Welcome to the end of the trainer portion of the Unova League, folks! Last chapter, Owen narrowly defeated Dante in an intense battle that was one by Heatmor, which seems to be pretty normal now, and he's facing off with Akito in the championship! The winner of the battle will move on to battle the Elite 4… so let's get going!
P.S: Heatmor won't gain 3 levels per win b/c he's a ridiculous level. So from now on, anyone at 50 or higher will only gain 1 level per win
Owen's team for battle
Snivy, (f), level 41, Tackle, Leech Seed, Grass Pledge, Vine Whip, Leaf Tornado*, Leaf Blade*
Heatmor, (m), level 57, Inferno, Flamethrower, Hone Claws, Flame Wheel, Fury Swipes*, Fire Pledge*
Zebstrika, (m), level 39, Quick Attack, Shock Wave, Thunder Wave, Flame Charge, Stomp
Empoleon, (m), level 45, Water Pledge, Drill Peck, Metal Claw, Whirlpool, Bide*, Brine*
Druddigon, (f), level 49, Dragon Claw, Earthquake, Crunch, Revenge
Muk, (m), level 43, Sludge, Body Slam, Protect, Poison Jab
"This is it, everyone. We've made it to the championship round, and we get to battle against Akito. I know we're going to be in for our toughest battle yet, but if we stay clam and give it everything we've got, we'll win this thing!" Owen exclaimed. All nine of his Pokemon cheered excitedly, and the five competing Pokemon were returned to their Pokeballs while Snivy hopped on Owen's shoulder. Unfezant, Puff, and Krookodile were sitting out of the battle and would be waiting in the trainer room with everyone else.
"Go get 'em, honey!" Owen's parents cheered as their son began walking down the tunnel that led to the battlefield.
"You've got this, dude," Orange called.
"Bring it home, Owen!" CJ and Fate sang in unison.
"Don't hold back!" Rebecca shouted.
"Good luck!" Brooklyn yelled.
Owen smiled without turning, and every word echoed in his head. Snivy began shaking excitedly as she and Owen walked onto the battlefield and were met by cheering fans and booing spectators. Owen looked up at the scoreboards and saw that his and Akito's entrances were being displayed. Once Owen reached his trainer box, Snivy hopped off his shoulder. Owen continued walking towards the middle of the battlefield, where he met Akito. The two teens shook hands, and the referee stepped forwards.
"Welcome to the championship battle of the Unova League! This will be a full battle between Owen and Akito, and both trainers may substitute their Pokemon in-between rounds! Furthermore, once all Pokemon on one side are unable to battle, the battle is over! Also, the winner of this battle will have the privilege of challenging Unova's very own Elite 4, with the chance to become the newest member! Trainers, report to your boxes!" the referee ordered.
"Owen, get ready. I'm not holding anything back!" Akito exclaimed before extending his hand. Owen looked his rival in the eyes before grinning and shaking his hand,
"Good. Neither will I!" With that, the two rivals walked back to their trainer boxes and waved to the crowd, which was divided into fans of Owen, and fans of Akito. Each trainer's fans were behind them, so they wouldn't be heckled throughout the battle.
"Trainers, choose your first Pokemon!" the referee demanded as the scoreboards displayed Owen's and Akito's pictures along with six empty spots, going vertically, beneath them.
"Are you ready, Snivy?" Owen asked his starter as he pulled a Pokeball off his belt.
"Vy!" Snivy exclaimed.
"Good! Druddigon, you're up first!" Owen shouted as he threw his first Pokeball in the air. Druddigon materialized from the white light, and she roared while her picture appeared on the scoreboard.
"Piloswine, let's go!" Akito yelled as he tossed his first Pokeball in the air. Owen frowned as the ice type appeared in front of Akito and on the scoreboard.
"This battle will be between Druddigon and Piloswine! Begin!"
"Piloswine, use Ice Beam!" Akito commanded. Piloswine opened its mouth wide before shooting a zigzagging beam of light blue energy towards Druddigon, who looked back at Owen worriedly.
"Dodge it and use Crunch, Druddigon!" The rough skinned dragon nodded before jumping away from the super effective attack. Then, she began running towards her ice and ground type opponent while snapping her jaws.
"Quick! Use Earth Power to keep Druddigon away!" Piloswine stomped on the ground, causing several waves of energy to fly across the battlefield and towards Druddigon. The dragon type was blown back by the attack and she landed on her back, but Druddigon pushed herself back up before roaring.
"Hang in there, Druddigon! Use Earthquake!" Druddigon continued to roar as she stomped on the ground with both of her feet, causing the ground to shake violently. Suddenly, a column of rocks shot up from the ground and hit Piloswine, but the mammoth shook the attack off.
"Piloswine, don't hold back! Use Ice Beam!"
"Use Dragon Claw after you dodge!" Owen countered. Druddigon charged towards Piloswine as she fired an Ice Beam, and the dragon type dove away from the attack while her claws started glowing blue. Druddigon reared back after reaching Piloswine, and she slashed her female opponent viciously. Despite the power behind her attack, Druddigon was in pointblank range.
"Finish it with Blizzard!" Piloswine quickly unleashed a horizontal tornado of snow at Druddigon, and the dragon type was crushed by the freezing cold attack. Owen winced as Druddigon rolled across the field before stopping on his half, and he saw Druddigon's eyes were closed.
"Druddigon is unable to battle! Owen, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Thanks for the effort, Druddigon," Owen told the fainted Pokemon as she was zapped back into her Pokeball. Owen sighed as the dragon type's picture turned black, and he threw his second Pokeball forward. "Heatmor, I choose you!" The powerful anteater Pokemon appeared on Owen's half of the battlefield and in the second spot of Owen's lineup before being met by a wave of cheers.
"This battle will be between Heatmor and Piloswine! Begin!"
"Piloswine, use Earth Power!" Akito ordered, trying to knock Heatmor out with a super effective attack. Piloswine stomped on the ground as hard as she could, sending a series of tiny waves of energy towards Heatmor, who looked excited to be battling in the championship round.
"Heatmor, jump over it with Flame Wheel!" Heatmor nodded before covering himself in fire and spinning towards the ground type attack. Just before it could hit him, Heatmor hopped into the air before slamming into his ice type foe, who was blown back by the scorching hot Flame Wheel.
"Damn. Use Take Down, Piloswine!" Akito shouted. Piloswine got back up and trudged across the field and towards Heatmor while a ray of white light trailed behind her body.
"Counter with Flamethrower!" Heatmor reared his head back and shot a powerful blast of fire at Piloswine, who stopped dead in her tracks as soon as she saw Heatmor release the scorching hot attack.
"Piloswine, block it with Blizzard!" The ice and ground type released a horizontal tornado of snow from her mouth which barely managed to cancel out Heatmor's Flamethrower. It did, however, present the perfect opportunity for Owen to attack.
"Flame Wheel!" Heatmor zipped across the battlefield while covered in fire, and he rammed into Piloswine. The ice and ground type was sent flying through the air before crashing into the ground, where she laid with here eyes shut tight, prompting the referee to raise his arms in the air.
"Piloswine is unable to battle! Akito, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Thanks, Piloswine. Drapion, we need this win!" Akito shouted as he tossed his second Pokeball forward. Owen cringed once he saw the vaunted poison and dark type. He instantly remembered Taylor's Drapion and the trouble he had taking it down, so Owen decided to withdraw Heatmor.
"Heatmor, take a quick break," he said before zapping the fire type back into his Pokeball. "Let's make this a poison versus poison matchup! Muk, get out here!" Owen's third Pokeball opened and revealed Muk, who greeted his trainer with a low groan. The two poison types appeared on the scoreboard while Heatmor's picture turned blue, and the referee stepped forward.
"This battle will be between Muk and Drapion! Begin!"
"Drapion, use Pin Missile!" Drapion aimed his long arms at Muk before shooting several dozen white arrows into the air. The white arrows then fell towards the ground and locked onto Muk, who refused to move from his spot.
"Use Protect to shield yourself, and then use Sludge!" Owen countered. Muk placed his arms forwards, and a green bubble appeared around him. The Pin Missile attack exploded repeatedly as each arrow struck the shield, but the green bubble disappeared after the attack ceased. Muk then opened his mouth and shot a ball of poison at Drapion, who was hit by the attack and began stumbling backwards.
"Stay strong, Drapion! Use Cross Poison!" Drapion shook away the pain he felt and made his way across the battlefield while his long arms turned bright purple.
"Muk, hit 'em with Poison Jab!" Muk's arm began glowing purple, and the two poison types exchanged blows that sent the other rolling back to their trainer. Both Pokemon got back up and continued their battle once they heard their trainers' commands.
"Fire another Pin Missile!"
"Use Protect again!" Drapion threw his arms forwards and released another dozen white arrows that flew across the battlefield. Again, Muk created a green bubble that shielded him from the attack, but Akito was more than ready to strike after planning for Owen to use Protect.
"Now land Cross Poison!" Drapion bolted towards Muk and struck the blob of toxic waste while his arms were glowing purple, and Muk was pushed back by the force of the poison type attack. Despite this, the immobile Pokemon showed no signs of injury or fatigue, prompting Owen to give him another command.
"Finish this with Body slam!" Muk launched himself into the air, which made everyone in attendance gasp. Then, he crashed down upon Drapion, and the scorpion Pokemon was brought to the ground. After Muk got off his poison type opponent, Drapion was revealed to be unconscious.
"Drapion is unable to battle! Akito, choose your next Pokemon!" the referee shouted as Drapion's picture turned black.
"Thank you, Drapion. Now, Empoleon, I need your help!" As Akito tossed his third Pokeball forwards, an Empoleon landed on the ground in front of him, and the water type's picture appeared in the third spot in Akito's lineup.
"This battle will be between Muk and Empoleon! Begin!"
"Muk, use Poison Jab!" Owen shouted, not aware of the attack's ineffectiveness.
"That's not going to work," CJ muttered, which caught everyone's attention. Muk's arm began to glow purple and he launched himself towards Empoleon. After landing on the ground, Muk swung at Empoleon and hit him in the gut, but the attack didn't do anything.
"Poison type moves don't deal damage to steel types! Now, Empoleon, use Hydro Pump!" Akito informed Owen before pointing at Muk. Empoleon quickly unleashed a wicked blast of water that sent Muk bouncing back to Owen's half of the battlefield, which made the Kantonian bite his lip.
"Muk, hang in there and use Body Slam!" the fourteen year old ordered. Muk launched himself into the air again, which still captivated the audience.
"Dodge it and finish this with Aqua Jet!" Empoleon hopped backwards as Muk crashed on the ground, and then he covered himself in water. The fully evolved starter then sped towards Muk like a bullet, but Owen thought too quickly for Akito and his Empoleon to land an attack.
"Block it with Protect!" Yet again, Muk shielded himself from an attack by generating a green bubble, but it appeared to be much weaker than before. Noticing this, Akito decided to capitalize on his opponent's weakened defenses.
"Hydro Pump again!" Empoleon unleashed another jet stream of water that crashed through the shield and launched Muk into the air. The poison type smacked against the ground while laying motionlessly, prompting the referee to rule him unable to battle.
"Muk is unable to battle! Owen, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Nice job out there, Muk. Empoleon, you're up!" Owen's fourth Pokeball revealed his Empoleon, who glared at Akito's Empoleon.
"Empoleon, return. Electivire, let's go!" Both Owen and Empoleon frowned when Akito withdrew his water type and replaced him with an Electivire, whose tails were covered in electricity. The two new combatants' pictures appeared on the scoreboard, and the referee put his arms into the air.
"This battle will be between Empoleon and Electivire! Begin!"
"Electivire, use Thunderbolt!" Electivire began to swing her arms in a circular motion before shooting a zigzagging bolt of electricity at Empoleon, who was hit by the powerful super effective attack. The bulky water and steel type stumbled back before recovering from the shocking pain surging through his body, and he waited for Owen to speak up.
"Fight back with Water Pledge!" Empoleon's stomach began to glow blue before he slammed his flipper on the ground, which resulted in Electivire being hit by a blast of water that shot out from the ground. Even though she was hit by the attack, Electivire acted as if nothing had happened, and she charged towards Empoleon at a breakneck pace.
"Now land a series of Thunder Punch attacks!"
"Block them all with Metal Claw!" Empoleon grew three metallic claws from the end of his flippers, and he began to block each of Electivire's attempted Thunder Punch attacks. After successfully blocking each attack, Akito devised a clever strategy to strike Owen's Empoleon.
"Wrap your tails around Empoleon's flippers and then use Thunderbolt!" Electivire suddenly turned her back to Empoleon and her tails wrapped around his flippers, preventing him from blocking any physical attacks. Electivire, however, zapped him with a wicked Thunderbolt that brought Empoleon to his knees, and then he lost all the feeling in his flippers.
"Empoleon, no!" Owen shouted as his Pokemon tried to stand upright, but he began to sway from side to side weakly.
"Now finish this with Thunder Punch!" Akito commanded. Electivire wasted no time in punching Empoleon with her electrical fist, and the water type was knocked onto his back. The referee looked over at the downed water and steel type and saw that he was out cold, which made his picture turn black.
"Empoleon is unable to battle! Owen, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Awesome job, Empoleon. Zebstrika, come on out!" Zebstrika took the field for Owen and appeared in the fifth spot of his trainer's lineup, and his stripes began to flash yellow as he stared Electivire down.
"Electivire, return. Garchomp, go!" Again, Owen and his battling Pokemon frowned as Akito sent out another Pokemon with a type disadvantage. Electivire's picture turned blue, just like Akito's Empoleon's, and Garchomp's took the fifth spot in Akito's lineup.
"How is that even legal? Akito keeps switching his Pokemon so he has a type advantage!" Rebecca shouted angrily before crossing her arms over her chest and scowling at the TV.
"This battle will be between Zebstrika and Garchomp! Begin!"
"Zebstrika, use Flame Charge!" Owen commanded, knowing that his Pokemon wouldn't be able to use Shock Wave. Zebstrika charged towards Garchomp while fire covered his body, and he slammed into the land shark. The dragon and ground type was slightly pushed back by the attack, but it didn't seem to do much damage.
"Garchomp, use Dragon Pulse!" Zebstrika's eyes went wide as he was hit by a swirling ray of draconic energy, and he was sent flying through the air as a result of the attack. After landing on his back, Zebstrika got back up and began to swipe at the ground before recklessly charging towards Garchomp.
"Use Stomp, Zebstrika!" Zebstrika lunged forward and tried slamming his hooves into Garchomp's face, but the pseudo legendary and his trainer were too quick to hit.
"Garchomp, go underground with Dig!" Garchomp burrowed underground in the blink of an eye, and Zebstrika flew past the hole that the dragon had dug. Puzzled about his opponent's location, Zebstrika began to look around in confusion before looking over at Owen.
"Try to sense where Garchomp is!" the teen advised, which made Zebstrika roll his eyes. The electric type began sniffing the ground, but Garchomp suddenly resurfaced and uppercut him.
"Chomp!" the dragon and ground type grunted after landing. As he did, Zebstrika smacked against the ground with his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and his picture on the scoreboard turned black.
"Zebstrika is unable to battle! Owen, choose your next Pokemon!"
"He's getting crushed out there," Orange said aloud while everyone stared at the television screen. The picture being displayed was the scoreboard, which showed two of Akito's Pokemon being withdrawn, while Owen had withdrawn one. Both trainers had yet to use their sixth Pokemon, but Owen was about to change that.
"That's my fault Zebstrika. I should have been smarter," Owen told the fainted Pokemon as he was returned to his Pokeball. After cursing under his breath, Owen looked down at Snivy and nodded. The grass snake picked up the hint and ran onto the battlefield while staring Garchomp down.
"This battle will be between Snivy and Garchomp! Begin!"
"Garchomp, use Dragon Pulse!" Garchomp quickly fired a spiraling beam of light blue energy towards Snivy, but the tiny grass snake and her trainer were ready to counter the powerful attack.
"Snivy, send it back with Leaf Tornado!" A wind began to circulate around Snivy's tail, and then hundreds of leaves appeared out of nowhere. Snivy then pointed her tail at the incoming dragon type attack, and she redirected the Dragon Pulse. Garchomp was blasted onto his back after being hit by his own move, but he got back on his feet.
"Way to stand tall, Garchomp! Now use Take Down!" Garchomp nodded at his trainer's command, and he sprinted across the battlefield while a ray of white light trailed behind his body. Garchomp checked Snivy as hard as he could, and the unevolved starter was sent flying into the wall behind Owen, who turned and looked at his starter worriedly.
"Snivy, are you okay?" Owen asked as Garchomp winced from the recoil damage he suffered. Snivy nodded at Owen after standing on her feet, but she began to pant heavily.
"Garchomp, use Dig!"
"That's not happening again! Snivy, use a max power Grass Pledge!" Garchomp quickly burrowed underground for a second time, but Snivy punched the ground after her stomach began glowing green. Once she did, the entire battlefield was engulfed in bursts of green energy, and Garchomp was thrown out from underneath the field, which impressed Akito.
"Garchomp, fight through the pain and use Take Down!" After he landed on the ground, Garchomp bolted towards Snivy while a ray of white light trailed behind his body. The dragon and ground type slammed into Snivy for a second time, but it proved to be effective. Snivy was knocked out by the attack, but Garchomp cried out in pain as he took a large amount of recoil damage.
"Snivy is unable to battle! Owen, choose your last Pokemon!"
"Wow, this is it," Fate mumbled. He's down to his last Pokemon."
"Hey, he's got this! If there's one Pokemon that can take out four, it's Heatmor!" Orange shouted while pumping his fist in the air. "Let's go, Heatmor!"
"You gave that battle everything you had, Snivy. Return," Owen whispered as he zapped the grass type back into her Pokeball. The teen then looked up at the scoreboard and his heart dropped. Heatmor was his final Pokemon, and Akito still had four, one of which hadn't even battled yet! "This isn't going to be a repeat of last time. Heatmor, you're all that's left!" Owen shouted as he hurled his last Pokeball. Heatmor stood on the field in front of Owen and turned to see he was the last Pokemon standing. Then, he saw that Akito had four Pokemon remaining, causing the fire type to sweat drop. "Heatmor, Garchomp and the others have been weakened by their other battles! You've got this!" Owen cheered. The fire type nodded energetically before turning his attention to the bipedal dragon in front of him.
"This battle will be between Heatmor and Garchomp! Begin!"
"Garchomp, use Dig!" Garchomp quickly disappeared underground after digging another hole in the ground, but Owen wouldn't let the fatigued Pokemon get away that easily.
"Heatmor, use Flamethrower into the holes!" Heatmor dashed over to the closest hole and unleashed a wave of scorching hot fire. The fire shot out of the other holes Garchomp had dug, and then a loud cry erupted from under the battlefield, which made the audience chuckle.
"Gar!" Garchomp cried as he shot out of another hole while running around in pain. Akito sweat dropped at his Pokemon's stupid actions, but he suddenly gasped when he realized that Garchomp was defenseless.
"Now use Flame Wheel!" Owen commanded. Heatmor zipped across the battlefield while covered in fire, and he rammed into Garchomp. The dragon and ground type was thrown back towards Akito, and his eyes were closed while his body was covered in burns. This led to Garchomp's picture turning black, so Akito withdrew the fainted Pokemon back to its Pokeball.
"Garchomp is unable to battle! Akito, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Well done, Garchomp. Empoleon, it's time we end this battle!" Akito's Empoleon appeared on his half of the battlefield, and his picture on the scoreboard returned to its normal colors. Heatmor looked back at Owen, who seemed crushed by Akito's selection, so he gave the amber eyed teen a thumbs up. Owen cracked a slight smile, and he took a deep breath before looking across the battlefield and at the foe Empoleon.
"This battle will be between Heatmor and Empoleon! Begin!"
"Use Drill Peck, Empoleon!" Empoleon began to spin like a drill while his beak turned white and extended, which looked exactly like Owen's Empoleon. Akito's Empoleon zipped across the battlefield at an unmatched speed, but Owen and Heatmor were ready to take their foe on.
"Heatmor, go right at him and use Flame Wheel!" Heatmor began to spin before covering himself in fire, and then he took off towards Empoleon. Once the two Pokemon collided, Heatmor roared before ramming Empoleon into the wall behind Akito, which knocked the wind out of the water and steel type penguin. Akito bit his bottom lip as Heatmor darted back to Owen's half of the battlefield, and he saw a determined look on the fire type's face, which worried Akito.
"Spin in the air and then throw a Whirlpool at the ground!" Empoleon sprung into the air and began spinning before forming a large body of water with his flippers. As the water type attempted to throw the Whirlpool attack at Heatmor, Owen ordered one of his older techniques.
"Countershield!" Heatmor quickly dropped to his back and began spinning while releasing a Flamethrower attack, which destroyed the Whirlpool and trapped Empoleon. The water and steel type cried out in pain as he was repeatedly whipped by the fire, but Akito's quick thinking allowed him to break free.
"Impressive strategy, Owen! But that won't stop us! Empoleon, dive down and use Drill Peck!" Empoleon began to spin like a drill before dropping straight towards Heatmor. The fire type didn't expect Empoleon to break through the fiery prison, and he was crushed by the wicked flying type attack.
"Heatmor, use Flamethrower!" Owen commanded as Empoleon tried to walk back to Akito. Heatmor, who was still on the ground, quickly shot a blast of fire that struck Empoleon and knocked the fat penguin onto his face. Heatmor then hopped off the ground and ran back to Owen while Empoleon slowly got back on his feet.
"Now use Hydro Pump!" Akito ordered, hoping he could defeat Heatmor with one more attack.
"Dodge and use Fire Pledge!" Much to Akito's dismay, Heatmor used his absurd speed to dodge the super effective attack, and he punched the ground while his stomach began to glow orange. Suddenly, a burst of fire shot up from underground and engulfed Empoleon, who cried out in pain. Then, the water and steel type dropped to the ground with his eyes shot.
"Empoleon is unable to battle! Akito, choose your next Pokemon!" The crowd exploded after hearing the referee, and Empoleon's picture turned black. Heatmor grinned at the momentum shift, but Owen noticed he had began panting slightly. Though he was confident in Heatmor and his abilities, Owen was still slightly worried that the fire type would gas out.
"He's doing it! Heatmor's making a comeback!" Brooklyn exclaimed while jumping around with Orange and Rebecca. Fate decided to join in on the celebrating, and so did Owen's parents. CJ, however, remained silent and continued watching the battle.
"Electivire, it's show time!" Akito yelled as he tossed out his fifth Pokeball. Owen and Heatmor stared at the female Electivire as electricity crackled around her tails, and her arms were suddenly engulfed in electricity. The electric type's picture then turned from blue to its normal colors, and the referee spoke up over the screaming crowd.
"This battle will be between Heatmor and Electivire! Begin!"
"Heatmor, use Flamethrower!" Owen shouted aggressively. Heatmor quickly reared back and shot a wave of fire at the fully evolved electric type. Electivire was scorched by the intense flames, but she stayed on her feet and refused to give in.
"Electivire, stay strong and use Thunderbolt!" The electric type began to swing her arms around in a circular motion before shooting a zigzagging bolt of electricity at Heatmor, who was zapped by the attack. The fire type let out a low grunt after the attack stopped, and he dropped to one knee while feeling a surge of electrical energy flowing through his body.
"Hang in there, buddy! Use Flame Wheel!" Heatmor's will to fight took over, and he began spinning while covering himself in fire. After speeding across the battlefield and closing in on Electivire, Heatmor prepared to deal the final blow of the round, but Akito wasn't ready to lose his fifth Pokemon.
"Grab Heatmor with your tails and use Thunderbolt again!" Electivire quickly snatched Heatmor out of the wheel of fire he created, and she began to zap him repeatedly with a pointblank Thunderbolt, which caused Heatmor to cry out in pain.
"Break free with Fury Swipes!" Heatmor suddenly slashed at Electivire's tails and cut them, which forced the electric type to relinquish her grip Heatmor then began to scratch his opponent repeatedly, and Electivire tried blocking the attacks but was unable to do so. Akito watched in horror as Heatmor continued to beat down Electivire, but he gave his Pokemon a quick command.
"Grab him again, Electivire!"
"Inferno!" Owen yelled. Before Electivire's tails could reach Heatmor, the fire type unleashed a blue blast of fire that engulfed Electivire. The electric type began to scream in pain before going silent and falling on her face. The crowd reached a deafening pitch as Electivire's picture turned black, and Heatmor made his way back to Owen's half of the battlefield.
"Electivire is unable to battle! Akito, choose your last Pokemon!"
"Electivire, that was a well fought battle. Torterra, it's all up to you!" Akito's sixth Pokeball opened and revealed his starting Pokemon, Torterra. The grass and ground type roared as he locked eyes with Heatmor, and his picture appeared in the final spot of Akito's lineup.
"Can he do it? Can Heatmor win this?" Orange asked aloud while staring at the TV.
"He actually might," CJ remarked before leaning back in his chair and stretching his arms over his head. "Though I think this round is a tossup. Either of them could win."
"This battle will be between Heatmor and Torterra! Begin!"
"Heatmor, use Fire Pledge to start!" Owen yelled over the deafening chants throughout the entire arena. Heatmor nodded and his stomach began to glow orange. Then, he punched the ground, and a burst of fire shot up from underneath Torterra and engulfed the grass type starter. Once the attack faded, Torterra didn't look the slightest bit fazed by the super effective attack, which unnerved both Heatmor and Owen.
"Torterra, use Earthquake!" Torterra quickly slammed his front feet on the ground, causing the entire arena to shake violently. A second later, a column of rocks shot up from underground and hit Heatmor in the chin, sending the fire type flying into the air.
"Heatmor, recover by using Flame Wheel!" Heatmor's eyes shot open as he began to fall towards the ground, and he started spinning while covering himself in fire. Once he hit the ground, Heatmor took off towards Torterra at a blinding speed. The tank like turtle, however, didn't appear to be impressed by Heatmor's speed.
"Now use Frenzy Plant, Torterra!" Torterra lifted his head into the air and began to roar, but nothing happened. As Heatmor closed in on Torterra, gigantic roots shot out form the ground and began to whip Heatmor. The anteater began to cry in pain as the sting of each hit became worse, and he was eventually launched across the battlefield and into the wall behind Owen.
"Heatmor, are you okay?" Owen asked as he ran to the Pokemon's side. Heatmor didn't pay any attention to Owen's question, and he made his way back onto the battlefield with a noticeable limp, and he was panting extremely quickly. Akito and the crowd also noticed Heatmor's exhaustion, and the arena was suddenly filled with cheers for the fire type.
"Torterra, use Leaf Storm!" The leaves of the tree on Torterra's back began to glow light green, and they were suddenly launched towards Heatmor like a horizontal tornado. Seeing that Heatmor would've struggled to dodge the attack, Owen had no choice but to match strength with strength.
"Burn it with Inferno!" Heatmor reared back and burnt the gust of leaves with a bright blue fire, and the crowd applauded Heatmor's strength. The fire type dropped to one knee and continued panting quickly, but his desire to win helped Heatmor rise back to his feet.
"I'm so close! I can't lose here, I'd be letting everyone down. I won't let that happen!"
"Torterra, use Energy Ball!" Torterra formed a large green ball of solar energy in front of his mouth, and he sent it flying towards Heatmor, who was slowly moving forward.
"Heatmor, dodge it!" Owen called to the fire type. Heatmor mustered up the last bit of his strength, and he jumped over the grass type attack. Then, he continued charging towards Torterra, albeit sluggishly, and Heatmor looked to end the battle with one final attack.
"Earthquake!" Heatmor was struck by a column of rocks that shot out from the ground and hit him in the chin, and the anteater Pokemon was launched into the air. Owen stared helplessly as Heatmor slammed into the ground, and a cloud of dust shot up around his body.
"Heatmor is unable to battle! Akito is the winner!" the referee decreed after running over to Heatmor's side and seeing that his eyes were closed. "That means Akito will be taking on the Elite 4 starting tomorrow night! Make sure to get your tickets!"
"Heatmor, return," Owen muttered as he withdrew the fainted Pokemon. After cursing under his breath, Owen met Akito at the middle of the battlefield, and the two shook hands. "Congratulations on winning. You deserve it," Owen told his rival.
"Thanks! I'll make sure I beat the Elite 4 for the both of us!" Akito exclaimed before walking off the battlefield. Owen followed suit and walked into his trainer room, where everybody was waiting silently. The first to break the silence was Krookodile, who walked up to Owen and gave him a thumbs up.
"Krooka!" Krookodile exclaimed joyfully, which made Owen laugh slightly.
"Sorry we couldn't win it for you, Krookodile. I know things would've been different if you didn't get hurt," Owen told the ground and dark type. Krookodile nodded in agreement, and Owen let out a long sigh. "Well, I guess that's it. It's time to go back to Pallet Town," he said before withdrawing Krookodile, Unfezant, and Puff to their Pokeballs.
000
"Owen, I think I'm gonna go with Fate to Hoenn," CJ told the younger boy as they waited by the dock in Castelia City. "We need to tell her parents about our relationship."
"Good luck with that, dude," Owen said before hugging CJ. "Fate, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," Owen told the fourteen year old girl. Fate nodded before sniffling slightly, and the two hugged. "Rebecca, good luck with your journey as a trainer or coordinator. I know you'll be great at whatever you do," Owen told the twelve year old as he hugged her.
"Hey, Fate, make sure to come back to Castelia sometime," Brooklyn told her rival. "Maybe we could have our rematch."
"That'd be great! And make sure to come to Littleroot," Fate responded. The two girls hugged each other before pulling away once they heard a boat alert passengers to board.
"Those heading for Vermilion City must board now," a man ordered.
"I guess that's us," Owen told his three traveling companions and Brooklyn. "We'll keep in touch," Owen told the four other trainers as he walked onto the boat with his parents, Orange, and Charizard. "See ya!" he shouted before walking into the S.S Anne and disappeared. The doors to the boat suddenly closed shut, and the motor powered vehicle began to head towards Vermilion City.
"I better get going, too. I told my parents I'd be home today. Later," Rebecca said after waving to the three teens. With that, the younger girl walked away from the dock and disappeared into the bustling streets of Castelia City.
"Are you going, too, Brooklyn?" CJ quizzed.
"In a little bit. I just need to ask you guys something."
000
"Boy, does it feel good to be back home!" Owen shouted as he walked down the dirt road he had come to love. He and Orange were walking back to their houses after spending several hours at Professor Oak's lab, which was now run by Gary, and they were exhausted. Owen had to introduce all of his Pokemon from Unova to the others, and it seemed like they got along well with his older Pokemon.
"So are you going to compete in any other leagues? I'm thinking about going to some place called Kalos," Orange told Owen as they pulled up at his house.
"Nope. I'm done competing in leagues for a while, if not ever. I'll be rooting for you, though," Owen told his lifelong friend.
"Oh well. I'll see you tomorrow." With that, Orange walked into his house and closed the door behind himself, leaving Owen to walk down the dirt road all alone. A pair of watchful eyes stared at him as he kicked a few rocks around, but the owners of said eyes decided to keep a distance.
After walking another minute, Owen arrived at his house and yawned loudly.
"I'm home!" Owen shouted to alert his parents. Neither of them responded, which puzzled the teen. Confused by the silent response, Owen walked into the kitchen, where he saw his parents sitting at the table with their heads down. "Mom? Dad? Are you guys alright?" Owen inquired as he sat down across from the middle-aged couple.
"Owen, do you remember when we said we needed to tell you something important?" Owen's mother asked slowly. The teen nodded, recalling the question being popped during the Unova League.
"Why? What's the matter?" the teen quizzed curiously. Both of his parents exchanged nervous glances before they sighed.
"Owen," his father started, "we're not your parents."
Whaaat!? What the hell is that supposed to mean, Mr. Plateau? So, Owen lost in the finals to Akito, and his 'parents' have told him he's not actually their son. All will be cleared up next chapter, so stay tuned. Till next time, peace out.
P.S: It turns out next chapter won't be an epilogue… so yeah :/
Next Chapter: Adopted