Minutes passed after the professor had announced that Simon was expelled. A majority of the crowd had watched on as the boy had to surrender his Pokémon and collect his belongings from the dorms.
Out of nowhere, someone in the large gathering chanted;
"Na na na na. Na na na na. Hey-ey-ey. Goodbye!"
The threat that hung over the group of friends was now replaced by a danger to one, and Louis braced himself for his punishment.
"Serrano," called the professor. "Could I have a word with you?"
The boy gulped as he approached.
"Yes?" he said, hesitantly.
"Normally, I would punish a student for using physical force, but Suzuki explained everything to me."
Louis was a little surprised.
"About what?" he asked.
"For starters, about the Totodile he used to own and that you know the Pokémon he was talking about," the professor answered.
The boy from Johto looked over his shoulder, gazing at Crocanaw, recalling the latter's reaction to being told that Simon was at the academy.
He returned his attention to the professor.
"T-...that's right."
"And after what happened in the gym, you must've thought that Simon had done the same thing to that Totodile, correct?"
Louis nodded.
"Hmm...I see," said the professor.
The boy stood silently, expecting the worst.
"I'll let you off with a warning, just to be safe," the professor declared.
Louis' eyebrows rose up.
"...really?" he blurted.
"Of course," replied the professor. "Just please, try not to do...that again, got it?"
"Well, I...can't make any guarantees, but I'll do my best."
The professor grinned and nodded. Louis turned before the professor spoke again.
"By the way, just so you're aware, the finals will be taking place tomorrow," he said. "I suggest you get some rest, you'll be facing your friend, Suzuki."
Taking these words to heart, Louis returned to his friends.
"So...what did the professor say?" questioned Roy.
"He let me off with a warning," answered Louis.
"That's all?" asked Violet. "Suzuki didn't get let off with a warning when he attacked Simon."
"You're right, I didn't," Suzuki spoke. "But I told the professor about all the things that Simon had done that made Louis angry."
"Oh..." replied Violet.
The boy from Johto stood in silence. The one thing he could think about at this moment was the finals of the tournament, especially the fact that he was facing off against Suzuki.
"...I'm going to my room," Louis spoke.
The boy began moving toward the dorms, not wanting to give off more negative energy than he had before.
He passed by many rooms before reaching his own. After he stepped through the portal, Louis slumped down on the wall and put his head in his hands.
Simon stomped down the stairs leading to the docks.
"I can't believe they expelled ME!" he sneered through gritted teeth.
The moment was made worse as he overheard the school students celebrating his expulsion.
But then, before reaching the docks, his pace began to slow, and suddenly, he stopped.
Back at the academy, Suzuki, Roy and Violet tried to tune out the chanting, not wanting to think about Simon and his actions again.
"Geez, what a way to go," blurted Roy.
It was then that the trio overheard a number of footsteps approaching. They turned to see Taki, Crocanaw, Miguel, Janet and all of Louis' Pokémon moving closer.
"Hey, do you guys know where Louis went?" asked Taki.
"He said that he was going to his dorm room," answered Suzuki. "He seemed kinda upset."
"Hmm, was it because of what happened earlier?" inquired Miguel.
"I don't know...maybe," responded Suzuki.
"He should've hit Simon harder," snarled Crocanaw.
"Crocanaw!" scolded Taki.
"We'll show you where his room is," offered Roy.
The trio of trainers walked ahead of Louis' family and friends, leading them to the dorms.
"Never thought that guy was a fighting type," joked Raboot.
"Um...he's not a Pokémon," Braixen responded.
The gang travelled past many entryways before arriving at the portal to Louis' room. Janet reached over and knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" a voice answered.
"It's just us," answered Taki. "Can we come in?"
"Uh...yeah, ok," replied Louis as he got up off the floor.
The boy grabbed the doorknob, twisted it and pulled the door open.
"Is everything alright?" asked Staravia.
"Mostly," answered Louis.
All of the boy's circle of family and friends entered the room.
Taki and Louis sat on the bed, Janet and Miguel sat by the desk while Suzuki, Roy, Violet and all of the boy's team of Pokémon sat in a circle.
"Huh, this bed's really soft," said Taki, falling backwards onto the bed. "I can't get back up."
"Give it a month," joked Louis, winking at Violet.
The brief moment of glee soon faded from Louis' face as he scrunched his face in his hands.
"Ugh, I'm such an idiot!" he groaned.
"What do you mean?" wondered Miguel.
"Nngh. I let my anger get the better of me again!"
"That's the third time that's happened!" the boy cursed himself.
"Third?" said Violet. "I thought that was your second."
Louis shook his head.
Janet raised her hand.
"Before you go on, what did the professor say?" she asked.
"Well...I was only let off with a warning," answered Louis.
"A warning? I was beginning to think you'd be expelled too."
"That's because I explained everything to the professor," added Suzuki. "Trust me, if I hadn't talked to him, Louis' punishment would've been more severe."
Louis agreed with Suzuki's statement.
"Ok. Anyway, that wasn't the first time I've gotten angry here," he said. "The first time was last week."
Louis went on to explain how he had gotten angry at the qualifiers.
"...and when his opponent quit, I heard him say, and I quote, 'That's just as pathetic as that Totodile I left in Johto'," he revealed.
Miguel and Janet's eyes widened as the people and Pokémon in the room turned to Crocanaw.
The blue, fanged beast sighed.
"Yeah, he used to be my trainer," she said. "I never forget a face!"
"So, that's why you were glaring at him," Raboot spoke.
"Anyway...as soon as I heard him say that, I just...I just wanted to rip that guy's head off," Louis continued. "Thankfully, Roy and Violet held me back."
Louis proceeded to reveal everything that had happened after his first outburst. Then, Riolu began to feel Louis' heart darkening again.
"The thing is...I let that moment cloud my judgement," Louis explained.
"Oh?" said Taki.
"When me and my Pokémon were thinking of ideas for the tournament, they began having a spat with one another."
"I tried to get them to stop, but they wouldn't listen. So...I blew up at them."
A brief moment of silence swept the group.
"And...my mind was so clouded and messed up that...that I contemplated leaving."
"What?!" the boy's Pokémon exclaimed.
'He...he wanted to quit?' thought Riolu.
Azul looked away, ashamed at his part in that mess.
"But, that night, I got a much-needed wake-up call...from Marowak before he evolved."
The circle of Pokémon turned their heads to Marowak.
"I...didn't know that was all going through your head," he said.
"If I told you before, it would've made you more upset," clarified Louis. "But uh, after I spent a few moments with him, I decided on staying. If I had left at that moment...I'd be no better than Simon."
At that moment, Suzuki raised his hand.
"Whoa whoa whoa, I wouldn't go that far," he said.
"Besides, Louis, we know for a fact that you are not Simon...you're far from it," continued Suzuki.
"He's right," added Violet. "Come on, Louis. Every day, we see you spending lots of time with your Pokémon like they're a part of your family."
"I'm sure they would be," said Taki. "He got along with a number of Pokémon back home."
Hearing these words of comfort made Louis smile.
"I don't think you should be worried about all this," reassured Suzuki. "The finals are tomorrow. You don't want all of these issues to distract you."
Suddenly, before Louis could speak again, Roy exclaimed, in a deep voice;
"IT'S THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY! A veteran and newcomer trainer face off in an exciting grand final! Will they remain friends after this?! Tune in tomorrow!"
These words slightly echoed throughout the room. Louis tried his best not to laugh, but he couldn't resist and burst out laughing. Soon, the rest of the party joined in.
Later that night, with the moon in the sky, the students, guests and Pokémon in the vicinity slept. That is, except for Louis.
The boy tossed and turned in bed, trying to get some sleep.
Where there should be rest, only images played in his mind. Some from the past, the present, and surprisingly...the future.
Memories of his journey through Johto with Taki and Crocanaw played out first. With the boat ride across the ocean, climbing the mountain to put the Grand Crystal into the light, and the Ho-Ken tribe being demonstrated before his eyes.
Next was a sequence of flashbacks regarding his time at the academy. From meeting his team of Pokémon to the tournament battles.
But then, there was one particular moment that surprised the boy. It was Suzuki versus Louis in the finals.
"Use Rapid Spin, Blastoise!" commanded Suzuki.
Blastoise retracted into its shell and spun at an incredible speed, hurtling toward Marowak.
"Quick, dodge it!" yelled Louis.
With adrenaline flowing through his body, Marowak leapt above the spinning shell.
"Now use Double Kick!" he called.
Marowak used all of its force on the spiralling shell. With a powerful swing, Marowak kicked the object away from him.
But before Marowak could make his second kick, something hurtled straight toward the centre of the battlefield. It appeared to be heading straight for Suzuki.
Louis opened his eyes, gasped loudly, and sat up in bed.
The boy wiped the sweat from his forehead, unsure of how to comprehend the turn of events. The cold, dawn light being the only source of emission.
"Bad dream?" a voice questioned.
Startled, Louis turned his head to see Riolu, Braixen and Torracat gazing at the newly-awoken boy.
The pale, early morning light softly lit their worried features.
"...something like that," the boy answered, wearily.
"What are you guys doing up so early?" he asked.
"While I was in the Pokéball, I sensed you were distressed about something," said Riolu.
"He woke us up just to make sure you were doing ok," added Torracat.
"Oh," said Louis, rubbing his eyes.
"I just had the craziest dream," he continued. "It was like a movie about what has happened in my life was playing on a big screen."
Louis contemplated mentioning the dream involving him and Suzuki playing out...but decided against it.
"I may need some fresh air, though," he said.
The boy got up out of bed, put on his vest and opened his room door. He gestured for the three creatures to follow him. They were lead to the top of the stairs leading to the docks. They sat down and watched as the sun began rising over the horizon.
"Beautiful sight, huh?" asked Louis.
"Sure is," answered Torracat.
Soon, the warmth of the ball of light began to reach the four individuals, easing them.
"Hey, Louis?" said Braixen.
"Yeah? What is it?" responded Louis.
"Do you think we have a shot at winning this tournament?" Braixen questioned. "I mean...Suzuki does have a lot of experience."
Feeling the wave of uncertainty emitting from Braixen, Louis turned his head to the fox Pokémon.
"Of course we have a shot," the boy reassured. "Suzuki said that anything can happen in a tournament. Besides, my Mom has always taught me to 'expect the unexpected'."
"I guess," replied Braixen.
"Don't worry, Braixen," said Riolu. "We've managed to make it this far. So that's something."
"Not just that, but we don't have to worry about Simon," added Torracat.
Braixen grinned.
"No, we don't."
The morning blew through the gang's hair...and fur, as well as the feathers of some bird Pokémon that were awaking.
"By the way, completely unrelated, but what's it like inside a Pokéball?" blurted Louis.
The three Pokémon certainly weren't expecting to hear that sort of question from their trainer.
"...I don't think we know how to describe it," answered Riolu.
"Well, can you at least tell me if it's all cramped up or just a huge empty space?"
Braixen leaned in close to Louis' ear and whispered the answer. The boy's eyes widened in surprise.
"Huh, I was wrong," he said.
Soon after, the four individuals returned to Louis' room and brought out the remaining Pokémon so they could begin strategizing their battle against Suzuki.
Plans were spoken and corrected until they had an agreeable formula for the battle ahead.
"Ok, since Fletchinder is a fire-type, Azul would have the best chance at defeating it," Louis began.
"With Jigglypuff, we've decided on either Torracat or Marowak taking it on," he continued. "But with Blastoise, that makes it tricky."
Before he could go on, his stomach began to grumble.
"Oh! That's the sign that we need breakfast," he said.
The gang had to set their planning aside temporarily as they began to head to the cafeteria.
Before Louis closed the door, he opened one of the desk drawers and pulled out the pendant that Chief Tanaka had given him and put it in the pocket of his vest.
On their way to the cafeteria, Staravia spotted a familiar figure sitting outside the building.
"Louis, look," she said. "Is that...Roy?"
Louis, in turn, spotted Roy practising the guitar near the cafeteria entrance.
"Roy?" called Louis.
He was lost in the rhythm. Roy sat facing the sun, warming himself as he finger-picked away at the fretboard. A soft, calming melody emanated from his father's old guitar.
He sighed.
"This is gonna be longer than I thought," he muttered.
"Hey! Roy!" Louis yelled.
The boy hit an off-note.
Turning his view from the sky, he smiled at his approaching friends and continued to play.
"Hey guys," greeted Roy. "Ready for the finals?"
The day went by quickly for Louis. Beginning with a talk between his family and friends over breakfast, enjoying the serenity of the breeze and the ongoing preparations for the grand final, Louis hadn't realised that it was already midday.
The familiar, nervous thump in his chest returned, as usual, at the thought of battle. This time though, it beat harder, and his mind began to race.
"Louis..." a faint voice was heard.
"Louis...!
"Louis!"
This snapped the boy back into reality.
Louis spun to the right, seeing Coach with a grin on his face and his arms folded.
"Coach!" exclaimed Louis. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be at the Pokémon Gym."
"I was on my way there," answered Coach.
Shortly after, the man chuckled.
"Y'know, of all the years I've been working here, I'm looking forward to this match the most," he said. "You deserve this moment. It's not every day a new trainer makes it to the finals of a tournament. Only skill and wit will decide this outcome."
Coach turned to leave. As he continued his way to the gym, he called;
"I wish you luck, kid!"
As he watched the man leave, Louis overheard more footsteps approaching, and the buzzing of wings.
"There's the big guy," someone said.
"Huh?"
The boy turned around and saw Violet walking toward the boy, with Yanmega flying beside her.
"He-hey, Yanmega recovered," said Louis.
"Yeah, he's back to full health," Violet smiled.
The boy smiled back.
"How are Pachirisu and Ludicolo doing?" he questioned.
"They still need some rest," Yanmega answered. "After yesterday's battle, it kinda took the wind out of them."
"...oh."
Thinking back to all the time he had spent with the three trainers, especially regarding the breaks between training, Louis' heart warmed inside.
"Thanks, Violet," the boy said.
"...thanks for what?" inquired Violet.
"For keeping this team sane. Roy and I must've been a handful this past while..."
"Louis, whatever brought you here is bigger than the problems you've faced," replied Violet. "You are meant to be here, and I'm glad you are."
"...At the very least, your presence has calmed Roy a little...even if all that was lost when he saw Taki," Violet finished.
The two laughed.
"Speaking of Roy, have you noticed that he's been acting...different today?" Louis asked.
"In what way?" Violet replied.
"Well, this morning, he was outside the cafeteria playing the guitar and...he seemed totally mesmerised by it."
The girl had to think back for a moment.
"Now that you mention it, he did say something about being a musician if he wasn't a trainer."
The conversation between the two individuals was eventually interrupted by the sounds of another voice.
"Hey," it said.
The two humans twirled to face the voice. It was Raboot.
"Oh...hey Raboot," greeted Louis.
"Are you gonna be any longer?" the rabbit Pokémon questioned. "Everyone is waiting at the Pokémon Gym."
"Oh, right..." the boy replied. "We better get moving."
"I'll catch up to you guys," said Violet. "Yanmega and I still have a few things to do."
The boy nodded in reply. He returned his attention to Raboot with a smirk on his face.
"Whaddya say we have a little race there?" he offered.
Raboot sighed and rolled its eyes.
"Fine," it grumbled. "But only because you asked."
Without counting down, both human and Pokémon pumped their legs with ferocious steps, running to their destination. Along the way, Louis remembered that Raboot went with Taki and Crocanaw to see its old trainer.
"By the way..." he began. "How did things go between Taki and...the other guy?"
"Eh...it went pretty well," answered Raboot. "The guy felt bad for leaving me out to dry and figured that being with...what's her name again?"
"Taki."
"Yeah, Taki. He said that being with her would be better for me."
The spirited, and sprint-held conversation began to wear on the boy. He panted and remembered the event ahead.
"Hey...guess what?" he said.
The Raboot turned its gaze mid-stride.
"I think you're gonna win this race."
Louis began to slow down. Nearly at the stadium, each step was less energy he'd have for the battle ahead.
Raboot put its paw on the wall of the gym as Louis slowed down.
"Y'know, you didn't have to let me win," it said.
"I gotta save some energy for the battle," explained Louis.
Both stepped through the entryway. The first thing Louis felt was the intense energy and excitement that was brewing from the audience in attendance.
"Good luck, man," said Raboot, as he went to join Taki and the others. Louis gave it a thumbs up.
Louis made his way into the locker room to prepare for the final battle. Several deep breaths later, he began to feel the drum-like heavy thudding in his chest settle, as peace found him again.
With his mind and body at ease, the boy retrieved the six Pokéballs containing his friends and released them from within.
As they landed, they could tell Louis wanted to speak, and they knew what it would be about.
Meanwhile, the rest of Louis' family and friends sat in the stands, ready for the conclusion of the tournament. Soon, Violet rejoined the party and sat next to Roy.
"Well, this is it," said Roy.
"Yep," replied Violet.
Janet watched as more trainers began to line the attendance stands, amazed by the amount of enjoyment this event brought to the academy.
"Such a good day," she smiled. "I'm so proud of Louis."
Miguel chomped down on a red apple as he listened to his wife.
"You and me both," he said with a mouthful of food.
The locker room fell quiet as Louis finished his discussion. A loud knock on the door shook him from the moment. He gathered his team and opened the door.
There, Suzuki stood.
"Ready, Louis?"
Louis replied with a confident smile.
"Ready."
Louis returned three of his Pokémon into their Pokéballs as the other three went to join the rest of the gang in the stands.
As they made their way onto the battlefield, Suzuki turned his head to the boy from Johto.
"Good luck," he said.
"You too," replied Louis.
"Whatever happens out here, let's not let it come between us, dude." Suzuki continued.
"You fit so well with us, that it's like you've always been here."
Louis stopped.
He'd not fully realised this until now. He had worth to them here. Now he not only had his friends and family from home but a new one. A group made of travellers, leaders, musicians... and now him.
"Thank you."
Suddenly, the lights in the arena began to dim down.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the professor spoke. "This is the moment that you have been waiting for."
The anticipation for the final battle was at an all-time high. Nobody had felt this kind of energy before.
"The grand final of the National Pokémon Academy tournament for the year," the professor finished.
A thunderous round of applause filled the arena.
"Give it up for your final two trainers...Louis Serrano and Team Venus...and Suzuki Hamada and Team Comet!"
The two emerged from the dim and strode to the centre of the arena. Suzuki waved to a few other members of the audience in response to their sudden outburst of name chanting. Louis just waved at his parents and friends.
Suzuki glanced at his opponent, tracing his gaze back to them
"Let's give 'em a show!"
"You bet we will," smiled Louis.
The two found their marks and set their feet.
And then something happened. Louis began to laugh.
The academy, the experience, the spectacle all culminated in a reaction.
And his was to laugh.
"He's nervous," whispered Janet.
The two nodded at each other and awaited the announcement to start.
Then, the academy's referee stepped out into view. The spectators focused on the man as he raised his arms.
"Ready?"
Both trainers grabbed their first Pokéballs, with Louis hoping his plan would work.
"BEGIN!"
"Fletchinder, go!" yelled Suzuki, as he threw the Pokéball and brought out the Pokémon in question.
"Azul, time to shine!" cheered Louis, as Azul was brought onto the battlefield.
With that, the first round of battles commenced. Having the advantage of being a water-type, and his opponent being a fire-type, Azul found no difficulty facing off against Fletchinder.
Suzuki's Pokémon was easily taken down at the end of the first round. Even though he had one less Pokémon for his team to face, Louis still felt uneasy.
The second round of battles proved to be more of a challenge, with Torracat battling Suzuki's Jigglypuff. What ensued was a long back-and-forth battle between the two respective Pokémon.
In the end, Torracat had, just barely, been defeated by Jigglypuff.
"Whoa, look at them go," said Roy.
The next Pokémon that Louis brought out to battle was Marowak. With the previous battle, Jigglypuff was slightly exhausted during its battle between Marowak. Unfortunately, this would prove to be its downfall. Because, after a number of attacks, Marowak landed a powerful strike against Jigglypuff, ending the battle.
"He's got one Pokémon left to battle," said Taki. "Louis might actually win this."
As soon as Suzuki brought Blastoise onto the battlefield, Louis began to feel uneasy. Just like in the previous round, Blastoise and Marowak exchanged powerful blows with one another.
"Use Rapid Spin, Blastoise!" commanded Suzuki.
Blastoise retracted into its shell and spun at incredible speed, hurtling toward Marowak.
"Quick, dodge it!" yelled Louis.
With adrenaline flowing through his body, Marowak leapt above the spinning shell.
"Now use D-..."
Louis suddenly froze.
'Wait a minute...' he thought. 'This is exactly what happened in my dream.'
Panic began to fill the boy's mind. Even from afar, Riolu could sense Louis' fear.
"That's strange," it said.
"What is?" asked Staravia.
"Louis feels...scared."
"Scared?" inquired Braixen. "Why?"
"I don't know."
Without hesitation, Louis peered past Suzuki's shoulder to see a strange glow, full of energy beginning to form. He immediately realised what was about to happen.
"SUZUKI, GET DOWN!" screamed Louis as he jumped down onto the ground, belly-first.
"Huh?" blurted Suzuki, curious about his opponent's sudden reaction.
Louis pointed behind the boy, where Suzuki then turned around to see the strange glow, having now turned into a beam of energy heading straight for him.
"WHOA!" he exclaimed.
Immediately, Suzuki dropped onto the ground, dodging the attack. It had managed to swoop right past both trainers and their Pokémon where it impacted a nearby wall, causing an explosion.
Abruptly, the sounds of excitement ceased, to one of fear and confusion.
"What on earth was that?!" yelped Suzuki.
From the shadows near the locker room, a figure stepped into the light. One that was quite familiar to the trainers and the audience. Beside him was a Tyranitar, making large steps beside the trainer.
Louis looked on in shock.
"You gotta be kidding me!" he groaned.
Suzuki's facial expression shifted into one full of frustration.
"...Simon!" he growled.
Almost immediately, mixed reactions brewed in the stands. Many were surprised at the expelled individual's return while others were more annoyed.
"What is he doing here?!" one member yelled.
"I thought he was expelled!" another member exclaimed.
The gang of Louis' family and friends watched on in stunned silence. Crocanaw became furious.
'If he thinks about hurting Louis, I swear...' she thought.
Coach began walking toward the individual. However, before he could say anything, Simon ordered another attack, heading straight for the man. He quickly moved out of the way before it could connect.
"He's gone mad!" feared Roy.
Soon, a small group of students exited the building, fast. All of the interior lights were switched on, with Simon, having a rather large bruise, and the Tyranitar now being fully revealed.
Both of the previously competing trainers then stood up, locking eyes with the red-haired trainer.
"What are you doing here, Simon?!" questioned Suzuki.
"...correcting some mistakes," hissed Simon, through sinister teeth.
"There's no point reasoning with him," muttered Louis. "He won't listen."
The boy from Johto brought out his other two Pokémon. Torracat was still worn out from the previous battle but looked over at the current situation.
As soon as Azul spotted the Tyranitar, a sequence of memories played out in his head, spreading fear throughout his body.
"Bad news, Simon is back," Louis announced.
"W-...why is there a Tyranitar?!" squeaked Azul, panicked.
"I don't know how he got it, but...we need to stop him. Fast."
Louis spun his gaze to the Pokémon in the stands.
"Guys! A little help?!"
With Suzuki's Blastoise and Team Venus in position, they began their face-off against Simon and Tyranitar.
It was then that Riolu noticed that something was...odd about the Tyranitar.
"Use Hyper Beam on Blastoise!" ordered Simon.
Tyranitar, however, hesitated to obey.
"DO IT!"
Reluctantly, the monstrous, towering Pokémon, launched its charged up attack at Blastoise. It managed to dodge the oncoming attack and the rest of the party evaded it as well.
Noticing the disadvantage Suzuki was currently having, Louis turned to his Pokémon.
"Staravia, Riolu, you two help Suzuki," he said.
They nodded and ran to Suzuki and Blastoise. The boy with glasses thanked his friends for the assistance.
Simon planned for the next attack.
"Cut it out, Simon!" called Suzuki. "You're only gonna hurt yourself!"
"You two ruined everything!" yelled Simon.
"It was your own fault!" responded Louis. "You brought this on yourself."
Before Simon could order another attack, Suzuki spotted a perfect opportunity to strike.
"Hydro Pump, Blastoise!" he commanded.
Blastoise sent two large spurts of water from the blasters on it's back at the opposing Pokémon.
As the blasts of water collided with Tyranitar with a good amount of force, splashes of water drenched Simon and knocked some of the wind out of the Pokémon in question.
Tyranitar shook off the residue from its body.
Simon ordered Tyranitar to use Hyper Beam again, with the Pokémon briefly hesitating once more.
From outside, a number of trainers listened to the battle inside, hearing all the commands, impacts and sounds similar to explosions.
"I really wanna know what's going on in there," one student said.
"Hope Suzuki and that other strange kid are ok," said Curtis.
"Don't worry," replied Coach. "I'm sure they'll be fine."
Another sequence of attacks played out before the people inside. Before long, the entire battlefield was beginning to be clouded with dust and dirt, making it hard for anyone to see.
Then, Riolu once again sensed something in the opposing Pokémon's aura. Something that could help.
"Louis!" it called.
"Yeah?" replied Louis.
"Something tells me that Tyranitar doesn't wanna do any of this!" explained Riolu.
"What do you mean?"
Just then, another explosion of dust emerged nearby. Staravia had just managed to be struck by one of Simon's commanded attacks.
"You alright?" said Suzuki.
"Star...Staravia," it said.
"She said she's fine, just a little beat up," translated Louis.
"LOUIS, LOOK OUT!" yelled Taki.
Louis spun to see another Hyper Beam, but it was heading straight for him. Azul, remembering what happened to his previous trainer, leapt up and pushed Louis out of the way.
However, as Louis fell on the ground, and before the attack could hit Azul, the beam of energy suddenly stopped.
"What?!" exclaimed Simon. "How?!"
Nobody in the building could believe what had just happened.
But then, three sets of glowing eyes materialised before the group of individuals. Then, a floating ghost ball appeared, with another ghost appearing from behind and another appearing from Louis' shadow.
It was the three Ghost Pokémon.
"Wha-...how did you guys get in here?!" blurted Louis.
"Do you have to ask?" replied Gastly.
Then, all three sets of eyes began glowing, and with their psychic abilities, sent the Hyper Beam back toward Simon and Tyranitar. Both of them managed to evade the reversed attack.
"Whew, thanks," said Suzuki.
Riolu quickly ran up to Louis.
"As I was saying before, Tyranitar's aura seems like it is not enjoying doing any of this."
"It isn't?" questioned Louis.
"No," replied Riolu. "Something tells me that Simon is basically forcing it to obey him."
With this new information, Louis began to carefully plan out his next move. With Simon and Tyranitar still quite startled, Louis found the right moment.
"Hey, Tyranitar!" he called.
Tyranitar turned its head to look at the boy.
"Louis, what are you doing?" questioned Suzuki.
"You'll see," replied Louis.
The boy returned his attention to the opposing Pokémon.
"Why are you taking orders from this guy?" he asked.
"Because he chose me," Tyranitar answered.
"He STOLE you!"
Simon listened on, confused by the bizarre back and forth between the boy and beast.
"Do you even WANT to do any of this?" the boy questioned.
"Well..." Tyranitar paused.
"And don't lie! Riolu will tell if you're lying."
Tyranitar had to think for a moment. Even though Simon had been commanding it, did it really want to attack these people?
"What are you waiting for?! Attack!" ordered Simon.
At that moment, Tyranitar turned to Simon and shook its head. Then, it proceeded to walk over to Suzuki and Louis' team.
"What are you doing?!" called Simon.
The Pokémon stood alongside Simon's opposition. The boy couldn't believe it.
"There's a few things you need to know about being a trainer," Louis began.
"You don't just choose Pokémon because you can. It also works the other way around. THEY have to choose YOU as well. If they accept you, only then can you truly call yourself a Pokémon Trainer."
Louis' family and friends in the stands listened on.
"This wasn't what I was expecting," said Violet.
"Normally, Suzuki would do an inspiring speech like this," added Roy.
"I don't remember Louis doing something like this before," said Taki.
"If the bond between you and your Pokémon is strong enough, you've done a good job," continued Louis. "It's a shame that you had to learn this the hard way."
Then, the boy said to his friends, companions and temporary ally, through a hushed breath.
"We've gotta restrain him, but don't attack. Let's just rush Simon and hold him back."
The members of the gang nodded.
"Ready?" said Louis.
"Ready!" replied Suzuki.
"Torracat, Braixen, Azul, Marowak," began Louis.
"Blastoise, Staravia, Riolu," continued Suzuki.
"Gastly, Haunter, Gengar,"
"And Tyranitar..."
Both trainers raised their hands to the sky. Then, they both pointed at Simon, who was beginning to feel intimidated.
"Show him what we're made of!" they exclaimed.
Every Pokémon, including their trainers, ran up to the individual, leading to him backing away. Suddenly, Simon tripped on his own feet, where some of the Pokémon leapt up and grabbed Simon, restraining him. The Tyranitar lifted the boy up, holding his arms back, while Braixen and Marowak held his legs to keep him from doing a runner.
"Stand down!" said Suzuki.
"Final Warning!" added Louis.
Simon said nothing, instead scowling at the two trainers.
Louis then heard footsteps approaching the group. It was Crocanaw, who stood beside the boy.
"Remember her?" said Louis.
Simon looked at the blue-crocodile Pokémon with a bow on its head.
"Is that..." he paused.
"Yeah! She was the Totodile you abandoned in Johto!" snarled Louis.
"What have you got to say for yourself?!" growled Suzuki.
Simon, gazing upon all of the stern and disappointed expressions from the two trainers and their Pokémon, remained silent.
Then, he slumped down in defeat.
"...you...you win."
One by one, the Pokémon released their grip of the boy as he remained motionless and deflated.
Louis walked over to the entryway of the gym and pushed it open, revealing the crowd of teachers and students outside. The clouds of dust and dirt were blown outward, clearing the air inside.
"It's done," said Louis.
After some time, every single member of the audience returned to the stands, thankful that the previous drama was over. They watched as Simon was quietly escorted out of the building and led to the docks where he finally stepped onto the docks and left the National Pokémon Academy for good. As soon as the arena was cleaned up and dusted off, the trainers and staff pondered how things would wrap up now.
Some time after the Pokémon recuperated, Suzuki cleared his throat as he grabbed a microphone.
"Don't we have a battle to finish?" he said.
Soon after, the final battle commenced once more between Suzuki and Louis.
The interrupted face-off with Blastoise and Marowak resumed. Each of the attacks were more focused and precise than before, wanting to get things done in an orderly matter. After some time, Blastoise emerged as the victor with Marowak having fainted.
This next battle would be the decider, with Blastoise taking on Azul. The people in attendance were on the edge of their seats as the Pokémon exchanged blow after blow upon each other.
"Blastoise, Rapid Spin!" commanded Suzuki.
With its head, arms and legs retracted, Blastoise's shell spun at a fast pace and went straight for Azul.
"Smokescreen, now!" called Louis.
Azul took in a deep breath and blew out a thick puff of black smoke, surrounding Blastoise. Suzuki's Pokémon was left vulnerable at this point.
"Now use Quick Attack!" Louis commanded.
With the advantage of the smokescreen, Azul landed the attack multiple times, before delivering a powerful strike to Blastoise, knocking it back slightly, as the smokescreen dissipated.
Then, to the surprise of the attendees, Blastoise fell onto its knees.
"What?!" exclaimed Roy.
"No way…" whispered Suzuki.
Finally, Blastoise collapsed under its own weight. There was no way it could get back up now.
The battle was over.
"Blastoise is unable to battle. Froakie wins!" the referee announced.
"The winner of this battle and the champion of the National Pokémon Academy tournament is Louis Serrano and Team Venus!"
A deafening silence filled the arena. No one else in the building was anything else but shocked. The top student had been defeated by a trainer who had only arrived at the campus not long ago.
Then, Suzuki clapped for Louis, smiling. Soon, Louis's family and friends clapped along with Suzuki.
"Alright! Louis!" cheered Taki.
"That's my boy!" yelled Miguel.
Almost immediately, every person in the audience clapped, cheered and chanted for the boy, celebrating his victory.
A single tear slid down Louis' face. He knelt down and bowed his head. The boy felt something on his hand. He shifted his eyes to see Azul looking at the boy, happily.
"You did it," said Azul.
"No…" Louis paused. "...we did it."
Immediately after, the boy was tackled to the ground and embraced by his Pokémon, happy for their victory. Louis stood up as his mother, father, Taki and Crocanaw ran up to him. They shared a group hug with one another, with their Pokémon joining in.
"Well done, Louis," said Janet, with tears in her eyes.
"I knew you could do it," added Miguel.
From the stands, a Froakie sitting beside its trainer looked on, happy for their victory. Then, the Froakie leapt off the stands and hopped toward the group.
"Froakie, where are you going?" its trainer called, jogging after it.
"Wait up!"
As Azul was in the group hug, he spotted a movement heading toward the group. He turned his head to see another Froakie leaping toward the party. His eyes widened.
"Sis!" he exclaimed, happily.
Azul left the group hug and jumped to his sister where they both gripped each other in a tight hug. Louis' gang looked on in surprise.
"Is that his sister?" wondered Braixen.
"I think it is," replied Riolu.
Louis smiled as Azul reunited with his sibling. From behind, the professor approached the boy, holding a prestige trophy that had the words '21st National Pokemon Academy Tournament winner' engraved in it. The man cleared his throat, getting the boy's attention and moved the microphone to his mouth.
"On behalf of the Academy's faculty staff, I would like to present you with this special trophy to commemorate your victory," he declared.
"Congratulations!" the professor added.
Louis bowed to the member of staff before receiving the trophy and holding it firmly in his hands.
"How does it feel being the champion?" the professor asked.
Unable to contain his emotions, Louis began to shed more tears, not in sadness, but in gratitude and accomplishment.
"I...I don't know what to say," he sniffled.
"Um...I just wanna start off by thanking my family and friends here from Johto. I also wanna thank my friends, Roy, Violet…"
The boy turned his head to the runner-up and said;
"...and of course, Suzuki."
Louis then focused his attention on the members of the academy's faculty.
"And especially a big thanks to Coach for helping us get this far, and Ms Flora for introducing me-"
The boy from Johto shifted and knelt down to the members of Team Venus.
"-to my team of Pokémon. I owe it all to them for this moment."
His Pokémon smiled, with some shedding a single tear, proudly. There was so much more he wanted to say, with the adrenaline that was coursing through his body.
"Y'know...if anyone had told my past self, who never had an interest in being a trainer, that I would be standing here achieving victory in a tournament, he would've thought you were crazy."
Suzuki approached from the side and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"But look at you now, man," the veteran said. "Defeating one of the top students as well. That's something to be proud of."
Louis nodded before continuing.
"I've only been at the academy for a short time. But, I've gotta say that without a doubt, it's been one of the best experiences of my life."
Suzuki tapped Louis on the shoulder and asked the boy if he could say a few words. Louis nodded and handed Suzuki the microphone.
"That goes for me, too," the veteran began.
Suzuki cleared his throat before continuing.
"I don't know if many of you are aware of this already, but...with graduation coming in a number of months, I have to let you know that this is my last tournament as I will be just one of many trainers graduating this year."
There was immediately the sound of gasps being produced around the arena. It was clear that a small minority of people were not aware of these news.
"But that doesn't mean I'll forget about this place," Suzuki resumed. "With the amount of experience I've gained over the years and the friends that I've made along the way, it will all hold a special place in my heart. I'm eternally grateful for everything the academy has done for me and my Pokémon. And I've loved...every...minute being here."
A booming round of applause and cheering swept the area, echoing throughout the island.
As the cheering slowly dissipated, a photographer approached Louis and his team of Pokémon.
"Mind if we get a picture of you and your Pokémon?" the photographer asked.
Louis and his Pokémon nodded at the same time as they all posed and smiled for the camera.
*FLASH*
Later that day, Louis, along with his team of Pokémon and his family and friends all sat in the locker room gazing at the recently taken picture of the boy and his group of creatures.
"Such a good photo," said Miguel.
"That'll definitely look good framed up on a wall," added Violet.
Then, Suzuki stood up and walked over to one of the nearby lockers.
"Hey, Louis," he called. "I wanna show you something,"
The boy got up from the bench and walked over to the veteran trainer. Suzuki produced a key from his pocket, where he then put it in the keyhole, turned it sideways, and opened up the locker. What Louis saw made his jaw drop. Inside were three trophies. Louis assumed that they were from previous tournament victories.
"I knew you were good, but...wow!" exclaimed Louis.
"But...why are they in this locker?" he questioned.
"Well, when Simon was...previously here, I had fears that he would've tried to steal my trophies," answered Suzuki.
"Wouldn't have been surprised if he did that," mumbled Roy.
"So…" Suzuki continued. "...as a precaution, I decided to place all of my trophies into this locker, so if he did try to steal them, he wouldn't be able to find them."
This was met with a number of stares from the others.
"That is...actually a very smart thing to do," complimented Taki.
Suzuki nodded in reply.
"Anyway, since this was my last tournament, and that I most likely won't be stepping in this building before graduation again…" the veteran paused.
Suzuki reached over to Louis and held out his hand, with the locker key in grasp.
"I want you to have this," he said.
"Me?" said Louis, surprised. "But why?"
"Because I think it'd be a good place to keep your belongings safe," answered Suzuki.
"After all, you don't wanna lose your trophy, do ya?"
"Of course not!" yelped Louis. "Besides, this is my Pokémon's trophy as well."
Suzuki smiled.
Louis looked to his Pokémon and gestured for them to come over. They each placed a hand, paw, or wing on the trophy and placed it into the locker, before locking it shut.
"As one door closes, another opens," said Suzuki.
He carried his previously won trophies and walked to the portal of the locker room.
"I'll catch up to you all later," said Suzuki. "I gotta take these to my room."
The group watched as Suzuki stepped out of the room. The party was left in silence, unsure of what to do now.
"Hey, Louis," Azul spoke.
The boy knelt down to the frog Pokémon.
"What's up?" he asked.
"About yesterday…" paused Azul.
"What do you mean?"
"Y'know, how Suzuki offered me a spot in a training program over in Kanto?"
"Yeah? What about it?"
"...I've made up my mind."
With these words, every member of Team Venus huddled around Azul, awaiting his answer.
"...so, are you gonna do it?" asked Louis.
Azul took in a deep breath, thinking back to all the time he had spent with his new friends, good and bad, as he spoke his answer.
"...yes."
What. A. Battle. Congratulations, Louis and Suzuki. You both fought extremely well. You and your Pokémon. Good on you both.
Anyway, thanks for reading. Is there something you enjoyed? Can you guess what happens next? Or...what do you hope to see in future chapters? If so, go ahead and leave a review explaining any of these reasons. (Please don't leave hurtful reviews)
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Thanks again. See you next time
P.S. The next chapter will be the last one for this story. So, be prepared for the conclusion of Pokémon: United Bonds.
Ok. Bye.