Pokémon: Hoenn Travels.
-The Important Stuff:-
1) I am not at all affiliated with Game Freak nor Nintendo, or any other companies that write/produce Pokémon.
2) I do not own any part of Pokémon.
-A Waiver:-
1) This is not a direct steal from anything already Pokémon-related that exists, not the show or a game or a novel/book. It is my own creation, therefore I may bend the rules a little bit to fit my needs.
2) The names of Professors, Gym Leaders, and Cities were taken from Ruby Version.
Epilogue:
The Undefeated Champion
Goldenrod National Park was a large, sprawling landmark. It was filled with numerous bug Pokémon, varying from the adorably cute to the absolutely terrifying. However, unless meddled with, the Pokémon kept their distance, leaving the park to be a stunning location for trainers and families alike to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Two teenagers, fresh on their Pokémon adventure after completing courses at Goldenrod Academy, stood in the middle of the park. They had missed the bug catching contest by mere minutes and they were trying to decide how annoyed they were by it. It was a surefire way for them to get a few, easy Pokémon, or so they thought, and maybe some money out of it as well.
However, instead the two teens were surrounded by young trainers battling Weedles and Caterpies, by families and their squealing kids enjoying the sunshine and picnics. They felt dismayed, disappointed already only a day into what was supposed to be an exciting adventure.
As they mulled through the park, heading for the north exit and therefore toward Ecruteak Town, they kept their eyes peeled for a Heracross or a Scyther; rare but present in the park.
What they found surprised them even more.
As they cut through a lush, grassy field, free of trees and bug Pokémon, they spotted a small family spread out across a picnic blanket. A young woman with dark hair, pulled back and away from her face in a high ponytail sat on the ground. She was looking up at a tall, dark-haired man; he was standing and holding a small child, who was kicking and squealing loudly with happy shouts.
The trainers could suddenly not comprehend their luck. They argued for a minute, if they were seeing who they actually believed they were seeing. There was no way that on the first day of their gym leader challenge they had stumbled upon a legend.
"It's him, it's totally him." One said to the other, jabbing his elbow aggressively into his friend's ribcage.
The other teen groaned loudly, rubbing the tender spot. "I know it is, I took the same classes you did and learned about him too."
"So, you agree?"
"Yes, it's definitely Douglas Evergreen, the undefeated Champion."
The two teens watched the family, falling silent again. The woman was seated beside a lanky Pokémon, light purple in color, an obvious Eevee evolution. While the woman's attention was on the Champion, the Espeon's attention was on another Eevee evolution. An Umbreon was rolling around on the grass, several small Eevee pups yipping and throwing themselves on top of the evolved form.
The first boy finally faced the other fully, shock present on his face. "Like five years ago, after successfully rescuing the entire Hoenn region from a criminal mastermind, he just quit, out of the blue. He had been the longest running, undefeated Champion for the Johto and Kanto region and he just gave it up! It's so freaking cool!"
"Yeah, I know! I took the same classes," the other teen reiterated.
The first boy turned away again, his eyes on the champion. "I just want to know why he came here."
The second teen's eyes grew wide. "Do you think-do you think we could go talk to him?"
The first matched his excitement. "Why not, right? We are allowed to go ask him questions. That's basically what he does now."
"It is?"
"Yeah, I am pretty sure he teaches battle techniques at the Olivine Private Pokémon Academy." He had been so intrigued by the story of the undefeated champion that he had read several published books and even asked his parents for more information about the man. Still though, he had questions. "And he is still undefeated."
"What if we could defeat him?"
The boys cheered and cooed at each other for a moment. Then the first shook his head. "No, we couldn't. It's our first day."
The second nodded knowingly, seemingly mildly disappointed by the decision. "You're right, but maybe he will give us tips. Or a really cool Pokémon!"
The teens squinted in the direction of the picnicking couple. The undefeated Champion had hoisted the child he was holding, a young boy of about two, onto his shoulders. The woman was laughing, but she was also cautiously holding her hands out, obviously nervous even though the child was squealing loudly and happily.
As the boys watched, the woman happened to glance in their direction. After a moment, she did a double-take and stared more intently at them. One of the boys swore as the other began to fidget nervously. A smile alighted across her lips as she waved up at the man, and gestured in the teens' direction.
"Oh, Mew, she saw us."
"Well, we aren't exactly being very sneaky!"
The champion slowly lowered the child to the ground; he ran screaming to the woman and collapsed into her chest. The champion's attention was no longer on his kid, but on the two teenagers.
"Dude! He's waving us over!" The first teen excitedly shrieked, once again throwing his arm into his friend. Before his friend could respond, he tore across the grass and hurried to the couple. "You're the undefeated Champion of Johto and Kanto," the boy stammered, sliding to a halt near the edge of the picnic blanket. He felt his friend come up beside him.
"Doug Evergreen," the man introduced himself politely.
"You gave up the title, but you were never defeated. The only Champion in history to never be defeated!" The boy couldn't help the excited ramblings that poured from his mouth. His friend stayed quiet beside him, from awe or embarrassment he didn't know.
The champion glanced from the boys and to the woman. "You have fans," she giggled at him. "You should see what they want."
Doug Evergreen released an audible sigh before speaking again. "What do you guys want? A battle? Or would you like me to sign something?"
"Doug," the woman softly chuckled at him. She waved up at him, holding her hand out. The champion forgot about the young trainers for a moment as he reached down and pulled the woman to her feet with his other arm. She stood, momentarily unstable because she was very obviously pregnant, then reached down and picked up the toddler. "Be nice."
He held his hands out in the direction of the boys. "I don't know why it still happens."
She shook her head. "Because you're a big deal, my love."
He let his breath out again, then cut his eyes to the teenagers. "Yes, I was the champion of Johto and Kanto for about five years. I never lost a battle and to this day, I remain undefeated. Unfortunately, a lot of people still come looking for battles and that's why you're getting mild impatience from me. However, I don't want you guys to feel like you can't ask me for something, so what would you like?"
"Would you sign my backpack?" The kid who had not yet spoken to him sheepishly asked. Doug agreed with a nod. "And a pokéball?"
"And you?" Doug asked, glancing to the first boy, the talkative one as he accepted a black marker from the second boy and scribbled his name on the backpack. After signing it, the kid dug through the satchel and pulled out an empty pokéball for Doug to sign as well.
"I don't know. I want to know how to battle like you, I want to know how to become an undefeated champion. I want to know if you miss it, I want to know why you gave it up. Why would you do that?"
Doug straightened up, returning the now signed pokéball to the shy teen. "That's a lot of questions," Doug muttered. "To answer the first two, it would be better if you just came and sat in on one of my classes."
"My parents can't afford Olivine Private Academy," the boy was immediately defeated.
"Oh no, honey," the woman reached out now and set a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Doug puts on an event, first weekend of every month, completely free, that you could come partake in."
"Really?" Both of the boys' faces lit up as the first one spoke. "That's this weekend!"
"Yeah, it'll be here in the park just because of the volume of trainers who come," Doug answered. The quiet boy had now handed him a notebook to sign as well, Doug was silently obliging.
"Do you miss being champion?" The first boy reiterated one of his questions.
Doug was shaking his head in response. "Not at all."
"How could you not?" The trainer was flabbergasted. "It's what every trainer wants!"
"It wasn't what I wanted," Doug answered. The quiet boy had now produced his phone. His cheeks turned bright red as he requested a picture with the champion. Doug took the phone, handing it off to the woman. She repositioned the toddler she held and quickly snapped several pictures of the two standing side by side. The Espeon on the ground chortled with quiet laughter, though she had moved to sit closer to the Umbreon and the Eevee pups; four of them the boys now saw.
"How could you not want it? What could be better than being champion!" The boy was shocked by his admission.
The champion glanced at the woman by his side. She offered him a smile and he held his hands out, taking their child back from her. The teenagers watched the movement, confused by it. "You gave it up for a girl?" One finally asked.
"Not just a girl," the champion said. "Savior of the Hoenn region."
"That was you!" The teenagers were taken over with a new sense of wonder as they beheld the woman.
"I had help." She settled a hand on the Espeon's head as the Pokémon neared. "Right, Luma?" The Espeon released another happy chortle.
"You could have been the Champion of the Hoenn region!" The teenagers recalled the story, it had been big news while they were in school. There had even been talk of them taking a field trip to Ecruteak to meet the famed woman, but it had never happened.
"I could have been," she agreed.
"I still don't get it." The teenager shook his head, looking up to the undefeated Champion. "You could have been the most powerful couple and you gave it up to be a normal family?"
"No," Doug shook his head. He leaned toward the woman, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. She leaned into the movement, smiling brightly up at him. Both teenagers winced, one released a retching noise. "I gave it up so that I could have a life I actually wanted."
Author's Notes:
With the conclusion of Pokemon: Hoenn Travels, it also concludes the story of Rowan Eden and Douglas Evergreen. Thank you to all the readers new and old who tagged along for their adventures and came to appreciate reading them as much as I did writing them.
RYM.