, hitting Fūjin's jaw from below.

    The buzzer sounded before Fūjin even hit the ground. Nikki let the fire on her hands go out as she breathed heavily from the bout. Brendan looked at the screen, seeing Nikki's health get to a sliver of red, even with the damage from the hail. He then heard laughing from Glacia.

    "Well, now THAT was just about what I've been looking for!" she said excitedly as she pulled out her next Pokéball. "THAT'S what I am trying to draw from you. You have it now, keep that mentality for the rest of our match! You'll need it. Especially against Elsa!" The Pokémon that came out was a nearly pure white spirit-like creature that seemed to be wearing a kimono with a red sash around what Brendan assumed were her hips. She had two horns made of ice, and her eyes were surrounded by purple skin, her eyes gleaming in a starkly contrasting yellow. The hail, however, made the Froslass seem much more like a specter than even any of Phoebe's ghost Pokémon.

    To make it worse for Nikki, Elsa seemed to thrive in the hail, vanishing into the storm. Nikki could barely sense where the Froslass was, aside from some creepy giggles that seemed to come from multiple different places at once. Nikki was looking around, struggling to find her target, but she couldn't track the ghost type. To get creative, Nikki slammed her fists into the ground, sending multiple spears of rocks up from the ground in rings. The Stone Edge covered the entire battlefield but Elsa just seemed to dodge easily as she vanished and reappeared in different places around the field. Nikki's health kept dropping with each hailstone, but she stayed standing strong, despite her legs starting to shake from exhaustion. Brendan kept his fist clenched, Nikki knew her trainer desperately needed to win this battle. She closed her eyes, her mind focusing on where this Froslass was going, and where she would appear next. She smirked as she gathered black energy around herself, getting ready to use a Feint Attack. It was a last-ditch effort, but she knew she couldn't miss with this attack. She then seemed to fade into the shadow as she looked for Elsa, finding her and grabbing the ghost and reappearing just to punch the Pokémon and slam her into a nearby rock pillar that hadn't retracted into the ground after Stone Edge was finished. Elsa seemed to giggle as she took the hit, then she delivered a powerful Wake-Up Slap to Nikki's face, sending the Slaking crashing into the ground. Not waiting for her opponent to recover, Elsa disappeared, then fired an Ice Beam, hitting Nikki perfectly freezing her in a block of ice. The ice shattered as Nikki's health hit zero, and the buzzer rang.

    Brendan grimaced a bit, recalling Nikki. "I need to go with the smart choice in typing," he said quietly. "And Dark is the best type for beating a Ghost." He then grabbed Turk's Pokéball and threw it onto the field. Turk appeared on the field, looking very ready to battle. He punched the ground with his claws, showing his determination to win this fight and began his attacking by using Rain Dance, his motions making the clouds shift and start producing rain, albeit it was a very cold rain. Turk then charged up a Night Slash, leaping at Elsa in an Aqua Jet.

    Elsa would have none of it. She focused for an instant, gathered electricity, and fired a Thunderbolt. With no time to dodge, Turk was hit and sent flying back into the ground, rolling and tumbling for a few feet, grunting painfully the whole way. When he came to a stop, so too did his health bar, which hovered just above a third of his maximum health.

    Turk glared at Elsa menacingly, before he fired a Water Pulse at the Snow Land Pokémon. The attack flew across the battlefield, gaining power from Rain Dance, and it nearly hit Elsa, who just barely got out of the way. The attack continued on, splashing against the barrier around the field. When Elsa dodged to the side, she unknowingly played into Turk's plan. Turk jumped up behind her, a Crab Hammer attack charged and given greater power by the rain. He smirked and immediately pummeled her with his claw, launching her into the ground. Brendan took a look at the screen in time to see Elsa's health hit zero, followed by the buzzer sounding once more. Brendan wanted to take a breath and let some tension out, but with Glacia still having three Pokémon left, he couldn't relax yet.

    Up in the stands, May was also feeling extremely tense, watching as Glacia sent out her next Pokémon, calling the name "Boreas" as she threw the Pokéball. The creature that came out looked like an ice cream sundae in a dish with two faces, and a few ice crystals near the icy dish. "Woah, a Vanilluxe!" Lisia said excitedly. "It looks just like the themed dessert they have in Slateport!"

    "Well, it does look like a vanilla soft-serve sundae," May says, smiling as Turk lunged forward, powering up another Crab Hammer, flying at the ice cream Pokémon. Vanilluxe just casually dodged as Turk flew by, and he simply fired a ball of energy into the sky, returning the weather to a hailstorm.

    "Damn, it's like they just don't want to let the other keep a weather advantage," Wally said as he watched the exchange. "But, with Turk out there, I'm shocked that Glacia hasn't used–" he stops as he watched Boreas launched a ball of ice energy that looked extremely cold, almost like it came from liquid nitrogen. The ice then struck Turk, nearly freezing him solid, like a lot of the moisture had left his body. The ice shattered, and Turk fell to the ground, the buzzer sounding immediately. "And there it was: Freeze-Dry," Wally said. "It's the only ice-type attack that's super effective against water-types."

    "I was hoping Glacia wouldn't have that attack on her team, but I guess that was just a pipe-dream," May said as Brendan recalled Turk, and sent out Avery. She smiled softly as the Latias nuzzled up to Brendan again, cooing excitedly. "She's such a sweetheart."

    "By the way, May, I have a question for you," Lisia said.

    "Hmm?" May said as she turned and looked at Lisia.

    "Have you given any thought to future endorsement deals?" Lisia asked politely.

    "What do you mean?" May looked confused as she asked that question, watching Avery dodge multiple Ice Beams and responding with equally inaccurate Dragon Pulses.

    "Well, once you get to the level of either League Champion or Regional Top Coordinator, athletic companies try to get contracts and make new product lines. For example, my contest apparel line became wildly popular in Hoenn and Sinnoh," Lisia said.

    "Well, that would be quite nice, but I don't even know what products we would be able to sell," May said with a slight blush.

    "Have you not looked around the stadium?" Wally asked. "I've seen hundreds of people wearing a hat exactly like Brendan's. Kantoan Eagle Outfitters has actually sold out of that hat since he became famous. Hell, there are a few women with your style of bow, and there's even a few people who seem to have made a poor-quality dress like Gwens."

    May looked around the stadium, and, sure enough, she saw what Wally was saying. There were so many hats like Brendan's that it looked like the hail was falling in the stands. "Well, I think I just figured out what Brendan and I are going to sell in the future," she said, her smile widened. "We'll make a new clothing line for trainers."

    As she said that, Avery fired a Thunderbolt at Boreas, hitting her target. Boreas seemed to have electricity arcing from his body slightly. The Vanilluxe's health bar was then surrounded by a yellow highlight as it dropped to the halfway mark. "GREAT SHOT, AVERY!" May cheered happily, standing and clapping. "You've got this!"

    When she sat back down, Lisia and Wally were both wearing amused expressions. "You're really into Brendan's battles, aren't you?" Lisia asked.

    "Well, yeah. Are you not into his battling?" May asked.

    "We are, but nowhere near how into him you are," Wally teased. "I guess that's why you're marrying him."

    "Oh, shut up," May said playfully as she sat back down. Brendan, I know you can win.

    Back on the field, Brendan was silently rejoicing about the paralysis condition. "Great job Avery, now use Dragon Pulse!" Avery reared back and fired a beam of purple energy at Boreas. The Vanilluxe barely managed to dodge the attack, only for Avery to use her real strategy. She launched an orb of energy into the air, which then split into a shower of meteors, which all flew directly at Boreas. The Vanilluxe couldn't even begin to dodge all of them, getting hammered with the Draco Meteor. While the attack took a lot of power out of Avery, it was clear that it took a hefty toll on Boreas's health. The Vanilluxe glared at Avery for a moment as his health dropped. He was about to pass out but he used the last of his energy to use an Icy Wind, the massive tunnel of ice and snow covering the whole battlefield, slowing Avery down and cutting her health by a quarter. The buzzer then sounded as Boreas fell to the ground.

    "I like the style that you are showing with Avery," Glacia said, recalling Boreas as she talked. "You're good for sure. But I wonder if you can beat Shiva." She tossed her next Pokéball, which let out a massive, bipedal polar bear-like Pokémon with icicles hanging from her mouth.

    "A Beartic," Brendan noted. "Haven't seen one of them outside of Kanto's Safari Zone Zoo during their special Ice-type exhibit."

    Brendan, don't go down memory lane, Gwen said. You need to focus!

    I know, Brendan said back. Avery was a bit slower now, but she was able to out-speed Shiva. The Beartic, however, didn't even try to dodge, taking the full force of the attack and letting her health drop lower. She then gathered an orb of icy energy in her hand and threw it into the air. Unlike when the other Pokémon on Glacia's team had used Hail, this one hovered over Avery, following her as she moved. It then began to rain down massive chunks of snow and ice in an Avalanche. Avery cried loudly at each impact, trying to stay strong and fight through it, but the attack just kept coming. She then felt herself drifting slowly to the ground, her vision fading and blurring. The buzzer sounded when she hit the ground, half buried from the Avalanche. Brendan was too far away to go to her side, so he settled for recalling her normally. "Avery, you fought really well. I promise you that I will win this match," Brendan said to the Pokéball. He then nodded to Gwen. They didn't exchange any words, both just knew that they were behind, and Gwen knew she had to beat two Pokémon in a row. It would not be easy, but they had faith they could do it.

    Brendan immediately touched his Keystone, knowing they'd need to get as much power as possible to win this match. Gwen transformed into her Mega form in five seconds, her puffy dress flowing beautifully. That, however, was interrupted by a Slash from Shiva. The attack was powerful enough to knock Gwen backwards, dropping her health by a quarter. Gwen teleported away from Shiva, gathering her energy into a large golden sphere of a Focus Blast in front of her, firing it at the Beartic. Her range and timing were both perfect, which made it a perfect hit. The attack exploded around Shiva and sent her flying into the barrier around the field, collapsing to the ground as her health bar shot to zero faster than any had in the past two battles. Huh…a single hit? Kind of anti-climactic, isn't it? Gwen asked.

    Kind of, but that's not the climax, Brendan said. We still have one more Pokémon to finish.

    Glacia looked more serious now as she pulled out a Luxury Ball. "Well, you've come farther than expected. But, I've seen the pattern to your battles. It's always a back and forth between you and your opponents, and Gwen is always your last. And, I'm going to guess that you think you have a chance to win, but you're wrong. Especially against Morozko!" Glacia threw her next Pokéball out, which released a floating black orb with horns and a face covered by a steel-colored ice cage. He had blue eyes and a mouth that looked like he was gritting his teeth. Around his right horn was a band with Glalite on the front.

    Before Brendan could even react, Glacia had already touched the keystone in her pendant, sending light beams together, and Morozko's energy spiked immensely, his mouth seemed to spread and open wide, a third horn sprouted from his forehead, looking to be made of ice, while the other two horns extended slightly and gained streaks of ice. His chin then sprouted horns, with what could only be described as a burly beard, but it was formed by his purely black skin.

    Morozko, huh? The East Kalosian name for Father Winter? Gwen asked. Brendan wasn't even going to ask where she learned something so obscure. I can take him, I just hope he doesn't have any hidden trump cards.

    Just as she said that, Morozko started to gather a metallic energy around his horns, and he began to spin rapidly. Despite the pace of his gyrations, he didn't move all that fast. He actually seemed to be building up speed with his attack, like a spinning top.

    I'm not about to get hit by that Gyro Ball, Gwen said, her worry clear in her telepathic voice. She then took a deep breath. Time for a Hyper Voice. Gwen then screamed at the top of her lungs, the sonic wave hitting Morozko directly. While his health did drop by a third, he also started to spin faster. An instant later, he flew at Gwen, hitting her in the stomach and sending her flying back as nearly all of her health was taken out, leaving her with maybe a fifth of her maximum health. Holy shit, if I ever have kids in the future it'll be a fucking miracle, she said to herself as she saw the Glalie come to a stop beside Glacia.

    "Well, we've seen how strong Gwen is, and Morozko seems to be the stronger of the two," Glacia said, sounding almost cocky. "In your position, you should just give in. Ice can be beautiful, but at the same time it can also be incredibly dangerous. And, in this case, ice is clearly far too harsh for you to handle." Gwen saw that both Glacia and Morozko were too caught up in their apparent victory to notice what she was doing. This was her chance. She closed her eyes and allowed the green aura of a Calm Mind to subtly cover her body. The hailstorm still raged on, the stones stinging her skin, but Gwen ignored them as she felt her power increasing steadily. "You fought with passion and a fiery intensity that I've never seen before, and for that I commend you. However, I can also say beyond any doubt that forfeiting is the right thing to do in your position. I really don't like hurting your Pokémon unnecessarily. But, if you insist on taking this path, then the injuries your Pokémon suffer will be squarely on your shoulders."

    Gwen's health kept dropping as she felt the hail hit her, including her chest spike. She wanted to keep increasing her power, but now she wanted to get this woman to be quiet. HEY, GLACIA! The Elite Four member looked completely shocked at Gwen's tone, but she didn't say anything in response. Don't you dare count Brendan and me out. You'll regret it! Glacia went pale at the massive fire raging in Gwen's eyes. In turn, she saw that same passion reflected in Brendan's eyes.

    "This is it," she whispered. "This is the heat and passion I've been seeking for so long." Morozko sensed that as well, and he gathered his icy energy into a ball of what looked like the coldest energy possible. "It's time for Sheer Cold!" Morozko fired the energy in a sphere of ice and absolutely frigid winds. Gwen didn't even have time to react, nor did she even try. The attack, however, seemed to stop in front of Gwen and simply go around her, as if the power she was giving off was greater than that of the Sheer Cold.

    Also, stop monologuing! It's pointless! Gwen said as she gathered energy for another Focus Blast, this one much bigger, and clearly more powerful. See you in the Distortion World! She threw it like a baseball, the orb moving faster than a tank shell. The Glalie tried to move but found himself stuck as Gwen held him in place, the blue aura of her Psychic making that clear. You're not going anywhere!

    Morozko grunted loudly as the Focus Blast hit with the force of a mortar explosion, throwing him into the ground and forcing him to revert to his normal form. The buzzer sounded, and Brendan's picture was highlighted in white. The crowd, however, didn't react since the dust hadn't settled. When it did, May was the first one cheering in the stands, which roused the rest of the audience.

    "And it looks like Brendan has pulled out the win in a brutal struggle against Glacia!" the announcer said excitedly into the microphone. "He is now moving onto the fiercest of the Elite Four: Drake!"

    Glacia recalled her Glalie and smiled as she approached Brendan. "You are very strong," she said with a tone much more pleasant than what she had used before. "And you fought with a fire that not even the coldest ice could extinguish. You truly deserved that win." She then looked to Gwen. "And I thank you for the lesson you've taught me. I might have won had I not assumed my victory." She then turned back to Brendan. "But, I should warn you, as strong as I am, Drake is leagues stronger. He will not tolerate any holding back. So, give it everything…and don't you dare lose to anyone until I face you again."

    Brendan smiled at that last line. "Of course. And thank you for the warning," he said as he shook Glacia's hand. The crowd's cheers seemed to show hope for the next round.

    So why was it that Brendan only felt fear about the last of the Elite Four?
     
  15. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
    Posts:
    100
    PokéPoints:
    ₽36.3
    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    Drake-arys

    Brendan's body was physically aching as he put his Pokéballs onto his belt, letting Gwen back out. It's too bad the hot springs in Lavaridge got destroyed. That would be a perfect way to recover after this, he said, seeing that the sun was already setting. They had been at this almost literally from dawn until dusk.

    Yeah, well, the Pokémon responsible for that is still in that Master Ball you sent to Professor Birch's lab for security, Gwen said, although she could not deny that a hot springs bath would be very nice. But, it would need to wait until they got back home. For now, they were about to face the two toughest trainers they'd ever faced. The strongest of the Elite Four, and the Champion of the Hoenn region.

    "Oh, my Arceus, I swear I'm going to have a heart attack if these battles stay this intense," May said. "I can't believe that he still has two more matches."

    "And they are bound to be even more difficult," Lisia said, feeling almost as worried as May. She may not have been engaged to Brendan, but her best friend was, and she wanted to see her future best-friend-in-law win. She didn't care if a best-friend-in-law wasn't a real thing.

    "True, and I can tell he's exhausted," Wally said. "Hell, I'm exhausted, and all I'm doing is watching."

    May nodded, then seemed to start praying. "Please, let him win these last matches. He deserves it more than anybody," she whispered as Brendan gave the signal that he was ready to begin. "Please, Arceus, Jirachi, Victini, I don't care who."

    "Ladies and Gentlemen, it's that time once again!" the announcer said. "The next obstacle for our challenger is the leader of the Elite Four, and the member of the Hoenn Elite Four with one of the longest tenures in the position globally, being here for forty years, almost matching Agatha's forty-five years. He took this position after his ten years of service in the Navy, where he achieved the rank of Admiral, and he was awarded the Medal of Honor, among other awards. These days, his two hobbies are training his Pokémon, and sailing. Please welcome Hoenn's dragon master, DRAKE!"

    Unlike with the wild cheering for the previous Elite Four members, Drake was met with a controlled, respectful applause, which was paired with a beautiful playing of Eternal Father, Strong to Save. In addition, a few of the audience members, who Brendan assumed were veterans themselves, stood and gave him a full salute before joining the applause. That reaction alone told Brendan and Gwen that this was a man who commanded a great deal of respect from the region as a whole. Drake certainly looked like a seasoned battler, walking with a slight limp that Brendan assumed was either a joint issue from being over seventy-years old, or a wound from when he was in the Navy. Drake had on most of a navy commander's uniform, including a hat, more relaxed pants, and a black coat with a blue interior and a jagged tail, including the most military decorations Brendan had ever seen on one person. Beside the decorations was a single Pokéball beside a keystone. He didn't have a shirt on underneath his coat, but, despite his age, his physique was impressive, giving the impression that this was a truly free man with no restrictions. His white moustache was thick, almost making him look like a pirate captain.

    "Brendan Maple," he said with a deep, commanding voice. "I've been hearing quite a bit about you for some time now, and not just from the other Elite Four."

    "Really?" Brendan asked. "Who was telling you about me?"

    "My old Navy buddy, Briney," he said with a smile. "He told me about how you rescued Peeko from Team Aqua, and he had nothing but good things to say about how you treated Pokémon." Drake's smile grew. "You seem to have a deep-respect for Pokémon and their power. I want to see how deep that respect of yours runs."

    Brendan remained respectfully quiet, feeling that there was more to come. He was silently surprised that Mr. Briney was one of Drake's friends, but it made sense.

    "You see, in their natural state, Pokémon are wild living things. They are truly free creatures. At times, they hinder us. At times, they help us," Drake said, closing his eyes as if for dramatic effect. "For us to battle alongside Pokémon as partners…do you know what it takes? Do you know what is needed?" Drake opened his eyes, which showed what looked like a pure state of calm, as his voice went deeper and quieter so only Brendan and Gwen could really hear him. "If you don't, you will never prevail over me." While Brendan and Gwen were still getting chills from how badass that single line was, Drake threw his first Pokéball out. "Go, Cassie!"

    The Pokémon that came out was an Altaria, much like Ali, but her appearance was more like a fighter than a contest star. She began to sing happily as she flew out onto the field. The cloud-wing Pokémon smirked happily, always enjoying her battles, and with the sun setting, she loved the atmosphere this battle would have.

    Brendan thought for a moment, then pulled out his first Pokéball. "Let's go, Turk!" The Crawdaunt came out, and he was quick to figure out what he would use to start. His claws clamped tightly, and they started to glow a light blue as they were covered in an icy energy. He leapt forward and swung with all his might. Turk then leapt at Cassie, swinging his fist hard with an Ice Punch. The Altaria dodged quickly, with Turk punching the ground, creating a block of ice in the center of the battlefield.

    Cassie smiled and began to sing lightly, almost as if she was enjoying herself more than she felt threatened by the Crawdaunt. Immediately, she gathered and fired a ball of pearlescent lunar energy, which landed and exploded behind Turk. It wasn't a direct hit, but the Crawdaunt's health still dropped by half. Turk shook himself off as he got back to his feet and coated himself in water as he flew forward. He needed an Aqua Jet to connect with his physical attacks, especially with this Altaria using fairy attacks with such proficiency that it rivaled Gwen in power and proficiency. Turk began to fly around the arena in a bullet of water, his Aqua Jet getting more speed as he decided to improvise further. In a brilliant move, Turk angled for Cassie, and leapt out of his Aqua Jet. He swung an Ice Punch at the water, freezing it into a sledgehammer of ice that was moving at unbelievable speeds. Cassie tried to dodge, but the attack was too fast. She cried out as the pillar crashed into her right side, shattering as it hit the ground, taking the cloud-winged dragon with it. At the same time, the buzzer sounded, and Cassie passed out.

    That felt a little…easy, Brendan said to Gwen. It doesn't feel like he's as strong as Glacia was.

    Maybe he's lost a step over the years, Gwen suggests, though her tone suggests she doesn't even believe herself.

    Drake smirked slightly as he saw Brendan's look of confusion. He pushed a button on his belt which opened the floor of the stadium to reveal the pool underneath as he took out his next Pokéball. "That's it boy, let yourself think I'm a pushover. You'll soon regret that," he said too quietly for Brendan to hear. "Come on out, Achlys!" Drake called loudly as he threw the ball, letting out a Dragalge, which looked like a sickly, brown and purple version of a Seadra, but with fins that draped out like kelp. She then dove into the pool, and popped back up, firing a sine wave of sludge at Turk. The Crawdaunt huffed in anger and flew into the air, dodging the Sludge Wave almost easily. It felt like Achlys was only going at half-ass in this battle. Turk didn't mind that as he swung with an Ice Punch. Dragalge dodged by diving into the water and moving back. Turk smiled and dove into the water. If Achlys wanted to have a battle in the water, he would oblige her. After all, he was at home in water. Achlys, however, was also more comfortable going sub-marine.

    As they both dove under, she fired a Water Pulse, which flew at Turk faster than it would have on land. He took the hit, losing only an eighth of his health before he powered up a Night Slash and used an Aqua Jet to fly forward. The attack hit its mark, dropping her health by a third. Achlys glared at Turk, firing a beam of draconic energy at him. The attack was powerful, and it flew fast through the water. Turk tried to dodge, but he couldn't get out of the way in time, a single Ice Beam being shot from his claws at the venomous dragon. Both the beams hit hard, resulting in their health bars both hitting zero, and causing the buzzers to sound together.

    Both Pokémon surfaced in the pool, being recalled by their trainers. That was way too easy again, Brendan thought to Gwen. Something's not right.

    Drake smirked. "So, you've noticed how easy it's been since we started this battle," he said as the pool closed. "I suppose it's time to introduce you to my next Pokémon, Nidhogg!" The Pokéball he threw opened and released a Pokémon that looked like Falcor from the classic Never-Ending Story. It even seemed to have a moustachio, which did little to diminish the unease Brendan felt with its pink, pupil-less eyes. "Before you ask, this is a Drampa. He is from Poni Island in the Alola region. I will tell you no more beyond that," he said with a powerful grin.

    "Then I'm choosing Nikki!" Brendan said as he sent out the Slaking. Nikki pounded at her chest and grunted to show dominance. She clenched her hands into fists as she glared at the dragon, gathering energy for a Brick Break. She then leapt at the Drampa, slamming her fists into Nidhogg's body. Unfortunately, it was already far too easy at face value as the attack dropped Nidhogg's health to less than two thirds. At first it seemed to be a good thing for Brendan, but that was before a crimson aura appeared around the Drampa.

    "Oh, no no no," Drake said. "Seems you've activated Nidhogg's Berserk ability. Every time his health reaches below half, his special attacking power increases. And, let us now show you the benefit of this ability!" As Drake spoke, Nidhogg rotated to face Nikki, opened his mouth, and fired a massive Dragon Pulse at the Slaking. It was all he needed to finish off the Slaking, her buzzer sounding as she landed hard, her fur smoldering from the energy wave.

    No fucking way, Brendan thought as he recalled the Slaking. He just took out Nikki in one hit!

    We need to play this carefully, and we need to be smart, Gwen said in reply.

    Gwen's point was proven even more true when Brendan saw Nidhogg shake himself off a little, feathers scattering around him with a green aura. No…he knows Roost too? Brendan's hand went to Avery's Pokéball. She's one of my best evaders other than Gwen, and I know she can fire back if she has enough time, but Nidhogg seems extremely precise with his shots.

    I think Avery may be your best option here other than me, but I get the feeling his Mega-Evolution will need to be taken on with a Fairy-type or an Ice-type, Gwen said with a look of concern.

    Brendan nodded to Gwen as he sent out Avery, the Eon Pokémon coming out playfully once again, nuzzling against Brendan softly and happily. "Hey, Avery," he said with a laugh. "I'm glad you're feeling better after the battle with Glacia. But, I need you ready to battle again, and this time, I need you at your best with evasion and timing to beat this Drampa."

    Avery flew up about four feet as she turned to face Nidhogg, barely rolling out of the way as a powerful Dragon Pulse blasted past her. Avery then fired back with her own Dragon Pulse, the beam of energy moving fast. This attack was a bit weaker, but, when it struck to dragon, it still took Nidhogg's health down to less than a quarter. That, however, may have backfired on them again, as the Drampa's crimson aura flared again.

    Nidhogg only rotated his head lazily and fired his own Dragon Pulse at Avery, who just barely barrel-rolled out of the way. She fired an Ice Beam at Nidhogg, who used a Protect immediately, negating all of the damage. The ground immediately surrounding the dragon was frozen over slightly, which would limit his movements severely. Nidhogg glanced at the ground, seeming unconcerned as he was surrounded with downy feathers and a green aura again as his health raised back to just over three-quarters of its maximum. He then fired another Dragon Pulse, this one much bigger than before. While Avery was fast, she just couldn't avoid it entirely, her left wing getting clipped, but even a glancing hit was enough to cut Avery's health in half.

    Avery lost altitude with the impact, firing another Dragon Pulse. Her shot was precise, but it still only brought Nidhogg's health to about a sixth left. Once again, the dragon was surrounded by a crimson aura, and he followed it with a Dragon Pulse of his own. This one hit its mark perfectly, knocking the Eon Pokémon out with energy to spare. Avery cooed sadly before she collapsed on the field, ending up almost right in front of her trainer.

    Brendan ran to her side, kneeling beside her. "Hey, you did great. I promise you that we're going to win this battle." He hugged her neck comfortingly before recalling her and going back into the challenger's box. He took Clint's Pokéball from his belt.

    "Boy!" Drake called out. "You seem surprised by my Pokémon being this much stronger than you last two. Well, my specialty during my service was psychological warfare. I specialize in luring the enemy into a sense of overconfidence, then crushing them with all the might at my disposal. That is why the only loses I ever faced incurred back then, and even now, had minimal casualties and only to make the enemy think they had the advantage. That lures them into making a rash choice only to meet with a painful lesson. You fell for the first two, who serve more as patrol boats, now you're going to face the other four. Nidhogg here is the frigate of my fleet. I still have a destroyer, a cruiser…and a carrier. You're fighting a losing battle now."

    "We'll see about that, Admiral," Brendan said respectfully as he threw out Clint's Pokéball. The Sceptile looked at Nidhogg with determination. Immediately, leaving the Drampa no time to use Roost, he used a Dragonbreath. The stream of flames hit Nidhogg easily, dealing enough damage to leave a small sliver of health for the dragon-type. As the attack dissipated, Nidhogg's body began to show signs of static electricity coursing through him, and his health bar was surrounded by a yellow highlight. Nidhogg tried to use Roost, but he was stopped by his paralysis. Clint let the leaves on his arms extend into green blades of energy, and sprinted at Nidhogg, slashing the dragon with a Leaf Blade. The buzzer sounded as Nidhogg finally passed out. Drake smirked as he recalled the Drampa.

    "My frigate has been taken out of the battle…but now you face my destroyer!" he said as he threw out a Pokéball. "Come out, Dustin!" The Pokémon that came out was a green lizard of sorts with two kite-shaped wings and red covers on his eyes. His tail was evenly segmented with darker green areas until the tip, which had a three-pointed crown-shaped plumage.

    "Cool, it's a Flygon!" Lisia said. "They're one of the less-used dragon-types, but they're really versatile in terms of battle usability."

    "I just hope this one isn't as strong as Nidhogg was," May said with her hands folded in prayer. "Brendan, please keep pressing on."

    "He can do it," Wally said, sounding unusually confident. "I know he's going to win."

    Clint opened the round with a quick Dragon Pulse, but Dustin flapped his wings easily, spiraling around the shot and using a Dragon Dance to increase his speed and power. The red and black aura surrounded him for a moment before he did an aerial flip, his tail glowing a metallic grey. Clint leapt to the side as the Iron Tail slammed into the ground hard, making a miniature canyon in the ground where it hit. Clint hit back with his own Iron Tail, sending Flygon back through the air. The dragonfly Pokémon spun back slightly until he righted himself, unleashing a jet of flames at Clint. The Sceptile responded by firing a Leaf Storm. The Leaf Storm spiraled around the Flamethrower, igniting the leaves, and both attacks hit their marks. Clint stayed on his feet, but only barely. Dustin, however, fell from the sky, landing hard as the buzzer sounded.

    Drake huffed lightly, recalling Dustin and smirking. "Your Sceptile is quite strong," he said as Sceptile used Synthesis to recover health. "Now for you to face my cruiser. Come out, Vulcan!" This Dragon was a massive, bipedal creature with a thick tail, and two red tusks that looked like he had an axe in his mouth. His scales were mostly a golden-green, with his chest, inner thighs, the tip of his tail, and a mask pattern on his face all being black. His claws and eyes were both red, and he had more of a beak for a mouth.

    "Is that a Haxorus?" Brendan asked in awe, having wanted to see one in person for a while since he saw a broadcast of one of Drayden's battles in Unova.

    "Yes, Vulcan here was a gift from Drayden many years ago," Drake said with a grin. "He served in the Unovan Naval Special Forces during the Great Pokémon War. As you probably know from your history books, Hoenn and Unova were allied in that war. During the battle of the Whirl Islands, I came to their aid when their fleet was under heavy fire. He gave me an Axew, the son of his own Haxorous as thanks. He has proved instrumental in almost every battle, and he has made my opponents tremble in fear repeatedly."

    "Then I won't disappoint your expectations if you're using such an important Pokémon," Brendan said. Clint used another Synthesis to get his health back up, but Drake's smirk told Brendan that he had hoped for Clint to do that. Vulcan's hands both became covered with brownish-purple energy as he leapt forward, using his tail to slap the ground and accelerate forward. Clint fired a Dragon Pulse at the last second, but his Leaf Storm had left his special attacking powers weakened. Vulcan punched through the attack, and while he lost some health in the process, his Poison Jabs hit perfectly. The first hit was to the stomach making Clint double over, then to the side of his head to send him flying. Despite his health being nearly full, the buzzer sounded the moment that Clint crashed into the wall of the arena. Brendan recalled Clint, thanking him and promising that they would still win this battle. Unfortunately, Brendan wasn't certain that his words would be the truth. Drake was good…really good.

    "Boy, I don't want to see that look of doubt on your face!" Drake said loudly. "I did ask you if you possessed the quality needed to bring out the best in your Pokémon. I've seen that in you so far, but I can tell that it's being shaken. There is no more room for doubts. Finish this battle strong, win or lose, and hold your head high no matter the outcome. You're qualified to join the ranks of the Elite Four regardless of the outcome of this battle."

    Brendan looked at Drake with a shocked, but thankful expression as he took Jack's Pokéball off his belt. "Thank you, Admiral," Brendan said. "I needed to hear that. But, I think you should know that you may have just spurred your own loss."

    "If that is the case, then so be it," Drake said back as Brendan sent out the Camerupt, who gave his bellow of defiance and confidence. He then gathered a ball of eerie blue fire, using a Will-O-Wisp attack. Vulcan tried to dodge, but his tail didn't get out of the way in time. The Haxorus growled angrily at the burn, and his anger began to show as he became surrounded by a scarlet aura, indicating the start of an Outrage. Jack decided to make it harder for Vulcan to get a hit, so he shot an Eruption into the air and stomped onto the ground to start a Stone Edge. Magma-coated rocks rained down while spears of rock shot up from the ground in front of Vulcan. The dragon just pummeled his way through the rocks, not worrying about the fact that his health was dropping below the half-way mark. He finally crashed into Jack from the front. Jack slid back, his health dropping rapidly. Luckily, he held on with a sliver of health left.

    Jack grunted and slammed his foot onto the ground again, using a powerful Earthquake. Vulcan lost his footing as the ground broke apart beneath his feet, and he was hit hard with the rising stones. The buzzer sounded once again as the Haxorous remained on the ground, knocked out. Drake sighed and recalled Vulcan, his smile looking damning for Brendan.

    "It has been some time since a challenger has spurred me to use this next Pokémon. He has been with me since I was just beginning my travels, when I was just a year younger than you are now," Drake said as he took the Pokéball from his coat. "Now, it's time for you to face Albion!"

    The Pokémon that came out was the first dragon-type that Brendan had ever seen in-person that looked like a dragon from fables and fantasy shows. He was nearly all blue, with red wings shaped like the blades of a battle axe, much like Vulcan's tusks, and red scales over his eyes, throat, and bottom of his tail. His underbelly and lower jaw were both white, but neither looked like weak-spots, his underbelly looking more like armor than skin. He stood on four, very powerful legs, and his tail extended about the length of his nearly eight-foot-long body. His head was about four feet off the ground, and he had three spines on his jawline. Albion, the Salamence, seemed to easily be the most menacing Pokémon of Drake's team, and the fact that there was a bracer with a Salamencite on his left front leg only made that clearer to Brendan.

    Although, shockingly, Albion didn't mega-evolve right away, nor did an Intimidate drop Jack's physical attacking power. Brendan didn't have time to look at his Pokédex to see what Salamence could have for an ability, though. He had a hunch that it would be revealed soon. Jack started with a powerful Stone Edge. Albion, however seemed almost disinterested as he leapt into the air. The dragon covered himself with a blue fiery energy and dove at Jack. The Dragon Rush attack had pinpoint accuracy, and it sent Jack flying, almost making him crash into Brendan if Gwen hadn't caught the fainted Camerupt with Psychic. The buzzer sounded and Brendan recalled Jack just in time to see a red aura around Albion, indicating a boost in physical attacking power.

    That's Moxie, Gwen said, somehow looking paler than her white skin usually showed as she looked at her opponent. That on top of the naturally high attack of a Salamence…I feel a bit sick.

    Brendan hugged Gwen tightly. "You can do it. We've overcome tougher odds than this. Don't forget that we held our own against Groudon."

    Gwen sighed and relaxed. Yeah, you're right, she said. I can do this.

    Use a reflect first to be safe, Brendan suggested as they separated. And fight defensively.

    Gwen nodded as she walked out onto the field, her dress flowing in the wind that blew over the battlefield. Her green hair blew to the side slightly as Brendan touched his keystone. Drake smiled and did the same. The two Pokémon both began to glow brightly, Gwen changing into her Mega form, and Albion changing into his.

    The Salamence's new form, however, was almost terrifying. His wings had fused into a huge crescent moon shape, while his underbelly's armor had extended to form what could only be described as a harness so Albion could get his front legs out of the wind to reduce drag. The spines around his head had extended, one on each side now looking more like half of an angular falcata. His throat was now covered in only red scales.

    Gwen was intimidated for sure, but she made sure not to let it show. No sense in giving the opponent the idea that they were winning psychologically. She immediately began by creating a sphere of light blue energy around herself, the Reflect at least buying her a temporary defense. She then began to use Calm Mind, gathering her energy.

    Salamence also became surrounded in a red and black aura, the Dragon Dance increasing his speed and strength as he flew at Gwen, his wings beginning to glow with a metallic grey energy. At the last possible moment, Gwen teleported out of the way. Albion's Steel Wing missed, but the dragon was not about to let that slide. He used another Dragon Dance, gathering more power and speed. Gwen turned as Albion flew by and threw a ball of purple static electricity. The Thunder Wave intercepted Albion with perfect timing, making the Salamence seize up a little. The dragon slowed down significantly, but that didn't stop him.

    Albion launched himself at Gwen once more, his fangs coated in fire as he reached for her, his jaws clamping down on her like she was a chew toy. If that wasn't enough, she could feel the fire scorching her body. Owwwwwwowowwow! Gwen cried out as she felt his teeth almost cutting into her. She acted fast, making stones levitate with psychic energy around them before they all began to pelt him. Albion roared in protest, letting Gwen go. Gwen managed to teleport to the ground safely, but she was hurting severely. Her health was below a quarter now, while Albion was still over half. I need my favorite attack, she said to herself. Albion took another dive, his wings glowing with a Steel Wing once again. Gwen knew that she would lose if that hit, so she screamed, her Hyper Voice booming through the field. The force of her shout was great enough to make everybody in the arena cover their ears as hairline cracks appeared in the cement of the seating areas. The attack was incredibly timed, making the Salamence roar in protest as he flew back. His health plummeted, but he wouldn't be content with just letting himself lose like this. He spat out a jet of flame for a powerful Flamethrower just as the buzzer sounded. Brendan was declared the winner, but Gwen was still hit with the fire from Albion's last attack. As the smoke cleared, the crowd gasped. Gwen was still standing, and her health had only been dropped by less than an eighth by that attack. She was on her knees, but she was staying up. Albion, however, was out of the fight, and was back to his natural form.

    Brendan breathed a sigh of relief, but his accomplishment of defeating the Elite Four had yet to register. "We won," was all he said. Drake, however, was applauding as he approached Brendan. "Superb, it should be said! That was an incredible battle!"

    "Thank you, sir," Brendan said in response. "I don't think I would've pulled this off without your encouragement."

    "No, don't sell yourself short," he said with an almost stern look. "You and your Pokémon have the passion and the bond that you needed to overcome me. THAT is what you'll need if you intend to defeat Wallace too."

    Gwen, who was now back in her normal state, tapped the button on her own Pokéball, going inside so Brendan could start getting her healed for their next match…the battle of their lives.

    "I should also thank you, boy," Drake said with a chuckle. "I'm now heading to my retirement after I watch your battle with Wallace. That battle will determine who will take the top slot of the Elite Four, and who will be the Champion of the Hoenn region."

    Brendan's heart started to race as he heard Drake's words, and his victory finally registered in his mind. "Arceus, help me," he said. The sound of thunder in the distance might have been a sign of Arceus answering positively, but Brendan's gut told him that a storm would not help him in this final battle.
     
  16. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
    Posts:
    100
    PokéPoints:
    ₽36.3
    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    Wallace Rain

    As Brendan pulled out his Pokéballs from the slots in the healing machine, he saw the ominous storm clouds building overhead. There were multiple plexiglass panes that extended out from the top of the stadium, covering all but the battlefield. It was a message that a Champion must be able to win in any circumstance, including weather. Lightning flashed overhead, and Brendan, guessing that Wallace was a water-type trainer based on Juan's specialty, knew he'd be at a huge disadvantage. Plus, based on how Lisia said Wallace used to be in contests, Brendan knew that the man he would be facing would likely have the most precise timing of any opponent he'd faced to date.

    Are you nervous? Gwen asked calmly, having sensed her trainer's thoughts.

    A little. I know that we can't prepare for this battle anymore than we have, but I'm concerned with how tough this will be for us. We'll be battling against water-types in a storm, and I don't have Groudon to counter it, Brendan said. Gwen giggled, knowing he was joking about using such a dangerous Pokémon for a battle like this one. Besides, Brendan knew that using Groudon would not reflect his skill as a trainer. It would only showcase Groudon's power, and how Brendan didn't truly raise a team worthy of being champions.

    As they contemplated their possible strategies, the lights began to dim, and two floodlights lit up by the tunnel of the Elite Four. Along the path, four lights were shining on each side of the walls. The darkness from it being night paired with the storm clouds made the silhouette in the tunnel all the more ominous…if he wasn't dressed so fabulously. Indeed, the man in the tunnel had not changed his eccentric nature much since Brendan and May met him in Sootopolis.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, it's now time for the main event of the night!" the announcer said happily. "It's time for Brendan to show whether he is the strongest trainer in Hoenn. This is the final battle for the Pokémon League tournament. The challenger will now be facing our Champion, who has proven his extraordinary skill in all areas of Pokémon training. He has been named top coordinator in Sinnoh and Hoenn, and he took on the Alolan kahunas at their full power during his time off from being a trainer. He took up the role of champion three years ago. Please welcome, WALLACE RAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIINN!" Two pillars of smoke erupted from the ground by the tunnel, and lightning flashed as the Hoenn-league champion walked onto the field.

    "Hello there, Brendan and Gwen!" Wallace said as he crossed the field to shake Brendan's hand before the battle. "It's good to see you again."

    "It's great to see you too, Wallace," Brendan said with a smile.

    "You know, I didn't get a chance to truly thank you for what you did in Sootopolis," he said. "That was superb work that you and May did in stopping Kyogre and Groudon. I'm not sure the region would even be here if you two hadn't done what you did."

    What am I, chopped liver? Gwen asked jokingly.

    Wallace chuckled. "My mistake. I suppose it wouldn't be fair to say it was only Brendan and May who stopped that crisis. That victory came from the trainers working with their Pokémon as one," Wallace said before looking back at Brendan. "I'm ready to begin when you are."

    "Then let's get the battle started," Brendan said, his smile showing that he was more at ease now. Wallace smiled back and nodded before walking to his side of the field. When he got there, however, Wallace turned, looking like he had more to say.

    "Against Sidney, you proved that you had the skill it took to overcome a member of the Elite Four. Against Phoebe, you proved that you could outsmart tactics of subversion and sabotage. By defeating Glacia, you showed that your fiery passion for battle could help you beat the worst conditions in battle. By defeating Drake, you proved your bond with your Pokémon could get through even the most trying of battles without falling," he said. Brendan, Gwen, and the entire audience were listening carefully. "It's clear that you have trained your Pokémon well, and taught them incredibly powerful moves. At the same time, your Pokémon have taught you a great deal about yourself. Together with your beloved Pokémon, you have achieved a great deal in the year since you came to Hoenn, young Mr. Maple. And this battlefield is where your achievements will be put to the test against one who has achieved much of the same." As he spoke, Brendan took out Clint's Pokéball, and Wallace picked his own first choice of Pokémon for this battle. "Now, who can most elegantly dance with their Pokémon in Hoenn? Show me and the rest of the world, right here, and right now. Go, Harmony!"

    The Pokémon that came out of the Pokéball was unlike any that Brendan had ever seen before. It was an elegant sea lion Pokémon that looked like a mermaid. It had a pure white torso with two light blue frills that looked like a skirt and a collar. Her hair was an aqua color, with two white scrunchie-like ties three inches apart on her hair. On her forehead was a crest with more frills like her skirt and collar, along with what looked like the base of a tiara. It was framed by her pink ears that looked almost like starfish. Her tail was all blue, with five pointed spines by her skirt. The end of her tail was a white dorsal fin with a frilled cover. Her blue eyes, with pink irises and blue pupils, were framed by an elegant pattern that looked almost like perfect wings of make-up.

    Brendan, before sending out Clint, pulled out his Pokédex. Primarina, the Soloist Pokémon. Native to Alola. Known as a songstress, it has a fantastical look on moonlit nights when it leads its colony in song. To a Primarina, every battle is a stage, and its magnificent singing voice is its primary weapon, and the melody of its song is learned from others in their colonies. Trainers of a Primarina must prioritize the maintenance of its throat for the sake of the Pokémon's health.

    "A vocal Pokémon, huh? Sounds intriguing," Brendan said. "Clint, let's show them what you're made of!" He threw out the Pokéball, releasing the Sceptile, who grunted and gave a cool, collected look to Harmony. She gave an alluring wink to Clint, but the Sceptile just ignored it, taking a deep breath. He began the match with a ball of light for a Sunny Day, knowing that the storm overhead would cancel it out and make a win that much harder to achieve. Harmony only giggled, almost like Avery would when she was playing with her friends.

    Harmony giggled again and fired an Ice Beam at Clint. The attack seemed much stronger than what any other Pokémon could've managed. Clint leapt to the side, rolling to dodge as a big sheet of ice formed on the ground. Harmony then giggled and began to sing, gathering an orb of glowing water in the air in front of her. Her hair then came undone as she got up onto her tail and fired the orb. Clint responded with a Solar Beam, which managed to hold the Sparkling Aria in-place for a while.

    Harmony then leapt into the air and fired an Ice Beam at Clint. He redirected his Solar Beam from the weakened Sparkling Aria to the Ice Beam. The water attack hit him hard, but it did very little damage to him. Clint's Solar Beam and Harmony's Ice Beam erupted into a bright cloud of dust, covering the whole field. There were a few additional flashes inside the cloud as the combatants fired more attacks, kicking up more dust. Neither one was having much success with their accuracy, but each shot felt like it had the power to severely cripple the recipient's chances of victory, if not make them lose the battle completely.

    Just as Clint was about to get a bead on Harmony, he felt a rain drop, and lightning flashed directly overhead. Brendan cursed under his breath as the clouds opened and a torrential downpour began. "Hmm, looks like nature isn't on your side," Wallace said with a smirk. "That, or it's just giving us one hell of a cinematic setting."

    Brendan had to laugh a little. It definitely felt like the former was true in this situation. He was facing a water-type master in the pouring rain…and now he knew he'd be soaked to the bone after this battle. Clint looked rather miserable in the rain, in sharp contrast to the Primarina singing happily across the field.

    Clint grimaced as the rain canceled out his Sunny Day, effectively removing Solar Beam as a viable option in this battle. He would need to try a more physical approach now, so it was time for Leaf Blade to come out. Harmony just giggled and launched a Scald attack. Boiling water rushed at the Clint, but he managed to roll out of the way before running at Harmony. He powered up his Leaf Blade, keeping his form nearly perfect. He seemed to vanish from sight as he sped up and ran at Harmony. He slashed with perfect timing, but it was met with an equally well-timed Protect. Clint suddenly stopped in his tracks with his attack. He struggled to push and break through, but he was then hit with a powerful Scald. The attack hit its mark, the boiling water making Clint roll back, getting a bad burn all over his body. At that moment, though, lightning flashed and all the stadium flood lights, along with the health bar screens.

    "Ladies and Gentlemen, it seems the power has been knocked out by the storm. We have a few back-up generators in this stadium, but it's only made for some lights, the phones, and the PA systems. We will need to rely on the light created by the Pokémon in battle until the other two kick in," the announcer said.

    This feels like Luke's battle with Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back, Gwen said to Brendan as Clint powered up his Leaf Blade once again, lighting up like energy blades.

    I don't really see the comparison, Brendan said, his focus clearly on the battle itself, and not the aesthetics. Harmony then smirked and gathered a nearly red-pink Moonblast, firing it at Clint. The Sceptile glared and leapt to the side, knowing he couldn't break through the attack. He was now kind of glad it was raining, as it soothed his burns to a tolerable level. It was still weakening him, but he could push through it. He slashed at Primarina again, hitting her this time. The musical cry echoed through the stadium, only for Clint to use the close range to wrap tendrils for Giga Drain around her body. He landed and pulled on them like leashes. Harmony glared back and turned her head enough to fire an Ice Beam. Clint couldn't dodge without releasing the Giga Drain, so he tried to weather the hit. He must have managed to absorb enough energy to stay up, because he stayed on his feet long enough to release the Giga Drain and look Harmony in the eye.

    If looks could kill, then Clint's glare had just turned deadly. His tail suddenly lit up, and he whipped his body around, firing a swirling vortex of glowing leaves at Harmony. The attack hit perfectly, and it sent Harmony into the air, spiraling around before giving her a piledriver drop, slamming her into the ground headfirst. At that moment, Clint collapsed from the burn damage. Even without the buzzers, Brendan and Wallace both knew their Pokémon were out of the fight. They said nothing as they recalled their Pokémon, the battlefield starting to flood lightly.

    "Well, Brendan, this is one hell of a storm. It's just too bad Pokémon battles on this level are not postponed for any reason short of the apocalypse," Wallace said. "But, you've already faced an apocalypse and won, haven't you?"

    Brendan smiled, despite being miserable and soaked. "You know, if it wasn't dangerous to do so, I could send out Primal Groudon and make this storm clear up," he joked as he pulled out Jack's Pokéball.

    "Don't even joke about releasing that monstrosity here. There are too many people," Wallace said as he pulled a Pokéball off. "Now, let's continue with this. Go, Cruella!" The Pokémon he released reminded Brendan of his battle at the Dewford beach party, where he fought a Tentacool. He knew this towering jellyfish, with pincers that looked like curved swords, was a Tentacruel. It would be fast, and it could have multiple attacks that could make this battle infinitely harder. She stood with the pincers as a base, and her ten massive tentacles for support. Brendan remembered hearing that Tentacruel started with 80 tentacles, and they lost tentacles as they got stronger. If Cruella only had ten left, then she was likely one of the strongest of her kind. Brendan knew he had no choice, though. He had to win against Cruella, even if Jack was at a severe disadvantage.

    "Jack, I have faith that you can pull through. Come on out!" Brendan said. Gwen began to shiver, trying to huddle up to Brendan to stay warm.

    Sorry, I need to keep warm, Gwen said.

    Don't worry, Brendan said with reassuring grin. Jack, feeling the rain, knew he couldn't use his fire effectively, if at all. This would be a battle he'd need to win with his ground-type attacks. Wallace, however, was laughing to himself.

    "Oh my, Brendan, I'm sorry. This is not your best tactical choice. However, I won't stop you," the Champion said.

    "Perhaps Jack is at a disadvantage, but he's strong enough to overcome that," Brendan said. To prove his point, Jack bellowed and sent a golden shockwave through the ground. The Earth Power erupted up underneath where Cruella had been. The Tentacruel had move incredibly fast and gotten behind Jack. She wrapped her front two tentacles around him and lifted him off the ground. The red bulbs on Cruella's head glowed violet briefly as she fired two consecutive orbs of toxic energy into the air. They both erupted into smaller pieces, and they buried themselves into the ground. Cruella then raised Jack higher and slammed him down onto a spot where multiple spikes had landed. Jack was immediately covered with a sickly purple grease on his fur. Brendan knew he was badly poisoned. Cruella even seemed very pleased with herself. Jack growled as he used a strong Bulldoze, making Cruella's body seem to stumble as the ground shook. The stumbling made a purple aura to appear around her briefly as her speed fell.

    Jack smirked as he used another Earth Power. This one hit its mark, and Cruella was forced into the air, only for her to fire a Hydro Pump at Jack. Jack got a worried look as he threw up a Protect at the last second, and the water rushed around the shield. Jack tried to hold it, but Cruella kept her attack going. Jack knew he couldn't hold his defenses, so he did the only thing he could think of, tunneling into the ground, and digging deep. Cruella scoffed as she stopped her attack. She stayed still as she felt for the vibrations in the ground. She found Jack easily, one of her tentacles slamming into the ground over him, sending a shockwave down to him. He buckled under the hit, yet he forced himself forward until he broke out of the ground, colliding with the Cruella's underbelly. The Tentacruel groaned and wrapped two of her left tentacles around Jack and whipped him out from under her, his poisoning doing damage to him just before Cruella slammed him into the ground with all her might. She immediately followed up with a Hydro Pump, which Jack could only watch approaching. He took the full force of the water, passing out. Brendan recalled Jack, seeing the Tentacruel across the field. A flash of lightning showed an expression that looked almost like she was smiling condescendingly. Brendan really didn't like that look. Cruella's smug aura was mocking him, and Gwen felt the same way.

    Brendan pulled out Nikki's Pokéball, sending out the sloth ape. Nikki, not wanting to be out in the rain any longer than she needed to be, immediately ran forward and grabbed Cruella's tentacles, whipping the jellyfish around and slamming her into the ground the same way she did to Jack. To top it off, despite being badly poisoned upon touching the ground, Nikki charged a Thunder Punch, slamming her fist into the Tentacruel's face, finishing the job Jack started, knocking out Cruella.

    Wallace recalled the Tentacruel, and immediately had another Pokéball in his hand. "I hope you're ready for a dance," he said. "Because Javier will make this place loco!" The Pokémon that came out seemed to have a duckbill, a grassy cover, a sombrero-like lily pad on his head, with a contagious smile. His green hands and feet showed a great deal of energy as he bounced rhythmically. "Hmm, a Ludicolo?" he asked. The Pokémon danced eagerly, bouncing from side to side happily. "This might be tricky."

    "You got that right," Wallace said over the roar of the rain as Ludicolo began to move quickly, as if the rain was making him get faster.

    Oh, shit, it has Swift Swim! Brendan thought. Gwen, whose hair was now matted to her head, could only agree silently.

    Nikki gathered more electricity for a Thunder Punch and leapt at Javier. She threw her punch only for him to grab her by the wrist and spin, planting her hand into the ground before spitting three seeds onto Nikki's body. Those seeds seemed to implant onto her back before sprouting. They then glowed green and energy was transported to Javier. The Leech Seed was perfectly timed. Nikki realized then that, while she was a slugger and a power fighter like Tyson, Javier was very much like a Jiu Jitsu master, using his opponent's momentum against them before using his own attack to cripple his opponent. Nikki, however, was too strong to be bound by the ground. She wrenched her hand free, then slammed a backfist into Javier's face. The Ludicolo gave a quack and flew across the field. There was no energy behind that attack other than her muscular strength, but it still did a lot of damage.

    Javier smirked, though he mixed it with his usual goofy grin. He landed on the ground and smiled as the leaves sprouting from Nikki's back began to glow. Her energy was sent to Javier just as she took poison damage. Nikki glared at the Carefree Pokémon, and made her body began to glow gold as she charged a Façade. She sprinted at Javier, who responded with an Ice Beam. Nikki pushed through the chilling attack, knowing she was about to pass out. She couldn't let that stop her, though. She got to the Ludicolo and lashed out. The power of the Façade was immense, pummeling Javier into the ground. Nikki fell to her knees as the Ludicolo was knocked out too. That was when the poisoning finished her off as well.

    "Well, that was interesting with their fighting styles. I honestly expected Nikki to fall first," Wallace said as he recalled Javier. "But, that is the end of the easy battles." As he spoke, the stadium flood lights turned back on.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, it seems that our second backup generator has kicked in. We'll now have lights to see the full battle, but the screens will need the third generator," the announcer said. At the same time, Wallace pulled out an Ultra Ball.

    "Brendan, as tough as you and your team are, this next Pokémon will be a terror for you. I now call on Calypso!" Wallace threw the Ultra Ball out, sending out a Pokémon that most people believed to be a myth. She looked like a mix between a deer and a hound, with light blue fur on all of her body, with the exception of the white fur on her underbelly and white diamond-shaped patches, two on each leg and three along her ribs. She had a purple mane flowing from her neck, and a bifurcated ribbon-like tail that flowed on each side of her body. Her head was adorned with a massive, nearly crystalline, diamond-shaped antler. She gave a chilling, yet comfortingly pure howl.

    A Suicune, Gwen said with awe in her voice. And she looks extremely strong.

    "One good legend deserves another," Brendan said as he took Avery's Pokéball. "Come on out Avery!" Despite the downpour, Avery still flew to Brendan's side, nuzzling his hand like a needy kitten. "Hi Avery, I'm glad to see you too. This is our last battle of the tournament no matter what the outcome. So, let's give it our all, with nothing held back."

    Avery cooed and looked at Calypso with a fire in her eyes. She could sense the Toxic Spikes in the ground, and even though she wasn't affected, she knew that her teammates would. She concentrated for a moment before a thick, but temporary fog rolled in and pulled the Toxic Spikes out of the ground, making them dissipate in the air. The Defog move also gave Avery a better focus on Suicune, as the other distractions had been removed.

    Calypso seemed to be unaffected by the change, though. Instead, the legendary water-type fired a powerful Icy Wind. The chilling wind even affected Brendan as it blew through the field. Avery tried to dodge it, but she couldn't move out of the way in time, so she took a good deal of damage, and she got slower. She responded as she gathered a Thunderbolt, but her body moved too slowly, and Calypso saw it coming. The Suicune scoffed as the electricity came at her and leapt back as a cloud of smoke appeared in front of her, before a PokéDoll appeared to take the hit.

    "Woah, a Substitute," Brendan said. He knew that the move had a price of health, but it was very useful to avoid damage from a strong attack. The pouring rain amplified the power of the Hydro Pump she fired, giving it more pressure than Brendan or Gwen thought possible. It looked like it was twice as powerful as water coming from a firehose. Despite the power, the water was completely clear, appearing to be perfectly pure water. Avery, who was already flying over the spiraled under and around the water, her body moving gracefully. She then fired a Thunderbolt at close range, blasting the Suicune with a lot of lightning. The attack dealt some damage, but Calypso was a defensive Pokémon. She immediately surrounded herself in an orb of water, her Aqua Ring seeming to, once again, be perfectly pure water. "Huh, perhaps it has something to do with how Suicune is known for purifying whatever water it comes into contact with," Brendan said curiously.

    Brendan, now isn't the time to be distracted like that, Gwen chided.

    I know, but Avery has this handled, Brendan said back. Surely enough, it seemed that Avery was holding her own, firing Dragon Pulses and Thunderbolts as she flew around the stadium. At the same time, Calypso was regenerating her health steadily with Aqua Ring, and the green aura around her told Brendan that she was boosting her power with Calm Mind.

    Avery, meanwhile, was struggling to keep up her blasts. She still had a lot of energy to fight, but Calypso clearly had more energy to fight and withstand her attacks. Just as Avery was about to fire a Thunderbolt, Calypso seemed to vanish, only to reappear on Avery's back. Calypso fired a powerful Ice Beam at Avery's back. Avery cried out and she fell to the ground. She crashed into the dirt hard, but she still managed to stay conscious as Calypso jumped off of the Eon Pokémon. Avery glared up at Calypso, knowing that was a really dirty move. She focused for a moment, deciding to mess with this Suicune. A violet aura surrounded her and tendrils grabbed Calypso briefly. With a bright flash of light, Avery began to look more confident, her Guard Split having worked perfectly. Then, with another flash of light, Avery's wounds seemed to heal with a Recover. Avery got back into the air easily. She then smiled, feeling her lightheartedness break through what had been a serious demeanor. Avery knew that she had been too focused on the win, and that almost made her lose. Now she was ready to make this rainy battle into a fun time for everyone…and pack some serious power into these next attacks. But, before she could do that, Calypso fired an even stronger Hydro Pump. Avery dodged to the right, but the force of the attack carried it forward into the cement wall. There was no barrier over the walls, so the sheer force of the Hydro Pump made a massive crack up the side of the stadium, cutting it almost like a hydro-blade. The crowd shrieked in fear, but the announcer and those working at the event all remained calm.

    "If all the spectators would please remain calm. You are all safe. The barrier will keep you from any harm. Just relax and enjoy the battle, because this is the normal levels of power when the Champion battles," the announcer said. His words did little to quell the worries of the audience, parents in-particular.

    Avery didn't notice any of that, including the stadium damages. She simply gathered her energy for a Thunderbolt, firing almost instantly. Calypso then fired an Ice Beam again. The Thunderbolt spiraled around the incoming Ice Beam, both attacks hitting their marks hard. That was when they heard the buzz as the screens came back on. "Ladies and gentlemen, it appears the third generator is up and running. We will now have live-feed of the health of each Pokémon." Calypso's health was the one that had hit zero this time, and Calypso was on the ground, knocked out. Avery was struggling, but she was still up in the air, wanting to continue.

    Wallace sighed. "Well, Calypso, you fought beautifully. Get some rest now," he said as he called her back. "Brendan, I have a question for you. What do you think about Magikarp and Feebas as Pokémon?"

    "I mean, back in Johto, people would call Magikarp a weak Pokémon, and I've rarely even seen a Feebas, so I couldn't fairly judge the Pokémon as a species. But, I never consider Pokémon to be weak," Brendan asked. "Why do you ask?"

    Wallace smiled. "Seems you understand the principle that is essential to being the Champion. There are no strong or weak Pokémon inherently. It is the trainer's job to bring out the best in their Pokémon. These next two of my team embody that. Let me introduce you to the first one: Finn!"

    The Pokémon that came out was one that Lance from the Indigo League had made famous. It was a blue sea serpent with a yellow underbelly and a blue crown-like horn on his head, with multiple three-pointed dorsal fins along his body. This was the Atrocious Pokémon, Gyarados. And, in a collar of sorts around his neck, was a Gyaradosite. Finn coiled up on the ground, his body towering over the field at more than twenty-one feet.

    Wait…this order is wrong, Brendan thought, remembering how the other Elite Four used their Mega Evolution last. Wallace still had one more Pokémon after this one. Is he that confident in the power of his last Pokémon that he thinks it can take on Gwen without Mega Evolution? Or is he thinking he doesn't need all six Pokémon to win this?

    Finn just roared as he gathered water over his tail, the power gathering into an Aqua Tail. Avery knew she couldn't dodge with the speed of that attack, and she didn't have the energy to use Protect. All she could manage to do was throw up a blue shield for a Reflect. She was still knocked into the ground by the tremendous, ground-cracking force of the Aqua Tail. Finn roared in a show of dominance as he was surrounded with a crimson aura, showing his attacking power increasing.

    Moxie…again, Brendan thought as he recalled Avery, thanking her for working so hard.

    I think Turk can handle him, Gwen said, knowing she was going to be Brendan's last line of defense in this battle. Brendan nodded as he pulled out the Crawdaunt's Pokéball.

    Turk has the heart to win, and he'll have the same power boost from the rain that Finn will have, Brendan said. "Turk, I'm counting on you. I know you can win this!"

    The Crawdaunt appeared, loving the rain already. The storm was clearly getting worse at the moment, but neither of the Pokémon seemed to mind it. Even Wallace seemed unaffected by the rain now. Brendan, who was already soaked and feeling colder by the second, was just shivering.

    Wallace simply grinned as he touched the Keystone in his bracelets. The resulting light was blinding, with the rain intensifying the brightness as the Gyarados's body got much thicker, and he grew two four-foot fins from his neck. His three-pointed horn grew longer, and his beard-like tendrils near his mouth extended longer. The yellow scales along his side got thicker, turning red in the process, and the scales on his underbelly turned black as they grew thicker. He coiled slightly again, letting his body rest on the ground as he towered over Turk. If the three-foot crustacean had any sense of fear at all, though, he didn't show it.

    Instead, Turk surrounded himself in a circular column of illusory blades, with a crimson aura around the Crawdaunt as his attacking power doubled. Turk gathered energy on his claws and rushed forward, his Brick Break looking full of power. Finn just scoffed and swept his tail across the field, slamming Turk into the ground with a simple Slam attack. Turk grunted with the impact. He got back up and used an Aqua Jet to lift himself off the ground and get him close to Finn's head. Just as Turk was about to punch out, Finn used Crunch to catch the Crawdaunt and clamp down on him. Turk cried out at the immense pressure on his shell. He desperately swung and punched the Gyarados in the face, making Finn release him. Turk fell to the ground, using Hydro Pump to slow his fall as both health bars plummeted, but Finn's growl and glare told Brendan that this was over. It got worse as an Aqua Tail the size of freight engine was slammed down on top of Turk, making him rocket into the ground, break the floor and opening a ten-foot gap into the pool. The buzzer sounded as the floor split open, but it was unnecessary. Brendan knew Turk was out of the fight.

    Brendan recalled Turk as the Crawdaunt floated up from the water. "Turk, thank you for fighting so hard. Now, rest up," he said as Gwen stepped onto the field. Brendan immediately touched his Mega Ring, and Gwen transformed into her Mega Form. The light from the change was almost more blinding than with Finn's transformation, but Gwen's power felt comforting to Brendan.

    I'm ready to Finn-ish this, Gwen said with a grin at her bad pun. She quickly started to gather Fairy-type energy. Time for lunar power to kick your butt. She threw her Moonblast at Finn only for the Gyarados to fire a huge Hydro Pump to counteract it. And, to make things worse, it seemed that the Moonblast was getting pushed back. Gwen only barely managed to teleport out of the way of the shot before it hit the ground where she stood. Damn, I need sound for this. Brendan, you owe me a Lozenge for all this shouting I'm doing. Gwen took a deep breath and was immediately slammed into the ground with an Aqua Tail that came seemingly out of nowhere. The attack dropped Gwen's health to less than a quarter.

    Ow, holy shit! That hurt like hell! Gwen cursed as she got up. Fine, want to play that way, I'll just have to do this. She teleported onto Finn's back, gathering her power onto her lips. She leaned down and gave a Draining Kiss to Finn on his crest. The attack wasn't flashy, and it wasn't big, but Gwen's health was also restored to about half of her maximum. Finn roared angrily as he began to fall, his body beginning to revert to normal. Gwen teleported off of Finn's head, stopping a few inches from the gap in the floor that led to the pool. Finn's fall took him directly where Gwen thought he'd go: directly into the pool as the buzzer sounded.

    Wallace sighed and recalled Finn. "Kudos to you on getting this far, Brendan. Remember how I asked about both Feebas and Magikarp? There was a reason I asked about both of them."

    Brendan looked intrigued, but he didn't interrupt. He wanted to hear what the Champion would say.

    "During my time as a trainer, I took a long trip to Alola, where I tried my hand at their island challenge. Back then, I was still a new trainer, and I hadn't yet found my specialty or my true style," Wallace said as he took out a sleek, black Luxury Ball. "It wasn't until I went to Brooklet Hill on Akala Island that I realized my desire to train water-types, and my desire to show elegance in battle. That was when I chose to try contests, and then I went to gym leading. This next Pokémon is the one I met on Brooklet Hill. She came up to me while I was simply soaking my feet in the water, and she was likely the friendliest and most outgoing Feebas I've seen." Wallace smiled nostalgically. "And we've been together ever since that day. Now, I think you and Gwen should say hello to my friend: MINERVA!" The Pokémon that came out was another massive sea serpent, just barely a foot shorter than Finn, but this one was much more beautiful. It was the most elegant Pokémon Brendan had ever seen. Her body was a soft cream-color, with two elegant streamers like those Wallace's cape was adorned with. These, however, were a darker pink color, extending nearly ten feet down along her body in a very streamline fashion. Her head looked like it had a single horn-like point, while the last eight-feet of her tail was covered in beautiful blue scales with black outlines. Her tail itself had four sword-shaped points arranged in the shape of a hand-fan. One thing that Brendan and Gwen both noticed, however, was a blue diamond-shaped crystal on a necklace. "Minerva is my Milotic, and she evolved from that same Feebas that I caught on Brooklet Hill all those years ago."

    Brendan saw that, on Wallace's wrist, there was a bracelet similar to what Grace had been wearing at the Grand Festival when she used that Supersonic Skystrike attack. Is this why Finn came out fifth? Is Wallace waiting to use a Z-Move? Brendan asked himself.

    Gwen didn't bother to ask those questions. She saw the glimmer of power in Minerva's eyes. This would be a tough battle, and they both knew it. May the better Pokémon win, Gwen said politely. Minerva just smirked and nodded as if to say "Of course, and the best of luck to you."

    Gwen smiled as best she could, amidst the pouring rain, and began her favorite tactic, filling the field with her Double Team clones, and the green aura of Calm Mind surrounded her body. Minerva, however, only gave a sigh as she let out an icy Haze into the air. Gwen suddenly felt her increases in power fade as if the Haze was removing them, along with all of her clones. Okay, I can't do that strategy anymore. It's pointless if Minerva can just remove the changes, Gwen thought to herself. Fine, straightforward it is. Gwen gathered electricity into her arms from the rainy air. Minerva smirked at Gwen's actions, gathering an orb of icy energy in front of her mouth. Gwen managed to teleport out of the way of the Ice Beam, but only a slight amount so her own Thunderbolt could hit effectively. While the chilling energy passed by, Gwen's electricity hit her target, making Minerva coo with discomfort as her health dropped to below half. Minerva glared and saw that Gwen was glowing with the green aura of a Calm Mind while she prepared another Thunderbolt, so she was quick to fire another Ice Beam. This time, Gwen had to aim to intercept the attack.

    At the same moment, the two Pokémon fired, and their attacks collided, forming a massive explosion. Gwen held up an arm to shield her face from the debris, but the kicked-up dust made it tough for her to find Minerva, and it made her miss the glow of a pure white energy as Minerva used Psych-Up to copy the boosts of Gwen's Calm Mind. Gwen searched with her powers and found Minerva…in the pool below. At that moment, multiple tendrils of bright light flew through the air and connected with both Wallace's wristband, which Brendan now realized was the Z-Move equivalent of a Keystone, and where Minerva presumably was underwater.

    "Prepare yourself Brendan," Wallace said. "You are the first challenger I've ever faced who made me feel the need to use the power of Minerva's Z-Move." He then made an X with his arms in front of his chest, followed by another facing up from the ground. His motion then turned to what seemed to be a hula dancer's arm motions, as if mimicking the motions of the ocean's waves. "Minerva, unleash your full-powered Z-Move: HYDRO VORTEX!" In that instant, the rain seemed to slow down for Brendan and Gwen. The floor of the battlefield was torn open further as a massive whirlpool formed.

    Gwen didn't even think as she threw up a Protect. Despite her defenses, the attack still swept her up as the vortex towered higher, sending Gwen around and around like she was in a blender. The water was moving with a force stronger than any Hydro Pump that she'd seen today, and she quickly noticed that her Protect barrier was starting to crack. No wa- she was cut off as the vortex shattered her shield, and water filled her throat.

    Outside the vortex, Brendan's eyes were wide in horror as the massive cyclone met the barrier around the field on all sides and shattered it like it wasn't even there. The audience shrieked as the high-power water got scarily close to them. That was when Minerva could be seen, elegantly in the eye of the cyclone, her eyes showing confidence and power as the water stopped spinning and broke apart, raining back down onto the field and refilling the pool. Gwen screamed briefly as she plummeted to what was left of the ground. Despite being waterlogged, Gwen knew she had to aim for the pool. The floor was too torn up for her to land safely there. With another Protect briefly going up, Gwen plunged into the water. She caught her breath as best she could, now keenly aware of how Minerva had joined her in the pool and was now glaring at the Gardevoir. Gwen let her Protect fall as she swam to the surface, grabbing the edge and pulling herself up and onto what was left of the ground. The pouring rain made it tough for Gwen to focus, but she managed to look at the scoreboard. I have…only a tenth of my health left, and Minerva still has about half, she said, trying to sort out her situation. I know that Z-moves are one-shot cannons, but I'm not sure if I can take another hit at all. She looked back at Brendan and saw his look of determination.

    Gwen, you can pull through this. Don't forget, we still have some tricks up our sleeves, Brendan thought to her, knowing that not even the storm's thunder could drown out their mental voices.

    Gwen smiled softly at Brendan. You're right, Goldenrod, she said tiredly. We can win this. She shakily got to her feet and saw Minerva circling in the pool in front of her. Gwen then fired a Thunderbolt into the pool to draw out the Milotic. When the serpent came out of the pool with a shriek, Gwen grabbed her with Psychic. Sorry, Minerva, Gwen said. I will not let my trainer down. She then directed Minerva over what land was left and slammed the Milotic into the ground. Minerva got up, having only lost a quarter of her health. She then raced forward, her head glowing with metallic energy as she tried to deliver a devastating Iron Head.

    Gwen reacted by barely teleporting behind Minerva in time, the Milotic slamming into a piece of the floor that her Z-Move had broken up. The piece of floor shattered with her impact, leaving her unscathed. Gwen then surrounded herself with the aura of a Calm Mind once more as she took a deep breath. Brendan, May…Mother, this is for you! Gwen said as she shrieked. It was her strongest Hyper Voice yet, and it was perfectly on-target. Minerva was thrown through the air only to slam into a newly-formed Protect barrier around the field, getting pinned by the soundwaves. She tried to fire a Hydro Pump, but Minerva couldn't turn herself enough to get her target in-sight. It was too late anyway. Minerva blacked out, and it wasn't until the buzzer went off that Gwen stopped her attack, letting the Milotic fall to the ground. At the same moment that Milotic hit the ground, the rain slowed to a stop, going from a deluge to the storm being over in a minute's time.

    "L-ladies and Gentlemen, this match is OVER!" the announcer said. "THE CHALLENGER, BRENDAN MAPLE, IS THE NEW CHAMPION OF THE HOENN REGION!" The entire crowd erupted into cheering as they too realized what had just happened.

    Brendan and Gwen didn't hear any of it, though. They were too in-shock over what just happened, even as Gwen returned to her normal form. Brendan…did we just win? Gwen asked.

    I…think we did, Brendan said as he saw Wallace crouching next to, then recalling Minerva, the now ex-Champion's eyes showing a bittersweet happiness as he approached his successor.

    "Brendan… That was wonderful work. You were so infuriatingly elegant…and yet it was utterly glorious! Kudos to you! You are a truly noble Pokémon Trainer," he said. "The Pokémon you fought beside so bravely…at times, they danced like a spring breeze, and at others, they struck like lightning. It was with light, yet surefooted, elegance that you led your Pokémon. Even I felt bedazzled by your masterful performance! You now stand at the glorious peak of the Pokémon League. I now officially crown you–" Wallace's eyes went wide as he suddenly looked behind Brendan.

    Brendan didn't even have time to react as he was spun around and kissed by May, who had convinced Sam to teleport her onto the field. The audience reacted with a mixture of awws and WOOOOOOs. "Brendan, you did it! You were so amazing today! I almost can't believe it's over!"

    Brendan laughed as he hugged her. "Well, I hope you're okay with getting wet clothes, because I'm drenched," he said, getting a giggle from May.

    "It's okay, if it's from you," she said. Gwen, however, decided to join the moment, hugging both of them.

    Hey, I got the biggest soaking of the day, she said jokingly. I think I deserve a hug from my family too.

    May blushed happily and they hugged tighter until Wallace cleared his throat. "Well, Brendan…no, Champion Maple, will you and Gwen please come with me?" He asked as he led the way toward the tunnel that the Elite Four and Wallace had exited from. Brendan smiled and followed closely, holding hands with May, and with Gwen on his other side. After they got into the tunnel, Wallace took them to an elevator. It was at this point that Wallace stopped. He gave May a sympathetic look before speaking. "I'm sorry Miss Birch, but from this point onward, only those who have become Champions can go on. I wish I could bend the rules for fiancées, but we cannot," he said.

    May gave a groan, but the tone made Brendan laugh slightly. "Alright. It's not a problem. Those are the rules after all. Brendan, I'll wait for you and Gwen right here."

    Brendan gave May a kiss on the cheek as the elevator's doors opened and he went inside with Wallace. "Thank you. I promise I'll describe what I see for you."

    When the doors opened again, Brendan, Gwen, and Wallace were three floors below the stadium. There were no windows, but the lights were bright enough for Brendan to see the ten pictures around the wall. They all showed various trainers with their teams, all smiling like winners. "This is…the Hall of Fame." Brendan said.

    Wallace smiled and nodded. "Indeed, it is. This place is where we record the victories and exploits of all those trainers who have become champions," he said as he walked to a console like the healing machine Brendan had been using between battles today, but it looked more complex. "Come, let us record your name as the trainer who triumphed over the Pokémon League, as well as the names of the Pokémon who battled with you as partners."

    Brendan stepped forward, having Gwen go into her Pokéball temporarily for this as he inserted his Pokéballs in the order that the Pokémon inside joined his team…no, his family. The machine scanned the Pokéballs and, once a new frame and digital canvas formed on-screen, so too did the pictures of Gwen, Clint, Nikki, Turk, Jack, and Avery with Brendan on one knee in the center, smiling confidently.

    "Congratulations, Brendan, you're Hoenn's Champion," Wallace said once again. "But, don't get too comfortable, because I'll be taking over Drake's old seat as head of the Elite Four, and I don't take losses sitting down."

    Brendan chuckled with the good-hearted challenge. "I'll keep that in mind," he said as he reattached the Pokéballs to his belt, letting Gwen out in the process. "But, for now, I have a fiancée and a week-long nap both waiting for me."

    One Week Later

    Brendan, May, and Gwen all sat on a picnic blanket on Route 103, smiling as they rested near the pond where their whole journey began. Gwen had fallen asleep, deserving the rest after so many harsh battles a week ago. She needed the rest, but she wanted to be with her family foremost. "This is really nice," Brendan said. "No imminent problems, a steady income as Champion and Top Coordinator, and I get to be with my two favorite girls." He sighed happily with relaxation.

    "Well, I think I know how to make this better," May said suddenly.

    "How's that?" Brendan asked.

    "Actually, I'm challenging you," May said playfully.

    "To a battle?" Brendan asked with a confused tone.

    May giggled and kissed him on the lips. "No, I'd rather not destroy the entire route," she said. "My challenge is this: to always love me, no matter what happens."

    Brendan smiled warmly. "We are engaged," he said. "I think I've already started that challenge."

    "Just making sure you knew what you were getting yourself into," she said with one more kiss.

    Brendan held May close again. For now, this was all that mattered to him.
     
  17. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
    Posts:
    100
    PokéPoints:
    ₽36.3
    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    Delta 1

    Three Years after Brendan became Champion

    "Professor Cozmo! It's terrible, I need you to take a look at this right away," said a concerned astrophysicist at his computer.

    The now gray-haired scientist, hearing the worried tone, almost ran to the man's side. "What's the problem?"

    "Sir, the meteoroid's trajectory just changed out of nowhere. I ran the calculations repeatedly, and they all say the same thing," the scientist at the computer said. Cozmo didn't need to look at the screen's trajectory graph to know it was on a collision course with Earth.

    "Where will it hit specifically?" he asked solemnly.

    "Near a small island on Route 131. The meteoroid is six miles in diameter and it will most certainly wipe out the Hoenn region, as well as other regions nearby. Worst-case, it'll be enough to wipe out life on this planet."

    "I see…" Dr. Cozmo looked to be deep in thought almost instantly. But…for it to suddenly change trajectory like that so suddenly…it would have to be…"

    "Sir?"

    Dr. Cozmo shook himself out of his stupor. "How long do we have before the meteor hits?"

    "We have about three days," the scientist said.

    "Contact Devon Corporation, tell them about this immediately. We'll need their help," he says.

    "What about the Champion?" one of the assistants asked.

    "He's four days from his wedding day. He and his fiancée don't need this stress right now," Dr. Cozmo said.

    On the lone tower on Route 131, Sky Pillar, a woman with black hair about the length of her shoulders, with a black t-shirt with red claw-like patterns over her breasts, which was under a flowing tan cloak that looked almost like a jagged version of a Salamence's wings and tail, but the neck was surrounded by a black petal-shaped collar. She wore dark khaki shorts cut up to above her middle thigh. She wore gray open-toed shoes, with tan socks that went to just above her knees. On her right leg, however, there was a corkscrew-shaped anklet, almost looking like Rayquaza in flight, and it had a Keystone at the top of Rayquaza's head.

    "Well, Aster, it seems that things have gotten tricky since those two stopped Kyogre and Groudon," she said to a little purple Pokémon with yellow ears. "But with this meteor approaching now…maybe tweaking a Keystone can help build up more of that same energy can get enough for what we need." The Whismur beside her gave a warble at the woman's words, making her smile weirdly. "Oh, Aster, I promise I'll protect you this time," she said with a hint of sadness and regret mixed with what most psychologists would consider a serious sign of instability.

    In the three years that passed after Brendan took the title of Hoenn League Champion very little had been happening. Team Magma and Team Aqua had decided to merge into one group, which they now called Team Earth. It was a group dedicated simply to conservation efforts. With Shelly and Courtney working as the two leaders, Team Earth had done marvelous work in making Hoenn steadily look more beautiful and clean. Even Mauville, the most urban of cities, had become much cleaner by comparison to three years ago.

    For Brendan and May personally, they had gotten much closer to one another. A year after Brendan became Champion, the two had moved in together, now owning one of the largest houses in Littleroot. They had enough space for their Pokémon to roam freely, and even space for battles and contest rehearsals. The following year, they started their own clothing line, which they designed for trainers. Since neither was creative with naming, they titled the line Maple Apparel Outfitters, and their products had proven to be wildly popular across the Hoenn region, quickly turning it into a global clothing line.

    For May, however, today was to be the biggest change, and it happened in her doctor's office three days before she and Brendan got married. She had been getting some minor nausea lately, and she felt more groggy than usual in the mornings. So, just to be safe, she went for a check-up. Her doctor ran some tests and came back rather quickly with the results, and a smile on her face.

    "Well, Miss Birch, it seems that congratulations are in order for you and your fiancé," her doctor said as she looked over the test results. "Your due date is around April 15."

    May blinked in surprise for a moment, not yet comprehending what she had just been told. "My…due date?" she asked briefly, sounding confused before her eyes went wide, and blush developed. "Y-you mean that I'm…pregnant?"

    "Yes, you're going to be a mother," her doctor said with a giggle and smile, watching as May's hand went to her belly, the shock of what she'd just been told etched across her face. "It was the same for me when I found out I was pregnant with my son," she said with a giggle as she wrote down the vitamin supplements May should take for the next nine months. "Just wait to see Mr. Maple's face."

    May blanched a little at the thought at first before smiling and relaxing. "Brendan might freak out," she said before laughing slightly. Her eyes filled with tears of joy at the thought. "But…I'm going to be a mom."

    Back at their house, Brendan was breathing heavily after finishing a training session with his team in the fields behind the house. In the three years since becoming Champion, he had taken to working out with his Pokémon, their bonds strengthening greatly. He wasn't wearing his trademark hat at the moment, having decided to only use it for special battles after he became Champion. Gwen was by his side as he walked back to the house. "Gwen, you had a really good training session today," he said. "I'm pretty sure you've perfected Hyper Voice in every sense of the word."

    Well, I had your help to develop it, Gwen said happily. During the three years after Brendan became the Champion, Gwen and Samuel had begun spending more time together, both reminiscing and having fun the same way that Brendan and May would on their dates. On a different topic, did you hear the news? You and May are going to have a meteor shower on your wedding night!

    "Yeah, I heard. It'll be so romantic," Brendan said whimsically before a look of frustration crossed his face. "But I'm still looking for a good wedding gift."

    Still? Brendan, you have three days left to find it and wrap it, Gwen said.

    Brendan was about to say that he hadn't found one that felt even adequate for the love of his life, but life decided to intervene in the form of a weird woman with a Whismur approaching them. Strangely, though, Brendan recognized the woman approaching.

    "Well...if it isn't the Champion…so nice to see you, even if you're sweating like an Emboar," she said as she approached him, her voice sounding almost venomous. "Do you remember me?"

    "Yeah, aren't you Zinnia? You were the one who got me registered for the League three years ago, and took a picture for your daughter," Brendan said, noticing a wince on Zinnia's face as soon as he said daughter.

    "Hmph, seems the great Champion can be bothered to remember details like the people he's met," Zinnia said with more anger. "Well, I was considering telling you something you'd be interested in hearing…but I've decided against it. Asshole." With that, Zinnia seemed to almost storm off.

    "What…was that all about?" Brendan asked.

    I don't know, but something seemed off about her, Gwen said.

    May was walking home thirty minutes later, deep in thought as she held her test results from her doctor, and a bag of vitamins and supplements from the pharmacy. She was silently thankful that most everything was within walking distance in Littleroot Town, even after growing since she and Brendan built their home here. "How am I going to tell Brendan? Should I surprise him somehow, or should I make it more meaningful?" she mused, holding her purse as she walked happily. "I wonder how big I'm going to get." She giggled at the last part, but her contemplating was interrupted as a strange woman approached her from the direction of her home. May was surprised to recognize Zinnia, a receptionist from three years ago, especially in that outfit. It seemed to suit her quite nicely, but it was the crazed predatory look that worried May.

    "Well, Aster, seems we have our prey here," Zinnia said, sounding crazed, with creepy eyes. "Let's see if you can keep your Key Stone." Zinnia tried to rush at May, but Miranda, who popped out of her Pokéball without a command, grabbed the girl's wrist before she got within four feet of May.

    "Yeah, that's not happening," May said sassily. "You think that I can't defend myself?"

    Zinnia scowled. "Fine, keep it. I have other people I can take Key Stones from…in Petalburg," she said as she got loose from Miranda's grip and threatening gaze before she and her Whismur ran off toward Oldale. She then saw a huge Salamence fly out of the trees to Petalburg.

    "Well, that was…unsettling," May said before shaking her head and continuing her walk home.

    Brendan, whose hair was still damp from his shower, had just finished making some paninis for lunch when his phone rang. "Huh…Wally?" he asked before he answered. "Hey, what's going on Wally? How are you and Lisia doing?"

    "Hello, Brendan; Lisia is doing great, we just went on a lunch date at Siebold's new restaurant in Petalburg…but that's not why I'm calling. I'm calling because some strange thefts have been happening around Petalburg," he said. "I know you and May are close to your wedding, but could you please come help me with this?"

    Brendan looked at the sandwiches that Gwen and his other Pokémon weren't eating, realizing that he would be need to rush his lunch, but he wouldn't be able to see May's smile when she came home to his cooking. Granted, he knew he'd at least leave May a surprise for when she came home. "Alright, but you owe me for this," Brendan said.

    "I'm already your best man. What else do you want?" Wally replied with a chuckle.

    "Good point. I'll fly over shortly," Brendan said before hanging up. He grabbed his sandwich and ate fast. Once he and his Pokémon were finished eating, he recalled them and wrote a small note for May. He then walked outside with Gwen and Avery, the Latias letting them onto her back before she Mega Evolved, her purple form and larger wings better suited to flight with two passengers. She then took off and flew to west to Petalburg.

    May opened the front door to the house, immediately catching the scent of a chicken spinach and feta panini, one of her favorite sandwiches, and one of her favorites from Brendan's repertoire. She went to the kitchen and saw the beautifully made sandwich with a side of her favorite kettle-cooked salt and vinegar chips and a mixture of lemonade and sweet tea to drink. "Aww, thank you Brendan!" she said as she saw his note.

    "May, something is happening in Petalburg, so I'm going to check it out. Enjoy lunch and please come join Gwen and me there. I love you. - Brendan" she read with a smile. "I love you too Brendan."

    She took the sandwich and ate happily. "Guess I'm eating for two now," she said with a smile as she gently rested a hand on her stomach.

    Brendan and Gwen had just landed in Petalburg near where Wally and Lisia were living together, and he immediately heard a disturbance from a gruff, familiar voice. "Boy, I swear, if you're screwing with me, I will beat the hell out of you," Matt said. He was in a pair of khaki pants, like those a park ranger would've worn, as his Team Earth uniform. He was starting to muscle himself closer to Wally, who was standing in front of Lisia protectively. It was when Wally perked up that Matt noticed Brendan and winced as he remembered the severe beating the Champion had given him last time they had met in Team Aqua's base. "Umm, what is the punk doing here?"

    "Matt, I could ask you the same thing," Brendan said with a look of annoyance. "What the hell are you doing? Because it looks like you're harassing my best man and May's maid of honor. I highly doubt that Shelly will approve of what you're doing."

    "My damn Key Stone is missing. I dozed off in the park, and it was gone when I woke up," Matt said in a fit. "I'm positive these two stole it to prank me."

    "Why would we want your Key Stone?" Lisia asked. "We both had our own until a few minutes ago."

    "Wait, what do you mean?" Brendan asked. "What happened to them?"

    Wally sighed. "We left them in our apartment while we went to lunch, since the Siebold's restaurants apparently have a 'No battles or battling gear' policy. When we came home, our bedroom window was opened, and both our Key Stones were gone from our bracelets."

    "Hmmm…there was a weird woman who came to my house and said something about stealing Key Stones. Maybe she's going around to find every trainer who can use Mega Evolution and steal their Key Stones," Brendan said in a contemplative voice

    That was when May came up behind Brendan, hugging him from behind. "Hey," she said, her tone serious, yet sympathetic as she spoke. "Glad I got here in time. I heard you guys talking, and it sounds like Zinnia got to all of you three." When he saw the brunette, Matt moved like he was about to crouch and guard his shins.

    Lisia, now ignoring Matt, walked forward to May. "Hey girl!" she said as May let go of Brendan and tightly hugged Lisia. "So, you know the girl who stole our Key Stones?"

    "Then you know where she is!" Matt shouted as he approached May. "Tell me where the bitch is, right now!"

    "Matt, shut up, or Erza will be the one hurting you," May said calmly, and clearly not intimidated by the man's façade.

    Matt grunted in frustration. "Whatever, I don't have time for this," he growled as he stormed off, heading west.

    Lisia sighed. "Well, that was really fun," she said. "Sorry we can't spend time with you two today. Wally and I need to go make sure that nothing else was stolen before we get the police here, and Wally needs to go pick up his tuxedo for your wedding."

    May hugged Lisia one more time. "Alright. You two be safe and remember that you can call us at any time if you need help," she said. "At least until the wedding night. Then, Brendan, Gwen, our Pokémon, and I will all be in Lumiose City for the honeymoon," she said playfully.

    Lisia giggled as she and Wally headed back inside. "We will. You two have fun!"

    Brendan then smiled at May. "Hey, did you enjoy the gift I left for you?" he asked.

    May kissed him in response. "You're so sweet. I love you," she said as they began walking, hoping to get home.

    "So, Zinnia tried to steal your Key Stone too, huh?" Brendan asked.

    "Yeah, but Miranda stopped her and glared her down, so I don't think she'll be trying it again," May said as they started to make their way through Petalburg, hoping to get a couple's walk together through Routes 102 and 101.

    As they got out of Wally's and Lisia's apartment complex, and May decided now was her chance. "Hey, Brendan, I need to tell you something," she said.

    "About what?" he asked curiously.

    "Well…it's about my doctor's appointment today," she said in an attempt to keep the suspense for Brendan. "Aaannnd…" she was cut off by the ringing of Brendan's phone. She stopped as Brendan went to check who it was.

    "Steven Stone?" he asked. "Sorry May, mind if I take this call first?"

    "It's not a problem," May said, though she was cursing in her head angrily over the interruption. Even though she didn't want to, she was able to wait. She wanted to tell Brendan when he was able to pay full attention.

    Brendan noticed how she was mildly annoyed as he answered the phone. "Hello?"

    "Brendan, sorry to call so suddenly, but something critical has come up. Could you please come to Rustboro? We need to talk face-to-face immediately," the silver-haired man said.

    "Alright. We can be there in a few moments," Brendan said as he hung up and put his phone back into his pocket. "Seems we're needed in Rustboro…specifically Devon's headquarters."

    "Oh? What's going on?" May asked.

    "All he said was that it was something critical," Brendan said. Gwen just touched their shoulders.

    Let's get this over with already, Gwen said before they teleported to the corporation headquarters.

    The building hadn't changed a bit in the almost four years since they first came to Rustboro together when their journey began. The doorway still featured a small statue of an Aerodactyl on the arch, and the interior was still granite flooring, with glass panes to show fossils and rare gemstones underneath. Steven was already waiting for them in the lobby. "Brendan, May, Gwen, it's great to see you all. How is everything going?"

    "We're doing well," May said with a smile. "The wedding preparations are getting hectic, but I think we're all set."

    "May, I remember you were freaking out about everything a month ago," Brendan said with a chuckle.

    "You hush," May said playfully with an elbow nudge.

    Steven chuckled a little before his expression turned serious. "I'm glad things are going so well…but we unfortunately don't have time for pleasantries. All too often, my intuition turns out to be right, but I never expected we would meet under circumstances as bad as these. Please, come with me, we need to talk in private." They all went up the elevator to Mr. Stone's office, and Devon Corporation's president, who was close to retiring, stood waiting for them. "Dad, our guests have arrived."

    "Brendan, May, and Gwen, you've all grown up a great deal since you were last in this office. It's been nearly four years since that day," Mr. Stone said kindly, shaking their hands and gesturing to the chairs set in front of his desk. They all sat politely.

    "I think so," Brendan said politely. He could see that Mr. Stone was beginning to feel his age, but the President was still keeping his composure quite well.

    "It's great to see you all are well," he said, but Steven cleared his throat clearly enough to remind his father that they needed to be efficient with their time. "Oh, Steven, you are so impatient. You need to learn to be more patient if you are to take over this company soon."

    "Dad…" Steven said as a gentle, yet firm reminder.

    "Yes…I know…I just needed to get myself ready," Mr. Stone said as he turned to Brendan, May, and Gwen. "I'm sorry that this has to happen so close to your wedding day, but…I need to start on a very unpleasant and heavy topic. Are you ready to take this all in?"

    Brendan looked at May, whose hand had gone to her stomach, but he didn't think anything of it. She just seemed to be relaxing a little in the chair. "I think we need to hear it, since I am the Champion," Brendan said.

    Mr. Stone nodded and took a breath. "Let me first ask how much you know about the great war 3000 years ago."

    "Not much other than it was ended by something called The Ultimate Weapon," May said.

    "I figured as much. It's not an event that people like to talk about. Let me take us back 3000 years ago to when that terrible war happened in what is now the Kalos region. As you said, the war was brought to an end by the power of The Ultimate Weapon, a weapon so terrible that it left generational scars in the world. Now…the question many people don't know the answer to is where that weapon got its power. The answer...is the life energy of all Pokémon."

    "It…killed Pokémon for the power...to kill countless more?" May asked, disgust and sadness in her voice.

    The energy that could be gained by the sacrifice of so many Pokémon... There are surely many people who would call it reprehensible," Mr. Stone said, and he paused for a moment. "But my grandfather, the president of Devon before me, said this... 'Couldn't we use the energy to improve the lives of people and Pokémon?' And so, he developed our greatest creation here at the Devon Corporation: Infinity Energy."

    "Infinity Energy?" Brendan asked. He thought the term was familiar, but he couldn't recall what it was.

    "It's commonly known for being the energy that triggers Mega Evolution and Z-Moves," Steven said.

    "Thanks to Infinity Energy, Devon was able to become one of the top industries in Hoenn and developed into the giant you see today," Mr. Stone said. "You may be surprised to learn that the Devon Parts you recovered for us four years ago were, in fact, parts of a motor that would make it possible to power a submarine using Infinity Energy. It wasn't long before we began to expand our attempts at furthering human development," he paused for a breath. "So, we naturally moved to exploring space. The rockets launched from the Mossdeep Space Center using our Infinity Energy…They are the true results of our dreams, our passion, and our technology. But, never did we imagine they could end up as the best hope for saving our world."

    Mr. Stone took a deep breath as his tone got more serious. "My preamble has been quite long, but we've now arrived at the real issue." He turned to the windows of the office and sighed. "There is an overwhelming catastrophe which now approaches us in the form of a huge asteroid, more than six miles in diameter. It redirected somehow, and it's currently on track to collide with our planet. It is expected to make landfall in just over two days...meaning the day before your wedding could very easily be the end of all life on this planet."

    Brendan, May, and Gwen all gave a different reaction to this news. Brendan looked stoic, almost like he had been given a terminal diagnosis. May looked like she was having war flashbacks. Finally, Gwen looked almost calm. It was the Gardevoir who spoke up. I'm guessing you have a plan, otherwise neither you nor Steven would be so calm if you didn't.

    Mr. Stone nodded. "We've been working together with the Mossdeep Space Center, which was first to recognize this danger. We are devising countermeasures that would use our rockets, but…for these plans to succeed, we need a Meteorite Shard."

    "So, are we heading to Meteor Falls?" May asked.

    "No, we traced the closest Meteorite Shard to Granite Cave in Dewford," Steven said. "I'm heading to Mossdeep Space Center for now to get this sorted out and to help with any preparations."

    Brendan nodded. "I see. Then I suppose we're heading to Dewford to get the Meteorite Shard first," he said. "We'll join you at the Space Center when we get it."

    With that, they left the building. As soon as they got outside, they sent out Avery and Drake, who were ready to go quickly with this flight. "Well, are you ready to see Dewford again?" May asked as she got onto Drake's back.

    Brendan kissed her cheek as he and Gwen got onto Avery. "Race you there!" he said as Avery flew off.

    "You cheater!" May called out playfully with a giggle as Drake followed his sister into the sky. Even with the looming threat of a meteor that could, and likely would, wipe out life on this planet, Brendan still made her smile and laugh. It was that exact quality that May had always dreamed she would find in the father of her kids. It now seemed that dream was becoming a reality.
     
  18. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
    Posts:
    100
    PokéPoints:
    ₽36.3
    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    Delta 2

    The flight to Dewford took only about an hour, and they landed by Granite Cave. The cavern hadn't changed much since they met Steven there so long ago, but they still went into the opening eagerly, ready to go get the shard and, hopefully, go back home to let the professional astrophysicists handle the issue. May even let out Erza so the steel-type could see her old home. The Aggron even saw a few Aron who ran in fear at the sight of one of the strongest Aron from three years ago. Some of the younger ones didn't show the same respect as their older friends, but the sight of an Aggron here was more than enough to make them steer clear of the trainers with her.

    "So, May, what was it that you wanted to tell me earlier?" Brendan asked.

    May smiled. "Well, I guess this is as good of a place as any," she said as they got to the painting cavern. "So, it turns out that–" she was interrupted by a loud whirring like a Whismur. "A Whismur…here?" While May was angry at being interrupted again, a Whismur nearby was too weird for Granite Cave to not investigate it.

    They went into the painting cavern, where they saw a woman, whose outfit made her unmistakable, and she had a Whismur by her side. "So, it seems that it's actually true. This painting is showing Primal Reversion, and the other shows Mega Evolution. Seems our great ancestors were here too…the ancestors who knew that a tragedy from the sky would come again someday," Zinnia said with a sigh, seeming to roll something in her right hand. "But they never taught us how to protect the things closer to home." That was when the Whismur turned toward Brendan, May, and Gwen, whirring softly to get Zinnia's attention. "Huh? What is it, Aster?" She turned to see the trio and glowered. May glared right back as she remembered the attempted theft of her Keystone.

    "Hello, Zinnia," Brendan said, sounding like he was being polite to avoid looking like a jerk. He also noticed that Whismur had the same name as Zinnia's daughter, but he figured that the Pokémon, like Gwen, had come with the name. He also noticed that the object in Zinnia's hand was the Meteorite Shard that they were looking for.

    "Well…seems that we meet a lot…Champion," she said, sounding bitter in a way. "Did you come to look at this old painting, or did you come…for this?" She held up the Meteorite Shard almost tauntingly.

    "We're here for the Meteorite Shard, actually. So, if you don't mind, we need to take that with us," May said, her tone very short to the point of being almost rude.

    Zinnia scowled. "And I might have a problem with you taking it depending on your reasons. Let me guess, Devon sent you three here, like Growlithes. Do you even know for what these Shards are meant? They're for the legendary dragon of Hoenn."

    "You mean Rayquaza?" Brendan asks.

    Zinnia rolled her eyes. "Of course, you'd know that…Mr. Chosen One. But, I am the rightful heir to Rayquaza's might," she said before going to her belt and taking off a Pokéball, her eyes getting a manic look. "Especially since I don't taint myself with such despicable Fairy types."

    Brendan, Gwen, and May all narrowed their eyes angrily at the last comment.

    "Now, battle me!" she said as she threw out her first Pokéball, sending out a massive Tyrantrum, whose teeth alone looked massive and thick enough to rip through steel.

    Gwen stepped forward. I don't like how this girl acts. Let's put her in her place, she said.

    Agreed, Brendan said. But, let's give her an out before crushing her.

    Zinnia almost growled, as if Brendan was taking too long for her tastes. "Are you going to stall until the meteor hits, or will you battle me now?"

    "You do remember that you're challenging a Champion, right?" Brendan said. "And I won't be holding back after that insult you just threw at Gwen. So, I'll give you a chance to hand over that Meteorite Shard and leave with your dignity in-tact."

    Zinnia began laughing maniacally as he said that. "Oh really? Little old you are going to take it from me?" she cackled as her pupils seemed to shrink menacingly.

    Zinnia's grin got more crazed as her arms began to hang creepily like she had crawled straight out of a zombie movie. Her Tyrantrum walked forward. "Go on, Rex!" she said. The massive Pokémon, however had a look of trepidation, sensing the power Gwen radiated. He really didn't want to battle when he knew he was out matched.

    Sorry that your trainer is going crazy, Gwen said.

    Tyrantrum's eyes asked for a show of mercy, but Gwen just sighed, wanting to be sympathetic and kind, but she had no time to do that, with a planet-killing meteor coming closer. Every second would count, so she needed to win the battle fast. Rex ran forward with an Iron Head charged. She teleported to the side and let him crash into a stalagmite, crushing it to dust like it was a saltine cracker. Gwen actually had respect for this Tyrantrum's power, but she wasn't going to let that get in the way of her actions. She threw a Moonblast at the Tyrantrum, sending it flying into a heap nearby. Gwen then smiled at her own power. When she and Brendan first beat Wallace, she would've struggled a great deal, even with her type advantage, against such an opponent. Now, after three years with access to the best multivitamin supplements, training facilities, move tutors, and even the best training opponents in the world, she had gotten to an entirely new level of power. Now, she felt like she could understand how the Pokémon of the legendary trainer, Red, felt with their own power.

    The Tyrantrum was already out cold, and Zinnia was glaring at Brendan angrily before recalling the resurrected Pokémon. "Go Tari!" The crazed woman's next Pokémon was a beautiful Altaria, but unlike the blue color that was typical of her species, this one was a golden-yellow.

    "Zinnia, you can't win this. Please, just stop trying. I don't want to keep hurting your Pokémon," Brendan said.

    "Oh, the Champion is showing his cowardice! I won't lose to a prick like you!" Zinnia said in a crazed tone.

    Behind Brendan, May silently admitted that she was no longer a match for her fiancé in terms of power. Granted, she was certain she could win in a contest of precision and timing. Her four total Grand Festival wins had proven that much. She just hoped their child would be a perfect combination between the two of them...almost like Wallace had done in his mastery of both coordinating and training Pokémon.

    "Tari, use Brave Bird!" Zinnia called. The golden Altaria flew fast at Gwen, only to get hit with another Moonblast. The shot sent Tari crashing hard into the ground, where she gave a soft cry before passing out. Brendan and Gwen both felt bad for Zinnia's Pokémon. They were being thrown out like they were expendable tools…like they were just a means to an end.

    Zinnia just recalled Tari, and then pulled out a Luxury Ball. "Come out, Lyra!" she said, sending out a massive Salamence. "Gwen almost lost to Drake's Salamence, Albion. I'll be the one who puts her in her place."

    "That was three years ago," Brendan reminded her. "And Drake was a member of the Elite Four. There's a huge difference."

    Zinnia ignored the comment. "Steel Wing!" Lyra leapt into the air, her wings gleaming like polished metal, as she flew forward at Gwen.

    "Gwen…you know what to do," Brendan said.

    Of course, she said as she gathered an orb of ice energy, sending out a swirling tunnel for an Icy Wind attack, which she had learned from one of the move tutors Brendan had hired. Lyra roared in protest as she powered through the Icy Wind. She slowed down significantly, though, giving Gwen time to roll out of the way of the Steel Wing. She then used a Thunderbolt to painfully ground Lyra. The Salamence grunted as she passed out, and Zinnia gritted her teeth as she recalled Lyra.

    "Fine, a deal is a deal," she said, looking like she was coming down from her crazed frenzy as she tossed the Meteorite Shard to Brendan. "But…it seemed like you didn't go all-out…so thank you…I guess." As Brendan caught the Meteorite Shard, the stone began to glow, reminiscent of what Gwen's Gardevoirite did when Brendan put it on her the first time, but it wasn't nearly as bright. "Tch. Keep a tight grip on that thing," Zinnia said with almost a growl. She and Whismur then walked to the exit. She then stopped and looked Brendan deeply in the eye.

    "The actions you're taking now…are they truly based on the ideals you hold, or are they based on actual truths? And, if they are truths, how much of that truth do you think you really know?" Brendan didn't get a chance to respond as Zinnia picked up her Whismur gently. "Come on Aster, let's go." She then walked directly out of the cave.

    May sighed. "She's not mentally stable," she said once the Dragon trainer was out of earshot.

    "I know what you mean," Brendan said as they walked out of the cave together. As soon as they got outside and onto the beach, Brendan kissed May softly. "You know, you didn't get to finish what you wanted to tell me earlier."

    May smiled as they passed the place where they had gone to a beach party over three years ago. "You mean about what I was told by the doctor?" she said with a smile. "Well…" her smile turned to frustration as Brendan's phone rang, cutting her off again. Arceus damn it! Why do things keep cutting me off? This is important.

    Brendan saw Steven's name on the Call ID, answering it. "Hello?"

    "Brendan, do you three have the Meteorite Shard?"

    "We just got it. Should we come to Mossdeep?" Brendan said.

    "Yes, please get here as soon as possible. We may need more help with what we're planning than expected," Steven said.

    "Alright, we'll have to fly there, since we're on the other side of the region."

    "Just get here soon," Steven said as he hung up.

    Brendan kissed May's cheek. "We need to go. I'm sorry that you keep getting cut off," he said as Avery and Drake both popped out of their Pokéballs, scooping their trainers up, and flying into the air. With a touch to their Key Stones, Brendan and May started the Mega Evolutions of their Eon Pokémon. They both turned into almost the same form, both looking violet with greyish-white down on their necks and some of their backs.

    For those who didn't spend time around Eon Pokémon in their mega forms, they would look like the exact same Pokémon. But, Brendan and May had eventually noticed that there was a difference in their eye colors, and slightly in the texture of their downy feathers. Avery had golden irises and softer down, while Drake had more scarlet irises and a slightly coarser down. The difference was subtle, and, until their trainers realized that difference, Avery had played many pranks on May by impersonating Drake while she and her brother were both Mega Evolved.

    One such prank happened about a year after Brendan became Champion, during an official contest performance with May and Brendan. The stage was an Invitational Tag-Team Contest that Wallace had started in Sootopolis, titled the Sootopolis Cup, bringing trainers from around the world to compete. The contest had the trainer pairs join the performance with their Pokémon, be it as a prop, or as dancers if they wanted. The two had rehearsed a performance with both Eon Pokémon dancing in the sky while firing elegant attacks together to make fireworks or designs in explosions, while their trainers danced with the Pokémon's movements. For the finale, May and Brendan did a stunt where their Pokémon would pick up their respective trainers, letting them stand on their noses as they flew straight up, balancing while holding hands in victory before tossing them up lightly and catching them on their backs. Avery had, after Drake agreed to the switch, taken her brother's position under May. As they were flying down to the avid applause, May was petting Avery, thanking who she thought was Drake before she noticed the difference in the eyes and feathers. She and Brendan just laughed with their Pokémon as they landed to a perfect score. They had then gone on to win the contest together, enjoying every single second of the performance battles.

    May just smiled as she remembered that moment, trying to keep her mind off of the massive rock that was about to destroy the planet. Brendan's focus was on the horizon as they flew northeast to Mossdeep, but May could see that he was concerned about what they were facing. May then thought for a moment about how, based on when she was due, she was going to be at the 39-week mark in her pregnancy for the next Grand Festival, assuming she hadn't already given birth. Will I need to skip the Grand Festival this year? Hell, will I even be able to stand for that long for it? May asked herself, making sure Gwen wasn't listening in on her thoughts. She loved the Gardevoir as much as Brendan did, but Gwen also didn't have a filter with information like a pregnancy. She got too emotional, and that always tipped off Brendan about some changes. Plus, May wanted to tell Brendan without him figuring it out too soon. Now, it was a matter of whether she could actually get a chance to say it without being interrupted every time.

    For Brendan and Gwen, however, the flight was filled with contemplations over Zinnia's words earlier. It bugs me…I'm the Champion of the region, but she was absolutely right. I was basically Devon Corporation's Growlithe. We don't even know why they need this Meteorite Shard, Brendan said.

    Well, it's supposed to help save the world from the asteroid coming for us, Gwen said.

    But what even is the plan for that? They've told us nothing, Brendan said. I really don't like that they're being so secretive. And what was all that about using the energy from the Ultimate Weapon three thousand years ago? There's no way that much energy with so much power can be safe.

    Gwen was silent for a while as Mossdeep came into view. I don't know…I honestly don't, Gwen said, sounding like she was catching onto what Brendan was thinking. They touched down and both Brendan and May thanked Drake and Avery for working so hard, recalling their Pokémon. They walked to the Space Center, easily entering the tourist area on the ground floor. It was really interestingly designed, with a few picture cut-outs for people to pretend they were astronauts for a picture, and a few moonwalking set ups. Brendan knew that, under different circumstances, the three of them would let their inner children out and they would've gone for the experiences. Unfortunately, an apocalypse was looming, and they needed to stop it in three days or less.

    The security guard recognized them, and ushered them through to the top floor, where they saw multiple computers with maps of space showing the trajectory of the asteroid, and a flashing mark on its location. It seemed to be moving slowly on the screen, but Brendan saw the scale. Each inch was equal to a thousand kilometers, it was moving almost an inch per minute, and it was about 3.6 million kilometers from Earth.

    "So, you three made it," Steven said, smiling at them kindly. "You have the Shard with you?"

    Brendan handed the rock to Steven, who then led them to the window overlooking a rocket on the launch pad. "I think you three should know the plan for the meteor," he said. "We're going to use this rocket to send up a powerful invention that we are calling Link Cable. It's going to teleport the space rock safely away from Earth using a mechanism much like those that Silph put into their warp panels."

    "That makes sense," Brendan said, not wanting to hear anything too technical. "Do we have any idea where it will end up?"

    "That's not our problem," Dr. Cozmo said as he approached from behind them. May furrowed her brow.

    "What do you mean by that?" May asked.

    "I mean that, wherever it goes, so long as it's not threatening our planet, it doesn't matter," Cozmo replied.

    "And what about the off-chance that it just teleports the rock closer to Earth?" May asked.

    "Then the Link Cable would have failed…and Earth is doomed," Steven said. "I see what you're saying about it being risky, but we don't have any other options for our survival."

    May wanted to reply again, but the engineers and astrophysicists called to Steven and Dr. Cozmo. "Sorry, but we need to attend to this," Steven said. "Feel free to take a seat over at the table there." He gestured to a small table and desk in a corner before going to the electronic blueprints on the computer, starting to discuss the ideal positioning of the Link Cable on the rocket itself, and when they would activate the device.

    May sat on the table itself, swinging her legs freely with a slight smile as she sat with Brendan, simply holding his hand for a while. Gwen sat beside them with a smile, enjoying the emotions they exuded washing over her, getting her a temporary relief from the fear and angst that was almost constant from everybody. She could tell that everybody in the room, no matter how brave of a face they wore, was terrified about this meteor.

    "So, Brendan, about what I was trying to say earlier in Dewford," May started. Brendan had just looked at her when a loud commotion came from the stairs. EVERY TIME!

    "So, this is the command center of the famed Mossdeep Space Center? How…underwhelming," Zinnia said callously. She had a security guard behind her, trying to insist that she leave at once. That guard was silenced with a menacing look from Zinnia.

    Brendan, Gwen, May, and even Steven all walked over to Zinnia. "Alright, who are you? You're clearly not an overly-excited tourist who wandered where she shouldn't be."

    Zinnia didn't even acknowledge Steven, glaring daggers at Brendan. "Why are we always running into each other like this? Maybe it's just that fate hates me," she said.

    Steven, not one for being ignored, stepped forward. "I asked you who you are, and why you're here!" he said in an angry tone.

    Zinnia rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up, Mr. Former Champion. You're too spoiled to understand what I'm here for."

    Gwen couldn't help but quietly giggle at Steven's reaction of angered disbelief. But her reaction changed as Zinnia went to the screen showing the schematics of the rockets. "So, it's true…" Zinnia said angrily. "You are using the same abominable technology humanity created during the Great War." She then started to laugh like someone finding irony in tragedy. "It never ceases to amaze me how history repeats itself. You're no better than that fool who built that awful weapon…no, strike that, you may very well be worse."

    May then noticed a glint of genuine sadness, mixed with what she could only describe as a drive for protecting something precious, in Zinnia's eyes. It made her get a sense that Zinnia, while her means weren't the best, she was trying to achieve the same end of protecting Earth.

    Steven, however, didn't see the same thing as May. "What would you have us do? Should we sit on our thumbs with the meteoroid approaching?" he asked, his anger mixing with his overall fear.

    Zinnia scoffed. "For the heir of the Devon Corporation, and a former Champion of Hoenn, you really aren't that intuitive as you should be. It actually makes me wonder if the current Champion, or even the top coordinator, will be better able to comprehend the faults with your plan…or maybe an alternative."

    May was the first one to talk. "I think I get it. Since there's no definitive answer as to where the Link Cable will send the meteor, it could very easily be sent straight to some planet with life, and it could kill off another planet in exchange for our own lives," she said.

    Zinnia started to look pleasantly surprised, but she then turned to Brendan. "And, what are your thoughts, Champion?"

    "Given what May just said, maybe it would be better to find a way to either divert the meteor's path, putting Earth out of the way when it passes. Or, if we're too late for that, then we shatter it and reduce the overall damage, even if it becomes more widespread over the planet," Brendan said.

    Zinnia then took on an even more pleasant expression. "And to think that you two came up with that plan in less than an hour. These eggheads who call themselves scientists have been preparing for this for years preemptively."

    Steven, who was gritting his teeth, seemed to lose his patience, which wasn't something anybody in the group saw often. "Then, instead of being a massive bitch about it, why don't you tell us your plan, or at least give reasons for your criticism?" he shouted. "In case you haven't noticed, we're trying to prevent Armageddon."

    "No, I don't think I will just yet," Zinnia said in a mocking tone as she picked up Aster gently, kissing the Pokémon like a person would to a pet or child. "Come on Aster, we have work to continue."

    As she said that, she simply passed Steven, who seemed ready to boil over, and she nodded in seeming respect to Brendan, May, and Gwen. She walked down the stairs and out of the building. Less than two minutes later, she and Lyra could be seen flying outside the south window, flying toward Pacifidlog.

    "That woman has no idea what she's talking about," Steven said, sounding angry.

    "It's not important," Dr. Cozmo said. "What does matter, however, is that this Meteorite Shard you brought isn't quite as much material as we need to make the Link Cable work."

    "Do you have another source confirmed?" Steven asked.

    "Yes, it's in Meteor Falls, and it's likely the highest purity we've ever found," Cozmo said. "Mr. Stone, Mr. Maple, and soon-to-be Mrs. Maple would you three please go to Meteor Falls for us?"

    Steven answered for the others. "Sounds like a plan," he said. "Brendan, May, Gwen, come on, I'll fly you all to Meteor Falls in Devon's helicopter."

    Brendan, May, and Gwen followed, not really ones to turn down a free helicopter ride, joined Steven. "Just please don't do any tricks," she said, trying to make it sound like she was just uncomfortable with it, rather than it having to do with her secret pregnancy.

    Steven chuckled. "Well, it's not really the type of helicopter for tricks," he said as they got to the roof, and they saw an incredibly sleek black and silver helicopter on the landing pad. "It's more for efficiently fast travel. If it makes you more comfortable, I can have the pilot keep it at a lower cruising altitude."

    "That would be great," May said happily. Brendan just kissed her on the forehead as they got inside the vehicle. Gwen sat across from them with Steven next to her while Brendan and May sat beside each other. Once they were all situated, the pilot powered up the helicopter and took off, flying west-southwest at a relatively fast speed. "Hey, Brendan, I'm going to take a nap while we fly. Today is getting exhausting," she said, laying her head on his shoulder. "Just let me borrow your shoulder."

    "It's all yours, May," he said as he held her hand softly. Within a minute, she was sound asleep. "Wow, she wasn't kidding," Brendan said softly. "I've never seen her fall asleep that fast."

    "Yeah, I think that what's been happening today would do that to anybody," Steven said, while Brendan noticed that Steven's watch was showing eight at night. "Besides, I can tell that, even with your smiles and happiness, both you and May are worried about the meteor."

    "Yeah, you're right about that…but I also have a sense of peace. It feels like I would be able to accept my fate if we can't stop it," Brendan said.

    "That's a wise way to see it," Steven said. He paused for a moment before his next question. "Do you have any regrets?"

    Brendan sighed. "They aren't really regrets…I mean, I'm about to marry the love of my life," he said, feeling May almost push her head closer to his neck as if she were trying to emphasize who he meant. "I guess my only regret would be that May and I didn't get to have a real life together. We haven't started a family of our own yet, for one, and we haven't really even begun our lives together. Sure, we're living together, and we're close to being married…but that's just the problem. We'd only have gotten close to being married."

    Steven nodded. "I suppose that our regrets are almost the same, but yours is closer to being fulfilled. My regret is that I never made the time to find that kind of relationship. I suppose I could have tried to ask Cynthia out on a date while I was champion, but I never took that chance. Now, six years after the I gave up the title, I'm still regretting not taking the chance," he said.

    Brendan looked at Steven with an eyebrow raised in interest. "Cynthia? You mean the Sinnoh League Champion who uses a Garchomp that gives her opponents nightmares? You want to date her?"

    Steven laughed slightly at the description. "Yes, that same Cynthia. She was always a great trainer, and we were friends growing up, since we both went to the same boarding school in Kanto for a while, but nothing every came of it, due to distance outside of school. I just regret not taking that leap of faith with her back then."

    "I know what you mean," Brendan said as he looked out the window, letting that conversation end. They had more important matters to discuss. "How long before we arrive?"

    "It'll probably take us three hours at least, since we need to go around Mt. Chimney," Steven said. "It just depends on the tailwinds."

    Brendan nodded, his mind going right back to the seemingly omnipresent woman with a Whismur and her accusations at the Space Center. "What do you think about what Zinnia was saying?" he asked. "I know she didn't have a shred of manners about it, but I thought she had some valid points."

    "She's insane," Steven said curtly. "At the same time…I can kind of see where she's coming from. In all honesty, I would go for the diverting the meteor plan if I could help it. The problem is that the only reason we're in this situation is because the meteor's original course suddenly changed and went toward Earth…almost like it's intelligent."

    Intelligent? Like Pokémon and humans? Gwen asked.

    "We aren't sure how true it is, but it is one hypothesis to explain what happened. Quite honestly, we're not sure what caused it," he said. "Regardless of the cause, we don't have the time, machinery, or the distance needed to adequately change the trajectory."

    "So, we either shatter the meteor, or we send it elsewhere," Brendan said.

    "Yeah, those are the only choices we currently have," Steven said.

    No, Steven, I think that Zinnia, even with her methods being horrible, has another method in-mind, Brendan thought, not wanting to cause any strife at the moment, since May was still sleeping. Likely one that doesn't require the use of such dangerous energy, or have the chance of destroying another planet.

    The rest of the flight was uneventful, with May only stirring on occasion. When they landed in one of the large craters, she woke up, looking a little delirious for a moment. With a yawn, though, all of the exhaustion seemed to vanish. "Hey, are we at Meteor Falls?" she asked as she lightly rubbed her eyes. Steven was already out of the helicopter to stretch and get ready for the hike into the cavern.

    "Yeah, we're here," Brendan said with a kiss to her cheek. "You slept right through that flight."

    She just shrugged. "It's not my fault that your shoulder is the second most comfortable pillow in history."

    "Oh? And what pillow is more comfortable?" Brendan asked.

    "Your chest, of course," May said. "I just couldn't use that with how our seats were situated."

    Oh, Arceus, I'm gonna go throw up, Gwen teased as she got out of the helicopter too. May and Brendan both laughed lightly before following her out. As they got to ridge that overlooked the northern area of Route 14, May's hand went to the meteorite pendant hanging on her neck.

    "Hey, Brendan, do you remember our date here?" she asked, wanting to revel in more happy thoughts and memories for a while.

    Brendan chuckled. "Yeah, I remember it…and I had the bruise from Team Magma for about two weeks after the fact," he said as he wrapped an arm around her waist. May blushed softly, silently moving Brendan's hand over her womb. She knew Steven would probably call to them soon, so she didn't start trying to tell Brendan that his hand was over their new child, since she was getting tired of interruptions. She just sighed happily in his arms.

    "I love you," she said softly. "And I can't wait for us to be parents together."

    Brendan smiled, not catching the hint that she just dropped, just hugging her a little more tightly. "I love you too, and I can't wait for that day either," he said happily.

    "Hey, are you two ready to go?" Steven called to them after a few moments.

    "Yeah, we'll be right there," Brendan said as they looked at the sky. As he looked at the stars with May and Gwen, he saw a gleam in the sky beside the moon, and it was larger and brighter than the other stars in the sky. "That's the meteor, isn't it?"

    May nodded, and Brendan noticed a shiver go through her body. "It's already that big in the sky…we really should get moving, or that thing is going to hit."

    Knowing she was right, Brendan let go of May and walked up to join Steven as they walked into the cavern. As they entered the surprisingly bright, Brendan thought he saw an elderly woman in a white kimono standing beside the waterfall. When he blinked, however, she was gone.

    "Hey, did anybody see that woman up there," Brendan asked.

    "Let me guess," Steven said. "An elderly woman in a kimono, right?"

    "Yeah, did you see her too?" Brendan asked.

    "No, but I know who she is. That's Theresa, the current matriarch of an ancient tribe called the Draconids," he said. "She actually tends to live in this cave for months at a time to be with her dragon Pokémon. She's almost at a hundred years old, but she seems to have the vitality of when she was fifty. She was the one who gave Albion's egg to Drake so many years ago, since her own Salamence was Albion's mother."

    May looked impressed. "Wow, that's really amazing," she said. "Should we go talk to her?"

    You know, if I know how things like this usually go, I think we should. I'm pretty sure she's going to have the Meteorite Shard, Gwen said, almost sassily as she put her hands onto Brendan and May's shoulders. Steven, touch my hand too. Steven did as Gwen said just as they teleported up to the top of the waterfall, going to a small patch of land beside the lake, which seemed to be a small spring of ground water. Brendan wasn't sure how it supplied enough water for such a huge waterfall, but he didn't have time to wonder about the physics of the cave's water supply.

    They all got into the next cavern, where they saw Theresa in the distance, having just effortlessly climbed up a series of small step-like ledges that seemed to form stairs. She looked back at them, smiling slyly as she knew that they were following her. "Hope you all can climb," she said almost playfully. "But if you have trouble, you can take the long way," she said.

    I have a better idea, Gwen said as she teleported them all to Theresa's side. As soon as they were all next to the elderly woman, she just laughed happily as she walked to a tent with multiple objects that looked almost like talismans, and one of them looked a lot like Rayquaza.

    "Hello to you, heir of the Devon Corporation, Hoenn Champion, Hoenn's Top Coordinator, and the world's most famous Gardevoir. I was expecting that you'd all make your way here. My granddaughter has certainly spoken about you a great deal."

    "Your granddaughter?" Steven asked.

    "Her name is Zinnia," Theresa said with a slight laugh. "From what she's told me, you've all got a serious issue on your hands. A meteor capable of destroying the life on this planet is certainly not anything to trifle with," she said as she picked up a small roll of cloth, tossing it to Steven. "I'm sure that you're looking for this meteorite shard to help make it possible to deal with that massive rock."

    Steven, looking to be in shocked disbelief, unwrapped the cloth and saw the black and silver stone, showing it was a highly pure Meteorite Shard. "Th-thank you for this!" he said.

    "Now, don't get my intentions wrong, young man. I have heard your plan to use Infinity Energy to stop this meteor. I do not support that choice…but that Meteorite Shard is essential for another reason. For you all to understand that reason, I should tell you the history of my people, and the source of Mega Evolution." Brendan, May, and Gwen all nodded to show that they understood as they found rocks to use for seats. Steven, however, remained silent and standing, but she continued, clearly addressing the trio more than him.

    "Despite what the Kalosians will tell you in their fairy tales about how they are the first to achieve Mega Evolution, using a Lucario, of all Pokémon, the truth is that Mega Evolution is something that humans were first taught by the Lord of the Draconids: Rayquaza," she said. Brendan leaned forward with interest. "But, you see, Rayquaza is unique among all Pokémon in the fact that he doesn't require a trainer or even a Mega Stone to trigger the Mega Evolution the way that, for example, Gwen requires. Rayquaza has another method, where he simply needs a Meteorite with a high-enough purity so he can channel and focus his energy while using an attack only he can learn: Dragon Ascent."

    "I think I was on his back when he used an attack I've never seen before, or since, when he helped us to calm Kyogre and Groudon, so we could battle and catch them," Brendan said.

    "Yes, that was likely Dragon Ascent. The issue is, however, that Rayquaza's last meteorite was used up with that effort," she said. "And you, being the trainer chosen by Rayquaza outside of the Draconids, were actually doing something that can be performed by either Rayquaza's Chosen, or the Lorekeeper of the Draconids. That is directly asking Lord Rayquaza for help in a time of great need."

    "The Lorekeeper?" Steven asked.

    "That is the title given to the one who, by birthright, is gifted with the power, knowledge, and right to call Lord Rayquaza forth. Currently, the Lorekeeper is Zinnia," Theresa said. "And, in her own way, Zinnia has been trying to avert this disaster for years. But, I would advise you all to not be afraid of what will happen. If we fail to stop this meteor, then it will simply be the third time we have been struck this planet. And each meteor nearly succeeded in wiping out life, but there were always survivors," she said, seeming to get sidetracked before shaking her head lightly. "But, I don't want to see suffering of that magnitude either."

    "Wait, back up," Brendan said. "You just said that Zinnia has been working for years to stop the meteor. How, and when was she doing that?"

    "She was a member of Team Aqua. She was working to give Rayquaza a reason to come to our level of the atmosphere. She would even, on occasion give Archie and Maxie hints in the right direction. But, when the time came," Theresa sighed. "The previously unknown Chosen Trainer beat her to Lord Rayquaza."

    May looked a bit angered. "So, Zinnia was one of the reasons we almost died that night in Sootopolis," she said, her tone showing that she was not happy.

    "It's like she didn't consider those she was risking, or even those she could have been sacrificing in the process," Steven said. Brendan saw it, but he decided not to point out the irony of Steven saying that when he supported the Link Cable plan, which could very easily do the exact same thing. Despite that, he was still condemning her actions.

    "She had other reasons too," Theresa said. "Brendan, when you met Zinnia at the Pokémon League tournament registration, do you remember the request she made?"

    "Yeah, she asked if she could take a picture with us so she could show it to her daughter, Aster," he said.

    Theresa, nodded, but her face was showing that she was about to cry. "Zinnia didn't tell you something when she took that picture. Aster had been born with a rare form of leukemia, and we couldn't afford the medical bills. After all, being a Lorekeeper does nothing for finances. She took a job with Team Aqua because she knew they would be able to pay her enough to afford the procedures. But, almost immediately after you took that picture with Zinnia, and after three long years of her fighting every single second, Aster just...stopped breathing." Brendan saw that Theresa was actually crying now, and when he looked at May, he saw her crying too, and he could already sense that Gwen was fighting to hold her own tears back. "The doctors did everything they could…but…they couldn't bring her back. Zinnia, understandably, changed for the worse."

    Steven seemed to have a stoic look on his face, but he didn't say anything yet.

    Theresa looked the silver-haired man in the eyes. "Now, Mr. Stone, do you think you can understand her motives now? Can you honestly say you wouldn't go to the same lengths as Zinnia did to save her child?" As she said that, her eyes subtly turned to May, whose hand had subconsciously gone to her womb while Theresa spoke about Aster's death. Theresa was giving May a knowing look, one that showed a great deal of experience with pregnancies. Theresa then continued. "History always repeats itself, especially in the form of conflicts and struggles. And, with every struggle, a certain amount of sacrifice is needed. Yet, even with such struggle, humans and Pokémon have always unified to stop such struggles and maintain peace for as long as is physically possible. THAT is how we've protected our world."

    She then looked directly at Steven. "I don't know all the details of your plan for dealing with that meteor, but can you honestly claim that you won't be sacrificing anything to protect Earth? Unlike Zinnia, I can see in your eyes that you will not follow your convictions until the very end, especially if doing so would mean the sacrificial knife would be aimed at your own heart. Her convictions now are what are leading her to steal Keystones now because she is trying desperately to protect what little she has left in this world."

    "I think I understand…" Steven said. Brendan and Theresa both looked hopeful that Steven had realized that the Link Cable was not the right method. "We need to stop Zinnia before she does more harm to people for her selfish ambitions. I know that my intuition has never been wrong in situations like thi–"

    "You cannot be serious!" Brendan said as he stood up. "You're going to stand there and say that you're plan to throw the meteor into Arceus-knows-where space is any better?"

    Everybody looked surprised at Brendan's sudden outburst. "I'm sorry, have I offended you in some way?" Steven asked.

    "No, you haven't, but your plan is one that wishes away a problem, and then just blindly hopes that we aren't just throwing our problem onto another planet. At least with what I think Zinnia is planning, we're not putting any other worlds at risk, and we're making sure that, if we do survive, we actually deserve our survival."

    "So, you'd rather leave our fate to chance than be certain of our survival?" Steven asked.

    "Yes, I would if it means that we aren't taking the chance of killing others to save ourselves," Brendan said, his anger at the situation starting to rise.

    "If that's the case, and you aren't willing to sacrifice some of your moral philosophy to ensure the survival of our entire planet, then you aren't fit to be champion," Steven said. Brendan's eyes went wide, and everybody went quiet as they realized what Steven had just done.

    Under Hoenn League rules, if any former Champion has a reasonable belief that the current Champion isn't able to fulfill all the responsibilities that his, or her, title entails, they can issue a challenge for the title. Under normal circumstances, it was supposed to be a full six-on-six battle, but that parameter could be changed if both participants agreed. If the challenger won, they would become Champion again without battling the Elite Four. This battle had to be either recorded on video, or it could be viewed in-person by two or more people. Steven knew this rule all too well, having been the one who first drafted it, and Wallace had been the one to finalize it.

    "If you're willing to risk committing a planetary genocide for the sake of our planet's survival, then perhaps you were never fit for the title either," Brendan said, his hand going to his Pokéball belt.

    "Then we both understand what's about to happen…let's take this outside. And, given the fact that we're on a time limit, I think a three-on-three attrition battle will serve our purposes for this battle," Steven said.

    Brendan nodded. "As much as I've been looking forward to battling you, especially under better circumstances, I agree to your terms," he said, remembering how many times Steven had helped him and May along their journey, as well as how badly the former Champion had beaten him and Gwen when they battled on Route 120. It was now time for Brendan to show Steven that he was the rightful champion of Hoenn.

    Gwen quickly teleported all of them out of Meteor Falls and put them into the largest crater in the mountain, with May and Theresa on the ridge of the crater. Brendan took his first Pokéball off his belt, while Steven got out the Pokéball of his first choice. Their battle had begun.
     
  19. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
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    100
    PokéPoints:
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    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    Delta 3

    Brendan, remembering that Steven's ace was a Metagross, picked Jack's Pokéball off his belt as Steven pulled his first choice out from his suit coat. They stood in silent understanding, having just enough distance between each other to give their Pokémon room to battle, waiting for the right moment to start.

    Up on the edge of the crater, May was standing beside Theresa, silently fuming over Steven being so prideful and self-centered with how to stop the meteor that he was going to lose time, and put Brendan's job, and thus her newly-started family, into jeopardy. "Damn you, Steven. Why are you being such an ass right now?"

    Theresa put a gentle hand on May's shoulder. "Dear, you shouldn't fret so much," she said. "It's not good for the baby when the mother is stressed too much," she said.

    May nodded, then thought of a question. "Theresa, how did you know about me being pregnant just by looking at me? Brendan is the father, and he doesn't even know yet."

    Theresa smirked slyly. "My dear, I have lived a very long time," she said. "I've seen so many women while they were pregnant, and they all have a similar aura of emotions…plus your hand would to go to your womb when discussing something that could harm you. Honestly, you are much the same as Zinnia was while she was pregnant with Aster."

    May looked at Theresa curiously. "How do you mean?"

    "Your concerns are for your family and loved ones first. And, even though you only just found out about it, your baby is your first concern," Theresa said. "Zinnia loved Aster from the moment she first found out. I remember her occasionally even falling asleep trying to cuddle with her belly when she got to her third trimester. When Aster was born, the only reason Zinnia ever left her side was to get what she needed for medical costs, and to make food for the girl."

    "Sounds like Zinnia really loved Aster," May said sadly. "I actually admire her for doing what was needed to try and save her child."

    "Honestly, Zinnia has been losing herself in her grief since the moment Aster died," Theresa said. "In a way, I think she sees defending Earth as a redemption for failing to save Aster."

    May looked like she was about to cry. "She's suffering, isn't she?"

    Theresa nodded. "As do all mothers who have ever lost a child."

    May wanted to say more, but that was when Brendan and Steven began their battle, and there came bright flashes of light from their Pokéballs as they sent out their first Pokémon. May smiled to see Jack, the Camerupt, grunting happily at the prospect of a battle, but, when she saw the Pokémon Steven sent out. It didn't look like any other Pokémon she had ever seen. "What…is that?"

    "A Cradily," Theresa said. "A Pokémon of the primordial sea that went extinct millions of years ago. It wasn't until three or four years ago that the technology to revive Pokémon from a fossil was developed and distributed to a select few major labs and technology companies around the world. It's very expensive to operate…but one of the few places that has a machine for the task is Devon Corporation."

    "So, Steven has access to revived Pokémon that almost nobody else does," May said, not liking how Brendan wouldn't have any information on Steven's Pokémon, since most trainers had experience dealing with Camerupts, while next to nobody, other than scientists who studied such fields, knew how to handle a Cradily.

    On the field, Brendan and Gwen were conversing about this. "What do you think? It looks like a grass type with the green coloring and the leaves," Brendan said.

    I don't know. I think you're right, but I doubt that's it's only type, Gwen said.

    Steven, looking impatient, then spoke up. "Are you going to attack, or shall I have Venus go ahead and end this round immediately?"

    Brendan glared at Steven, and gave Jack a nod, telling him to start. Jack's first attack was one to check his opponent's durability and typing by unleashing a tongue of flames at Venus, the Cradily. The resurrected fossil Pokémon, however, just let the fire wash over her, barely reacting as her second type protected her. She then concentrated, letting rocks surrounded with purple aura break out from the ground and fly through the flames, hitting Jack repeatedly. The Camerupt grunted at the impacts, his Flamethrower ending quickly.

    "It seems that you haven't encountered a Cradily before, which isn't surprising. The machines for resurrecting Pokémon cost millions at first, and their operating costs are almost as high. In fact, each region really only has one lab or company that can resurrect fossilized Pokémon, and both Kanto and Johto lost theirs in the Cinnabar Island eruption," Steven said. "Since this is a match to determine who is more fit to be Champion, it is to be expected that the victor knows how to assess and deal with an unfamiliar opponent. If you cannot do that, then you're not worthy of the title, and you definitely will not be able to follow through with your plan to stop that asteroid before it hits."

    "Would you shut up?" Brendan said, getting a stunned look from Steven. "Arceus, you're monologuing like a comic book villain who's about to beat the hero. I thought you wanted to battle, not lecture me." To prove that point, Jack spat out the signature ball of poison associated with Toxic. The attack splashed onto the barnacle Pokémon. "Or maybe I should remind you that I've been Champion for three years, and I'm also the one who captured Groudon in his Primal form."

    Steven grimaced at Brendan. "I haven't forgotten," he said as Venus gathered an orb of water in front of her. "I'm still the superior trainer." Venus fired her Water Pulse at Jack directly, only for the shot to hit a Protect wall

    "Then you're being extremely arrogant, just like with your plan to throw the meteor somewhere random and hope it doesn't hit some other planet," Brendan said as Jack gathered his energy, firing an orb for Hidden Power, an attack that Brendan knew to be Ice-type when Jack used it. The shot collided with Venus, who seemed to be almost completely immobile, causing her top half to flail while her bottom half clung to the ground tightly as she lost a lot of energy.

    Immediately as the energy dissipated, another Water Pulse flew at Jack, this one hitting his face and splashing into his volcanos. A quick blast of a Lava Plume came out of the Camerupt's back was able to clear the water out of the volcano, but he still took a great deal of damage from the attack despite his fast reaction. The lava's rain hit Venus heavily, making the Pokémon cry out.

    May's eyes were following the brilliant flashes of energy and fire with each attack. "Come on Brendan, I know you can do this." Her words of encouragement, while inaudible even to Theresa, seemed to reach Brendan and Jack as the Camerupt's attack made the barnacle fall and slump with exhaustion. Jack had won this round, but it was only Steven's first Pokémon. She was certain it would be a Pokémon that was either never seen in Hoenn, or something he would've needed to use his wealth to obtain.

    Brendan was thinking the same thing as May while Steven recalled Venus. "You know, it was a mistake for me to try and fight a slow tank of a Pokémon with a similar Pokémon that had a type disadvantage." Brendan looked at Steven with some mild confusion. "So, I'll take out Jack with my next Pokémon: go, Simon!"

    The Pokémon that came out of Steven's next Pokéball was one that Brendan recognized, but had never seen in person before. It was a mole-like Pokémon with dark brown fur over his body, marked with red marks like there were cuts all over his body. His white-furred face was shaded by a bladed metal crest. His thick arms extended and spread into three separate bladed claws. The middle claw on each hand, as well as his crest, had two hooked blades on the tops. An Excadrill…crap, Brendan thought with worry.

    Steven nodded and Simon leapt forward, streamlining his body so his claws and crest formed a bladed drill. He started spinning fast and, swirling as he slammed into Jack's side, launching the Camerupt into the wall of the crater. Jack slumped to the ground, passing out. The Drill Run attack had done a great deal of damage, and Brendan knew he was out of the fight. He recalled his Pokémon and picked out the next one of his team. "Come on out, Clint!"

    Clint appeared and huffed to prepare himself as he glared at Simon. The Excadrill just glared right back, not backing down in the slightest. The two Pokémon then smirked competitively. Clint was the first to make a move, firing a powerful Energy Ball at Simon. The Excadrill scoffed as he slashed through the incoming attack, making it erupt out in an explosion, followed by Simon flying forward with a slash of his other claw. Clint barely managed to sidestep out of the way of the attack, causing Simon's claws to cut into the rocks. That, however, didn't seem to slow him down as he wrenched the bladed claws from the ground, growling at Clint as he whipped around to attempt a backhand. Clint rolled with what would've been the impact as he sent out tendrils for a Giga Drain attack, wrapping them around Simon's arms and his neck, draining the energy almost greedily.

    Steven grimaced. "Simon, Rapid Spin!" he called out. The Excadrill whirled around like a drill-bit, ripping the tendrils off of his body. Clint responded by whipping a swirling tunnel of energy-coated leaves at Simon, using an immensely powerful Leaf Storm. Simon managed to get a Protect up halfway through, but the attack was incredibly powerful. Once the leaves dissipated, Simon fell and crashed into the ground, groaning at the impact as he fell to the ground again.

    Once he stood back up, though, he was able to leap forward with another Drill Run. This time, however, his claws gleamed as he powered up a Metal Claw. Clint tried to leap to the side and roll, but he still took a glancing hit. Despite it being a relatively slight hit, Clint was knocked back over thirty yards. He got to his feet, though, knowing that he was about to fall. He gathered all of his energy, then slammed his tail into the ground. As he did, green energy broke through cracks in the ground as massive roots of energy broke through the ground underneath where Simon landed. Those massive roots, looking like tendrils, began whipping the Excadrill mercilessly.

    "Frenzy Plant?" Steven asked with some worry in his tone. It was an incredibly powerful attack, but it took a huge amount of energy to perform. That soon became evident when Clint's eyes glazed over and he collapsed. That same look then came over Simon as the energy roots dissipated, the Excadrill collapsing to the ground as well. Both trainers simultaneously recalled their Pokémon.

    "I think I know what this next battle will be," Brendan said. "You're about to use your Metagross, Maxwell, and I'm going with Gwen."

    Steven smirked as he pulled out Maxwell's Pokéball. "You are correct, and I recall this battle being a decisive win for me last time," he said as he sent out the massive mechanical Pokémon. "Maxwell, time to show them our strength."

    Brendan simply looked to Gwen both of them nodding in understanding. Brendan and Steven then both touched their Keystones simultaneously, their Pokémon glowing brilliantly as they transformed. Just like on Route 120, both combatants had their distinct appearances. Maxwell was the powerful tank, while Gwen was the graceful evading attacker.

    Steven seemed to smile arrogantly. "You know, there is absolutely no shame in forfeiting when you know your Pokémon is only going to get hurt. You can't win with this match up, so just give up the title."

    Brendan saw Steven letting his guard down to the point that the grey-haired man had his eyes closed as he gave a haughty gesture. So, he gave Gwen a few commands. She started by putting up a form-fitting Reflect barrier, knowing that she would really need it in this fight, but it would need to be subtle.

    Unfortunately, before she could move to the next step in Brendan's plan, Maxwell flew at her, delivering a powerful Bullet Punch. While half the impact was absorbed by her Reflect, Gwen still felt it, and she felt like she had just been hit with a concussion grenade's explosion. She even heard a loud ringing in her ears from the sound.

    Okay, Mr. Tough-Guy, you think you're strong? Let's see how strong you are when I burn you! Gwen said as she threw the eerie blue flames of a Will-O-Wisp where she knew Maxwell would be. The Metagross only sensed the attack the moment before it hit its mark. Gwen smirked as all four of Maxwell's lower limbs were scorched while he flew over her head. While his metal face didn't move much, she could see in his eyes that he was wincing from the pain.

    Steven noticed the burn, glaring slightly, but more silently cursing himself for letting his pride and ego cloud his judgement. Had he not done that, this battle would've been his already with just a single Meteor Mash. But, he had gone ahead and told Maxwell to use Bullet Punch. He had been hoping to end this battle fast, but it seemed that Brendan and Gwen were now too good with their strategies to be beaten that way.

    Maxwell, not pleased with being burned, decided to use his more powerful steel attack, with his arms glowing as he streamlined his body. He then launched himself into the air and fell like a meteor. Fitting, given that we're technically fighting a meteor now, Gwen said to Brendan. She quickly teleported to the other side of the battlefield, making Maxwell crash into the ground hard. Despite making a crater within a crater, Maxwell managed to get up and keep flying around.

    Gwen then began to gather electricity and fired repeated Thunderbolts at Maxwell. The Metagross rolled out of the way of each of the incoming bolts, but Gwen was still able to respond with a Shadow Ball, landing a hit just as Maxwell finished his dodge of the electric attack.

    "Seems they're not the rookies I met so long ago," Steven said softly. "But they shouldn't be able to match the power of Maxwell's attacks for much longer." To prove his point, Maxwell then flew at Gwen, using another Meteor Mash, and rifling like a bullet as he rocketed through the sky toward his target. Gwen saw Metagross coming, so she teleported back and away from where the Metagross was going to land. It was precisely what Metagross was hoping she would do. He made a very slight angular adjustment early in his flight, and he crashed two feet away from Gwen. It wasn't a direct hit, but the impact was close enough that it sent Gwen tumbling across the ground.

    Okay, it's time for me to end this battle, Gwen said, breathing heavily. She saw Maxwell give a wince, and, by his tired look, he was on his last reserves of energy. Additionally, she could see the meteor in the sky as it slowly, yet steadily got bigger. It was a constant reminder that this battle was taking more time than they could afford. Every moment was needed for stopping this catastrophe. She took a deep breath and shrieked loudly, using a powerful Hyper Voice. The attack hit its mark, making Maxwell groan and fall from the sky. Just before he crashed into the ground, the Metagross reverted back to his normal form, and Steven could see it.

    "Damn," Steven said as he recalled Maxwell, thanking him for working so hard. "Seems you've gotten to be on par with some of the legendary trainers...perhaps even on the level of Red." Steven whispered the last part, not wanting to inflate Brendan's ego.

    Brendan just sighed. He was happy for the win, but it felt empty. It wasn't the fun, exciting, and enjoyable battle for which he had hoped. Gwen felt the same way. They had battled hard, but it wasn't like when they had beaten Wallace to earn the title in the first place. It felt as if it was just another battle, except for the added pressure of the apocalypse in the sky.

    Steven sighed. "It's decided. Come on, let's go to Rustboro for the night so we can get our Pokémon treated, and so we can respond to any updates quickly."

    Brendan didn't argue with that. They also needed to rest and have some food, since he knew that all of his Pokémon would be hungry, and May would be ravenous. At the same time, while he wanted to be at home with her, they needed to be somewhere that they could be contacted if needed.

    Gwen teleported them to where May and Theresa were waiting, but the mood was the same as with the men: a sense of emptiness from the battle. "Well, let's go to Rustboro," Brendan said calmly. Theresa, however, politely declined the offer, and hiked back to the caves to her campsite. Once she was gone, Gwen teleported the rest of the group to Steven's helicopter, and they were quickly on their way to Rustboro. The flight took less than an hour, and they landed on Devon Corporation's helicopter pad. With a polite smile and nod, the Maple family teleported with Gwen to the Pokémon Center.

    They walked into the center at nearly one in the morning, glad but not surprised to see that the lobby was empty due to the time of night. The only person visible was a bored-looking nurse, who was sipping a cup of coffee as she binge-watched an obscure anime on her laptop. She looked tiredly at Brendan and May, only to perk up when she recognized them. "Oh, Champion Maple, and Coordinator May, what are you both doing out so late?" she asked.

    "Oh, it was…a date that went a little longer than expected. We figured that we could sleep here and get home later," Brendan said, deciding against mentioning the meteor. He didn't want to cause any panic before it was unavoidable.

    The nurse just giggled, taking it to mean more than just a date, and didn't press the issue. Brendan recalled Gwen temporarily, and handed the nurse her Pokéball, along with Clint's and Jack's with a smile, and she gave him the Champion's suite key. The nurse then placed the Pokéballs into a stronger healing machine, restoring health to Brendan's two Pokémon. Thirty seconds later, Brendan had the Pokéballs on his belt again, and Gwen was by their side again.

    Once the healing was finished, though, May took the key from Brendan. She looked playful, but also forceful enough to tell him that she would lock the door behind her just to get the bed to herself if he took too long. Brendan took the hint and followed May to the big room, smiling with some comfort from his fiancée's mannerisms, which always kept things interesting. Once inside, Gwen opted to go to the second bedroom of the suite and was already sleeping soundly by the time the couple got into bed together. When they were alone, Brendan and May both were quick to get to their underwear.

    "I love you so much," May said softly as she rested her head on Brendan's shoulder. "I just wish we didn't have to face this meteor. It's just not fair."

    "Yeah, I know what you mean," Brendan said, holding her closely. "We're so close to the wedding day, but, if we fail, it won't matter how close we got."

    "Hey," May put a hand on his cheek. "It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We've got each other, and that's a lot for love."

    Brendan looked at May with amusement. "Did you just quote Bon Jovi to be romantic?" he laughed.

    "Yes, yes I did. What will you do about it?" she sassed.

    Brendan shrugged. "We'll give it a shot," he said with a chuckle as he kissed her sweetly. May smiled and giggled for a moment.

    May then decided that this was the best time to tell Brendan, while they cuddled together and in great spirits. "We kind of have to…since we're going to-" she was cut off by a buzzing phone on the nightstand, and it sounded like a phone call. Brendan, due to the situation of the meteorite, answered without even looking at the Caller ID. May just silently cursed up a storm. How the actual fuck is there an interruption, and who the fuck is calling at almost 2 in the morning?

    "What's going on?" Brendan asked.

    "Hey, Brendan, it's Lisia. Wally and I are watching a broadcast on the Alolan channel, and we think you'd be interested in what's happening. It's a live broadcast too," the blue-haired coordinator said.

    "The Alolan channel?" Brendan asked as he turned on the television, switching it to the channel from the small islands without a league of their own. While Brendan had heard of the league the local Professor in development, their intense island challenge was the stuff of legends. He had wanted to try it for himself for a while, but he felt that his job as Hoenn's Champion was more important.

    When the channel turned on, they saw a young man, probably around 16 years-old, with what looked like traditional, black body paint all over his body. The trainer was dancing with a fire staff as a man in the background told the Alolan legend of Kamalono'a, a demigod who challenged and bested a creature called the Mo'owahine. The kid, identified as Elio Northstar by the small annotations on the bottom of the screen, had just started an incredibly acrobatic flip, seeming to flourish the staff artistically while in the air.

    May seemed to forget all about telling Brendan what she wanted to say as Elio landed. "Wow, he's pretty good with that dance."

    "Yeah, but I think this dance is just a prelude to the real event," Brendan said, seeing in the annotation that this was in the Wela Volcano national park, the site of the island challenge's fire trial. As Elio landed the flip, however, Brendan saw a Pokéball get jarred slightly loose from the boy's belt. "He's about to drop that Pokéball."

    Surely enough, the next jump and flip caused the Pokéball in question to fly off the belt. "That might take some points off from his performance," May said, sounding more like a judge for a contest than a normal observer, only to be stunned by Elio almost effortlessly tossing the staff into the air slightly, doing another slight flip, and seamlessly catching and putting the lost Pokéball back onto his belt just in time to catch the staff. His landing, though, put him face-to-face with the camera, and both Brendan and May saw the fierce look on his face, even though they could tell Elio wanted to crack a big, goofy grin to his friends and family.

    "I think he just saved himself in this dance," Brendan chuckled as Elio turned, splitting the staff into two pieces, swinging them like swords for a brief moment before a wet sound drew the camera and spotlight's attention to the edge of the volcano. Crawling to the stage were two grey lizards.

    "Salandits?" May asked in surprise. "Huh, I thought they were smaller than that."

    Brendan got out his Pokédex, and found the entry for Salandit, seeing that those on the screen were only slightly above average size for their species. Just as Brendan pulled out his own Pokédex, a device that looked like a Pokédex with arms and a face.

    "What the…what is that?": May asked with intrigue.

    "I think it's a new type of Pokédex…but the face looks almost like…a Rotom," Brendan said happily.

    "Wow, you mean that's a RotomDex?" May asked as they heard the robotic voice of the Pokédex softly giving information on the Pokémon that had just appeared. Once the information was finished, Elio sent out a green box-shaped Pokémon with two yellow pointed pincers that led to a set of jaws.

    "A Charjabug," Brendan noted. "So, he's using an electric and bug type to beat two fire and poison types."

    "Not the best match up, but let's see how he handles it," May said.

    Brendan watched as the Charjabug fought well, taking one of her opponents down before she seemed to pass out from a Smog attack. The other dark lizard prowled triumphantly over the bug. At the last moment possible, the Alolan bug Pokémon got up and fired a single Charge Beam at the second Salandit. Then she looked reassuringly at her trainer before finally fainting.

    "That was an amazing show of their bond," May said. She then noticed the screen was showing the date that Elio had started his island trial, along with the day he became an Alolan resident. "Wait, this guy only just started his journey a few months ago, and only a few day after he got to Alola? And, he's already this good?"

    "Wow, seriously?" Brendan asked as Elio threw the fire staff, which was caught by a strong-looking Alolan Marowak. "That's…almost like us."

    They then watched as a long arm stretched out of the volcano and pulled the creature it belonged to out of the pit. It was a Salazzle, but this black, grey, and violet-highlighted fire lizard was at least twice the size of what was normal of her exclusively female species, and she even began to emit a sudden and mysterious orange aura. The RotomDex then buzzed loudly, stating that the special defense of the "totem" had been boosted.

    "I'm guessing that totems are massive versions of their species that are meant specifically for the trial battles," May said softly, kind of feeling the draw of sleep, but she wanted to see how Elio fared, especially when he sent out his Rufflet, which started strong with a flurry of physical attacks.

    Brendan watched with intrigue as the Salazzle fired a few long-range attacks at her target, by the time she had fired the second attack, Brendan figured it out. "The Totem has weak physical defenses," he said, a thought with which May seemed to agree. The third attack was when Elio's expression turned to one of realization.

    "He's good with battle analysis too," May said. "He lacks experience, but I can tell he has a chance of going really far."

    "You mean that you think he's a champion in the making?" Brendan asked.

    "Yeah, even if there's no real champion there yet, I think their local Pokémon Professor is almost done organizing the league itself. I just wonder how powerful their Elite Four will be," May said.

    "By rumor alone, the kahunas of Alola's islands are four of the strongest trainers in the world outside of the champion class, and some may even be stronger than a few champions. If they become the Elite Four of Alola, then Elio will definitely need to be at the top of his game should he challenge them," Brendan said as they watched. They stayed mostly silent as they watched Elio's strategy with each of his Pokémon, from the Alolan Grimer disabling the Venoshock, to his Torracat taking out all of the Totem's enthralled Salandit. He was even surprised to see a barrier form in front of Elio as a massive flame briefly erupted over the stage, realizing that the boy likely had someone or something looking out for him. What surprised them, though was when Elio's Torracat got the crowd of Salandit between himself and an incoming Attract, making the Salandit rush over to her, hindering her movement to set up for a full-powered Z-Move of an All-Out Pummeling.

    "He's really amazing, being able to use a Z-Move already. His bonds with his Pokémon are obviously quite strong," May said with an exhausted yawn as the Torracat's own exhaustion got the better of him. He collapsed and Elio looked defeated.

    "Hey, did you notice that whenever his Pokémon is defeated, Elio puts their Pokéball on his left side?" Brendan noted.

    "You know, come to think of it, I did notice that," May said.

    "So then, if there's still one on his right side, why is he looking like he's lost already?" Brendan asked.

    May watched intently as Elio looked to a man off the stage, a look of realization coming over his face, followed by contemplation as he looked at his Pokéball briefly. Once he was warned about a lack of action being a forfeit, he sent out his final Pokémon: a Feebas.

    "Oh, if Wallace wasn't getting his beauty sleep right now, he would love to see this," Brendan said with a chuckle as they watched the grey, mottled fish dodge almost expertly, even using a Dragon Pulse. That move was already seriously strong, and a Feebas with it was not something to ignore.

    May then noticed the faint glow from the side of the stage just as Elio began to move towards the source: his bag. She gasped when she saw it. "A Prism Scale? He's going to evolve his Feebas in the middle of a battle!"

    Surely enough, they were astounded when they saw Elio's toss like a playing card, followed by a nearly impossible flip from the Feebas, who landed on top of the item, sliding across the field just before the Salazzle caught it and the fish. With a brilliant glow, the Feebas evolved into a gorgeous Milotic. The RotomDex began giving data on the Pokémon, while Brendan got a competitive gleam in his eyes.

    "Now that's a fire I've not seen from you since your win against Wallace…even Steven didn't bring out that spark in you with your battle tonight," May said.

    "I guess I'm just excited to see the next wave of trainers doing well," Brendan said with a smile. May just smiled softly as Elio and his newly evolved Milotic almost easily cleared the trial together, clearly dominating the Totem for the win. Once the trial captain, an extremely dark-skinned native of Alola, gave the thanks and farewell, the broadcast ended and a cheesy Alolan martial arts movie began. May, not wanting to be awake anymore, turned the TV off, and promptly fell asleep on Brendan's chest.

    I think you may be even more excited for one future wave of trainers in particular, May thought as she fell asleep. She even began to have a very pleasant dream where she was watching Brendan and Gwen playing with two young children, one girl and one boy, although she never got a look at their faces, May knew that they were her family in a not too distant future. She just couldn't tell which child was older in this dream. Oh well, I'll find out which one is the first in nine months.

    The next day, however, the wake-up call came at 8 in the morning in the form of a phone call from Steven…Devon Corporation was under attack by Team Earth.
     
  20. jmoul18

    Gwen
    (Kirlia)
    Level 28
    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2018
    Posts:
    100
    PokéPoints:
    ₽36.3
    Gardevoirite ★★★★Poké Ball ★
    Delta 4

    40 hours to impact

    Brendan moved with Gwen and May quickly to Devon Corporation, knowing the situation was likely critical. They arrived easily, and they saw a group of people in the new brown uniforms of Team Earth, which almost looked like park ranger uniforms, with bandanas and gloves. All three were just grunts, but Brendan got the feeling that they weren't the only group to be involved in the raid. Brendan sighed and approached the group, knowing them to be much more agreeable than they were as separate organizations. He tapped the shoulder of the first grunt he got to, but the man blanched at the sight of the champion, who had beaten both former teams three years ago.
    "Wh-what are you doing here?" the grunt asked rather loudly, catching the attention of the other grunts nearby.

    "We could ask you all the same thing," May said in an annoyed tone.

    "We're here to learn about the Link Cable!" one of the grunts said.

    How…do you even know about that? Gwen asked.

    The grunts shrugged. "We were told by the Admins," one said.

    "And…where are they?" Brendan asked.

    "They're in our base, duh," a female grunt said.

    Brendan sighed and Gwen began to power. "Thank you, but I wanted more than that," he said. "If you tell me which of your bosses are in charge of this, I won't beat you all humiliatingly," Brendan said.

    The grunts all seemed to flee at those words, some flying away, until only one remained. He looked around and began to shake in his boots. "I-it was Matt and Tabitha. They offered us raises for helping them," he said.

    "But…aren't Shelly and Courtney in charge of Team Earth?" May asked.

    "They are, I'm not sure what the other two are planning to gain, but I know that they were talking about the Mossdeep Space Center," he replied as ten security guards came outside, each with either a Growlithe or an Arcanine beside them. Brendan let them detain the grunt before turning to Gwen and May.

    We should get to Mossdeep. Like, now, Gwen said with urgency in her voice as she put her hands onto Brendan and May.

    They quickly teleported to Lilycove first, needing to split the teleportation into two jumps due to the sheer distance of the full trip. It took Gwen a few minutes to gather her energy for the second jump, during which time they saw the shipyard where the construction company in charge of a new project was working on an unnamed massive cargo vessel being designed to send Pokémon to other regions so trainers and children could become trainers themselves. It was a project being funded by Devon as well as the Safari Zone Conservationist Organization. Brendan smiled at the thought of the Hoenn Region helping to bring the joy of Pokémon around the world.

    A second later, Gwen teleported them the remaining distance to Mossdeep, going to the door of the Space Center quickly. Upon entering the headquarters of the Hoenn Space Program, the trio immediately sees five Team Earth Grunts standing in a wall in front of the stairs leading to mission control. Brendan and May came up to the five grunts, and Gwen took the lead for the group.

    Alright, move aside, or I will scream and break your eardrums in the process, Gwen said. The grunts, however, seemed to not care as they all sent out a Mightyena, thinking it would give them an advantage. Gwen just sighed. Don't insult me, she said as simply took a deep breath. May and Brendan both covered their ears to prepare as Gwen used a powerful Hyper Voice, actually making the entire building shake with the power. The Mightyena all flew back and landed in a heap as they were knocked out cold in just that one hit. Again, without a word, the grunts recalled their Pokémon, and they all ran from the building.

    "Too easy," Brendan chuckled as they headed upstairs to mission control. It was there that they saw Steven, Cozmo, Matt, and Tabitha together, and they were all looking to the stairway with shocked expressions, presumably from the sudden quaking. Brendan nodded to Steven respectfully and approached the massively muscled Matt, and fiercely intimidating Tabitha, both wearing outfits similar to their Aqua and Magma uniforms, but they were all the dark khaki of Team Earth. On the table beside Steven was the box-like piece of technology that, as Gwen sensed, seemed to pulse with its own Infinity Energy

    "Well, Maples, it seems you have impeccable timing…and a knack for making an entrance," Steven said. His tone had a hint of bitterness, mixed with a sense that he was not pleased with these problems so early in the morning.

    Brendan just looked to Matt and Tabitha. "Alright, what the hell are you two assholes doing?" he asked. "Some grunts were at Devon claiming to want the Link Cable for some reason."

    "Isn't it obvious?" Tabitha said, gesturing to the window. A massive rocket could be seen. Gwen looked and seemed to recoil when she saw it, sensing the immense energy radiating from it. "We're going to carry out the true end to what Archie and Maxie were both going to fulfill."

    "And…what is that, exactly?" May asked.

    "We will be using the energy inside this rocket to wipe out all of civilization and enable nature to return to what it was meant to be," Tabitha said.

    "Yeah, my bro gave his life for that goal. And I believed wholeheartedly in that dream. Will you really say my path was wrong, or that my bond with Archie was a mistake?"

    "Maybe your bond wasn't a mistake, but that dream almost destroyed all life other than Kyogre and Groudon on the planet," May said coldly. Despite the friendship she had built over these three years with Courtney and Shelly, she had never really gotten over her disdain for Matt. Tabitha was no better, being a cold and calculating man at heart, and May had always kept her distance from the man.

    "And you're just using them as an excuse for your views being more extreme than those of your former leaders ever considered," Steven said.

    "You speak as if you're any different, Mr. Stone," Tabitha said. "Perhaps we could take a look at this massive store of energy that makes the Ultimate Weapon of three-thousand years ago pale in comparison. How about using a few Keystones to trigger that thing just to show the world how dangerous that much energy in one place can be. It'd be just like Mega Evolution…for a rocket."

    And what do you gain from that? Gwen asked.

    "We can see how close that meteor is to Earth," Matt said, sounding strangely intelligent for the first time. "If Earth is to be desolate, then we might as well end things on our own terms, instead of losing to a damn rock from space. Earth will return to its state before humans and begin to flourish."

    "You fools," Steven said, standing fast, and looking angry. "You'd be committing suicide and bringing all life with you. And the meteor will STILL hit Earth, doing more damage."

    "It's not like your plans are much better," Brendan muttered, but Steven didn't hear him.

    "You want to stop us?" Matt asked, grabbing a Pokéball. "Battle us!" He took out a Pokéball and sent out Crobat. "Damien, show them what we can do."

    Tabitha smirked as he sent out a Mightyena. "Go, Dalia," he said with a smirk, apparently having finally learned the names of his Pokémon.

    Brendan, I shouldn't be in this fight, Gwen said. I sense that any kind of Infinity Energy releasing now, even that coming from a Pokémon that can Mega-Evolve, would cause the energy in the rocket to explode.

    "Alright, then I should go with Nikki," Brendan said as he sent out the Slaking. May came to his side as he sent out his Pokémon.

    "Asteroth, come out!" she said as she let out her Spiritomb. Since catching him, he had become one of her most defensive Pokémon, and a decently strong attacker compared to other Pokémon on her team. She smiled to Brendan happily. "Hope you don't mind us jumping in," she said, referring to herself, Asteroth, and the baby. Brendan, however, just thought she meant herself and Asteroth. He kissed her cheek quickly, smiling at her.

    "I love you," he said happily as they focused on their opponents. They nodded to their Pokémon to act as they saw fit. The Pokémon both smirked, looking really creepy when coming from Asteroth, as both of them began to prepare their attacks.

    Nikki made the first move, powering-up a Brick Break. Even with the drop of her attack power from Dalia's Intimidate ability, Nikki's power was clear from how brightly her fists were glowing. At the same time, Asteroth fired a Hypnosis at Damien, putting the bat to sleep, making him fall to the ground. Nikki then leapt forward and slammed her fist into Dalia's back. Simultaneously, the Crobat began to levitate as energy began to arc out from his body. Asteroth began to almost inhale the energy with a powerful Dream Eater attack. It was only a moment until both Damien and Dalia were on the ground, easily beaten.

    Both Matt and Tabitha recalled the two before going for their other Pokémon, sending out the Sharpedo, Bruce, and the Camerupt, Aesir, the former of whom was inside an orb of water as a dormant Aqua Jet so he could fight on land. Brendan sighed as Nikki went to use another Brick Break on Bruce. Asteroth then acted by firing a powerful Shadow Ball at Aesir. Once again, it seemed that the two opponents were just outclassed in every aspect. The two Pokémon fainted and collapsed to the ground.

    "Alright, that's enough. Team Earth will not have our name dragged through shit because of you two ever again." May smiled as she heard Shelly's voice. The tanned woman with blue and white highlights in her dark hair approached the group with Courtney and a few police officers behind them.

    "Sh-Shelly, C-Courtney?" Tabitha stammered. "W-What are you two doing here?"
    "A little bird, in the form of our scared grunts told me what you two have been planning," Courtney said, gesturing to the police to start to arrest the two.

    "Luckily, it seems we got here just in time to stop you from doing too much damage. We'll let the curious news reporters know that you two went rogue and decided to use your positions to try and kill humanity," Shelly said, anger with the two others clear in her voice.

    "Wait, you aren't serious. We were just doing what Archie and Maxie…"

    "The two fanatics who nearly killed us all with their recklessness? They're dead now because of what they wrought," Courtney said, almost coldly as Matt and Tabitha were cuffed and arrested. "You two clearly never learned from their mistakes…and you're now too dangerous to society."

    Shelly went to May and Brendan. "I am so sorry that these oafs caused you trouble," she said with a sympathetic smile.

    "Oh, they were no trouble," May said with a smile as she and Brendan recalled their Pokémon. Courtney then took the Pokéballs from both Matt and Tabitha, saying their Pokémon shouldn't suffer in prison for the bad decisions of their trainers.

    "On a more enjoyable note, are you two excited for the wedding?" She asked happily.

    Brendan smiled at the question. "Absolutely, but we still have the massive issue to deal with," he said.

    "Of course, the meteor," she said with a now sullen tone. As they spoke, the police began to escort Matt and Tabitha out of the building in handcuffs.

    "Yeah…and we need a way to deal with it that isn't an ethical dilemma," Brendan said, muttering the last part under his breath.

    With a polite smile and wave, both Shelly and Courtney walked with the police as they left the building and drove off. As soon as they were all gone, however, a whirring call came from the stairwell, and an all-too-familiar Whismur came into the room.

    "Well, seems the so-called conservationists are being nothing but their old selves again," Zinnia said as she casually approached the group. A stunned silence fell over the group as she passed through the battlefield, walking to the table where the Link Cable was sitting.

    "Don't you dare touch the Link Cable," Steven growled.

    "Oh, so this is it? The lovely little device made to solve the asteroid problem. Just a snap of your fingers, and poof, asteroid gone? It really is impressive that you have such technology," she said as she barely turned to face Steven. "That's how you and the scientists describe it, right? 'The best hope for saving our planet,' isn't that it?" Steven barely nodded at her words, but he said nothing. "Well, perhaps you're right. It's likely the single best chance of saving us…but it will also be the worst tragedy imaginable for another world and everything on it."

    "What are you talking about?" Steven asked.

    "Oh, do shut up, Stevie," Zinnia said, using a childish nickname to get under the man's skin. "I don't have time for a man who is more concerned with whether we survive at all, instead of whether we'll deserve to survive with his method of survival. I was talking to the Champion and the Top Coordinator," she said, looking at Brendan and May with some respect. "You both understand that hope for our planet with this device would mean doom for another…right?"

    Brendan nodded. "I think I do…but I get the feeling that your meaning is more complex than mine."

    Zinnia sighed, sounding a little grateful, but mildly disappointed too. "I figured as much. Your take is that, even if there's a slight chance of causing that devastation isn't worth the end of our survival. But, I shouldn't be surprised. Most people don't know what I'm about to tell you, since it's a story passed through the Draconid tribe and its branches. The lore I'm about to tell you is one passed down for generations about the distortions in our world, all borne by the mechanism of Mega Evolution…as well as another world, parallel to our own, which we have observed to be almost exactly like our own, even down to details such as…"

    "There's another Hoenn region there too, isn't there?" May asked, remembering what Theresa said about Zinnia thinking she was making up for her inability to save Aster by stopping this meteor.

    "Exactly," Zinnia said, sounding a bit impressed. "And there are all the other regions too. It's full of Pokémon, and people, likely even alternate versions of ourselves…maybe even loved ones we've lost, but are still alive there. The biggest difference, however, is that Pokémon evolution took a much different path…in the fact that there is no Infinity Energy like what's in that rocket outside."

    Brendan, May, and Gwen went wide-eyed in shock as they realized what she was saying. "I see you get it now. Our Infinity Energy wouldn't teleport the meteor to nowhere space, it would send it to that parallel dimension. In other words, to a place where the Great War three-thousand years ago and no Ultimate Weapon ever existed. So, the Hoenn region of the other world has no way of dealing with such a problem. Just think about it from their perspective. They're enjoying a peaceful life when, all of a sudden, a meteor six-miles across just appeared out of nowhere. They would be unable to even react before they all died the deaths we put on them." She took the Link Cable in her hands as she spoke. "That's not something I can allow to happen." She then dropped the device onto the floor, and swiftly crushed it under her foot.

    Dr. Cozmo went wide-eyed and began to look angry. "You bitch, you've just doomed us all! And based on what? A folktale from your tribe with no substantive proof behind it. None of your claims have ever been witnessed or scientifically observed. Your fantasy has killed us all!"

    Zinnia rolled her eyes. "Please shut it, you damn egghead. I didn't do this without my own plan for how to keep us safe. I just made sure the choice of killing another world is off the table. We don't get to play Arceus on that scale just to save our insignificant planet."

    Dr. Cozmo was fuming now. "That's preposterous. You just wasted all the years we've spent preparing that device for a case like this, you fucking bi-." The professor was cut off as the room was flooded with powerful soundwaves, though Brendan and May knew it was much weaker than it could've been, especially since Gwen was the cause.

    Will you all just be quiet, and let Zinnia explain herself, Gwen said.

    "Thank you," Zinnia said to Gwen, almost through gritted teeth. "I take back what I said about you in Granite Cave."

    "So, what's your plan?" Brendan asked.

    "Oh, Mr. Chosen One, I would've thought that part was obvious to you," Zinnia said, her tone telling Brendan her exact meaning, but there was still more than a little resentment. May saw the look on Brendan's face as he recognized the meaning of Zinnia's words.

    Rayquaza…he's her plan. But to do that… Brendan said.

    "We will be needing a single spacesuit, though," Zinnia said with more resentment in her voice. "That's the only thing we will need from the Space Center."

    "A spacesuit?" Steven asked, sounding skeptical. When he saw Brendan's knowing look, however, he relented. "Fine. It's a small price to pay for any hope to save ourselves, I guess."

    "Great," she said cynically as she walked to the stairs. "Give it to Brendan. Aster and I need to go attend to other preparations."

    It was then that Brendan noticed that the charm around her ankle held more Keystones than it did the day before. "Wait, Zinnia," he said, getting the woman to turn to him with a smirk. "Promise me you'll return those Keystones to their trainers when this is all over."

    "I don't need to," she said with a giggle as she continued. "I was planning on doing that anyway. I just need a few more before I'm ready for the preparations. Maples, go get the key from where you left it. I'm going to pay a visit to the Team Earth's Base."

    And, just like that, the situation was over. It took a minute for people to start moving again, but when they did, only Steven, Brendan, May, and Gwen seemed to be working with a sense of purpose. Steven went to a computer near the main screen, and he began to type in commands. A few minutes later, a panel in the wall opened up, and a very hi-tech suit came out. It was relatively thin for a space suit, even though that really wasn't saying much, but the color scheme was the most unique thing about it. As if it were designed for Brendan to wear, the suit was a ruby red color, with a black material reinforcing the joints.

    "This is the space suit Devon has been secretly developing for the military, in conjunction with the Space Center here. It's made of an incredibly strong nanofibers, cooling units, and materials highly resistant to radiation. The helmet also comes with a heads-up display so you can receive real-time information, including things like radar. We've never had reason touse it for real in space until now, so whatever Zinnia has planned will serve as a test of sorts," Steven said as he pulled out what looked like an altered Pokéball. "Additionally, it can be carried like the collapsible bikes Rydel sells in Mauville." He pressed the button on top of the device in his hand, and the suit began to glow red and vaporize like a Pokémon going into a Pokéball before Steven pressed the button again, returning the suit to its stand. His expression was solemn as he walked to Brendan. "We'll need to run some diagnostic tests on the suit, which could take a while. Would you two be alright waiting for a few hours?"

    "Yeah, I guess we can wait for the professionals to do what they need to do," Brendan said, even if it was reluctantly.

    "Hey, wait, didn't Zinnia say she was going to the Team Earth base?" May asked

    "Yeah, she did," Brendan said. "Why?"

    "Because I think she's going to steal keystones from Shelly and Courtney," May said.

    "You want to go make sure they're safe?" Brendan said.

    "Exactly, then we need to go to Sootopolis. You gave that key back to Wallace two years ago, remember," May said.

    "So, we go to Team Earth's base first, and come back here for the suit when we're done," Brendan said.

    May kissed Brendan's cheek and, with the scientists watching, they left the Space Center. They then let out Avery and Drake, both of whom seemed excited to be going for another flight with their friends. They all got into position, and flew toward Lilycove, and the base of Team Earth.

    The flight was short, and they didn't get a chance to talk over the wind while en route to the city. Instead of going to the main part of town, though, they prioritized going directly to the hideout to save time. When they landed, however, the entrance was strangely devoid of the usual guard standing outside.

    "Oh no, Zinnia got here first," May said worriedly.

    "Then there is no time to waste, let's get moving," Brendan said, taking her hand as they ran into the base. They walked through the area, which had become more straight-forward, without warp panels, and only a few locked doors for living quarters.

    The disturbing part of their walk through the base was the fact that there were multiple scorch marks along the walls, getting larger and more numerous as they walked through the base, some of the grunts were sitting and staring at the ground like soldiers who had seen the horrors of war for the first time.

    They got to the office shared by Shelly and Courtney, where they heard the final explosion of a powerful battle. May rushed in with Brendan and Gwen on her heels, only to watch as Shelly and Courtney stood in shock as they recalled their own Sharpedo and Camerupt, wondering how they could've lost so decisively. Across from them was Zinnia, recalling her Salamence, then turning to the energetic Whismur, Aster, who quickly went to Team Earth's leaders, wrenching their keystones from their necklaces.

    "Oh, Aster, you're such a happy girl! Just what I'd expect from my daughter. We're so in-sync, aren't we?" Zinnia said happily.

    "Who even is this woman?" Courtney asked Shelly.

    Zinnia seemed to hear the question. "Oh, me? That's a surprisingly tough question…I couldn't become who I was meant to be, so who am I now?" she said with a mockingly contemplative tone. "Huh, I guess it really doesn't matter. I'm not here for introspection and soul searching. I'm trying to save Earth." Zinnia, Shelly, and Courtney then all looked at Brendan, May, and Gwen. May ran to the side of her friends, trying to help them up

    "Wait, what are you two doing here?" Shelly asked.

    "Oh, please, isn't it obvious? Brendan is the hero everyone is rooting for now. He's here to save the world again," Zinnia said in a condescending tone. "And, this time, he's just too late…as are his fiancée and Pokémon. I have the keystones I need now." She slowly began to leave, passing by the Maples easily. "Get the two things I need, then I will see you where the lord of the Draconids perches by tomorrow morning. By then, I know we will have all the preparations done."

    Without another word, Zinnia and Aster left the base as quickly as they could move. Brendan glared at Zinnia slightly as she passed, still disliking her methods. "Don't worry, we'll be there," Brendan said.

    "Hey, are you two okay?" May asked as Brendan helped them up.

    Courtney looked like she was about to cry now. "No…" she said as she sat in her desk chair, tears falling before she covered her face. "She stole our keystones…we can't have the bond with our Pokémon coming from Mega Evolution."

    May hugged the lavender-haired woman comfortingly. "It'll be okay, I promise we'll get them back," she said soothingly. Brendan couldn't help but admire May's compassion.

    She's going to be a wonderful mother one day, Brendan thought, not realizing how soon that day would be arriving.

    "Thank you," Shelly said, seeming on the verge of crying too. "But, you two have more important things to do than console us. I know you still have to deal with the meteor, however you're planning to do that." Shelly took over for May, holding Courtney closely, almost like how Brendan would hold May during her emotional troubles, and vice versa.

    "Alright, please call us if you need help at all," Brendan said.

    Come on, let's get to Sootopolis as soon as we can, Gwen said as Brendan's phone vibrated with a text.

    Brendan pulled his phone out, seeing Steven's text, and his eyes went wide. "May, Gwen, we need to leave, NOW! We only have five hours left before it hits…" he said with dread in his voice.

    May's eyes went wide. "How is it so close already?"

    "They lost track of it for a moment, and it reappeared even closer to Earth," Brendan said, fear creeping into his voice.

    Sorry you two, we're going to Sootopolis, Gwen said as she grabbed and teleported Brendan and May to the Pokémon Center of Sootopolis. The nurse yelped in surprise at their sudden appearance in the building.

    "Sorry," Brendan said to the nurse, a tone of urgency in his voice. "By the way, do you happen to know where Wallace is at the moment?"

    "I think he's down by the entrance to the Cave of Origins," the nurse said. "He said he wanted to have some time with his Pokémon. He didn't say why."

    "Thank you so much," May said. They all knew what the reason was, but Brendan was more shocked that the two energetic Gym Leaders were seeming to give up on the world with the new development. They left the Pokémon Center and ran straight to the Cave of Origin.

    The multitude of Water-type Pokémon were swimming in the lake around the area. May, however, was currently reminiscing about how Brendan had proposed to her when they were about to face Kyogre and Groudon. She smiled at the thought, then realized that she had an idea of when to tell Brendan about their child.

    Brendan, however, was not wasting time. He approached the water-type expert, seeing the key to Sky Pillar between them. "Wallace!" he called out.

    "Hello Brendan, May, and Gwen," Wallace said politely. "I hope you three are well today."

    "Umm…not really. There is a meteor about to hit the Earth in about…" Brendan checked his watch. "Four and a half hours."

    "Yes…Steven called to tell us about that…" Wallace said solemnly, picking up the statuette key. "We came to get what could be our last moments of solace. I have faith in you, but when there's a massive meteor about to obliterate life on this planet, there's not much that most common people can do." He handed the key to Brendan. "You should keep this from now on. Frankly, I don't know why you gave it back to me in the first place."

    May smiled. "We gave it to you because we knew you'd keep it safe…and we were in the process of moving into our new home."

    Wallace chuckled. "Oh, I see. You needed someone who wouldn't lose it."

    Brendan laughed slightly as well. "Kind of, but we really needed someone familiar with it to keep it safe."

    Wallace smiled and looked at a massive tree in front of them, which also had a flower that oddly had the colors of the Kalosian flag on it by the roots. "You know, this tree here was actually gifted to Sootopolis by a massive man from Kalos. He was almost ten feet tall, but he spoke like he had such a sad past…like he'd lived a thousand lifetimes. However, it seemed that his burdens didn't stop him from seeking out that one small glimmer of joy in life everyday he could. It's sort of a good metaphor for life, don't you think?"

    "How do you mean?"

    "I guess that life can be bleak, but that's no reason to not try and find joy in even the dark times," Wallace said with a solemn smile. May looked like those words had struck a chord in her as a smile spread across her face.

    It was at that point that Brendan received another text from Steven, saying that he needed to get to the Space Center to get the suit put together immediately.

    "I'm sorry that we're popping in and out like this, but it looks like we'll need to be leaving now," Brendan said as Gwen put her hands onto both him and May.

    "Wait, before you go, I have a few things to tell you. Brendan, I know I said that only the Chosen One of Rayquaza can enter the Sky Pillar with the figurine, but there is an exception. The Draconid tribe's Lore Keeper can enter as well, and they don't need a key." Brendan nodded to acknowledge what Wallace said. The blue-haired man then turned to May. "May, you should go into the tower with Brendan this time. He's going to need your support to succeed here."

    "I will," May said gratefully. "We will see you at the wedding, Wallace."

    Wallace waved as the trio vanished. He sighed as Minerva came over to him and nudged him with her nose. Wallace smiled and laughed as he lightly stroked the Milotic's cheek affectionately.

    3.5 hours to impact

    The Maples had gotten to the Space Center an hour, but right now, May was sitting with Gwen as they twiddled their thumbs. They felt rather awkward just sitting at the coffee table while Brendan was getting the spacesuit, and while a massive meteor was about to wipe out all life on Earth no less.

    "Damn, Zinnia is probably coming up with ways to gloat about how long it took us," May said.

    Well, it won't be much longer, I'm sure of that, Gwen said. They know what they're doing in there. Plus, Steven knows their urgency.

    "Yes, I absolutely do, which is why his suit will be pressurizing on its own while you guys fly to the Sky Pillar," Steven said as he emerged from the suiting room. "We're just glad the suit was his size, almost a perfect fit."

    There were some heavier footsteps behind Steven as Brendan walked out, the helmet's tinting off for the moment. "You know, this actually feels more like a tracksuit than a spacesuit," Brendan said, the radio in his helmet making his voice sound more robotic.

    "Well, you look…badass," May said, stepping forward to look him over.

    Steven cleared his throat. "Sorry, but you need to move…fast," he said. "Get to the top of Sky Pillar. We're out of time now."

    Brendan nodded. "Of course. May, Gwen, let's go save the world…again."

    2.5 hours to impact

    Brendan held May close as he held up the golden statuette to the door of Sky Pillar. Gwen stood on his other side, standing strong beside him as well. Whatever happened on top of the building, however, she knew she would not be able to come to Brendan's aid…unless Zinnia acted up in some way.

    Once the massive stone doors opened, the Maple family was greeted by the sight of Zinnia holding the Whismur on her back, almost like a baby in a carrier. "Well, seems you two have made it…with relative moments to spare. I will keep the lore and history lesson I was planning on as brief as possible because our circumstances have hastened the plan…luckily, Lord Rayquaza should be responsive today."

    "Look, Zinnia, we need to keep this more than just brief. We need the fastest you can give this lesson," Brendan said.

    "Okay, sure thing, Space-Man," Zinnia teased as she gestured to the back wall, walking them through the tower. "The story begins thousands of years ago, in the primal age remembered only by the select few legendary Pokémon that have lived that long. It was the era when the world was overflowing with energy, an energy when the two Primal titans clashed over furiously. Back then, humans could do nothing to stop the rampaging behemoths, and they were forced to simply watch as disasters decimated civilizations…but one civilization, the Draconids, were blessed with meteoroids raining into their waterfalls." They got to the first ladder of the tower and climbed up to the next level. It was rather treacherous footing, with May being the most cautious, but there was a pretty decent walkway there as well.

    "Now, these meteoroids, much like the ones you've gathered, would often glow with a rainbow brilliance, as if it held life energy within it. Then, as if drawn by that brilliance, a Pokémon shining with an emerald hue descended from the heavens. I'm sure you know that Pokémon is, in fact, Rayquaza, whose power overwhelmed Kyogre and Groudon in their Primal forms, which restored peace to the world. People began to revere Rayquaza as a savior for generations to come. After a thousand years, the meteoroids returned, but one, much like the one we face now, was much larger. It struck this planet, boring deep into the earth where it struck, forming the largest crater known to mankind…if I'm not mistaken, you two were just there."

    "Sootopolis is a crater? I was told by some school teachers from there that it was a dormant volcano," May said.

    "Nope, it's a common misconception, but Sootopolis is an impact crater…which is much safer for a town to be in than any type of volcano," Zinnia said, sounding like she was enjoying this lesson. They then began climbing the tower's next ladder to the third floor. "That great meteoroid was the first of humanity's many great disasters, but it also cracked the ground deeply enough to release a huge welling of dormant energy from the ground. Once again, the Primal titans clashed over this power, causing the people to cry out to Rayquaza again, remembering a thousand years before. They gathered around the meteoroid, which greatly resembled the smaller meteoroids, which had been turned into the first Key Stones. When Rayquaza descended, the wish of the people for salvation was granted as a great change came over Rayquaza as he was enveloped in blinding light. What emerged was, a Rayquaza none had even dreamed could exist. It was one that you…fucking…rode on three years ago," her tone turned sour for a moment. "But, regardless, it was an intangible wish that enabled this form change…this Mega Evolution, as I know you're aware."

    They got to the fourth floor, and Brendan checked his watch. They had two hours left. "With his new transformation, Rayquaza confronted the Primal titans, its golden filaments springing from its body to cover the sky, its emerald brilliance illuminating the area, and a terrible wind arising. The wind and emerald light visibly sapped the power from the Primal titans, forming the Blue and Red Orbs that you two know. As Kyogre and Groudon lost their overwhelming powers, they retreated to their respective domains with Rayquaza watching. Once their slumber had begun, Rayquaza returned to his natural appearance and returned to the heavens it dwelled in. The sole witness was a massive man from a distant land, known only as AZ. He said, 'It is the Delta born of the great disturbances in this world. By the bonds of mankind's wish and the power of the stones. It will calm the troubles that plague the world.' Those words, and the event itself that inspired the Draconids to build this tower to hold the rainbow stone which granted Rayquaza its power, and to try to get closer to Rayquaza's heavenly home. They also used it to record the history of such trials, and the great deeds of Rayquaza for all to know by means of the murals on the walls. Something like that…feels familiar, doesn't it?"

    They reached the fifth and final floor before the roof, and Brendan saw that they now had an hour and 45 minutes. "Now, the final chapter of this story, as well as the reason that I was so confident shattering that Link Cable. You see, the Draconids recognized that there was a thousand-year cycle, which foretold that more meteoroids would hit the planet. Their prophesy, though, was that the next one to hit would be great enough to break the world forever…You see, the people of the past came up with a plan to summon Lord Rayquaza before the meteoroid struck in order to save this land." Zinnia's words were making Brendan and May excited, but she spoke so calmly that it was inspiring. "And there you have the footnotes version of the Draconid's story." She gave a sigh, seeming to be tearing up, and May was pretty sure she knew why. "I spent a long time thinking about how I could protect the happiness of as many people as possible. What I must do, as one who holds both the knowledge and the power…one who bears the heavy wishes of those who could not…live up to that fate. Well, I had to be really creative, you know?" Without another word, she went up the last ladder to the top of the tower. Brendan and May followed. Night was supposed to be falling, but the meteoroid was too close now, making it look more like it was still the middle of the day. Brendan was sure there would be panic among the cities of Hoenn at least, but he couldn't focus on that now.

    In the center of the tower's roof stood Zinnia, who held Aster so she could see the small Litleonids branching from the main meteor. She then started almost whispering presumably to the Whismur, but Brendan, May, and Gwen all got the feeling that she wasn't speaking to the Aster in her arms, given the tears now streaming down her cheeks. "…See that, Aster? You always wanted to watch them, right? The Litleonids. A million glittering stars falling from the sky... The show is about to start. Aren't we happy now? Yes, what could be better, dear Aster?"

    Brendan, wanting to help, walked forward, but Zinnia shook her head as if clearing a daze as she turned to face Brendan and May. "Welcome to the Dragonhark altar. By now, I'm certain it's no secret what I am trying to do here by now. I will summon Rayquaza to this world to destroy the meteoroid headed for Hoenn. That is my... It is our duty," she said as she turned her tear-filled eyes to the sky. "Ever since I was a little girl, I have always turned my eyes up to the sky. When I was so full of uncertainty that I felt my heart might be crushed by it…When I was so grief-stricken and alone I thought my heart might break of it…I turned and looked up there so that my tears would never, ever fall. What about you three? Have you ever had to do something like that?"

    I have… Gwen spoke up. My mother was killed a year before I met Brendan and May. It may not be the same as what you lost, but I understand.

    Zinnia seemed to laugh at a perceived irony. "It seemed impossible to me…but I'm relating with a Fairy-type…who is becoming one of the kindest Pokémon I've had the pleasure of meeting." She then turned to face the others again, letting her tears fall. "…I used to watch the stars like this all the time with my Aster. We were always together. In good times and in bad. I loved her. I loved her with everything I had…But I still lost her. I-I just want to see her…I want to be with her again…My sweet Aster. I will, won't I?" she seemed to be asking nobody in-particular, but May still came forward and hugged the woman tightly.

    "Yes, you will. I know you will," May said. Zinnia smiled at the gesture and hugged back briefly, but she had to let go.

    "I need to call forth Rayquaza," Zinnia said as she got out of May's hug. "But…promise me something. If things go badly for me…please take care of Aster." The Whismur whirred sadly at the thought of Zinnia getting hurt, but Brendan and May agreed to her request.

    Zinnia took a deep breath and walked to the altar. "With jewel bright and borrowed might from the spirits of the departed. Through sacred rite, in thy great sight, my life as well I offer," her eyes went wide as energy coursed into her, and she doubled over in pain. "Ugghh…I summon thee…to aid…this fight…and save us…from disaster! Realize them upon this world, RAYQUAZA!"

    A powerful roar echoed from above, and the massive, legendary green dragon descended to the tower, hovering over the tallest point and looking at Zinnia before turning to Brendan, but there was a look of worry that Brendan hadn't seen in the Pokémon's eyes three years ago.

    "I…did it!" Zinnia said in awe, and exhaustion. "Aster, I really did it. The world will be saved." She then unclipped the ankle charm with Keystones in every slot. "Lord Rayquaza, Earth needs your help once more. Please, hear my wish, and achieve your Mega Evolution," Zinnia said pleadingly. "Please, take hold of your true power, and show us your true face: that of the Rayquaza who will save this planet!"

    The stones seemed to glow for a moment, but they sputtered out when there was no other source to link to. Brendan looked more concerned now than before, and neither May nor Gwen even thought that possible.

    "Wait…what's happening? This should work," Zinnia said. "I gathered the Mega Stones capable of withstanding your power, and I summoned you here…yet…you're not Mega Evolving…"

    Rayquaza gave a few low growls, which Gwen picked up on. He said…that he isn't able to mega evolve in his current state. The use of his power three years ago was all he could manage on his last power source, she said, sounding worried.

    "So…the one lacking the power…is Lord Rayquaza? So, the thousands of years since the last meteoroid strike have drained that power from you…" Zinnia fell to her knees, tears falling once again. "This…can't be. Everything I've done…until now…" she dropped further, putting her hands on the ground as she cried out of frustration. "Aster…I can't…I can't take any…more." That was when a brilliant glow came from Brendan's bag, catching the attention of Rayquaza and Zinnia as Gwen pulled the Meteorite out of the back pocket of Brendan's space suit, which was now fully pressurized. "Wait…that's…" Zinnia ran to Brendan and looked closer at the stone. "A meteorite that looks just like a Mega Stone!"

    Suddenly, Rayquaza reached out and grabbed the meteorite with his mouth, then tossed his head back to swallow the space rock. Brendan was shocked for a moment, but that turned into astonishment when his Keystone began to light up, as did Rayquaza's body. Like with Gwen's mega evolution, this one produced a massive flash of light as Rayquaza's body transformed into his mega form, the golden filaments flowing down his body before an incredibly strong wind picked up.

    "Whoa!" Brendan and Zinnia said simultaneously.

    Zinnia began to giggle with joy that Brendan had never seen from her. "So, swallowing meteorites allows him to store as much power as a Mega Stone. And…your Meteorite summoned forth the power needed for Rayquaza to Mega Evolve. It seems that Rayquaza has made his choice for who will help him save the world this time," she said. This time, though, her resentment was gone from her voice, as if the hope of them surviving had driven her anger from her being. "This is…amazing!"

    Brendan looked at his watch. An hour and fifteen minutes were left, but the way Rayquaza was looking at him seemed to be a sort of challenge. "So, you want to see if I'm really worthy to catch you now?" Brendan said, knowing that competitive look all too well.

    Rayquaza nodded, so Brendan sent out Avery. "I would be honored. But, let's make this fast," he said. That was when the HUD lit up, and showed a full battle screen like those in stadiums. Oh, yeah, Wattson has been making mobile versions of those screens. Strange place to test this, but it helps.

    Rayquaza then coated himself in red and black energy as he used a Dragon Dance to power up. At the same time, Avery gathered a ball of purple electricity, firing a Thunder Wave to interrupt the dragon's movements. Rayquaza growled in frustration, but he responded by flying into the sky before flying back down with incredible speed. Light streaked behind him as he used an Extreme Speed attack. Avery couldn't dodge in time, even as she rolled to the side. She cried out as she hit the ground hard, but she managed to get up and fire a Dragon Pulse at the massive legendary Pokémon. It was a tough target to miss by size, but Rayquaza was fast, dodging and looking graceful in the process. Avery then fired a series of Dragon Pulses, aiming in seemingly random areas, but they corralled Rayquaza directly into another shot. The dragon then flew forward with his claws blazing with a Dragon Claw attack. Rayquaza then slashed at Avery hard, but she managed to dodge enough to make the blow a glancing hit. That, however, proved to be enough, as Avery fell to the ground, crying out at the impact, and passing out upon landing. Brendan recalled Avery, strategizing silently, turning to Gwen.

    "We need to end this fast. Can I count on you?" he asked.

    You need to ask? I helped you take on and capture Groudon, so I can do enough to let you catch Rayquaza, Gwen said with a smile as she walked out.

    Rayquaza took a position directly across from Gwen. He had been secretly watching this Pokémon since their first meeting three years ago, and he knew this Gardevoir was much stronger than was typical of her species. He shuddered to think how strong her future progeny would turn out, if she had any.

    By the way, do you have a Master Ball just in case? Gwen asked.

    Yeah, I got one as a gift from the Hoenn League after I became Champion, Brendan said. And they're more proven to work now, so I could just throw it now.

    Not yet. I'll say when you should throw it, she said. Brendan nodded as he had Gwen mega evolve, the light being just as bright as that which surrounded Rayquaza. She then began to create her army of illusory clones, using Double Team before the green aura of her Calm Mind coated the entire army. Rayquaza would have none of that, firing a massive flamethrower at the tower. Gwen fired a Moon Blast in response. It countered the powerful blaze, but Brendan could tell that it would only cause a draw.

    I'm about to set it up for you, get out the Master Ball! Gwen said. Brendan didn't need to be told twice, using the pouch he held the Pokéballs in for the space suit, and he pulled out the purple ball emblazoned with an "M." As he got it out, Gwen used one last Calm Mind before using an extremely powerful Hyper Voice. May even needed to cover her ears to avoid damage to her hearing. At the same time, Gwen used Psychic to hold Rayquaza in place as the soundwaves approached. Rayquaza just began to gather power around himself as he barely managed to break Gwen's powerful hold. He was hit by the Hyper Voice, he managed to avoid most of the damage with a delayed Protect. He then flew up high into the sky, did a loop, and flew directly at Gwen.

    Throw it now! Gwen said.

    "Dragon Ascent…" Zinnia said in wonder. "I never dreamed I'd see it in person…"

    "You may need to wait a little longer," May said as Brendan took his stance. He then threw the Master Ball as hard as possible, hitting Rayquaza squarely in the forehead. The ball activated, pulling in the mega-evolved legendary Pokémon. Rayquaza gave a quick growl before he went into the ball.

    Perfect, he seemed to respect how you handled that, given the nature of the situation requiring more speed, Gwen said as the ball shook three times and sealed shut.

    Zinnia applauded with what might have been the first genuine show of admiration Brendan had seen from her since registering for the League tournament three years ago. "That was very nicely done," she said to him. "I think you've truly earned the role of Rayquaza's trainer…for however long you wish."

    "Wow, umm…thank you, Zinnia," Brendan said.

    "Now, we have half an hour that we can use, and I want to help you strengthen your battling skills with Rayquaza," Zinnia said. "After all, there must be something intelligent on that meteor for it to just teleport and close such a massive distance the way it did."

    Brendan knew she was right, but he knew that they didn't have time for a lengthy battle. "Fine, three-on-three?"

    "No, you get Rayquaza in his Mega Form, no other Pokémon. I get three," Zinnia said. "I'd go with six, but we need at least 30 minutes for you to stop the meteor effectively."

    Brendan sighed. "Alright, let's do this," he said as he picked up Rayquaza's ball. "Come on out, Rayquaza!"
     

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