World Coronation Proposal, a pokémon fanfic

World Coronation Proposal

By Fox McCloude.

Whirl Islands, Inland City Stadium…

The aquatic stadium of Inland City, located at Blue Point Island, was usually the scenario for the most important tournament for Water-type Pokémon specialists in the world. Ash Ketchum and Misty Waterflower had already faced each other there once, many years ago, and today they were back for a rematch.

But not for the Whirl Cup; that year, the stadium was the scenario for another tournament's grand finale, a much bigger and more important one. The finals of the Pokémon World Coronation Series Championship, the tournament to decide the strongest trainer in the entire world. Both had fought their way through formidable rivals until they rose to Master Class, and once they made it through the best eight in the world, now they were giving their all for their final match.

The battle had reached its climax; Misty's Gyarados had just knocked out Ash's Dragonite, leaving both trainers with a single Pokémon each. The board showed Ash's side had the dimmed icons of Charizard, Sceptile, Lucario and Lycanroc above Dragonite's. On Misty's side, said icons showed Starmie, Golduck, Kingdra, Dewgong and Milotic, with only Gyarados currently active.

"This is it, ladies and gentlemen!" the MC announced. "Now both trainers have a single Pokémon in play! This'll be the decisive bout!"

"It's go time, Pikachu, you ready?" Ash asked.

"Pikapika!" The electric rodent nodded, hopping down to the battlefield and landing on one of the platforms, ready to face Gyarados.

"It's payback time, Gyarados!" Misty declared. "Use Hydro Pump!"

The blue marine serpent roared loudly, firing a spiraling torrent of water at the electric mouse. Neither Ash nor Pikachu were dazed by it; both knew exactly what to do.

"Dodge with Quick Attack, then Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu jumped upwards, a white trail behind him, dodging the Hydro Pump by the hairs. At the apex of her jump, he unleashed his electric attack against Gyarados, who took it in full, but the serpent endured the pain until he finally ceased, before roaring back and glaring at his foe.

"Pikachu, throw Electrowebs all over the field!"

"Pikapikapika, PIKA!"

Following Ash's order, Pikachu started throwing from his tail electric spheres that exploded into nets, stretching out before getting stuck to the pillars and platforms. Misty wondered what they could be up to, but knowing Ash, she knew they would surprise her.

"Gyarados, catch Pikachu with Crunch and don't let him get away!"

"ROAAAAAAAAARRR!"

Next, Gyarados charged baring his fangs to chomp on Pikachu, but the mouse, being much smaller and faster didn't get caught, and continued to leave nets all over the field, literally trapping Gyarados between them and leaving him little room to maneuver.

"Gyarados, burn those nets with Fire Blast!" Misty shouted.

Gyarados opened his jaws once more and shot a fire kanji, with the clear intent to set those nets Pikachu left on fire. Despite the attack's power, the blast only erased a few, but leaving him enough room to move again and attack, trying to focus his attention on the little yellow moving dot.

"You know what to do, Pikachu; dodge with Quick Attack!"

Gyarados began shooting one fire explosion after all, but despite the power didn't land any hits on Pikachu. The mouse was a target too small and too fast, and he wouldn't be easily caught. After he dodged one attack he bounced off one of the nets he left like a springboard, and then another after dodging a second fiery blast.

Pikachu kept dodging Gyarados's fire attacks, and every time he bounced on the electric nets, his speed increased, until he became a small yellow blur almost impossible to follow.

"Now, spin out and use Volt Tackle!"

Said and done, after bouncing one last time towards Gyarados, Pikachu began spinning his body as he coated himself in an electric film, becoming a living electric drill. He impacted with full force on Gyarados' mid-section body, and the marine serpent launched a thunderous roar at the sky as lightning bolts flew all over the field.

"Amazing, fans! Ash's Pikachu lands another devastating blow on Misty's Gyarados! Volt Tackle is a double-edged sword, but there's no doubt who took the worst of it here!"

"Nicely played, Ash," Misty said. "But it'll take more than that to beat us."

"I wouldn't have it any other way. Give me everything you have, Cerulean Mermaid!"

"As you wish, Coliseum Gladiator! Gyarados!"

Gyarados recovered and glared at Pikachu. The electric rodent did have some damage, self-inflicted with the last attack's recoil, but otherwise looked none the worse for wear. Misty knew durability wasn't Pikachu's forte, so they had to land one good blow he couldn't dodge to win this bout. With that in mind, the match resumed.

Both had walked a long way up until this point. After his first participation in the Pokémon World Coronation Series, Ash retired for a while from journeys to accept Scott's proposal and become a Frontier Brain in order to hone his skills. That's how the Battle Coliseum of Pallet Town was built, also doubling as a gym for challengers. A few years later that, Ash once more took part in the Indigo League, and after winning the tournament he challenged Kanto's Elite Four, and eventually Lance himself for the title of Regional Champion, which he currently held.

As for Misty, she continued in her post as the Cerulean Gym Leader, gaining a lot of prestige and reputation thanks to her skills. Whenever she had the chance to travel she did so, and after winning three consecutive editions of the Whirl Cup, she attracted the attention of Elite Four member (and her personal heroine) Lorelei, who was already planning on retiring and looking for a successor. Thus, she went to train under her for a while, the two faced each other in an official match a few months back, and that was how she got her current post.

And after they reached the best eight finals in the Master Class, both of them requested this stadium for their final battle. After all, it was the same place they faced one another in an official tournament, so it seemed fitting. Of course, they had to do some arrangements, since it normally was only used for the Whirl Cup, and not for other tournaments with varied Pokémon instead of just Water-types.

Attacks came and went one after another. Clearly Pikachu and Ash were landing more hits numerically speaking, but Gyarados and Misty returned the punishment on equal proportion. Neither had taken additional equipment for that battle (Z-Rings, Mega Stones, Dynamax Band), as both wanted to battle only with their base power to test their limits.

And both showed they didn't need any of those things to give a good show, and the audience seemed to agree.

Both Pokémon were left panting, exhausted for the efforts, with clearly only one last hit to give each.

"Pikachu, prepare Iron Tail!"

"Gyarados, charge Hyper Beam at full power!"

As Gyarados began storing up orange energy in his jaws, Pikachu raised his tail, taking on a metallic glow while his cheeks gave off sparks. Both Pokémon glared at one another, ready for their final clash of powers.

All they waited for was their trainers' cue.

"VOLT TACKLE!"

"FIRE NOW!"

Once again, Pikachu coated himself in the electric film, transferring all the energy to the Iron Tail to power it up, before running off at Gyarados. In the same way, the serpent fired a massive energy beam at the mouse, while he leapt forward while spinning in the air, in order to put his tail forward.

The Volt Tail combo cut through the Hyper Beam, piercing through it until it reached Gyarados' face, where he smacked at full force, but the power reacted with the remnant energy of the Hyper Beam attack, thanks to the power the Water-type was pushing into it. There was a huge explosion of smoke, and a loud splash giving away that Gyarados had fallen, but for several seconds, the entire stadium was left in deadly silence, everyone expecting to see what happened.

Once the view was clear, so were the results. Some remnant sparks still crackled around the battlefield. On one side, Gyarados rested his head in one of the platforms, the rest of his body sunk into the water. On the other, Pikachu floated belly up. One thing was clear: neither of them would get up in a while.

"Both Pikachu and Gyarados are unable to continue!" the referee declared. "This battle has ended with a double KO!"

"This is insane, ladies and gentlemen!" the commentator shouted. "We're before a historic event! Both trainers are out of Pokémon now! What will this mean?"

People's mumbles immediately went off all over. It wasn't surprising; a draw in the World Coronation Series finals, where the number one trainer was decided, it was unprecedented. Both Ash and Misty looked at each other while judges and authorities seemed to deliberate.

Finally, after several minutes that felt really long both trainers, the commentator spoke up once more:

"Attention please, I've just received a notice. In light of being unable to determine which of the Pokémon fell first, and since neither trainer has current active extra Pokémon to keep the battle, the World Coronation Series Committee has reached a conclusion. Both Ash Ketchum and Misty Waterflower will be declared as Monarchs and will share the title as champions of this edition."

"Say what?" Misty gasped in surprise.

"Champions, the two of us?" Ash replied, equally surprised.

"However, the tie will be broken in a sudden death match at the start of the next edition, to determine who stays in the monarch spot."

The entire stadium roared in cheering and applause afterwards. Both Misty and Ash were left speechless at the result, but they ultimately smiled. It wasn't the first time they faced each other, neither the first time there wasn't a clear winner between them. But more than annoyance, it brought fond memories for both of them.

Not a bad way to conclude a World Class tournament.

…

The award ceremony went out as scheduled. The remaining best eight of the Master Class also attended to offer their respects and congratulations for the winners. Both for Ash and Misty was a rare sight to be there, in the middle of trainers who years before seemed to be light years above them in achievements and skills. Trainers the likes of Lance, Wallace, Cynthia, Diantha, Leon and Steven Stone were now surrounding them, clapping for them as the winners.

"As the winner of the last edition of the Pokémon World Coronation Series, it is an honor for me to give you both the winner's trophy," the Sinnohan Regional Champion declared. "Both of you have proven your skills and deserve to be on the top."

"Thanks, Cynthia," Ash said.

"It was an honor to face all of you." Misty nodded, as she and Ash raised the cup together.

"So, will the new champions say a few words?" the blonde asked. "Anything you want to say to everyone watching now, here in the stadium or over the world?"

"Actually… I have something important to say," Ash replied.

"So do I," Misty added, "but if nobody minds, it has nothing to do with the competition."

There was a collective mumble all over the stadium. The finalists' looks turned to curiosity; this sounded too interesting to miss it out. Cynthia gave them her microphone so everyone could hear, and Ash allowed Misty to speak first.

"Many of you perhaps already know this, but this very stadium was where I had my first official competition, over a decade ago. I didn't win, but the experience served so I could see how far I'd come, and how much I could still improve, to achieve my dream of being a great Water Pokémon Master. Also, back then, Ash and I faced one another. It wasn't our first battle against each other, but it was the first in an official competition. Do you remember?"

"Hah, I'd never forget it," Ash said. "Nobody could erase from their memory an embarrassing defeat like that, let alone after that rookie blunder I made."

Everyone in the stadium chuckled at that. It was one of those embarrassing tales that reminded everyone that even the strongest trainers were human, and they didn't begin as experts. But despite being embarrassing, both Ash and Misty considered it a fond memory, very precious for both of them.

"My point is, that's why we agreed to face each other in this same stadium," Misty continued, retaking a serious tone. "This place is very important for both of us; it's full of memories of everything we've done, of the long path we've walked, both together and separately. Memories that are very precious to us."

Both gazed into each other's eyes, and a nostalgic glint crossed them. Ash nodded. Both of them had gone through many things together. As traveling companions, as best friends, occasionally as competitive rivals… and eventually, as something else.

"This too, is something many of you already know. Ash and I have been dating for quite a while. It's not always easy; sometimes we spend months without seeing one another, due to our obligations, but our hearts are always together. My mentor once told me that distance can strengthen love between two people, and I believe she's right. Being separated only increased my wish to see each other again, and made our encounters and all the moments we spent together even more special to me.

"That's why, Ash Ketchum, I want to say it without fear in front of the entire world. Even though I'm happy that we were best friends, that we fell in love with each other… I want to take the definitve step in our relationship. There's no one else I want to share the rest of my life with."

The stadium let out a collective gasp of amazement, followed by a deadly silence. Ash for his part seemed to be completely paralyzed, unable to reply to what he'd been told in such an upfront manner. Those who knew him best were aware of how clueless he could be, especially in matters of the heart, and he needed to be told things upfront. Something Misty knew better than anybody.

Much to everyone's shock, Ash's mouth curved into a smirk, and then, as if he'd been told the funniest joke in the world, he placed a hand on his face and broke into laughter. Of course, nobody was more surprised (and annoyed) at this reaction than Misty.

"Hey, hey! What are you laughing at?" she cried out. "You think what I just said was some kind of joke? I was being dead serious right there!"

"Hahahaha, sorry, that… that's not why I'm laughing. "It's just… I can't believe you beat me to it."

"Beat you? To what?" The redhead tilted her head in confusion.

Ash kept laughing a little longer, though not as loudly as before. Once he finally calmed down, he placed a hand in his pocket, pulling out a Pokéball-shaped case which he presented on his palm at her. Misty glanced at curiously for a moment, until she recalled something she was told during her first visit to Alola.

Specifically, how Professor Kukui proposed to his wife. Was Ash planning to…?

"Truth be told, I was hoping to wait until after the competition, but I never imagined you'd give me an answer before I popped the question," he said, pressing the button to open the case. Indeed, inside it there was an engagement ring. All the sudden anger for his apparent mockery was dispelled in a heartbeat.

"Ash… I can't believe it, you had it ready?" she asked, blushing. "When did you buy that ring?"

"A few months back, but we've been so busy with the tournament I didn't have the chance to tell you," he said, smiling as he blushed just like her. "I was hoping to make this a little more private, but… I guess this saves us needing to give the news to our friends."

The boy glanced at the cameras, as if wanting to say "Yep, you've just seen it". While not all of their closest friends had been able to come in person to watch their battle, those who didn't were sure to be watching it live on TV somewhere in the world.

"But well, I guess it's not too bad this way." The boy kneeled, 'properly' presenting the ring. "Misty Waterflower… will you marry me?"

Once more, the people in the stadium let out a gasp in amazement, holding their breath as they awaited the answer. As for Misty, the redhead could only focus on her heart thumping against her chest in excitement.

So much that she couldn't put her answer into words: she just jumped on Ash to give him one big kiss, and everyone began clapping thunderously.

"I'm taking that as a yes," Ash said, taking the ring out of the case to put it on her. Misty raised her hand and let him slide the ring into her finger, taking a few seconds to admire it.

"Don't think this means I'll make things easy for you when we do our tiebreaker," she warned him, with a challenging grin.

"I'd be really mad if you did," Ash replied before hugging her and waving together at the crowd, who gave them a standing ovation for their compromise.

The wait for the tiebreaker in the next edition of the World Coronation Series would be short-lived. After all, they'd be more focused on counting the days for their eventual wedding. But like everything else, this match, and the following marriage proposal, added up to the precious memories both of them shared, and would continue to share for the rest of their days.

FIN

Author's notes:

What's up, people? Uff, at long last Fanfiction fixed that stupid glitch, you had no idea how mad I was of not being able to read the latest updates in the stories I follow. This is even worse than the frequent review delays, and that's saying a log, especially since the staff has not reported as to why it happened or why it took them so long to fix it. But well, everything's back to normal, let's hope it stays that way.

Anyway, it was a shame this year I didn't have many ideas for the PokéShipping Week. Just to make it clear, while I make references or use elements of previous stories, such as Ash being a Frontier Brain or Misty in the Elite Four after replacing Lorelei, it's not like I have direct continuity with any of them. Making the stories independent it's better to avoid conflict with things that might not fit and create complications. And, I guess I "cheated" a little bit here, using a theme from last year by having Ash propose to Misty, but like I said, I was at a shortage of ideas.

Hope you guys enjoyed it, and if you can see it already, stop by to read and review the Day 4 oneshot. Maybe next year I'll do the full week again. Till next time!