Chapter 73 - The First Rival

Almost Four Years Prior - Nuvema Town

"Hey, Luna!" Logan called while the four trainers exited the lab. "Your Tepig! He's my Tepig's twin brother!"

"What? Really? That's awesome!"

"So, we'll always be connected in that way!" Logan grinned. He winked at Professor Juniper who was watching them through a window.

"That's amazing, Logan!"

The boy who selected Oshawott gagged. "You two are weird!"

Mao smiled. "I think that Aaron is just jealous that he doesn't have that kind of connection with you, Luna."

"Shut up!" Aaron yelled.

They all laughed.

"Logan?"

"Yeah?"

"I think it'd be hard if we separated our two Tepig, so maybe we should travel together. I think it could be fun," Luna said shyly.

Logan scratched the back of his head and laughed. "I was actually thinking the exact same thing!"

"I repeat!" Aaron yelled. "You two are weird!"

One Year Prior - Ever Grande Conference Top 16

"Giga Drain!" Mao yelled.

Serperior darted through the rocks on the battlefield and avoided the flames. She wrapped her body around the large Fire-type and began to suck away his energy with every squeeze. Emboar weakly whimpered as his face started to turn blue.

Not this time.

"Flamethrower once more!"

Emboar struggled as he looked towards the ground. He released his flames once more, engulfing both of the Pokémon in a bright red fire. Serperior screeched out as the flames scorched her body, and she slowly released her grip.

"Head Smash!"

Emboar, with both of his arms, grabbed a hold of Serperior. He held out his old friend in his hands in front of him, and the two looked at one another, breathing heavily. Emboar tilted his head back, paused, and then rammed it into Serperior once more. Serperior's body went limp, and Emboar let go. Her body fell to the ground into a small pile before Emboar roared once more, releasing flames into the air as the crowd cheered.

The referee raised her flag. "Serperior is unable to battle! Emboar and Logan are the victors!"

Mao's face faded away from the screen, and Logan and his team were displayed. Emboar fell to one knee and then slowly pet Serperior on her head while both of the trainers entered the field.

"We did it!" Logan yelled out. He gave his Pokémon a hug from behind. "I'm so proud of you, Emboar!"

Mao helped her Serperior up slightly and gave her a hug. "Serperior, you're wonderful. To go toe to toe with someone like Logan isn't easy, but you did it without hesitation."

"Thanks for the battle, Serperior," Logan said.

Serperior nodded with a gentle smile before the red light from Mao's Poké Ball overtook her body.

"And thank you, Mao. I've had this battle on my mind for a really long time, and I'm very glad that we could finally do this again."

One Year Prior - Ever Grande Conference Top 4

"Arm Thrust!" Luna commanded.

"Hammer Arm!" Logan shouted.

Both Pokémon let go of the other, and then they charged energy in their hands. With one swift strike, they both jabbed, knocking each other in the jaw. They held out and glared, both struggling to maintain the position. After one deep breath, Swampert's arm collapsed, and Emboar began to chuckle to himself.

"No…" Yurie muttered.

But then, Emboar fell forward, his face falling into Swampert's chest. Swampert stepped backwards, allowing his opponent to collapse to the ground. He then raised his arms into the air and let out a battle cry.

"Emboar is unable to battle! Swampert is the winner! The victory goes to Logan Stephenson!"

"What a battle!" the announcer's voice echoed throughout the stadium as the crowd erupted into cheers. "Logan makes a comeback against all the odds, and he will be moving onto the finals!"

Luna slowly walked onto the field to Emboar and she knelt down. Logan met with her in the middle, and he bent over so they were at eye level. They both had tears in their eyes.

"That was quite the battle," Logan said quietly.

Luna nodded. She smiled through the tears. "It was."

Almost One Year Prior - Nuvema Town

"Second place in the Hoenn league? Not bad," Logan's friend, Aaron said. He laughed. "Not bad at all."

Logan had been back in Unova for a few days, relaxing with his Pokémon and contemplating his next move. When Logan heard that Aaron was returning from his journey, he met with his old friend at the docks.

"I saw that you also placed second. Sinnoh sounds like a nice place."

Aaron nodded. "The weather is comparable to Unova, I guess. When it snowed, it came down hard." He picked up a stone and tried to skip it across the water, but it sank within a few leaps. He had a cool look to him, dirty blonde hair, and a keen fashion sense with the color blue, but he was clumsy. "I think you'd have a fun time there."

"Where are you going next?"

Aaron thought for a moment. "It's always hard to make that decision. Galar looks like it could be fun, but I've also loved Johto and Sinnoh. I think I'd like to spend another year in that part of the world. I know I can win this time around, so either Hoenn or Kanto. And you?"

Logan looked down at his reflection in the water. His face had gotten considerably thinner since the last time that he was there, and the black hat that Yurie bought him now looked a bit too big for his head. "I don't know."

"Now, that I think about it, you and I have never officially had a battle, huh?" Aaron said. "I squashed Luna at the Vertress Conference then got squashed by Mao, but you and I never got that chance. I wonder how that'd turn out."

Logan laughed. "Maybe one day we'll find out. You're the only rival I've never defeated. How about in one year, we meet back in Unova, rent out a stadium or something, and we go all out?"

Aaron nodded and then gazed at Logan. "That sounds like fun, buddy."

Present Day

Logan stayed up the night before the Top 8 battles would start. He studied Aaron's battles in Unova, Johto, and Sinnoh, taking notes and building a team that he thought would do well against his first rival. Yurie stayed up with him, helping him to pick and choose his team.

The next day, the Top 8 battles started, which meant that the rules had changed slightly. They were still battling on the regular field, but battles were now full six on six, and they were allowed to substitute without consequences.

Haruto and Maleah quickly finished their battles, advancing to the Top 4. And in the blink of an eye, it came down to Logan and Aaron. Their names were called, and they slowly walked down the hallway together.

"You and me, buddy," Aaron said quietly. "I wish this could have been in the finals, but those dang Magikarp, ya know?"

Logan nodded and then stopped at the entranceway. He sighed and then smiled at his old rival. "Aaron, if this is my last battle, then I'm glad it's with you. My journey would have made a full circle."

"Are you forfeiting?"

"Never."

"The following match will be a full six-on-six battle! A winner will be decided when one side has lost all of their team! When one side loses three Pokémon, we will enter a short intermission. Trainers, are you ready?" the referee asked once the two got into place.

"Ready."

"Begin!"

"Toucannon, go!" Logan shouted while throwing his ball forward.

"You're up, Arcanine!"

The two Pokémon emerged onto the field and glared at one another. Toucannon hated being bothered with battling, but she hated fainting more. She would battle as hard as she could if it meant getting it done and over with.

"Arcanine, use Wild Charge!" Aaron commanded.

"Oh? We're starting off really strong," Logan commented. "Hyper Voice!"

Arcanine charged down the field, electric sparks exploding from his body. He leaped into the air, prepared to tackle into the Flying-type. But she was angry and hated electricity. She opened her large beak and let out a screech, stopping Arcanine in his tracks. The electricity faded and he held his head down, trying to block out the sounds.

"Bullet Seed!"

Toucannon took into the air and then unleashed her attack, raining bullet-like energy down. Arcanine took each attack directly, unsure of how to escape from the onslaught.

"Extreme Speed! Go!" Aaron ordered.

Arcanine leaped out of the way of the remaining attack. He used his powerful legs to send himself into the air, tackling directly into Toucannon. The two were brought back down to the field, crashing hard and blowing up smoke. Arcanine retreated, waiting for Aaron's order.

"Arcanine, finish this quickly with Flare Blitz!"

Arcanine howled and then dashed forward, flames erupting from his body.

"Beak Blast!"

Arcanine jumped into the smoke, causing one more explosion. Ash rained down from the sky and onto the field as the two Pokémon's forms slowly came into view. The smoke only allowed their silhouettes to show through, but both appeared to still remain standing.

Then, Toucannon lunged forward, releasing a massive beam of energy from her large beak. It engulfed Arcanine completely, making him howl from the pain. He was quickly silenced though, and when the beam faded away, the Fire-type collapsed.

The referee waited for the smoke to completely clear, and when it did, he made his call. "Arcanine is unable to battle! Toucannon is the winner!"

"And just like that, we have Logan Stephenson taking the lead in this battle!" the announcer yelled.

Sora sat back in his seat. "That Arcanine didn't have too much experience. In fact, he was relatively young."

Yurie looked at him. "Really?"

"I can tell from his aura. It was a rookie Pokémon. I think that Aaron is trying to play a psychological game with Logan. By allowing him to take the first win with ease, he's giving him a false sense of hope," Sora said. He looked in Logan's direction. "But from Logan's aura, I can tell that he hasn't relaxed. Maybe he hasn't fallen for it."

Aaron withdrew Arcanine and then instantly drew out his next Poké Ball, tossing it into the air. His Samurott, a Pokémon that Logan was familiar with, emerged and posed with his swords.

"That Samurott's aura is completely different. It's as though he's been to war and back. Things are going to get intense real fast," Sora said.

"Use Swords Dance!" Aaron commanded.

"Steel Wing!" Logan shouted.

As Samurott performed his ritual to super-charge his attack capabilities, Toucannon raced forward, her wings becoming hard as steel. She struck Samurott in the face, knocking the large Pokémon backward. But when Samurott collected himself, he snarled with a cocky grin.

"Aqua Jet!"

"Beak Blast!"

Toucannon prepared to use her attack, but before she could even start, Samurott blasted down the field. He tackled into Toucannon, and the force of his attack was so strong it sent the Flying-type into the air. She came crashing back down, her body completely limp.

"Toucannon is unable to battle! Samurott is the winner!" the referee announced.

Maleah, Seshiru, Emma, and Haruto all sat backstage, watching the battle.

"This is Aaron's style. He charges his Pokémon up with something like Swords Dance, and then he hits hard and fast," Maleah explained. "This battle might end up being the fastest one in the league. It's going to consist of a lot of one-hit knock-outs."

"Not if Logan battles smart," Seshiru said.

"Haxorus, you're up!" Logan shouted while throwing forward his next ball. His Dragon-type Pokémon appeared and then roared. He glared at Samurott, recognizing him. The two would battle using their tusks and scalchops when they were in their earlier forms. Haxorus had never won a sparring battle.

"Trying to appeal to nostalgia, Logan?" Aaron asked. "It won't work."

"Dragon Dance!"

"Aqua Jet!"

Haxorus roared, and arcane energy swirled around his body. He began to charge up, but Samurott was fast. The Water-type surrounded himself with aquatic energy and then bounded forward. He collided with Haxorus with a strong attack, but the Dragon-type managed to remain standing.

Logan grinned. "Now it's my speed against your power! Try to keep up! Use Dragon Claw!"

"Liquidation! Go!"

Haxorus was quick as lightning. His claw became covered in arcane flames, and he swiped. Samurott tried to draw out one of his sharp swords, but he was struck too quickly. His body dragged against the field, but he quickly recovered, wielded one of his swords, and then dashed forward. He struck, but Haxorus caught the blade with his claws.

"Megahorn!" Aaron yelled.

"Catch it with Poison Jab!"

The horn on Samurott's head became infested with dark green energy. He headbutted in an attempt to stab Haxorus directly, but the Dragon-type was quick. He moved his head slightly, catching Samurott's horn with his poisonous tusks. The two struggled momentarily, fighting for some sense of power.

"We can end this!" Logan shouted. "Giga Impact!"

"Liquidation! Both swords!"

The two Pokémon backed away, and Haxorus howled. He bounded forward, white light exploding from him. Samurott responded by drawing out both his swords and then dashing. The two connected in the middle of the field, and an intense explosion followed, blinding the audience. When the smoke finally faded away, only one Pokémon remained standing, shocking the audience.

"Haxorus is unable to battle! Samurott is the winner!" the referee exclaimed.

Samurott roared. He held his swords above Haxorus and looked down at his fallen rival. He backed away slightly. His body was sore, so he moved with a limp.

"He blocked with one sword and then used the other to strike," Sora said. "He's not walking away without any damage, but he knew exactly what he needed to do. That Samurott is stronger than most Pokémon I've seen."

Logan took in a deep breath and then chose his next Poké Ball, releasing his Alolan Raichu onto the field. The Pokémon floated in the air on his tail, eyeing Samurott cautiously.

Aaron crossed his arms. "You know, I didn't need to do too much research on you, because of how long I've known you. However, I couldn't help but go back and watch some tape. There's a theme to your battles, Logan."

"What's the theme?" he asked. He knew that Aaron was baiting him.

"Your story is one of a comeback. You get knocked down, and then you come back for a victory. You lose, take a break, lick your wounds, and then you win," Aaron said. "You lost to Mao, and then you lost to Luna. You came back eventually and beat them, but you had no luck with the first battles. Unfortunately for you, this is our first time battling, Logan. You know what that means, right?"

Logan was silent.

"You can't make a comeback. Samurott, use Aqua Jet!"

"Thunder Punch!"

Samurott was slightly slower to respond this time, but when he gathered his energy, he shot down the field. Raichu responded by collecting sparks in his fist. When Samurott was close, he swung, and then collided, sending a shock wave of energy across the field.

"Don't let him get away!" Logan yelled. "Thunder!"

Samurott didn't have any time to run away or try a counterattack. There was a look of killer instinct in Raichu's eyes. He cried out, and the clouds above the stadium rumbled. In an instant, light struck down from the sky, coming down onto both of the Pokémon. It lit up the arena with its flash before quickly disappearing.

Samurott coughed and then looked at Raichu. He then slumped and fell onto his stomach.

"Samurott is unable to battle! Raichu is the winner!" the referee yelled.

Aaron returned Samurott, kissed the Poké Ball, and then tucked it away onto his belt. "Not bad. But we're not done. Go, Leavanny!"

Aaron's next Pokémon was tall, green, and by the looks of it, kind. It was a heavy contrast to his last two fearsome Pokémon.

"What's your read?" Yurie asked.

"A gentle heart," Sora said. "But when it comes to her loyalty to Aaron, she's willing to battle until she can't move anymore."

"Leavanny, use Sticky Web!" Aaron commanded.

"This is our chance to get in a strong blast!" Logan exclaimed. "Thunder! Give it all you got!"

"Rai-rai!" he cried out while making the clouds rumble once more. He was shocked with electricity before he locked eyes with Leavanny, ready to send it her way.

But she was calm and collected. She heaved before unleashing a blast of webbing from her mouth. It flew across the field and landed on Logan's half, seemingly doing nothing.

Raichu wasn't bothered. He pointed at Leavanny and then unleashed his attack. She took the blow directly, as there wasn't much else that she could do, but she had enough experience in battling to know what Aaron would ask her to do next.

"Mirror Coat!" he shouted.

Leavanny's eyes glowed purple, and she let out a screech. The energy that she had absorbed from before escaped her body, and she used her own mimicked version of Thunder. Raichu wasn't expecting the blast, and he was knocked into the air, almost losing balance on his tail.

"Well, looks like we won't be using Thunder anymore," Logan remarked when Raichu finally recovered. "Use Thunder Punch!"

"X-Scissor!" Aaron commanded.

Raichu rode on his tail in a downward momentum. His fist glowed with electric energy, and when the two were close, they struck. The energy connecting was powerful enough to be felt up in the stands.

"Hold her close!" Logan yelled while raising his fist into the air. "We're going surfing!"

"Huh?! What's this?! Is Logan about to use one of his signature Z-Moves?!" the announcer yelled.

Logan hit his first pose, and it was as though time stopped in the stadium. He quickly hit three more poses, gaining energy from his Z-Crystal. He launched the energy forward, and it fueled Raichu, who let out a loud battle cry.

"Stoked Sparksurfer!"

Raichu flew back, his tail sparking with power. He raced across the field, creating a wave of electricity. It engulfed Leavanny, and the flash of the light blinded everyone in the stadium. Sora's eyes widened, and he looked down in disbelief. When the light faded away, both Pokémon remained standing, only Leavanny had a blue forcefield surrounding her body.

"No way! Even an attack as strong as that one is useless when it meets an unbreakable shield like Protect!" the announcer yelled.

"X-Scissor!" Aaron yelled before Logan could think of anything.

Leavanny smiled and then crossed her arms. She slashed, hitting Raichu directly in the chest. The Thunder-type, the Pokémon that Logan considered to be his ace, and the first Pokémon that he caught in Alola, flew back and landed limply on the field.

"Raichu is unable to battle! Leavanny is the winner!" the referee announced.

"And with that, Logan has lost three Pokémon! We will now be entering a small fifteen-minute break so that you can enjoy some concession food or a bathroom break! Our trainers will need to regroup and rethink their strategies!"

Logan withdrew Raichu and then walked back to his bench. He looked over at Aaron on the other side. He never imagined that he'd be battling with his old friend in the Indigo Conference. He was as calm and collected as ever.

"You can win," a voice said. Logan looked to his right, finding a girl with midnight black hair, a purple plaid shirt, and short shorts. He wasn't sure if he was just imagining it, and his heart raced as though it were real, but he was now face to face with his old friend, Luna.

"Luna."

"He's right about you being a comeback story. You had to lose to Mao and myself before you could beat us. You had to learn to lose before you could learn to win."

"That's not really giving me a lot of confidence."

"You also had to lose to Midori before you could beat him. And you lost to Sora in the King of Kanto Tournament. But you came back. And you beat them. Your existence as a trainer relies on you losing before you win. You're an underdog with a reputation."

"How do you know about Midori?"

Luna got closer, and she sat down next to Logan. "But you do that this time. You can't afford to lose here. You can't afford a comeback story right now, Logan. You only lost those times because of small mistakes. You lost because you were confident in yourself or your Pokémon. Is now different though?"

"I think it is."

"Then why did you say that you'd be happy if your last battle was with Aaron?"

Logan paused.

"Have you already accepted that you're going to lose?" she asked. "Are you truly confident that you can make it to the end? What is it going to take to activate that fire within you? Do you want to lose? What's going on in that head of yours?"

"I don't know. I can win. I think. Last year and the years before, I had a clear image in my head. I'd win, I'd challenge the Elite Four, and I'd become champion. But now, I'm not sure if I can. I don't know if I deserve it."

"You don't deserve it, Logan."

Logan wasn't sure how to respond.

"But if you do happen to win, then it's clear that you would have earned it."

Logan looked back at Aaron who was writing in a notebook, making strategies for the second half. He turned to Luna once more, but she was nowhere to be found. Logan sighed, took in a deep breath, and considered his next steps.

I guess this battle is making me a little too nostalgic. I should have gotten more sleep last night.

The fifteen minutes were up quickly, and Logan and Aaron returned to their trainers' boxes, prepared to finish their long-awaited battle.

"Resume!"

"We're only down by one Pokémon! We won't lose!" Logan exclaimed. He pulled out his next Poké Ball from his belt and threw it into the air. His large Emboar emerged, blasting flames from his beard. But suddenly, the web from before reappeared on the field attached itself to Emboar's legs. It didn't do any damage, but it added weight to the Pokémon, making him slightly slower.

Aaron grinned. "Got ya with that. And, I'm sorry, buddy, but we're not gonna take it easy on you. Blastoise, let's go!"

Logan had battled with a Blastoise before, so he understood well what he was getting into. The large Pokémon revealed its cannons and then glared at Emboar, ready to do its damage.

"Blastoise, let's start things off with Shell Smash!" Aaron yelled.

"We're already slow, so what's the worst that can happen?" Logan asked. "Use Hammer Arm!"

Blastoise withdrew into his shell, and he started to glow. There was a sickening cracking noise that came from him, making the crowd nervous. Emboar raised his arm and ran down the field as fast as he could, being slowed down by the webbing around his feet. Once Blastoise finished his maneuver, he remained in his shell, as he knew that Emboar's attack was going to hurt. Emboar swung his massive fist, managing to lift Blastoise into the air. The Water-type flew a few feet up and then came out of his shell.

"Dark Pulse!" Aaron shouted.

Blastoise pointed his left cannon down at Emboar, forming a ball of black energy. He launched it towards the Fire-type, and while it wouldn't have normally done a lot of damage to Emboar, Blastoise's previous boost was enough to knock the large Pokémon, creating distance. Blastoise hit the ground and then prepared for Aaron's next command.

"Wash him out with Surf!" Aaron directed.

Blastoise pointed both of his cannons into the air and shot out aquatic energy. It turned into a tsunami and then targeted Emboar.

"Wild Charge!" Logan ordered. "But stay put!"

"Boar!" the Fire-type shouted. He stamped his feet, and electric energy exploded from his body. The waves washed over him, but with the light that radiated off of him, it was easy for the crowd to keep track of him. He remained still and withstood the attack, but it didn't come without cost. When the waves stopped crashing onto him and dispersed, he breathed heavily, the sparks weakly coming from his body.

Aaron's style is high risk and high reward. We have to finish this quickly or we'll be even farther behind, Logan thought.

"Now, charge!" he shouted.

Emboar didn't wait. He roared, and the electricity erupted from his body once again. He dashed forward as fast as his legs could carry him, picking up speed with every leap.

"Fight back with Surf!"

Blastoise had taken a lot of damage from Hammer Arm and his self-sabotaging attack, so the strain of his attacks hurt him. But he was quick. He pointed his cannons into the air, and shot yet another wave. It came crashing down onto Emboar, but only momentarily. The Fire-type continued forward and then tackled Blastoise, once more lifting him up. The Water-type was shocked, letting out a terrifying shock before flying backward, retreating into his shell. He hit the ground and was silent as smoke wafted above him.

"Blastoise is unable to battle! Emboar is the winner!" the referee announced.

"Amazing! Despite the type disadvantage and his lowered speed, Emboar managed to win this battle with sheer power!" the announcer declared.

"Emboar doesn't look like he has too much left. He took two powered-up Surf attacks and even felt the recoil damage of Wild Charge. I'm surprised he's still standing," Yurie said.

Sora nodded. "That Emboar knows that if Logan loses, both of their journeys are finished. He refuses to retire without a fight. The love he feels for Logan is incomparable."

Aaron quickly withdrew Blastoise and then showed off his next Poké Ball. "Next up is a friend from my journeys in Sinnoh! C'mon out and play, Lucario!"

His next Pokémon was bipedal with a canine form. It looked at Emboar calmly, its eyes giving off a soft blue glow.

Sora sat up in his chair.

"What's up? Really strong?" Yurie asked.

"It's aura is something amazing. I don't know how strong it is, but this Pokémon has abilities like I've never seen," he said. "However, something about this Pokémon's presence is comforting."

"I don't know what we're getting into," Logan said. "We can't do much right now, so use Flamethrower!"

Emboar kept his arms at his side, as he was unable to move, but his beard of flames intensified. He roared and then blasted the flames in a straight line down the field.

"Earthquake!" Aaron shouted.

Lucario roared and then smashed his legs into the ground, causing the field to shake. It didn't do anything to get rid of the flames that were already heading his way, but Emboar was forced to stop. The flames engulfed Lucario, but Aaron had a quick follow-up order.

"Meteor Mash!"

Lucario exploded from the flames and then jumped into the air. One of his fists started to glow with bright silver energy. He looked down at Emboar and then started to descend back to the field, ready to deal the final blow.

"Head Smash! Hit 'em hard!" Logan ordered.

Emboar grunted and then tucked his head in. He reeled back slightly, and when Lucario came in close, he lunged forward. His head connected with Lucario's fist, and the two stopped momentarily, as though time had come to a pause. Then, the two were launched backward. Lucario landed on his feet, but Emboar had met his end, his body dragging limp against the ground. He rolled over, looked at Logan one last time, and then lost consciousness.

"Emboar is unable to battle! Lucario is the winner!" the referee yelled, and the crowd cheered.

"This knock-out battle between two rivals from Unova is getting intense! We're nearing the end though, as Logan is left with only two more Pokémon!"

I'm not sure if Lucario is the kind of Pokémon that has the boosting moves like the others. Surely, he would have already done it already, right? Logan thought as he withdrew Emboar and then drew out a Luxury Ball. It's risky, but we're going to have to continue to power through this fight. I just hope that she's in a battling mood.

Yurie looked closely, trying to get a read on what kind of Poké Ball Logan was holding, as she knew what Pokémon he kept in each one. She couldn't help but smile when she saw that the ball he was holding was pure black.

"Slaking, c'mon out!" Logan yelled, throwing his Poké Ball forward. The once wild and crazy Slaking materialized on the field. She yawned and then scratched her body, and everyone could feel the energy suck out of the stadium. The web from before attached to her, but it didn't seem to bother her one bit.

"Logan, you've always had a thing for interesting Pokémon, but we're not going to give you a chance to do whatever it is you're trying. Lucario, use Close Combat!" Aaron directed.

"Aerial Ace!" Logan shouted. He had to keep his commands concise because the moments that Slaking would be listening were sparse.

Lucario took off down the field, chakra building up around him. He lifted one of his paws and then prepared to start striking wildly. But then, Slaking jabbed, aerial energy exploding from her fist. She hit Lucario directly in the mid-section, surprising the Fighting-type with her tremendous power. Lucario flew backward, landing on the ground. He tried to take a step forward, but the Aerial Ace was so powerful, and it made him keep over from the pain.

"Now's our chance!" Logan yelled excitedly. "Use Thunderbolt!"

Slaking didn't use Thunderbolt though, instead opting to yawn and sit down.

"Oh no."

"Lucario, use Ice Punch! Let's keep it still!" Aaron ordered.

Lucario took in a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and then glared at the lazy Pokémon. He bounded forward once again and concentrated all of his energy into his fist. He swung, clubbing the larger Pokémon in the shoulder, but Slaking didn't budge. Ice crystallized over her body slightly but not as much as Aaron had hoped.

"Now?" Logan wondered.

Slaking nodded, launching sparks of electricity from her body. The sparks hit the field and then shocked Lucario, who wasn't too far away. The Fighting-type screeched in pain and then fell to his knees.

"Lucario, we can't give up! Now's our chance to strike twice!" Aaron shouted. "Use Close Combat and finish this!"

Lucario tried to stand up, but his body was stunned. Electric sparks emitted off of him, preventing him from moving.

"Slaking, use-" Logan started, but then as soon as he saw his Pokémon yawn again, he stopped.

"It looks like we're at a stalemate, folks! Both Pokémon are incapable or don't want to battle!" the announcer said. "Who is going to strike first?!"

"Lucario, keep pushing yourself! Use Close Combat as soon as you can!"

"Slaking, focus! Use Focus Punch!"

The two Pokémon were still, but they tried to force themselves to do their attacks. Slaking looked at Lucario through worn-out eyes, and Lucario looked back, wanting to launch across the field and beat down the lazy Pokémon.

And eventually, Lucario managed to collect himself, and aura exploded from his body. He fought through the paralysis and leaped into the air. Chakra formed at all of his limbs, and he spun around, ready to punch and kick wildly. He reached the ground and kicked Slaking square in the jaw, but the Normal-type didn't flinch. Lucario followed with a jab to her stomach, but she was unwavering.

Then, Slaking reeled back, and in a flash, hit Lucario directly in the snout. Everyone froze as Lucario was put to a sudden stop, flying backward. She hit the ground, her body sprawled out. In an instant, the Fighting-type had been beaten at her own game.

"Sla-king," the Normal-type managed to mutter before yawning. She looked back at Logan as if to ask is it over?

"Lucario is unable to battle! Slaking is the winner!" the referee exclaimed.

"That Focus Punch is too strong," Aaron said to himself while withdrawing Lucario. He drew out a Poké Ball and then clicked his tongue before throwing it into the air. Leavanny came back to the field and bowed before looking up at Slaking.

Because of Mirror Coat, Thunderbolt is out of the question. This is going to end up being a close-ranged fight, Logan thought. I just hope that Slaking can pull through for me one last time.

"Leavanny, we have no choice but to take advantage of Slaking's laziness. Use X-Scissor!" Aaron ordered.

Leavanny was swift. She ran forward in a zig-zag pattern before ending up on Slaking's side of the field. She crossed her arms and then slashed outward, forcing the larger Pokémon to roll back. But unfortunately for her, Slaking rolled to her feet, grinning when the two locked eyes.

"Aerial Ace!" Logan shouted.

Slaking dashed forward, and aerial energy exploded from her fist, cloaking the two Pokémon in smoke. It was quick to clear though, revealing that Leavanny had used Protect once more, keeping her safe from the dangerous strike.

"Another X-Scissor!"

Leavanny crossed her arms and slashed again, straight through her own barrier. She hit Slaking in the stomach, making the Normal-type spin around and face her trainer.

"One more!" Aaron yelled.

Now the strike was to the back of the head, and Slaking fell forward, landing on her arms. She looked up at Logan, asking for directions. She wasn't finished yet.

"Crush Claw, Slaking!"

"X-Scissor! End it!"

Slaking's fist started to glow, and she pushed herself up and twisted. She brought her large arm down onto the Bug-type, who slashed as soon as she gathered up her energy. The two attacks met with one another, and both Pokémon held out momentarily, causing an implosion of smoke. Both of the Pokémon were knocked back, but this time, Slaking was unable to get back up.

"Slaking is unable to battle! Leavanny is the winner!" the referee declared. He looked at the Bug-type, seeing that she was nearing her final moments. He was prepared to rule her out of the match too, but she refused to collapse.

"And this brings Logan Stephenson to his last Pokémon!" the announcer said. "Will he manage a comeback, or will Aaron Nora be moving onto the finals?"

Logan took in a deep breath and looked at the field. He withdrew Slaking back into her Luxury Ball and then pulled his final Poké Ball from his belt. He threw it into the air, and Swampert emerged. He did his usual dance, waving his arms around like the ocean, before noticing Leavanny and then getting serious.

Logan felt the metal bracelet with the Swampertite fastened in tightly. He wanted to save the mega evolution for either the semi-finals or finals, but it was looking like he'd need it for this match. He knew that it depended on whatever Pokémon Aaron had last.

"Let's end this one quickly and get to the Top 4!" Logan stated. "Ice Beam!"

"You fool!" Aaron shouted. "Running Mirror Coat!"

Although Ice Beam was sure to finish off Leavanny, if she could get close enough and use her attack, she could do a substantial amount of damage to the Water-type. She ran forward and started to glow purple, prepared to build up energy from the pain she received. Swampert took in a deep breath and then unleashed the jagged beam of ice down the field. It connected directly and Leavanny gave out a battle cry. Even on her last legs, she didn't give up, leaping into the air and taking aim. She unleashed all of the energy back at Swampert, her final move in the battle. It rained down onto the Water-type, and he was engulfed in smoke before Leavanny collapsed to the field, unconscious.

"Leavanny is unable to battle!" the referee declared. He looked at the smoke, waiting to see if Swampert had made it through the Mirror Coat attack.

A blue light pierced the smoke, and the crowd erupted into cheers when they saw what Swampert had done. He lowered his arms, and the blue forcefield faded away. He had protected himself despite Leavanny's best efforts.

"Swampert is the winner!"

"And now we're even," Logan said. He smiled at Swampert. "And Swampert hasn't even taken a scratch."

Aaron returned Leavanny and then closed his eyes. He pulled his last Poké Ball from the back of his belt and then grinned. "You're done, Logan. You won't stand a chance against my last Pokémon. Scizor, you're up!"

Logan was vaguely familiar with the Steel-type Pokémon. It made its way onto the field and then glared at Swampert with menacing eyes. It swiftly clamped its pincers shut in an intimidating fashion.

Scizor? It's not a bad Pokémon, but I was expecting something much more dangerous. What kind of trick does he have? Logan thought.

Aaron slowly raised his hand into the air, revealing a bracelet. He grinned, and the bracelet started to surge with power. Scizor let out a battle cry, and multi-colored energy formed an orb around him.

"Mega evolution!" Logan exclaimed.

"I know that you and Swampert can do it too!" Aaron yelled over the howls of the wind. "I said I wouldn't give you any chances, but here's one. Go ahead and mega evolve your Swampert! If you don't, you know that this battle is over!"

The orb of energy around Scizor imploded, revealing its new form. He was taller, and the points on his body had sharpened. It clamped his pincers down once again.

"I wanted to save it, but we have no choice!" Logan exclaimed. "Let's do this, Swampert! Mega evolve!"

The same energy that surrounded Scizor now made its way to Swampert. He roared and quickly transformed, his muscles making the top half of his body swell up.

"We're seeing more of that famous mega evolution! It looks like this is going to be one intense ending to the battle!" the announcer yelled.

"Swampert, use your Rain Dance!"

"Scizor, let's prepare! Swords Dance!"

"It looks like our Pokémon battle has turned into a dance contest, folks!" the announcer said with a laugh.

Swampert waved his arms around and formed a ball of mist in his mouth. He shot it into the air, forming artificial clouds that started a rainstorm. Scizor responded by striking a pose, and his body started to glow red as his attacking capabilities increased.

"We're ready to fight now!" Logan exclaimed. "Ice Beam!"

"Bullet Punch!"

Swampert was fast in the rain. He took in a deep breath, puffed out his cheeks, and then unleashed the jagged beam of ice down the field. However, Scizor was as fast as a speeding bullet. He moved around the beam and lifted one of his large pincers. He jabbed, hitting Swampert directly in the chin, shutting his mouth, and stopping Ice Beam.

"Another one!" Aaron shouted.

"Protect!"

Scizor tried to jab with his other pincer, but steel met the usual blue forcefield, effectively doing nothing to the Water-type.

"Waterfall!" Logan ordered.

Swampert quickly moved around the barrier that he had created. He smacked his hands together, quickly forming aquatic energy from the rain. He then uppercut, knocking Scizor back.

"Swampert has a really good advantage in the rain," Yurie said. "You can do it!"

Sora nodded. "But Scizor has the boost from Swords Dance."

"One more Bullet Punch!" Aaron commanded.

With Swampert's hand occupied, there was no way for him to bring up the forcefield. Scizor jabbed, hitting Swampert in the chest and pushing him back a few feet.

"And follow it up with Superpower!" Aaron yelled at the top of his lungs. He refused to lose in the Top 8.

Scizor was engulfed in chakra. He glared at Swampert and then rocketed towards him. He lowered his body and then tackled into the larger Pokémon, making Swampert fly through the air. He hit hard on the field, and the crowd became hushed, listening to the rain hit the Water-type's body.

"No," Logan muttered.

The referee raised his flag. "Swampert is-"

"Swamp!" the Pokémon roared, stopping the referee. He punched the ground and then stood back up, roaring as loud as he could.

"Continue!"

The red light that Scizor had created with Swords Dance had slightly faded, but his glare was still ever-present.

"Another Superpower! Make this the final blow!"

Scizor repeated the same motions from before, and he bounded down the field directly for Swampert.

"Protect!" Logan yelled desperately.

Swampert got his arms up at the last second, forming his shield. Scizor bounced off of it, losing balance. Now, the entire of his red glow had disappeared.

"Waterfall!"

"Pert!" his Pokémon shouted back, putting his arms together. He had no time to move around the shield, instead opting to break through it himself, plunging his fists into Scizor's midsection. The Steel-type groaned but refused to move backward.

"Ice Beam! Don't let up!" Logan directed.

Swampert opened his mouth and fired off the jagged beam once again, blasting the entirety of Scizor's body. They were both pushed backward, sliding easily on the muddy field. They had returned to their original positions, both now very weak from the battle.

"It's gonna take one more shot!" both Logan and Aaron said in unison.

"Waterfall!"

"Bullet Punch!"

"Finish this!"

The two Pokémon moved down the field quickly. They raised their arms and then jabbed, their aquatic and iron energy causing a bright explosion.

Six Years Prior

"Get off of him!" a boy with dark brown hair and light blue eyes shouted.

Three boys, aged nine years old, all stood over a small boy with blonde hair and fair skin. They turned around and glared at the boy with blue eyes.

"What are you gonna do about it?" the biggest boy asked. "Come to save your friend? What are you in love or something?"

The boy with blue eyes looked through the three and at his friend laying on the ground. He had a bloodied nose caused by a swift punch from the bullies. His expression was blank and hopeless.

The boy with blue eyes clenched his fists and then raised them. "I'll fight you myself! You have to bully because you're not good at anything else! I've seen your test scores! You're terrible at Pokémon battling, right? You might be older, but that doesn't mean you're smarter!"

"Yo, Trent," one of the other boys said. "This is Juniper's nephew. We probably shouldn't be fighting with him."

"I don't want to get my Pokémon license taken away before we can leave this dump," the other boy remarked.

Trent didn't listen. He walked straight for the blue-eyed boy and picked him up with one arm. With one quick jab to the stomach, he dropped the boy, leaving him curled up into a ball on the ground.

"I don't care who you are. No one talks to me like that," Trent said before kicking the blue-eyed boy in the spine once. He then waved over his friends, and they quickly escaped before anyone could see them.

The two boys laid on the ground quietly. The blue-eyed boy eventually managed to uncurl, and he looked out at his friend, who was sitting up, trying to clean his bloodied nose with his shirt.

"You okay?" the blue-eyed boy asked.

The blonde was quiet. His cheeks were caked with tears and blood. "What do you care?"

The blue-eyed boy slowly sat up, gripping at his stomach. "They're just bullies. Don't let what they say get to you."

"They broke my nose."

"I guess you can let that get to you," the blue-eyed boy said with a laugh.

"I didn't try to pick a fight with them," the blonde boy said. "They started calling me names. They said that I walk like a girl and that my voice is strange. And now I have blood on my shirt. I hate this town."

The boy stood up. "Only a couple more years, Aaron. We'll leave together. We could travel the world!"

Aaron continued to put pressure on his nose. "I don't need you to come with me, Logan! I'm strong enough on my own!"

"I believe that," Logan said as he waddled over to his friend. He held out his hand to help the blonde boy stand back up. "But Pokémon battling and traveling is best when done with a friend, don't you think?"

Aaron refused to take Logan's hand, knowing that it'd only give the bullies more ammunition. He instead stood up on his own and then spat blood at the ground.

"You're weird, Logan."

Present Day

The smoke cleared. Swampert stood above Scizor. The crowd slowly started to cheer once they realized that the winner was finally determined.

"Scizor is unable to battle!" the referee exclaimed. "Swampert and Logan are the winners!"

Swampert glared at Scizor, and the two Pokémon were drained of their mega energy. He took in a deep breath, smiled, and then held out his hand. Scizor weakly looked up at him, not quite understanding what was going on.

Aaron watched on in shock and disbelief. How could he lose? How could he lose to Logan? He was supposed to be the weakest of the four.

Scizor then reached up and allowed Swampert to pull him to his feet. Swampert caught Scizor in his arms, and the crowd cheered even louder.

Aaron sat alone in the locker room. He was allowed to be there for the rest of the Top 8 matches, but he'd have to join the regular audience the next day. He looked up at the television and watched the replays from their battle.

"A lot has changed since we first left Nuvema Town," Aaron said. He knew that Logan was standing behind him.

Logan sat down next to him. "It's only been four years, but it feels like an eternity. You have a plan for next year?"

He shrugged. "I think I'll go to Kalos. Sounds like my speed. And you?"

"I'm still in the tournament, so I can't say what my next step is," Logan answered. "If I lose, then I'm going home. I'm gonna help Aunt Juni."

"What about your little girlfriend? She's cute."

Logan looked at the television. "That's a bridge that I'll cross when I get there."

"You remember how we used to fight over Luna all the time? I thought that I had a huge crush on her back then. I was so angry that you two got to travel together. Things have really changed though. You two aren't even together anymore," Aaron said. "And well, she's not really my type, I guess."

Logan laughed. "And what would you say your type is?"

Aaron focused on the screen. "If I told you, I'm not sure if you'd want to be my friend anymore."

"You don't like Yurie, do you? You haven't even talked to-"

"Not her," he said with a laugh. "Traveling across the world and meeting different people, you learn a lot of things about yourself. You learn that maybe you're not exactly who you thought you were. But maybe you learn to be exactly who you are supposed to be though. And you learn to not be ashamed of it. I hope I'm making sense."

Logan wasn't exactly sure what Aaron was getting at, and he didn't want to make any assumptions, just in case he would be wrong. But he put his hand on his old friend's shoulder. "Aaron, you can love anyone in this world. And no matter who it is, you'll always be my friend. More importantly, you'll always be my rival! Love is love!"

"Thanks, Logan," he said with a smile. He looked over at Seshiru, who was preparing for her battle. "Seems like your friend is about to start her battle. Shouldn't you be pumping her up?"

Logan shook his head. "I'm gonna take a nap."

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Aaron is based on one of my friends from college. I kind of consider him my first Pokémon rival (as we'd play against each other a lot). I was glad to add him into this story and into some small bits of Healing in Hoenn. I also tried to sort of honor his style of competitive battling (Swords Dance and such). I hope I was able to write his character well enough in the few chapters that he was in!

Next chapter, I'm going to try to ease off the gas a little bit. I don't want to write anything too dramatic, but it's going to be Seshiru vs. Emma (one of Cyan's OG rivals).

UPDATED NOTES:

I realized after a bit that Leavanny can't actually learn Mirror Coat. I might come back and rework this battle, but for now... IT'S A SPECIAL LEAVANNY AND YOU CAN'T CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE!

REVIEWS:

wisdom-jewel - "Interestingly, Sora is blind. I would like to have a couple of one-shots of Sora and how he handles it all." - This is something that I might consider doing!

pokemonking0924 - "Some incredible battles and Clint was a secret powerhouse, guess all those years of experience does make a difference. His Mega Pidgeot almost gave Seshiru a run for her money. But I do wonder what he wanted to tell Logan through, maybe Clint sees himself in Logan and wanted to give him some advice but didn't for some reason." - Something happened in the last Kickin' It In Kanto movie, and Clint wanted to tell Logan about it.

SceptileBlade - "Really want Logan to win. This ending arc has me shaking in my boots." - Only a few more chapters to go until we find out if Logan wins or not! For the time being, he's made it to the semi-finals!

The Imprisoned of Hell - "Sora being blind. I honestly can't say I expected that. And I'm curious about what Aaron can do." - He's a powerhouse of a trainer!

BigEater - "If Logan needs some luck or something to carry him to victory he should eat a Katsudon." - This feels like a comment that Yurie would make.

CrescentApple - "Ah, that was a good battle. Seshiru did great, and nearly lost. Haha thats one legacy for Clint. I like how you did his character. Sora is blind. Huh... that one was a shocker. Good job hiding it. It all suddenly makes sense. And he is one crafty character to hide it. I always assumed he didn't pay too much attention around him." - I'm glad that I could write Clint! I'm relieved that you enjoyed my interpretation of him! Thank you for writing his side stories! Also, if you go back and read the chapters that Sora makes an appearance (4, 26-30, 50-52, and 65), I put in a lot of hints that he's blind, like him being unable to find Victory Road.