Back when Amelia was still too little to go out and explore as a newly minted Pokemon trainer, Toris was just beginning his journey. She'd grown up admiring him perhaps in part for the age gap between them, but also for the quiet and collected way he handled things.

Amelia had dubbed him "mature" before she even knew what the word meant really, and yet by the time he came back for visits, there was something new about him that was entirely hard to define or decipher, though he made no mention of it. Instead he began to teach her what he knew, began to offer guidance as easily as a teacher would, and Amelia loved that guidance from one of her best friends and her neighbor.

Yet, somehow even so, he didn't explain really how he'd became such an incredible Pokemon trainer or how he knew of so many different kinds of Pokemon that Amelia hadn't even heard of. It was absolutely incredible, and before Amelia was even of age to head out and travel the world as a Pokemon trainer, she made it her goal to live up to her best friend with the experience and passion of honest hard work. She was going to be one of the best trainers Toris has ever seen.

And feeling a little behind as she heads out older than Toris had years ago to finally begin her journey completely as a Pokemon trainer, the young thirteen year old has been more than anticipating this journey. Toris's parents had let him travel as a Pokemon trainer at ten years old, and Amelia had to wait until she was thirteen. It's not like they had an impossible age gap between the two of them or at least not such a long one that she couldn't have headed out right after him, give or take a few years or so.

By the time that Amelia had made it to the first gym, she was a bottled up pinch of nerves. Geeze, the routes got harder and harder, and the Pokemon got cooler and cooler, yet this battle felt like a high stake challenge right at the beginning of a long career. The first big hurdle to jump through, if you had any hopes of continuing on.

Amelia isn't sure she's ready, as she counts out how many Pokemon she has with her right now for the millionth time. Still six, just like the last time she counted them out. And she double checks the levels; they are only about a level or two higher than the wild Pokemon at the last route she was at. What if that isn't good enough?

Gym leaders are some of the best of the best, minus the Elite Four and the Champion, of course. Amelia has never met the Champion, him or herself, at all. Supposedly, there was a new-ish one, though most of the buzz had seemed to die out a long time ago. So, she figures it's unimportant for now. She'll meet the Champion later and show that person who's boss, and it isn't the person standing, victorious, right now.

They haven't met Amelia or Toris yet, really. Though come to think of it, she hadn't asked her childhood friend anything about the Champion, as he met him or her? Has he went up against the Champion in a Pokemon battle, the likes of which hasn't been seen before? It's kind of surreal to think about.

Toris couldn't have, because if he had, he would have been welcomed home to the loudest and biggest celebration of his life! Amelia would have hugged him, and all of her boundless energy might accidentally transfer over to an admiring kiss to his cheek, because honestly, she wouldn't be able to keep even her affection at bay, if she'd found out he'd won and became the strongest trainer around.

Amelia is pretty sure that he's the unofficial Champion anyway, hadn't challenged the Champion yet, but a much stronger trainer than even the one hailed as Champion right now is. He's got to be. He knows too much to not be incredibly talented and strong at fighting. He's taught her after all.

The Gym battle goes with great effort and intensity, and Amelia had to try to fight the Gym Leader, three times before she could walk away with the badge. How did Toris manage this? He had shiny Gym Badges after all; Amelia had seen them once, not too long after he came back, and his parents had rejoiced in his success.

Amelia knows now really how impressive he is, probably even more than she realized before. Can she even take on the Champion and win? It already sounds like an impossible struggle, as she darts out to the next route, to discover even more exciting Pokemon, and to train up.

She'll need it for the next Gym, a few towns over.

It's almost two years later when she's finally standing before the Elite Four, a bundled up pile of exhausted nerves. Toris had even been journeying the past few routes with her, encouraging her and battling her, making her feel much more confident and giving her some much needed practice.

Of course, it wasn't his strongest team that she was fighting against. She knew that, because Toris had about four or five whole teams at this point. She's too afraid to ask which of the four or five teams of his that she's been fighting against.

She'd lost sight of her friend by the time that she'd arrived here to take care of her Pokemon and prepare for battles that will really push her beyond her comfort zone as a trainer and show Amelia her own hidden strengths. A series of battles that she's pretty sure she'll have to fight against time and time again.

Just remember Toris's encouragement, remember how proud he looked after each practice battle together, just focus on that and be confident, Amelia. You've got this.

Many attempts later, she's walking out of the last Elite Four battle, still unsure of exactly who she is about to fight next, remembering the potions that Toris had suggested she should buy. Just who exactly is waiting at the other end of the hallway? Does Toris know? As Toris met him or her? No one's left any hint as to who it could be; the closest is that the Champion is surprisingly young, all things considered.

So, she knows that she isn't about to step forward and fight someone the age of her parents, looking at someone likely her age. Hopefully he or she isn't as impossible as the anxiety ballooning up in her chest tells her that the Champion is.

Just as she walks into the room, it feels like a secret that's been held for years is finally revealed, finally understood. Because waiting across from her with a gentle smile is Toris, standing there ready to take her on, ready to watch her grow.

Amelia's nervous, even as she goes against her best friend who has taught her so much over the years and encouraged her more than he's probably realized he has. Just, this battle means so much and yet doesn't feel as scary as it first did when she walked into the Pokemon League building.

"You can do this, Amie." Toris encourages, and in a moment, Amelia feels she really can.