I don't own pokemon, nor it's characters :)
Seeing Excadrill fly through the stadium, Iris sent a brief prayer to Zekrom that everything worked out. This drill run was their last chance, otherwise everything they'd been fighting for would be lost.
Her pokemon collided with the normal type Bouffalant, causing it to come hurtling down to the ground with a resounding crash.
Seeing a cloud of dust fill the air, Iris felt her breath hitch in her throat as the commentator chattered about which pokemon survived. Apprehensively, she blinked at the sight, her ears barely registering the resounding silence which filled the exuberant stadium.
After what felt like eternity, the clouds disappeared, revealing an exhausted and battered Excadrill, hunched over an unconscious Bouffalant.
'Bouffalant is unable to battle, Excadrill wins. This means the winner of this Champion Quest is Iris, the new Champion of Unova!' The male referee called, holding a red flag up to indicate Iris's corner had won.
'I... I won?' The young woman from The Village of Dragons blinked at the man in disbelief. Could this possibly be real? Was she dreaming? She barely heard the sound of her Excadrill's excited bellow over the roar of the crowd, before her steel type pokemon came crashing into her, tackling her into the ground.
'We did it, Excadrill, I can't believe it!' Iris beamed as she clutched the large pokemon in a tight hug. They'd all fought so hard for this battle, and they'd won. All of their training, their struggles and tears were finally being acknowledged.
'Congratulations, Dragon Master,' Alder laughed, seemingly unaffected by his loss as he joined them on their end of the battle field after recalling his partner pokemon.
'Thanks, Alder,' Iris grinned back at the red haired man, hastily jumping to her feet and dusting off her clothing.
Noticing the man offered her his large, calloused hand, Iris confidently took it in her own before shaking it.
With a smile, she continued, 'That was a great battle, your pokemon fought well. I'm sure you must be proud of them.'
'Thank you, young lady, but fighting well wasn't enough in this instance. Don't you worry, I'm as proud of them as I have ever been with them,' The man roared with laughter, scratching the back of his head slightly, a sure sign that his thoughts were elsewhere.
'What will you do now?' Iris frowned as the man who had been the epitome of all things powerful in Unova for decades turned.
'Me? I'll go on another journey to train and find my true calling,' Alder muttered, appearing for the first time to be slightly perturbed. After all, being Champion was all he knew, how could he possibly face the real world now?
'But you'll be back, right?' Iris whispered frantically, never having considered the domino effect of her winning this battle.
'Of course I will, you ladies can't get rid of me that easily. Now hurry up and get to the back rooms so Professor Juniper can get the formalities sorted,' Alder winked in his usual boisterous manner before sauntering out of the stadium, leaving Iris to face the deafening roars of the crowd alone.
Dazed, the young woman with violet hair returned her pokemon before facing the way she'd come. In that small room was not only her long time rival, Georgia, but also Burgundy, Cilan and the green haired man's brothers, Chili and Cress.
Letting out a calming breath, Iris turned to face the room in which her friends could be found.
Once she was certain that she would not shake with emotions—let's face it, Georgia would never let her forget that—Iris moved to meet the professor, whose youthful expression was filled with an eager smile. The woman, who had been advised her role was indefinitely impartial, had confided in the young Dragon Prodigy that she was struggling with that particular clause of her contract. Knowing she had the woman's support had only intensified Iris' nerves for the impeding battle.
'Congratulations, Champion Iris,' The brunette winked slyly at the younger woman, who suddenly found herself grateful for her sun kissed skin, which hid her bright flush at the title. She might have accused Ash of being a little kid, but couldn't help the instinctive reaction of her body.
'Professor Juniper, I'm still the same old Iris that you've known for years,' Iris giggled nervously, scratching the side of her head in an almost anxious manner. Honestly, she didn't want any ostentatious titles, she just wanted to achieve her goal—become a Dragon Master.
'Nonsense, today is a momentous day in your life, and once we've finished the paperwork with Bianca, we'll celebrate with your friends!' The professor beamed before ushering the younger woman into a side room before she could even catch a glimpse of her friends.
After what seemed like forever, Iris was dragged by none other than her excitable blonde friend into a spacious room, filled with journalists, high executives and a few other significant characters within society. Whilst she'd finally attained the title she'd longed for, Iris hadn't realised how dreadfully boring the task could be.
Glancing around the room, Iris could not see any hint of her friends, and was feeling increasingly claustrophobic. All around her were men and women dressed in the most intricate fashions, chatting away in a tediously polite manner. Remembering the wild hills she'd roamed as a young child, Iris felt her heart pound as the walls seemed to close in on her. She needed to get out, and fast, lest she collapse in a room full of stranger.
If only Cilan was there, he'd always been able to read her every movement like a book, creating diversions by being one or another foolish connoisseur.
Hearing someone's steps come behind her, it took Iris all of her resolve not to attack the newcomer, telling them to stay away from her personal space. Her heart was pounding in her ears and she was frantically looking for an exit, needing to be outside, alone.
Where was Cilan? He'd know exactly what to do to calm her hammering blood pressure.
'Your battle was simply exquisite, with an array of exquisite flavours, if I do say so myself, Mademoiselle Champion,' A soft voice beamed into her ear, pulling her thoughts to a resounding halt. All at once, she felt her aches and fears wash away as she closed her eyes momentarily to enjoy the sound of the man's soft voice. He may appear pretentious, but Cilan had more substance to his character than most of the people in this room. He grounded her in every way possible, arguing reason whilst she screamed about freedom and arts. He was like Zekrom and she was Reshiram, part of a whole.
Pushing aside such thoughts, Iris tried to ignore the subtle Butterfrees filling her stomach at the presence of the green eyed man.
'Cilan!' Iris squeaked before turning to the man and giving him a tight hug.
'Now, as much as I appreciate the subtle flavours brought by these formalities within society, I know that you prefer a much more resounding spice. So, as much as it pains me to say this on your Championship Coronation, would you care to share the evening sky with me?' The green haired man questioned, offering Iris an arm.
With an ecstatic squeal, Iris grabbed the man's pristine shirt and rushed for the nearest exit, growling, 'Are you kidding me? I've only been waiting to hear those words all night! Let's go, Cilan!'
The man gave her a bemused glance before grinning, 'I sure love your zest for life, Iris.'
'Yeah, yeah, we all know you love me, let's get outside already!' Iris growled, unaware of her friend's flushed and anxious expression.
'W-what? You mean you know?' Cilan questioned, uncharacteristically, and violently, pulling his arm out of her grasp.
'What? Cilan, what's gotten into you? Why are you blushing?' Iris frowned as she turned to face the taller man, at a loss as to the reasoning behind his actions.
'Well, you see... It's just that I, ummmm,' Cilan began, frantically glancing around them for a distraction, losing all of his self-composure.
'Oh Kyurem! Cilan, are you in love with me?' Iris gasped, her own maroon eyes widening in shock, unable to tear her gaze from the man before her.
'Well, you see, Iris, I uhhh,' The man muttered, unable to meet her stunned stare as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.
The woman blinked once before registering just how uncharacteristically her friend was behaving, almost as though he were shy.
With a giant grin, Iris took a step forward. Her heart was pounding and she felt more anxious than when she'd faced Alder, but she knew she had to grab this chance. As gently as she could, she placed a light finger on Cilan's lip, knowing how fragile his disposition was compared to her own.
Once she knew she had his attention, Iris met his gaze, soothing him as she would a wild pokemon. With a small smile, she whispered, 'I love you too, silly.'
It took her a moment to register the joy which lit up his face before she closed her eyes and captured his soft lips in her own in what would be the first of many kisses.