-April 22nd, 2018-
As he stood in his chamber, preparing for his battle, he could hear it all. The cheering, the roar of the crowd, the excited banter of the announcers, the increasing intensity of the music as they introduced his opponent.
-"He is the heir to the Devon Corporation, the only child of President Stone", proclaimed the announcer, at his cue, the silver-haired inventor stood to wave at the crowd. Although being close to retiring, he stood tall and proud, shouting his thanks and love to each spectator. "Ladies and gentlemen, he became champion of the Hoenn region at the age of 20, the youngest to hold that title. Let's see if he can hold on to it today, give a round of applause for Champion Steven Stone!" The crowd erupted into a frenzy as the Champion stepped out from the doorway, silver-blue eyes brimming with intensity, yet with a serene calm of a veteran warrior.-
"Hm, the youngest champion, until today," he said to himself with a chuckle. He glanced at himself in the mirror, and saw his partner staring at him, as if he was trying to read his emotions. "I guess I should have dressed nicer," he said to himself, adjusting his faded red hat. Although he had a lot of money from his travels, he rarely spent much on his clothing or other trivial items, preferring to buy gear and training equipment for his Pokémon. He left his vest open, onto which were pinned two golden badges, proof of his accomplishments. "Are you ready for this, Blaze? It's not going to be an easy match." His partner merely growled his reply, lifting himself from his perch, smoke bellowing from his nostrils. "Heh, I'm going to take that as a yes", he said while returning his friend to his pokeball. He stared at the scratched orb in his hand, remembering when he first held it in Professor Oak's laboratory so many years ago.
"I'm sorry sir, but we're waiting for you."
A sudden voice snapped him out of his nostalgia. And with that, he clipped the pokeball to his belt, along with five others. As he walked towards the arena, the cheering got louder. "And here we have our challenger, the man who beat our Elite Four just a few days ago. He is the champion of the Kanto region", the Announcer yelled over the shouts of the fans, "Famous for his defeat of the powerful dragon master Lance, coming to us from Pallet Town, I present to you-!"
But the announcer's words were lost to his ears, as he focused on the trainer across from him on the opposite side of the arena. Steven looked him in the eye and nodded his respect towards his fellow Champion, remembering their previous engagement. "It's a pleasure to battle you again," said Steven.
"Red."
