AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I don't generally do author's notes before chapters, but I think it's a bit necessary for this one. This chapter is a bit experimental, because I wanted to write for Logan and Luna's journeys in Unova and Alola, but I was really aiming to hit the key points. Because of this, this chapter jumps around A LOT. But it's all linear timewise.

I hope that I wrote it effectively enough to where people don't get confused, but we'll see! It's all mostly dialogue, so...

Chapter 67 - Logan and Luna - Best Friends Forever

Unova

"I did it!" Luna, a girl the age of 10, yelled. She had short black hair and a blue one piece that fell to her knees. She ran out onto the battlefield and hugged her Tepig tightly. "We won our first badge!"

"Congratulations, Luna," Cilan said as he approached her, holding a tray delicately in his hand. He lowered the tray to reveal a tri-colored gym badge. "You've earned this!"

Luna took the badge and held it high. "I can't believe we did it! I've been dreaming about this moment my whole life!" She turned to Logan. "We did it! We did it!"

Logan grinned and gave her a thumbs up. "I didn't doubt you for one second!"

"Now it's your turn!"

"Tepig, use Flame Charge!" Logan ordered. He wore a white t-shirt with a black Poké Ball design on it and black, baggy pants with white trim. His dark brown hair was a shaggy mess, and his face was currently plastered with sweat from the heat of battle.

The Fire-type stamped his feet, and sparks started to form. He dashed forward as his entire body was engulfed in flames.

"Panpour, dodge!" Cress commanded.

The Water-type jumped over Tepig and landed behind him. He grinned, and Tepig's face was filled with sudden terror.

"Water Gun!"

Water burst from Panpour's mouth, and it connected directly. Tepig was flung into the air and crashed against the wall.

"No!" Logan yelled. He ran to his Pokémon and crouched over. "Tepig…" He couldn't believe it. It was his first ever gym battle. It was something that he thought about for so many years, and somehow, he lost.

"Tepig is unable to battle. Panpour and Cress are the winners!" the referee declared. The customers who silently ate at their tables all glanced over at Logan and clapped quietly.

"It looks like you need a bit more work," Cress said. He ran his fingers through his long blue hair. "C'mon back after you've trained for a bit! We're open seven days a week!"

"You can't stop us!" a grunt wearing what appeared to be medieval cosplay yelled. "Timburr, use Low Kick!"

"Purrloin, Fury Swipes!" the other grunt commanded.

"Ember!" both Luna and Logan ordered in unison.

All of the Pokémon used their attacks, but it was the long-ranged fire attacks that won out. Timburr and Purrloin both collapsed to the ground, and looks of horror came over the grunts' faces.

"We did it!" Logan said. He and Luna high-fived while the grunts returned their Pokémon and ran away.

The two Tepig danced happily together before one of them suddenly stopped, seemingly freezing in place.

"What's happening?" Luna asked while her Tepig started to glow white.

"I think he's evolving!" Logan exclaimed.

Tepig started to shift and grow. His body morphed as the white energy surged through him. The white energy suddenly exploded from his body, and a new Pokémon stood in Tepig's place.

"It's fantastic!" Luna yelled.

Logan pulled his Pokédex from his back pocket and scanned the new creature. "Pignite, the Fire Pig Pokémon. Whatever it eats becomes fuel for the flame in its stomach. When it is angered, the intensity of the flame increases," it chimed.

"I have a Pignite!" Luna ran out and grabbed her Pokémon. "My Pokémon is so strong!"

Logan looked down at his Tepig. Tepig glanced back up at his trainer and then looked down in shame. Logan leaned over and pet Tepig on the head. "No, buddy! We'll get there! We just gotta keep doing our best! And you know what, even if you never evolve, I'll always love you!"

"Yeah!" Luna said. "It's not your time yet, Tepig! But you're also super strong!"

Tepig smiled. He looked at his brother and marveled at his newfound strength.

"Tepig, one more Ember!" Logan ordered.

His Pokémon jumped into the air and released the flames downwards. They pelted into the small black and red Pokémon. It collapsed and Logan took his chance, something that he had been waiting years to do.

"Go, Poké Ball!" Logan yelled out while he dramatically through his Poké Ball into the air. It connected with the small Pokémon and absorbed it within the bright white light. The ball rocked back and forth for multiple seconds while the trainers and their Pokémon held their breath. And then, it let out its soft ding.

Logan grinned from ear to ear. "Y-yes! I did it! I caught my first Pokémon!" He ran onto the small field and picked up Tepig in one arm and his Poké Ball with his free hand. He danced around joyfully, waving around Tepig in a wild manner.

Luna smiled. "And something as rare as a Zorua is quite the first catch."

"Pignite, use Heat Crash!" Luna called desperately.

"Zebstrika, Wild Charge!"

Luna's round and chubby Pokémon became entirely engulfed in flames as he leapt high into the air. Fire exploded from his body, and he started to flip as he descended towards the ground. Zebstrika responded by collecting electric energy and surrounding himself with it. He charged forward, and the Pokémon crashed into one another, sending smoke into the air. When the smoke cleared, only Pignite remained standing.

The referee held up her flag. "Zebstrika cannot continue! The winners are Pignite and Luna!"

"Yes!" Luna yelled out. "That's badge number four!" She held out her hand, four of her fingers extended in a dramatic fashion.

"Pignite!" the Pokémon howled. His body started to glow as he flexed his muscles, and he was soon covered in a pure white light. His body grew almost double in size, and when the glow faded away, a new Pokémon stood flexing in front of Luna. He roared loudly as his body surged with power.

"You evolved, Pignite!" Luna exclaimed happily.

Logan looked down at his Tepig and smiled. "Your brother is extraordinary."

Tepig looked downtrodden.

"But don't worry. I think you're even more extraordinary. You're excellent, Tepig," Logan said as he smiled and nudged Tepig playfully.

Tepig smiled and looked out as his twin roared fire into the air.

The two trainers sat at the edge of the theme park. Their various Pokémon played in the grass with one another while the trainers enjoyed cotton candy.

"I had an idea," Luna said while she stuffed pink fuzz into her mouth. "What if we traded?"

"Traded? I love my Tepig though. Even if he doesn't evolve, I'm sure we'll become the strongest team in Unova."

"Not Tepig and Emboar," Luna said with a laugh. "I was thinking your Petilil for my Emolga."

Logan was taken aback and he paused for a moment before answering. "Why? Seems like an odd trade."

Luna watched as Emolga tried to lift Tepig into the air. "I think Emolga likes your Pokémon. And Petilil is adorable, so I'd love if she was on my team. Also, if we trade Pokémon, then we'll always have something that will remind each other of… well each other. When I see Petilil, I'll know that she came from my best friend and vice-versa."

Logan laughed. "But if we're always traveling together, there's no need. I get what you're saying though. I'd love for Emolga to join my team."

Luna nodded. "Then it's settled."

"You've become quite the trainer, Logan," a chubby man in a cowboy hat said from across the battlefield. "You make us all here real proud."

Logan didn't respond. He looked out onto the field, attempting to form a strategy. His Tepig was heavily damaged from the battle before, and Clay's Excadrill was no pushover.

"But I won't take it easy on you because your my best friend's son!" Clay declared. "Excadrill, finish this with Slash!"

"Tepig, give it all you got! Hit Excadrill with your strongest Flamethrower!"

Excadrill and Tepig charged at one another. Tepig took in a deep breath and then released flames across the field. The flames washed over Excadrill completely, but somehow, someway, the Ground-type survived. He appeared from the flames and slashed his large claws downwards. Tepig instinctively lifted his arms and caught the sharp claws in his hooves. The two were in a stalemate, glaring intensely at one another.

"C'mon, Tepig," Luna mumbled. "You can do it!"

"Tepig, close-ranged Flamethrower!"

Tepig howled, and his body became engulfed in a white glow. He and Excadrill remained standing with their claws intertwined, but Tepig grew in size. Soon, the white faded away, and Tepig had turned into Pignite.

"Yes!" Logan yelled.

Pignite opened his mouth and unleashed flames directly into Excadrill's face, sending the Steel-type backwards. He crashed into the ground and was unable to make the effort to stand back up.

The referee raised his flags. "This battle is over!"

Luna, Logan, and Clay all stood outside of the Driftveil City Pokémon Center. Clay was bent over and breathing heavily and Luna and Logan had shocked expressions on their faces. They had never seen a man that big run that fast before.

"I'm-so-glad-you-haven't left-yet," Clay managed to huff out. "Oh geez!"

"What's wrong?" Logan asked.

Clay stood back up straight and held out his hand. "Nothing is-wrong. I just gave some-thought to it, and I want-you-to take this." He revealed a Poké Ball with slightly faded paint and hinges with rust on them. "It's your-father's Excadrill. I think he'd love if you took him on your journey."

Logan slowly grabbed the Poké Ball and then examined it. It was probably all in his head, but he believed he could feel his father's journey within the ball. "I don't know what to say…"

Clay laughed. "Don't say anything! Just take it! Excadrill may be old, but he can still fight."

Logan smiled. "Thank you…"

"Logan!" Luna yelled as the ancient building around her collapsed. "Logan, where are you?"

A sudden roar filled the skies and lightning cracked against the ground nearby. A giant black figure appeared overhead and landed directly in front of Luna, shaking the tower. It roared loudly at her and opened its mouth, forming electricity around its maw.

"No!" Logan screamed. He ran out in front of Luna and held open his arms. "Zekrom, stop! We're not your enemies!" His Pignite ran to his side and copied his defensive pose.

Zekrom appeared confused, and his attack slowly faded away.

"Logan…" Luna whimpered. She collapsed to her knees.

"Zekrom, let's go," a voice called. Everyone turned to find the boy with long green hair. "Now's not the time for us to fight. Team Plasma will retreat for now."

Logan backed up and turned to Luna as the boy with green hair got on top of Zekrom. The Dragon-type let out a roar before jumping into the air and flying away.

It was soon quiet in the old building, and Logan fell to his knees. Sweat raced down his brow, and he tried to hold back his tears. "You-you okay?" he asked Luna.

She nodded. "How about you?"

"It was scary…" He looked around. "They really did a number to Dragon Spiral Tower..."

"Wherever they go next, we'll be there."

"Samurott, Razor Shell!" the boy with dirty blonde hair, Aaron, ordered.

"Serperior, use Leaf Storm!" Mao, a girl with a silk red dress and pitch black hair shouted.

"Emboar, try your Fire Blast!" Luna commanded.

The three Pokémon all jumped forward and used their attacks, easily cutting through Team Plasma's Pokémon. The three trainers looked at one another and smiled.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, Logan was alone and face to face with the boy with long green hair.

"You've truly shown me that you're passionate about Pokémon. I think that you can understand them like I do," the boy said. "But let's put that to the test."

From the air, Zekrom let out its roar. It came down to the ground, shaking the entire forest with its presence.

Logan took a step back, but his Pokémon stood strong, taking a few steps forward.

"Guys…" he mumbled.

Pignite shook his head and then stomped his feet. Zorua, Emolga, Excadrill, Fraxure, and Seismitoad followed. They all glared at the giant dragon that stood before them.

Logan nervously laughed. "Alright then. Let's do this!"

The four Pokémon charged forward as Zekrom charged his attack.

"Bolt Strike!" the boy with long green hair ordered.

Zekrom took into the air and then unleashed a ball of blue electricity towards the ground. It exploded on contact, sending all six of Logan's Pokémon back. Pignite immediately stood back up and growled, ignoring the pain from the attack. His body started to glow white. He shifted and grew, and soon, Logan's Pignite had finally become Emboar.

"Yes! I knew you had it in you!" Logan yelled. "Let's go! Use Fire Blast! Zorua, Dark Pulse! Emolga, Thunderbolt! Excadrill, Focus Blast! Fraxure, Dragon Breath! And Seismitoad, use Hydro Pump! Go!"

"One more Bolt Strike!"

The Pokémon all unleashed their attacks, and what followed as an explosion that would change White Forest permanently.

"Emboar, use Arm Thrust!" Luna ordered.

Her Pokémon, tired from the battle previous howled. He ran forward and swung his arms at his opponent.

"Samurott, Razor Shell!" Aaron commanded.

His Pokémon ducked under Emboar's attack. He pulled a sword-like shell from the sheath on his leg and filled it with aquatic energy. With a singular swipe, he sent Emboar stumbling backwards.

"Now, finish with Hydro Pump!"

Samurott opened his mouth and blasted a giant stream of water. The water crashed into Emboar, sending the Fire-type to the ground.

"Emboar is no longer able to battle!" the referee declared. "Samurott wins, which means that Aaron takes the victory!"

"What a way to end the quarter-finals! A hot battle between two hometown friends ends with Aaron picking up the win!" the announcer yelled into the microphone.

Luna returned her Pokémon and walked to the hallway with her head down. Logan waited for her, and as soon as he could, he gave her a tight embrace.

"You did great!" he said.

Luna buried her face into Logan's shoulder. "But not great enough!"

Logan held Luna by the shoulders. "But you did your best, and that's all that matters!"

Luna reached into the small cooler that she brought with her and pulled out an orange popsicle with two sticks on either side. She gripped one end and handed it over to Logan. He grabbed it and pulled hard, snapping the popsicle in half.

"Cheers," they said while tapping the two popsicles together.

Logan licked his and laughed. "It's so good! I love this weather! Not too hot! Not too cold! Unova summers are the best!"

"Logan…"

"What?"

"Do you want to keep traveling together?"

"Yeah!" he said with a smile. "We pinky promised!"

Luna nodded. "I think we should leave some of our Pokémon here with Juniper when we go. It can be like a fresh start. I was thinking that I'd bring along Krookodile."

"In that case, I'll bring Zorua with me. I'm sure the others would like a little bit of a break."

Luna smiled and sucked on the popsicle. "How does Alola sound?"

"Alola? That sounds like a blast!"

Alola

"It's so hot," Logan muttered as he looked up into the sky. "Why is it so hot?" The two had just gotten off of the plane, and the heat from Alola was the first thing they noticed. The others around them seemed unaffected, and they quickly walked towards their destinations.

Luna nodded and she wiped her sweat away with her towel. "Maybe Alola wasn't a great idea after all."

They looked at each other and laughed.

"You two must be Luna and Logan!" a voice called.

The two turned around to find a man with tan skin and a long grey mullet He wore a button up shirt with floral print on it and khaki shorts.

"My name is Professor Oak!"

"Zorua, use Dark Pulse!" Logan ordered.

Zorua leapt into the air and formed a ball of dark energy in front of his mouth. He unleashed it forward, and it exploded in front of the small yellow Pokémon.

"Now, go Poké Ball!"

The ball connected with the Pokémon, absorbing it completely. It fell to the ground and rocked back and forth before letting out its signature ding. The Pokémon had been caught.

Logan jumped up and down. "Yes!" He ran to the Poké Ball and held it tightly in his hand. "Pichu will make a great addition to my team!"

Luna smiled. "Now I have to find something to add to mine!"

"Well, this is maybe breaking the rules, because you're not from Alola, but you're both technically the age where we give out Pokémon here. I guess we've made the exception before though. So, have your pick," Professor Kukui, a professor with no shirt but instead a lab coat said. He motioned to the three Pokémon that sat behind him on the stage.

Luna looked at the Pokémon closely. "Alola's starter Pokémon are so cute!"

The blue Pokémon blew a bubble with her nose. It popped, surprising the young Pokémon, and Luna squealed with happiness.

"Well, it looks like you've made your choice," Logan said. Luna nodded and then pet the small Pokémon. Logan locked his eyes on feline Pokémon with black and red fur. "I had so much fun raising Tepig into a strong Fire-type, and I like the idea of raising Litten. I'll go with you, buddy."

The Pokémon purred as Logan lightly stroked his ears.

"Litten can be mischievous, but I'm sure you'll have fun," Kukui said.

Logan stood on the cliff with his small brown and grey Pokémon, and the two struck poses in synchronization. It was night time and the air had cooled down, the city had become quiet, and the waves of the ocean had relaxed.

"You look ridiculous," Luna said with a laugh. She sat on the grass with her now evolved Brionne.

"All of this ridiculousness will be worth it when we can do this!" Logan struck his final pose, but nothing happened. "This!" he yelled out again while doing the pose one more time. Logan let out a sigh when nothing came of his efforts. "Maybe Rockruff and I aren't on the same level just yet…"

Luna stood up and walked to Logan's side. Brionne followed. "Let's try altogether. I think you have to truly be passionate about all of the moves. Don't just do them for the sake of doing a strong attack."

"It's hard to be passionate about dancing when there's no music."

Luna laughed. "There's music everywhere, Logan. Listen to the waves crash. Listen to the wind flow through the trees and grass."

"I like the off rhyme you have going," Logan said with a sly grin. He closed his eyes and listened. "There's rhythm in everything if you really think about it."

He slowly moved his arms back to their original position. Rockruff followed and took his pose. The two moved together, and the energy in the area shifted.

"Here they come! It's our two finalists, Logan and Luna!" an announcer's voice boomed from the distance. Logan and Luna, who were riding on their own separate Mantine, could barely hear him.

"We have one more trick!" Luna exclaimed.

"We'll make it count! We're taking home the gold!" Logan said with a grin.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!"

The two shifted their bodies, sending both of the Mantine into the air. They both did various flips, and the crowd cheered with every turn.

"Over-the-Gyarados!" the two yelled out together.

Their Mantine both attempted the moves, flipping in perfect unison, and upon completion, they both posed. Logan landed flat on the surface of the ocean, and the crowd let out a cheer.

"Logan lands a perfect Over-the-Gyarados!" the announcer screamed.

Everyone turned their attention to Luna who was performing her final flip, but when it was time to land, Luna's Mantine mistimed it, and both of them were swallowed under the water. The crowd collectively gasped with worry.

"Luna!" Logan yelled out.

Luna and Mantine quickly resurfaced, and they were okay. Logan let out a sigh of relief, and he turned his Mantine around to meet them. The duo slowly returned back to the beach. Luna tried to hide her embarrassment while Logan tried to hide his excitement. When the two made it to the shore, they were met by the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our winner of the 42nd Annual Mantine Surfing Competition, Logan Stephenson!"

"I did it!" Logan said while holding up the small trophy. He looked at Luna who huffed and avoided his gaze.

"This last move will do it," Logan muttered. He looked across the battlefield at his friend.

Luna nodded. "I'm sorry, Logan, but I have to win no matter what!" she declared. "Emboar, use Flare Blitz!"

"Lycanroc, finish with Stone Edge!"

As Lycanroc charged his energy and pulled the jagged stones from the ground, Emboar shot forward. Lycanroc unleashed the stones into the air and they raced towards Emboar, but the Fire-type was too strong. He broke through all of the stones and then towered over Lycanroc. With one last lunge, he tackled into Lycanroc, tossing the Rock-type backwards. Lycanroc crashed into the wall behind Logan and then slumped to the ground.

"Lycanroc is unable to battle! Emboar wins! The victory goes to Luna Devons!"

Logan stared at his Pokémon in shock before running over to him and holding him in his arms. "I'm sorry, Lycanroc… I'm sorry…"

Luna returned Emboar to her Poké Ball and then sighed. Without saying anything, she turned and went back to the hallway.

"It looks like our finals are set! It's going to be Luna Devons from Unova taking on Alola's Clayton Iosua!"

It all became a blur to Logan as he turned around to face the crowd. His picture was erased from the board and the reality that he would not be moving on slowly set in.

Semi-finals again.

Present Day

The day of battling had finished, and the matches for the next day were set. As soon as the ceremony ended, Logan found Yuta in the mess of people. The two immediately left the crowd and found a field where they could relax and watch the sunset. They sat down and were silent for awhile.

"How do you feel?" Logan asked. "I know that it can all be a rush, but losing is never fun."

Yuta looked towards the orange sky. "I'm okay. This is only a stepping stone. Even the strongest trainers lose sometime."

Logan laughed. "I didn't think that you'd be this positive."

"Thank you, Logan."

"Thank you? For what?"

Yuta pulled his knees to his chest and smiled. "Everything. Today's battle was a dream come true. Next time, I won't lose. I promise you that. But also, thank you for taking care of Yurie."

"Huh?"

"Yeah. She was pretty helpless a year ago, and now she's not half-bad. It makes me proud to know that my classmate is strong. So, thank you... for everything."

Logan nodded and then smiled at his youngest rival. "No problem! Do you know what your next move is?"

"I'm going to stay and finish watching the Ever Grande Conference. I can't miss your match tomorrow. And then, I'm off to Kanto."

"My match tomorrow..."

"Good luck."

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

So, there was a very odd summary of Logan's two years. I originally wrote in a portion where Logan and Cyan interact, but it kind of spoiled aspects of Cyan's story, so I had to cut it. Nonetheless, I hope that you enjoyed this. If I were to write these two years in a more extended format, I'd make sure that it wasn't only dialogue.

Next chapter, Logan vs. Luna.