Flashback 3
Steven felt a wave of nervousness wash over him, rendering his feet numb. This was it. He was in the semi-finals of the annual Championship of the Academy. The winner of the Championship was given the title of 'Champion of the Academy', which was a great honor.
Steven knew deep down that he wanted to win, but his opponents were extremely strong as well. He looked at his hands while he waited anxiously in the wings for the announcer to give his cue. I'm against Aline. She is fierce and unrelenting.
He calmed himself by taking a few breaths. I am not a pushover, either. I am just as capable as the other three. The other three consisted of Gary, Aline and another student by the name of Virgil. He had trained long and hard for this battle. Gary had won his battle against Virgil.
Guess his little gimmick with the Eeveelutions didn't work out.
Virgil was by no means a sore loser, and Steven had spotted him sitting beside Gary, waiting for their match to begin. Steven looked at his Pokéballs. He had decided on a variety of Pokémon for this match, a change from his usual team of Steel Pokémon.
Aline was probably going to throw all she had at him in this match, and he had no intention of going in unprepared. He knew that Aline would bring in her Blastoise for sure, and for that very reason, he had brought along his Manectric. He sighed.
Even then, just type advantages won't do me any good. He decided to open with his Skarmory and put out Spikes as the first move. That way, he'd have the upper hand. He had all his Pokémon hold various berries so that they could heal themselves of any status conditions and restore HP.
Steven was calculating the odds of Aline bringing her Umbreon along when the announcer popped in and told him that it was his cue to step out into the field. Steven nodded, and took a breath before stepping out. Let's do this.
Steven walked out into the field, the pleasant March wind weaving through his pale blue strands. The field was absolutely huge, and it was intimidating to any newcomer. Steven chuckled to himself as he remembered his own astonishment at the field's size.
The battle ground was plain sandstone and the field markings were done with white paint. The other bits were all fresh grass. He looked up around the stands, and saw almost all the seats packed with fellow students and professors. Every student at the Academy had a pass to this match, even the first-years. Many Pokémon trainers and Gym Leaders had also come to the match.
Steven looked across the field. Aline stood there in a gold overcoat, neat white shirt and knee-length white pleated skirt. Her hair was tied in a neat ponytail and fell down her right shoulder. She held a Pokéball in her left hand and she seemed determined. She smiled at him and Steven saw her competitiveness in the smile.
Good luck, it said. But I'm winning.
Steven grinned in return. He had no intention of losing today. The referee stepped up on the podium and read out the rules. Steven nodded along, sure that all of them applied to him and his Pokémon. The referee raised her flag.
Two screen on opposite sides of the field flickered to life, with Aline's and Steven's faces on it, along with six black circles which would be occupied by shots of their Pokémon.
Steven pressed the middle of his Ultra Ball and let it expand to its original size. Aline mirrored his action. As the flag came down, they both tossed it into the air and released their Pokémon. Steven's Skarmory cawed and flapped about five feet off the ground. On Aline's side, a Gardevoir materialized, the edges of its 'dress' swishing in the wind.
Steven smiled to himself. He had something that no one else at this Championship had. His burning passion in geology had given him an edge over Aline. Professor Augustine of Kalos had heard of his interest in rocks and stones from his father. As a token of good faith, he had sent over a very rare stone. Or rather, a pair of stones.
One sat safely on his suit's lapel, perched on a silver stickpin. A small sparkling keystone. Its pair stone was now on a bracelet like structure on his Metagross's arm. Mega Evolution. A bond that can unleash tremendous power. It was in its very early stages, but it was well known at the Academy. Not all Pokémon had Mega Evolutions, and Steven had only found out that his Metagross could Mega Evolve when the Kalos Professor had told him.
It was his secret weapon. Most people would dismiss the stone he wore openly as a fashion statement; after all, he was known for his interest in geology. However, he was careful around Aline. Being Augustine's protégé, he suspected that she might know a thing or two about Mega Evolution. He had managed to keep the stone out of Aline's sight.
Steven got right to work with his strategy, starting off with Spikes. Aline nodded on her side of the field. She looked at her Gardevoir a knowing look. "Grace, use Confusion!" Steven looked at his Skarmory. As the attack came barreling down on the Pokémon, it tried to swoop out of the way. However, the attack hit and the Skarmory was pushed back.
Since the move was a Psychic move, it didn't do much damage to the Pokémon. Steven wasted no time in retaliating. "Skarmory, use Night Slash!" Aline responded like lightning.
"Grace, Teleport!" The Pokémon disappeared at the last second, causing Skarmory to stop. It reappeared far behind it, on Steven's side of the field.
"Skarmory, use Toxic!" he yelled. Aline swept her hand in front of her.
"Grace, use Future Sight!" she yelled. "Try and dodge the Toxic!" The Gardevoir tried its best to dodge, but Skarmory was spot on. The Gardevoir shook the sludge away, but it was too late. Its face went purple, and the announcer declared it poisoned.
However, the very next second, his Skarmory wobbled in the air as well, and the referee declared that it was poisoned as well. Steven was shocked. Steel was supposed to be immune to Poison! Then it clicked. Gardevoir has Synchronize! Of course!
He felt like an idiot. Aline smirked from the other end of the field. Steven smiled. Of course, he thought. I'm against Aline. She has all sorts of tricks up her sleeve.
It wasn't till the end of the match that he realized that she, in fact, had a trick up her literal sleeve.
Steven had taken out two of Aline's Pokémon while she had taken out three of his. Now, it was his newly evolved Aggron against Aline's new Blaziken. "Blaze, use Flamethrower!" commanded Aline.
"Aggron, Iron Tail!" commanded Steven. Both Pokémon were low on health, and the hit which landed would decide the match. Blaziken's Flamethrower hit his Aggron right on its glowing tail, which conducted the heat.
Aggron staggered back, the Iron Tail attack never executed. It fell to the field and didn't move. Aline looked ecstatic. "Good job, Blaze!" she praised, and patted her Pokémon's hand. The Blaziken gave an affectionate cry in return.
Steven returned his Aggron to its Pokéball. It had done extremely well, powering through Aline's Heliolisk. "Thank you, Aggron," he whispered, clipping the Pokéball to his belt. He drew out his next Pokémon.
Aline stood there, looking as determined as ever. Things were in her favor, but Steven didn't plan on giving up easily. "Come on out, Claydol!" he cried out. The Psychic type burst onto the field, its little arms waving around in hypnotizing patterns.
"Blaziken, use Sky Uppercut!" commanded Aline. Steven felt a slight pang of panic. Sky Uppercut was quite a strong move.
"Claydol, use Extrasensory!" commanded Steven, thrusting his left arm to his side. The Sky Uppercut landed as expected, but Claydol's attack hit as well. Both Pokémon were thrown to the side. Steven was quick to act.
"Claydol, use Hypnosis!" he commanded.
"Stay alert, Blaze!" warned Aline. "Get ready to attack!" The Blaziken braced itself, but Claydol's waves of hypnosis were too strong. The Pokémon's eyelids fell shut and it slumped to the ground, asleep. Aline looked shocked.
"Now, Claydol, Extrasensory!" he commanded. The attacks hit the soundly sleeping Pokémon and took its HP to zero. Aline took a deep breath. Steven could see that the Blaziken's fainting had an effect on her. He felt sorry, but this was a battle that he trained hard and long for.
Aline set her face. Her fingers curled over a Pokéball. She tossed it into the air nonchalantly. A Blastoise materialized on the field. Steven smiled knowingly. He had expected this very Pokémon to be on the field today. Yet, something seemed different about the Pokémon.
The audience gasped when the Pokémon made a full turn around. Then it struck him. The Blastoise had a sort of ribbon-sash thing around it that housed a sparkling stone on the shell. A Mega Stone?!
Aline raised her sleeve, and from a delicate silver bracelet hung a keystone. She raised it up into the air as Steven gaped. "Bubble, let this be a sign of our bond! Mega Evolve!"
An orb of shining white light surrounded the Pokémon as tendrils of light shot from the keystone to the Mega Stone. Steven watched in wonder as the Pokémon Mega-Evolved in front of him. The orb disappeared and a wave of force washed over him while the Mega Evolution symbol blazed in the air in its multicolored glory.
Of course. Aline had a Mega Stone all along. What else was I expecting?
"Claydol, Reflect!" he commanded at once, not wasting any time. Aline smiled.
"Bubble, use Surf!" she yelled. A huge wave of water rose up on Aline's side of the field and bore down on Claydol. Its Reflect was of not much use in the face of sheer power. Its HP fell straight to zero. Steven straightened. He decided that he wasn't going to waste time playing around.
"Go, Metagross!" His pride and joy of more than seventeen years appeared on the field. On its arm was a bracelet with a Mega Stone embedded in it. Aline seemed surprised that he had his own Mega Stone, but she smirked when she saw the stickpin on his lapel.
He raised the keystone up to his face and said the words. "Let the stone be proof of our bond! Metagross, Mega Evolve!" His Metagross was enveloped in a shining orb of white light and Steven watched its arms lengthen and grow stronger.
With a deafening roar, the orb of light fractured, and the multicolored symbol burned in the air. Aline grinned. He could see the thrill in her eyes. He could feel his own heart thumping away furiously. He felt like letting out a laugh; the euphoria from the adrenaline was flooding his mind.
He felt a surge of power course through him as he said, "Metagross, Meteor Mash!" Aline smiled from the other side of the field.
"Bubble, Hydro Pump!" she yelled. Both attacks collided mid-field and there was an explosion. The audience was dead silent while the smoke dissipated. It cleared to show a Mega Metagross and Mega Blastoise standing, seemingly unharmed.
The audience burst in a mixture of cheering and groaning. Aline nodded to herself. It was going to be her toughest opponent yet. She flipped her blond ponytail behind her shoulder and kept her left hand on her hip.
Steven smiled at her pose. She seemed confident, cocky even. It was almost like she was taunting him. Her hair looks really nice…-What?!
Steven had to shake the thought out of his head. Why was he bothered about her hair, of all things? He looked at his Metagross and focused.
"Metagross, Giga Impact!" he yelled. Aline's eyes sparkled.
"Bubble, counter with Surf!" she yelled. Mega Metagross charged forward with Giga Impact while Mega Blastoise rushed atop a wave. The Metagross shot for the Blastoise above the wave, but the Blastoise dove into the wave at the last second.
Mega Metagross followed with surprising speed and the Mega Blastoise was thrown back, while the wave came crashing down on Mega Metagross. Aline looked at her Pokémon encouragingly.
"Come on, Bubble!" she said. "We can do this!" The Blastoise got to its feet, looking like it had just healed up. Steven felt a warm feeling in his chest seeing her unrelenting spirit. Her eyes are so blue, and her smile is divine.
Once again, Steven was bewildered. Why was he feeling this way all of a sudden? Stop it! It'll cost me the battle! Yet, he couldn't take his eyes off his best friend. She seemed so alive and bubbly. He never wanted to see that face sad.
The battle continued fiercely, with both Mega Evolutions not giving up. After a few repeated hits of Giga Impact, Aline's Mega Blastoise's endurance seemed to be down. The girl's eyes blazed with life as she called for her Pokémon to keep fighting.
"Bubble, use Hydro Cannon!" she yelled, raising her left hand high in the air.
"Metagross, counter with Meteor Mash!" he yelled. Both Pokémon shot towards each other. Mega Metagross managed to weave through the Hydro Cannon as the Blastoise seemed to have a little trouble controlling the aim. Then, with decisive force, it slammed into the Mega Blastoise.
Smoke covered the field. It dissipated to reveal a fainted Blastoise. The crowd burst into applause. Steven felt a smile grown on his face. "Excellent, Metagross!" he said, and his Pokémon bobbed in reply. Aline smiled.
"Thank you, Bubble," she said, returning the Pokémon. "You were amazing." She clipped it back and took out her second last Pokémon. "Come on out, Purple!"
A Haunter materialized on the field. A Ghost type?
Aline wasted no time. "Purple, use Destiny Bond!" she said. Steven smirked. It was a smart move, but it now gave him a chance to heal his Metagross up. Full Restores were banned in the competition. Only Hyper Potions and similar products were allowed. Steven pulled out a Hyper Potion and healed his Metagross.
Aline didn't seem pleased. She seemed to realize her move was executed at the wrong time. "Purple, use Shadow Ball!" Steven saw his opening.
"Metagross, counter with Bullet Punch!" he commanded. Both attacks hit, but Aline's Haunter took the worst of it. Its HP fell to yellow right away. Steven saw Aline look down, thinking hard. It was clear that it wouldn't stand another turn with Mega Metagross.
She looked up, determined. Steven smiled. She never gives up.
"Purple, use Confuse Ray!" she said. Steven saw her strategy. It was a sound one, if it worked out.
"Metagross, use Meteor Mash!" he yelled. The Haunter waited till Metagross was as close as possible. Just moments before Metagross struck, it used Confuse Ray. The Haunter took the hit, and dissolved into mist. It reappeared on the ground, fainted.
Now, Steven and Aline were on the same level, with one Pokémon each. Aline still had the advantage, but Steven was glad that he could bring them to a level playing field. Aline took a breath and closed her eyes. Her fingers curled over her last Pokéball.
She tossed it high into the air, and caught it perfectly. A flash of red light revealed her final Pokémon. An Umbreon. Steven nodded. He knew it. Aline's Umbreon, Eclipse, was one of her best Pokémon, on par with her starter, Blastoise.
Mega Metagross wobbled slightly due to its confusion, but it held its ground. Steven knew that if the effect kicked in at the right time, it could very well be his demise.
"Eclipse, let's do this!" she yelled. "Use Shadow Ball!"
Steven curled his fingers into a fist. This was it. "Metagross, use Bullet Punch!" he yelled. Both attacks hit, and Aline's Umbreon was thrown back. It got to its feet quickly, facing Metagross once more.
"Eclipse, use Dark Tide!" she yelled. Steven froze. Dark Tide? What's that?
Aline had an expression of concentration. Steven realized that it might be a custom move. If so, it would be quite powerful. The Umbreon reared up on its hind legs, and dark wisps of mist rose from the whole field. It swirled and gathered into an orb by the Umbreon's front paws.
"Metagross, counter with Meteor Mash!" he yelled. The Umbreon waited till the last moment and launched its attack. Mega Metagross struck first, throwing the Umbreon back. Then, the orb of darkness collided with Metagross, causing it to stagger back.
The Umbreon struggled to its feet on its side of the field. Steven gaped when he saw the damage the attack did to his Metagross. It took it right to red. His eyes darted to the girl. She stood there, her hair a little ruffled, her face sleek with sweat.
Looking at her, Steven felt the same warmth course through him. It grew intense, and it felt like his heart was about to beat its way out of his chest. His vision tunneled, and he could only see her in his sights.
She is still fighting, still strong. She is beautiful and smart. She is…perfect.
He swallowed, and turned his attention back to the battle. "Metagross, use Bullet Punch!" Aline lost her voice. Steven realized that she had expected the battle to be over. At that moment, the Confuse Ray kicked in.
Mega Metagross wobbled erratically, its arms swinging wildly. It hit itself in its dazed state. Its HP slid down to zero. Aline's eyes widened. Steven's heart beat harder.
Then, its eyes rolled up and it fell to the field, devolving into Metagross. Aline won, thought Steven. Aline was still frozen, shocked. Then, the audience roared in triumph, and a smile slowly spread across Aline's face. She turned to her Umbreon, ecstatic.
"Eclipse, we won, we won!" she cried out, hugging her partner. The tired Pokémon gave a happy cry and nuzzled its Trainer.
Steven recalled his fainted Pokémon into its ball. The win was entirely luck-based. There were always be a winner, and a loser. Steven didn't feel a single ounce of disappointment. Seeing Aline like that made him feel like he was over the moon.
That's when it struck him. The feelings he had been keeping inside him finally burst into his conscious mind. A familiar tingling sensation ran down him.
I…
His face broke into a grin. Aline looked at him for a fleeting moment, and he saw the same feeling hidden in her eyes. His suspicions were finally proven correct.
I love her. And she loves me.
And that's it for the flashbacks. Steven and Aline are teenagers in these flashbacks.
The story picks up from now on.
If you like this story, feel free to drop a review. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.
Once again, if anyone is well-versed in French and has time to help me out with certain parts of the story, send me a PM!
Thank you for your support!
-Author1720
