Aaron stood on the opposite end of the field, guarding the door to the next elevator. He made a gesture, and the fluorescent lighting switched off. The stadium was devoured by liquid midnight blackness, but then all around them panels on the walls slid open, bringing in the noontime sun to bathe the battlefield in natural sunlight.
"Manny," he greeted the boy. The acoustics of the arena amplified his voice to perfect pitch and frequency, filling the room. "Welcome to my domain."
"It is perfect… as you wish to be," Manny replied, his voice enhanced in the same manner.
"I am a Kakuna who will burst forth into power and beauty!" Aaron declared, arms spread wide. "You will further my evolution!"
Keira's Aerial Ace decimated Aaron's battle strategy with Yanmega, Vespiquen and especially Heracross. Manny's Rapidash shot Scizor down in flames. Though tempted to use Torterra, Manny used Vaporeon's high endurance and brute force to destroy Drapion. Mint screamed his approval. Hannah snorted in derision.
Aaron grinned. "Excellent! I have never been defeated twice in one day. Through trials, I make myself stronger! One day, I will be perfect, like my Pokémon!"
"Is every member of the Elite Four a broken record?"
"Yeah, pretty much. We don't get time to come up with new material."
Manny collected his Pokémon, waved goodbye to Aaron, then walked to the next elevator. Hanny and Mint did likewise, rising to the second floor. The battlefield at the centre of the indoor stadium consisted of rich, earthy soil scattered with rocks. Manny fed recovery items to Keira, Rapidash and Vaporeon. Hanny and Mint took the best seats while other observers filed in. Among them were Volkner and Flint, who jabbered with each other about Pokémon types, battling strategy and hair dye while a grey elderly lady wearing a neutral white coat and brown scarf walked to centre stage.
"Good afternoon, young man. My name is Bertha. You've got spine, but do you have the will to see this entire challenge through?"
"I intend to see the Battle Frontier through to the end."
Her eyes opened wide. She laughed once, her right hand reaching for her scarf.
"I haven't heard that kind of confidence since… well, that is a story for another time. Will you show this old lady how much you've learned?"
Manny proceeded to do just that. His Torterra ruined her Whiscash with a single Razor Leaf. Despite Gliscor's Thunder Fang, Vaporeon's Ice Beam ended their confrontation with one blast. Torterra weathered Hippowdon's Sandstorm and powerful Crunch, knocking him out with three applications of Razor Leaf. Bertha's Golem and Rhyperior, being slower than Torterra, were utterly useless, falling from one Razor Leaf each! There was a smattering of applause from the crowd. Mint cheered at the top of his lungs. Hannah rolled her eyes.
"I have never fought a team with so many quadruple weaknesses," Manny said.
"Some weaknesses are strengths, young man."
"No. No, they're not; they're just weaknesses. Strength lies in variety."
Hannah and Mint followed Manny upward to the third floor, which was literally a raging inferno: the battlefield was suspended above a pit of hellfire that licked the edges of the platform. Flint sauntered forward, sweating in his bright yellow shirt, thumbs hooked onto his pockets.
"I just finished speaking with Volkner up there," he said, tilting his red afro towards the stadium seats where the eighth Gym Leader sat. Many more onlookers had gathered to observe this match. "He thinks the world of you. Last person who fired him up that much was… me!" the redhead laughed.
"I am very uncomfortable," Manny said while rejuvenating his team. He then offed his scarf and stood ready before Flint.
Flint's eyes flared as bright as the flames on either side of him. "I wanted to battle you the moment I met you at Sunyshore. You kept me waiting, Manny!"
Flint's Houndoom stood nary a chance against Vaporeon's Surf. Manny's Alakazam dealt with Flint's Rapidash and Infernape with one Psychic assault each. Vaporeon returned to extinguish his Fire-type counterpart; Flareon, but fell to Magmortar's Thunderbolt. Manny's Rapidash finished off Flint's last team member. A roar rose from the large crowd, drowning out Mint's victory yell. Hannah raised an eyebrow.
"Wow," Flint said, shaking his head. He was silent for a few moments, head and shoulders drooping in shocked disbelief. "I knew you were strong, but not for one moment did I expect to lose!"
"There are a thousand lessons learned in defeat."
"I can't think of even one right now… Go on," Flint prompted the boy, stepping aside.
When Manny, Hanny and Mint arrived on the fourth floor, they were surprised to find a plain, blue battlefield. The only odd feature was that the four corners of the field were studded with four glowing spheres. At this point, the entire stadium was packed with the unwashed masses. Hanny had to put the fear of Glitch into spectators so that she and her crony could get front-row seats.
There was a slim, bespectacled young man with long, smooth, azure hair reading a book on the far end of the battlefield. He took no notice of Manny until the latter had renewed his team and stepped forth. He snapped the book closed, holding it to his side. He wore a very handsome, deep crimson suit and shiny black dress shoes. His spectacles were tinted crystal blue.
"I am Lucian," he intoned, his voice as smooth and refined as his appearance. "I just finished reading a book. It is a parody of this world where humans and Pokémon live. It is good to laugh at ourselves," he concluded, though not a fleck of humour coloured his voice.
"It is. Laughter is a social lubricant."
"I am not one to socialise; I cannot verify the veracity of your claim. I do, however, acknowledge your finesse in the art of battle. I will not underestimate you."
That was high praise indeed from the toughest member of the Elite Four. His Mr. Mime fell to Luxray's cruel Crunch, but Lucian's Alakazam's Psychic blast flung Luxray into the ceiling. Torterra weathered a brutal Psychic, responding in kind with one Crunch that took Lucian's Alakazam out of the battle. Then, Lucian summoned Manny's worst nightmare: Bronzong.
Even Rapidash's Flame Wheel was not enough for a one-hit-KO. Rapidash survived Bronzong's first Earthquake, replying with one more Flame Wheel before the second Earthquake finished her. Manny used Vaporeon's Surf to remove Bronzong from play. Keira's Aerial Ace subdued Gallade. Although Lucian's Espeon defeated Keira with a massive Psychic barrage, Manny's very own Alakazam ended the battle at last with Shadow Ball.
The packed stadium shook the walls and floor with their thunderous applause. Mint was screaming with wild abandon. He jumped and down so much, he fell out of the stands and onto the field. Hannah climbed down to retrieve the overexcited boy, then walked towards the next elevator.
Lucian nodded to Manny. "I see. Your victories against the previous three were not flukes; your power is real."
"You doubted me?"
"There is always room for doubt."
"There is always room for faith, too."
"The Champion awaits you in the next room."
Manny snapped his fingers. "That's just my luck! Why does everyone call you the Elite Four when there are five of you?"
"It is a matter of definition: we whom you defeated are the Elite Four; the Champion is beyond elite, and as such cannot be classified in the same manner as we."
"Whatever, nerd."
"Pot, kettle, black," Lucian retorted. He continued to read the parody in complete serenity while Manny stalked towards what he hoped was the final elevator.
888
The fifth battlefield was surrounded by twice as many stadium seats as before. Every last one was taken. Hannah was forced to use Glitch's Tri-Attack before two front-row occupants realised that they would rather stand up than lose their lives. Thus, Hanny and Mint acquired the best vantage point as Manny walked onto the black battlefield. There was a square motif, with large transparent cubes stacked around the field in a regular pattern. The Champion was nowhere to be seen, so Manny busied himself renewing his team while the crowd murmured. When Manny was prepared, a square panel on the floor slid aside. A young blonde woman of striking black beauty rose to floor level.
"Welcome, Manny. Have you been well?"
"Cynthia!"
"Thank you for your help on Mount Coronet and the Distortion World. I can sense that your bond with your team has grown even stronger since then!"
"We've gotten more ornery, yes."
"As the Pokémon League Champion, I accept your challenge!"
"Do you reserve the right to deny my challenge?"
"Of course! I don't battle people I don't like. I'm very fussy."
"GET ON WITH IT!" Mint yelled.
"YEAH! GET ON WITH IT!" the crowd boomed.
Cynthia summoned her Spiritomb to the field. As he had never seen one before, a confused Manny decided to summon Keira, who dealt Spiritomb two blows with Aerial Ace and suffered a Dark Pulse before defeating the dark ghost. Cynthia then called upon her Togekiss, so Manny retaliated with Luxray, who performed the electric tackle, Spark. A mighty Aura Sphere, one of the most powerful attacks in the world, smashed poor Luxray into the floor, but Luxray survived to finish off Togekiss with one more brave Spark.
Lucario was next, opposed by Torterra. Despite striking Torterra with her very own Aura Sphere, Lucario fainted from a single Earthquake. Torterra was none the worse for wear, but Manny returned him in favour of Luxray when Cynthia brought her Milotic to the field. Milotic was faster than Luxray, so the latter was deluged with Surf before getting off a single Spark. Manny was forced to use a Max Revive on Luxray while Vaporeon soaked up Milotic's Dragon Pulse. When Luxray returned to the field, he was smashed with mighty Surf, but one more Spark was all it took to conclude that battle.
At last, Cynthia released her prize Garchomp. Manny used a Full Restore on Vaporeon while Garchomp flattened Luxray with Earthquake. When Manny unleashed Vaporeon, Garchomp rushed forward and instantly knocked him out with a colossal Giga Impact. Vaporeon flew, breaking the wall on the far end of the stadium.
Holding back his frustration, Manny recalled Vaporeon, brought out Torterra and ordered him to use Crunch. Garchomp suffered moderate injury while recharging, but crushed Torterra with yet another Giga Impact. This time, Manny brought out Keira who used Close Combat, knocking the dragon down. Garchomp suffered significantly more damage, so Cynthia took this opportunity to use a Full Restore.
While she did that, Manny had Keira perform yet another Close Combat. As Garchomp had only just recovered, her defenses were very slightly lower, so she took more damage from the attack. Of course, Garchomp's Giga Attack ended Keira's efforts. Manny brought out Alakazam, whose Psychic assault flung Garchomp into the ceiling, breaking it, bringing down part of the roofing as it fell. The entire stadium shook upon her impact with the floor.
Before Garchomp could pull off another Giga Attack, Alakazam's Psychic power flung the dragon sideways into a stadium wall, breaking it and several of the seats nestled above it, scattering their occupants across the field. While the humans scrambled for safety, Garchomp charged, smashing Alakazam into the ground with her favourite attack. Cynthia then used her last Full Restore on Garchomp. The Champion was allowed only two, while contenders were free to use as many items as they liked.
Manny fed Vaporeon a Max Revive. He brought her to the field. As predicted, the dragon surged forward for her fifth Giga Impact. This time, Manny sprayed Vaporeon with 'X Defend', increasing her resilience. Vaporeon broke the far wall in a second location, but was still conscious. During Garchomp's recharge phase, Vaporeon, from his hole in the wall, spat an Ice Beam into Garchomp's face. The dragon fell for the last time.
Cynthia brought out her Roserade. Manny laughed at the grass Pokémon, summoned Rapidash, and ended the battle with a glorious Flame Wheel.
The gigantic crowd was completely silent. Then, someone started a slow clap: it was Hannah. She was on her feet, a bemused expression on her face, clapping with great deliberation. Mint followed suit, and soon there was defeaning, cascading applause. Not a soul cheered or whistled, out of respect for their fallen Champion. Cynthia raised one hand, silencing the crowd.
She addressed the boy. "A moment ago, you were the strongest contender. Now, you are the new Champion of Sinnoh!"
Manny said nothing. He walked across the battlefield and offered his hand. Cynthia grasped and shook it, looking him in the eye. At that moment, the crowd cheered. The cheer was so intense that the sound waves shook more of the ceiling tiles loose. Manny and Cynthia had to scramble for cover. They stood against the stadium wall while Mint climbed down to perform his monkey dance around both of them. Hannah climbed down beside them so that she could slap Mint on the back of his head.
Manny had won.
888
Cynthia walked to the grand archway on the other end of the battlefield, flinging the doors wide to let Manny in. Without asking permission, Hannah and Mint entered, too. When the doors shut, there was abrupt darkness and silence. Then, a thin green strip of neon lights illuminated the floor, leading to the chamber within. The four Trainers strode along the path to victory.
"Welcome to the Hall of Fame," Cynthia said, her voice like a thunderclap in the otherwise soundless hall. "Mint, I hope that you and Hannah will join Manny here one day."
"We will. Won't we, Hanny?"
Hanny shook her head. "Pass. I'm not in the game to win it; I'm in it for the cute Pokémon."
"Place your Pokéballs on the recorder," Cynthia directed Manny. The brilliant neon strip encircled the machine in question, which was a copy of the restoration device in Pokémon Centres worldwide. When Manny placed them all, a thin, glowing green line appeared at the base of the recorder.
"Insert your Trainer Card," Cynthia guided him. The blue card disappeared within the machine. Moments later, white light filtered into the room. When his eyes adjusted, Manny beheld a metallic Bronze Star Card jutting out of the slot. He held it up to the light, and saw a second shining gold star embedded in the top-right corner of his new Trainer Card.
"You are now a Bronze Rank Trainer. You may now access the Battle Frontier, where the five Frontier Brains reign. In addition, you may be called upon to serve as a substitute member of the Elite Four."
Manny turned the card over: marked there was the date of his victory at the Pokémon League.
Cynthia also peered at the back of his card. "You haven't written your signature."
"Buh?"
"You mean to say that you defeated all eight Gym Leaders, the Elite Four and me, the Champion, without bothering to set down your John Hancock?"
"Who's Hancock?"
Cynthia tossed back her beautiful head and laughed. "You are a consummate fool."
"That's what I've been saying all the time," Hanny said. She and Mint thought for a moment, then retrieved their own Trainer Cards. They, too, had blank white spaces at the back.
Hannah snorted. "Huh. I guess none of us remembered to."
"We're overeager," Mint apologised.
"I forgive you."
"Hello, children!"
"WAH!" Mint jumped. Professor Rowan had snuck up behind them.
"The last time I stood here was when you became Champion, Cynthia!" Rowan remarked. He flipped open Manny's Pokédex.
Manny blinked, fished around in his backpack, then yelled, "Hey!"
"ROWAN used THIEF! Manny, you've seen 209 Pokémon. You're one short, boy!" Rowan wagged his finger. "They won't allow you into the Battle Frontier's Survival or Resort Area!"
Manny grimaced. "Which one did I miss?"
"I dunno. Figure it out yourself!" the Professor said before tossing back the machine.
"I don't have the first clue," Mint despaired. Hanny stole Manny's Pokédex. She scrolled down the list for a minute.
"We're missing number 152."
Mint Googled it on his Pokédex.
"We didn't see Chikorita."
"That's a Johto starter Pokémon! We're in Sinnoh!"
"Uhhhh… Rotom? The electric ghost?"
"There's a Rotom in Sinnoh? Where?" Hannah demanded of Rowan, who shrugged.
Mint threw up his hands. "Rotom is a legendary Pokémon. How are we supposed to find it? Put up fliers?"
Cynthia interjected with a slight cough. "Although rare, Rotom are not classified as legendary Pokémon because they can breed with other Pokémon."
Mint groaned. "But Spiritomb are rare and can't breed!"
Cynthia raised one perfect golden eyebrow. "Spiritomb can breed. If I remember correctly, they belong to the 'Indeterminate' egg group, capable of breeding with other Spiritomb and the 31 other Pokémon belonging to the same egg group."
"I have a headache," Mint said.
"Ignorance is not bliss," Cynthia said. "Ask around; I am sure someone has spotted a Rotom in Sinnoh."
"Manny can't ask around because he has to stay here and be Champion," Hannah reminded them.
Manny shook his head forcefully. "NUH-UH! I don't wanna be Champion! I wanna go to the Battle Frontier and beat up Mint's Dad!"
"Hey!"
"Don't 'hey' me! You wanna do the same thing!"
Mint looked at his toes, scratching the back of head. "Yeah."
"I could retain my title," Cynthia offered.
Manny nodded. "Thank you. Even if it was a rule, I wouldn't have stayed here, no matter how good the pay."
Cynthia cocked her other eyebrow. "Did I say I was paid? I only take prize money from the Trainers I defeat, just like every other Trainer in Sinnoh. Having a steady salary breeds complacency."
"Well, I'm flying home."
"Sure you wouldn't rather cycle all the way home?" Mint asked hopefully.
"No way! I'm no masochist. Besides, for land transport, I'd much rather ride Rapidash. She's a zillion times faster and safer than some bike."
"Blasphemy!" Mint gasped, mortified.
"Could it be?" Hannah exclaimed. "Did the idiot actually listen to my advice?"
"This idiot has indeed. Rapidash also gets free maintenance at a Pokémon Centre."
"Betrayal," Mint hissed.
Cynthia pressed a button on the recorder, causing a panel to slide upward, flooding the room with sunlight. "There is a crowd gathering below, waiting to hail their hero. Avoid them."
Manny grinned. Keira flew him home while he sang the Superman theme, fist punching the sky. There, he embraced his mother and her Persian. He told her of his battle with the League. His mother listened to his faithful narration of all five battles although she had watched them all on television. She gave him and his Pokémon dinner. When an army of Jubilife TV reporters surrounded their home, his mother sicced Persian on them. The army retreated, their expensive cameras in ribbons. Manny slept in his own bed that night.
He did not dream at all.