Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. Otherwise there would be more subtle hints about trainer customization in Sun and Moon, which is going to be so awesome. I can't wait for that at all. But first, the final chapter of this story.

"Speech"

'Thought'

'Written Text'


Rayquaza soared through the sky of Hoenn, content with the zephyrs that flowed past its scales. Those winds were promised signs of peace that had finally returned. As the dragon flew it left behind a lasting trail of emerald light that was like a northern aurora.

That light reached out all across the region. Its shine would vanish from sight but not the brighter meaning behind it.

...

"T-the energy signal is gone sir. The meteoroid has been destroyed."

Everyone in the Space Center glanced at the woman who said that and then back to the screen. Indeed, the dramatic threat had ceased. Emotions of glee and relief sprung from all in the room.

Amongst them, Professor Cosmo tried to find a chair to sit down in. The last twenty four hours had been too stressful on him. At least this moment was a good one for him.

"I can't believe that they actually did it." He glanced back at the screen one more time. "Thank you, Brendan and Erica."

...

Wally walked down the stairs of his house with his bag and pokeballs ready. His optimistic face was the most attractive, and probably unexpected, feature of his appearance.

"Ok. Bye, Mom and Dad. I'm off."

The excited tone of the boy was very surprising to his parents. Although it was a little while since he was assaulted, his attitude had changed a lot. They actually didn't ever expect that he could be too excited.

As Wally exited the house he was greeted with a very unusual sight. A keystone on the ground with a note next to it.

"Is this...mine?" Asked the meek boy before picking it up. Being curious, he scanned the paper.

'Sorry about earlier. You do kind of look kind of cool. Maybe we could battle some time.'

'-Zinnia'

Red bloomed on Wally's face once he completed reading the sentence. Never would he expect that she would return his keystone. But he accepted the return, regardless.

A prospect of learning how to better connect with pokemon was very appealing and difficult for him to turn down.

"I guess I'll battle you sometime. It would be nice to learn how to fly better with Altaria."

He put the keystone back in his pendant. There was now the chance to grow even stronger again.

...

May rubbed her head frustratingly as she sketched her Sceptile that rested against a tree.

"Oh, why can't I ever get your head right?" Exclaimed the girl with a hint of anger. Erasing over her efforts, she aimed to restart and hopefully improve from the last errors.

"May!" A voice from behind interrupted the peaceful atmosphere. May turned over to see her father running over while trying to keep a hold on his bag.

Professor Birch's clumsiness managed to make the scene more interesting by tripping him over a Seedot. His daughter and her pokemon felt nervous just watching this embarrassing display of falling face first into the ground.

"Are you ok, Daddy?" Asked the girl as she helped him up.

"I'm fine. But more importantly, this note was in front of our house." He pulled out an envelope and handed it to May.

The letter had her name written on the front, so it was obviously for her. An abnormal amount of weight within the note made the girl very curious.

Opening the envelope revealed the keystone that was tucked inside. Gawking in surprise, May almost missed the letter inside.

'I'm returning this to you now. That was a really good picture of Aster that you drew. I think that she would like you to do that again.'

'-Zinnia'

Utter surprise took the girl's face and any words that she could comprehend for this. May felt a lot of confusion as to what had happened with Zinnia, but she was also really happy to have her keystone back.

"Uh May, what does the letter say?" Asked Professor Birch.

"Oh, its nothing Daddy. Say, isn't that a Nincada over there?" Said May with a cheerful attitude.

"What?! Where?!"

The brunette girl chuckled as her father sprinted for the bug pokemon. Her thoughts returned to Zinnia, wondering if she would run into that enigma again. Sceptile, however, appeared very confused.

"It's nothing to worry about. Brendan did say that this would happen." She glanced over to her keystone.

"At the very least, she doesn't seem like a bad person anymore."

...

Matt walked down the hallway with his head hung down. Depression towards his failure dictated that he not return to the Team Aqua base. But the honor of being a true man pushed him to own up to his mistakes.

He entered Archie's office and prepared for a fierce scolding to follow his return. The leader of Team Aqua faced away from the entrance while Shelly stood beside the desk. Two keystones on the desk were clear signs of a visit from Zinnia.

"Bro...I'm sorry..." Muttered the stalwart with his simple, yet honest, vernacular.

However, Archie didn't make eye contact with Matt. He only continued to face away.

Shelly responded to this interaction in her own way. That being sighing and placing her fingers on her forehead. Not very interactive but at least it would getting things moving.

"Archie, it looks like Matt is sorry for what he did. Do you have anything to say about this?" Asked the woman.

Being silent and strong didn't last any longer after that. Archie turned to face Matt with a solemn face, he seemed ready to have a very serious talk..

"This is unforgiveable."

Words convey what people think and those words perfectly spoke Archie's mind. Matt could not even make eye to eye contact with his 'bro' anymore. The shame for his actions were just too heavy.

"It is unforgiveable...what I have done." Matt and Shelly looked over to their leader to see him visibly upset and slamming his fist into his desk.

"What do you mean Archie?" Asked Shelly in surprise.

"I am the only one to blame for damning the world and driving my crew into despair's depths."

In the light of truth, there was more despair encircling Archie than Matt. The pride and honor of being a leader fled from him at the moment. But this was the chance he needed to say that.

"Matt, Shelly, its time to make a fresh new start. I need you two and the rest of our team to make this world a better place. It's time to let our beliefs about changing the world through force go."

One could not change the world like that, when they are completely blinded by radicalness. Power could move the world only if a perceptive mind handled it.

"This might be scary and unknown, but we as Team Aqua need to meet with people we don't understand. We need to understand the world with them...That's the kind of Team Aqua I want to lead. Can I count on you for that, Matt?"

Stunned in silence, Matt couldn't form the appropriate response for this forgiveness. A sign of trust was cast as Archie extended out his hand.

Matt flinched at this gesture. In spite of contributing to another potential apocalypse, there was still a chance for redemption waiting.

"Y...Yeah! You bet I will bro!" He slapped his hand into Archie's.

"My goodness. These two just can't handle emotion." Whispered Shelly with a smirk. "Well...it could be much worse. At least they're taking the right steps this time."

...

Courtney walked down the entrance hallway of Magma's base. She was prepared for some fierce reprimanding from Maxie. Whether it would be because of her vigilante actions or her failure to succeed in them were up for debate.

Either way, this wouldn't be enjoyable in the least.

Her march to Maxie's office was interrupted by Tabitha's sudden appearance. An awkward silence was the only product of the two's interaction.

"Ugh! This isn't going as planned!" Yelled the rounded man. The unexpected outburst obviously surprised the kuudere.

"Uh...what...?" Courtney couldn't fight back the tears in her eyes. She was a lot like a little girl at the moment.

Tabitha felt irritation and exhaustion at his subordinate's actions, which was made evident by him scratching his head. There would be a better approach to this.

"Look, just say your sorry and everything will be better. I will make sure to pass it along to Maxie."

"R-right...I...I'm sorry...I won't do that...again..." Muttered the kuudere through her sobs.

Sighing, Tabitha placed his hands on her shoulders in an effort to cheer her up. Some good words of empathy would be an effective remedy.

"The boss hasn't found it to forgive himself either. He feels just as bad as you do about using extreme reactions."

Hearing this surprised Courtney even more than before.

Forgiveness, especially from the ones who were wronged, can mend any wound. It would be both the leader and his subordinate who would seek it. Pride for their beliefs had driven them to act against the world.

But the chances to make the right decision would never abandon anybody.

"...Leader Maxie...wants to be forgiven?" Tabitha nodded his head.

"That's right. He wants to lead us to a new future together with those who we don't fully see eye to eye with. Whether that is people, pokemon, or even nature itself."

There would always be those who one couldn't come to comprehend. To meld with them and see everything in a similar light would be correct path to take.

"In order to achieve that goal, he needs us."

"...Leader Maxie...needs...me too?" Courtney was very surprised.

"Yes, will you go with us?"

Though she gave an honest effort to answer, Courtney could only continue to weep. She accepted the offer with a shaky nod of her head.

Honestly, Tabitha felt nervous just being there. Never would he expect the habitually quiet girl in front of him to have so much emotion.

'Oh well. Its probably better that she does this.'

Behind a nearby corridor, Maxie had listened intently to the conversation between his subordinates. In one of his hands were the two keystones, courtesy of an old comrade. His posture remained steady, but there was no hiding that one tear that came out of his eye. However, the rest of his face remained composed.

"Welcome back, Courtney. It's good that your letting your emotions out." Whispered the leader while pushing up his glasses again.

...

Steven stood outside the Devon Corp. building with a bit of a sullen face. While it was true that he had the intent to save the planet, the geologist still had some regret about almost killing innocent people.

Adding that to the fact that he didn't even know about this other universe would throw down his mood. Scientists didn't like being stymied by the unknown.

There was also the long talk that awaited between him and his father. President Stone would need to be made alert about the parallel world. He might end up even more depressed than Steven was.

'Looks like I need to brighten up before I talk to him.'

Perhaps the arrival of Wallace would probably brighten the scene somewhat. And, hopefully, he could give Steven the cheerful mood he needed.

"I take it that you feel guilty?" Inquired the fashion model.

"Just a little, so I'll be alright. But to think that there is an entirely different universe out there is astonishing." Answered Steven with a temporary flash of amazement, but it was shot back down quickly by a pitiful smile.

"And to think that you almost killed another Steven Stone makes you feel down?"

A flash of amazement came to Steven. He hadn't even considered that the other universe had another of him there. The infinite possibilities that lied in that parallel world were daunting and possibly unsurmountable.

Perhaps it would be better to leave it that way. No fact could ignore that the world he lived in was already filled with so much wonder.

Discarding the awe of multiple universes, Steven returned his attention to his friend. It didn't fit his usual image to be sullen.

"I should thank you for your help at Sky Pillar." Complemented the geologist.

Wallace simply shrugged his shoulders with a complacent grin. "This is my home too."

Steven laughed at this friend's response. It was a typical thing of Wallace to say.

The past few weeks had brought about several incidents for the former champion that were the opposite of empowering. Barely being able to hinder one of the primal pokemon and failing to use the correct method to stop a meteoroid from impacting Hoenn were both left in the hands of his successor.

'Perhaps being the champion was never a role that I was meant to fulfill.' Thought Steven.

Now understanding the importance of his universe, Steven was attracted to the possibilities that lied within it.

"You know, Wallace, I suddenly feel compelled to learn more about this world."

"Even after learning about the existence of another universe?"

"I know, it is ironic. But there is the sense that there is so much more to mega evolution and to pokemon that is meant to be discovered."

Wallace had to laugh a little bit at that decision. Though it was humble given the prior crisis, it was still ludicrous.

"Steven, nobody can know everything in the world. There is absolutely nobody who can." Remarked the sootipolitan.

That truth left absolutely no room for an argument. However, the possibility of using knowledge to benefit the world and grow was simply too alluring. And besides, Brendan would take over the role of champion now.

"Well, I'm not going to pursue that just yet. Brendan will probably need a mentor for much more time to come. But when he can protect this region without my help, I am going to pursue more understandings with this world."

A quick laugh was an irresponsible yet appropriate response to be made.

"I guess that I can't stop you. Then I'll aid you when that time comes."

Steven bore a smile to his friend, thanking him for their understanding.

...

The crashing sounds of water in Meteor Falls would normally be annoying or distracting. At the moment, it was neither to Zinnia; she didn't have enough attention to give.

She was buried deep in the thoughts about her previous actions and her little sister. All of her pokemon, Aster included, watched her with concern. Suicidal actions weren't likely anymore, but her depressed mood couldn't be disregarded.

'Its over now. The keystones are back were they belong.' She glanced down to her own as she thought that. 'But now I'm not sure where to go.'

Deep in thought, she pulled her keystone out of the anklet and glanced at it. In a way, the gem was the cause and solution of her suffering.

"Zinnia." She turned over to see her surrogate grandmother approach. The stern look on the old woman's face foretold disappointment.

"You're upset?" Asked the Lorekeeper.

The old woman's expression relaxed a little, she was somewhat grateful at the return of the Lorekeeper and her adopted family. Seeing as how the conflict was now over and that Zinnia aided in the preservation of Hoenn, there was some praise to be had for her.

Though she still needed to hear some words of advice and comfort.

"I'm more worried that you still haven't let go of the past yet." Said the old woman.

Zinnia shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry, but I don't think that I am able to."

The dragons and the Whismur all looked at each other. They were trying to think of some solution to this recurring issue.

"You don't have to worry about me giving up my life or taking all the hate upon myself. That guy taught me that Aster wouldn't want it. But I still don't want to forget about her."

"There's nothing wrong with keeping the memory. However, are sure that Aster would want you to worry about her?"

Her grandmother's words managed to get through to the stubborn girl. Emotional strain became apparent on Zinnia's face as she clenched her teeth. She too had questioned that possibility.

Would the Aster in the past want her older sister to struggle in the present?

'Wait...past...present...' An epiphany illuminated Zinnia's mind.

Turning to face her pokemon, she could see it clearly now. Their were suffering from sharing her pain. She had let her past pain hurt her present pain and cloud her future.

The Whismur that shared the name of her younger sister waddled over and held its stubby arms up. Empathy and kindness cleared through the repetitious agony and showed what Brendan was trying to say to her.

Even if she was gone, Aster would only want the utmost happiness for her family.

Zinnia's composure collapsed and she picked up Aster into a hug. There were no tears, only gratitude.

"I understand it now!"

Aster chimed with happiness which got the other dragons to join the girl and the Whismur. More joy was shining in the scene as they shared kindness and happiness with each other.

The elder felt that happiness as well. Seeing her family finally free from pain was a joyous sight indeed.

'Now your wounds are mended child...you're not alone.'

...

"So those are called Litleonoids? Pretty weird that they are named after the pokémon."

After waking up on Sky Pillar, Brendan and Erica spent the day with some greatly deserved rest. With the participation against world ending catastrophes and nearly a full day of running around Hoenn, it wasn't any surprise that the couple wanted to just relax.

There were a few loose ends to be tied up first though. Their pokemon needed healing and Brendan had to explain to his family that everything was ok. After all, he hadn't been in contact with them for a whole day.

However, out of all the places available to go to in Hoenn, they decided to simply enjoy Mossdeep City.

Ironically, after the prior day's conflict surrounding astral objects, the space center was holding a festival to celebrate star gazing.

At that time of year in Hoenn, the stars would shine just bright enough for pleasurable viewing despite any light pollution. They were called Litleonoids as an attraction for the audience.

Erica didn't really agree with that decision.

"Is that a pokemon from Kalos? What does it look like?" Questioned Brendan with some eagerness.

"Well, they are four legged fire pokemon like Natsumi. Except they are a lot smaller and way cuter." Explained Erica.

"I've known Natsumi since she was a little Vulpix, there wasn't anything cuter than her back then."

Talking about cute pokemon made Erica think of Carbink. Though it had blatantly been a few weeks since she had last seen Kalos, it felt like months.

She had enjoyed her time at Hoenn, no doubt, but there was so much about her region that was attractive. Although nostalgic, she knew that her time of vacation must be spent properly.

"Its funny, isn't it? How everything is so calm and peaceful right now." Stated Brendan.

His girlfriend confirmed with a satisfied nod. The Space Center was practically in pieces during their last visit.

Brendan turned his attention to the stars out in the sky. Temptation of possibility was in that dark and vast sky. His journey already had many epic events to foretell, even allowing him a chance to ride atop a legendary savior.

Though the last event was epic, Rayquaza's mega evolution made Brendan realize something. He glanced down to his keystone and realized how difficult it was to maintain that potent state.

'I didn't have any trouble doing it twice when Groudon woke up, but Rayquaza needed a lot of energy.' Thought the brunette.

The daunting image of difficulty made Brendan feel some shame; and, ironically, it spawned eagerness.

Like Son Goku, knowing that there was more for him to grow made him eager to explore and enhance himself.

Such feelings and thoughts were kept inside. On the outside, he appeared very deep in thought.

"Brendan-kun, is something wrong?"

"Nothing, trying to keep Rayquaza in his mega evolution was really hard. I feel pretty excited that I can get stronger."

"You really are like Brett." Complemented Erica.

Their intimate moment was interrupted by the intercom. It announced that the center was closing and visitors would need to leave.

"I guess that we should go now, huh?" Said the blonde girl with some disappointment.

"Yeah, but I know somewhere nice we could go."

Riding atop Latios and Latias at night was a unique and magnificent experience. In spite of the ringing of air against their ears, neither Brendan nor Erica felt any discomfort. In fact, this felt more comforting than the previous location.

A light ambient piano and stringed instrument song would be very complimenting for the scene.

"Down there!" Brendan pointed to route 114, just outside of Meteor Falls. The eon twins flew down and landed in the serene area.

Erica recalled the last time that she and Brendan were there, the night before they went to Mt. Chimney. One look up to the sky showed that the stars hadn't lost any of their beauty.

"The stars looked pretty back then, but now they are just so majestic." Exclaimed Erica with awe. Perhaps it had something to do with the recent events.

"Is that something about magic?" Asked Brendan with his limited vocabulary.

A sigh and a smile came from his blonde girlfriend. Brendan might be full of hope and heart, but he was still an idiot. Although a little annoying, his stupidity was another good thing that Erica loved about him.

Prying further into the mystery of vocabulary was on Brendan's mind, however he was distracted by the scenery.

The night sky was endlessly beautiful, the grass felt welcoming and comfortable, and the distant sounds of waterfalls were calming.

"I think it's a little rude to be keeping all of this to ourselves." Suggested Brendan as he pulled out his pokeballs.

His girlfriend agreed completely and they released all of their pokemon together. Some interesting interactions came about amongst the crowd.

As to be expected, Natsumi and Rin instantly began glaring at each other, however they stopped once Raishin got in between them and started to act as a mediator. Apato and Amber were eagerly spectating an arm wrestling competition between Aqua and Tetsa. Dokuro, Hantaro, and Aquarius were playing a sort of hide and seek game around the water.

"Heh, looks like everyone is having a good time." Remarked Brendan happily.

"Yeah. Where is Latios and Latias?"

Brendan turned around and pointed towards the grass behind them. The eon twins had situated themselves on the soft ground and gazed up to the stars above. They were enjoying each other's company calmly.

'Nii-san, I'm sorry that I wasn't able to help you at Sky Pillar.' Apologized the red dragon.

'Don't worry about it Latias. I heard from Brendan how you held out and helped them get in. That's pretty awesome on its own.' Praised Latios as he nuzzled his sister.

They returned their gaze to the stars above. It was very ironic that the two had been around for centuries, yet they learned a lot and bonded with those who were merely a fraction of their own age.

Their behavior also suggested that they would be younger as the two acted like teenagers. They also had the outlook of teenagers, sometimes.

'I wonder...what will become of Hoenn from here on out?' Questioned Latios.

Latias shrugged her shoulders, she didn't really want to know what lied ahead. Moments like these, bonded with others, were worth far more.

'Beats me. But I do know that we'll still be around to defend it. Let's just enjoy the peace now.'

Latios agreed with his sister's idea. 'You're right. This instance now is too rich to be wasted.'

Brendan and Erica put a little distance between themselves and their pokemon. They found an area with short grass and laid down to spend some quality time together. Silently, the girl entangled her fingers with her partner.

She sighed as her eyes darkened with a hint of sadness. There was no difficulty interpreting this for Brendan.

"I know. I don't want to leave you either."

"We'll have plenty of vacation time to meet and everything, so it's not just that I'll miss you. But now I'm worried that you'll get really lonely without me." Explained Erica.

By now, they had grown really attached to one another. Their separation would feel far more painful after everything they had been through.

Returning the thoughtful look, Brendan cast a look of sympathy. He freed his hand and placed it on her cheek.

"I'm glad that you care, but I think that I'll be pretty busy."

Discarding the interest for intrigue, Erica's expression changed. She knew that Brendan would have to hone his abilities as a champion, however his tone sounded far more serious than something that he'd take interest in.

The answer to what it was escaped the girl at the moment, leaving her with only the option to ask.

"What're you going to be doing?"

Brendan appeared a little reluctant and returned his gaze back to the sky. This vague action only succeeded in making Erica more curious.

"If it is something that you're ashamed of, don't worry. I promise that I'll listen."

Erica's considerate words succeeded in coaxing her boyfriend. Facing her in a literal sense wasn't achieved just yet though.

"Rayquaza chose to save Hoenn and the entire planet a lot of times. I could feel how kind and heroic he was when we fought together against that alien pokemon. Even our old enemy just wanted to help the planet and trusted that we would protect everything. People are going to repeat the mistakes in the past, so we will need to stop them again."

He sat up and continued to gaze up to the stars. Those gray eyes were filled with embarrassment but overshadowed by hope. He didn't know where Deoxys came from or why it wanted to protect Earth. Perhaps it was connected to that weapon from 3,000 years ago as well.

But it had inspired Brendan.

"I know now that just beating my opponents down isn't always going to make everything right. There's other ways to win a fight." He returned his gaze to Erica. "I want to search around Hoenn and find a way to befriend Groudon and Kyogre. I want to end their fight for good."

Erica's patient gaze was washed away by surprise. She knew that legendary pokemon could choose to have faith in humans, despite that she doubted either Kyogre or Groudon could.

And yet her pupil and boyfriend had found it in himself to see the good in even the worst.

Brendan shamefully shifted his glance away from her.

"I understand if you think that I'm being stupid, but-"

His speech was swiftly cut off by Erica leaping up and hugging him. She connected her lips to his and spawned a moment of intimacy. Brendan automatically knew that this meant that she accepted his thinking, so he kissed her back.

When they broke, he showed her a humored expression.

"Why do you do that when I'm trying to sound smart?"

"I guess you are irresistible when you try."

Being both serious and sympathetic, Erica placed her hand on Brendan's check and caressed it.

"Erica-chan?"

"I'm really proud of you Brendan-kun. When we first met, all you wanted to do was beat your dad. But now, you have such a good heart that you care about everyone."

Honesty never felt so good. Brendan even admitted to how he felt when Erica tried to leave. He didn't want to get involved with the problem of the primal pokemon, yet he did and was instrumental in the quelling of that conflict.

Zinnia separated him from Erica and taunted him repeatedly. Even then, he still found it to forgive what she had done and helped her out too.

And now here he was, trying to find good where most wouldn't even think there was.

"Thanks Erica-chan. But for now, until you have to go, I promise to stay with you."

She blushed and leaned down for another kiss. The two champions couldn't be any happier in this moment that they shared with one another.

...

About an hour later, the couple had decided to return to Littleroot town as Norman and Caroline would be waiting for them. Not many pokemon were active at night, so everything remained peaceful.

"I know that there aren't many rooms in your house. Are you sure that it's alright for me to come over?" Asked Erica.

"Don't worry about it. I'll just sleep on the couch." Insisted Brendan.

Arguing for his help was an idea that Erica wanted to follow, but she was well aware of her boyfriend's stubbornness.

As they continued, the humble town started to come into view. A few lanterns illuminated the gates and the few figures that stood around it.

Brendan didn't show much interest in this and assumed that they were older residents of the town. Erica shared in this mindset until they started to come closer into view. The voices started to clarify and become more familiar.

It was then that she realized just who they were. Surprise and eagerness fueled her soul, and she quickly grabbed Brendan's wrist.

"Are?"

"Come on, you gotta see this!"

Rushing forward, the figures started to become more and more visible. Erica couldn't suppress her glee anymore and shouted out.

"Brett! Keith!"

They heard that cry and the figures looked over to them. Two of the people dashed over and met halfway. Brendan could clearly make out their faces and realized that they were in the photo with Erica from a year ago.

"Erica! Its been so long." Greeted Keith.

"Well, look at you, getting all tall like that." Said Brett as he petted her on the head.

The blonde girl couldn't believe this surprise; she felt like a Growlithe meeting with its owner after months.

Brendan however, couldn't find the right words to pair with this situation. He was actually stunned in surprise at the fact that before him stood his idol. The moment that said idol looked at him, he instinctively straightened up.

"So you must be Erica's boyfriend. Good to meet you." The Blazing Fighter kindly stuck his hand out.

"Y-yes...it is really good to meet you t-too." Said Brendan as he tried to keep his composure while shaking Brett's hand.

The older of the two broke out in laughter. Before him stood a fanatic who could barely bring out the proper words.

"I hear from Erica that you're a fan. You definitely look like a good fighter." Complemented Brett.

Receiving praise like that gave Brendan much to be excited about. And he surely had much to ask these two.

"So you traveled with Erica around Hoenn? Has she been doing well?" Asked Keith.

There wasn't much difficulty for Brendan to discuss something with Keith. After all, this conversation was something that they were all experienced in.

"Yes, we've gotten through a lot of things together. And its because of her being my teacher that I became the champion."

That statement was met with slight surprise, neither of these boys suspected that Erica would be anywhere near the level to teach somebody that well. Brendan proved it to them by showing his medallion.

Just to make sure that he didn't get ahead of himself, they made sure to display their medallions as well.

"Wow, those look awesome." Complimented Brendan.

"Yeah they do." Said Brett. His medallion was gold and silver with a hexagonal center and two sets of wings that closed into it.

"Take good care of it, that is the proof of your hard work." Stated Keith. The medallion he had was the most basic as it was circular with streaks of red, blue, green, and yellow running across it.

While being in the presence of such great trainers, Brendan had a question brimming in this mind.

"Say, do you think that I'd be able to take either of you guys in a pokemon battle?" Asked the younger brunette eagerly.

"Nope, not a chance."

Keith's response was swift and somewhat crushing and Brett's nodding didn't add any cushion.

Normally Brendan would challenge this logic in a real battle, but if Erica was taught by these two then there was no argument. Though if anything, Brendan would take this as a chance to become better.

While Erica had many questions to ask, her attention turned towards the newcomer on the scene. A girl who seemed older than her with purple eyes, somewhat pale skin, and short brown hair.

Asking for a name would be customary, but Erica was a little too slow.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Erica. My name is Kate Kokoro." Introduced the girl.

Erica logically pieced together who she was after hearing the name and seeing Kate's white and orange crystal.

"You're Brett's friend!"

"Official girlfriend now. I'm very grateful that you took care of him while I was away. He tends to get ahead of himself sometimes."

Both girls laughed at that. They were certainly experienced in traveling with these headstrong guys.

This union of friends and introductions was greatly received, but it did spawn a question in Erica's thoughts. Weren't both of her teachers supposed to be busy?

"Not that I'm ungrateful for you guys being here, but weren't you two busy before?" Asked Erica.

"Actually, that is what we came here for. We've got some news." Explained Keith.

Both Erica and Brendan were confused by that initial answer. But this news would surely promise something good if it meant bringing these guys to Hoenn.

"Because of the problems with world ending disasters, the Pokémon Leagues of different regions have agreed to change how long we need to stay in a region." Said Brett.

Saying that there was simply surprise on the protagonists' faces would be an understatement. A feeling of remorse and longing spread as they both assumed that this meant they would need to spend even less time together.

Such blatant expression of dread was easy to pick up, and it would be easier to heal.

"Don't worry, now we only need to be in a region for about two months of a year."

"What?!" Exclaimed both champions.

Keith decided to chime in at this point and clarify.

"The Leagues decided that it would be best to have champions around on short notice to prevent these kinds of disasters from happening. Hoenn is probably late to this because of Brendan being the new Champion and Erica being out of Kalos.."

Brendan couldn't believe it, his heart jumped and celebrated for what this guaranteed. Now there would be so much more time to spend with his girlfriend.

There was so much to be elated for in this moment that words couldn't define his feelings. Only the action of hugging Erica and laughing with these people could show how great he felt.

In the end, bonds with others would tread through and overcome the toughest of trials.

...

About an entire week had passed since the incident with the meteoroid. Hoenn had since calmed down and everyone's lives had returned to normal. In fact some new pokemon started to appear.

Many noted the addition of several pokemon that must've migrated from Sinnoh, Unova, and even Kalos. This was a new and much welcomed experience for trainers and researchers.

At Littleroot Town, Norman sat down on the couch, watching over the house while Caroline was out for a bit. On the table in front of him lied a letter.

'Dear Dad

'I know that I am going to be away for a bit with Erica-chan to Kalos, but I'm sure that Hoenn will be fine. Steven-senpai said that he wanted to stay behind and help Devon and Keith-senpai said something about some powerful pokemon he was going to look into. But I'm sure Hoenn will be fine with just you around. I can't wait to battle you again one of these days. I'm excited to see how strong you'll be getting with your pokemon. Anyway, we'll be back soon. I'll make sure to call you and Mom to let you guys know how we are.'

'Brendan'

After finishing that note, Norman sighed a little. His son was growing up. It was a little abrupt that he decided to leave and go to another region, but the father was well aware that Brendan was far from being irresponsible.

In all honesty, Norman knew that Brendan was seeking to do something that was practically altruistic.

"That boy. He's grown up well."

...

A cruise ship set off from Lilycove city, destined for a region that was far off from Hoenn. Many passengers were probably going off to see loved ones, make new establishments, or distribute new teachings. But a certain couple were seeking an answer.

Though an unfortunate goodbye would have to come first for them.

"It's really sad that you guys have to go." Remarked Brendan to Latios while he leaned on the rails of the ship.

'Yeah. To be honest, I would like to stay with you and keep battling.'

The brunette pushed himself up off of the rail to give the dragon some confidence back.

"Don't sweat it. You gotta protect Hoenn right? I'll be back soon, so don't worry."

Presenting his fist out, Brendan demonstrated the confidence he had in his bond with Latios. In response the blue dragon pushed his own hand against Brendan's. These two had come a long way together.

Latias and Erica didn't really display any signs of despair as they were saying their goodbye. Rather the two were fully aware that they would meet again.

'I can't wait to see you again Erica. I'll train with Nii-san and grow even stronger.' Promised Latias.

"I'm sure that you will, and I'm looking forward to it too."

As the boat started to get even further away from Lilycove, the eon twins decided that it was time to disembark. They flew off towards Southern Island, waving goodbye to their friends.

Brendan sighed and leaned over the rails again, looking at the crashing waves below.

"You miss them already?" Inquired Erica.

"Yeah, but we'll always be connected." To make a point he pressed his fist against his chest. "As the Fighter of Fiery Passion, I say that we will!"

Erica had to laugh a little in response. The name that Brendan had chosen as a champion was fitting and hilarious.

"But I am a little worried. How are we going to find those legendaries, or even that guy you were talking about?"

Their goal in the Kalos region was to find Xerneas, Yveltal, and AZ. It was likely that the answers they sought lied in those beings.

"I wouldn't dwell on that too much. First you've got to meet my mom, and I think that she'll like you very much."

The promise of a new adventure ahead was great. When Brendan had first come to Hoenn, he was greatly excited for what was to happen and now he would be able to repeat that experience again.

Xerneas and Yveltal were able to trust in humans to build stronger bonds and connections. Their hopeful ideology gave Brendan hope that there was a way to connect with Groudon and Kyogre. With that thought in mind, it wasn't too improbable that there was a path that both the primal pokemon could follow together.

AZ was also somebody to consult about this. Since he was so old it was very likely that he saw the conflict and knew more than even the Draconids did.

On top of all that, there was all of Kalos to explore, and Erica would be with Brendan all the way.

"I'm so excited. Kalos is going to be awesome!"

"That's good. I'm sure that you'll love it."

Brendan and Erica grasped their hands together and looked up to the big blue sky hopeful for whatever was to come next. Their future together with pokemon was infinite.

Dreams always start out small with discrimination and fear circling around them. Sometimes they are crushed or morph endlessly with no heed to reality.

But with understanding and support, they rise into reality and are able to create the future. Pokemon and humans together could look down that same shining road and go down it with the same smiles and hopes. There would always be the trials to hinder progression, but there would always be somebody to persevere and inspire.

Just like Brendan and Erica.

So much lied in the future and the new generations to come.

Fin


Well, it is finally done. Thanks for reading my story; I hope you liked it a lot. I am glad to finally be done with this story it took so long and was so difficult to write. As always, let me know if you liked this with some sort of gesture (like a review or favorite), and I'll see you guys next time.