A/N: Well, here we are. I got a lot of thoughts but I'll save them for after the chapter. Let's kick Leon's ass, eh?
I stood in the center of Wyndon Stadium, just like I had months before. On the other side of the pitch stood Leon, in his black and white champion's uniform and a string of five Pokéballs slung around his waist. His sixth Pokéball was in his hands, tightly gripped and ready to be thrown at its cue. My pose mirrored his, only my uniform was a crisp new challenger's uniform, emblazoned with number 197 across the back. In my hand was Flygon's Pokéball. I clutched it so tightly, I could feel the blood pumping in my fingers, accelerated due to my pounding heart. Nerves and excitement merged with terror, aiding my focus. Despite tens of thousands of fans screaming their hearts out in the stadium and whirring Rotom Cameras whizzing around, displaying the battle to who knows how many more, I could only focus on one thing: Leon Nambarek, the unbeatable champion. He stared back at me, the calm expression on his face betrayed by the fire glowing in his eyes. Even from a hundred yards away, I could feel the burn of his stare.
"Champion Leon are you ready?" the referee, a man in golden yellow hair bellowed. His voice, amplified with a microphone, was still barely heard over the crowd, and was immediately drowned out as Leon raised his Pokéball high over his head and the volume swelled up again. The ref turned to me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw his mouth move, but his voice was lost in the mix. My hand twitched. Was Flygon the right choice? I shook my head, trying to remove any doubts from my mind. No second guessing, I told myself. The second I falter is the second Leon gets an advantage. Flygon flew me across half the region in a single evening, he could take whatever Leon had to throw at him. I took a deep breath and brought his Pokéball up into the air.
"Begin!"
Flygon burst out of his Pokéball, as did Leon's Aegislash, a Pokémon I had never seen him use before. But I knew that it was a steel type, so Flygon was at an immediate advantage. As the floating sword hung low to the ground, watching with a lavender eye behind a rounded shield, my eyes shifted from Aegislash to Leon, and I saw his eyes narrow. What tricks did he have up his sleeve?
"Earthquake!" I called out.
"King's Shield!" Leon cried.
Flygon immediately flew up and then straight back down, just out of reach of Aegislash. He slammed into the ground, creating a shockwave that shook the entire pitch, large enough that I could feel the vibrations at my end of the pitch. But Aegislash was unfazed. At the last second, its shield glowed green and met the rumbling ground, blocking the sharp sides of its body and unsheathing the sword entirely. The green glow from the shield created a shockwave all its own, blasting out in return and flowing over Flygon, who had left himself completely exposed to any counterattack. Flygon reeled backwards, back into the air and shook his head angrily. He didn't look injured, but he did look shaken. I frowned.
"Do it again!" I cried. "Earthquake!"
"Sacred Sword!" Leon called out.
Flygon righted himself and charged. His wings beat at lightning speed, sending more vibrations to and fro, kicking up the dirt of the pitch, sending earthen spikes up in every direction as he closed the distance. Aegislash mercurially slashed, breaking through most of the spikes with relative ease; one could expect nothing less from such a well-trained Pokémon. Flygon flew past Aegislash, pulling up from the last second, and that was when Aegislash changed tactics. Its blade, glinting gold in the spring sun, whipped around vertically instead of horizontally, slicing at Flygon and sending him veering off course, only to crash into the ground and skid to the white line that marked the pitch's end. At that exact moment, one final spike shot up and crashed into Aegislash, sending it clattering to the ground with a dull ring. One powerful hit exchanged for another.
"Don't let up!" I cried. "Give it your all with a Dragon Rush!"
"King's shield again!" Leon cried in retaliation. Flygon roared and flew at top speed, barreling down towards Aegislash, but he just wasn't fast enough; at the last minute, Aegislash tucked itself behind its shield, once again glowing green, and Flygon smashed into it headfirst. The resounding clang sounded like a gong in an empty recital hall, echoing across the pitch. Flygon reeled backwards in shock, roaring with frustration, and I groaned along with him.
"Nice try, Gloria, but you're going to have to do better than that!" Leon yelled.
"I intend to!" I retorted. "He can't hide behind that shield forever!"
"Shadow Sneak!"
"Up in the air! Make him come to you then finish him off with one last Earthquake!"
Flygon shot up into the sky just as Aegislash seemingly blinked out of existence. Just as Flygon had left, it rematerialized, swinging wildly and just nicking Flygon's tail, doing little more than making his ascent a bit wobbly before Flygon flipped over and threw himself to the ground again. Another shockwave sent an explosion of dust in all directions, and when it cleared, Flygon rose tall and bellowed, his opponent stuck in the dirt. Aegislash's shield lay useless on the ground next to it.
"Aegislash is unable to battle!" the ref yelled. I exhaled in relief. An early lead for me! As Flygon did a victory lap, I allowed myself a grin, but I knew I shouldn't get too complacent. Leon, like his own rival Raihan, had skill with and against other dragons, and Aegislash had done a number on Flygon already.
"Hell of a way to start out, Gloria!" he shouted as he returned Aegislash. "If it's a battle with dragons you want, it's a battle against dragons you'll get!" And he threw out his second Pokémon; Dragapult. It flickered left and right, not content on staying still in one place as it eyed up Flygon.
"Shite," I mumbled. I was all too aware of what this Pokémon could do, and I knew there'd be no easy way to getting another favorable matchup. Flygon couldn't come anywhere near the speed that Dragapult could reach, and there was no doubt in my mind that this thing could hit like a truck. But I think I could figure something out. I grabbed at Rapidash's Pokéball, then stopped. No doubt he would expect me to swap out here, maybe I should try something a little reckless? I moved my hand one over and clutched the Pokéball.
As I did, Leon pointed directly at me and yelled, "Shadow Ball!" Without thinking, I lobbed out Sneasel's Pokéball and returned Flygon to his. A deep purple ball of energy shot out of Dragapult's jaw, directly where Flygon had stood, but when the shadows receded, a barely battered Sneasel stood in his place, a wicked grin on her mouth.
"Ice Shard!" I screamed.
"Flamethrower!" Leon roared. No sooner had he gotten the word out had a gigantic icicle materialized, thrown from Sneasel's claws, and crashed straight into Dragapult's face. Dragapult roared, and sped after Sneasel, who had elected to keep running. Dragapult was much faster, and volleyed fiery burst after fiery burst, but Sneasel's nimble movement kept her just one step ahead of the worst of the damage.
"Keep moving and throw another ice shard when you can!" I yelled.
"Keep up the heat!" Leon roared.
Dragapult continued its chase, and Sneasel juked left and right, getting licked by the edge of the flames. She sent off another Ice Shard, this colliding against Dragapult's stomach, but the brief halt in movement as she made the throw was enough to get her caught in another blast of fire. Things weren't looking good for us, but as the fire burned up, I saw that somehow, despite all odds, Sneasel was still standing, albeit just barely. Dragapult was also thrown for a loop from the second Ice Shard, so I had to take another gamble. "Alright! Finish it off with a final Ice Shard!" I cried, and before Leon could even shout a command in return, a third icicle smashed directly into Dragapult, and it fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Sneasel looked at me, a look of pride filling her eyes before she too, fell to her knees. The exertion and the fire had taken their toll.
"Sneasel and Dragapult are both unable to battle!" the ref cried.
The entire stadium gasped in shock, Leon included. Dragapult may not have been Leon's most recognizable Pokémon, but much like Charizard, it had gained a reputation of being a nuisance on the battlefield. And I had just felled it with an unevolved Pokémon. As murmurs gave way to cheers of shock, surprise, and enjoyment, I recalled Sneasel to her ball. "Look at you," I whispered into her Pokéball, "blowing everyone's expectations out of the water again. Rest well." I clipped her Pokéball back to my belt. I was still ahead 2-1, but it was still early, and I knew Leon would have much worse for me.
"I'm impressed, as always!" Leon taunted as he recalled Dragapult himself. "I was expecting that Rapidash of yours, egg on my face!" he pulled out another ball and hurled it into the air.
"Guess we're just fashionably late, then!" I cried, hurling Rapidash's ball into the sky. In a shower of sparks, she appeared opposite Leon's second (and hopefully final) dragon type Pokémon, Haxorus. Its greenish-yellow scales glinted in the sun as it stared Rapidash down with its beady red eyes.
"Don't think she's safe just yet!" Leon cried. "Iron Tail!"
"Let's give 'em the tried and true!" I barked to Rapidash. "Dazzling Gleam into Zen Headbutt!"
Rapidash bucked with a furious neigh, her horn exploding into a ray of white light that burned the eyes to look at and before the light was gone, she was already charging ahead towards where Haxorus' last position was. As the light dimmed, I saw its form appear, just a shadow in the bright light at first, twisting as it swung its tail wildly towards its target. Rapidash jumped up and out of the way, easily clearing the attack but stepping too far out to do much else in terms of damage.
"Zen Headbutt again!" I ordered, and Rapidash turned on a dime and rushed Haxorus, but this time, both he and Leon were ready for the attack.
"Poison Jab!" Leon cried, and just as Rapidash was about to make contact, Haxorus ducked to the side and punched out with his right arm, striking her in the shoulder and knocking her to the ground. Rapidash whinnied gruffly, struggling to stand up.
"No!" I cried. "Back out of the way!"
"Finish it with another Iron Tail!" Leon roared, now taking the offensive. Haxorus backed up a couple steps and its tail began to glow with a steely sheen, which was just enough time for Rapidash to come back to her feet and run just out of the way. She was looking rough, but she still had plenty of fight left in her. Haxorus, on the other hand, was also looking fairly good, and when its first iron tail missed, it didn't skip a beat, chasing after Rapidash, ready to strike again.
"Dazzling Gleam! Use it to get your bearings again!" I called out, and just as Haxorus was about to strike again, another brilliant white flash burst from Rapidash's horn. When the light receded, she had not only sidestepped Haxorus entirely, she had moved behind it.
"Haxorus!"
"Zen Headbutt!" I roared triumphantly, and just as Haxorus had turned around and located Rapidash, she had thrust her head directly into its chest. There was a powerful wave of psychic energy, and Haxorus flew backwards, bouncing twice before skidding to a stop next to Leon. It struggled to get up, but could not, and with a whinny, Rapidash trotted back to me, not even needing the ref to confirm her victory. Still, the ref made the call, and as Rapidash came to a halt near me, I ran my fingers through her silky mane. "Amazing as always, girl," I congratulated. "You up for some more fun?" Rapidash let out a wild neigh and turned to face the next Pokémon Leon was sending out.
A flash of light revealed Leon's fourth Pokémon, and it was one I had never seen before. It was a bipedal…something, and it stared at Rapidash jovially, smiling behind a bushy moustache and what looked like a bowler cap. As Rapidash and I blinked in surprise, it lifted its arm high into the air. There was a rush of chilly air, and an icicle, curved at one end like a candy cane, began to form in its mitten-like hand. "Rapidash!" I called out, "Watch out for the—" but the creature didn't throw it, or even hold it like one would hold a weapon. Instead, it grabbed its icy staff and brought it to the ground, leaning on it like it needed a cane to walk with.
"Alright, Mr. Rime!" Leon bellowed, "let's get their toes tapping! Teeter Dance!"
"Rapidash, Megahorn!" I cried.
Rapidash whinnied and scuffed the ground with her hooves, but Mr. Rime didn't look even remotely nervous. Instead, he began to tap his feet quickly, counting off a four-count before launching into a dance. Was it even interested in attacking? Rapidash bolted after him, lowering her head and aiming at him with her sharp horn, but he easily danced out of the way once, twice, and by the third go, I noticed that Rapidash was losing her footing and her focus.
"Rapidash, snap out of it! Use a Dazzling Gleam so he can't see it!" Rapidash looked up at the sound of my voice, but her vision was cloudy, as if she couldn't fully understand what I was saying. Instead of creating another bright flash, she bucked up and stumbled, rolling onto the ground as if Mr. Rime had tripped her himself instead of continuing his dance.
Leon laughed wildly. "Now's your chance, Mr. Rime! Freeze-Dry!" Before Rapidash could even get up, Mr. Rime finished his dance and spun his icy cane around in his hands like a propeller. A burst of icy wind flew from him, blowing right through Rapidash, who brayed in pain at the chilly blast. She got to her feet, now fully confused, and began to buck left and right.
"Rapidash, pull it together!" I screamed, but it was no use. She kept bucking left and right, and Leon began shouting more commands to Mr. Rime, who shot icy blast after icy blast at her, and all I could do was helplessly watch as she was slowly overcome with attacks. Finally, it proved to be too much for her, and just as she began to calm down and back to her senses, Leon called out for a thunderbolt, which landed true, zapping her. A brief silence followed as we both watched Rapidash teeter before slumping over.
"Rapidash is unable to battle!" The ref cried. Cheers erupted for Leon and Mr. Rime, both of whom danced around in excitement. I groaned and returned Rapidash to her ball. I couldn't afford to let Leon get any more momentum. With two Pokémon down and one who would go down at the first gust of chilly air, I was starting to run out of options. I couldn't let Mr. Rime's moves confuse any more of my Pokémon – how could I keep those silly steps from confounding us?
"What've you got next for me, then?" Leon taunted, as Mr. Rime danced away.
Suddenly I felt my spirits lifted. "You can't confuse me with fancy footwork if you can't move your feet! Boltund, Nuzzle!" I cried, throwing her ball out. Boltund exploded out of her ball, hitting the ground running, and with sparks flying off of her fur, she charged at Mr. Rime, who didn't even have a chance to dodge. She nuzzled up to Mr. Rime and a big yellow spark zapped Mr. Rime, who dropped his cane in shock. As she circled around for another attack, he slowly and laboriously picked his cane up off the ground, and I smiled. Paralysis was setting in.
"Teeter Dance!" Leon growled, as I shouted for a Wild Charge. Mr. Rime slowly began to retrace its steps, but Boltund was having none of it. She howled, and as she did, bolts of lightning exploded off of her, extending in every direction. She bolted towards Mr. Rime, who likely would have been unable to dodge it anyway. As she did, Mr. Rime tensed up, seized by total paralysis, making him a sitting duck. When Boltund collided with Mr. Rime, there was a loud thunderclap as the lightning scattered off her again, much of it seeping into Mr. Rime's body. Boltund leisurely trotted back to me as Mr. Rime buckled and fell to the ground.
"Mr. Rime is unable to battle!" the ref confirmed, and the crowd went wild again. Boltund howled with excitement, wagging her tail as she turned back to Leon. Knocking Mr. Rime out without taking anything from him in return was a huge victory for me, but I noted that Boltund's breathing was a little heavy; Wild Charges like that could take a lot out of an electric type Pokémon, and if I wanted to finally pull ahead of Leon, I'd have to battle a bit more conservatively.
"Alright then, Gloria, I see how the play is. Let's see if you can keep that play up!" Leon said as he threw out his fifth Pokéball. It wasn't Charizard – of course, he'd be saving Charizard for the end. Instead, it was Seismitoad, the bulky blue and black frog I had seen follow him around a few times. I frowned. Seismitoad was a water-type, but something was nagging at me. Obviously, he would have thought of something to keep Seismitoad safe from electric types, but Boltund could outspeed him no problem. I paused, trying to get a head on his play, but Leon didn't even move. It was like he was inviting me to get close with an attack. Did I want to take the bait?
Or did I want to bait him in return?
I brought my hand down to my side. This would be tricky to pull off. I had to make sure Boltund took as much of Leon and Seismitoad's attention as possible.
"Alright, Boltund! Let's go!" I cried, and as another burst of lightning shot out of her body, I grabbed at Flygon's Pokéball.
"Wrong move! Earthquake!" Leon roared, but with a flick of my wrist, Boltund was swapped out with Flygon, who was high enough to miss the jumbling of earth below him, completely free of any damage.
"Don't let him see you coming!" I cried. "Dragon Rush!"
Leon staggered back, surprised that he had been outfoxed, but quickly recovered. "Grab on and don't let go!" he yelled, and not a second too soon, as Flygon slammed into Seismitoad, intending to send the toad flying into the air. In either an incredible display of skill or stroke of luck, however, Seismitoad reached out and grabbed at one of Flygon's long green antennae and hung on for dear life. The sudden pull threw Flygon off course and the two crashed into the ground in a great struggle.
"Drain Punch!" Leon called.
"Earthquake! Don't let him get grounded!" I retorted. I knew an Earthquake wouldn't do much damage, but anything to shake Seismitoad off Flygon and give him a bit of an advantage would help. Unfortunately, its grip held and with its free hand, landed a hard punch on Flygon's neck. Flygon writhed on the ground, sending out many shockwaves, but each one was weaker than the last, and soon he stopped squirming entirely. Seismitoad hopped off to the roar of the audience. It was clearly shaken from the quick back and forth, but the drain punch had definitely eased the pain from it. Flygon, meanwhile, was out like a light.
"Flygon is unable to battle!" The ref shouted, but Flygon was already back in his Pokéball before he could get the words out.
"You did a great job against Aegislash, and every little bit against this Seismitoad will help," I whispered into the Pokéball before clipping it to my belt. I was still in the lead, with three healthy Pokémon to Leon's two, but with Boltund and Cinderace effectively useless against a Pokémon who could use Earthquake, things were a bit more dire than they would seem. I took a deep breath. Good thing that I had a Pokémon who could dish out and take as many hits as this Seismitoad could give.
"Let's go, Bewear! It's all you, buddy!"
Bewear popped onto the pitch and roared, to the tune of thousands of screaming fans. I clocked that he got a bigger reception than any of my Pokémon thus far and smiled. Cinderace had some competition in popularity it seemed, and I couldn't blame them. Leon, on the other hand, grimaced, another thing I clocked. He had to have known Bewear was going to show up, was he starting to lose his nerve?
"Toxic!" Leon cried.
"Hammer Arm!" I shouted. Bewear rushed Seismitoad, who once again let its attacker approach. As Bewear closed in, I saw a purple sheen appear across Seismitoad's body, and despite his attack smashing into it from the side, Bewear was the one who stumbled back. I grumbled – a quick-acting toxin could put an end to Bewear's rampage quickly. And Bewear's hammer arm, despite clearly doing incredible damage to it, Seismitoad shakily stood back up, ready to keep fighting.
"Drain Punch!" Leon cried, and Seismitoad charged, jabbing at Bewear's chest. Bewear stumbled back and in a hazy orange glow, I watched his vitality leave his own body, heading straight to Seismitoad. As tough as Bewear was, he couldn't take much of this. I had to go with the nuclear option.
"Bewear! Giga Impact!"
"Drain Punch!" Leon yelled again.
Seismitoad took a step back, freshly rejuvenated from the first drain punch, but that ended up being his undoing. Bewear roared as much as his poisoned brain could, and the very earth around him began to shake. Not enough to cause an earthquake like Flygon could, but still notable. His fluffy fur stood straight on end, and he almost gained a full two inches in size and width from it before lowering his head and charging full speed into Seismitoad. As he ran, arms pumping mightily, now glowing orange, almost like it would when he had last Dynamaxed, but this strength was all his own. He leapt into the air, and as Seismitoad readied his punch, Bewear brought his head down, throwing his entire body into this one attack.
Dust flew, slowly settling on two forms wobbling in a crater where Seismitoad had stood. Bewear took a few steps back from the crater, weak and vulnerable to any attack that came his way, but Seismitoad was in no place to attack. It took a step forward, and then another, and then fell forward right as it was about to exit the crater and sliding back down to the bottom of it.
"Seismitoad is unable to battle!" the ref cried.
Silence overwhelmed the stadium for a solid two seconds; the magnitude of it all was just hitting them. For the first time in all his years as a champion, and one of only a handful if you counted the battles during his rise to stardom, Leon was down to his last Pokémon.
"I can't believe it," Leon said, recalling Seismitoad back to his Pokéball. "You've really got me backed into a corner, don't you, Gloria?" His eyes were on fire, his grin spreading ear to ear.
"Don't tell me you're giving up!" I called back. As I did, I saw Bewear lose his footing, falling to one knee. I raised his Pokéball and returned him as well. Weakened by poison, he'd be nothing but barbeque after a bout with Charizard. No point leaving him out.
"On the contrary," Leon said brazenly. "I'd say it's high time I turned up the heat! I'm not done having a champion time!" And with that, he pulled out his final Pokéball and threw it high into the air, where it arced slowly and then exploded. In a shower of sparks, Charizard appeared with an awe-inspiring roar. It slowly descended, flapping its wide, green wings and staring deep into my heart, ready for me to call out my next Pokémon.
My heart was beating wildly. Bewear wouldn't be able to do much of anything anymore, but Boltund still had plenty of energy in reserve, and Cinderace hadn't even gotten a chance to come out and play just yet. As I clipped Bewear's Pokéball back into my belt, my hand hovered over Boltund's for a second before I chose against it. Leon wanted to turn up the heat? Then so be it.
"Cinderace! I choose you!" I roared, grabbing his Pokéball and launching it out of my hand. The audience roared wildly in approval.
Leon smiled warmly. "Ace against Ace," he said, his voice barely floating over all the noise from the stands. "You sure know how to make a show of it all. Ancient Power, Charizard!"
"Then let's give 'em what they came to see!" I replied. "Cinderace! Kick it back with Pyro ball! Don't let him get too high!"
Charizard roared, and all around him, glimmering stones began to materialize, and with a flap of his wings, they began flying toward Cinderace. In response, Cinderace ran, bounding from stone to stone as they flew towards him, his feet striking the ground like matches on a matchbox and kicking up flames. Each time a stone got close, he lashed out furiously with one of his feet, sending it right back to Charizard. The first two caught Charizard by surprise, battering into him and knocking him back down to the ground, but the next few missed as Cinderace became overwhelmed by the stones pelting him. He managed to kick most away but some crashed into him, knocking him to the ground as well.
"While you've got him down! Air slash!" Leon roared, and as Cinderace struggled to pull himself off the ground, Charizard flapped his wings and sped toward him.
"Cinderace!" I cried. "Sucker Punch!"
Just as Charizard reared up to blow a powerful gust of air to Cinderace, Cinderace leapt forward, jabbing upwards and hitting Charizard in the jaw with a surprisingly powerful uppercut. Charizard shook it off and flapped his wings once, propelling the two Pokémon away from each other. It managed to right itself by spreading its wings again to slow down, while Cinderace twisted mid-air, so he could land on his feet. He skidded against the uneven ground, sending sparks as he slid to a halt. He looked shaken but still had all his wits about him.
"Keep your distance!" Leon roared. "Ancient Power!"
"Same strategy!" I shouted. "Pyro Ball!"
Charizard let out another wave of metallic stones, sending them shooting like bullets towards Cinderace, who deftly maneuvered around each of them, kicking most straight back into Charizard. The volleying continued, neither Pokémon giving in, and each Pokémon slowly wearing themselves out.
"Think you can really keep this up?" Leon called out.
"I can do this all day, Lee!" I cried. But deep down, I wasn't so sure. Charizard was looking rough, but Cinderace was looking worse with each volley of ancient Power. It was draining as much energy to dodge the stones as it was to kick them back, and the stress of both was wearing him down faster than Charizard. If I wanted another go, I'd have to figure something else out.
"Keep sending them!" Leon belted.
"Protect! Hunker down!" I roared. Cinderace blinked in surprise at the change of plan, but quickly obeyed, bulking up and bending down so he was almost in a fetal position. The rocks pummeled him, but by keeping himself small and relatively protected, Cinderace managed to shrug the latest volley off like it was nothing. When the last stone bounced off the ground and lay still, he popped back up and began to hop from foot to foot, ready for whatever Charizard had planned next.
But even Charizard had his limits, and it slowly descended to the ground, no longer able to send any rocks Cinderace's way. Leon frowned. His best offensive option was used up, had he done enough to ensure Charizard's victory?
"Blast Burn!" He roared. "Give it everything!"
"Sucker Punch!" I yelled. Cinderace rushed forward, ready to strike at Charizard again, as Charizard deeply inhaled, ready to roast him as soon as he got close. Cinderace was there almost immediately, but instead of an uppercut like he usually did, he jumped up and flipped forward, aiming for Charizard with one of his feet instead. A flashy move, for sure, but I hoped it wouldn't leave him open to take Charizard's attack.
Unfortunately, it did. Cinderace brought his foot down, landing right at the base of Charizard's neck, and just as he did, Charizard exhaled, releasing a genuine inferno that blew up and out, flames white hot, almost as if Charizard was using Dazzling Gleam.
"Cinderace!" I cried.
The flames petered out quickly, as did the sounds of the crowd, and I saw that both Pokémon were reeling back in pain. Charizard fell back into the ground from Cinderace's powerful kick, and Cinderace, from the force of the blast, was now airborne, about twenty feet above. Time slowed down to a near halt as I watched Cinderace arc backwards. Charizard struggled to get up. From the power of both Pokémon's attack, I could see that he was in no shape to attack or dodge right away. If Cinderace was still in the match, he'd have a free hit if he could make it count. I looked to Cinderace, who was facing me now, and our eyes locked. In that moment, we were together. Tethered with a bond as tight as ever, tighter than my bond with Hop, or Marnie, or even Zacian. He had started my journey as a trainer, and he was ready to finally end it and make me the champion. I didn't even need to say the words; he already knew what I wanted him to do.
"Pyro Ball!" I yelled into the silence.
Cinderace twisted in the air once, spotted a stone that had flown up in the blast, and swung his foot at it with all his might. As he kicked, his entire leg burst into flame, hot enough that it looked like it would melt the small stone upon impact, but it didn't. Time was still in slow-motion for me, but I watched as the small rock shot straight and true, a blistering red bullet, right between Charizard's eyes.
Upon impact, the stone exploded into a blast that was almost comically large. Black smoke sped past me, so much so that I had to look away. But when the winds died down and all the smoke vanished, in the haze I saw Cinderace standing triumphantly over Charizard, who rolled to the ground with a huff and a puff of smoke.
Not a sound was made. Every pair of eyes in the entire stadium watched as Charizard's body slowly rose and fall weakly as it breathed. A second passed. Two, then three, and then the realization hit all of us as the referee uttered the words I thought I would only hear in my dreams:
"Charizard is unable to battle! Gloria Dixon wins the match and the championship!"
I think the audience roared, but I couldn't see or hear anything. I could hardly believe it myself. In my peripheral vision, Leon stood, awestruck, his hat fallen next to him on the ground from the blast, but his disbelief start to swell into a burst of pride. I wasn't focused on that, though. Instead, my eyes were trained on Cinderace, who turned back and looked at me, mirroring the same disbelief and excitement that I felt in my heart. I took a shaky step forward, then two more, and then I was running straight into his arms, and he mine. We collided in a deep embrace just as my hearing returned and I finally registered the deafening roars of the audience.
"You did it!" I cried, feeling tears of joy and pride overtaking me as I nuzzled into Cinderace's neck. "You really did it, I knew you could, I knew you could!" We spun around a couple times, drunk on happiness, until we got dizzy and fell to the ground, which finally broke us apart, giggling until a shadow loomed over us. I opened my eyes and looked up to see Leon standing above us, hand outstretched.
"Helluva battle, Dixon," he said. "Looks like I have to find a new nickname."
"I guess so," I said, still laughing as I grabbed his hand and let him pull me back to my feet.
"Congratulations, Gloria," he said, clapping his other hand firmly onto my shoulder. "You've beat even the unbeatable Champion. You've really become a first-rate trainer, all right. You've gotten so strong since I came to find you in the Weald last year."
"Thanks, Lee," I replied. "That was…that was a champion time? Is that something I'm allowed to say?"
He smiled, eyes twinkling. "Er, now that I'm hearing it instead of saying it, it does sound a little ridiculous."
"Look at how much we've both grown," I snickered.
"Well, what do you say I formally announce it?" Leon asked.
I turned around in a slow circle as the audience roared my name, and good thing too, as I saw Hop, Victor, and Marnie sprinting towards me at full speed. Cinderace stepped out of the way as Hop thrust himself onto me, then Victor, knocking me back over to the ground, and then helped pry the boys off of me as Marnie, who had slowed to a cool walk, strode up to me and pulled me right back up. She was about to say some type of congratulations, but I pulled her into a deep kiss before she could get a word out; no doubt there'd be much more to say anyway. I wished the moment could last for a lifetime, surrounded by people screaming for me, but as we finally pulled away from each other, the roar of the crowd finally began to die down. I looked back to Leon. "Yeah, let's do it," I answered simply, feeling my emotions start to well up and for once, not having anything else to say.
Less than twenty minutes later, I stood next with Leon and the eight gym leaders from the prior season on a small stage that had been brought to the center of the pitch. A couple men I had never met before stood next to us. Leon had introduced them as a couple new members of the League board that he had appointed since taking the reins but I had already forgotten their names. Plenty of time to learn them again, I supposed. Most of the stadium was still in their seats, but some were allowed to filter down for the announcement, and among the small crowd in front of me I counted Mum, Hop, Victor, Sonia, Marnie, and Bede.
"Gloria," Leon said, leaning in towards me. "I think there are a few other faces we'd like to see up here." He tapped at a Pokéball on his belt.
"Right!" I said quickly, grabbing each of my Pokéballs and throwing them into the air. One by one, my team, exhausted but accomplished, appeared. Sneasel, the little trickster that could. Flygon, my scourge of the skies. Rapidash, my beautiful and valiant steed. Boltund, my most loyal pup. Bewear, whose powerful hugs were second only to a powerful heart. And of course, my partner from day one, Cinderace. As they all appeared, there was yet another swell in the audience. They really never got tired of this, did they? Leon smiled and reached for a microphone from a small woman in a black shirt and headset.
"People of Galar!" He bellowed, his voice echoing to all the way to Hoenn and Alola, "Here you have it! A new legend born right before your eyes! Your champion, Gloria! Bet you can't wait to see what kind of future a kid with this kind of strength might bring about! I know I sure can't! Let's watch and see what she can do!" The audience erupted again as Leon held the trophy out to me. On it was the figure that graced the Pokémon League logo, a faceless, genderless trainer standing atop a gilded Pokéball. The metal was cold and heavy in my hands, yet I raised it into the air like it was a cheap plastic toy. As I did, I felt two powerful arms scoop me up; Bewear had done the same with me. I hung there in his arms, surrounded by my Pokémon as one by one, the eight gym leaders congratulated me. Even Opal told me I was looking very pink. Finally, I had Bewear put me down, and though I still felt like I was floating in the air, I gestured my team to follow me as I hopped off the stage and walked off the pitch. Hop, Victor, and Marnie quickly joined up with me and we walked together, our journeys finally over, at least for the time being. As we slipped into the darkness of the tunnel to the locker room, the outside sounds slowly faded away, and in the blossoming quiet, I heard Zacian speak to me one more time:
Congratulations, my champion.
THE END
A/N: Holy shit I actually did it what the hell
Before I leave this story I wanted to say a few things. You can click away if you don't care, but if you'll indulge me for just a bit longer, please:
1. A MASSIVE thank you to everyone who favorited/followed/reviewed Would-Be Champions. Prior to writing this, every fic I had attempted fell apart after like five chapters and then I deleted them out of embarrassment. Your support kept me going through it all, which believe me was no easy task. I started typing this is August of 2021 and my initial plan of weekly uploads would have had me finish after like, 56 chapters. As you can see, that number got a bit bigger, lol. So really, thanks for sticking with it for the past year and a half.
2. I'm going on a bit of a break from longer, more complex fics because, as previously mentioned, doing something like this is a massive undertaking. I'll be posting some one-shots while I gear up for my next longer fic, which is going to be an entirely original story (Unless I change my mind, there's like 20 half-baked ideas knocking around the ol' brain so who knows what or when the next longer fic will be). If you liked Would-Be Champions, please follow/fav me as an author so you can be the first to know when I publish something new. I may branch out to other properties, too - I only spend most of my time thinking about Pokemon.
3. This is...probably not the end for Gloria and her friends? There's a reason I barely mentioned the Crown Tundra in this fic, and I do have a few ideas for a sequel set there, but the concept needs some fine-tuning and let's be real, I need a break from Galar. I deeply love these characters and writing them, but hoo boy I am ready to switch it up for a bit first.
Once again, thank you all so much for reading this. I hope you liked it, and I hope to see you all again, whenever I see you all again.
-horseradish
(wow my account name is so dumb lmfao)