Hey there my dear friends and all be welcome to the final chapter of this story. Yes the last one for real. It took me 7 years to finish the sotry that was born from a dream I had one day after reading the manga for 3 days. It took me two months to muster the courage to start writing it, 1 year to write the first 34? chapters and 6 years to write the rest... I am really sorry that it took so long to finish it, but luckily the wait is over.

In the years it took to write this story, I've lived in 3 countries, finished my degree and 2 master's degree, lost a job and got one. I've had some rough times, some rougher times and very happy times too. Luckily right now things are looking quite nice.

Now it's TIME WITH REVIEWS!

smile all of your days: I'm really glad you sticked with this story until the very end. I know it wasn't easy, I haven't been really consistent with the uploads. I really hope you like this final chapter as much as I did writing it.

Force Smuggler: I'm glad I pushed till the end too, I hate to leave things unfinished and after allt he hours both I and LC5 put on it, I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't finish it.

Medkitz207: Yeah they got manipulated by the Association and they manipulated it a little bit too. They think it's fair. I'm so glad you liked the fic and I really hope you enjoy this final one too. Thanks for the review.

So that's the end of TIME WITH REVIEWS. Before the last chapter 330 reviews, 149 Favs and 159 Follows and more than 83.6 k views, when I didn't expect any of these numbers to be a 10th of what they actually are. I can't be happier of what this story have achieved. And it's all thanks to you, people who read it, liked it and maybe even told some other people about it (wild guess). I have a lot of willpower and I hate leaving things unfinished, but without your ssupport I wouldn't have finished it. For this reasons... THANK YOU!

Before the chapter though, out magnificent editor has some words for you all.

LexClone5: WHASSUP, my friends! How y'all doing today? You know I've been on this about 7 years now. I was in Highschool when I started popping up on here, and look how much time flies in this world. I graduated, went to college, dropped out of college, started working, found love, lost love, went through depression, got a bit better, etc, and etc. Every time I get one of these chapters to edit, I think back to that teenager sitting in his room, at his laptop, bored out of his mind, seeing a story he liked and went "Hmm, I think I wanna try my hand at editing this thing." Now I do all these things on my smartphone because I'm just too fucking lazy to do it on my multi-thousand dollar PC I built myself. If you're ever bored like I get, maybe add my Discord at LexClone5#2662. It's probably the easiest way to get a hold of me nowadays. You guys are great, and stay awesome. LexClone5 signing out!

And for the last time... READ and ENJOY!


Chapter 49: The 10th Dexholder? Pt. 2

Blue's POV

-Back already Yellow?- I asked with a sly grin then- how is he?

-He is okay- she answered then shyly.

-Those idiots…- I heard Sapphire say next to me- I know they want to win, but…

-One of them thinks he needs to win- Green said-plus you kind of encouraged him to do his absolute best to win before.

-I know…- she answered, putting her chin on the rail in front of her and covering her head with her hands- I don't even know why I said that. Like he needs any encouragement to take risks.

-You're one to talk…- said Crystal then- You jumped on top of Kyogre, the creator of the seas, barehanded and tried to take Marchie's sphere. Let's face it guys, most of us are way too reckless sometimes.

-But that happened when we were in a war- commented Sapphire- not in this peaceful tournament. But we all know that when he battles, he thinks about everything, except for himself. I just hope Caroline does not get mad at me.

-Why would she get mad?- asked Gold.

-She told me to not make him risk his life, but then the idiot just goes and almost gets hit with a Hyperbeam…

-He did't get hurt though, did he?- asked Emerald- You'll have time to scold him later, but for now, just be glad he saw it coming and that he is okay.

-Oh, I'm gonna scold him alright- I heard her say in a low voice.

Sapphire was never a master at controlling her emotions, she is like an open book for the keen eye. That's kind of a good thing because you always know what she thinks and how she feels. For the other side it's bad for her since, sometimes it tends to get in the way of her rational thinking. That's why morale and confidence is so important to her. No one can win against a confident Sapphire.

-Let's focus on the second half of the battle for now- said Green- These problems aside I have to say it's one of the most amazing battles I've seen.

-Of course it is- said Gold- It's Ruby battling R-Ash! We all knew it would be an amazing battle. Maybe too risky, but…

-I think I've heard everything I could ever hear- said Crystal then throwing her arms in the air- Are you really going to criticize that? You are in no position of doing it! You're the most reckless one in the group.

-That is… so true- he said then scratching the back of his head.

-You need to think your words man, even a little- said Silver with a smile.

-If he wants to avoid one of my kicks, he better.

-Oh come on Super Serious Gal…- he said covering his head with his hands as a preventive measure.

It was such a comical scene that most of us chuckled at that. Even Sapphire could not help to sigh contently, as the tension of our previous conversation seemed to fade away.

-I'm still scolding him though…- she said in a low voice, but with a smile.

-Hey there they are… the second half is starting- said Emerald- who do you think they will be doing?

-I have no clue about it- said Yellow then- he did not give me anything to guess from either.

-I think he will use Chuchu- said Green then.

-Why?- I asked him.

-To beat the pokemon that Ruby is going to send now, then use it as bait against his Swampert.

-I see, with Ruru being out of the picture, Zuzu is his strongest pokemon- said Sapphire- and Ash has his Sceptile in the back, ready to dispatch him easily. Ruby gained a lot of intel, but Red still knows more about his team than the other way around.

-Nobody said that Ruby had the advantage…- said Crystal then- but he's never had it so far, I'm sure he has some plans already for this.

-Go Pikachu!/Go Mimi!

-And that's how the final battles will start, Ash's amazingly strong Pikachu against Ruby's beautiful Milotic- said Courtney- who has the advantage here?

-The Pikachu has the type and speed advantage, but is not a fully evolved pokemon- was Damian's response- And Milotics are awfully bulky… I will give this one to the Pikachu, but slightly.

-This guy really knows his stuff- said Gold then- I actually think is equal.

-Let's see the battle then- I said then as soon as both of them issued their commands.

-Thunderbolt! / Aurora beam!

-Mimi use Safeguard!

-Get in close with Quick attack and then Slam!

As the Safeguard went around its body, the Milotic received the full force of the attack and was knocked back.

-Twister!

-Thunderbolt it!

The attacks were being thrown one after the other. The pokemon had been receiving some damage, but in terms of power, they had been almost equal in all of them. Each attack was either deflecting or cancelling the other. Pikachu was dodging a lot of them too, due to its agility compared to the Mermaid pokemon.

That lasted for a while, but then Ash commanded Pikachu to attack head-on using a combination of Quick attack and Slam again. Ruby retaliated with a Body Slam and they clashed. Of course, Chuchu was sent backwards, clearly more hurt than its foe, but as sparks covered the mermaid pokemon, Ash gained a massive advantage.

-And Milotic is Paralyzed! It was Pikachu's Static ability that paralyzed the Mermaid pokemon after the amazing clash the two shared- this was a big gamble for Ash, but I think that now it has an even greater advantage!

-It sure does, but I do not think it was just luck- Damian said- Pikachu was charging itself with more and more electricity, thus making the chances of paralyzing the enemy that much more likely.

-That was genius…

It sure was… both Red and Yellow had been perfecting their strategies together with Pika and Chuchu, and they'd gotten so much further than it seemed possible, turning two small rodents into monsters.

-Seems like someone else wanted to see her mom kick ass- was Gold's comment then, as I noticed a small rodent at the top of his hat.

-Hey there… Pitaro- said Crystal petting the small Pichu's head.

Yeah, let's say that one day we found an egg in Gold's house after we had Silver's birthday party there. As soon as he saw it, he claimed that it was his and never got separated from it. From the yellow color and black stripes of the egg, and the fact that neither Pika or Chuchu separated from it when they were around, we realized that it must've been theirs. The face on Red was amazingly funny then. As for Yellow… she fainted on the spot.

-And she sure is… -said Yellow taking the small Pokemon into her hands while Red's Pika stood on top of her hat.

And it was right, Milotic had been struggling after getting paralyzed by the yellow rodent, who was so much faster now than before it. Moving way slower than before, the mermaid could not land any focused attacks, since only wide spread ones such as a Blizzards she commanded were able to hurt the enemy.

The only good thing for Ruby is that after that Paralysis, Mimi was even bulkier and could resist the attacks much better than before. But Ruby needed to fix the speed problem, and fast.

-Mimi change of plans, freeze the floor… Blizzard!- he commanded.

And freeze the floor it did. As soon as it was done the mermaid coiled and bounced like a spring reaching a massive speed on the, almost, frictionless surface. From then on, the battle became almost a game of tag. It was extremely difficult for Chuchu to land any attack with Mimi moving as fast.

Red soon realized that it was only moving in a straight line most of the time, but Ruby had another plan for that.

-Turn left with Ice Beam!

If the attack came from the front, Mimi tanked it or repelled it with Ice beam, which due to the momentum overpowered Chuchu's Thunderbolts. Not to say that the rodent had to get out of the way, to avoid getting run over by a more tanky and heavier pokemon than itself. And if it came from behind, the Milotic would just use Ice beam to create slopes to turn left or right.

Not only that, but Ruby was also directing Mimi to a possible attacking route like when he made Mimi create a loop so it could fire a Blizzard to Pikachu, who was trying to catch him with Agility. It was a stalemate, but a thrilling and entertaining one to watch!

-Thunderbolt!

-Dodge right!

-Use Quick attack to overtake her!

-Create a wall!

-Jump!

-Body slam!

-Use Iron Tail! No… Thunderbolt!

Ruby was so unlucky then… out of all the times that Mimi could've chosen to be paralyzed, it happened in the worst possible one. With massive speed she had been able to get the Pikachu in a defenseless position, but the paralysis kicked in just when she propelled up towards the rodent. The Thunderbolt attack had both been a direct hit and a massive one.

After that the battle was in Ash's favor for sure, the Milotic was slower and her reflexes were too, so it was more difficult for her to maneuver as well as before. It had managed to use Recover, but as soon as she did that another Thunderbolt attack taught Ruby the lesson of not trying it again.

-Pikachu use Iron tail to break the pillars!

After breaking an ice pillar in the middle of the path that Mimi was following. With no other path to follow though it left Ruby no other choice, but to create a ramp to jump above them. Piakchu was waiting for it just after the ramp and jumped on him.

-Now it's over! Pikachu use Thunderbolt!

-Mimi create another ramp with Ice beam! As big as you can!

With the yellow rodent on top of it, it was impossible for the serpent pokemon to evade the attack and when it landed it was already receiving the massive electric attack directly on her skin. Somehow it was still able to create the ramp that propelled both pokemon incredibly high.

The Pikachu was still attacking ferociously and it was clear that the mermaid pokemon would fall sooner than later. And then, everything changed again when Ruby shouted two commands.

-Twister and Body slam!

-Thunder!

As both pokemon started to fall, the Milotic rotated using Twister and shook the rodent off of it before approaching it directly with Body Slam. It was then that Ash used the strongest electric attack at his disposal so it could KO her before the attack connected. But Ruby was not done…

-Recover!

And that settled it. Between the extra defenses from Marvel Scale and the Recover, the Milotic was able to withstand the massive Thunder attack long enough to use Body Slam on the Pikachu that was slammed towards the floor. In fact as soon as it made contact, the Milotic also plummeted towards the ground just next to the Pikachu. I think that it was Koed even before making contact, but the inertia it had gathered from the fall was enough to Knock the Pikachu out. Ash had had a massive advantage, but the scoreboard was still a tie. 2 pokemon were still left to battle.

The audience was still applauding, it was being a marvelous battle with comeback after comeback. Both of them were adapting so fast to the battle at the moment that it was incredible.

-I… I really think that this has been the weirdest, but one of the most exciting battles I've seen in a very long time- said Sapphire then- Ash had the advantage first, then Ruby, then Ash and then Ruby was able to make it a tie again…

-Tactically speaking… it was amazing- said Silver, visibly stunned.

-And that's the end of the 4th pokemon on both sides!- yelled Courtney- I really thought that Ash had it in the bag for some moments, but in the end Ruby equalized.

-His battle reflexes were on point, I keep thinking of that last turn, but I can not think of a way it could've ended any better for him- continued Damian- Now we only have to wait to see which pokemon will they send out.

-Go Charizard! -was Red's yell then.

Green's POV

-They were supposed to send it at the same time, weren't they?- asked Emerald then- Why did he send it so soon?

-He must have a plan…- said Sapphire then- I think that Ruby will use his Plusle, and save the Zuzu as the last one… but then it will battle against Sceptile. Ruby is at a total disadvantage now.

And that's exactly the reality. After beating the Gardevoir, Emerald's Sceptile had the advantage against 3 of the 4 pokemon left in Ruby's arsenal. Only his Castform was not directly weak to it, but… it was probably the weakest of Ruby's pokemon. That was the reason for our surprise when Ruby chose him for his next one.

-Go Popo, make me proud!

-And the 5th pokemon are an impressive Charizard against Ruby's Castform- yelled Courtney.

-And with that we have finally seen Ash's complete team of 6- Damian commented- An Ambipom, Donphan, Snorlax, Charizard, Pikachu and Sceptile. A really intimidating lineup for sure.

-I would've used Plusle… it has a type advantage against Charizard- said Silver- I know Charizard is extremely tough, but…

-But such a speedy small pokemon would be really difficult to hit- I said- his Plusle demonstrated a great agility in the last battle.

-Plu?

-Min!

We all turned our heads towards the sound when we realized that another yellow rodent with dark red ears and "Plus" symbols in his cheeks had appeared in the rail just in front of Sapphire. Her new Minun soon jumped onto it too and greeted the other pokemon before they started to run everywhere. That was until they noticed Pitaro in Gold's hands and they approached the baby pokemon.

-Look at those three cuties…- gushed Blue then- I guess we know now who got you, your Minun Sapphire… Or at least where the other half of the pair ended on.

-Yeah, not much doubt about it- she said then, a subtle blush appearing.

-Charizard take flight and start with flamethrower!

We all turned to see the start of the battle as soon as we heard Ash's shout. We had been so focused on both rodents, that no one was paying attention to the battle. We hadn't missed much though since Charizard had just risen from the grassy arena before sending a torrent of fire towards the Weather pokemon.

-Dodge and use Shadow ball!

Showing his great floating skills, the weather pokemon dodged the attack before firing a Shadow ball of his own. Charizard also dodged the attack, but missed the next flamethrower too. The third was about to connect, but it was dodged in the last second. Then Ruby went on the offensive with a twin shadow ball.

Charizard used Slash to cut both, but when it got close to attack with Steel wing, the Castform dodged left before sending a Shadow ball colliding against the orange dragon.

-Okay, let's kick it up a notch… Fire Spin and Flamethrower!- commanded Red.

-Don't let him, use Shadow ball!

As my ace began circling around Castform, dodging his attacks with speed, a fire tornado was created around it. As it left and flew away, the tornado started closing on it. It seemed like the battle had taken a turn in Red's favor after being unable to touch it still, but Ruby had another ace in his sleeve.

-Rain dance!

Not only these made Castform a Water type, but the rain weakened Charizard's attacks. In fact, it nullified completely the fire tornado completely. Red had only one option now… it was risky, but it's impossible that he hadn't thought about it before… Castform is the Weather pokemon after all, we all knew that Ruby would set up the rain as soon as he saw the need for it.

-Charizard, use Belly Drum!

-Cut it with Weather ball!

-Use Fire Blast on it!

That was his only option, to attack it with Physical attacks. Fire type attacks would not do much damage to him, but after a Belly Drum… Charizard became an absolute monster with his physical attacks. And since I had taught it to be able to use a defensive attack in the time that the Belly drum takes to do its magic, the super effective Weather Ball was not able to stop it. Just like with Groudon and Kyogre those months ago, it defended from such a close distance that the rain became a non-factor for it and was able to lessen the hit.

-Okay, Popo we can't get hit now, go up!

-After him Charizard!

-Weather ball! Rapid fire!

-Cut them with Slash!

As the balls were being fire one after the other, Charizard was getting even closer to the Castform. With its maneuverability and speed, Charizard was able to evade a lot of those attacks which collided with the floor below creating a massive splash every time. But Red was playing a very dangerous game… the reason I do not always use Belly Drum is because Charizard becomes too vulnerable with it, one or two hits and it will be out after it.

-Weather ball!

-Dive under it and Slash!

-Hydropump!

-Circle around it!

It seemed impossible, but Charizard had been able to dodge it enough to withstand it and get in Castform's back. The massive water torrent collided with the grass of the battlefield with massive force, splashing mud everywhere and creating a small crater in it. The outcome though, was that Charizard had been able to hit the Castform with a massive Slash attack. The small pokemon had battled marvelously, but in the end, it had been defeated. A comparatively short battle, but really intense. Charizard was really close to fainting, after receiving part of that massive attack and the Belly Drum, but a mistake from Ruby's side would be his downfall without having to fight Sceptile.

I could hear cheers from the audience. The battle was being amazing and people had been cheering for both for every attack, strategy or genius move from either side of the battle. It was one of the best battles I've ever seen for sure.

-You did amazingly Popo- said Ruby when it recalled the forecast pokemon- now it's your turn Zuzu, let's show everyone just how tough you are.

-And there we have it… Ruby's last pokemon is a Swampert, who has a massive advantage against the Charizard, but we all remember Ash's last pokemon.

-Even with that, any mistake would be enough for Charizard to cause massive damage- said Damian in response.

-That is true…- said Sapphire next to Blue with both rodents in her shoulders now. The Plusle was clearly cheering for the Swampert for how it started shouting when it was sent out.

-C'mon Charizard start flying around him.

-Ash wants the rain to stop- said Gold then- this will lower Ruby's power significantly.

-Zuzu use Muddy water!

-Fly higher!

But it was no use. The attack was not going to reach him anyway. It seemed to rise for a while, but then it started to fall onto the damaged battlefield.

Finally, the rain stopped and Red saw it fit to start attacking again. I don't think it could've last too much on the air though since I could see his right wing not working correctly, probably from the last Hydropump. It was weird that Ruby had let that go by without using it.

-Use Fire Blast!

-Stop it with Mud Slap and then Muddy water!

Using a massive amount of mud in his hand it was able to destroy the massive fire attack before sending out another torrent of dirty water.

-Dodge!

It really seemed to be able to dodge it easily, but then, from the same torrent it had caused, Zuzu went out before firing a Hydropump directly to his face. Since the water he had used for the attack had been the one that was on the field, it had been able to use Waterfall in it to get close in a second. Such a strong attack from such a small distance was able to KO the orange dragon in a single hit. I heard applause everywhere in the stadium. People were excited like they hadn't been in a long while for that last clash of the tournament. I could understand them completely… and the 8 Dexholders were even more excited than the audience.

-And that settles it!

-That it does, Ash had a good opportunity to do some good damage that would probably seal him the victory, but Ruby did not let that happen.

-I think that this is the only scenario in which Swampert can still win this. It has a clear disadvantage, but at least he did not get tired and is still completely healthy.

-You're right Courtney! Sceptile has a clear advantage against Swampert, but I do not think that Ruby will go down without a fight.

-Ruby has to have some kind of endgame plan, or else he'll be completely doomed- said Emerald- The disadvantage is clear.

-It's been some time since he saw Sceptile and he knew that Red had it just for his Swampert- said Sapphire- He's had time to spare to create a plan.

-In between this hectic battle?- said Gold then- well he needed less than 20 minutes to create a plan to rescue Sapphire and battle the Organization.

-Yeah, I mean that he's got time, but only because it's him- she clarified- another person wouldn't have been able to.

-Any other trainer would've focused on the pokemon in front of them, just like every other battler had done previously against R-Ash- I said- Gathering information in the beginning would be useless to anybody without the abilities to use it wisely afterwards.

-And even with that, he got stuck in such an awful match-up in the end- said Emerald with a smug smile- I'm excited to see this plan of his.

-Oh, you'll see it alright- said a voice from behind us, Norman's voice- Ash is in for a nasty surprise.

-Zuzu, in the middle!- said Ruby then, and his strongest pokemon placed himself in the very center of the battlefield- Use Mud Sport!

It seemed like a weird move then, but Zuzu just started accumulating mud onto his body and around him. At first glance it seemed like a useless move.

-It's a defensive strategy- said Blue then- He did it back then, in the submarine when we were trying to retrieve Sapphire. He started accumulating mud to create a protective barrier.

-And you think it's trying to protect from the Grass moves with that?- asked Crystal then- it could soften the damage, but I do not think that it will be of much use…

-Well he dried it with hot temperatures then- said Blue- but the air is so humid right now that it'll take a while for it to dry up and be strong…

-Sceptile run in circles around it!- said Ash then.

-Muddy Water towards it!-

-Cut it with Leaf Blade to get close! Now Leaf blade again!

-Protect!

-Stop and circle him around! What?

The command was simple enough for such an agile pokemon, but when the green barrier appeared in front of it and it tried to change directions, it simply couldn't do it and collided with the protect.

-Jump up and Hydropump!

And as the green lizard staggered due to the collision, Zuzu jumped above him and unleashed a massive torrent of water into his back that smacked Sceptile down into the ground were Zuzu had been a moment ago.

All of us were confused by that, and even more so when Scpetile stood up after it and was asked to close the distance once again, but Zuzu managed to escape hurting him back with Muddy Water. It even happened once again after Sceptile was able to gain speed and close the distance, but the Swampert was able to maneuver around Sceptile's attack and get away from it before smacking it with Take Down. We could not understand how was that possible since Sceptiles speed and agility was miles ahead from those of Swampert, but it did.

-It's a swamp!- yelled Silver then and everything clicked in our minds- Ruby did not have a simple plan in mind, he changed the whole field to his advantage! Swampert feels at home in a swamp.

-But how?- was Emerald's question then- This was a grassy neutral field for the whole battle, but now it's become a swamp.

-He used all those mud attacks during and after the heavy rain his Castform created- explained Crystal- and with every attack, he was either flooding the battlefield or creating more and more mud to change the terrain.

-Using Popo against Charizard was a win-win situation, since it would be easy to justify a Rain Dance and not give away the plan too soon- said Sapphire, clearly proud- And he almost beat Charizard too.

-Now the battle is clearly in his favor- smiled Gold- Sceptile is strong, but if you take out the agility and speed it has and you give it over to its opponent, Sceptile will suffer. No offense Emerald.

-Don't worry, I know that what you said it's true- he said- but Ash still has a way to bring this back and win. A grass move from that Sceptile is not something that Ruby's Swampert will be able to handle so easily.

-That is certainly true… if Ruby makes even the tiniest mistake, this is Ash's victory- said Yellow with determination.

-You don't understand, Ash can take this back without Ruby's mistake too.

Crystal's POV

The end of the battle was coming, we all knew that, but I didn't want it to end. This final battle was like the culmination of all we had hoped to see in a battle between these two monsters, going back and forth, adapting to the other's strategies and making risky plays to take the enemy off guard. Red had been impressive, one of his best fights for sure… and Ruby, well the same.

-Sceptile use Bullet Seed!

-Mud shots! And Mud Slap those who get through!

Since getting close had not been effective, Red had changed its plan to attack from afar. Using Dragonbreath and Bullet Seed he was trying to hurt the Swampert, but it was always able to evade the attack, Protect from it, of counteract them. It was clear the it needed to get close to do it, but the risk was very high. That was until Ruby decided to attack.

-Zuzu use Waterfall into Muddy water! Get close!

With wall the mud scampered along the battlefield, Zuzu's Muddy Water was denser than ever, but it was like home for the amphibious pokemon. For now Red had Sceptile move on the borders of the battlefield where the swamp was considerably less prominent and the ground was harder, so Sceptile was able to maneuver way better.

-Prepare your Leaf Blades, both of them.

-Use Mud Shot and retreat, aim for the eyes!

-Leaf Blade now!

At first it seemed that Ruby had taken too many risks at that moment, since it had placed himself in a dangerous situation all alone. Not only that but Sceptile could very well KO the blue monster with one grass move. In the end though it all became a failed attempt and nothing else since it was able to blind the green reptile with its Mud Shot, avoiding being hit by it. It was then that Red had had enough of this situation and changed it completely.

-Sceptile, let's dry everything up… Sunny Day!

-What?- was Gold's shout then- it knows Sunny Day? Since when? And why didn't he use it before?

-For several weeks now, actually- said Emerald- and as for the second question… I have no idea…

-It makes no sense, look even Ruby is surprised by it!- said Sapphire and sure enough Ruby had a stunned face for a couple seconds, then I saw him sigh before shouting.

-Muddy Water!

-Is he trying to gain more time?- asked Green then.

-Yeah, but look at the rate everything is drying up!- I said as we could see the borders of the arena dry up already.

-He has 5 min at most until everything has dried up- said Emerald- the sun Sceptile creates is really hot, but fades faster than the others I've seen. And it still consumes more energy, Sceptile has not perfected it yet.

-But all those "flaws" work beautifully here now- said Silver- the tables have turned. Let's see if the damage Ruby has done so far will be enough to win.

-Sceptile, let's not let him wet everything again- said Red- Solar Beam!

-Ice Beam!- yelled Ruby immediately.

Both green and light blue beam collided in the middle of both pokemon. Solar beams took no time to charge now, but the Ice beam had also been instantaneous being able to cancel it as well. They traded some more of them, mostly Ruby cancelling Red's attacks or dodging them, but his time was getting smaller. The dried up area was expanding and now Sceptile was able to move freely and use its agility efficiently throughout the majority of the arena.

-Agility and Leaf Blade!

-Zuzu Dig to evade!

-Be careful Sceptile and get out of there!

-Muddy Water!

The swamp area had become so small that Sceptile was able to jump above it while attacking Zuzu who was in the middle of it. Zuzu had to go underground to avoid the super effective attack before unleashing a torrent of dirty water from said hole. It had been a close call, but he had managed to avoid it any damage. Since it had gotten out of the ground alongside the water Red tried to hit him with Bullet Seed, but using Protect, it was able to avoid, yet another attack.

-Ruby had Ice beam hidden just for any Grass type Ash could have in store for it and a really well thought plan to gain advantage over them early on- said Damian- but now the Sceptile is clearly in the lead here.

-Use Agility around the Swampert!

-Freeze his legs!

But to no avail. Trying to fire an Ice beam directed at its feet, Zuzu was almost able to freeze the green lizard's feet, which would be devastating for Red, but Sceptile was too fast and agile for that to happen.

-Zuzu three steps forward and follow his circle- said Ruby then.

Being way closer to the center of the circumference, the spot where Zuzu had used Dig before, Zuzu could keep up with Sceptile even though the clear gap in speed. Red was going to make use of it too though.

-Bullet seed!

-Mud Shot to deflect!

-Solar Beam!

-Ice beam!

Due to the collision of both attacks, the previous ones and the arena that had dried up completely created a cloud of dust between both pokemon. We all knew what came now, and there seemed to only be a possible outcome for this encounter to end.

-Agility and Leaf Blade!

-Protect!

Ruby did what we all expected, not knowing from where the pokemon would come from, it placed a protective barrier in front of it. But the terrain was not a swamp like before, and Sceptile would maneuver around it.

-I think this is the end- said a proud Emerald.

-Circle around and double Leaf blade!

And with an impressive agility and speed, the lizard pokemon disappeared just as it was about to collide with the Protect, only to appear behind it. To end it. To end the best battle I have ever seen in my 16 years. To crown Ash, or Red, as the winner of the tournament.

Red's POV

"I'm sorry Ruby, you'll be the 10th anyway, but I will win this battle" I thought as Sceptile disappeared.

-Use Ice punch!

-What!?- was not only my own voice, but those of most of the audience voices plus both commentator's reactions, as Sceptile was sent flying to the ground, ice shards scattered all over his torso.

The punch had been so strong that it had sent Sceptile flying until it landed just some feet away from where I was. The lizard was persistent though, and even then, it tried to get up, but to no avail… as soon as it managed to stand up, his eyes closed and it fell frontwards.

-And it's… OVER! Sceptile is down and out! Ruby is the winner- said Courtney's voice from the speakers- The Champion of the 10th Dexholder Tournament… is Ruby Maple!

The crowd was not even cheering… but not booing either… everyone was dead silent, in shock by what just went down. The only one who reacted was Ruby's Swampert who ran back and hugged his trainer in happiness, Ruby petting him for doing a great job.

-I'm sorry, but I still can't believe how it happened Courtney- said Damian- I don't know how Sceptile's attack did not land… we need to see the Replay, that was way too fast to keep track!

-We are getting it now, for all the audience in the stadium please look at the screens to see it, I'm told that we'll also have it slowed down to really see what happened in those last seconds- Courtney informed everyone- I'm also informed that for those watching it on the tv will have the same replay as us.

I looked up, but I didn't need to look to the screen to see it… I knew what had happened and I could only blame myself for falling into that trap. For letting Ruby be all those steps in front of me.

-Sorry Sceptile, I failed you- I said recalling the KOed pokemon- he was… just better than me.

Ruby had always kept his Swampert between Sceptile and the hole he had created before, the only wet and unstable piece of the battlefield knowing that I would command Sceptile to avoid the protect. And as soon as it placed behind it, it would fall into the hole, or at least lose balance. He did not really need that much time since, as soon as he saw Sceptile disappear, he was already commanding Zuzu to use Ice Punch. The other Ice move he had taught Zuzu to cover for his grass types matchups. He fooled everyone thinking that Ice beam was his only counterplay.

I looked up to see Ruby leaving as everyone was still waiting for the replay… I kind of felt proud, that he was the only one I've still never been able to beat in a battle, that had gotten even stronger than before. Looking towards the seats with all the Pokedex Holders I saw everyone of them looking at the screen except her… Yellow. I also started to go to my changing room. It took only two minutes to reach it… I was feeling quite disappointed. I had the advantage and I let him win anyway.

It was then that I hear two knocks on the door. It immediately opened revealing Yellow, who looked at me with a worried face.

-How… how are you?- she asked.

I sighed… I didn't want to worry her over losing a battle.

-I don't know… I'm happy to see how strong he really is, but at the same time…

-You wanted to win- she said- I understand- But… it was amazing. The best battle I've ever seen. You were so close to winning.

-Was I? Did you notice that Sceptile never touched his Swampert? – I asked then.

-He had to do a perfect battle to win that last encounter- she said- and he did. We both know that a single grass attack received by Zuzu would've been too much for him to handle.

-Yeah… he was perfect- I said then.

-But you were also handicapped… you battled with 5 pokemon that were not yours, while he knew his pokemon's every single capabilities- she said sitting down next to me- It could've ended differently with your usual team.

-It might have- I said- all you said is true… But he was amazing, so he might have won anyway.

-Then why are you so hard on yourself?

-I feel like I had it in my hands, and he went and took it away from me in the last second…- I said- and I could've seen that coming. Plus, I had something planned for when I did…

-I know, but as I said… whether you won or lost I had something to tell you- she said with a low voice- I wanted you to win, but I don't care about the result. I have to tell you…

-You know that you can tell me anything- I said confused, I didn't know were she was going with it… well I wanted her to go in one specific direction, but should I hope?

She then opened her mouth, but closed it again. She was trembling a lot and she was too nervous to say anything. She had been quite intimidating before, when scolding me, but right now, she became an even more insecure version of herself. It was adorable, although I prefer the more confident Yellow. I took her hand to try and calm her nerves down, when she suddenly hugged me and mumbled the sweetest words I've ever heard.

-I love you Red…- were the words.

Even if I was wishing to the heavens above that those words would be the ones she said, it still surprised me to hear them.

-Y-You do?- I asked out of reflex- Since when?

-Gosh you're dense- she sighed- For a long time! I've liked you for almost 5 years now!

-Really?- that was surprising, I could've guessed up to a year at most, but 5?

-Of course, and I'm for miles the most obvious of the 4 of us…- she sighed.

-I guess I'm really that dense after all- I said defeated- I'm sorry for not noticing…

-That's part of what makes you, you… even if it's annoying at times- she said before being nervous and fidgeting again…- so?

-So?- I asked clueless before it clicked- Oh right , the answer…. Sorry, I'm quite the idiot, so much of making fun of Gold… That's actually funny, what I wanted to tell you after I won was that I really liked you. Like a lot. More than I like the others.

-You do? Since when?- she asked.

-I don't know… I'm not good with this at all, I realized it after Blue actually tried to kill me after the whole war- I said- In the ball you told me that you liked me and I went to her for help. I asked what you meant by that… I'm such an idiot, and I'm sorry for not realizing it sooner. The truth is that that day nothing changed about how I felt about you, so I've probably liked you for some years as well, I was just to insecure and dense to notice it…

As I finished that I saw her crying, the weird thing was that she was smiling a lot. She dried her tears with her hands before getting up and speaking.

-Do not worry about it… as I said, this innocence is part of what makes you, you- she said- and I wouldn't have it any other way.

And after saying that she kissed me and my mind went blank.

Ruby's POV

If someone saw me right now, they would never guess that I've just won the 10th Dexholder tournament just a few minutes ago, they would just see a teenager standing in the corridor of his locker room completely paralyzed. Of course, they wouldn't guess either that just some feet in front of him, the younger of the female Dexholders was just as paralyzed as he was. The awkwardness was over 9000. She was the first to snap out of it though.

-We should just enter- she sighed- the others will be here soon.

-Okay- I said opening the door for her to enter and I closed behind myself, thus creating again an atmosphere with the same tension as before.

She was looking at me, I'm sure she was, but I could not look at her. And I did not know what to say either… I normally know what I should be saying, but not right now. Should I start speaking, or should I just shut up and wait for the others to come.

-So… how's your arm?- she asked then and I looked towards my left arm, still immobilized.

-It's getting better- I said, moving my fingers- it's going pretty slow, but it's improving.

-Your mom told me you were regaining mobility- she said, wait… she had talked to my mom?

-Well yes, you see this?- I said moving all my fingers- been able to do that for a couple weeks now. The bones still need time, but the nerves are healing well enough. It's just so slow…

-That's good to hear- she said then when we heard steps coming from the other side of the door. Just then the door opened revealing 7 other people I knew all too well.

-I knew she would be here- said Blue when they all entered.

-She sure ran fast- said Emerald then- you could've waited for us.

-I wanted to make sure he would not leave- Sapphire said seriously.

I wanted to object, but… I did not. She had all the reason to think that, they all did.

-I can not argue that it was a possibility- I said- but when I decided to enter the tournament I also decided to stop running away.

I got all of their attention then, but no one said anything. I wanted then to ask something, but Red and Yellow were missing. So I waited. For a minute, when we heard the door open again, revealing said pair.

-Sorry to interrupt, but the journalists are heading this way- Red said, his hand firmly intertwined with Yellow's, though nobody else's seemed to notice it- We won't have time for…

-Don't worry, we will- I said then- I asked my father to not let anyone approach these changing rooms, other than the nine of you. He and the other Gym leaders will give us plenty of time before I have to go out and do any interview or any of that crap.

-That's good- he answered then.

-So… where exactly do we start?- I asked- You must have a lot of questions. I will answer them all so you can all ask anything until you are satisfied. This time I will not hide anything.

I saw all of their eyes spark with curiosity. And it seemed like the all would ask questions at the same time. But none of them did, not when Sapphire rose and spoke to me, silencing them.

-We have a lot of time, as you said- she said- so explain what you think is necessary. We'll have plenty of questions later, I've got no doubt.

-Okay, fair enough- I said then, taken aback by her forwardness, but I also hoped that what I saw in her eyes included the same curiosity as the others- I will start with this then.

With that I rose my head and with my right hand I grabbed my hat, taking it out of the way. Not used to it being exposed I felt a chill when fresh air came in contact with the two scars that were left visible just over my right eye. I could see all their eyes focus on those two irregular marks I had been hiding all along.

-As you all know by now- I said- my name is Ruby Maple, my father is the Gym leader Norman Maple and you also know my mom. And yes, I'm the same person that you met in the Organization's prison, that 17th of June 5 years ago. As you guys know, Marchie's Salamence threw me out of Pilo, but I managed to survive… kind of.

I then went over the whole story of what happened when I fell. How I saw the Salamence come after me, how it grabbed me, how I used all of my pokemon to make the dragon pokemon descend more and more until it threw us to the floor. And I explained the battle. And I saw their curious faces become excited, and worried for as I was telling it. And then I arrived towards the end.

-When the Salamence left and I had won, I felt liberated for a second, but then I realized that I was in the middle of the fair- I explained- in the rush and the adrenaline I'd forgot, just thinking about escaping and winning. But then I looked up and saw everyone looking at me. And I got terrified. I was losing all the forces I had left, but no one helped me because they were scared. Terrified. Of a ten-year-old boy who had just beaten a massive monster all by himself.

I caught my breath for a while then. I saw it in their faces that they had hundreds of questions, but no one did. So, I continued.

-The last thing I remember is asking for help as everyone was running away from the spot with those terrified eyes I can not get out of my head- I said- The next thing I remember is being in a hospital with both my parents by my side. They told me that using Ruru's Psychic powers and memory they were able to locate my family. After that, they did lots of tests in my head, looking for Amnesia or something, but they didn't find anything wrong. So, after a week I was discarded.

-What happened after that?- asked Gold, unable to help himself.

-On the way home I asked if we could pass next to the place where I was found and what I saw terrified me- I said- Everything was destroyed. Two massive holes on the pavement, three stalls completely burnt another one that had a massive hole in it… two burnt trees… What had been a nice place to spend the afternoon and have fun, was destroyed. I was disgusted by all that, and then it clicked. In my rush to win a battle, I could've hurt so many people and I certainly destroyed something beautiful. That was why they left me to die and were so afraid of me… because I just a monster to all them...

Silence enveloped the room after hearing that. I could see concerned faces coming from every one of them, except Sapphire. I had already told her part of this story, so it's understandable that she was not as shocked as everyone else, but still…

-As you can probably imagine, it was at that moment that I gave up on battling- I said- or my battling self to be a little more accurate. And I haven't improved at all since then… Before today, I battled just a handful of times, against my father, I destroyed the clearing where we battled, - I started counting- Against Malcolm and Mr. Mike we completely destroyed the fountain and everything around it, even scaring Sapphire in the process and with Groudon… you all know what happened there.

-But…- Blue wanted to intervene then, but I cut her off.

-In just a week, I lost everything I liked- I said- And no, I know it was not your fault, but in two months you became unreachable. And you thought I was dead so… yeah too far away from me.

-What do you mean unreachable?- Green asked.

-The next time I had any news of you, you'd already become the Dexholders- I said- In those two months I tried to know more information about the tournament, but nothing. My dad did not become a full- fledged Gym leader until 4 months after the Tournament so he could not gather information about it either. And I also didn't want to stand out too much.

-Why not?- asked Red.

-I'd been the first to be imprisoned by Marchie- I said- the first target. If I tried to make a fuss all alone, they could find me and kidnap me again. And without you I would not be able to escape, Marchie would learn from his mistakes. You had the whole Association behind you, you were protected in some way, but I wasn't. With that and the low odds of you really noticing… I simply gave up.

-But we've always been here in this academy- said Crystal- how did you find us if we were so unreachable?

-I didn't- I said and she was surprised- It may not seem obvious to you, but the Association did a really good job at hiding you all. It's not like they can put you into a bunker, but this Academy is missing of its records on you. Since you have fans all around you it may seem that everyone knows where you are, but they don't. As far as the majority of the world is concerned, you live in the Association headquarters, ready for a mission whenever you're needed.

-Hmm… I did not know that- said Emerald.

-I did- said Silver, surprising them- and he is right.

-Then just how did you find us?- asked Gold impatient.

-I told you, I didn't- I answered- My father did. In the last 5 years he has climbed quite high in the Gym leader ranks, being one of the strongest ones right now. Earlier this year, he was able to gain the information of where you were studying and living. And he applied to get me registered in the Academy. All of that behind my back, mind you. I did not know any of this was going on.

-I thought that it was you that applied for it- said Red- or that you had asked him to do it.

-Let's say that me and my dad haven't been all that close in the last 5 years- I said- I'd always been this genius at battling that he trained day after day, not because he wanted to, but because I asked. He saw me as this boy who would beat him one day and be the best he has ever seen. I'm not making it up, he confessed it to me some weeks ago. And suddenly I disappeared for 4 months and returned not only not wanting to battle, but hating it.

I stopped to catch my breath again.

-He did not understand it, he thought I was scared still and that with time I would go back to normal, they say time heals everything after all, but in my case time has not- I said- In my previous class everyone admired me for how I battled, being the best in the class… in the school at a very young age. But when I stopped and refused to, they too were surprised… at first. Then they tried to force me to do it, and when no one could accomplish it, they started mocking me and threw me aside. I was not their shiny toy anymore. So yeah, in half a year tops… everything I knew became the opposite. And I accepted it, if nobody wanted to care about me anymore, so be it.

-Then what- asked Emerald, but Sapphire cut him off immediately.

-Stop…- she said coldly with her arms crossed in front of her- I told him to explain himself, the questions will come later. Please, I want to hear what he really wants to explain, not answer our questions.

-Okay, sorry- said Emerald scratching his blonde hair- We really got caught up.

-So yeah, as I said I stopped battling entirely- I said then still surprised by Sapphire's coldness against me, not that I don't deserve it or anything, but… it kinda hurt- People in my school started avoiding me, my mom was able to go back to work as a lorry driver and then my dad started to really prepare for the exams to be a Gym leader. That left a lot of time for me to be alone in my house, and I really didn't want to train my pokemon for battle, so I looked for other options. And the option I found was to compete in contests. It went perfectly since it gave us a reason to train really hard, but most importantly it told me that I could create something beautiful with them. Before I only ever destroyed things, with my analytic battle style I use all around me to give me the slightest advantage possible, but I was also able to make people be impressed by how beautiful my attacks were. It felt like I could give back some of the beautiful things I had destroyed so far.

-The first one I entered was half a year after I was found and when my parents found out they had very different reactions. My mom was happy since I was able to win with Ruru, but Dad was not impressed- I said- he said that I was wasting my abilities and that the Ruby he knew would never participate in that. That hurt a lot to hear from my dad. To see the person you've always looked up to and who has always been so proud of your be that disappointed in you is awful. But at that moment I realized something else too, that was the same reaction that everyone at school had with me, also some teachers. I could say that I tried talking to my dad calmly and collected then, but I did not… I tried to explain it to him, but I was furious, then he became furious and it ended badly. He tried to make me battle for years, telling me that I had a talent that most people would die for and that I was just wasting it. And he only got it this year, two weeks after I entered this Academy.

I stopped then waiting for them to ask something. They were eager to, but they didn't. So I continued.

-The reason I battled was because he threatened me, he told me that if I did not battle him or lost- I stopped- he would reveal the truth. He had just met Professor Birch, Sapphire's dad obviously, after years since losing touch between them. And he said that he would tell him who I was, in a matter of days you all would've known. So I agreed to battle him… and I won.

-What… was so wrong about us knowing?- asked Green then unable to control himself- you say that you hated battling, but you do it to keep a secret that was so painful to us. Do you know how much we suffered your death?

-Yes and no…- I said then- I wanted you to know it, but… I wanted to do it when I felt ready. There was no point in someone else doing it, much less my father. A father that only understood me three months ago. Look, I was scared to death by your answer and even the aftermath, but I was even more afraid of not being brave enough to face you. I felt that if I was not the one to tell you the truth, there would've been no value at all in it. If I was not the one to do it, I would not be able to accept your forgiveness.

-Why? Did you not want to be with us again?- I heard Yellow pipe up, I could not look at any of them.

-Of course, but you have to understand that I had already given up on it.

-What do you mean?- was Blue this time.

-As I said, you became unreachable for me, plus you also thought that I was dead- I said- even if I found you, I had changed so much that you would be hardly pressed to recognize the boy you met in that prison. So much that you too, would be just as disappointed. But that did not matter because you were more unreachable every day. That is, until I found myself in the seat next to you back in September. I always try to have a plan, but even if I was in the same school as you, what were the odds that I would meet you anytime soon. When I saw the fan clubs I knew that it would be easy for me to be invisible for you, since you had to be tired of your fellow students.

-But we were in the same class, we did projects together… I invited you to my birthday, told you my story… why didn't you say something?

-Say what exactly? "Hey guys, wanna know something crazy? I'm that friend you saw fall into the night, I never died!" Would you have even believed me, the guy you just met some days ago?- I answered- Or even if you did, then what? I had not met you for 5 years, you could've changed for the worse… Time changes people. I should know, it changed me a hell of a lot. And even if you didn't change, what if you did not like the changes. I know it was just me being scared, but the first and most possible option was that you were going to accept me at first, but be disappointed in me just like everyone else had been.

-I thought you said that we'd been the best friends that you've ever had- said Red- how could you think that we would do that?

-I really didn't know, but I was going to observe you for a while… I decided to be selfish for a while, and observe, it had been 5 years… I figured you could've a few more weeks, but then I saw you all crying in front of my tomb… and It broke me inside, for two reasons… I hated seeing you all like that, but at the same time I saw how much you cared and it made me even more scared. I know how much all of you admired me back then. You did not even try to hide it, I was your leader to you guys for whatever reason, but I was no longer that persom. The day I fell, part of me died as well… so I was terrified of disappointing you. You have always been the people that have treated the best… my best friends. If you rejected me too, I don't think I would've been able to handle it.

I breathed deeply for a few seconds, trying to regain my composure. When I did, I started my final thoughts.

-Look, I know I did everything in the wrong way- I started- there is only one person to blame and it is me. I was so scared that I caused you all great pain, I was so focused on my mental health that I just looked for myself, without realizing how much you were suffering. I was so much of a coward that I could not trust the very best friends that I've ever had. The only ones that have accepted me for who I am and not for what I'm good at. I'm sorry.

At that moment something happened that I had thought possible, but it surprised me anyway. I received a slap, so hard that it sent me backwards. Three steps to be exact.

-You said that you wanted to tell the complete truth- said Sapphire enraged her hand still in the same position after slapping me.

-I did- I said surprising me.

-Then why are the only things I heard, "everything is my entire fault, please do not forgive me I do not deserve it"?

- Wha… What do you mean? It is my fault- I said.

-You're right- she said then.

-I can not understand you now- I said then.

-It is your fault, but it's not only YOUR fault, you idiot- she said then.

-What do you mean, who else is to blame?- I asked surprised.

-You are just one of them, Ruby- she said- I agree that you were an idiot for not telling us sooner. And it hurt, but you're not the one to blame for anything else. You were the victim in that fair, you were fighting for your life… against Groudon the destruction is not your fault in the slightest. And for the other things you mentioned… a lot of people is to blame.

- What do you mean?- I asked again.

-I'm not as good with words as you are, I've never been…- she said taking a breath- I've talked to your parents quite a few times after you started the treatment and I asked them what had really happened after they found you.

-Why did you talk to them?- I asked then surprised- It makes no sense.

-I had a feeling your speech would be like it has been, you only blaming yourself- she said- I know they must've sweetened things a little bit, they are quite biased after all, but it confirmed the truth. You were alone, completely alone. Your mom was never home, your class had turned their backs on you and bullied you constantly. Your father told me how unsupportive he had been, how every time he was home it ended in a fight due to your different points of view. How he did never show you any kind of pride towards you even when he considered you the best thing he has ever taken part of. And how despite of this you never tried to prove anyone wrong, you just accepted it.

-We have also talked about it ourselves Ruby- I heard Red say- and we're also at fault. We never searched for you… If we had and we had found you, then this would've never happened. You would've been with us and we wouldn't have become unreachable.

-I can not blame you for that, it was impossible for me to survive the fall- I said then- and I asked you to not do it so… forget it, you're not to blame at all.

-Then why do you take all the blame yourself?- she asked again- You talk to me and explain that I can not make impossible promises, that I have to be realistic and not feel guilty about every bad thing happening around me… and you do everything I did a hundred times worse than I was doing it.

- Wha…

-No, now you'll let me talk- she said and I shut up… I'd never seen her so mad at me.

She stopped to take a breath before starting.

-You are amazing- she said surprising me- so amazing that you're fucking terrified of yourself. It was so easy for us to be strong you told Green, but we all took it the wrong way. It wasn't easy becoming strong, for us it was easy being strong and admired for everyone. You were left to die because you were strong and then, scarred because of that, you got left behind from everyone you knew, even your father. But you blame it all on yourself when the people that left you to die did something horrible. You were just trying to survive… and your father, it took him 5 years to finally understand everything.

-I know but…

-I'm not finished- she said and I shut up again- I understand that you stopped battling after that, you were 10, for Arceus' sake. Then you started to do contests and everyone mocked you for it, but you continued without caring about what everyone thought.

-Sapphire… why are you explaining his own life to him like he didn't say it already? Emerald chimed in.

-Because he's been all by himself for a very long time- she almost shouted- and the way he speaks it seems like he wants us, using his own words the best friends he's ever had, to not forgive him. Why? Why, instead of telling us that it's all your fault, you don't explain how you saved all our asses numerous times. You saved me too many times to count, you risked your life to take people out of the Contest's Hall on fire, risked your life again being hurt… Without you we wouldn't have been able to win at all… so why do you not say anything about that?

- I thought it wasn't…

- Important?

-Not important. I thought that this was something I could've prevented too… after all I had my suspicions about Marchie and his grunts when they focused on you…- I said- I could've warned you, and we could've planned something. Or warn the Association… My actions had bad consequences.

A strange silence fell upon us then… I didn't know what to think of it.

-That is true…- said Sapphire- You could've, but that would mean that you would've told us who you were as well. But then again, it was Marchie and his grunts that attacked us. And even if it was completely your fault… what did you do afterwards? Did you escape or hide? No! You freaking fixed it. You helped me when I needed you the most. And then you took the hardest work all to yourself, as always… but you succeeded. Even if that meant telling me horrible things so I would attack you with everything I had. Even if that meant killing you.

- Yeah… I did- I said then.

A strange silence fell upon us then. I was looking at her try to control her anger while two tears were falling from her eyes. When she was able to calm her voice and stop shaking she spoke again.

-Look this is your last chance- she said- your next words will decide whether I choose to forgive you or not. You have to tell us your real thoughts, what you REALLY want to happen and why.

-Okay…- I said thinking about what to say.

-Remember… last chance!- she said crossing her arms.

-Then I'll say this- I said then- I am Ruby Maple, the guy that you saw as your leader in that prison 5 years ago. A lot of things happened, and the guy that you knew changed so much that you could say that the gravestone you have with his name is where that kid rests. I don't want to change back at all… being like this made me realize who really value me for who I am. Anyone who can do that will be considered a friend in my eyes, people can change as I perfectly know.

I stopped for some seconds before continuing.

-I am an individualist, who tries to keep everyone safe except myself way too much. My secrets have created many problems as you know and I don't know if I can completely fix that. But I'll try… I will learn to trust in the people that have been nothing but supportive, even if just a little pushy, towards me. If you are willing to wait some time, I will learn to do it not only for you, the people who deserve it more of this world, but for me as well. I'm sorry for being so selfish and tried to exclude all of you from my problems. I forgot that friends not only share the good times, but all the bad moments too. You don't deserve as bad of a friend as I've been so far, so please… let me be with you until that is no longer true. And I am sorry for hiding who I've been all this time.

.

.

I didn't have anything else to say after that, but no one else was reacting.

.

.

The tension was killing me, but no one was moving an inch… Until I heard sobs… Sapphire was crying.

-Thank, *sniff*, Arceus- she said between sobs before tackling me and hugging me tightly.

I looked around then, but I only saw smiling faces with some tears in the eyes.

-I don't know what I would've done if I couldn't forgive you- she said.

-She did a great job at hiding her emotions…- Blue chuckled a bit before coming and hugging me too.

One by one, everyone came and gave me a hug as soon as the others were letting me breath. So far everyone had been quite gentle, but Gold was not as much, pressing onto my arm a little too much.

-Oh sorry, sorry…- he apologized.

-It's okay- I said rubbing it until I saw that the last person to hug me was Green, but he was doubtful.

-I've been the roughest with you.

He was not asking anything, he was stating a fact.

-I've been the roughest with everyone here- I said.

-You both put way too much pressure on your shoulders- said Red, putting a hand on Green's shoulder- You two don't gotta carry all the weight on your own.

-And you are not alone anymore- said Sapphire taking my good hand in hers and looking directly onto me- we're a team now. One problem for any of us affects everyone, so no more hiding it. I don't care if it's to protect us, no more hiding your troubles from us.

-I know… I will do it- I said- You all deserve as much.

-You deserve it too, you know?- said Emerald then with a big smile- Do you know why Sapphire made you win this tournament to be able to explain yourself?

-No…

-Sapphire wanted everyone to know how strong you can really be if you want to- said Yellow.

-Sapphire really started thinking like you in these past months- said Blue teasingly.

-I don't know if that is a good thing or not- I said scratching my chin embarrassed- but I'll say this… I still don't like it, battling I mean. I hate myself every time I cause any collateral damage, destroy something that could've been spared or a pokemon is hurt because of me. I can't promise I will ever enjoy battling, but I can promise that I will battle for my loved ones. And that, of course, includes you all.

-That will be more than enough- said Red then- you won against non-other than myself today so I think we are good.

-That does not mean you won't have to train though- said Green.

-Yeah, but with you as our strategist, we'll basically be unbeatable- added Gold.

-Remember that every plan can fail Gold- said Crystal when we heard Gold complain about her being too serious- but it's true that we just upgraded pretty nicely.

-You're praising me way too much- I said- and putting a lot of pressure on my shoulders.

-You better start getting used to it then- said Sapphire then walking in front of me with both hands in her back- because from now on, you'll be in the spotlight. Officially as one of us!

Then she showed me what she was hiding behind her and, even if I knew that it was coming, I was amazed by it… The Pokedex.

The same one I had used those months ago to gain information on Groudon and Kyogre… was being given to me. It was mine by right.

-C'mon grab it- said Silver as I saw everyone else taking theirs out.

As I did, I noticed them all looking at me with anticipation, but nothing happened. So I proceeded to open it.

Bee-beep!

The screen lighted up. A beeping sound resonating in the room.

Bee-beep! Bee-beep!

-It feels good to finally hear it- said Red with his eyes closed.

-Couldn't agree more- said Sapphire looking at me.

Bee-Beep!

-The legendary sound of the 10 DexHolders- shouted Gold with his fist up in the air.

-Finally together!- yelled Emerald with him.

Bee-beep!

-Yeah… but how do we stop it?- asked Yellow, then- It's getting into my brain.

Bee-beep!

-Just press this button- was Crystal's command.

As soon as each one of us had done it, the sound disappeared. It was a noisy sound, but not entirely unpleasant. Maybe it was because of the implications rather than the sound itself.

-Well guys as much as I like being here, I think it is time for us to go out there- said Green- Gramps just texted me saying that everyone is getting anxious.

-We better get out there then- said Blue grabbing as many of them as she could and pulling them out of the room- C'mon Emerald and Red, get here at once!

It didn't take her long to have everyone outside the room… or almost everyone.

-She is not very subtle, is she?- I asked Sapphire, the only one of them who did not leave or was dragged away by Blue…

-She was not trying- she laughed- That's what happens when you ask Blue to drag everyone else out without making it obvious.

-So why did you do that?- I asked her, genuinely curious.

-I wanted to talk to you alone- she said- I want to make some things clear.

-Okay… - I responded.

Sapphire's POV

-First of all, I want to say that I was never scared of you- I started- When you protected me from Mr. Mike and the big grunt, Malcom, I was not scared of you or your way of fighting. I was scared of the Salamence. The same Salamence that had killed you. So please do not put that battle in your list of battles that destroyed precious things. Maybe you did destroy the area around you, but if you hadn't battled the way you did, I would've been taken by them in that moment. You saved me then… again.

-I-I'm glad- he said then visibly relieved- I should've known that, but at the moment I was exhausted and I only saw the same eyes as back then… I should've known…

-Stop…- she said then- No more blaming yourself. You were hurt. No one could've thought completely straight back then.

-Okay, okay… you're right. It might take a while to stop putting all the blame on me.

-But you will do it- she stated smiling with her cute fang in the corner of her mouth.

-I will- I sated back -Can I ask a question myself?

-Yeah sure… I only wanted to make this clear- I said- It bugged me for a long time and when you mentioned it earlier, it made me feel really bad…

-Why did you make me enter this tournament?- he asked, an easy question.

-I wanted you to win and demonstrate everyone who's ever mocked you that you are far stronger than they will ever be- I said- I wanted to let you explain yourself no matter the result. But even if I did not like what you told us and I couldn't forgive you… No one would make fun of you again. After all you did for us, even with your mistakes, it wouldn't be fair for me to not give you something in return. You saved my life more times that I can count. And I'm not only talking about battles.

He was surprised by the response. I could understand it, the only information he ever got, was that he needed to win to be given the chance of redemption. A chance that he had deserved from the 1st minute. I was the one surprised when he started crying on the spot. Not only I had never seen him cry before, but he also seemed happy while doing it.

-You are the best thing that has ever happened to me- he said then out of the blue.

I could feel the heat rising to my face. He must've meant all of us, for sure…

-We just…

-I mean YOU!- he explained- Of course, the others are amazing, but you… you're just… you're just the best. After all the things I've put you through… all the lies, all the secrets…- he said still drying some tears still- you thought of me the first. Even when I did not deserve it. Not only that, but you… forgave me. I don't deserve any of you…

-I only did what I thought was right Ruby- I answered then a little embarrassed.

-I love you…

.

.

.

-W-w-what?- I said then, definitely as red as a Tamato Berry.

I was too stunned to talk. He loved me. RUBY just said that he loved me.

-Y-y-y-y-you do?

I knew I had feelings for him back then and I knew he cared a lot for us, but I don't think he liked me like that 5 years ago. And I developed feelings for "Rub" in the Academy, but I only knew that he valued our friendship and cared about me a lot.

-I do… I really do- he said- You were the first person to talk to me in that prison, and whenever they beat me up you were the first to scold me, to tell me to take care of myself better. To really care for me. And even if it sounds weird, you were the one who needed me the most. It may seem selfish to say that I began to like you because you needed me, but it's true that it made me feel great to be able to help you improve. But you helped me improve as well. During those moments in there I got to know the real you, the girl full of determination, that lets her mistakes get to her too much, but is so caring of others.

He stopped for a second, but I was quite stunned to say anything.

-When I realized that none of you had changed for the worse, I was immensely happy- he said- and you only changed for the best. You've grown so strong and as determined as ever, but you still care so much for everyone around you that it's certainly impressive. I loved seeing those bright, blue eyes of yours so full of power, and I hated seeing you down. And I still do… Look I know that I still need to change some things of myself before I deserve to ask you this question. I was not planning on telling you until then, but you just deserved to know. Just promise that after I've changed and I feel that I deserve you, I'll be able to tell you again.

That last part made me angry.

-No!- I said then, my voice angry- No, I will not promise that. You can't just tell me that you love me and not hear my answer just because you think you don't deserve me. I don't care if you don't think you deserve me or even being a Dexholder. I had a massive crush on Ruby back then and I began to like you even more during the months we were in the Academy. And I love you, I love you so much that if I couldn't forgive you after this, I don't know what I would've done with myself. So no… I'm not waiting until you feel you deserve any of this because it's absolutely fucking happening! You are now a Dexholder, and you are now my boyfriend! And you'll improve by my side, with me helping you and you helping me. We'll make each other better as we've always done.

When I stopped, I realized that I had been yelling at him, directly at his face and what I had said, making myself completely embarrassed. He was too stunned to talk too his face, mine completely red.

-That… is not how I wanted to tell you… that I love you… too- I said in a quiet voice.

-But it's probably the way I deserved it to be- Ruby said then scratching the back of his head.

I don't really know what did it… the fact that it was the truth, the fact that this had been a really emotionally tense day, probably hell, probably both. The thing is that we slowly started to chuckle until we all started laughing uncontrollably. It lasted for a good minute until we stopped gasping for air.

-Yeah, you're probably right – I conceded then before getting serious- Are we clear though?

-You're in for a challenge, girlfriend!- he said then- Now seriously… I'm sorry for everything I've put you through, I will make sure to improve. You deserve better and I'll be better.

-But you'll improve by my side right?- she said sitting behind me and resting her head in my back, looking up.

-The best place I can think of- he answered, grabbing my hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Emerald's POV

-OMG guys, they are kissing!- said Blue with her ear on the wall.

-Are you sure?- asked Crystal.

-Of course- she said, when we hear the door open.

-Quite the surprise to see you all here- said Sapphire sarcastically.

-Anything important you wanna tell us Sapph?- teased Blue then.

I saw her face get redder for a second, and Ruby also looked away, but they never let go of the other's hand. I was happy for them, genuinely happy. I do not care too much about love and relationships, but those two… Aside from Crystal, they had been the first friends I had back then, seeing one be so amazing and the other work so hard had pushed me to do my best and become as strong as I am today. And even if they had been the ones to bring us together as a team at first, they had also been the ones who suffered most. They deserved to be happy. They deserved each other.

-Well…- she said then, clearly embarrassed.

-We know Sapphire, we already know- I said then- I'm happy for you, and you too Ruby.

-I didn't really think you cared about any of that- said Gold then- maybe there is hope for you too.

-Nah, not interested at the moment, you all can be all romantic and stuff with each other, just don't drag me into it- I answered then putting my hands behind my head.

-Still a kid- said Crystal before eyeing Red and Yellow- one day you'll understand. If Red could, I think everyone can do it.

-Red -said Green then surprising us- just because he is finally dating Yellow, it does not mean that he understands the mess he has just entered. This shit is more difficult than any pokemon battle.

-So I am that difficult, huh?- said Blue with a malicious tone and a look that screamed "WRONG MOVE".

-Just focus on the fact that Green just told a joke- said Red, who had been silent for the duration of the teasing and jokes before this moment.

I then saw Blue change that threatening glare to a happy one and chuckled.

-Now that's a sign of the apocalypse if I've ever seen one- she said before we all laughed.

The good moment was interrupted by Ruby's phone ringing in that very moment. Ruby got the call and after a few seconds he ended it and looked at us.

-I think it's finally time for the ceremony- he said- Dad and the other gym leaders bought enough time for us already. It's time for me to become the 10th PokeDex Holder.

It was then that I saw Sapphire grab Ruby's hand and looked at everyone before looking at him.

-You'll never be the 10th Dexholder Ruby- she said- You were the first one to unite us, to make us become friends that trust each other with their lives. You were the first to make us become this amazing group of people.

Sapphire paused then before she said the words wee all knew were true.

-Ruby, you were and you'll always be... The first PokeDex Holder.

THE END


It was really difficult for me to write these last words. It's just a small story that came to me after I dreamt about riding a dragon and someone falling from it. And after 8 years from that day, this story is over. I am so happy to have to finished it, but I am also sad. I spent a lot of time thinkong about ti, planning, trying to fix some errors I found, trying to imagine scenarios... even drawing the landscape and disposition of the characters during the war to be able to be consistent. Maybe it seems like an exaggeration, but this story has been a great part of my last 8 years.

Before we finish I would like to say the final 3 things.

First I want to thank LexClone5 for putting up with me, keeping the interest in the story and edditting it as well as he has done. I know my way with english, but the quality of the story skyrocketed since he started editting it. I will be forever thankful for this amazing favor. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

The second is to thank you all for the support you've given to me, LC5 and this story. I've said it plenty of times before, but that does not make it less true. You are as important as the both of us in this story. THANK YOU!

And finally, I just want to say that if you review this chapter with your final thoughts I will appreciate it a lot. Of coruse you can also ask questions about the story or anything you want, the Review box is yours. Anyone who reviews will receive the propper answer in a PM so wait for that.

This said I think it's time to really finish this fic, the first one I've ever written. i just want to say that I hope you all loved it, because I loved writing it. I am extremely proud of how it turned out!

PLEASE REVIEW and SEE YOU ALL NEXT TIME!

And thanks again!