This is for Liyada on AO3. I ended up writing this 13k behemoth that I'll divide into 3 parts. I hope you'll enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing this!
Another warning: THIS IS NOT BETA-ED. I hope you understand.
Part 1 - A Trip to the Battle Frontier
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Trevor closed his luggage and he took a deep breath. He sat on his bed, his eyes scanning his room.
"Okay," he started, looking at the cabinet. "I packed all the clothes I need and we'll be staying at a hotel so they'll probably provide some toiletries," He grabbed a notebook from his satchel, which seemed to be a diary, and a pen. He stood up and went to the desk.
"Today's the day!" Trevor wrote in his diary. "We'll be going to the Hoenn Region for a vacation! Shauna said it's a tropical paradise while it's a chance for me to see exclusive Pokemon that only lived in that region. This is also a great chance for my friends and I to—"
"Trevor!" Y hollered from the outside, making Trevor stop writing. He placed his pen down and sighed, going to the window to see his friend.
"What is it?" he asked, trying to keep his voice down. He just really hoped that Y didn't startle his neighbors...again.
"What do you mean 'what is it'?!" Y retorted, making Trevor place his finger close to his lips. He shushed her. The Flyer noticed this and giggled, scratching her head. She forgot to lower her voice again. "Sorry," she apologized. "Anyway!" she continued, her loud voice returning and Trevor just sighed at that. If Y was excited, nothing could stop her booming voice. "We're all ready. Let's all go to the airport together!"
Trevor forgot that they would leave around three in the afternoon. Bringing his head back to his room, he looked at the clock which said 2:45 in the afternoon. His eyes went round like a plate.
Their flight would be at six in the evening and they have to be at the airport around three. Closing his notebook and shoving it and his pen in his bag, he grabbed his luggage and went outside his house. He panted, catching his breath. "I-I'm ready," he replied, still gasping for air.
Y smiled and patted his back. To him, it felt like a smack. He almost fell if he didn't hold onto his luggage tightly.
"Great! Let's get going!" the Flyer said happily.
Trevor nodded, looking at his house. He didn't need to worry about it since Y's mother and his parents would look after it. His books would be safe even if he wanted to bring them all to the trip.
Time went by quickly and the friends of five managed to ride their airplane. Their trip would be long since they have to stop by in the Unova Region first then ride a ferry to get to the Hoenn Region. Trevor didn't know why people in Hoenn didn't have an airport yet where planes from other regions could land, but he guessed that it was Hoenn's way of preserving their land and seas.
Nonetheless, he couldn't wait and he knew his friends felt the same way as well. He breathed, letting his head rest on the chair. The movie he watched just ended and he didn't know what to do next. Then and there, an idea went to his head. He grabbed his pen and his diary.
Trevor didn't know how it all happened; the next thing he knew was Professor Sycamore telling him to deliver something important to Professor Birch when they reached Hoenn.
Shauna did explain to him what happened, though, but she was so ecstatic about this trip that she rambled so much. He was able to get bits of information about why she suddenly invited them on this trip. It was something about her rich customer or something? He couldn't grasp every detail but he was glad they were able to go on this vacation. They all needed it and the fact that they haven't spent time together in a long while made this vacation worthwhile.
"This is your captain speaking."
Trevor stopped writing when he heard the announcement. He closed his notebook to listen carefully.
"Please put on your seatbelts. We're about to land soon."
Trevor placed his notebook back in his bag and checked to see if his seatbelt is secured and it was. He smiled and looked to find his friends. He saw X waking up from Y's lap with Y smiling at him. He was blushing and tried to put on his seatbelt, only to fail miserably. A flight attendant thankfully helped him while Y just watched them whilst giggling. Shauna woke up as well. She was sleeping on Tierno's shoulder and she, too, started putting on her seatbelt.
Trevor took a deep breath. They were almost there.
Hoenn Region
Slateport City
10:00 AM
"FINALLY!" Y stretched her arms and smiled. She looked at the sky and felt the warm sunlight shining in the sky. There were flocks of Wingull flying on the horizon and she was quite tempted to put on her flight suit to join them.
"It's too hot," X muttered, who was behind Y. He folded his arms across his chest.
"Well, duh, X-ey," Shauna replied, putting on her sunglasses. She handed a pair to Y while the Flyer put it on as well. The sunglasses radiated brightly against the intense sunlight and ironically made them look cool. "We're in a tropical region, so of course the weather is different!"
"The sky is clear, too. A perfect day to fly!" Y added with a smile. Shauna just nodded and smirked.
X gave them a flat look. He didn't know why he joined this vacation in the first place. He just wanted a break from his 'duties' and then Y just dragged him for a passport and visa application.
"Listen, guys," Trevor spoke, grabbing their attention. They all looked at him. "After we checked in to our hotel, can we go to Professor Birch's Laboratory? Professor Sycamore wanted to deliver something to him."
Y nodded. "Yeah, let's do that first. Where exactly is Professor Birch's Laboratory, though?"
Trevor blinked. "Uhhh," he grabbed his phone and opened his message with Professor Sycamore. He scrolled up for a bit and found what he was looking for. "Littleroot Town," he replied.
"Great, but where is it?" Shauna asked.
"Uhh," Trevor opened his map application from his phone. He blinked. "It's...really far from here."
"Then we'll do it tomorrow. I'm tired from all the sitting," Shauna commented. She did have a point.
"You'll just sleep in the hotel," X mumbled while trying his best to hide his smirk. Shauna heard this and gave him an irked look. She pouted.
"As if you're not gonna sleep too," she retorted and X knew he had nothing to say to her now that she 'roasted' him. She wasn't his 'diva' friend for nothing.
The Next Day.
Littleroot Town
Birch Research Laboratory
3:00 PM
"Ugh," Shauna complained. "Why do we have to trek through the forest just to reach the lab?! Who does that?!"
"Tierno has been carrying you for an hour now, though," X remarked, as he brushed off a leaf from his sleeve.
Shauna just rolled her eyes. "My feet hurt, okay?"
"That's what they all say," X replied, chuckling. Shauna groaned and just ignored him.
"Hey, guys, we're almost there. Cut it out," Trevor scolded. Sometimes, X just loved to be sarcastic at Shauna. It was fun to watch but it gets irritating at times. "And Professor Birch specializes in Pokemon habitats, so his lab has to be close to nature since all Pokemon live in the wild." He stopped in his tracks and knocked on the door. A few moments passed, the door opened, revealing a jolly old man.
"Ah, hello," he greeted, waving his hand. "May I help you?"
Trevor nodded. "Uhh, well, y-you see..."
Y sighed. She could tell Trevor was freaking out. He always does that every time he met a famous scientist. He did the same with Professor Oak; he wasn't able to speak clearly at that time. Luckily, Professor Oak was patient with him. "We're here to see Professor Birch. I'm guessing that's you?"
The man laughed. "You guessed it. Is your friend okay?"
Y placed her hands on Trevor's shoulders. "Yeah, he's just excited. We're here to deliver something from Professor Sycamore."
"Well," Professor Birch opened the door widely. "Come in, come in. I understand you traveled far and you must be tired."
"No kidding," Shauna uttered softly. Tierno gently placed her down.
"Hoenn is famous for Lava Cookies. You should try some while you're here. I think my daughter bought some yesterday."
"Hey, at least he seems like a jolly fella," Tierno said, trying to cheer up Shauna. The five went further into the laboratory while Y was trying to make Trevor snap out from his thoughts by shaking him aggressively.
"Hey, earth to Trevor! Where's the item Professor Sycamore wants you to deliver!"
Professor Birch placed two boxes of Lava Cookies and three cartons of Moo Moo Milk on the table. He grabbed some plates and five glasses from the container. "Sycamore told me that there are five kids who will deliver that item. He also mentioned that two of you are Pokedex Holders," He placed the plate and the glasses on the table. Shauna didn't waste a second and poured milk in her glass and grabbed some cookies in the box. Professor Birch chuckled at her behavior. "Which of you two are the Pokedex Holders?"
"Mmm," Shauna swallowed the cookie and grabbed another one. "They're X-ey and Y-ey over there!" She pointed at them and Professor Birch smiled.
"Ah, wonderful. You know, my daughter is also a Pokedex Holder. She, her boyfriend, and their friend are Hoenn's Dexholders. They also saved Hoenn before."
"Y-Yes, of course!" Trevor exclaimed. He was still quivering but managed to place the item on the table for the professor to grab. "I heard you have a daughter who also happens to be the Hoenn Champion! I didn't know she's also a Dexholder!"
"And her boyfriend is a Dexholder too?" Shauna questioned, grabbing another cookie.
The professor nodded. "She and her boyfriend will arrive here around dinner time. In the meantime, you can stay here so you can meet them later."
The four looked at Y. She blinked. "Why are you looking at me?"
"Well, you're the leader," Shauna pointed out and it kind of made sense now that Y thought about it. But to be fair, she was more of a 'mom friend' than the 'leader'.
"Well, do you want to stay?" she asked them.
X shrugged and continued eating the cookies with Tierno and Shauna. Trevor keenly nodded.
"I have a lot of questions to ask the professor."
Y sighed. "Well, if you—"
The door opened and everyone turned to look who entered. A small, blond boy entered the laboratory and gave an envelope to the professor. Professor Birch smiled. "Ah, thanks, Emerald. Is this from who I think this is?"
"Yeah," Emerald replied, grabbing a cookie. He looked at the five teenagers in front of him. "I didn't know you have guests."
"Aren't you a little young to be working?" Y asked, confused. The boy looked like a five-year-old and she was kind of jealous of his long, silky blond hair too.
Emerald could feel a vein pop in his forehead. "I'm 24 years old, dammit!"
Their eyes widened in shock and their mouth fell, except for X, who was trying to act like everything was normal.
"You're older than us?!" Y, Trevor, Shauna, and Tierno asked, still recovering from the surprise they just witnessed.
Professor Birch laughed at their reactions. "He's actually the third Hoenn Dexholder. Meet the Calmer—Emerald."
"How?!" they asked again and Emerald just sighed to calm himself. He swallowed the cookie.
"We all come in shapes and sizes."
To be fair, you look like a five-year-old. the Kalos gang said internally, observing the older boy just to find any signs of adulthood.
"Hey, quit staring at me!" Emerald glared at them. He chewed the cookie slowly.
Professor Birch laughed even further. He had never been this amused for a while. "Anyway," he said between laughs. "Why don't you watch over them while I work here? Ruby and Sapphire will arrive any time soon, and I want them to meet their juniors."
Emerald rose an eyebrow. Juniors? Did that mean…? "You're kidding, right?" he sarcastically asked while the professor blinked. He rubbed his forehead. "These children are my junior Dexholders?"
"We're 15," X mumbled, secretly grabbing the last cookie from the plate.
"And only X-ey and Y-ey are the Dexholders!" Shauna added, which made Emerald more confused.
X-ey? Y-ey? What kind of odd names were those? "I'm gonna pretend those are not their names," he replied. His hand went back to grab a cookie from the plate but he couldn't feel any. Looking at the plate, he saw it was empty and a dark-haired boy wearing a blue jacket eating the last one. He sighed. "And I'm no babysitter," he continued, gazing back at the professor. "Ruby and Sapphire can entertain them for all I care."
"X-ey already told you that we're 15! Technically a teen!" Shauna corrected, pouting. She really hated it whenever people tell them that they were still children. "Besides, you look like a five-year-old yourself," she muttered but Emerald heard it.
A vein popped from his forehead. "Hey!" he yelled. "I told you: I'm 24 years old! And if you really see me as a child, then let's have a Pokemon battle just to prove the difference between a child and an adult!"
Y gave him a weird look. "I don't think that's the best way to prove it."
Shauna slammed her palm on the table. "Fine!" she exclaimed. "X-ey is a really strong trainer, though so you better watch—"
"I'm not in the mood," X swallowed the cookie and grabbed his glass of milk. Shauna looked at him, flabbergasted at his response.
"But—"
"I'll do it when I'm in the mood."
"Please, please, pleaaaaase with Oran Berries on top?"
"No."
Emerald took a deep breath, calming himself. He always ended up defending he wasn't a child every time people told him he looked like one. It often gets out of hand too, and he really needed to stop caring once and for all. On the other hand, though, it was amusing to see people's reactions. "Yeah, sure. Maybe next time."
The five teenagers gave him a confused look. That was a quick change of behavior. Maybe he was right about being an adult despite his height.
"In the meantime," the Calmer smiled at them. "We can all visit the Battle Frontier tomorrow. I'll take you there."
The five gave him a curious look. They haven't heard of a 'Battle Frontier' before and it sounded interesting. They were quite inquisitive about it.
Trevor's eyes widened, realizing something. "Wait," He grabbed a pamphlet from his bag. "Isn't the Battle Frontier similar to the Battle Maison like the one we have in Kalos? I heard it was the inspiration for its creation."
Emerald shrugged. "Probably. Ever since Hoenn started this Battle Frontier business, other regions seemed to have followed it. Battle Frontier in both Sinnoh and Johto, Battle Subway in Unova, etcetera."
"That's probably it!" Trevor said excitedly, closing the piece of paper in his hands. "If that's the origin of those battle facilities then I'll gladly visit the place!"
Emerald grinned and rubbed his nose. "I see you're knowledgeable about this."
Trevor blushed from the compliment. He scratched the back of his head. "I just like reading stuff whenever I can."
Time went by quickly and before they knew it, it was dinner time. Ruby's mother was kind enough to cook a big meal for everyone joining them for dinner. Just as Professor Birch stated, Ruby and Sapphire arrived on time. The teenagers from Kalos were all curious about the two and decided to look at the window to see them.
Ruby and Sapphire seemed to be riding a Tropius. Sapphire went down immediately once the Grass-Flying type landed on the ground, and Ruby followed. They seemed to be talking about something based on their laughter, and once they went inside the house, their eyes widened.
"Ah!" Professor Birch called. "I figured you two would arrive around this time," He chuckled. "Anyway, these are juniors from the Kalos Region. They came here for a vacation."
"We have this many Dexholders in Kalos?" Ruby asked.
Sapphire didn't mind the number. She was happy to see her juniors arrived safely in Hoenn. "Heya!" she greeted, giving them her signature fanged smile. "I'm Sapphire. Nice to meetcha!"
"Nice to meet you!" Y greeted with the same energy. "Actually, only me and X are the only Kalos Dexholders, but Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor helped a lot, too. We couldn't have succeeded in saving Kalos without them."
"Oh, Y-ey," Shauna giggled, winking at her. Y gave her a grin.
"This is Ruby, by the way," Sapphire pointed at her boyfriend. "He's Hoenn's second Dexholder."
"Second?" Ruby asked. "I thought I was the first."
"Well, I have the Pokedex in my hands before ya, silly!"
Ruby smiled. "Yeah, that makes sense. I'm her boyfriend, by the way."
Sapphire blushed at his response. He wasn't exactly the type to casually tell people that he was her boyfriend, but it did make her feel nice.
"Everyone," Ruby's mother called, placing the food on the table. "Let's just eat. You can discuss this later on. I bet you're all hungry, especially the happy couple right there." She giggled. Ruby's and Sapphire's cheeks flushed at that. She really didn't need to say that.
"So," Ruby's mother stated while placing some mashed potatoes on Trevor's plate. "How long are you gonna stay here?"
The five stopped to look at her but the four later looked at Y. The Flyer sighed. "We're just here for a two-week vacation. Shauna's customer was kind enough to pay for our travel fees. She said about being so impressed at her Furfrou's haircut that she was generous enough to do all of this. Right, Shauna?"
Shauna bobbed her head. "Right, right, and since the five of us barely spend time together, this vacation is our little bonding time too!"
"Aww," the woman cooed. "That's sweet. I do hope you enjoy your stay."
Y nodded. "We will, ma'am. We will."
"Since yer all here," Sapphire called to get their attention. There was a smudge of mashed potatoes on her lip but she didn't mind it. She'd take care of it later. Ruby noticed it, however. "Why don'tcha all—Ruby, hey! I'll take care of it later!"
"It's in the way!" Ruby argued, removing the food off her lip. "There, see? Isn't that better?"
"Ya could've told me yer tryin' to remove it!" Sapphire semi-scolded and pouted. They heard a cough. It was Professor Birch. He gestured his daughter to continue. She took a deep breath. Right. She was in the middle of telling them something. "We can take ya around Hoenn, if ya want. Ya can visit the gyms and the beautiful nature surrounding it!"
Ruby smiled. He liked her suggestion. "We can also take you to the contest hall! You haven't seen a Pokemon Contest performance yet, right?" The five shooked their heads and Ruby knew they were now required to go. "Perfect!"
"While travelin', we can show them both! Great idea, Ruby!"
Ruby chuckled, winking at his girlfriend. "Of course, it is!"
He's so full of himself… Y and Shauna thought but listened to the couple ramble, nonetheless.
A cough interrupted the couple's rant, however. They all looked at the smallest man in the room.
"You two do realize that I met them first, so that means I get to take them to the Battle Frontier first!" Emerald told the two. He placed his spoon back on the plate.
Ruby and Sapphire shook their heads. "No, we—"
"Who wants to hang out with you two lovebirds, anyway? You'll just get lost in your own world and ignore the kids," Emerald teased while smirking. He saw them gave him an irked look.
"Hey!" The teenagers and the couple replied. He laughed.
"I'm just telling the truth."
"Speaking of," Shauna stopped glaring at Emerald and looked at the couple. "May I ask how did you two start dating?"
The question took Ruby and Sapphire off guard. They opted to avoid the question and continued eating their meal.
"You can go to the Battle Frontier first," Ruby and Sapphire replied, making Emerald pump his fist in the air.
The Calmer laughed. "We'll leave at 8 PM sharp."
The Next Day.
Battle Frontier
9:00 PM
Emerald was already annoyed at this early in the morning. Sure, the happy yet competitive environment of the Battle Frontier was normal—he got used to it for the past years—but he thought it would be just him and the five children.
He did not expect Ruby and Sapphire to tag along.
"Remind me again why are you two here?" he asked for the umpteenth time.
Ruby winked at him. "Well, you can't have all the fun."
Emerald rolled his eyes. "Pretty sure your girlfriend will distract you sooner or later."
"Anyway, Mr. Emerald," Shauna said, looking at the place. This whole island looked amazing but it was a shame that there weren't any clothes stores here. She would love to go shopping with Y.
"Just call me Emerald," Emerald corrected, turning to face her.
"Ah, okay!" Shauna chirped. "Emerald-ey!"
Emerald could feel his eye twitch in annoyance at the nickname. Anything. Anything but a cute nickname. Just...anything but that.
"What are we doing here at the Battle Frontier anyway?"
The blond's annoyance suddenly dissipated. She had a point; what did come into his mind to take them here? He took a deep breath, calming himself. He released it. "Dunno," he replied. Everyone was disappointed to hear that, but it didn't bother him. "Just some sightseeing. If you're interested, you can battle some of the facilities here."
"Oh," the teenagers replied. They all remained silent for a moment.
"The truth is, Emerald," Y said on behalf of her friends. "We came here for a vacation. I don't think we're prepared to challenge the Battle Frontier."
"I'm actually not in the mood," X added. His eyes wandered around the area. He saw a child getting ice cream with their parents. He smiled slightly at that, remembering how he used to do that with his parents before they started working out of town. He missed them and he didn't know when would he see them again, but he hoped it would be sooner than expected.
"But how does the Battle Frontier work, though. Is it similar to the Battle Maison?" Trevor asked.
Emerald folded his arms across his chest. He remembered challenging the Battle Maison a few years back. "Well," He put on his thinking face and nibbled his bottom lip. "I can't tell, really. The Battle Maison has some similarities to Hoenn's Battle Frontier but every one of the Battle Frontier facilities here has a different set of rules. There are seven of them, in fact, so you have to know each facilities' rules before challenging them. The receptionists will explain it to you anyway and it doesn't matter if you're a first-timer or not."
The teenagers were amazed. They blinked, as their eyes sparkled enthusiastically.
"Amazing," Trevor said, still in awe.
"So, hold on," Y raised her hand. "Did you challenge the Hoenn Battle Frontier yourself?" Emerald nodded at her answer and Y was more amazed. "That's so cool!"
They heard a giggle, and it came from Sapphire. She grinned at the teenagers. "In fact, Emerald here is the first one who defeated the Hoenn Battle Frontier! And it took him seven days to boot!"
Ruby nodded. "Yeah, and he's also a temporary Frontier Brain. When one of the Frontier Brains couldn't take accept a challenge, Emerald will fill their role and battle with the challenger."
Trevor furrowed his eyebrows. He didn't know if he was hearing things but he definitely heard something clicked, and that's when he knew to whom exactly they were talking to. "Wait, you're the Emerald?!"
Emerald sighed. He didn't seem proud nor annoyed at the conclusion. He was rather impressed that it took them that long, but then again, he wasn't as popular as Ruby and Sapphire. Those two being a couple made them twice as popular as he was. "Yeah, yeah," he replied nonchalantly. "But quiet down. I don't brag about it unlike someone here."
Ruby noticed his tone and the way his younger friend was looking at him. He could tell that he was low-key calling him out. "Hey!"
He heard his girlfriend giggle. "He's right," she commented.
Ruby gulped and his head dropped in a self-pity way. "Not you too, Sapph..."
Everyone laughed. They found it amusing that Ruby easily changed his tone from guilty to remorse. They thought it was probably Sapphire who told him that and not some random person.
Speaking of Ruby and Sapphire, Y was curious about them. She wondered if they also accomplished something outside of their Dexholder jobs. "How about the couple?"
Sapphire stopped laughing and Ruby brought his head back up. They looked at the Flyer. "What about us?"
Y shrugged. "Like, I don't know, what are you doing right now?"
Y swore she saw Ruby's eyes sparkle. She guessed she gave him a reason to boast about his accomplishments.
"I'm a Contest Master," Ruby replied with a smug tone, as his hand was placed on his chest. "I sometimes arrange Pokemon Contests while my girlfriend is the Hoenn Champion!"
Y smiled at the last bit. "No way! You know, X is the Junior Cup Champion too!"
Sapphire smiled and looked at the raven-haired boy. "That's amazin', X!"
X grabbed the bill of his cap. He did his best to hide the awkward blush sneaking on his cheeks. He coughed. "D-Don't mention it," he said, trying not to stutter. "That was a long time ago."
"That's still an amazin' accomplishment, though!" Sapphire said, lifting up his mood. "Can we have a Pokemon Battle one day, X?"
X's eyes widened. He removed his hand from his hat and looked at her. He could see how serious and excited she was with it. He sighed. Well, he didn't want to disappoint her, so trying wouldn't hurt, right? He shrugged. "When I'm in the mood, I guess."
"I'm very interested in the Battle Frontier, though, even though I don't do battles that much," Trevor implied.
Shauna raised her arms excitedly. "Contests for me!"
Tierno shrugged. "Any is good, but I wanna see how the Gym Challenges work here in Hoenn."
Y nodded, agreeing with Tierno. "Same with the Gym Challenges. I wanna learn how a Sky Trainer can challenge the gyms here."
Sapphire smiled at the four. "That's perfect! Yer gonna enjoy yer stay in Hoenn, that's for sure!"
They all then looked at X. He felt uncomfortable at the eyes gazing at him. He just released a sigh to remove the unease feeling. "I don't know. Any will do, I guess."
"That's great, X!" Y patted his shoulder, but it felt like a light smack, and to X, he was used to it.
Emerald couldn't help but form a grin. He somehow liked seeing these kids eager about the activities they mentioned. He looked at Ruby and Sapphire and saw them smiling as well. He snickered. "We got our hands full."
Sapphire bobbed her head. "Ya bet!"
"Since we're all here, why don't we start at the Battle Frontier," Emerald stepped in, making the teenagers look at him. "As much as I wanna explain every facilities' rule, I think I should choose just one."
"We're all ears!" Y responded quickly and Emerald liked her interest already.
"Alright!" The Calmer crossed his arms on his chest. "I think I should explain the rules in the Battle Palace. It's one of the most difficult ones. Listen closely," He turned around and walked away from them while the rest followed. "While we're on our way to the Battle Palace, I'll explain the rules," He took a deep breath. He remembered how he did that challenge at that time. It was a good memory despite his absence. "In the Battle Palace, you're not allowed to command your Pokemon."
Trevor was confused. "Wait, how is that possible?"
"Good question," Emerald stated. "You have to rely on your Pokemon to win. You have to trust them at whatever strategy they come up with to defeat their opponents. The trainers have no choice but to watch their Pokemon battle on their own. Defeat 21 trainers including the Palace Maven, you earn the silver print. Same with defeating 42 trainers with the Palace Maven: you get the gold print as proof of your victory."
"That already sounds difficult, especially if you're a new trainer..." Trevor said, absorbing everything Emerald mentioned. His respect for the Calmer just increased immensely knowing he was able to conquer that challenge.
"Yeah, it is," Emerald stopped in his tracks and everyone followed. "We're here."
Everyone looked at the building in front of them; it was beautiful. Nature was surrounding it. There were trees, flowers, and it was even next to the water. The environment made sense since a Pokemon belonged to nature and the teenagers guessed the natural beauty surrounding it could help the Pokemon feel at home. It was really impressive.
Emerald smirked at the five. "What do you say let's watch some challenges?"
"Actually," X stepped in. "I'm curious. I wanna try it."
Emerald found himself chuckling. This boy wasn't in the mood earlier. He wondered what made him curious in the first place. "Alright, you're in luck; Old man Spenser or his official dude isn't here, so you get to challenge me."
"That's fine," X shrugged. "I just wanna experience it."
"Let's get inside and register yourself. I'll meetcha there."
"I'm only gonna battle you?" X asked, raising an eyebrow.
Emerald nodded. "Yeah. You're on vacation so no point in wasting 21 or 42 battles if you're not gonna collect all the gold symbols."
"I see," X said. "Fine by me."
...
...
"Hello, are you here to challenge the Battle Palace?" the receptionist asked with a smile. X just blinked, still having a hard time socializing with adults such as a receptionist. He looked at Y.
Y sighed with a hand placed on her face. He never learned. "Miss, my friend here wants to challenge Emerald. He would like to register."
The receptionist blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I'm gonna have a one-on-one match with him!" Emerald told her from the other side. "Just take him to the room where I'm at."
"Ah," the receptionist understood, typing something in the PC. "Okay. You may follow Sir Emerald. Good luck."
X didn't say anything and just nodded. He and the rest followed Emerald to the battlefield.
Upon entering, the five teenagers were amazed to see how gorgeous it looked. It may have an arena in the middle, but trees and a manmade river were surrounding it. It looked just like the outside without the sky perfecting the view.
X stepped on the battlefield while the rest of his companions sat on the bench behind him. He saw Emerald on the other side and he had a grin on his face. He could tell that his senior Dexholder was thrilled about this match. He was slightly exhilarated too now that he thought about it.
"Alright, we'll have a one-on-one match like I told the receptionist," Emerald grabbed a Poke Ball from his pocket and threw it in the air. It popped open and revealed a Sceptile. "That thing you have is a mega bracelet, right?"
X looked at the item wrapped around his wrist. "Yeah?"
"Let's have a mega evolution battle. Sound good?"
X's face was indifferent. "Sure," he replied in a tedious tone. He had an idea on which Pokemon to choose. Grabbing a Poke Ball from his pocket, he sent out his Charizard, Salamé. Salamé roared and glared at its opponent while Sceptile did the same.
"Alright, Sceptile!" The Calmer touched the keystone in the mega bracelet with his fingers. "Mega Evolve!"
X raised his left arm and did the same. "Let's go, Salamé. Mega Evolve!"
Once both trainers touched the stones placed inside their mega bracelets, it glowed into a rainbow-like hue as both Pokemon changed their appearances. Charizard's skin turned black while its flames burned blue; even bursting from its mouth. Sceptile, meanwhile, grew more foliage; its tail now resembled that of an arrowhead. Once their transformation finished, the light vanished revealing the new mega evolved Pokemon. Sceptile was looking menacing and so was Salamé, but the latter was holding its tail, making it look less terrifying.
Sapphire saw this behavior and clasped her hands together. "It's so cute that X's Charizard holds its tail like that!"
"I'm counting on you, Sceptile!" Emerald called whilst Sceptile released a cry as a response. "Remember the rules," He turned to look at his foe. "The trainer is forbidden to command their Pokemon. They have to trust their partners in order to win. Got it?"
Salamé was confused and looked at X. X gave him a reassuring smile.
"Go crazy. Come up with a strategy to defeat Sceptile since the rule forbids me to command you. You got this, Salamé," X encouraged and now the Charizard understood the rules. It roared as a way of telling him that everything was clear.
"Alright!" the judge announced. "The match between temporary Palace Maven Emerald and challenger X will now begin!"
The Mega Sceptile didn't waste a second and jumped towards the Mega Charizard X. It clenched its fists as electricity surrounded it. Salamé saw the Thunderpunch and avoided it immediately. It flew with its wings.
X didn't seem worried as he watched Salamé battle on its own. He undoubtedly trusted his Pokemon and he knew Salamé would find a way to defeat its foe despite its type change.
Well, to be fair, both Pokemon were advantageous to each other but it's only a matter of time to see who would win this match.
On the other side, of the battlefield, Emerald sat on the ground with his arms folded across his chest. He was watching the battle calmly like X. Come on, Sceptile, you got this.
Sceptile didn't seem to be worried at how high the Charizard was flying. Instead, it had a smirk and used its ginormous tail to jump. Salamé was about to dodge but the Grass-Dragon type was so quick it was able to land a direct hit.
The Fire-Dragon type yelped in pain and fell on the ground. X noticed this and waited for the smoke of dust to clear. "Are you alright, Salamé?"
Salamé stood up moments after. It shook its body and roared loudly, signaling its trainer that the attack was nothing.
X smiled and was about to command his partner, but stopped before he uttered the words. He almost forgot that he wasn't allowed to order his Pokemon.
Sceptile had its back turned on the Charizard. As Charizard flew towards its opponent with an abnormal amount of energy surrounding its claw, the leaves attached to the Sceptile's arms glowed into a bright green. Not a moment later, the ferocious Dragon Claw made contact with the sharp Leaf Blade.
Salamé and Sceptile clenched their teeth. Both tried to move their attacks but neither wanted to let go.
Salamé had an idea and opened its mouth; flames came out of it but Sceptile was too quick and backed off instantly. The fire hit the ground and the heat was irking the Grass-Dragon type. Salamé saw the opportunity and clawed the Sceptile with another Dragon Claw.
The attack alerted Emerald and he stood up because of it. "Sceptile, you okay?"
Sceptile struggled to stand up but did it, nonetheless. It shook its body and nodded.
"Good, keep up the good work!"
Salamé roared at its opponent and released another set of blue flames to attack the Sceptile. The Grass-Dragon type dodged it and the leaves connected to its arms started glowing green again. Salamé kept on attacking its challenger with a Flamethrower whilst Sceptile evaded each blow.
Salamé repeated the attack. Sceptile did the same. It was getting closer to the Fire-Dragon type and when it was close enough, it struck it with a Leaf Blade. Salamé thankfully eluded it on time and when Sceptile was about to move away, it couldn't; the blade was stuck on the ground, giving the Charizard a chance.
Salamé prepared its claws to attack Sceptile but the latter used its free arm to deflect the Dragon Claw with another Leaf Blade. After struggling for a few moments, Sceptile freed itself from the ground.
Salamé grunted as smoke came out from its mouth. The flames on its body kept on burning brightly but it didn't bother Sceptile.
Salamé opened its mouth and flames came out from it once again. Sceptile closed its eyes and used its strongest move. It placed both hands on the ground as trees came out from it. It was on its way to hit Salamé but the Fire-Dragon type didn't budge and continued releasing fire from its mouth.
The attacks clashed with one another, creating smoke in the process and surrounded the battlefield.
Once the cloud of smoke cleared, it revealed Sceptile and Charizard, not in their mega forms, knocked out on the ground.
The judge sighed, raising his hands. "The battle is a draw for both Sceptile and Charizard are knocked out!"
"Shoot!" Y exclaimed, standing up from her seat. "That was an intense battle. Who knew not commanding your Pokemon during a battle can be this intense?"
"No kidding," Trevor nodded. "It seemed like both gave everything they got and I guess that's what matters, right?"
Y smiled. "Yeah, you're right. I still want X to win, though."
"Ya did well, X and Emerald! Great battle ya two!" Sapphire cheered with a smile on her face.
X returned Salamé back in its Poke Ball. He looked at it and smiled when he saw the Charizard sleeping soundly while hugging its tail. Even after all these years, Salamé still holds its tail like a precious blanket it didn't want to let go. It was a cute habit, nonetheless. "You did great, Salamé. Thanks for doing this."
"So," Emerald stopped in front of him.
X was alerted at the presence and placed Salamé's Poke Ball back in his pocket. He looked at the person in front of him. It was still weird that this 'boy' in front of him was almost ten years older than him. Then again, he had seen weird things throughout the years.
Emerald grinned at him whilst tilting his head. "How'd you like it? I hope the rules weren't such a pain in the butt for ya."
X blinked and breathed. "It was difficult," he confessed. "I almost broke the rule and mention my command. Luckily, I remembered. This is so much different from a regular Pokemon battle."
Emerald chuckled. "Thought you'll say that. This is just one out of seven facilities, though. You haven't seen everything yet."
X shrugged. "I'm prepared."
...
...
...
Y lowered her body, as sweat trickled from her forehead. She was walking slower than usual and X noticed this. He slowed down the pace and walked beside her.
"You okay?" he asked, sounding concerned.
Y groaned. "As if being a Sky Trainer was already difficult with all the rules."
"Well, you asked to be one so you have no choice but to suffer with it."
Y's fatigue suddenly disappeared when she heard that reply. A vein popped on her forehead. "Am I supposed to feel better with that?!"
X was trying his best to not chuckle.
He failed, however, and Y shot him a glare. "What's wrong anyway?" he asked immediately, her anger vanished because of that. She blinked.
"Ehh," She tried to brush it off. "The Battle Frontier sounds too difficult. I thought the Battle Maison was pretty hard but this was harder. Rental Pokemon my butt."
"Well, this is where it all originated, according to Emerald," X pointed out and Y sighed.
"True."
"We made it," Sapphire announced and went inside the ferry. The rest followed along except Emerald. "Yer not comin', Emerald?" she asked with a concerned tone.
"Yeah," Emerald nodded. "Got work to do, remember? But I'll be sure to go with you guys to wherever you're going tomorrow." He gave her a reassuring grin and she nodded at it.
"We'll tell ya once Ruby and I decided. See ya tomorrow!" She waved at her friend and he waved back. The ferry honked, signaling that it was ready to leave. Emerald watched his friends and his juniors leave the Battle Frontier with a smile on his face.
He had to admit: those kids weren't that bad.