Of course, I didn't expect much of Steven originally. He was little more than the classy link to everything… the silent nonconformist and the mysterious seasoning of my journey. His consistent obsession with rare rocks left me feeling both fascinated and sort of condescending. Upon discovering him as the Champion, however- my opinion, though slowly, twisted itself into a terror-stricken blob of callous determination.

So naturally, smarting off to him during our struggle to the finish was just my little way of hiding the shock. He was terrifyingly strong- the kind of strong that raged like a flame, that consumed all opposers and trickled acid terror through the chests of the survivors- and as everything went on, I could feel the defeat creeping up behind me... The biggest bite, though? Swampert was taken out a total of 12 times in that battle. He is my strongest and my greatest pride- therefore, not only was my most profound conviction challenged (and relentlessly at that), but I also found myself stabbed by Steven's effortless approach. He had this- this radiation, an edged resolution to his every move that shocked my core until I was genuinely scared to respond. Like a steel wind- powerful, indestructible, and lashing like a whip. But above my dose of fear- and a grin comes to my face as I speak- I certainly managed (and flawlessly) my verbal riposte…

Upon pressing the elevator button, I was carried through the dark void of orange light, helpless, a little nervous- but still, I couldn't feel the fear that I knew I should. Mostly it was just awe that was gnawing at my heart- a companion emotion to a traveler like me. Who was the Champion? I had heard so many stories- of the frighteningly well skilled trainers that trekked Ever Grande City as though they belonged there- because they did. And now I was challenging the king of them all…

The doors opened. Bright artificial light flooded into the elevator, slicing through my thoughts like a sword. Covering my eyes, I blindly stumbled out and into the heart of the labyrinth I'd entered without second thought.

Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and a gentle silver glow grew from the center of this room- which I now discovered upon the reasonable lighting to be enormous. Details were torn away from me as I stared anxiously, my heart tearing in and out of my chest, into the beam of light. Then, a shadow shifted- and a familiar face stepped into the light.

"Hello, May."

I adjusted my eyes to take in my opponent. Steven.

I recognized the prematurely gray locks anywhere, but in my bewilderment, they seemed to belong anywhere but here, representing the final chapter in my endless adventure- ready to battle me. Or Maybe that's just my shock speaking?

Once again- so many ways to approach this. But I was May. Fierce, uncontested, viciously determined May. I had to make our first opposing encounter one that seethed with a doubtless bona fide that neither of us would ever, ever forget.

My dignity depended on it.

And so I grinned. "Steven, hey-"

He opened his mouth to speak, but I interrupted, starting to get my gist. "-no need to explain a thing,"

"Then I guess we should just ge-"

I flashed a dangerous, lucid smile that stopped his words in their path. "-the Champion is on his lunch break. It's perfectly fine. I'll come back later,"

There's no doubt in my mind that he would have been happier had I smacked him across the face.

Suddenly, composure whipped back across his face. I was a little taken aback at that. But like him, I simply stood comfortably, collected.

His smile was articulate. "Alright, so that's how you want to play it, eh? Bring it!"

The adrenaline was sent firing through my veins again. I grinned. "Let's get this going!"

And so it began.

I decided to use the strategy of force- my unchallenged and absolute favorite. First out was Kyogre.

His Skarmory tore at the earth with menacingly determined talons as it rushed at Kyogre.

"Kyogre, use Calm Mind," I commanded. I looked over at Steven. His features were composed, unworried. Something writhed internally in me, made my temples throb with aggravation.

Cool, radiant circles of energy washed over Kyogre as Skarmory, unphased, continued his charge at him, beak prominent toward his face.

The beak hit home- into the wall. In a flash Kyogre had rebounded behind Skarmory, who was Spiking the area. Kyogre roared in agony. I could see his energy disintegrate. "Alright Kyogre, use Hydro Pump!" A terrifying surge of water blasted from Kyogre's open, howling mouth, straight for Skarmory.

"Skarmory, use Steel Wing." Steven yelled over the roar of the enormous column of water. More fire began to trickle down my throat as the Steel bird extended a dagger-like wing- straight into the blast. There was a sharp SLICE, and the wing slashed through Kyogre's hydro pump as if it were coming from a child's water gun.

Then this next thing caught me by surprise and shook me from my ego-induced stupor. Kyogre refused to give up. He blasted harder and harder at Skarmory, and I didn't realize exactly how close he had gotten to the steel bird.

"Steel Wing, again!"

I watched with helpless alarm as Skarmory yanked his beak free of the wall, and lashed out his other wing, delivering Kyogre a lethal slice to the face. He sunk, fainted, to the ground. His eyes were twisted into swirls. I nearly vomited with shock- this was nothing I had ever experienced before. Ever. Skarmory flew with devastating grace over Kyogre's unconscious form, to stand in front of Steven. His stance was calm, challenging.

Without letting my eyes leave Steven's or falter in their determination, I raised Kyogre's empty ball in the air, and he absorbed himself into it. "Good job, man," I whispered to my Pokémon, before I pulled another ball from my belt. 2 could play at the invincible game. I kissed the ball before I threw it into the air. "Go- Emma!"

And suddenly, an enormous, shaggy Pokémon leaped from midair. The empty ball crashed hollowly onto the ground- and Emma's fur adorned paws padded softly onto the ground, her yellow eyes glinting.

Steven looked rather amused. This was my chance to prove her worth. "Emma, use Secret Power," I said, knowing exactly what would happen. For a moment she stood tensed, her opal eyes fixed on Skarmory. Then, a gust of sand was dashed throughout the room as she leapt into the air.

I knew what he would do. "Skarmory, Steel Wing!" Instantly, I could make out Skarmory's knifelike wings shredding through the Sandstorm. Soon, the Sandstorm had been abolished. But as the clouds of sand evaporated into nothingness, a question arose. Where was Emma?

"All right, NOW!" I roared. And a blur of gray and black shot up out of the ground behind Skarmory. I smiled as Emma pile drove downwards, teeth bared. There was a satisfying banging as they impacted, and Skarmory was thrusted into the steel floor.

Silence. Emma leapt back swiftly to stare into the crack where Skarmory had been forced in. The dust settled.

I looked up at Steven, whose eyes were ablaze. But I saw how his mouth pulled up slowly in one corner. Intimidation crept through me once again. I swear I heard music of defeat sing somewhere. And within only the next 3 seconds, I discovered where it had come from.

"Flash Cannon!"

Rage tore through the crack, and it instantly split from beneath Emma's feet. She danced to the left, as Skarmory, encased in a steel hide with wings spread- dashed upwards out of the crack to drive itself toward her with magnificent force.

The beak did the most damage- I realized, as Emma teetered; battered brutally, off of her feet, and onto the ground. I looked for the swirls in her eyes, but saw none. She hadn't fainted yet.

"I call a HOLD!" I yelled. Serenely, as always, Steven nodded. A darkness fell between us, the silence consuming me. Slowly, Emma walked to my side. I stroked her head, the cruel and unfamiliar desperation in my voice seeping from my lips in a whisper.

"What am I going to do, girl?"

She let out a low whine. Realization hit me. "Well, of course I have to heal you first." My fingers rustled through my bag, groping, and then hitting the paper bags holding my 30 Restore Roots. My eyes lit up. I could feel my pulse quicken. That's it! Suddenly frantic, I yanked out the bag closest to my hand and poured the contents into Emma's mouth. Obvious ecstasy lit her eyes, which were now transforming from dull mustard into that familiar saffron yellow.

I quickly released all of my Pokémon and dished out Roots to each one. Just as I was reviving Kyogre, I remembered what was wrong with what I was doing. The Pokémon League stated that I could not use more than 10 healing items. For once, I didn't know what to do. Then I looked down at Kyogre, and healed him. But before I could convince myself to take the roots back, I heard my own voice- somehow unfamiliar to me now- call out to Steven through the blackness.

"Game on!"

Swampert was up. Ready. Steven showed little signs of astonishment, just amusement. That was all that made me feel happy with myself at the time- the fact that he wasn't surprised with my skill. If he had been, then I may have thrown myself into the middle of the battlefield and apologized desperately. Well, maybe.

Ha- my vanity.

Steven pulled one last ball out of his pocket, and instantly I knew who my final challenge would be. A metallic roar racked the entire room, billowing off the walls and washing through my entire body, and an enormous, monster-like Metagross stepped onto the field. I could feel the threatening vibrations through the floor as the steel beast approached, purple-hued eyes glinting with fierce resolution. I staggered back despite myself. Damn!

I wheeled tenaciously back onto my heels, trying to infuse mockery into my gaze. It seemed to have worked. Steven raised an eyebrow. At that point I began to wonder- could his eyes really slice through my pretenses the way they seemed so convincingly to? Was this act I was putting up merely entertaining him? Or is it to… entertain myself? To assure myself of my own strength?

I shook my head, suddenly adamant. I had to win, and I knew I would.

"Metagross, use Psychic!" Steven called to him. For a moment I heard a note of rage in his level, stone like voice. The sound of his exasperation left a feeling of radiance off of my heart.

Metagross crouched down onto his… err, toes- and sent toxic blasts of psychic energy from his techno-purple irises, straight for Swampert.

Instinctively, Swampert leapt up into the air. "Alright, Swamps- use Hyper Beam!" Instantly, my water-ground Pokémon had a perilous beam of energy tearing from his mouth- downwards towards Metagross.

"Use Meteor Mash!"

There was an awful blasting sound as Metagross' arm flew forward, smashing violently into Swampert. He collapsed with a tremendous BANG, dust released into the air. I knew he had fainted. But Steven didn't. Within the next second, Swampert was up- again. He had inhaled another foul-tasting Revival Root, being careful to hide his dining from Steven's line of sight.

"Alright, Swampert! Use Earthquake!"

Swampert pressed his palms onto the battered floor. There was a vicious rattling, and the ground slid violently from beneath Metagross' enormous feet. A thud sounded, and the great steel menace was slammed into the dust. I waited a moment for him to stir. Then I saw my chance.

I knew my unavoidable move needed to be the end of this battle. I took in a deep breath.

"Swampert- quickly! Muddy Water!"

In that second, a surge of water rose up, fearsome and determined, just as I was. Swampert had summoned a vicious wave of polluted ground water. Victory began to scream like adrenaline into my heart and lapping its way through my veins, as the column rose over my head, and burrowed into Metagross, ending our (somewhat) virtuous battle.

At the same moment I won, hot fingers seemed to run up my torso and into my throat. This wasn't really my win. At all. But I swallowed my disgust with myself, and stepped onto the field, to get a look at my new predecessor.

He looked… pleased. Glad that he had had a challenge to amuse him, and to have fortuitously lost. Internally, I marveled. His benevolence made me wither with shame. But I of course didn't show it.

"Well, would you look at that," He muttered, taking a resigning step forward. "-I've lost."

I racked my mind for an answer that wouldn't make me sound stupid. "I guess you have."

Suddenly, an idea came to me. But it was, sort of daring. Then I figured; I was the new Champion of Hoenn. If something was daring, it wouldn't seem out of place for me to say it- right?

"So…" Heart pounding, I tottered on my heels, grinning through gently pursed lips. "-about that lunch break?"

He laughed. "We'll see,"