Wallace Rain

As Brendan pulled out his Pokéballs from the slots in the healing machine, he saw the ominous storm clouds building overhead. There were multiple plexiglass panes that extended out from the top of the stadium, covering all but the battlefield. It was a message that a Champion must be able to win in any circumstance, including weather. Lightning flashed overhead, and Brendan, guessing that Wallace was a water-type trainer based on Juan's specialty, knew he'd be at a huge disadvantage. Plus, based on how Lisia said Wallace used to be in contests, Brendan knew that the man he would be facing would likely have the most precise timing of any opponent he'd faced to date.

Are you nervous? Gwen asked calmly, having sensed her trainer's thoughts.

A little. I know that we can't prepare for this battle anymore than we have, but I'm concerned with how tough this will be for us. We'll be battling against water-types in a storm, and I don't have Groudon to counter it, Brendan said. Gwen giggled, knowing he was joking about using such a dangerous Pokémon for a battle like this one. Besides, Brendan knew that using Groudon would not reflect his skill as a trainer. It would only showcase Groudon's power, and how Brendan didn't truly raise a team worthy of being champions.

As they contemplated their possible strategies, the lights began to dim, and two floodlights lit up by the tunnel of the Elite Four. Along the path, four lights were shining on each side of the walls. The darkness from it being night paired with the storm clouds made the silhouette in the tunnel all the more ominous…if he wasn't dressed so fabulously. Indeed, the man in the tunnel had not changed his eccentric nature much since Brendan and May met him in Sootopolis.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's now time for the main event of the night!" the announcer said happily. "It's time for Brendan to show whether he is the strongest trainer in Hoenn. This is the final battle for the Pokémon League tournament. The challenger will now be facing our Champion, who has proven his extraordinary skill in all areas of Pokémon training. He has been named top coordinator in Sinnoh and Hoenn, and he took on the Alolan kahunas at their full power during his time off from being a trainer. He took up the role of champion three years ago. Please welcome, WALLACE RAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIINN!" Two pillars of smoke erupted from the ground by the tunnel, and lightning flashed as the Hoenn-league champion walked onto the field.

"Hello there, Brendan and Gwen!" Wallace said as he crossed the field to shake Brendan's hand before the battle. "It's good to see you again."

"It's great to see you too, Wallace," Brendan said with a smile.

"You know, I didn't get a chance to truly thank you for what you did in Sootopolis," he said. "That was superb work that you and May did in stopping Kyogre and Groudon. I'm not sure the region would even be here if you two hadn't done what you did."

What am I, chopped liver? Gwen asked jokingly.

Wallace chuckled. "My mistake. I suppose it wouldn't be fair to say it was only Brendan and May who stopped that crisis. That victory came from the trainers working with their Pokémon as one," Wallace said before looking back at Brendan. "I'm ready to begin when you are."

"Then let's get the battle started," Brendan said, his smile showing that he was more at ease now. Wallace smiled back and nodded before walking to his side of the field. When he got there, however, Wallace turned, looking like he had more to say.

"Against Sidney, you proved that you had the skill it took to overcome a member of the Elite Four. Against Phoebe, you proved that you could outsmart tactics of subversion and sabotage. By defeating Glacia, you showed that your fiery passion for battle could help you beat the worst conditions in battle. By defeating Drake, you proved your bond with your Pokémon could get through even the most trying of battles without falling," he said. Brendan, Gwen, and the entire audience were listening carefully. "It's clear that you have trained your Pokémon well, and taught them incredibly powerful moves. At the same time, your Pokémon have taught you a great deal about yourself. Together with your beloved Pokémon, you have achieved a great deal in the year since you came to Hoenn, young Mr. Maple. And this battlefield is where your achievements will be put to the test against one who has achieved much of the same." As he spoke, Brendan took out Clint's Pokéball, and Wallace picked his own first choice of Pokémon for this battle. "Now, who can most elegantly dance with their Pokémon in Hoenn? Show me and the rest of the world, right here, and right now. Go, Harmony!"

The Pokémon that came out of the Pokéball was unlike any that Brendan had ever seen before. It was an elegant sea lion Pokémon that looked like a mermaid. It had a pure white torso with two light blue frills that looked like a skirt and a collar. Her hair was an aqua color, with two white scrunchie-like ties three inches apart on her hair. On her forehead was a crest with more frills like her skirt and collar, along with what looked like the base of a tiara. It was framed by her pink ears that looked almost like starfish. Her tail was all blue, with five pointed spines by her skirt. The end of her tail was a white dorsal fin with a frilled cover. Her blue eyes, with pink irises and blue pupils, were framed by an elegant pattern that looked almost like perfect wings of make-up.

Brendan, before sending out Clint, pulled out his Pokédex. Primarina, the Soloist Pokémon. Native to Alola. Known as a songstress, it has a fantastical look on moonlit nights when it leads its colony in song. To a Primarina, every battle is a stage, and its magnificent singing voice is its primary weapon, and the melody of its song is learned from others in their colonies. Trainers of a Primarina must prioritize the maintenance of its throat for the sake of the Pokémon's health.

"A vocal Pokémon, huh? Sounds intriguing," Brendan said. "Clint, let's show them what you're made of!" He threw out the Pokéball, releasing the Sceptile, who grunted and gave a cool, collected look to Harmony. She gave an alluring wink to Clint, but the Sceptile just ignored it, taking a deep breath. He began the match with a ball of light for a Sunny Day, knowing that the storm overhead would cancel it out and make a win that much harder to achieve. Harmony only giggled, almost like Avery would when she was playing with her friends.

Harmony giggled again and fired an Ice Beam at Clint. The attack seemed much stronger than what any other Pokémon could've managed. Clint leapt to the side, rolling to dodge as a big sheet of ice formed on the ground. Harmony then giggled and began to sing, gathering an orb of glowing water in the air in front of her. Her hair then came undone as she got up onto her tail and fired the orb. Clint responded with a Solar Beam, which managed to hold the Sparkling Aria in-place for a while.

Harmony then leapt into the air and fired an Ice Beam at Clint. He redirected his Solar Beam from the weakened Sparkling Aria to the Ice Beam. The water attack hit him hard, but it did very little damage to him. Clint's Solar Beam and Harmony's Ice Beam erupted into a bright cloud of dust, covering the whole field. There were a few additional flashes inside the cloud as the combatants fired more attacks, kicking up more dust. Neither one was having much success with their accuracy, but each shot felt like it had the power to severely cripple the recipient's chances of victory, if not make them lose the battle completely.

Just as Clint was about to get a bead on Harmony, he felt a rain drop, and lightning flashed directly overhead. Brendan cursed under his breath as the clouds opened and a torrential downpour began. "Hmm, looks like nature isn't on your side," Wallace said with a smirk. "That, or it's just giving us one hell of a cinematic setting."

Brendan had to laugh a little. It definitely felt like the former was true in this situation. He was facing a water-type master in the pouring rain…and now he knew he'd be soaked to the bone after this battle. Clint looked rather miserable in the rain, in sharp contrast to the Primarina singing happily across the field.

Clint grimaced as the rain canceled out his Sunny Day, effectively removing Solar Beam as a viable option in this battle. He would need to try a more physical approach now, so it was time for Leaf Blade to come out. Harmony just giggled and launched a Scald attack. Boiling water rushed at the Clint, but he managed to roll out of the way before running at Harmony. He powered up his Leaf Blade, keeping his form nearly perfect. He seemed to vanish from sight as he sped up and ran at Harmony. He slashed with perfect timing, but it was met with an equally well-timed Protect. Clint suddenly stopped in his tracks with his attack. He struggled to push and break through, but he was then hit with a powerful Scald. The attack hit its mark, the boiling water making Clint roll back, getting a bad burn all over his body. At that moment, though, lightning flashed and all the stadium flood lights, along with the health bar screens.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it seems the power has been knocked out by the storm. We have a few back-up generators in this stadium, but it's only made for some lights, the phones, and the PA systems. We will need to rely on the light created by the Pokemon in battle until the other two kick in," the announcer said.

This feels like Luke's battle with Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back, Gwen said to Brendan as Clint powered up his Leaf Blade once again, lighting up like energy blades.

I don't really see the comparison, Brendan said, his focus clearly on the battle itself, and not the aesthetics. Harmony then smirked and gathered a nearly red-pink Moonblast, firing it at Clint. The Sceptile glared and leapt to the side, knowing he couldn't break through the attack. He was now kind of glad it was raining, as it soothed his burns to a tolerable level. It was still weakening him, but he could push through it. He slashed at Primarina again, hitting her this time. The musical cry echoed through the stadium, only for Clint to use the close range to wrap tendrils for Giga Drain around her body. He landed and pulled on them like leashes. Harmony glared back and turned her head enough to fire an Ice Beam. Clint couldn't dodge without releasing the Giga Drain, so he tried to weather the hit. He must have managed to absorb enough energy to stay up, because he stayed on his feet long enough to release the Giga Drain and look Harmony in the eye.

If looks could kill, then Clint's glare had just turned deadly. His tail suddenly lit up, and he whipped his body around, firing a swirling vortex of glowing leaves at Harmony. The attack hit perfectly, and it sent Harmony into the air, spiraling around before giving her a piledriver drop, slamming her into the ground headfirst. At that moment, Clint collapsed from the burn damage. Even without the buzzers, Brendan and Wallace both knew their Pokémon were out of the fight. They said nothing as they recalled their Pokémon, the battlefield starting to flood lightly.

"Well, Brendan, this is one hell of a storm. It's just too bad Pokémon battles on this level are not postponed for any reason short of the apocalypse," Wallace said. "But, you've already faced an apocalypse and won, haven't you?"

Brendan smiled, despite being miserable and soaked. "You know, if it wasn't dangerous to do so, I could send out Primal Groudon and make this storm clear up," he joked as he pulled out Jack's Pokéball.

"Don't even joke about releasing that monstrosity here. There are too many people," Wallace said as he pulled a Pokéball off. "Now, let's continue with this. Go, Cruella!" The Pokémon he released reminded Brendan of his battle at the Dewford beach party, where he fought a Tentacool. He knew this towering jellyfish, with pincers that looked like curved swords, was a Tentacruel. It would be fast, and it could have multiple attacks that could make this battle infinitely harder. She stood with the pincers as a base, and her ten massive tentacles for support. Brendan remembered hearing that Tentacruel started with 80 tentacles, and they lost tentacles as they got stronger. If Cruella only had ten left, then she was likely one of the strongest of her kind. Brendan knew he had no choice, though. He had to win against Cruella, even if Jack was at a severe disadvantage.

"Jack, I have faith that you can pull through. Come on out!" Brendan said. Gwen began to shiver, trying to huddle up to Brendan to stay warm.

Sorry, I need to keep warm, Gwen said.

Don't worry, Brendan said with reassuring grin. Jack, feeling the rain, knew he couldn't use his fire effectively, if at all. This would be a battle he'd need to win with his ground-type attacks. Wallace, however, was laughing to himself.

"Oh my, Brendan, I'm sorry. This is not your best tactical choice. However, I won't stop you," the Champion said.

"Perhaps Jack is at a disadvantage, but he's strong enough to overcome that," Brendan said. To prove his point, Jack bellowed and sent a golden shockwave through the ground. The Earth Power erupted up underneath where Cruella had been. The Tentacruel had move incredibly fast and gotten behind Jack. She wrapped her front two tentacles around him and lifted him off the ground. The red bulbs on Cruella's head glowed violet briefly as she fired two consecutive orbs of toxic energy into the air. They both erupted into smaller pieces, and they buried themselves into the ground. Cruella then raised Jack higher and slammed him down onto a spot where multiple spikes had landed. Jack was immediately covered with a sickly purple grease on his fur. Brendan knew he was badly poisoned. Cruella even seemed very pleased with herself. Jack growled as he used a strong Bulldoze, making Cruella's body seem to stumble as the ground shook. The stumbling made a purple aura to appear around her briefly as her speed fell.

Jack smirked as he used another Earth Power. This one hit its mark, and Cruella was forced into the air, only for her to fire a Hydro Pump at Jack. Jack got a worried look as he threw up a Protect at the last second, and the water rushed around the shield. Jack tried to hold it, but Cruella kept her attack going. Jack knew he couldn't hold his defenses, so he did the only thing he could think of, tunneling into the ground, and digging deep. Cruella scoffed as she stopped her attack. She stayed still as she felt for the vibrations in the ground. She found Jack easily, one of her tentacles slamming into the ground over him, sending a shockwave down to him. He buckled under the hit, yet he forced himself forward until he broke out of the ground, colliding with the Cruella's underbelly. The Tentacruel groaned and wrapped two of her left tentacles around Jack and whipped him out from under her, his poisoning doing damage to him just before Cruella slammed him into the ground with all her might. She immediately followed up with a Hydro Pump, which Jack could only watch approaching. He took the full force of the water, passing out. Brendan recalled Jack, seeing the Tentacruel across the field. A flash of lightning showed an expression that looked almost like she was smiling condescendingly. Brendan really didn't like that look. Cruella's smug aura was mocking him, and Gwen felt the same way.

Brendan pulled out Nikki's Pokéball, sending out the sloth ape. Nikki, not wanting to be out in the rain any longer than she needed to be, immediately ran forward and grabbed Cruella's tentacles, whipping the jellyfish around and slamming her into the ground the same way she did to Jack. To top it off, despite being badly poisoned upon touching the ground, Nikki charged a Thunder Punch, slamming her fist into the Tentacruel's face, finishing the job Jack started, knocking out Cruella.

Wallace recalled the Tentacruel, and immediately had another Pokéball in his hand. "I hope you're ready for a dance," he said. "Because Javier will make this place loco!" The Pokémon that came out seemed to have a duckbill, a grassy cover, a sombrero-like lily pad on his head, with a contagious smile. His green hands and feet showed a great deal of energy as he bounced rhythmically. "Hmm, a Ludicolo?" he asked. The Pokémon danced eagerly, bouncing from side to side happily. "This might be tricky."

"You got that right," Wallace said over the roar of the rain as Ludicolo began to move quickly, as if the rain was making him get faster.

Oh, shit, it has Swift Swim! Brendan thought. Gwen, whose hair was now matted to her head, could only agree silently.

Nikki gathered more electricity for a Thunder Punch and leapt at Javier. She threw her punch only for him to grab her by the wrist and spin, planting her hand into the ground before spitting three seeds onto Nikki's body. Those seeds seemed to implant onto her back before sprouting. They then glowed green and energy was transported to Javier. The Leech Seed was perfectly timed. Nikki realized then that, while she was a slugger and a power fighter like Tyson, Javier was very much like a Jiu Jitsu master, using his opponent's momentum against them before using his own attack to cripple his opponent. Nikki, however, was too strong to be bound by the ground. She wrenched her hand free, then slammed a backfist into Javier's face. The Ludicolo gave a quack and flew across the field. There was no energy behind that attack other than her muscular strength, but it still did a lot of damage.

Javier smirked, though he mixed it with his usual goofy grin. He landed on the ground and smiled as the leaves sprouting from Nikki's back began to glow. Her energy was sent to Javier just as she took poison damage. Nikki glared at the Carefree Pokémon, and made her body began to glow gold as she charged a Façade. She sprinted at Javier, who responded with an Ice Beam. Nikki pushed through the chilling attack, knowing she was about to pass out. She couldn't let that stop her, though. She got to the Ludicolo and lashed out. The power of the Façade was immense, pummeling Javier into the ground. Nikki fell to her knees as the Ludicolo was knocked out too. That was when the poisoning finished her off as well.

"Well, that was interesting with their fighting styles. I honestly expected Nikki to fall first," Wallace said as he recalled Javier. "But, that is the end of the easy battles." As he spoke, the stadium flood lights turned back on.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it seems that our second backup generator has kicked in. We'll now have lights to see the full battle, but the screens will need the third generator," the announcer said. At the same time, Wallace pulled out an Ultra Ball.

"Brendan, as tough as you and your team are, this next Pokémon will be a terror for you. I now call on Calypso!" Wallace threw the Ultra Ball out, sending out a Pokémon that most people believed to be a myth. She looked like a mix between a deer and a hound, with light blue fur on all of her body, with the exception of the white fur on her underbelly and white diamond-shaped patches, two on each leg and three along her ribs. She had a purple mane flowing from her neck, and a bifurcated ribbon-like tail that flowed on each side of her body. Her head was adorned with a massive, nearly crystalline, diamond-shaped antler. She gave a chilling, yet comfortingly pure howl.

A Suicune, Gwen said with awe in her voice. And she looks extremely strong.

"One good legend deserves another," Brendan said as he took Avery's Pokéball. "Come on out Avery!" Despite the downpour, Avery still flew to Brendan's side, nuzzling his hand like a needy kitten. "Hi Avery, I'm glad to see you too. This is our last battle of the tournament no matter what the outcome. So, let's give it our all, with nothing held back."

Avery cooed and looked at Calypso with a fire in her eyes. She could sense the Toxic Spikes in the ground, and even though she wasn't affected, she knew that her teammates would. She concentrated for a moment before a thick, but temporary fog rolled in and pulled the Toxic Spikes out of the ground, making them dissipate in the air. The Defog move also gave Avery a better focus on Suicune, as the other distractions had been removed.

Calypso seemed to be unaffected by the change, though. Instead, the legendary water-type fired a powerful Icy Wind. The chilling wind even affected Brendan as it blew through the field. Avery tried to dodge it, but she couldn't move out of the way in time, so she took a good deal of damage, and she got slower. She responded as she gathered a Thunderbolt, but her body moved too slowly, and Calypso saw it coming. The Suicune scoffed as the electricity came at her and leapt back as a cloud of smoke appeared in front of her, before a PokéDoll appeared to take the hit.

"Woah, a Substitute," Brendan said. He knew that the move had a price of health, but it was very useful to avoid damage from a strong attack. The pouring rain amplified the power of the Hydro Pump she fired, giving it more pressure than Brendan or Gwen thought possible. It looked like it was twice as powerful as water coming from a firehose. Despite the power, the water was completely clear, appearing to be perfectly pure water. Avery, who was already flying over the spiraled under and around the water, her body moving gracefully. She then fired a Thunderbolt at close range, blasting the Suicune with a lot of lightning. The attack dealt some damage, but Calypso was a defensive Pokémon. She immediately surrounded herself in an orb of water, her Aqua Ring seeming to, once again, be perfectly pure water. "Huh, perhaps it has something to do with how Suicune is known for purifying whatever water it comes into contact with," Brendan said curiously.

Brendan, now isn't the time to be distracted like that, Gwen chided.

I know, but Avery has this handled, Brendan said back. Surely enough, it seemed that Avery was holding her own, firing Dragon Pulses and Thunderbolts as she flew around the stadium. At the same time, Calypso was regenerating her health steadily with Aqua Ring, and the green aura around her told Brendan that she was boosting her power with Calm Mind.

Avery, meanwhile, was struggling to keep up her blasts. She still had a lot of energy to fight, but Calypso clearly had more energy to fight and withstand her attacks. Just as Avery was about to fire a Thunderbolt, Calypso seemed to vanish, only to reappear on Avery's back. Calypso fired a powerful Ice Beam at Avery's back. Avery cried out and she fell to the ground. She crashed into the dirt hard, but she still managed to stay conscious as Calypso jumped off of the Eon Pokémon. Avery glared up at Calypso, knowing that was a really dirty move. She focused for a moment, deciding to mess with this Suicune. A violet aura surrounded her and tendrils grabbed Calypso briefly. With a bright flash of light, Avery began to look more confident, her Guard Split having worked perfectly. Then, with another flash of light, Avery's wounds seemed to heal with a Recover. Avery got back into the air easily. She then smiled, feeling her lightheartedness break through what had been a serious demeanor. Avery knew that she had been too focused on the win, and that almost made her lose. Now she was ready to make this rainy battle into a fun time for everyone…and pack some serious power into these next attacks. But, before she could do that, Calypso fired an even stronger Hydro Pump. Avery dodged to the right, but the force of the attack carried it forward into the cement wall. There was no barrier over the walls, so the sheer force of the Hydro Pump made a massive crack up the side of the stadium, cutting it almost like a hydro-blade. The crowd shrieked in fear, but the announcer and those working at the event all remained calm.

"If all the spectators would please remain calm. You are all safe. The barrier will keep you from any harm. Just relax and enjoy the battle, because this is the normal levels of power when the Champion battles," the announcer said. His words did little to quell the worries of the audience, parents in-particular.

Avery didn't notice any of that, including the stadium damages. She simply gathered her energy for a Thunderbolt, firing almost instantly. Calypso then fired an Ice Beam again. The Thunderbolt spiraled around the incoming Ice Beam, both attacks hitting their marks hard. That was when they heard the buzz as the screens came back on. "Ladies and gentlemen, it appears the third generator is up and running. We will now have live-feed of the health of each Pokémon." Calypso's health was the one that had hit zero this time, and Calypso was on the ground, knocked out. Avery was struggling, but she was still up in the air, wanting to continue.

Wallace sighed. "Well, Calypso, you fought beautifully. Get some rest now," he said as he called her back. "Brendan, I have a question for you. What do you think about Magikarp and Feebas as Pokémon?"

"I mean, back in Johto, people would call Magikarp a weak Pokémon, and I've rarely even seen a Feebas, so I couldn't fairly judge the Pokémon as a species. But, I never consider Pokémon to be weak," Brendan asked. "Why do you ask?"

Wallace smiled. "Seems you understand the principle that is essential to being the Champion. There are no strong or weak Pokémon inherently. It is the trainer's job to bring out the best in their Pokémon. These next two of my team embody that. Let me introduce you to the first one: Finn!"

The Pokémon that came out was one that Lance from the Indigo League had made famous. It was a blue sea serpent with a yellow underbelly and a blue crown-like horn on his head, with multiple three-pointed dorsal fins along his body. This was the Atrocious Pokémon, Gyarados. And, in a collar of sorts around his neck, was a Gyaradosite. Finn coiled up on the ground, his body towering over the field at more than twenty-one feet.

Wait…this order is wrong, Brendan thought, remembering how the other Elite Four used their Mega Evolution last. Wallace still had one more Pokémon after this one. Is he that confident in the power of his last Pokémon that he thinks it can take on Gwen without Mega Evolution? Or is he thinking he doesn't need all six Pokémon to win this?

Finn just roared as he gathered water over his tail, the power gathering into an Aqua Tail. Avery knew she couldn't dodge with the speed of that attack, and she didn't have the energy to use Protect. All she could manage to do was throw up a blue shield for a Reflect. She was still knocked into the ground by the tremendous, ground-cracking force of the Aqua Tail. Finn roared in a show of dominance as he was surrounded with a crimson aura, showing his attacking power increasing.

Moxie…again, Brendan thought as he recalled Avery, thanking her for working so hard.

I think Turk can handle him, Gwen said, knowing she was going to be Brendan's last line of defense in this battle. Brendan nodded as he pulled out the Crawdaunt's Pokéball.

Turk has the heart to win, and he'll have the same power boost from the rain that Finn will have, Brendan said. "Turk, I'm counting on you. I know you can win this!"

The Crawdaunt appeared, loving the rain already. The storm was clearly getting worse at the moment, but neither of the Pokémon seemed to mind it. Even Wallace seemed unaffected by the rain now. Brendan, who was already soaked and feeling colder by the second, was just shivering.

Wallace simply grinned as he touched the Keystone in his bracelets. The resulting light was blinding, with the rain intensifying the brightness as the Gyarados's body got much thicker, and he grew two four-foot fins from his neck. His three-pointed horn grew longer, and his beard-like tendrils near his mouth extended longer. The yellow scales along his side got thicker, turning red in the process, and the scales on his underbelly turned black as they grew thicker. He coiled slightly again, letting his body rest on the ground as he towered over Turk. If the three-foot crustacean had any sense of fear at all, though, he didn't show it.

Instead, Turk surrounded himself in a circular column of illusory blades, with a crimson aura around the Crawdaunt as his attacking power doubled. Turk gathered energy on his claws and rushed forward, his Brick Break looking full of power. Finn just scoffed and swept his tail across the field, slamming Turk into the ground with a simple Slam attack. Turk grunted with the impact. He got back up and used an Aqua Jet to lift himself off the ground and get him close to Finn's head. Just as Turk was about to punch out, Finn used Crunch to catch the Crawdaunt and clamp down on him. Turk cried out at the immense pressure on his shell. He desperately swung and punched the Gyarados in the face, making Finn release him. Turk fell to the ground, using Hydro Pump to slow his fall as both health bars plummeted, but Finn's growl and glare told Brendan that this was over. It got worse as an Aqua Tail the size of freight engine was slammed down on top of Turk, making him rocket into the ground, break the floor and opening a ten-foot gap into the pool. The buzzer sounded as the floor split open, but it was unnecessary. Brendan knew Turk was out of the fight.

Brendan recalled Turk as the Crawdaunt floated up from the water. "Turk, thank you for fighting so hard. Now, rest up," he said as Gwen stepped onto the field. Brendan immediately touched his Mega Ring, and Gwen transformed into her Mega Form. The light from the change was almost more blinding than with Finn's transformation, but Gwen's power felt comforting to Brendan.

I'm ready to Finn-ish this, Gwen said with a grin at her bad pun. She quickly started to gather Fairy-type energy. Time for lunar power to kick your butt. She threw her Moonblast at Finn only for the Gyarados to fire a huge Hydro Pump to counteract it. And, to make things worse, it seemed that the Moonblast was getting pushed back. Gwen only barely managed to teleport out of the way of the shot before it hit the ground where she stood. Damn, I need sound for this. Brendan, you owe me a Lozenge for all this shouting I'm doing. Gwen took a deep breath and was immediately slammed into the ground with an Aqua Tail that came seemingly out of nowhere. The attack dropped Gwen's health to less than a quarter.

Ow, holy shit! That hurt like hell! Gwen cursed as she got up. Fine, want to play that way, I'll just have to do this. She teleported onto Finn's back, gathering her power onto her lips. She leaned down and gave a Draining Kiss to Finn on his crest. The attack wasn't flashy, and it wasn't big, but Gwen's health was also restored to about half of her maximum. Finn roared angrily as he began to fall, his body beginning to revert to normal. Gwen teleported off of Finn's head, stopping a few inches from the gap in the floor that led to the pool. Finn's fall took him directly where Gwen thought he'd go: directly into the pool as the buzzer sounded.

Wallace sighed and recalled Finn. "Kudos to you on getting this far, Brendan. Remember how I asked about both Feebas and Magikarp? There was a reason I asked about both of them."

Brendan looked intrigued, but he didn't interrupt. He wanted to hear what the Champion would say.

"During my time as a trainer, I took a long trip to Alola, where I tried my hand at their island challenge. Back then, I was still a new trainer, and I hadn't yet found my specialty or my true style," Wallace said as he took out a sleek, black Luxury Ball. "It wasn't until I went to Brooklet Hill on Akala Island that I realized my desire to train water-types, and my desire to show elegance in battle. That was when I chose to try contests, and then I went to gym leading. This next Pokémon is the one I met on Brooklet Hill. She came up to me while I was simply soaking my feet in the water, and she was likely the friendliest and most outgoing Feebas I've seen." Wallace smiled nostalgically. "And we've been together ever since that day. Now, I think you and Gwen should say hello to my friend: MINERVA!" The Pokémon that came out was another massive sea serpent, just barely a foot shorter than Finn, but this one was much more beautiful. It was the most elegant Pokémon Brendan had ever seen. Her body was a soft cream-color, with two elegant streamers like those Wallace's cape was adorned with. These, however, were a darker pink color, extending nearly ten feet down along her body in a very streamline fashion. Her head looked like it had a single horn-like point, while the last eight-feet of her tail was covered in beautiful blue scales with black outlines. Her tail itself had four sword-shaped points arranged in the shape of a hand-fan. One thing that Brendan and Gwen both noticed, however, was a blue diamond-shaped crystal on a necklace. "Minerva is my Milotic, and she evolved from that same Feebas that I caught on Brooklet Hill all those years ago."

Brendan saw that, on Wallace's wrist, there was a bracelet similar to what Grace had been wearing at the Grand Festival when she used that Supersonic Skystrike attack. Is this why Finn came out fifth? Is Wallace waiting to use a Z-Move? Brendan asked himself.

Gwen didn't bother to ask those questions. She saw the glimmer of power in Minerva's eyes. This would be a tough battle, and they both knew it. May the better Pokémon win, Gwen said politely. Minerva just smirked and nodded as if to say "Of course, and the best of luck to you."

Gwen smiled as best she could, amidst the pouring rain, and began her favorite tactic, filling the field with her Double Team clones, and the green aura of Calm Mind surrounded her body. Minerva, however, only gave a sigh as she let out an icy Haze into the air. Gwen suddenly felt her increases in power fade as if the Haze was removing them, along with all of her clones. Okay, I can't do that strategy anymore. It's pointless if Minerva can just remove the changes, Gwen thought to herself. Fine, straightforward it is. Gwen gathered electricity into her arms from the rainy air. Minerva smirked at Gwen's actions, gathering an orb of icy energy in front of her mouth. Gwen managed to teleport out of the way of the Ice Beam, but only a slight amount so her own Thunderbolt could hit effectively. While the chilling energy passed by, Gwen's electricity hit her target, making Minerva coo with discomfort as her health dropped to below half. Minerva glared and saw that Gwen was glowing with the green aura of a Calm Mind while she prepared another Thunderbolt, so she was quick to fire another Ice Beam. This time, Gwen had to aim to intercept the attack.

At the same moment, the two Pokémon fired, and their attacks collided, forming a massive explosion. Gwen held up an arm to shield her face from the debris, but the kicked-up dust made it tough for her to find Minerva, and it made her miss the glow of a pure white energy as Minerva used Psych-Up to copy the boosts of Gwen's Calm Mind. Gwen searched with her powers and found Minerva…in the pool below. At that moment, multiple tendrils of bright light flew through the air and connected with both Wallace's wristband, which Brendan now realized was the Z-Move equivalent of a Keystone, and where Minerva presumably was underwater.

"Prepare yourself Brendan," Wallace said. "You are the first challenger I've ever faced who made me feel the need to use the power of Minerva's Z-Move." He then made an X with his arms in front of his chest, followed by another facing up from the ground. His motion then turned to what seemed to be a hula dancer's arm motions, as if mimicking the motions of the ocean's waves. "Minerva, unleash your full-powered Z-Move: HYDRO VORTEX!" In that instant, the rain seemed to slow down for Brendan and Gwen. The floor of the battlefield was torn open further as a massive whirlpool formed.

Gwen didn't even think as she threw up a Protect. Despite her defenses, the attack still swept her up as the vortex towered higher, sending Gwen around and around like she was in a blender. The water was moving with a force stronger than any Hydro Pump that she'd seen today, and she quickly noticed that her Protect barrier was starting to crack. No wa- she was cut off as the vortex shattered her shield, and water filled her throat.

Outside the vortex, Brendan's eyes were wide in horror as the massive cyclone met the barrier around the field on all sides and shattered it like it wasn't even there. The audience shrieked as the high-power water got scarily close to them. That was when Minerva could be seen, elegantly in the eye of the cyclone, her eyes showing confidence and power as the water stopped spinning and broke apart, raining back down onto the field and refilling the pool. Gwen screamed briefly as she plummeted to what was left of the ground. Despite being waterlogged, Gwen knew she had to aim for the pool. The floor was too torn up for her to land safely there. With another Protect briefly going up, Gwen plunged into the water. She caught her breath as best she could, now keenly aware of how Minerva had joined her in the pool and was now glaring at the Gardevoir. Gwen let her Protect fall as she swam to the surface, grabbing the edge and pulling herself up and onto what was left of the ground. The pouring rain made it tough for Gwen to focus, but she managed to look at the scoreboard. I have…only a tenth of my health left, and Minerva still has about half, she said, trying to sort out her situation. I know that Z-moves are one-shot cannons, but I'm not sure if I can take another hit at all. She looked back at Brendan and saw his look of determination.

Gwen, you can pull through this. Don't forget, we still have some tricks up our sleeves, Brendan thought to her, knowing that not even the storm's thunder could drown out their mental voices.

Gwen smiled softly at Brendan. You're right, Goldenrod, she said tiredly. We can win this. She shakily got to her feet and saw Minerva circling in the pool in front of her. Gwen then fired a Thunderbolt into the pool to draw out the Milotic. When the serpent came out of the pool with a shriek, Gwen grabbed her with Psychic. Sorry, Minerva, Gwen said. I will not let my trainer down. She then directed Minerva over what land was left and slammed the Milotic into the ground. Minerva got up, having only lost a quarter of her health. She then raced forward, her head glowing with metallic energy as she tried to deliver a devastating Iron Head.

Gwen reacted by barely teleporting behind Minerva in time, the Milotic slamming into a piece of the floor that her Z-Move had broken up. The piece of floor shattered with her impact, leaving her unscathed. Gwen then surrounded herself with the aura of a Calm Mind once more as she took a deep breath. Brendan, May…Mother, this is for you! Gwen said as she shrieked. It was her strongest Hyper Voice yet, and it was perfectly on-target. Minerva was thrown through the air only to slam into a newly-formed Protect barrier around the field, getting pinned by the soundwaves. She tried to fire a Hydro Pump, but Minerva couldn't turn herself enough to get her target in-sight. It was too late anyway. Minerva blacked out, and it wasn't until the buzzer went off that Gwen stopped her attack, letting the Milotic fall to the ground. At the same moment that Milotic hit the ground, the rain slowed to a stop, going from a deluge to the storm being over in a minute's time.

"L-ladies and Gentlemen, this match is OVER!" the announcer said. "THE CHALLENGER, BRENDAN MAPLE, IS THE NEW CHAMPION OF THE HOENN REGION!" The entire crowd erupted into cheering as they too realized what had just happened.

Brendan and Gwen didn't hear any of it, though. They were too in-shock over what just happened, even as Gwen returned to her normal form. Brendan…did we just win? Gwen asked.

I…think we did, Brendan said as he saw Wallace crouching next to, then recalling Minerva, the now ex-Champion's eyes showing a bittersweet happiness as he approached his successor.

"Brendan… That was wonderful work. You were so infuriatingly elegant…and yet it was utterly glorious! Kudos to you! You are a truly noble Pokémon Trainer," he said. "The Pokémon you fought beside so bravely…at times, they danced like a spring breeze, and at others, they struck like lightning. It was with light, yet surefooted, elegance that you led your Pokémon. Even I felt bedazzled by your masterful performance! You now stand at the glorious peak of the Pokémon League. I now officially crown you–" Wallace's eyes went wide as he suddenly looked behind Brendan.

Brendan didn't even have time to react as he was spun around and kissed by May, who had convinced Sam to teleport her onto the field. The audience reacted with a mixture of awws and WOOOOOOs. "Brendan, you did it! You were so amazing today! I almost can't believe it's over!"

Brendan laughed as he hugged her. "Well, I hope you're okay with getting wet clothes, because I'm drenched," he said, getting a giggle from May.

"It's okay, if it's from you," she said. Gwen, however, decided to join the moment, hugging both of them.

Hey, I got the biggest soaking of the day, she said jokingly. I think I deserve a hug from my family too.

May blushed happily and they hugged tighter until Wallace cleared his throat. "Well, Brendan…no, Champion Maple, will you and Gwen please come with me?" He asked as he led the way toward the tunnel that the Elite Four and Wallace had exited from. Brendan smiled and followed closely, holding hands with May, and with Gwen on his other side. After they got into the tunnel, Wallace took them to an elevator. It was at this point that Wallace stopped. He gave May a sympathetic look before speaking. "I'm sorry Miss Birch, but from this point onward, only those who have become Champions can go on. I wish I could bend the rules for fiancées, but we cannot," he said.

May gave a groan, but the tone made Brendan laugh slightly. "Alright. It's not a problem. Those are the rules after all. Brendan, I'll wait for you and Gwen right here."

Brendan gave May a kiss on the cheek as the elevator's doors opened and he went inside with Wallace. "Thank you. I promise I'll describe what I see for you."


When the doors opened again, Brendan, Gwen, and Wallace were three floors below the stadium. There were no windows, but the lights were bright enough for Brendan to see the ten pictures around the wall. They all showed various trainers with their teams, all smiling like winners. "This is…the Hall of Fame." Brendan said.

Wallace smiled and nodded. "Indeed, it is. This place is where we record the victories and exploits of all those trainers who have become champions," he said as he walked to a console like the healing machine Brendan had been using between battles today, but it looked more complex. "Come, let us record your name as the trainer who triumphed over the Pokémon League, as well as the names of the Pokémon who battled with you as partners."

Brendan stepped forward, having Gwen go into her Pokéball temporarily for this as he inserted his Pokéballs in the order that the Pokémon inside joined his team…no, his family. The machine scanned the Pokéballs and, once a new frame and digital canvas formed on-screen, so too did the pictures of Gwen, Clint, Nikki, Turk, Jack, and Avery with Brendan on one knee in the center, smiling confidently.

"Congratulations, Brendan, you're Hoenn's Champion," Wallace said once again. "But, don't get too comfortable, because I'll be taking over Drake's old seat as head of the Elite Four, and I don't take losses sitting down."

Brendan chuckled with the good-hearted challenge. "I'll keep that in mind," he said as he reattached the Pokéballs to his belt, letting Gwen out in the process. "But, for now, I have a fiancée and a week-long nap both waiting for me."

One Week Later

Brendan, May, and Gwen all sat on a picnic blanket on Route 103, smiling as they rested near the pond where their whole journey began. Gwen had fallen asleep, deserving the rest after so many harsh battles a week ago. She needed the rest, but she wanted to be with her family foremost. "This is really nice," Brendan said. "No imminent problems, a steady income as Champion and Top Coordinator, and I get to be with my two favorite girls." He sighed happily with relaxation.

"Well, I think I know how to make this better," May said suddenly.

"How's that?" Brendan asked.

"Actually, I'm challenging you," May said playfully.

"To a battle?" Brendan asked with a confused tone.

May giggled and kissed him on the lips. "No, I'd rather not destroy the entire route," she said. "My challenge is this: to always love me, no matter what happens."

Brendan smiled warmly. "We are engaged," he said. "I think I've already started that challenge."

"Just making sure you knew what you were getting yourself into," she said with one more kiss.

Brendan held May close again. For now, this was all that mattered to him.


And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the end of the main portion of Brendan's Journey. I hope you've all enjoyed the over 3-year ride, because I have loved every second of it. Don't worry though, there is some post-game story coming at you in the form of…the Delta Episode.

As usual, please review and let me know what you think of the longest chapter of this story.

I'll have the Delta Episode Chapters started soon. But you'll just have to wait…until next time – jmoul18.