The time came for all of Tom's Pokémon to actively participate in a Battle Event happening not far from the Town they currently reside in, and as they vowed to their beloved Papa, they will all train, and train, and train, and train until they are capable of handling themselves when they inevitably face the Trainers and their fellow Pokémon who would try to take a chance on getting the prize money when they win the competition just like them, and make sure that even if they cannot much do their respective special skills in battling anymore, they will make sure that their basic moves WILL be enhanced as a compensation for their necessary handicaps, as well as make their own Papa proud for them battling as their true selves, not from what kind of skill they have and can pull off, but from their determination to hone their skills in battling as a way to practice their combat to defend themselves and most importantly, their dearest Papa.
Tom, or his team of Pokémon, faced a Trainer that seemed regular in a stroke of luck, as he easily destroyed the guy by just using his own Fairy-Type using her enhanced version of Fairy Wind in just ONE try, then him facing another Trainer who specializes in random counterattacks by actually telling her Starter Mouse Pokémon to brute force her way through the guy's Bisharp's defense, then him facing another one who made Serena faint that forced Tom to return her back inside her Heal Pokéball and almost tore Jess apart, if not for her brand new perk as a Kantonian form who knows Psychic-Type moves and made a staggering large comeback against their enemy by using her Electro Ball to move it through the Steel-Type Pokémon that made it instantly faint, thus securing their position on the semifinals of the competition.
The semifinalists now were decided and Tom being a part of them made his Starter, Jess, quite happy that their rigorous but fun training paid off spectacularly, and even she herself did not expect that they'd make it this far. Tom meanwhile was a bit fearful and concerned, knowing that his high-voltage mouse has used her pent-up accumulated energy amongst every last opponent they have encountered and defeated, and with the help of her being a dual-Type, which luckily no one ever took notice of, made the process comfortable for her, and her feeling not too burnt out from the experiences of combat this hard. He knows he had to use at least one of his Mythical Pokémon to make sure they succeed in taking the prize money, but he cannot risk it, for some will take an interest in him actually owning a Mythical at all, and they want to be very, very sneaky about this instance.
He was about to pick his own Jirachi, Jerry, when suddenly Victor got out and made himself invisible then moved towards Jess's position, then discreetly putting both of his hands on her back, specifically on both of her shoulders, those glowing in a faint bright light, as Victor was using his signature special ability Victory Star, thankfully, to give his Bigger Sister a boost she needed and Jess taking in the energy she needed without any sort of grit in her teeth, somehow equating the sensation of bequeathing his Little Brother's power to that of being caressed in the head with such grace and care, she'd be able to focus more than she usually does, as she silently thanked the Victory Pokémon as it also greeted her back discreetly through their mental links. The Victini then zoomed back to Tom's position, still invisible, staying and floating by quietly, knowing if he comes back inside his Pokéball, they'd be caught, and Victor's Keeper will be disqualified. Even so, he now has a chance to witness how his Bigger Sister actually try and battle with his assistance, for he wants to help their Papa win the contest. He knew that they would rather give the trophy for today's contest to someone else, since they just needed the money, and Tom silently hoped that that certain young male Trainer he and Jess saw earlier who seemed to think that he's not going to win the contest at all just HAS to be his FINAL opponent, for it seemed this guy needed something he wanted for once in his life, and since he didn't care for the money and just wanted the trophy instead, they all agreed that he's the perfect candidate for what they about to do.
Tom was quickly reassured by his Fire and Psychic-Type that it has arranged specifically the circumstances to make sure they'll face that Trainer they chose, and also made sure that nobody was suspicious enough to notice that a Victini used a special ability without even certain Trainers or Gym Leaders seeing such an occurrence unfold, probably courtesy of his Victory Pokémon's Luck Powers at work.
After a few minutes of preparation and deliberations, the final part of the competition ensued and every single Trainer and Pokémon gave their very best, and some were quickly dispatched, but not before the strong ones also get destroyed themselves by not thinking of plans on the fly early, getting their focus off guard and of course getting defeated in the process, leaving but only the Trainer that they were aiming to have an interaction to and him as the finalists of the entire competition.
The tension in the air rose a little bit as both Tom and the Trainer faced each other, Tom making sure he was making eye contact with the guy, rendering the guy a bit scared and embarrassed as he was facing him. The poor dude probably thought, Tom thought to himself, that he's going to lose to this guy he does not even know what plans or Pokémon he was going to deploy, and of course he was correct about it, he was sure he was going to destroy his opponent one way or the other, and of course Tom will be declared the winner, sending the guy to bitter tears because of his known predetermined defeat, even though that wasn't the plan he and Victor concocted at all.
Tom made a surprising remark about how awesome the Trainer was on managing himself to reach this far, saying that they really did their bests in battling that they managed to be in the same place, then unleashed the offer that he was hoping the Trainer wouldn't try to refuse. Tom said to his opponent his proposition about the winner of the competition's decision: IF Tom wins, then he'll give the trophy to him, and take his prize money instead, revealing that he never wanted to earn the trophy in the first place, as they just needed the money for them to add to their financial needs, and of course, if HE wins, then he can take the trophy with him, promising that he'll just give the prize money to Tom, him stating the same reason considering that he knows that Tom needed the money more than he did, the Trainer not knowing that this was actually a secret test of character for him to whether Victor actually chose the perfect person for all of them to "bless" for today, as Tom was also testing Victor's judgment on the matter.
In a stroke of luck once again, Victor himself even not expecting the answer of their target, the Trainer decided that he accepts the deal he created, saying that the guy just needed the trophy and not the money, as that is what all he ever wanted, and he never needed the money anyways for he already has a lot in store which even Tom did not expect to know. After the announcer says that the battle begins, Tom proclaimed to the Trainer that he wishes him well and may the best Trainer win that day. The battle then commenced then and there.
The battle itself was quite hard for both of them, for even with Tom's Raichu, Jess, was struggling to deal with the opposing Trainer's Blastoise, as it was going toe to toe with Jess that intensely, it also making sure that this Battle is something worth remembering for. A Water Gun here, an Electro Ball there, a Hydro Pump from the back, then the Electric Mouse deflecting the move using Protect, then Jess initiating an Iron Tail that has her holding her tail like an axe, that Tom dubbed "Iron Slash", which also had the Water-Type use Protect to combat the move, but the knockback from the Slash itself broke the barrier the turtle Pokémon created because of such intensity, then the Water-Type countering it with Flash Cannon, as Jess responded accordingly by also unleashing her very own Hyper Beam to counter the powerful move. The two moves collided with each other, struggling to fight for control as to whether which projectile will hit their respective targets. Eventually, Tom just made a silent, significant glance to his Starter, to which she responded with a nod as she glanced over to her Trainer, to then she used her energy she got from Victor earlier to shield herself from the impact of the beam that was about to attack her, as she knew her Papa had a plan in mind. The Hyper Beam was destroyed by the beam of the Blastoise's Flash Cannon, to which Jess then prepared herself and feigned on being surprised by the move boring itself through her extremely powerful move, her then closing her eyes to lessen the pain of the blast. The beam then passed through her, and she then screamed loudly as the beam "tore" through her, as a big explosion then occurred, rendering the entire arena silent because of what just transpired.
Tom was silently smirking as he saw the Trainer and his Blastoise both sported surprised looks on their faces.
The smoke from the explosion then eventually cleared, as the referee saw Tom's Raichu laid down on the ground, having swirly eyes as it was speaking random noises deliriously. He declared that the Mouse is no longer able to battle, which means that the Trainer was the winner of the competition. Tom then went to check on his Starter, as Jess regained her consciousness and smiled weakly at her Papa, silently telling him that the plan worked, as he smiled back at her, silently telling her that she did a good job. The crowd cheered loudly as Trainer just stood there silently, still processing and taking in the fact that he won the competition cleanly and his opponent actually forfeiting to battle after only using two Pokémon against him. Tom admitted earlier too that he has Pokémon with weaknesses against the Trainer's own, told him that Tom knew he wouldn't stand a chance against him at all. The Trainer and his Blastoise cheered themselves afterwards, thanking his Turtle Pokémon on doing a good job winning the contest, as the local Gym Leaders begin to give him the trophy and the prize money to him.
Tom and Jess, but most importantly, Victor, were silently praying that Victor's judgment was correct and they'll be going home with something holding in return, for they really needed the money, and Victor hoped that the deal his Keeper made to the Trainer will be actually kept in hand, not wanting to be wrong for choosing which person they should bless with luck for today.
As the Trainer was given the trophy and the money, while he was cherishing and cheering with his own Pokémon, he somehow felt the need to notice his opponent with his Mouse Pokémon, seeing them staring at him intently with silent pleading in both of their eyes, somehow getting the message that these two really needed the prize money for their sake, since he knows that he just wanted to win the competition cleanly and gain the trophy, for he never cared about the prize money, and since he made a deal with him earlier, he has to keep his end of the bargain. So, after the celebration, he dropped the trophy temporarily down to his position and then requested something to the Gym Leaders, them being told by the winner that he wanted to give the prize money to his opponent instead, for he needed the trophy only, to which after a few seconds, the Gym Leaders complied to his request. They then decided that he SHOULD be the one holding the money to be given to Tom, seeing as they both have formed a connection to each other for a short time, as well as to show sportsmanship towards one another. The crowd were silent as they were watching the event unfold, not knowing that this was one of the days they wouldn't ever forget that happened in a Pokémon Battle, seeing that they've just witnessed a rare event in which a contest winner becomes selfless towards his equal when it comes to receiving rewards and enacting compassionate generosity; only achieving victory not by acquiring the valuable treasures, but by acquiring what is truly essential to what it means to overcome the odds by playing fair and being humble.
The Trainer went to both of them, his Blastoise accompanying him by his side, and telling him that Tom should have the prize money instead, as to keep his end of the deal, to which Tom and Jess gladly accepted, Jess forming a camaraderie with the Water-Type Pokémon by saying her thanks for a great Battle with him, the tortoise having said the honor has been his battling with an Electric-Type as strong as she is, and thanking her for making his Trainer happy by winning, considering on his Trainer's demeanor not long ago, to which now he has gotten over his anxieties now that he has won the contest, sending him his greatest thanks to both Tom and herself. Tom then expressed his sincere gratitude to the Trainer for having such a kind spirit, and gladly took the prize money from him, and to solidify their friendship, shook hands with each other and laughed heartily. The audience then roared and cheered loudly afterwards for the humbling and awesome display of compassion and kindness that took place in the awarding ceremony, most of them proclaiming that this event became worthy of being called a masterpiece of the year, some were even moved to tears of the scenery that took place here, too.
It wouldn't be before a minute long that the reporters and camera crew began to surround the winners, them being overwhelmed by the crowd, and Tom and his two Pokémon were now keeping their money they've acquired for today, because of Victor's plan working successfully, the Victini being slightly smugly proud of itself and showing off towards his Papa, saying it was right, at least, Tom added to his response, to which the bunny-like Pokémon gave off a satisfying sigh and being praised by his Papa for being persistent and for supporting their target's confidence indirectly, which made Victor spout little tears and make his eyes water a bit profusely, hugging his beloved Papa to his chest, saying thanks for believing in him all the way, and Tom telling him that he already is proud of him, which made Victor cry even more.
After a few minutes of moping in synchronization with the Trainer still being interviewed by the reporters, the trio began to leave the stadium, as the Trainer was being bombarded with questions regarding his Victory of the contest, he caught a glimpse of his opponent leaving with his Electric Mouse, their eyes staring to him with glee then both of them winking in unison as they left outside the door, then both of them witnessing something they never expected to see.
A Victini, apparating into view, then faced them both, it forming a tearful smile on its face, then it forming a Victory Sign towards them, the Trainer and his Blastoise having their jaws dropped in unison as they witnessed the Victini hold out both of its hands towards them, it giving them its blessing of luck for the rest of the year as it faced away from them and left out of the building, turning invisible as it floated away from them, the reporters being none the wiser to witnessing the awesome moment unfold behind their sights. The Trainer and the Tortoise then looked at each other meaningfully, then when someone asked the question on how he managed to win that easily, the Trainer just said to them, in a concise way:
Trainer: I guess that I was lucky for today, and I think I know who made it possible, and I sincerely thank him for that. That is all there is to it. Thank you all very much.
Blastoise: Blastoise-Bla-Blas-Toise! (Thank you all so much!)
They then both left the stadium themselves, the reporters following them, wanting to know more about WHO or what happened to the both of them that made him win that easily, some saying whether it be good luck, or just a coincidence.
But he knows it was because of his opponent. He KNEW that Victini was his. And as for his kindness towards him, Tom gave him a reward in return. Their luck being with them for the rest the year to make them satisfied.
He and his Blastoise smiled at each other as they walked away from the building, both of them holding their trophy as they left.
Tom and his Pokémon meanwhile were discreetly walking away from the stadium, them acquiring their money from their target as they went through towards the bus stop, them silently waiting for a new bus to arrive, and when it came by, got inside as Victor flew inside it while still invisible. Tom then decided to sit from the back of the bus, him carrying Victor in his lap and Jess sitting close to him, as they sat down and rested themselves on the bus. Tom then adjusted the air conditioner that was located above them that he just noticed when he laid his head down in his chair. The three of them just smiled at each other meaningfully, knowing they did well on performing a "blessing" for someone else for today. Tom and his Pokémon then drifted peacefully in their sleep for now, as the bus started to move away from the stop and towards their destination: Home.
When they all went home, Tom decided to rest for now, since he was quite tired from the ordeal they had faced earlier. He brought out all of his Pokémon, his Wishing Star, Fairy-Type Eeveelution and Seafarer Guardian Prince, as he told his Victory Pokémon and Starter to tell them what just happened today, for he was too tired to tell them stories and he needed his well-deserved rest for at least 3 hours. Jess herself was quite tired too, as well as Serena, so Victor took it upon himself to tell his fellow brothers about everything that happened during their skirmish on the Pokémon Battle Contest and how they acquired the money without the trophy in their tow, to the joy of both the Wishing Star and the Sea Guardian Prince. Tom then went to his room, then changed his clothes on to his housewear, as Jess followed suit towards his room, wanting to snuggle close to her Papa while they sleep.
After a few minutes, both Pokémon and Trainer became drowsy then laid themselves down the bed, both of them holding each other tightly, with Jess holding her Papa on his chest, her holding him literally close to his heart as they both surrendered themselves to their tiredness and slept peacefully, for now.
[(-O-)]