The Ones He Believed In
Alright guys, I am a day late that the day I gave you for this chapter(although I did say I wouldn't promise).
Anyways, a belated Merry Chirstmas to you all!
Now, you can move on to the chapter. I hope you enjoy!
Ash walked through the arena, aware of the glances that were shot at him. The officials and guards had all probably watched his match on the many screens that were throughout the inside of the stadium and he could guess that they were simply amazed by him owning Darkrai. Hopefully, he thought, none of them would cause him any trouble and he could get away without much of a fuss.
He made his way through quickly but when he reached the exit, he rolled his eyes. He could see more than a few reporters and quite a few fans waiting outside the gate. He figured they must be waiting for him. After Tobias' first match, he'd gone through something similar. This could be pretty tiring and at the moment, he didn't want to be swarmed by a herd of reporters or people asking him about his battle or Darkrai.
The only idea that came into his mind was for him to quickly run away before anyone could get a hold of him. People inside wouldn't cause him trouble since only authorities were allowed so another alternative was for him to wait for those people to go away. Well, most of them anyway.
Although, waiting was not one of his forte. He wasn't the most impatient guy but right now, he wanted to have some time alone. The battle hadn't been too exhausting for him but the many things that had gone through his mind in the time had made him weary.
In the meantime, he decided it would be best to get his Pokemon healed in the stadium's Pokemon Center first. He placed his belt – which had only five Pokeballs – on the counter across which, an ever so calm Nurse Joy beamed at him. "I would like my Pokemon healed if you don't mind."
The nurse nodded. "It will only take a minute," she took all the Pokeball from Ash's belt and placed them in a tray before she headed into the room behind her.
A minute later, she was already out. "Here you go," she chimed as she placed all of the Pokeballs on the counter.
"Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy!" Ash grinned at the pink-haired woman. He quickly attached all of the Pokeballs to his belt and again, glanced at the exit. And the same sight met his eyes. All the reporters were still present out there and if anything, there were more of them now then a couple of minutes ago. He wrinkled his forehead, attempting to think of a way to get out of here without having to answer all of the questions that might be thrown his way by the media.
Although, luckily for Ash, one of the officials had noticed the uneasiness that Ash's face held. The man dressed in a full black suit approached Ash from his position. "Sir, if you don't want to face the media, we could escort you." He offered.
Ash turned to face the man and as he took in what he'd just said, the trainer sighed. "That would be great," he smiled at the guard. "I don't feel like being mobbed by the media right now."
The man nodded before he called a couple of guards dressed in the same suit as him. "Clear the media outside." He ordered the men who stood at attention in front of him.
The two nodded and straightway went outside and just in a few minutes, they'd been able to successfully shoo off everyone that was outside. There were a few retorting but the guards proved to be capable enough to get them to go away.
Ash was amazed at how efficient they were. He knew that the area around the stadiums belonged to the Pokemon League but the media could be stubborn. They weren't the easiest people to deal with and generally got what they want. It wasn't an easy task to have get away from them.
He didn't think about that long however. "Thanks for that," He thanked the man with a smile.
"The trainers' comfort is our priority." The man said.
Ash nodded and waved at the man as he headed straight for the exit. He had lots to think about ahead of his battle with Tobias. But right now, he simply wanted to spend some time alone in a place where no one would disturb him. The decision for revealing his Darkrai had been given a lot of thought by him and he just wanted to clear his mind before he moved forward.
"I wasn't expecting you to use Darkrai in this match," Professor Oak commented. He sat across Ash in the hotel room. Although he was glad as well as amazed to watch Ash's Darkrai in battle, he was surprised by the timing of it. He expected Ash to keep the Dark-type as his secret weapon and unleash him on Tobias with the intention of taking him by surprise.
Ash smirked as he saw the Professor narrow his eyes at him. "You didn't expect me to catch a Darkrai either, did you?"
Oak raised an eyebrow in amusement to the response he evoked. "Ahh.." he leaned into his seat and remarked. "You've grown sharp, Ash. You're no longer the innocent kid who'd blur out everything when asked."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Ash chuckled. He himself had realized that he wasn't the same as what he used to be a few months back. He marked it down as Darkrai having some sort of an effect on him.
"So Ash," Oak started, his gaze fixed at Ash in interest. "How are you going to go about in the final? I imagine you must already have decided the Pokemon you're going in the battle with?"
Ash mused at the questions, looking up at the ceiling in thought. "I have decided on the team that I will battle with," He answered truthfully. "But I still haven't figured out a strategy."
"You do have four days to think about it," Oak said. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself." His eyes turned serious as he put his hands on the trainer's shoulder. "Your Pokemon are strong and you can match Tobias's every Pokemon. In fact, I think you even have the advantage in this battle. Don't worry too much about it. Just take this as any other battle."
Ash looked at the Professor and a hint of a smile crept up on his face. "I see Tobias as just as another trainer I have to beat to win the Sinnoh League. Although," he paused for a moment. "No matter how much I tell myself that this is just another one of the League battles I've faced so many times, I still can't keep my mind off it. It's the final after all. It's the first time I am to be in a Pokemon League Final."
At first, Oak looked at Ash with a bit of surprise before he let out a titter. "That's true as well. I can't say I was not nervous at your age at times like these."
"If even the great Samuel Oak wasn't totally calm at times like these, how can you expect a nobody like me to?" Ash joked, raising an eyebrow.
Professor Oak let himself laugh out loud at that. This did make him nostalgic about how his days as a trainer had gone. He'd quite enjoyed being a trainer and had some of the best moments in his life as one. Seeing young kids like Ash enjoy their time was something he always relished.
"You two seem to be having a good time." Brock commented. He took a seat next to Ash and asked. "So, what's the fun discussion about?"
"It was about how Ash is going to prepare for his battle against Tobias but it seems we've turned from the topic." Oak said, finally getting a hold of his laughter.
"I am pretty sure you are done with most of the things," Brock smiled as he turned to Ash.
Ash nodded. "Yeah, most of the things," he admitted, repeating Brock's exact statement. "Although there are a few that I still need to work on. I am going to face a trainer who has reached the finals by only using one Pokemon. Who knows what kind of other Pokemon he might have."
"That's the biggest problem for you," Oak said, his tone devoid of the laughter that it held a second ago. "While it's true that Tobias will be guessing about your Pokemon after the semi-final match, the fact is that we don't know about any of his other Pokemon except for Darkrai."
"Yeah," Brock agreed. "For all we know, he might have another Legendary or more. Catching Darkrai would have required a team of strong Pokemon on Tobias' side."
Ash dryly nodded at the opinions of both Brock and Professor Oak. Ash might have got him a little uncomfortable but in reality, Tobias still had the advantage. While Tobias could figure out half of his team from the information in the Pokemon League database, he had no way of knowing what Tobias could throw at him since it was the guy's first official Pokemon League.
Defeating his Darkrai would be trouble enough, but if he revealed another Legendary or two, things might not go the way as Ash planned. That was one of the reason Ash hadn't come up with a solid strategy yet. He didn't want to go prepared for Darkrai and end up facing something entirely different along with it. He had to make sure he had all bases covered.
Even though he'd decided on his team, he still needed to prepare a prepare a strategy that he could go by. The battle could be unpredictable and Ash indeed had the ability to create strategies on his feet, but against Pokemon of the level of Darkrai, that simply wouldn't be enough. A plan that he could follow if he faced against certain situations was essential.
"What could he have other than Darkrai?" Ash muttered, pondering in thought about that very question.
"Ash," Brock called. "Don't worry about what Tobias will do. Just focus on the strengths of your Pokemon."
"I agree," Oak nodded, folding his arms as he leaned back in his chair. "You have Pokemon strong enough to match even a Legendary. We've already seen that. That Darkrai of his isn't unbeatable and I am sure his other Pokemon are the same. Concentrate on what your Pokemon can do instead of using that time thinking what your opponent would."
Ash gritted his teeth. He was frustrated that he couldn't do what the Professor told him. He knew that was the right thing to do and that was what he had done in his entire life as a trainer. He'd always believed in his Pokemon instead of worrying about the Pokemon his opponent possessed. However this time, he just couldn't kill that lingering feeling of nervousness. The scenario of losing here terrified him.
The trainer took a long breath and then let out a sigh. "I think that's the right way to go as well." He stood up and smiled at the two of his friends that were as close as family to him. "I am going for a walk. I need to freshen my mind."
Oak grinned at him proudly. "That's a good idea. You've prepared enough. You just need to believe in your Pokemon now."
Brock too smiled at his friend. "Just give it your best, Ash. No matter what happens, we'll always be here for you."
Their support really meant a lot to Ash. It gave him great relief to have people like Brock and Professor Oak that he could always turn to whenever he felt the need for it. He was truly grateful for their support.
"Thanks guys!" Ash grinned, took his Pokemon belt and headed towards the door. He still had four days left and if he wasted them worrying about Tobias like this, he might not even survive till the final.
Ash gazed at the sea as the cool breeze kissed his skin. He'd felt good relaxing on the seashore; it helped him take his mind off of the final battle with Tobias. He'd been sitting on the sand for almost an hour and he had to say he quite enjoyed it. He hadn't had the time to be like this for quite some time. His Pokemon journey had taken a lot of his time and the last time he really relaxed at a place like this was more than a year ago.
He stayed like that for several more minutes before he opened his eyes and stood up. He dusted the sand off of his clothes and gazed at his Pokeball belt. Those six Pokemon were the ones that he had chosen. Those were the Pokemon that would be shouldering the responsibility of achieving victory in his first Pokemon League.
He had chosen those Pokemon after a long time of thought. He had these six in mind even before he reached the semi-finals. In fact, these were the Pokemon he'd decided to use against Tobias from the time it was revealed that the guy owned a Darkrai. He couldn't be sure if he would be facing him or if he himself would reach the finals but he'd figured that it would be better to be prepared to face a trainer like him.
Unclipping one of the six Pokeballs from his belt, Ash gazed at it and after a few moments, he tossed it up in the air. The Pokemon in the ball materialized and hovered in front of him.
'Hello, Ash!' Darkrai greeted his trainer.
Ash couldn't help but chuckle at his Pokemon's behavior. Darkrai hadn't left behind his formal behavior yet. Although he was getting better and more comfortable – as he would say – all the time. He couldn't expect the Pitch Black Pokemon to suddenly start behaving differently to the way he normally did. He couldn't imagine himself changing so quickly so neither should he expect his Pokemon to. That was his psychology, at least.
"Hello Darkrai," Ash smiled at his Pokemon and placed a hand on Darkrai's shoulder. He gazed at his Legendary Pokemon with pride. "Are you ready for the final?"
'I have always been ready to battle.' Darkrai announced telepathically.
Ash smiled at the response he received. "That's good to know. I am counting on all of you to win the Sinnoh League," he grinned for a moment before his expression changed into a serious one. "Do you think we can win?"
This time, the Dark-type gazed into Ash's eyes for several moments before he replied. 'If you think we can, then I do believe we can win.'
"You should know that I do believe in you as well as all of my other Pokemon," Ash told him.
'I have no doubt about that, Ash,' Darkrai said. 'The respect your Pokemon give you and the admiration they show towards you is proof of that.'
At the mention of his Pokemon's admiration towards him, Ash couldn't help but chuckle playfully. "What about you?" he questioned curiously.
'I wouldn't have joined you if I didn't trust you.' Darkrai stated in his usual tone, not a thing out of the ordinary.
"By the way Darkrai," Ash called as he remembered something that he wanted to discuss. "After the battle, Lance asked me about you and I told him that I'd ask you if you'd want to see him," He informed his Dark-type Pokemon. And Cynthia had walked in on Ash and Lance so she said that she'd want to meet Darkrai too. "Do you mind seeing them?" Receiving no response from Darkrai for a few moments, Ash frowned. "If you don't wanna meet anyone, that's fine as well. I can deny them."
'As long as you don't have a problem with that, I'll meet anyone.' Darkrai stated, still hovering at the same place where he'd first materialized.
Ash raised both his eyebrows at what Darkrai had just said. He shook his head in amusement; he should've expected that from him. He was quite the obedient Pokemon, considering its status as Legendary and its previous exploits in Alamos Town. He just couldn't begin to imagine why the people of that village despised him so much. If anything, he'd always been the protector of Alamos Town and yet, barely anyone gave him the credit he deserved.
"Those two will be happy to hear that," Ash muttered, reminding himself just how exuberant the two were the first time he'd talked to them after his semi-final battle against Brittany.
Well, if he wasn't such a Legendary magnet, he would himself be looking forward to meeting a Legendary. Luckily or unluckily, he didn't have to go on huge adventures to meet a Legendary, they simply stumbled across him. Whether it was coincidental or planned he would never know.
He brought his attention back to his Pokemon who did nothing but stare at him without moving an inch. He could swear that if it was anyone else, they would be scared to death by that glare – which wasn't exactly meant to be scare Ash but it was just how deadly Darkrai was.
"I am going to be counting on you, Darkrai," Ash grinned as he patted Darkrai on the shoulders.
Darkrai slightly bowed his head. 'I will try my best to live up to your expectations, Master.'
"You have quite a dry sense of humor." Ash remarked as he rolled his eyes. He knew that Darkrai had already stopped calling him Master after he urged him to do so many times. So, this time, it was simply Darkrai trying to make Ash laugh. Unsuccessfully, of course.
Ash waved at the two people that had just appeared in front of him. The two waved back and flashed him smiles as they approached him.
"I wasn't expecting you to let us meet Darkrai," Lance stated as he halted in front of Ash. "Not before the finals."
"You weren't?" Cynthia tilted her head as she looked at Lance. "I never thought that Ash would deny us."
Lance chuckled. "Ahh…" He scratched his head, a smile on his face. "I guess I should have trusted Ash to trust us more, eh?"
"Yeah, Lance," Ash joined in, shaking his head before he let out a titter. "I am so disappointed that you don't trust me enough." He folded his hands and stared at Lance.
At that moment, both Lance and Cynthia let out laughs. They hadn't seen Ash trying to make jokes. Well intentionally, anyway. As they didn't stop laughing for another few seconds, Ash frowned.
"If you keep on laughing like that, I might have a change of mind," He chuckled, fidgeting with the Pokeball he had in his hand.
As soon as he said that, the grins on the faces of the two Champions disappeared into thin air. Their looks now became much more serious. They were looking forward to meeting Ash's Darkrai. It wasn't as if they hadn't met a Legendary Pokemon before – both of them had met some along their journey. This Darkrai might be different however. At least, they were told Ash's Darkrai was different from the Pokemon League President.
"I am not sure this is the best place," Ash observed as he glanced around the surrounding. There wasn't anyone there except for them but it would always be safer to find a place where they could be sure no one would appear.
"You have a place in mind?" Lance inquired.
Ash nodded as he turned to his right and walked a couple of steps. "There is a good place that I've found where I could rest alone and no one interrupts," he said, looking back at them above his shoulder. "Let's go."
Ash's hand held Darkrai's Pokeball as he stood in front of Lance and Cynthia. The two Champions appeared somewhat uneasy, if not nervous. It could be because of the terror Darkrai spread during its first appearance in the battle against Brittany. To an extent, even Ash was a bit taken aback even though he was used to it by now so the ones who hadn't had the luxury of being around his Darkrai would be affected.
Ash nodded and simply tapped on his Pokeball and a flash of light came out of it. Lance as well as Cynthia watched with bathed breaths as the Darkness Pokemon of Ash's materialized in front of them. He didn't exert the same darkness that it exuded when he was called upon by Ash in the semi-finals. That time, he was readying himself for battle hence that power release but here, he was relaxed.
Lance watched with his lips slightly apart. He was speechless. Watching this Darkrai battle was one thing but looking at him upclose like this was something that made even him shiver. It wasn't just the power or might of Ash's Darkrai that made his hair stand on end. Lance's Pokemon themselves could match that sort of power. It was something else. A much more primordial emotion.
Fear.
Even when he'd watched Tobias' Darkrai in battle, he didn't feel the fear that he felt when he saw Ash's for the first time. Even Legendary Pokemon he'd come across before invoked a different sort of emotion. Darkrai's, he noted, made him feel the worst of all..
Cynthia was in the same state, unable to speak or move at the sight. It wasn't as if Darkrai was doing anything extraordinary; he hadn't even moved an inch from the position he'd taken when when he'd materialized a few moments ago but simply being in his presence at this range was overwhelming. She couldn't believe that Ash wasn't affected by it in the least. How could Ash be so comfortable?
Ash wrinkled his forehead as he realized that Darkrai's instincts had affected the two Champions. This had happened before to the two people he'd shown Darkrai to – Professor Oak and Charles Goodshow. And it had happened to him as well when he'd first come across Darkrai. After he'd caught Darkrai though, he hadn't felt the same way. His presence didn't bother him in the least. Was it that he'd become more comfortable being with Darkrai or was it something that Darkrai controlled? Regardless, he'd expected Cynthia and Lance to be more prepared to see his Legendary Pokemon but alas, they weren't.
"So much power…." Lance muttered, still unable to take his eyes off Darkrai. "I can feel the overwhelming power that Darkrai is giving off."
"Yeah," Cynthia agreed in no better condition than Lance. "It's nothing like seeing it from afar."
Ash sighed at the antics of the two Champion that he didn't think he would see. He shook his head before he turned to Darkrai. "Say hi to Lance and Cynthia," he pointed his hand to Lance and then at Cynthia in an attempt to clarify for Darkrai who was who. Not that he needed to. "The Champions of Kanto and Johto and the Champion of Sinnoh."
Straightaway, Darkrai bowed his head slightly and greeted the two. 'Hello, Mr. Lance, Ms. Cynthia.'
Ash frowned at the way Darkrai spoke. He noted that Darkrai had just stopped talking formally with him. With all other humans, he would probably speak the same way as he did with him when he'd first joined his team.
"So, it can use telepathy as well, huh?!" Lance was slack jawed. It wasn't as if it was unusual for Legendary Pokemon to use telepathy, but it was rare for a Pokemon, Legendary or not, to use telepathy unless it was a Psychic-type.
"Yeah," Ash confirmed for the Kanto and Johto Champion with a nod. "You look surprised."
At that way Ash said that last statement, Cynthia shook her head after she'd collected herself back. Ash was quite nonchalant about this. Pokemon that could communicate using the human language with such ease weren't seen often.
Lance brought himself back to his senses before he spoke again. "I am surprised, Ash. While it's true that Pokemon can use telepathy, I have never seen a Dark-type use it."
"Neither have I," Cynthia said, her arms folded. "Tell me Ash, how did you catch Darkrai?"
The question was something that hovered in Lance's mind as well.
Ash scratched his chin as he smiled awkwardly at the question. "How do I put it?" he pondered. He then turned to Darkrai as he got an idea. "You would be able to explain it to them better, Darkrai."
The mentioned Pokemon nodded and turned his deadly gaze at Lance and Cynthia. 'I joined my Master out of respect.'
"Did you?" Ash shot the query immediately with a raised eyebrow at Darkrai.
'That was the prime reason along with the admiration I have for you.' The Pokemon said.
"I don't think respect would be enough for anyone to catch a Legendary," Lance stated as he curiously eyed Darkrai, careful enough to avoid his gaze. "Not one such as your Darkrai."
"While I've seen certain Mythical Pokemon be very close to some humans," Cynthia began, glancing at Darkrai, then at Ash. "That was because those Pokemon had known the humans for a very long time. As for you, I don't think you and Darkrai have known each other for too long," she shrugged before smiling. "Unless of course, I'm mistaken?"
Ash rubbed the back of his head as he placed a hand of Darkrai's shoulder. "I didn't have a battle with Darkrai. He simply decided he wanted to come with me. I am not sure of the reason though he always says it's because of respect and stuff like that."
"We'll leave it at that then," Lance chuckled. "If the trainer is you, then I guess I can see that being true." He'd been taking this too seriously and he realized that it was best to just leave it as it was. "I hope we haven't caused you any trouble, Darkrai."
'Not at all.' Darkrai still stared at him but he couldn't help it. This was how he normally behaved and he couldn't change that.
A glance at the two Champions and Ash followed what they wanted and lightly tapped Darkrai with his Pokeball. The Darkness Pokemon was sucked inside in the ball before Ash clipped it back to his belt.
Cynthia and Lance sighed. They had looked forward to meeting the Pokemon but being in his presence wasn't the easiest thing to do. At first, his gaze felt as if it was strangling them but they had felt comfortable after Darkrai eased himself to the two strangers.
"That's quite a Pokemon, Ash," Lance complimented with a cheeky grin.
"Definitely," Cynthia joined in but a pout appeared on her face soon enough. "Although, I'm really disappointed that you didn't tell me about Darkrai earlier even though you told Mr. Goodshow."
Ash shrugged, ignoring the cute expression that Cynthia had on her face. "I'm sorry for that Cynthia. I didn't want to tell about it to anyone," he explained to the blonde. "It just turned out that Professor Oak had told Mr. Goodshow about it and I figured that he wouldn't leave me alone until I did show him Darkrai."
Lance nodded. "That President of ours can be pushy."
Though Cynthia wasn't buying that. "Fine, I'll take that as you not trusting me," she retorted, folding her arms and looking away.
Ash smiled uneasily; this Champion wasn't going to be the easiest to deal with. And, he didn't want to upset her. "It's not that I don't trust you, but," he paused, unable to find the words to convince Cynthia right now.
"But what?" she demanded.
Ash acted as if he'd given up as an idea sparked up in his mind. "I wanted to surprise you by using Darkrai in a battle. It wouldn't be much of a surprise if I simply told you about Darkrai,"
Cynthia eyed his skeptically. "It would've been the same,"
"No," Ash defended. "And besides, I didn't want to scare you. Mr. Goodshow was quite frightened after meeting Darkrai, you know? At least, I think he was,"
Just as Cynthia was about to mouth a bag of words, Lance stepped between them. "I think that's enough. It happened so it happened. You can't do anything about it," he looked at Cynthia and smiled. "Come on, don't act like a child," He smirked devilishly.
"A child?!" Cynthia exclaimed as she took a few steps back, realizing how she was acting. "I wasn't acting like one," She quickly straightened herself and calmed herself down.
Lance grinned. "You were, but I'll forget about it," he muttered and looked back at Ash. "So, Ash, what kind of a battle should we expect in the finals?"
Ash raised an eyebrow in interest. "What kind of battle? It all depends on what Tobias does."
"I won't ask you about what strategy you have for the battle but do you have a plan to take out Tobias' Darkrai?" Lance asked.
For a few moments, Ash thought about the question. "Actually, I don't." he answered bluntly. "Only if I knew which other Pokemon he had, I might have already made a plan but since there is nothing known about any of his Pokemon except for Darkrai…."
"You at least have your Pokemon team figured out, I assume?" Cynthia inquired, evidently concerned about what Ash was doing.
Ash grinned. "Come on," he waved her off. "You don't think I am that irresponsible, do you?"
"I asked because I thought you are that irresponsible," Cynthia mumbled lowly, almost not enough for anyone around her to hear.
However, Ash had caught at least some of what she said. "So, you did," he stared right at her.
The silence that spread around the three made Lance roll his eyes. Again, he stepped forward and tried to reduce the tension. "Let's talk about all of that over a cup of tea."
Ash dazed into the star-filled night sky, resting comfortably on the cool grass. The final of the Lily of the Valley Conference was the day after and he simply wanted to relax himself right now. He'd done all the preparations he could. His Pokemon had given it their all, in training before the Sinnoh League as well as on his way to the final of the League. The only thing left for him to do now was to beat Tobias and claim the Sinnoh League Cup for himself.
He sighed as he glanced around himself. 6 Pokemon; the six Pokemon that he would be using in the final match were all there. However, there was silence around them right now. None of them made any noise.
The Pokemon all knew what an important match it was tomorrow but they weren't nervous. They believed in themselves and their trainer and they had the confidence that they could do it; that they could finally win a Pokemon League, something that they'd failed to do. Well, some of them at least.
In the four days that he had to prepare for the finals, Ash had come up with various plans so as to counter Tobias. He'd brainstormed and tried to prepare himself for every type of Pokemon that Tobias could throw his way. Although nothing could prepare him for the real battle. He was aware of that; that not much he did before the battle would be of too much relevance. Only what he could and would do on the day in his match against Tobias would count. Only that would decide whether he could finally win a Pokemon League or not.
He thought back to the various Leagues that he'd participated in. Indigo League: Top 16. Johto League: Top 8. Hoenn League: Top 4. If that pattern continued, he would be losing in the final. He didn't believe much in such things, but being up against someone whom he couldn't prepare enough, that thought didn't completely go out of his mind.
But he was ready this time. And so were his Pokemon. He let a smile spread across his face before he stood up and looked at all of his Pokemon. "Guys, let's give it our best! We'll win this!"
And each one of them responded in affirmative cries. They were ready to be unleashed.
Thousands of fans cheered for the battle as Ash stood just under the shed of the stadium. Just a few more steps and the entire world would be watching him. He was just minutes away from one of the most important battles of his life, if not his most important yet.
The raven-haired trainer hailing from Pallet Town inhaled before he strode into the battlefield. The stadium roared thunderously at the entrance of the two finalists. As the two took their positions on the field, the crowd began cheering names of either one of them. The two competitors smirked as they stared into each other's eyes.
"Get ready ladies and gentlemen!" The commentator yelled through the microphone. "It's the finals of the Lily of the Valley Conference. Our two finalists have certainly dominated most of their matches through the Sinnoh League. The red trainer is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town," As he said that, the crowd cheered even louder and he waited for them to calm down before he spoke again. "And the green trainer is Tobias. This promises to be the best battle of this year's Lily of the Valley Conference. Will we get to see the two Darkrai in action? We'll find out soon enough. For now, I'll simply hand over the Commentary box to the Four Champions that have graced us with their presence."
As soon as he finished, the crowd again roared loudly. This time, it was because four of the Champions – Lance, Wallace, Cynthia and Alder took – their seats in the commentary box. The looks on their faces showed just how much they too looked forward to this battle.
"I definitely didn't expect you to have a Darkrai, Ash." Tobias stared at Ash across the field as he readied his Pokeball, bringing it out of his long cape.
Ash stared right back at his opponent. "There are still lots of things I can do that you never could imagine. I guess you'll find out about a few of them during the match."
Tobias scoffed at the response he received but soon smirked. "You can expect the same from me."
"Thanks for the warning." Ash shot back.
Right as they finished their little battle of words, the referee appeared ready to announce the commencement of the match. He raised the two flags – one green while one red – above his head and announced. "The final match of the Lily of the Valley Conference will now begin. This will be a six-on-six battle and both the trainers can substitute Pokemon. Tobias has the first move." He brought the flags down at once. "Begin!"
The trainer who got the first move – Tobias tossed his Pokeball up in the air without any delays. The ball snapped open and his first Pokemon materialized in front of him. The entire crowd went silent for a couple of moments before they finally buzzed, much louder than they had before.
Ash eyed the Pokemon that hovered in front of Tobias keenly. It was a dragon whose lower half of the body was blue with jet-plane like wings and fin like feet with a red triangular mark on its chest while the upper half of its body was white. Ash simpered as the Latios cooed at his arrival. This was going to be quite the interesting battle. Good thing that Ash had come prepared to face a Dragon-type. He raised his own Pokeball and his Gabite roared loudly as he glared down at his opponent.
"You've got courage if you think your Dragon-type can beat my Latios," Tobias commented and raised his hand. "Dragon Claw!"
Right as those words left Tobias' mouth, Ash countered. "Use your Dragon Claw too!"
Both the dragons' claws enlarged and engulfed themselves in draconic energy. The two cried out and headed at one another, claws pointed upwards and intentions of hitting the other with damage that would give them the advantage.
So, I know many of you might be disappointed that the final battle wasn't in this chapter. I just thought that it would be better to move a little away from Pokemon battles after battles for once.
Anyways, the next chapter will have the battle and lots of it. I hope you liked this chapter, at least a little.