Unova's Finest

by AceLion

Nate Kent, son of legendary trainer Ethan Kent, has defeated Iris to become the champion of the Unova League. Now as chief guardian of the region, he must lead the very best trainers in Unova against a new threat that will thrust them all into battle against a century-old conspiracy. "Stand together, it's our only hope."

Part 1: The Road to War

Chapter 1: Reach for the Stars

All was calm, all was still. Time didn't exist. The world ceased its rotation. The sounds of battle were silenced, and the heartbeat of the young trainer stopped.

For a moment, Nathaniel Kent became convinced that he was in a dream. A dream that had suddenly frozen and left him suspended inside his own mind.

He unclenched his fists slowly and then clenched them again. He repeated the process until he could feel through the numbness that had overtaken his body some time during the two and a half hour battle. He needed to feel. He needed to remind himself that what he was experiencing was reality.

Then suddenly, the dust and debris that had been blasted up by the last round of attacks from the pokémon cleared, and there stood his Samurott, beaten, wounded, and exhausted, but standing. The Hydreigon he had been battling was lying limp on the floor, its breathing ragged. It too wore the scars of war.

They had traded blow after blow, attack after attack. Both the samurai and the dragon had given it everything they had and beyond even that.

At the end of the end of the battle, under orders from their trainers, they had unleashed their strongest attacks, and a Hydro Canon collided with a Dragon Pulse, almost blasting the area to oblivion.

Nathaniel realized that was why he couldn't hear anything. The explosion had been so loud that it must've damaged his eardrums.

And then he realized something else, Hydreigon was Iris' last pokemon, and Samurott was standing triumphant, which meant...

No way.

Time came back, the world turned again, and Iris broke the silence as his hearing returned. "Hydreigon is no longer able to continue," she said with a sigh. "Therefore, I declare you, Nate Kent, as victor and new champion."

At those words, he felt like collapsing. He bent down and put his hands on his knees, trying to keep himself from fainting. Had he heard her right? Victor and new champion?

He wiped the dust that had been kicked into his face during the battle and ran towards his samurott, who was standing but was clearly on the verge of passing out. The formidable pokémon turned to face his trainer, forcing himself to look as strong as possible for him, and took a wobbly step towards him.

Nate wrapped his arms around him tight and almost started crying. He had been through intense pokémon battles before, but what Samurott and the rest of his team had just endured was off the charts.

He nuzzled his face against Samurott. "Great job. Great job. I'm so proud of all of you," whispered the new champion.

"Sa...murott."

With that, Samurott could pretend no more and completely collapsed into his master's arms. It took every ounce of strength he had, but Nate held onto him tight, refusing to let him go. The bond and love he felt for him was much stronger than the fatigue he felt.

For a moment, they stayed there, neither of them moving or saying anything. They had been through so much since their journey had begun a year earlier. Trekking through all of Unova in those cold dark nights, battling against trainers and gym leaders, and nearly losing their lives in the fight against Team Plasma. This was the culmination of their journey. The climax of their story. The end reward of all their struggles. They had done it, they had become champions. Nate took a deep breath and smiled. "We did it, buddy."

Samurott could only grunt in response.

"It's time for you to rest." Still holding on to his pokémon with one arm, he unclipped a pokéball from his belt and pressed a button in the center to enlarge it, then he aimed it at Samurott and whispered "return". A red light engulfed Samurott and drew him inside the ball.

Nate sighed and clipped it back on his belt. "I'm proud of all of you," he said again.

"As you should be," said Iris.

Nate looked up and saw that she too had returned her pokémon to his pokéball. The two were alone now on the destroyed battlefield.

"Your pokémon fought bravely," she continued, "I haven't been pushed like that for a couple years now."

She looked around and smiled sadly. "It was nice being champion, if only for a little while. I guess my time is up."

He didn't know what to say. It was all overwhelming. He too looked around at the collapsed structure in which they had been battling. Many of the golden pillars which had stood so proudly now lay on the floor, crumbled and ruined. The only thing that had managed to escape relatively unharmed was a dragon statue to his left.

"I suppose you're wondering what happens now."

Nate nodded.

"Your name, and that of your pokémon, are engraved in history."

Nate felt a rumbling and a shift in the ground. He braced himself in case everything was about to give way, but all he saw was the dragon statue descend beneath the floor. A large decoration on the wall behind where the statue had been began the to shift as well. It was a navy blue circle with white lines engraved onto it, on which were four smaller circles. The circles lined up horizontally which triggered a door to open inside the decoration. A mechanical ladder sprang up from where the statue had descended and stopped at the newly opened door.

Iris walked up to Nate and smiled. "It's time," she said. She turned towards the staircase and motioned for him to follow her.

They walked up and into the door, each step leading him closer to the fulfillment of his destiny.

They walked into a golden, relatively small room. On either side of them were stones bearing the names of former champions and their pokémon. The Hall of Fame. Nate felt the weight of history bearing down on him. He felt a strong presence in the room, as if the stories and experiences of the trainers had taken a life of their own within that small room. He was alone there with Iris, yet felt felt exposed to countless eyes.

They walked up to a machine that looked very familiar to him. It looked like one of the devices that nurses would use to heal small wounds on pokémon. "Place your pokémon in here," said Iris. One by one, Nate took off the pokéballs from his belt and placed them on the device. A low, blue light shined from where they were placed.

"State your name, age, and today's date," Iris instructed.

He took a breath. "My name is Nathaniel Kent. I am seventeen years old. Today is December 9th, 2013."

The light shined brighter and a male voice spoke. "December 9, 2013, Nathaniel Kent, seventeen, with the pokémon Samurott, Unfezant, Arcanine, Liepard, Sandslash, and Starmie, new champion of the Unova League."

A single tear went down his cheek at the mention of their victory.

Iris placed a hand on his shoulder. "Congratulations, Nate," she said with a smile.

Rosa Luna was growing nervous. No, nervous she had already been, she was getting scared.

Her friend Nate had been inside the Champion Battle Palace battling for a long while now. For two and a half hours, she had heard explosions and rumblings coming from inside, the sounds of challenger and champion at war, but that's not what scared her. Being a trainer herself, she was used to the sounds of pokémon attacks. What scared her was that she couldn't hear anything anymore.

The last thing she had heard was a particularly loud blast that had made her jump. But then after that, nothing. It had gone dead silent.

"I sure hope he's not actually dead," she thought half-jokingly.

She checked her XTranceiver for the hundredth time that night and saw that several minutes had past since the last explosion. She huffed in frustration and looked back at the palace.

She wanted more than anything to run into the building and check if her friend was okay, but it was strictly forbidden by league rules. If anybody poked their head in there it would be seen as interference and the challenger would be disqualified. That's the last thing she wanted, to cost Nate the match, but still...

The palace had been badly beaten up. What if he had been hurt?

She looked down at her Minccino and pleaded for answers. "What do you think?" she asked the small grey pokémon, "Are they okay?"

Not fully understanding the question but knowing his master was worried, he nodded positively and climbed up her leg and wrapped his arms around her neck. "Minccino."

It wasn't much, but it was all the comfort he had to offer.

Rosa sighed and thanked her pokémon for what he was trying to do.

Then the doors opened. She looked up and held her breath. There weren't too many lights around, and so the darkness made it somewhat difficult to see, but she recognized Nate as soon as he stepped out of the palace. His hair and his clothes were completely covered in dust, and there appeared to be scrapes and cuts on his face. What the heck had happened in there?

"Nate? Are you okay?"

He said nothing but continued walking towards her, groggy, obviously exhausted.

He stopped in front of her and looked up at the sky. He said nothing for a few seconds. He simply stood there and stared at the heavens. It was like he was breathing in the moment.

A slight breeze brushed against them and played with their hair as they stood in silence, him in contemplation and her in hesitance.

"It's a beautiful night, isn't?" he said suddenly.

"Huh?"

She looked up and realized, despite her slight confusion, he was right. It was a gorgeous night. They were far away from the nearest city, and so the stars were all visible. The sky looked otherworldly, and it technically was. It was a pretty sight. It looked and felt like a dream.

"It feels like a dream," he said.

"Exactly what I was thinking. You know, I haven't seen the sky like this since I left Aspertia."

Nate nodded. "Same here."

"Nate," she spoke as she looked back at him, "so what happened?"

He looked back at her and shook his head in disbelief. "I won."

Rosa grinned and hugged her friend tightly. "Congratulations!"

"Minccino!"

He returned the hug and smiled.

"Thanks, guys."

"You're covered in dust," she said.

"Yeah, I noticed."

A few minutes later, Nate and Rosa were on Victory Road making their way back towards the pokémon center, Rosa's Magmar lighting the way. All was quiet save for the occasional cry of a wild pokémon. It looked like the League had somehow corralled all of the creatures out of the main path to ensure the returning battler was safe.

Along the way, the trainers talked about the long battle and the various strategies Nate had used to beat Iris.

"I knew Arcanine was at a serious disadvantage, but I didn't wanna call out Starmie just yet, so..."

"So you had him fight against Lapras?" Rosa asked in disbelief.

Nate smiled. "You should've seen him. You've never seen a fire type hold its own against a water like he did. And you should've seen the look on Iris' face. She couldn't believe it."

"Yeah, I'll bet."

They had made it out of the road itself and onto the entrance, the center just to their left. The night was cold and silent, the area mostly empty. Only a couple guards could be seen by the entrance.

"You should call your mom and tell her you won... Or wait, are you allowed to tell anyone?"

"Only immediate family and anyone that traveled with me. Other than that, it's a secret 'till tomorrow's official announcement."

Rosa called back Magmar as they walked into the center and were greeted by a soothing warmth. The center's heaters were on full blast. There were only a handful of people there, most of them League employees. A few were having coffee and chatting about business, but most were on their laptops and looked preoccupied with something important. A Nurse Joy was sweeping off to the side and talking to an older man.

A lot of eyes turned to Nate and Rosa as soon as they walked in. They knew who he was and what he had just come back from, but no one dared to ask him about the battle.

They walked over to the nurse and he dropped off his pokémon with her, describing the attacks they had taken and the injuries they had sustained.

Afterwards, Nate and Rosa said goodnight and went into their rooms, Nate glad that nobody was allowed to ask him about the match. He didn't feel like talking to anyone, save for one person.

He collapsed into bed and pressed a few buttons on his XTransceiver, dialing up his mother. A few rings later and his mother's face appeared onscreen, a knowing smile on her face.

"You won, didn't you?"

Nate burrowed his eyebrows at the sudden declaration. Just like that? Not even a hello? "How did... Yeah I did, but how did you know?"

His mother grinned. "Because you're my son of course, and because you're your father's son. The Kent family always wins. Victory runs in your blood."

"Nothing if not blunt," Nate thought with a chuckle.

"I suppose," he said, "but yeah I did win."

"Great job, Nate. I'm proud of you. Iris never stood a chance."

Nate blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his head. "I wouldn't say that."

"The official announcement's tomorrow, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, bright and early. Rosa made me promise to be up in time."

"We'll be watching. It'll definitely bring back memories. How's the team?"

"I left them with the nurse. They're gonna need a lot of rest."

"I see. And when are you coming home?"

"Well, uh, it could be a few days. Before I challenged the Elite Four, I heard that there would be a parade if I won," he answered blushing.

His mother raised an eyebrow. "Parade?" she asked, "We didn't get parades back in our day. The last thing young champions need is to let it all go to their head."

"Yeah well, back in your day, parades hadn't been invented yet."

She chuckled and shook her head.

"Alright well listen, honey, I'm gonna let you go now 'cause I can tell you're exhausted, and you need to be up early. I'm proud of you, and I knew as soon as you left that you'd be coming back with that trophy. I've really missed you, but I knew this was your dream and you had to chase it."

Her voice started cracking and it broke his heart. She hadn't seen him in a year.

"I know better than anyone that you just have to chase your dreams," she continued, her eyes watering slightly, "And I'm glad to have a son that did so. I love you, and I'm proud of you, and I'll be seeing you soon."

Nate nodded in affirmation.

"Thanks... I.. love you too." He had always had trouble with those three words and he didn't even know why.

His mother gave him a thumbs up. "Good job, kid."

"Thanks."

"Oh and honey..."

"Yeah?"

"Make sure to take a shower. You look like crap."

Golden rays of sunlight pierced through the curtains, illuminating the spartan but cozy room of the new champion. Shadows danced along the walls. The wind had picked up overnight and was playing with the trees.

He layed there for a few minutes, soaking in the moment. Today would be the day. The announcement, the coronation. It was something every trainer dreamed of, but very few achieved, to be recognized as the best in their region and among the best in the world.

He glanced over to the alarm clock beside his bed and saw that he had an hour before he was expected outside.

He sat up and pulled the blanket of his body, feeling a joy he had never before experienced. His life felt complete. His purpose fulfilled.

As he walked to the bathroom, he noted with a chuckle that he had fallen asleep in his regular clothes.

He undressed and got into the shower. The water was nowhere near as warm as most people would like, but twelve months of walking the Unova landscape had toughened him up, and the water felt quite enjoyable to him. He felt alive. He felt new. Every drop was an experience. It was like he was experiencing the world for the very first time. "So, this is what it feels like to be on top of the mountain," he mused with a smile.

After a few minutes, he turned off the water and got dressed. He wasn't a fan of suits, but he knew that people were expecting him to at least look presentable. His regular trainer outfit was out of the question, so he put on a black hooded sweater with white accents, and a pair of his best jeans, with a pair of grey and black boots he had bought in Castelia City but had never worn. Not exactly what someone would call formal, but it was the best he could do.

There was one thing missing though. He opened the drawer and pulled out a silver and gold ring, a ring that his father had bought when he had won the Indigo League.

"I hope I did you proud, dad," he whispered.

He slipped it on and walked over to the mirror to do something he rarely did, comb his hair. It was somewhat long, and the fact that he always wore a visor didn't help matters, but he managed to comb it forward and into something resembling "normal".

He brushed his teeth and checked his outfit one last time before heading for the door. "I guess this is it..."

The young trainer opened the door and had to pick his jaw up from the floor when he found an angel waiting for him on the other side. Well, maybe not an angel, but definitely as close as it could get. Rosa was standing in front of the door, hand up as if she had been about to knock just before he opened. Nate found his eyes glued onto her. He knew he was staring, he didn't mean to, but he couldn't tear his gaze off of her. Her long brown hair, usually in pigtails, was fully lose, hanging all the way down to the small of her back. She was wearing a white-yellow sunflower dress with a short jean jacket over it. And heels, just to make sure she was noticed.

She smiled awkwardly. "I was just about to... um, can you not stare?"

He immediately looked down in embarrassment and rubbed the back of his head.

He felt so underdressed. "I feel so underdressed."

Rosa grinned. "Yeah you uh, kinda are."

"Didn't really have a choice. I don't carry dresses with me."

"Well I'm uh, glad you don't," she said with a laugh, "I'd be worried if you did. Are you ready?"

He nodded. "Yes."

He closed the door and they walked down the hallway towards the lobby.

She bumped into him playfully. "So are you ready for your big day?"

"Uh, I suppose. Something like that."

"Don't forgot to thank me," she teased.

He stopped and looked at her in confusion. "Huh?"

She smiled as if something had just occurred to her. "You forgot, didn't you? You're gonna be asked to make a speech."

"Oh! Right!"

They started walking again and he thought about what he should say. He definitely needed to thank his pokémon, his family, the professor, and he needed to thank his closest friends, Hugh and Rosa. And... Were they expecting him to say something about Plasma? Did they even know?

"Don't sweat it," said Rosa, "Just let it come naturally."

Nate nodded. "Right," he agreed.

As they rounded the corner into the lobby, Nate was greeted by a group of people cheering and applauding his arrival. Most were the league employees he had seen last night, but a good number of them were trainers, some of which he had even battled. Nate immediately felt embarrassed, glowing red hot. He was never one for this sort of stuff.

Rosa grinned wickedly at sight of his plight and jumped in front of him. "Ladies and gentlemen, your new champion!" she proclaimed to the crowd as she bowed in a mock act of reverence.

The cheering and applause intensified, and many started chanting "Kent."

"I hate you, Rosa," thought Nate.

She smiled back him in a way that seemed to suggest she was saying "yeah I know."

Mercifully, before it could get worse, a Nurse Joy stepped in from out of nowhere and motioned for everyone to quiet down. "Alright, alright," she said, "Calm down, all of you. Can't you see you're embarrassing the poor boy?"

She turned to face him and smiled warmly, closing her eyes as she did. "Mr. Kent, they're waiting for you outside."

"Uh, um, thanks."

He made his way towards the door, keeping his head down so as to avoid the beaming faces of all the people staring at him. Rosa giggled and followed close behind.

The night before, no one even dared to speak to him. Why the change in temperament?

As they stepped outside, his question was answered. A large stage had been set up in front of the entrance to Victory Road, almost blocking it completely. There was a banner hanging just behind the stage, supported by two poles, the word 'CONGRATULATIONS' emblazoned onto it.

"Yeah, that must've been a dead giveaway," he whispered.

Rosa pushed him from behind. "Well what are we waiting for, Mr. Kent? Let's do this!"

Nate took a deep breath and smiled. Why was he getting so uptight? The people were just happy for him. It was his big day! It was his coronation for crying out loud! If unwanted attention was the price to pay, then so be it. This was his dream, and by golly, he was gonna enjoy every moment of it.

He turned to Rosa and nodded. "Right. Let's do this."

Turning back to the stage, he walked over to a man in a black suit speaking into a walkie-talkie.

"...Once he finishes, that's when we'll present the trophy to him. Wait! Hold on a sec, he's here."

The man looked him over and smirked, almost looking amused. Nate realized it must've been because of his informal choice of clothes.

"Nathaniel Kent, correct?"

Nate nodded. "Right."

"It's good to meet you. Congratulations on your hard-fought victory."

"Thank you, sir."

"My name is Holland Deven, I'm the coordinator for Unova League events. I presume you know you're going to be making a speech?"

Nate smiled. "I've been informed of that, yes."

"Good. We're almost ready to begin. You're friend can join you onstage if she'd like."

"Absolutely!" exclaimed Rosa as she pumped a fist in the air.

"Fantastic," said Deven as he turned to the stage where a blonde woman was approaching the sole fixture on it, a podium.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she addressed the large crowd sitting on folding chairs. "We are ready to begin the coronation. Allow me to introduce to you the former champion, Iris Dracónight!"

The crowd applauded as Iris stepped onstage, but it was contained, almost dull, as if they were doing it to be polite, not because they felt affection for her. It seemed Unova still hadn't gotten over the fact that Iris hadn't actually beaten anyone to become champion. She had simply been given the title after...

"Not that she wasn't worthy," thought Nate as he touched some of the scrapes on his faces, which reminded him of just how unpresentable he looked.

"Thanks, everyone," said Iris.

She sighed and looked the crowd over.

"What must be going though her mind?" pondered Nate.

"Everyone," she began, "Everyone knows that the last few years have been interesting, to say the least. We've faced dangers and challenges we never thought we'd face. Evil and misguided men and women tried to separate us from our pokémon. Evil and misguided men and women attacked us and took the lives of innocent Unovians. But as they threatened to do away with everything that we hold dear, heroes stepped up and put a stop to them. The Elite Four, the gym leaders, and.. Hilda White and her frien-"

At the mention of Hilda's name, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause, going crazy as if their favorite sports team had just scored the winning goal. Iris smiled and even Nate couldn't help but laugh. Hilda White was most definitely a beloved champion.

Well, former champion...

After several seconds of ushers shushing them and trying to calm them down, Iris was finally able to continue. "Brave souls met Team Plasma's challenge head on and took them down, not just once, but twice. As we all know by now, they tried to rise from the dead this year, and in a way, they succeeded. Opalucid City is still in the process of recovering. But Unova's finest trainers are always ready for a good fight, and they shoved Team Plasma back into their grave."

"Yeah!" shouted someone, illiciting laughs from the crowd.

"Some of you may be wondering what that has to do with today. You'll know in a second. But first let me address the... Controversy."

She took a breath.

"I know that a lot of people... Maybe weren't so happy with me. And I know it's not because of me personally or something I did, but because of who I had to replace. I know how much love and affection Unova has for Hilda, and it caught all of us off guard when she renounced her title after just a few months of reigning as champion. A lot of people were confused, saddened, and maybe even a little angry. We still don't understand it. She chose not to reveal her reasons. We should respect her privacy.

I knew that whoever was called to replace her, and I say replace for lack of a better term, was gonna carry a heavy load. I knew they were in for a world of trouble, hardship. I knew what I was getting myself into. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into.

When Alder decided he was retired and decided it was best that the title wasn't given back to him, the league was concerned, daresay maybe even scared. With Alder gone and nobody willing to follow Hilda as champion, it... They just didn't know what to do. And so, I volunteered. I saw that my region was in need of a symbolic leader, especially after everything that had happened, and that without one, people might feel a little lost. My league needed a champion, and as unworthy as I am, I couldn't stand by and do nothing. Even if a lot of people were unwilling to accept me, I just had to do everything I could to help. My goal has been to serve, not to reign. If I have failed in my task, I do sincerely... Apologize."

The crowd was dead silent.

"I love Unova, and I had to do something. Um... So I hope everyone understands, I was sad too when Hilda relinquished her title, and in no way did I ever consider myself to be at her level, but I think I've met someone who is."

Nate blinked.

"He took me to my limit in battle yesterday and, well, past it. He pushed my team and I like no other trainer in a while. But you wanna know something? I wasn't at all surprised. When I heard he was challenging the Elite Four, I knew he was gonna be challenging me, and when I knew he was gonna be challenging me, I knew I was in for the fight of my life.

You see, he's no ordinary trainer. For one, he's the son of Ethan Kent. And he's someone we owe a lot to. He and his team were the ones that stopped Team Plasma for good last month."

At this the crowd came back to life and began murmuring and whispering to one another.

"It was quite the scary ordeal from what I understand, but he showed that classic Unovian courage and laid waste to their plans. But I think I'll let him tell the story. Everyone! Please welcome the new Unova League Champion, Nathaniel Kent!"

Nate took a breath and walked up the steps that led onstage. The people cheered, hollered, chanted, and applauded; an ovation that greatly dwarfed the reception they had given Iris. The walk to the podium felt like an eternity. His hands began to sweat. He was definitely not used to this sort of thing. In the back of his mind, he was aware that Rosa was right behind him, but all he could focus on was the mass of humanity in front of him all transfixed on him.

When he (finally) reached the center, Iris hugged him tight and patted his chest. "You'll do fine," she assured him. Was he making it that obvious, or was she reffering to his reign?

He stepped onto the podium, and as the crowd calmed down, he reminded himself to let go of his bashfulness and enjoy the moment.

"I um..."

How was he going to follow Iris's heartfelt speech though?

"Don't sweat it, just let it come naturally," Rosa had said. Right, then.

He opened his mouth and spoke what was in his heart, a heart that had endured so much the past year. A heart that had been broken, battered, and bruised but was still beating.

"I have to start off by saying that I disagree with something Iris said. She said she was unworthy. I can tell you from personal experience, she is not. Some of you can see the cuts on my face. The scars I bear from our battle. And the scars and wounds my pokémon bear are, obviously, a lot worse. A testament to the difficulty that comes with trying to take her down. I assure you it was no easy task. As a matter of fact, it came down to the wire. My final pokémon, Samurott, collapsed just seconds after her last pokémon. It could've gone either way.

Like all of you, I was heartbroken when the Hero of Unova chose to step down, but I saw everything that Iris did for us as a people, as a region, and I say she more than made up for all the disappointment. I am grateful for all she has done for us."

He turned to Iris, who was standing beside him, and smiled. "You're a lot of things, Iris," he said to her, "But unworthy is not one of them. On behalf of all of Unova, thank you for everything you did for us."

She hugged him tightly again, expressing her gratitude for his kind words with the strength in her arms.

When just a few minutes before, the people were uninspired by her, almost indifferent to her, they were now standing and applauding loudly for her. Some looked remorseful, others even looked like they had tears in their eyes. Iris's speech along with his words and act of sportmanship had had an obvious effect on them.

Nate let go of her and turned back to the microphone.

"This region has been through so much in the span of just four years, but we're still standing. We've proven ourselves to be a strong people.

Hmm. Strength. That's an odd word when you think about it. What is it? Is it holding your own in a physical fight? Fortitude? Is it keeping your emotions in check? Or is it something more?

I think it's something more. My father, may he rest in peace, used to say that strength was virtue. Fighting for what's right no matter what; Always doing the right thing, no matter the consequences, that's strength. If that's the case, and I truly believe it is, then Unovians are a virtuous people. I've seen it firsthand the past year."

He sighed and thought about everything that he had witnessed and experienced. All the tragedy, the fighting, the bravery.

"I suppose the story starts when Professor Juniper sent me off on a little errand, to document the new species of pokémon that were springing up in our region. At first that was my sole purpose, but then I saw how much my Oshawott enjoyed battling, so I decided to start challenging gym leaders, and it just sort of went from there.

Along the way my friends and I encountered Neo Plasma, a remnant I suppose of the old Team Plasma. Whereas the old group was on a misguided endeavor to 'liberate' pokémon, Neo Plasma's intentions were much more malicious."

He sighed again.

"They were hungry for power, as too many people in this world seem to be...

There were many skirmishes with them throughout Unova, but we held them off for the most part.

I never imagined that things would reach the point that they did however. I was there in Opalucid when they freezed the city, and the rumors you heard on the news were true. They seized the legendary dragon Kyurem and used his power to commit the act. It... Was the most frightening thing I've ever seen. We held them at bay, but I don't know if I would call it a victory.

After several more encounters and long and hard-fought battles with them, things came to a head when Ghetsis, their new leader, used something called the DNA Splicers to fuse Kyurem and another dragon, Zekrom, together to create a monstrosity.

We actually had to break league rules and use all of our pokémon at the same time to take him down, but we did it. Ghetsis had nothing left. No Kyurem, no Plasma, he was finished. The Shadow Triad took him away, I don't know where too, but he won't be rearing his ugly head anytime soon."

He paused to look at Rosa, who wore a solemn grimace on her face. She had been there for most of the fight against Team Plasma. She too had felt the fear, the danger, and witnessed the worst of humanity. Although they hadn't talked about it much, he knew she was just as traumatized as he was. She was such a sweet person... She hadn't deserved to go through all that, but she had proved herself to be as strong as she was sensitive.

Kind of like Hugh.

"You might be wondering who is the 'we' I'm referring to. I wasn't alone in this fight. My friends, my best friends, Hugh and Rosa, were with me. Unova owes much to them. Rosa, by the way, is the girl you see standing next to me."

Rosa waved.

"We saw the bad that the world has to give, but we also saw the very best that it has to offer. Police officers, medics, emergency workers, and every day people, we couldn't have done it without them. We couldn't have done it without their sacrifice, hard work, and dedication.

We saw so many people reaching out to help others. At times, we even saw people defend others with their own bodies. That tells me that the good will always outweigh the bad. There will always be more of us than there are of them.

I know this is being broadcast to the whole region so on behalf of Rosa, Hugh, and I, thank you for your help, thank you for your virtue, thank you for your strength."

The crowd broke into applause and cheering once more.

"I only hope that as champion, I can follow the example given to me by all of you. That is exactly what I am determined to do, to follow your lead and give the absolute best that I have to give.

I promise to defend Unova from all who would threaten our peace, our wellbeing. I promise to uphold the values we consider so dear to us. I promise to see to it that truth and justice are the law of the land. I promise to seek after ideals."

He smiled, mildly amused with himself. He sounded as if he just been elected as chancellor of the region.

"There's just one more thing I wanna say. Hugh, thanks for your friendship and for always pushing me. Professor Juniper, thank you for your guidance and for the opportunity of a lifetime. Bianca and Cheren, thank you for the laughs and for your encouragement."

He looked to his left.

"Rosa, thank you for being my friend and..."

He trailed off and gazed into her blue, joyful eyes. There had been many times in the war against Plasma that looking into her eyes had given him the strength to fight. In her eyes he saw the love and trust that he had needed to stay standing, to believe in himself. They were life-giving. They were angelic.

She cocked her head to one side and smiled.

"Just thank you so much for your friendship."

She nodded and blinked at him.

"And lastly, to Mom and Dawn, my amazing team of pokémon and to my father, who's in Heaven, thank you for... For... For loving me and teaching me what it means to be strong. If I made it here, it's because of you guys. Thanks everyone."

As the crowd cheered and applauded for what seemed like the hundredth time, Nate breathed a sigh of relief.

That wasn't too bad. I think.

Someone tapped him on the back and he turned to see the blonde woman from earlier holding the Unova League Trophy. It was magestic and bigger than he remembered seeing it on tv. Its choice of colors always struck him as odd though, half black and half white.

He shrugged and took the trophy, hoisting it up with both hands.

For the rest of his life, he would never forget this moment. The clear blue sky, the strong but pleasant breeze, the feeling of complete happiness... He would remember the moment vividly for the rest of his days.

Well, we did it dad