May looked around. This first room had low lighting, with barely enough for May to be able to see a figure hunched over a chair.
"Welcome, challenger… yeah, Steven was right. That fire in your eye tells me you're going to be a real good match. Well, then girl, I'll show you just how Pokémon battles are fought in the Elite Four!" Sidney said.
Elite Four Challenge, Round 1! May August versus Sidney Darkenlite!
May sent out her Clefable, and Sidney his Scrafty. Scrafty faded into the darkness, and came out with a Poison Jab. Clefable wiggled her finger, and shot a Moonblast, easily taking out the Scrafty. Sidney switched to his Malamar, and the Malamar laughed. It turned on its head, and an odd field descended over the match. Clefable fired another Moonblast, which Malamar easily shrugged off. Malamar fired a Dark Pulse, wiping away Clefable.
"What happened?" May asked, confused.
"I call it Inversion Reaver. In this state, Fire beats Water, Dark beats Psychic, and Fairy does jack to Dragon, and hopefully, you can figure out the rest from there," Sidney said. May nodded, and thought. Only one avenue seemed reasonable to her, and she sent out her Latias. Sidney gasped in horror, as Latias prepared and fired a Mist Ball, defeating the Malamar and restoring the laws of physics.
"How did you know…" Sidney asked.
"Dark is immune to Psychic. What does that mean backwards?" May asked, trying not to show she wasn't sure if that would work. Sidney sent out Absol, and used Night Slash on Latias. Latias held on, and used a Dragon Pulse on Absol. Latias quickly fired another, before the second Night Slash did her in. May could switch to Delphi, and quickly use an Aqua Jet to take on the Absol. Sidney switched to Shiftry, which had Leaf Blade. Delphi's Moonblast blasted back the Shiftry, but Delphi was ultimately no match for Leaf Blade. May chose Arctos following, for the Flamethrower. Sidney went Sharpedo, and Waterfall.
"Wow…" May said.
"Are you preparing yourself?" Sidney asked, smiling. May sent out her Sceptile, and Mega Evolved. Sceptile performed a Giga Drain, which was countered by Sharpedo's Ice Fang. May shivered, before Sceptile got up, and used Giga Drain.
Round 1 clear! May August advances!
"Well, that was fun. Now move on to your next challenge here at the Elite Four!" Sidney said. May nodded, and moved on, making sure to heal.
May entered the second room. She could only really comprehend her floor, as, much like Tate & Liza's Gym, this room did not look at all like it's dimensions would suggest. Floating in front of her was a girl that did not look at all scary.
"Ah, you have arrived. You are quite full of life, just as Steven remarked. I have been training on Mt. Pyre, and as a result, have gained the ability to commune with Ghost-type Pokémon. The bond between me and ghosts has become incredibly tight… let's see you deal damage!" Phoebe said.
Elite Four Challenge Round 2! May August versus Phoebe Pyres!
May opened with Weavile, and Phoebe Banette. Weavile grunted, jumping into the shadows, before striking with Night Slash. Banette fell like a puppet with cut strings, and Phoebe switched to Dusknoir. Weavile darted through Dusknoir, not quite defeating it. Dusknoir landed a Fire Punch, before Weavile finished it off.
"This Weavile…" Phoebe remarked, going to Mismagius. Weavile struck with Night Slash, and Mismagius spread out a Burn. Weavile shrugged, and struck again, just barely winning against it. Phoebe sent out Gourgeist, which had a Giga Drain to counter Weavile's Night Slash, as well as finally wearing out Weavile's stamina.
"That was impressive," May and Phoebe said in unison. May switched to Arcanine, who crashed into Gourgeist with a blast of flame. Phoebe switched to Sableye. May commanded another Flame Charge, and Sableye slammed down with Foul Play. Arcanine groaned, and pressed on. Sableye's Power Gem was the finishing strike. May switched to Lopunny, and Mega Evolved. Lopunny focused, and sent a High Jump Kick into Sableye, defeating it.
Round 2 clear! May August advances!
"Well, I guess your bond with your Pokémon is as rich as mine. No wonder I lost. Well, time for you to proceed," Phoebe said.
What stood out to May in the next room was the sheer coldness of it. May started shivering, and looked at the woman kneeling elegantly in the room's centre.
"I have wandered Hoenn for many an age, my dear lady. Challenging a multitude of foes… but never finding one that could really stand up to me. Steven suggested you might, and from the fire in your eyes, I'm sure he wasn't exaggerating. I would feel tremendous relief in such a serious battle," Glacia said.
Elite Four Challenge Round 3! May August versus Glacia Blizzeta!
Glacia opened with Froslass, while May chose Luxray. Froslass set up a hailstorm, fading into it, while Luxray tried (and failed) a Crunch. Luxray looked about, before letting out a Discharge, spreading far and wide. Froslass dropped out of the sky, and Luxray jumped at the chance to Crunch. Glacia switched to Mamoswine, which used Earthquake to immediately wipe away Luxray. May switched to Gastrodon, flooding the arena with Gastrodon's Surf. Mamoswine went down, but Froslass's hail was freezing water around and about. Glacia sent out Cryogonal, while she and May found higher ground.
"Interesting move!" Glacia shouted, as the hail dissipated at last. Gastrodon used a Body Slam on the Cryogonal, while it used an Ice Beam to strike Gastrodon. It was slammed into the water, and the water itself was freezing around Gastrodon. Gastrodon wailed, and was struck down by Cryogonal. May switched to Arctos, who started immediately with the Flamethrower. Cryogonal went down, and the water was starting to drain. Glacia went to Walrein, who sent up hail again. May shrugged, and performed a Thunderbolt, striking down on Walrein. The blow was followed up by a Flamethrower, and for no other reason than why not, an Ice Beam. Walrein went down.
"I didn't know such a Pokémon existed…" Glacia remarked. She sent out her Avalugg. Arctos spread out another Flamethrower, and another. Avalugg was rather easily defeated.
Round 3 clear! May August advances!
"Your fierce spirit burns with a fire that cannot be extinguished. Incredible… and that Pokémon… proceed, and learn the true might of the Pokémon League!" Glacia said, going back to kneeling.
May entered the fourth room. She wasn't sure what she was expecting when she thought of a Dragon theme, but this was a stunning room. It kind of felt like she was the damsel in an old tale about the Dragon Pokémon and the heroic knights. The illusion was shattered by Drake looking more like a sea captain than a knight or a dragon.
"In their natural state… Pokémon are wild beings. At times they help, and at times they hinder. For us to fight alongside Pokémon as partners, we must have a certain spirit. Steven has suggested that you have that spirit… and good thing, too, because without it, you'll never prevail against me!" Drake said.
Elite Four Challenge Round 4! May August versus Drake Durgon!
May sent out Clefable, and Drake Druddigon. Clefable let out a Moonblast, while Druddigon charged with a Poison Tail. Clefable's finger waggled, and she wound up casting a Protect. Clefable fired another Moonblast, and May was left smiling. Drake sent out Kingdra, and May looked up. Clefable cast a Moonblast, and Kingdra a high-powered blast of water that sent Clefable into May's chest. May yelped, and Clefable got up. She angrily waggled her finger, and used Splash.
"Good job," May said, watching the second Hydro Pump wipe out Clefable. May switched to Latias, who cast a Dragon Pulse to take out the Kingdra. Drake switched to Noivern, and May had an idea. She Mega Evolved her Latias, and fired another Dragon Pulse, taking out the Noivern. She did the same thing when Flygon came out, leaving Drake with only his Salamence.
"Wow, this was weird," May remarked.
"You cannot coast by the entire battle," Drake said. His Salamence made the faster move, using Dragon Rush to knock Latias to the ground, and Crunch to finish it off. May switched to Weavile. Salamence roared, and used Flamethrower. Weavile darted in, out and all around, before striking with an Ice Punch in Salamence's wings. Salamence dropped to the ground, and Weavile used an Ice Punch again, defeating it.
Round 4 clear! May August advances!
"Superb! You seem to know what is required of you. A strong will and a stronger companionship. And, might I add, an idea of how to exploit type matchups to work in your favour? Now, press on! The Champion awaits!" Drake said. May smiled, healed her Pokémon, and breathed in. Steven awaited her next. She hoped she would be ready for the challenge.
May walked up the stairs at the end of the challenge, to see a plain, steel arena. She felt somewhat disappointed, before seeing Steven standing at the other end. He smiled invitingly, and once again, May felt her heart go into her throat. She wasn't sure what about Steven made him so attractive. And she hoped he would be a fair fight, if not an easy one.
"Welcome, May. I feel honoured to see you enter this room. From the moment I saw that fire in your eyes, I knew that one day, it would be that you and I would stand together in this room. Well, May… what have you learned on your journey? I would like to see you come at me… with all you have!" Steven said.
"You will see that, Steven. I accept the challenge," May said.
Pokémon Champion of Hoenn! May August and Steven Stone are ready to battle!
Steven sent out an Excadrill, while May sent out her Gastrodon. Gastrodon performed a Surf strike, and Excadrill charged forward with Drill Run. Gastrodon spun around, and landed a Mud Bomb, taking down the Excadrill.
The next opponent was Bronzong. Gastrodon slung a Mud Bomb up, but Bronzong made the move miss with its Levitate. Bronzong used an Extrasensory strike, defeating Gastrodon. May switched to Weavile, who struck with a Night Slash. Bronzong dropped.
Steven next used Klinklang. Klinklang soared up, and used a Gear Grind on Weavile. Weavile staggered back, but couldn't use Night Slash before Klinklang's Mirror Shot. May switched companion to Arctos, who used a Flamethrower. Klinklang fired a Thunderbolt, and Arctos used another Flamethrower. Arctos shook, feeling a little tingly.
Steven sent out a Skarmory, who swooped in with Steel Wing as quickly as possible. Arctos dodged out of the way, and used a Thunderbolt. The strike passed through Skarmory, but landed too close to Arctos, dealing a bit of damage to it. Skarmory shrieked, and performed another Steel Wing, finishing off Arctos. May switched to Luxray. Luxray fired off a Discharge strike, dealing damage to the incoming Skarmory, and taking it out.
Steven sent out Aggron. Luxray charged, and used a Spark attack. Aggron shrugged it off, and used an Earthquake to defeat the Luxray. May switched in to Durant, who immediately burrowed underground. Aggron slammed down with an Earthquake, which led to questionable effect. Durant came up from underground, the Dig strike finished, before using a Metal Claw. The Metal Claw managed to defeat the Aggron.
Steven's last Pokémon was Metagross. Metagross could use a Zen Headbutt straight off to defeat Durant, forcing May's last Pokémon. She decided on using Sceptile.
"A starter on starter duel? You have the Sceptilite still?" Steven asked.
"Of course," May said, Mega Evolving Sceptile. Steven returned the favour, Mega Evolving his Metagross. The equivalent of another Metagross came in, and Metagross grew to massive proportions. Sceptile performed Night Slash, striking at the chinks in Metagross's design. Sceptile's physical might wasn't all there, though, allowing Metagross a turn. Metagross's Zen Headbutt came crashing down, dealing a lot of damage to Sceptile. May shivered, focusing. The voice of a young girl came to her ears.
"You can do it, May! I believe in you! Because… because you're my hero!"
Melissa had faith in her. And May wasn't about to let Melissa down. She commanded a second Night Slash, and Sceptile complied. Sceptile landed a critical hit, and Metagross groaned. It shook about, before dropping to the ground and reverting from Mega form.
"…Did I…" May said softly.
"Yes… May August… you have just become a Rank 10 Trainer. You have defeated the Champion in battle! You are an amazing Pokémon Trainer, and… I thank you. You have shown to me your true side of your battling… your companionship… your quick thinking… your determination… all qualities of a great trainer. And a great woman. You truly live up to what I believed you could accomplish when I first laid eyes on you," Steven said. May found herself furiously blushing, even more so when Steven walked up to her, and offered her his hand. May took it, and felt herself being guided to the room beyond the Champion's.
May looked around in awe. There were pictures of several people with their Pokémon all hung in this room. She even recognised Steven, looking rather young, with a Metagross and an array of non-Steel, Hoenn native Pokémon.
"Where are we?" May asked.
"This is the Hoenn Hall of Fame. Records of all Rank 10 Trainers are kept here. This is where the honour of reaching Rank 10 comes," Steven said. He indicated a space for May to stand. As she did so, a pale light enveloped her. She sent out all of her Pokémon, and found them all in perfect heath, even the ones that had fainted against Steven. The Pokémon organised themselves, Lopunny sitting on Arcanine, Delphi sitting with Gastrodon, and Sceptile and Latias beside May herself. Sceptile lay his arm on May's shoulders, while May started stroking Latias's head. Steven pulled out a camera, and the Pokémon all did their equivalents to smiling while trying to make sure they were in frame, with May giving out a great beam.
It was good to reach Rank 10 at last.
254: Sceptile. A true companion.
059: Arcanine. A physical fighter.
405: Luxray. Electrically charged hero.
748: Delphi. A breath of fresh air.
428: Lopunny. Lover of Arcanine.
777: Arctos. Goddess in wolf form.
632: Durant. Silent worker ant.
380: Latias. Symbol of friendship.
423: Gastrodon. Ocean's gift.
461: Weavile. Defender of night.
036: Clefable. Mystery of enigmas.