"So, that's it," Jason stood before the TV screen in his and Kristine's room inside the pokemon center. "Us against the Donnovan Twins."

Dave and Dan Donnovan had just completed their fourth consecutive sweep of the Power Duo. Kristine sat on the chair with her body facing the opposite direction, her arms resting on the back of the chair. IPSN had just reported the final outcome of the match, while Kristine was viewing the live stream on the extranet.

"We have one heck of a matchup in our hands," Kristine added.

"No kidding," Jason crossed his arms.

"And now, we'll turn to Yenela Kreea for a minute with the Donnovan Twins and their take on tomorrow's match," Tom the anchorman spoke. "Yenela?"

"Thanks Tom," Yenela said as the screen cut to her. Right next to her were two identical twins. One wore a blue shirt while the other wore a red shirt, and they both had black shorts on. They also had matching blue and orange ball caps.

"Dave and Dan, you've swept all the way to the finals and have made a fifth consecutive appearance," Yenela started off. "How-"

"It was easy!" the twin with the blue shirt replied loudly, interrupting Yenela.

"Yeah, piece of cake," the twin with the red shirt added.

"Hmph," Kristine observed. "Cocky, aren't we?"

Yenela snickered. "Your opponents tomorrow are another pair of twins who've had almost as much success as you two in this Power Duo."

"From the Mountains to the Coast, as they say," the twin with the blue shirt said.

"Seeing that they made it all the way to the finals, how will you prepare for tomorrow's match?" Yenela asked.

The Donnovan Twins looked at eachother, then they cracked up laughing.

"Preparing?" the twin with the red shirt cackled. "We're going to beat them so bad, we'll send them back crying through the Nappalchan Mountains!"

"Good one, Dan!" the twin with the blue shirt exchanged fist bumps with his brother.

Jason crossed his arms, annoyed by the response. "Cocky is right."

Kristine raised her hands in frustrated confusion. "Have they even been through the Mountains?"

"So you're confident you'll win tomorrow's match," Yenela pressed.

"Of course!" Dave replied. "No one can stop us. Why would a couple of goons who came out of nowhere stop us? How could they? It's going to be a clean sweep, guaranteed!"

"Wow," Yenela replied.

"We haven't even used Combusken and Marshtomp this time around," Dan added. "Might as well send them on vacation."

"You go do that," Kristine rolled her eyes. She saw that her brother was clenching his fist.

"If it's a fight that you want, it's a fight that you get," Jason swore. "And when we're done with you, we're making our mark on Richland Port. We will show the entire coast that we are here, and we are here to stay."

"These kids came on our turf, thinking they're all that," Dan mentioned. "Just wait until they see Magneton and Pawniard. It's over already."

"Well, thank you for telling us your entire team, you brats," Kristine smirked.

Jason turned to his sister. "I want Riolu and Machop to kick their butts and I want Jolteon and Espeon on reserve!"

Kristine got up. "Agreed."

By then, the interview was over, and the screen cut back to Tom.

"I want them to come crawling back to their mother when it's over," Jason continued his tirade. "I want –"

"Jason," Kristine approached him, placing her hands on his shoulder. "I need you to stay focused, okay? These kids are brats, but they're really tough. They're tough like us, and talking like that won't make us tougher, which we need to be if we are to win this. Focus on the battle, okay?"

Jason sighed and took a deep breath. "Okay."

Kristine smiled. "Let Dave and Dan say what they want. We're going to give them a heck of a battle, something they won't expect. I know we can do this."

"We can win this," Jason placed his hands on Kristine's shoulders. "Our pokemon can do this. We can do this."

"It's been one crazy journey," Kristine felt her emotions seep in. "Just think about what we're doing right now. It's amazing. No one needs to acknowledge that but ourselves. The struggles we've been through, and the success we've had. Jason, we've only won two badges. Two!"

"And we haven't stopped," Jason replied. "We will not stop."

"Never!" Kristine agreed. "But no matter what happens tomorrow, know that I would never trade you for the world. Deep down inside, you're the toughest guy around. I can't ask for a better twin."

"You say that like it's our last battle," Jason mentioned.

"Heh," Kristine chuckled. "Jason, you fight every battle like it's your last. It's aspiring."

Jason thought about it. He figured Kristine was right. "Let's give it all we got tomorrow," he clearly spoke.


The next evening, the twins approached down the hallway of Richland Stadium with their heads held high. They knew the stadium would be completely sold out, as the tickets ran dry a long time ago, since even before the tournament began.

"No matter what happens, no matter what they do, stay focused," Kristine advised.

"Got it," Jason acknowledged. He faced the entrance to the battlefield.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer addressed. "Welcome to Richland Stadium's 60th Power Duo!"

The audience roared, the loudness and quantity beyond the twins' comprehension. The ground rumbled and the walls vibrated.

Jason closed his eyes and hopped up and down. Kristine took notice; she knew Jason was trying to calm down and pump himself up.

"We got this," Jason took a deep breath. "We got this."

Kristine also took a deep breath. "We got this."

With a few more words from the announcer, he began his introductions at last. It felt like ages to the twins.

"And now, your Power Duo finalists!" the announcer spoke.

A massive round of cheers followed, and it did not stop.

"They came from the mountains to the coast, and they've made it this far! The Nappalchan Mountain Range is an 825 mile trek connecting Saint Brandon to Richland Port. It is an impressive feat for any aspiring trainer! They have proven that they can compete in the coast. How far will they go? Ladies and gentlemen, Jason and Kristine Kyar!"

The cheers only got louder.

"All the way!" Jason shouted right before he and Kristine proceeded out to the battlefield.

The atmosphere was unlike anything they've ever seen. Both bowls of the stadium were packed. The roars were nearly overwhelming, and it seemed that the crowd in general grew to respect the Kyar twins.

Jason and Kristine looked around. There were camera personnel everywhere, with camera-mounted drones flying overhead. As they approached the center, one of the drones hovered right in front of them. They glanced at the camera, feeling slightly awkward.

"Well, I guess we can never be prepared enough for this," Kristine mentioned.

Jason didn't respond. He was focused on one thing, and it was to win.


"I hate preparing for presentations…" Bradley sighed, as he worked overtime on his laptop within the lounge of the Mystic Gym. For the past several months, he and his comrades have been documenting multiple cases of pokemon migrating from the west. He had to present his findings to the Pokemon Conservation Committee of Inventum to see if this is an issue worth prompting further investigations.

"Notes are all set," Bradley muttered. "Now to run this with –"

Aria suddenly walked into the lounge.

"Checking in on you before I head out," she said, holding her purse over her shoulder.

"Almost there, boss," Bradley informed. "Just polishing it up, making sure the closing is short and sweet."

"Heh," Aria cracked a smile. "Bradley, you should take a break. You've been at it for hours."

Bradley sighed, and got up. "I suppose you're right."

"How are you doing?" Aria asked.

Bradley shrugged. "I've just been busy. Between the gastly, and now we have diglett showing up in Cheron Forest. I've been over there documenting the movements for months, and now, I have to make a nice presentation about it."

Aria walked over and placed her purse on the table. "Let's chill for a bit, huh?"

"You sure you wanna hang out with me?" Bradley snickered.

"Why not?" Aria replied. "Just don't take it as a date."

"If you say so." Bradley stretched his arms and walked over to the couch before taking a seat.

Aria sat down next to him, and grabbed the remote. "Let's see what's on, tonight."

"So Aria," Bradley faced her.

"Yeah?" Aria flipped through the channels.

"How's your day?"

"Fine. Yeah, fine."

"Any, I don't know, did anything happen? Something you'd like to share?"

"Oh, just the same old same old. Trainer came in and Wobbuffet took care of him. I introduced myself to a couple recruits. Kinda a slow day, really."

"Heh," Bradley chuckled. "I know you've been busy too, so maybe it's good to get a breath of fresh-"

"Oh, look what we have here," Aria tuned into IPSN.

"And here are Jason and Kristine Kyar making their appearance!" one of the commentators spoke.

"Look at the confidence in them!" the other commentator added.

"I think they're concealing the nervousness, Adam," the first commentator said.

"They may not be used to a television-aired game, Mike," Adam said. "But they're ready to take on the Donnovan Twins."

"Well, look at that!" Bradley leaned forward. "Our favorite pair of twins, making it all the way to Richland Port and fighting in the Power Duo."

"I had an email from Fiona a while back, when the twins challenged her husband," Aria mentioned. "She was astounded how they worked together."

"Kristine has a sharp mind," Bradley added. "She's a good kid."

"So is Jason. He knows how to get out of a tough situation."

"And they could very well win this thing through will and wits."

"Maybe. But they've never played in a nationally televised game before. It's a whole different beast."

"Eh. Just pretend no one's there and they'll be fine."


Veronica sat down within the living area of the Kyar household. She knew her son and daughter would be playing in the final round of the Power Duo tonight, and she was glued to the television.

"Jason, Kristine," she muttered to herself. "Do your best out there. I'm so proud of the both of you for the strong individuals you've become in a short amount of time."


Jason and Kristine stood at the center of over 60,000 people. The stadium lights were shining down on the entire battlefield.

"Kristine," Jason said. "Whatever happens tonight, just doing this tournament with you has been awesome. There's so many more adventures ahead of us."

"Right with you, bro," Kristine gave a nod, facing the opposite entrance alongside her brother.

"And now!" the announcer continued. "They've won four consecutive Power Duo tournaments, and they are going for five. They've been dominant and it seems they only get better and better. Can Jason and Kristine stop them? Your very own Dave and Dan Donnovan!"

The audience exploded into cheers, applause, and stomps. Dave and Dan emerged from the opposite end and approached the twins while waving left and right. They eventually made their way to the center.

"Hi there," Kristine attempted to be civil. "Good lu-"

"You've had your fun," Dave crossed his arms. "It ends tonight."

"Go back to where you came from," Dan also crossed his arms. "Back through those mountains. You made it here by yourselves, we don't need to show you the door."

Jason smirked. "You try going through those mountains. Anyone who does earns my respect."

"If you haven't done anything like that in your lives, you need to take up that kind of challenge to walk that talk," Kristine added. "I promise you we won't roll over and die."

"No, we won't," Jason maintained his smirk.

"I won't stand for another pair of twins stepping on our territory!" Dan pouted.

"It's called competing in the Inventum League," Jason spoke. "You can be jerks all you want. You can stop by Mountain Spring anytime you want, because we know a thing or two about hospitality."

"We're merely passing by as we go down the coast and fight the gym leaders," Kristine added. "But one thing's for certain."

"Win or lose, we're here to stay," Jason firmly stated. "We have no interest in taking your territory, but all the interest in getting all twelve badges."

"Until we beat you," Dave laughed. "Let's see you walk that talk!"

"Alright, enough!" the referee walked in between the competitors. "Any more smack talk from any of you, I will penalize your reserve from the match. Got it?"

"Got it," Jason and Kristine complied.

"Hmph," Dan and Dave grunted at the same time, and walked to their side of the field.

"They're the ones who started it," Kristine pleaded to the referee.

"Don't let them get to you and you'll be fine," the referee advised. "I'm keeping an eye on them."

Jason and Kristine walked over to their side of the field.

"And now, the match is underway!" the announcer yelled.

A moment later, the referee acknowledged that both sides were ready to fight.

"Begin!" he shouted.

A wave of roars from the audience followed. Jason and Kristine briefly glanced at one another before facing the field.

"Let's go, Riolu!" Jason summoned.

"Showtime, Machop!" Kristine followed.

"Rio!" Riolu howled.

"Machop!" Machop pounded his chest.

"Jason and Kristine start off with Riolu and Machop!" the announcer observed.

"Pawniard, come out!" Dave threw out his pokeball.

"You too, Magneton!" Dan threw out his.

"Pawniard!" the dark and steel type hybrid crossed his arms.

"Magneton!" the electric and steel hybrid greeted in echoes emanating from all three of its bodies.

"They kept their word from that interview," Kristine mentioned.

"Prepare to defend, guys!" Jason yelled towards Riolu and Machop.

"Metal Sound, Magneton!" Dan commanded.

"Magneton!" Magneton produced a deafening sound towards Riolu and Machop, sounding like screeching steel.

Riolu and Machop both covered their ears from the piercing sound.

"Pawniard, Feint Attack Machop!" Dave followed up.

"Pawn!" Pawniard charged at Machop. He struck him with his sharp hands, knocking Machop on his back.

"Riolu, Force Palm Pawniard!" Jason yelled.

"Rio…" Riolu faced Pawniard.

Pawniard immediately jumped backwards to expand his range on Riolu.

"Pawniard, Metal Sound!" Dave yelled.

"Pawn!" Pawniard clapped his hands, producing a deafening sound towards Riolu.

"Rio…" Rio covered his ears again and fell on his knees.

"Those sounds are powerful!" Kristine said in concern. "Machop, get up!"

"Machop…" Machop attempted to fight through Metal Sound.

"Magneton, Electro Ball on Machop!" Dan yelled.

"Magneton!" Magneton fired a powerful electric ball at Machop.

"Dodge it!" Kristine responded.

"Machop!" Machop mustered the strength to endure Pawniard's Metal Sound and jumped up, narrowly avoiding electro ball.

"Pawniard, Feint Attack!" Dave commanded.

"Pawniard!" Pawniard quickly jumped at Machop's level, and struck him with his hands once more. Machop slammed back to the ground.


"And Machop is struck by a second Feint Attack!" Mike commented, as Aria and Bradley watched on. "We're just a few moments into the match, and already, the Kyar twins don't have that sense of control they've had the entire tournament!"

"Come on, kiddos!" Bradley cheered on.


Riolu got right back up and faced Pawniard.

"Mirror Shot, Magneton, quick!" Dave yelled.

"Magneton!" Magneton's bodies shined, sending a gleaming metal beam at Machop.

"Oh no!" Kristine yelled.

"Riolu, run in and take it!" Jason commanded.

Riolu quickly ran towards Machop and dove before him, taking Mirror Shot directly.

"Heh," Dave smirked. "Finish Riolu, Dan."

"Easy peasy!" Dan laughed. "Pawniard, Assurance!"

"Pawn!" Pawniard leaped towards Riolu.

"Endure!" Jason yelled.

Riolu's body outlined a glowing blue as he embraced Pawniard's finishing blow. Jason knew the move Assurance very well. It was a dark type move, though not very effective against fighting types. It dealt an incredible amount of damage whenever the opponent is struck by another attack just seconds prior.

Pawniard struck Riolu head on, but Riolu withstood the attack without moving back an inch.

"What in the world?" Dan was puzzled.

"Finish him, Dan!" Dave demanded. "Magneton, Metal Sound!"

Jason faced Kristine. "Neither of us can take another hit like that. It's time for us to strike and now!"

"I have an idea!" Kristine said. "We need Magneton to use Electro Ball!"

Magneton's Metal Sound pierced the eardrums of Riolu and Machop once more.

"Feint Attack on Riolu and now!" Dan commanded.

"Pawn!" Pawniard charged Riolu.

"Copycat Metal Sound and send it right back to Pawniard!" Jason commanded.

"Rio!" Riolu's body glowed blue once more, and he let out a piercing scream that stopped Pawniard in his tracks.

"Er," Dave grew frustrated. "If you won't take him out, I will!" Magneton, use Electro Ball!"

"Magneton!" Magneton fired a quick Electro Ball at Riolu.

"Machop, grab Pawniard and use Vital Throw right at Electro Ball!" Kristine yelled.

"Machop!" Machop ran towards Pawniard.

Before Pawniard could get up, Machop grabbed him by the arms, and hurled him away.

"Pawniard!" Pawniard yelled as he was thrown with such force.

Pawniard flew right into Magneton's Electro Ball. The ball exploded upon impact. The crowd roared thunderously.

"What a play by Kristine and Machop!" the announcer observed.

The smoke cleared, and Pawniard was unable to get up. The combination of a quad-effective Vital Throw and the powerful friendly fire Electro Ball proved to be too much.

"Pawniard is unable to battle!" the referee declared.

"What!?" Dan had his hands over his head. "That's not fair!"

"I told you to take down Riolu!" Dave yelled.

"You're the one who took out Pawniard!" Dan snapped back.

Dave sighed. "Whatever."

"Guess our starters will get some light, afterall," Dan said with a smirk on his face. He recalled Pawniard before pulling out his last pokeball. "Okay, Marshtomp, you're up!"

"Marshtomp!" the water and ground hybrid pounded the floor with his fins.


Veronica leaned forward towards the television screen. "The way you kids cooperate with each other brings me joy," she smiled. "Your father would be proud of you both, no matter what happens tonight."


"Mud Bomb, let's go!" Dan quickly called.

"Metal Sound!" Dave added.

Marshtomp fired a massive ball of mud into the air, aimed at Riolu and Machop. Magneton projected another piercing soundwave towards the two. Both Riolu and Machop, already weary, were struggling to endure the Metal Sound.

"Riolu, Quick Attack Marshtomp to get out of there!" Jason yelled.

"Rio!" Riolu sprinted towards Marshtomp.

Just then, a massive ball of mud forcefully struck the floor. The wave produced by it knocked Machop backed as he tumbled over and over. He struggled mightily to get up, but he did.

"You can do it, Machop!" Kristine encouraged him. "Hang in there a little while longer!"

Riolu managed to close in on Marshtomp, striking him with quick attack.

"Marsh!" Marshtomp was unmoved.

"Mud Shot Riolu back to the mountain regions!" Dan yelled.

"Marshtomp!" Marshtomp projected a powerful burst of mud at Riolu.

"Dodge and Copycat that to Magneton!" Jason yelled.

From such a close range, Riolu was able to sidestep the attack. His body then glowed blue once more as he faced Magneton.

"Magneton, Mirror Shot to finish off Machop!" Dave commanded.

"Magneton!" Magneton fired off a silver beam right before it became struck by Riolu's Mud Shot. The attack knocked Magneton to the ground. However, Magneton's Mirror Shot struck Machop head on.

Machop was thrown backwards from the attack. He slammed to the ground, unable to get up.

"Machop is unable to battle!" the referee declared.

"Riolu, Force Palm Magneton!" Jason commanded.

"Rio!" Rio jumped at Magneton.

"Magneton, get up and use Spark!" Dave yelled.

"Magneton!" Magneton projected electric energy throughout its body.

Just then, Riolu closed in on Magneton and struck it with an open fist. Magneton transferred its electric energy to zap Riolu. The result was an explosion that emanated Riolu, as Magneton was flown back, slamming against the wall behind it. Both Riolu and Magneton did not get back up.

"Riolu and Magneton are unable to battle!" the referee declared.

"A double KO!" the announcer observed. "It comes down to the final two pokemon on both sides!"

The audience cheered at the developments. In what was to be a one-sided victory for the Donnovan Twins, the Kyar Twins were making a statement. They weren't going to roll over, and they were here to stay.

Dave, Jason, and Kristine recalled all of their pokemon, ready to send out Combusken, Jolteon, and Espeon, respectively.


"Mike, were you expecting the match to develop the way it's going right now?" Adam asked, as they both continued to commentate on the battle.

"Not at all," Mike replied. "I don't think many fans were expecting this either. "Adam, when we ran the poll, 91% of fans said the Donnovan Twins would win, with over 65% saying they would win decisively. This will not be a decisive win, folks."

"If it's a win at all for the Donnovan Twins," Adam added.

"When this is all said and done, a lot more people will know about the Kyar Twins," Mike said.


"You got that right," Bradley spoke before the television screen.

"This is getting intense," Aria mentioned, leaning forward with her hands placed on her knees.

"The Donnovan twins are showing experience," Bradley added.

"Yet the Kyar twins are showing defiance," Aria stated. "It's the same kind of defiance Jason showed me. You're seeing Kristine's smarts in full display, how she forced the Donnovan Twins to fall for her trap and take out Pawniard very quickly. You saw Jason's guts as Riolu fought against Marshtomp and Magneton head on. Yet if they were just more experienced in the tournament scene, they would have flattened the Donnovan Twins."

"Let's go, kids," Bradley watched on, hoping for Jason and Kristine to pull off an upset of epic proportions.


Jason and Kristine looked on with determination, pulling out their last pokeballs. Meanwhile, the Donnovan Twins looked to be in disbelief. They even promised a swift victory, and now, they were down to their last two pokemon.

"Jason and Kristine make the first moves!" the referee stated.

"Let's go, Jolteon!" Jason threw out his pokeball.

"Showtime, Espeon!" Kristine threw out hers.

"Alright, Combusken, let's do this!" Dave responded.

"Jolt!" Jolteon barked.

"Espeon!" Espeon greeted.

"Combusken!" the fighting and fire hybrid roared.

The audience cheered once more, their roars echoing throughout the stadium.

"Keep your range!" Kristine said to Jason. She then turned to Espeon. "Espeon, Calm Mind!"

"Espeon!" Espeon's eyes turned white as she sat down.

"Jolteon, Pin Missile!" Jason commanded.

"Jolteon!" Jolteon fired off numerous pins from his coat, aiming at Combusken and Marshtomp.

"Dodge em!" the Donnovan Twins shouted at the same time.

Combusken and Marshtomp dodged the incoming barrage of pins, while Espeon continued to gain strength.

"Just keep using Calm Mind!" Kristine yelled.

"Espeon!" Espeon complied.

"Guard Espeon, Jolteon," Jason commanded.

"Marshtomp, use Mud Bomb!" Dan followed up.

"Marsh!" Marshtomp fired a massive ball of mud into the air.

"Pin Missile that bomb!" Jason yelled.

"Jolteon!" Jolteon fired more pins into the air.

Jolteon's Pin Missile effectively popped the mud bomb on impact, spreading drops of mud throughout the battlefield.

"Combusken, Flame Charge Jolteon!" Dave commanded.

"Combusken!" Combusken charged at Jolteon full steam ahead, flames enveloping his body.

"Let me blast him!" Kristine said to Jason.

Jason nodded. "Jolteon, Double Team!"

"Jolt!" Jolteon projected multiple copies of himself.

"Espeon, Psybeam right through those copies at Combusken!" Kristine yelled.

"Espeon!" Espeon fired telekinetic energy from her eyes, blazing right through three of Jolteon's copies.

Dave saw the powerful beam approach Combusken. "Combusken, jump! Now!"

"Combusken!" Combusken leaped over Psybeam just in the nick of time.

Espeon's Psybeam continued to bolt well past Combusken, and right towards Marshtomp. Marshtomp was unable to dodge the attack as he was struck by Psybeam. He flipped backwards once before falling on his stomach.

"You let Marshtomp take the hit!?" Dan was infuriated. "How could you?"

"Better you than me," Dave crossed his arms. "Do you really want Combusken to take a direct psychic type attack?"

Dan sighed. "Get back up, Marshtomp!"

"Marshtomp!" Marshtomp quickly got up.

"Combusken, close on Jolteon and use Double Kick!" Dave commanded.

"Combusken!" Combusken leaped towards Jolteon, throwing powerful kicks at him.

"Dodge it!" Jason yelled.

"Espeon, Calm Mind!" Kristine yelled.

"Marshtomp, Foresight on Jolteon!" Dan yelled.

"Combusken, Sand Attack!" Dave yelled.

Combusken kicked a pile of sand from the floor right at Jolteon's face.

"Jolteon!" Jolteon tried to shake the sand off his eyes, but it became clear that he was thrown off guard by it.

"Keep using Calm Mind, Espeon," Kristine followed up.

"Kristine," Jason turned his head to her.

"Trust me, Jason," Kristine kept her focus. "We need them to fire everything they have at us first! We need to survive the main attack!"

"Errr…" Jason looked on with concern as Jolteon was at the mercy of Combusken and Marshtomp all of a sudden.

"Marshtomp, use Mud Shot on Jolteon!" Dan commanded.

"Marsh!" Marshtomp shot out a powerful stream of mud at Jolteon.

Marshtomp's Mud Shot struck Jolteon's side, sending him tumbling over.

"Now's our chance!" Dan declared.

"Combusken, get ready!" Dave yelled.

"Combusken!" Combusken hopped back towards Marshtomp.

"Now, it's time to end this right here and now!" Dave held his fist in the air.

He turned to Combusken. "Fire Pledge!"

"Water Pledge!" Dan yelled at the same time.

Combusken's body glowed a fiery red, while Marshtomp glowed an aquatic blue. The battlefield began to shake all of a sudden.

"Here it comes!" Jason braced.

"Get ready!" Kristine got down on one knee.

"Combusken!" Combusken fired a spiral red flame.

"Marshtomp!" Marshtomp fired a massive stream of water.

The flames encircled the water cannon as it approached Jolteon.

"Fight it!" Kristine yelled. "It's our only chance!"

"Alright," Jason faced Jolteon. "Jolteon, Thunder Shock with all your might!"

"JOLT!" Jolteon fired a bolt of electricity at the incoming assault of fire and water.

Jolteon's Thunder Shock met the attack head on, but it only slowed its advance as it crept towards Jolteon.

"It's not holding!" Jason looked over to Kristine.

"You're doing great!" Kristine looked on with determination. "You're playing to your strength, and that was to hold them. If we survive this, remember Espeon has not been scratched yet."

Jason suddenly realized the strategy and faced his sister with a grin. "You're using their cards against them the whole time."

Kristine smiled. "Yep. And you're doing an amazing job, Jason."

"You too, sis."

Kristine faced Espeon. "Psybeam! Now!"

"Espeon!" Espeon fired an empowered Psybeam attack at the pledges.

Espeon's empowered Psybeam, combined with Jolteon's Thunder Shock, was just enough to stall the pledges.

"I don't think we've ever seen this before, folks!" the PA announcer even seemed astonished.

It was a spectacular display of electric and psychic energy combating against fire and water. Steam and electric currents were developing at the epicenter of the clash.


Bradley and Aria were glued to the TV while on the edge of their seats.

"They can actually do this," Bradley muttered. "They can really do this."

Aria did not verbally respond. She was caught in the suspense of the moment. In fact, she was caught in the suspense so much that she held onto Bradley's left hand with both of her hands and squeezed it tightly. Bradley quickly noticed, but did not say a word to avoid the risk of having that affectionate moment taken away.


"Keep at it, Jolteon!" Jason yelled.

"You too, Espeon!" Kristine added.

An aura of interchanging colors began to illuminate the field.

Jason also got on one knee, on eye level with his sister. "You're the smartest person I've ever known!"

"And you're the strongest!" Kristine replied. "For all the times you've looked out for me, for being the strong arm of us two, I wanted to do something like this for a very long time!"

"And saving me wasn't enough?" Jason laughed.

"You saved me, too!" Kristine smiled. "Jason, no matter what happens here, we've given our all. I'm proud to be –"

Suddenly, the clash of abilities turned into a devastating explosion. Steam and smoke covered the field as kinetic energy struck all pokemon and trainers. While all four pokemon were knocked back, the wind knocked Kristine's cap right off her head.

Jason, Dave, and Dan embraced the wind. Moments later, the smoke cleared. Espeon sat in one place, while all three other pokemon were down. Jolteon was slow to get up, as was Marshtomp. Combusken quickly got up and shook off the damage done.

Dave and Dan were absolutely stunned.

"They…stopped it…" Dave was dumbfounded.

"How is that possible?" Dan seemed just as puzzled.

"Jolteon…" Jolteon made an effort to stand straight.

The audience were mesmerized by a rainbow that shot over the battlefield under a night sky.

"Espeon," Espeon's eyes glowed as bright as the moon itself.

"The entire time Espeon used Calm Mind," Kristine mentioned with a determined look on her face. "She's stored immense power and has a nearly impenetrable special defense while Dave and Dan exhausted their offensive capabilities."

Kristine got back up, as did Jason.

"Now," she said to her brother. "Fire everything you got at them!"

"Pin Missile, Jolteon!" Jason commanded.

"Swift, Espeon!" Kristine followed up.

Jolteon fired a volley of pins as Espeon fired a swift of stars at Combusken and Marshtomp.

"Dodge it now!" the Donnovan Twins yelled at the same time.

Espeon's stars were large as they were swift. As Combusken got out of the way of the attacks by leaping left and right, Marshtomp was caught within a barrage of stars. The stars were so powerful that Marshtomp slammed back against the wall while being struck by star after star.

Kristine looked at Combusken. "Espeon, Psybeam!"

"Espeon!" Espeon fired Psybeam at Combusken.

"Thunder Shock, Jolteon!" Jason commanded.

"Jolteon!" Jolteon fired Thunder Shock at Combusken.

Both attacks struck Combusken hard, leaving an explosion of smoke. As the smoke cleared, it became clear that Combusken and Marshtomp were unable to continue.

"Combusken and Marshtomp are unable to continue!" the referee declared. "Jason and Kristine are the winners!"

"Yes!" Jason left the box with his fist held high. "Good job guys!"

"Alright!" Kristine jumped up and down. She was so excited that she ran over to Jason and jumped on his back.

The audience roared into cheers over Jason and Kristine's victory. In the heat of the moment, Dan and Dave recalled their pokemon in utter disbelief and simply walked out of the battlefield.

Kristine jumped off a moment later as she and Jason exchanged high fives with both hands. They then hugged eachother, jumping up and down, as Jolteon and Espeon approached them.


Bradley and Aria hugged eachother as they jumped up and down.

"They did it!" Bradley cheered.

"They totally did it!" Aria cheered.

The two realized how affectionate they were being towards one another. Aria quickly backed away.

"Is it the whole Gym Leader and Branch Admin thing?" Bradley asked.

"I…I just have to keep things professional," Aria replied.

"Aria, you rarely have fun for yourself," Bradley continued. "I don't want to pressure you into going out with me, because that's entirely up to you. But something tells me you want to give it a shot."

"I like you, Brad," Aria smiled. "I really do. You're a sweet, funny guy."

"Would you like to grab some sushi with me?" Bradley smiled back. "Your favorite place."

Aria contemplated for a moment, then reached a conclusion. "I'd like that," she spoke with confidence.

She then walked over to the table where she left her purse at and picked it up. Bradley turned off the TV and proceeded out the door with her.

"Don't tell me I need to buy for the both of us," Aria bantered.

"Nah, you pay me enough to cover myself," Bradley replied. "Just kidding. I'll cover for you, too."

"A date worth keeping is one who can pay for herself, as they say," Aria smiled as the two headed out.


Veronica sat there as joyful tears rolled down her eyes. Seeing her children celebrate together, nothing could beat that.

"We've raised great children, James," she softly spoke. "We truly have."


A short while later, the tournament commissioner, along with Yenela Kreea and a handful of cameramen, all came out for the induction ceremony. Jason and Kristine stood at the center of the field as the commissioner prepared to hand them their prize money of $10,000.

"Jason and Kristine," Yenela spoke for all the stadium and all of Inventum to hear. "From the Mountains to the Coast, as they say. You made it clear on where you came from earlier in the tournament. You've introduced yourselves as trainers during the Power Duo. These fans would love to get to know you more. What do you have to say?"

"Well, my name is Jason Kyar," Jason spoke, before placing his arm over Kristine's shoulder. "And this is my twin sister, Kristine. We came from Mountain Spring over in the mountain regions of Inventum, and we're on a journey as pokemon trainers. We've had a lot of challenges to get to here. No matter what happens, no matter what comes up, we won't give up easily, and we're here to stay!"