Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. o.o

The blizzard, white and cold, howled across the empty mountain. The stinging snow whipped across the girl's skin; the gale tore at her hair. Her white hat, by some miracle, managed to stay on her head. It was cold, numbingly cold, but the girl didn't seem to notice. She stood a few paces away from the edge of the cliff, facing out over the entire Johto region. She heard the footsteps in the thick snow behind her, but she didn't turn. Only when the Trainer behind her spoke did she move.

"Are… Are you Champion Kotone?"

The girl looked over her shoulder, turning her brown eyes on the speaker. It was a young boy, around thirteen years of age, shivering from the cold. His voice was cracked and unsteady. The girl tilted her head ever so slightly, gazing at the Trainer. She nodded once.

The boy tensed: shifting ever so imperceptibly into a crouch, his hand unconsciously reaching for a Pokéball on his belt. The girl recognized these; she recognized the boy's behaviour. He wanted to challenge her, like so many others did before him. And lost.

Even before the boy opened his mouth to speak, the girl knew what he was going to say. They always said their names first, as if introducing themselves could actually change the outcome of the battle.

"My name is Soul. I challenge you!"

With that, the boy snapped a Pokéball off his belt and threw it towards the girl. A Noctowl burst out of the Pokéball and materialized in front of its Trainer. It gave a low hoot and tilted its head to face her. The girl didn't react. She continued staring at the boy. When he saw that she wasn't picking a Pokéball, he frowned. "Come on, choose your Pokémon already!"

The girl closed her eyes. She shook her head slowly. "You are not ready," she deadpanned. The boy did a double-take. "W-What do you mean?" The girl just frowned and repeated, "You are not ready." The boy took a step forward. "Of course I'm ready! I defeated the Elite Four and the eight Gyms of Kanto! What are you talking about?"

The girl shook her head again. "I can tell that your Pokémon do not trust in you. Your Noctowl, it does not have a connection with you. You do not love and trust your Pokémon. You only see them as mindless tools to help you achieve fame and glory. I will not battle a Trainer without even the basic love for his Pokémon."

The boy scowled at the girl's apt description of him. "But, even so, you can't turn down a Trainer challenge! It's the rule – any two Trainers who meet eyes must battle!" The girl tilted her head again. She smiled. It wasn't a kind smile, but neither was it a cold smile.

"Oh, but I am not a Trainer. I am the Champion. That is why I refuse your challenge."