Theme Song
The dark has lost and peace has won (Owen and Charizard look out at Lumiose City from the top of Prism Tower)
Push ahead, go on and run (Owen hops on Charizard's back and Charizard uses Flamethrower on the camera)
Your family's gone, you must stand tall (Ariel and Catherine look like ghosts and put their hands on Owen's shoulders, and he's smiling while tears come to his eyes)
The love's still there, so you won't fall (Brooklyn and the others stand by Owen's sides, and they start running towards the championship stadium at the Kalos League/Grand Festival)
Make them proud and don't look back (A short mantage of Owen battling his rivals with Chesnaught, Greninja, and Tyrantrum celebrating)
Stay strong, go ahead and attack! (All ten of Owen's Pokemon jump in front of him)
When it's lost your bond grows strong (Gengar slowly gets off the ground and Mega Evolves)
Don't second-guess you aren't in wrong (Owen's six strongest Pokemon stare across a battlefield with grins)
And when it's done, you'll move on... Pokemon! (Owen turns around and sees all of his old traveling partners and Pokemon)
Round two is upon us, and things are going to get intense! This chapter, Owen will face a submitted character (courtesy of The 6th Spectral King) for this chapter, and that's about it. Now, let's get going!
Defender31415: There's a possibility of that happening, but if it doesn't I still have a happy ending that should (hopefully) satisfy anyone that's read this far
Guardianboy: That could be interesting, though I think that'll end up being an epilogue chapter if it were to happen. And thank you!
SomeGuy (guest): I can't even imagine how much hate I would get if I had Owen lose in the first round, especially in this story, haha. And I almost made Red mute, I was really thinking about it but then I remembered he was in Unova for a chapter (maybe two?), so I couldn't :/ As for the Champions, I'm thinking at least one or two of them will interact with Owen, though I'm not entirely sure which ones. And that whole Blaziken thing... damn, you got me in the feels
Adverb (guest): I won't be rewriting either Kanto or Johto because having to do two more projects that would total somewhere near 500,000 words isn't appealing in the slightest, and I have a longer explanation on my profile if you're interested. At the moment, I've started writing a new story (I won't post it right now) which will take place in Kanto, but that's probably the last story I'll do
ShadowDragon9000: Yeah, they'll be appear a few times, though not this chapter. I'm thinking of the top 16 being their official time to be recurring characters, and I can promise they'll be in every league chapter after that
Emboar-Man (guest): I'm not sure yet. There are a few of the Johto Pokemon that I'd like to see come back (Gyarados comes to mind, for me, or even Feraligatr), and a few others from different regions. If Lickitung does come back, I can guarantee he won't evolve because I hate Lickicky with a passion. And before you can ask about another evolution or a new move, no there won't be any more evolving, and I don't know about new moves
Breana (guest): Ooh, a bold prediction. I like that ;) I don't think I ever said Owen didn't have a chance at winning (if I did, sorry about that), I'm pretty sure I said I wouldn't go out of my way to make him win just because it's his last league
MCMXCV: It was actually really tough writing that battle because Owen didn't have a chance at losing, and making that even the slightest bit entertaining was pretty much impossible
Owen's team for battle
Gengar, (f), level 41, Shadow Punch, Mean Look, Night Shade, Confuse Ray, Sucker Punch*, Payback*
Hawlucha, (m), level 40, Wing Attack, Karate Chop, Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Bounce*
Chesnaught, (m), level 41, Mega Drain, Needle Arm, Rollout, Vine Whip, Spiky Shield*, Seed Bomb*
"And Moe will be advancing to the top 16! So far, eight spots have been filled by Moe, Harper, Tyler, Maria, Dwayne, Kevin, Shelly, and Troy! There are still eight battles remaining today, so we've still got a lot in store!" an anchor on the TV exclaimed while the pictures of all eight advancing trainers appeared. The results from their two battles were placed next to their pictures, which were formatted like a bracket. Owen inspected the graphic closely before rising from his seat in the trainer lounge in one of the four smaller stadiums, and he looked over at his friends.
"You've got your work cut out for you if you want to win this thing," Cindy said after seeing three of Owen's rivals had already advanced while Larenz was currently winning his battle. The fifteen year old shrugged nonchalantly, but his calm demeanor was broken when he saw his picture appear on the TV next to another boy's.
"This battle between Owen and Logan will definitely be interesting. Apparently Logan is able to use Mega Evolution, which we haven't seen from any of the remaining trainers, so it looks like Owen got an unlucky draw," another anchor stated before the TV cut out, and a person wearing a headset walked into the room with a clipboard.
"Owen, you're up," the man said to the teen, who nodded and headed towards the hallway that would take him to the battlefield. Greninja followed his trainer while Charizard and Blaziken opted to stay with the others, and Owen took a deep breath as he heard the announcer shout his name. The teen and his starter nodded at each other and then waved at the crowd as they appeared.
"And now Logan!" Owen watched as his opponent appeared on the opposite end of the battlefield and he kept a straight face. Everyone in the audience watched as Owen and Logan's picture took up both halves of the scoreboard and there were three Pokeballs next to their pictures. Logan stood confidently on the other end of the battlefield wearing a blue vest with a white shirt underneath it, and he wore a pair of ripped jeans with running shoes.
"This will be a three versus three battle between Owen and Logan where both trainers may substitute Pokemon once! Furthermore, once all Pokemon on one side are unable to battle, the battle will be over! Trainers, choose your first Pokemon!"
"Chesnaught, rok and roll!" Owen shouted, wanting to send in one of his strongest Pokemon to send a message to Logan. The confident teen threw his first Pokeball out at the same time Owen did, and he was annoyed to see he was at a disadvantage.
"Samurott, let's go!" The water starter appeared in the first slot next to Logan's picture while Chesnaught occupied the first slot next to Owen's. The bipedal grass type turned back to his trainer and grinned anxiously as some people in the crowd began chanting his name.
"This battle will be between Chesnaught and Samurott! Begin!"
"Samurott, use Ice Beam!"
"Dodge it with Rollout!" Owen countered. Chesnaught quickly curled into a ball and began to spin around the battlefield while Samurott tried hitting him with Ice Beam, but the freezing attack missed the entire time. After stopping his attack Samurott was crushed by Chesnaught's Rollout and he was sent flying towards Logan. Chesnaught, meanwhile, rolled back to Owen and stood imposingly with a grin.
"Stay strong, buddy! Aqua Jet!" Logan commanded while throwing his arm to the side. Samurott shot off the ground and was encapsulated in water before zipping across the battlefield at light speed, wowing the crowd. Owen and Chesnaught, however, remained clam and kept clear minds before the fifteen year old was ready to counter the attack.
"Catch Samurott with Vine Whip!" Two vines shot out of Chesnaught's neck and wrapped around Samurott's body, stopping the Aqua Jet instantly. The crowd gasped collectively along with Logan, who stared in shock before he called out to his first Pokemon.
"Samurott, break free!" Samurott began to flail violently, causing Chesnaught's grip to weaken, prompting Owen to issue another attack.
"Now use Needle Arm!" Chesnaught's arm quickly turned dark green and he reared back before slamming his fist over Samurott's head, roaring as he did so. The water type was slammed against the ground so powerfully the battlefield cracked slightly, but Samurott got back up and scurried over to Logan's half of the battlefield, panting wildly.
"Strike with a long-range Hydro Pump!" the trainer called.
"Seed Bomb!" Samurott and Chesnaught reared their heads back before firing their attacks; one a high-pressured blast of dark blue water and the other a large white ball of energy. Somehow, Seed Bomb powered through and clobbered Samurott. The attack exploded on contact with the water type and sent the Unovan starter flying through the air before landing on his head.
"Samurott is unable to battle! Logan, choose your next Pokemon!" The crowd roared with cheers for Chesnaught, who smirked confidently and waved while Greninja celebrated his teammate's victory.
"Thanks for the effort, Samurott. Zoroark, come on out!" Owen turned his attention back to the battlefield when a bipedal, black fox with long red hair on its head appeared and snarled at Chesnaught. The larger Pokemon growled at his opponent while Zoroark's picture appeared on the scoreboard, but Owen wasn't going to let the grass type battle.
"Chesnaught, come back for a quick rest," Owen called as he zapped the grass type back into his Pokeball, making Chesnaught's picture turn blue. "Hawlucha, I choose you!" Hawlucha landed on the ground in front of Owen gracefully before flexing as his picture appeared in the second slot next to Owen's.
"Smart thinking. Hawlucha's a lot faster than Chesnaught, but he still has the type advantage," Daniel said, complimenting Owen's thinking. The five others, including Moe's Clauncher and the two fire starters, nodded in agreement while the two Pokemon on the battlefield locked eyes.
"This battle will be between Hawlucha and Zoroark! Begin!"
"Start off with Aerial Ace!" Owen shouted. Hawlucha nodded and sprinted towards Zoroark before jumping in the air. Then, he spread his wings and streaks of light flew off his beak. In the blink of an eye, Zoroark managed to sprint underneath Hawlucha and turn around, acting as the pursuer while Hawlucha started flying away from his dark type opponent.
"Slash 'em with Shadow Claw, Zoroark!" Zoroark nodded and sprung into the air while three purple lines of energy extended from her claws, and she slashed Hawlucha across the chest, sending the fighting type spiraling into the ground. Much to Logan's surprise, Hawlucha landed on his feet and launched himself towards Zoroark with a grin, and Owen punched the air excitedly.
"Use Flying Press!" As soon as Owen finished his command, Hawlucha's body was coated in a thin white light of energy and he crashed into Zoroark, making the Pokemon cry out in pain as dust shot up after she and Hawlucha hit the ground. The fighting and flying type quickly backflipped to Owen and Greninja confidently while Zoroark rose to her feet with a pained expression.
"Don't let them push you around! Use Shadow Ball and knock Hawlucha back!"
"Haw-Cha!" the fighting type grunted loudly as his knee began to glow orange-red and he sent the powerful ghost type attack flying back at Zoroark at nearly double the speed. The dark type wasn't quick enough to evade the attack and was blown back into the wall behind Logan as a result, and Hawlucha flexed proudly while Greninja cheered for the fighting type.
"Way to go, Hawlucha!" Eddy cheered as he rose from his seat in the trainer lounge. "That was an awesome Hi Jump Kick!" the eight year old screamed while trying to imitate the powerful Pokemon, making the others laugh as Brooklyn's Beartic kept Eddy from falling.
"This is it, Zoroark! Use Night Slash!" Logan commanded. Zoroark hopped back onto her feet and her arms were covered in spiraling black energy.
"Hawlucha, counter it with another Hi Jump Kick!" Owen ordered. Hawlucha nodded and hopped into the air while spinning, and then he descended towards Zoroark while his knee began to glow orange-red again. The two attacks collided and battled back and forth, but Hawlucha ultimately prevailed and the two Pokemon crashed into the ground.
"Zoroark is unable to battle! Logan, choose your last Pokemon!" the referee shouted when he saw Zoroark had fainted while Hawlucha was celebrating his victory just like Chesnaught had done.
"Wow! Owen's clobbering this guy!" Cindy exclaimed while clapping, drawing attention from the other trainers in the waiting room.
"It doesn't matter, no lead at the league is safe," Daniel stated as he stuck his index finger in the air wisely. "There have been a lot of big comebacks in league history."
"That's right. Owen almost came back from being down 5-1 in the finals last year in Unova," Brooklyn told Cindy, who closed her mouth and watched the TV as Logan had withdrawn his second Pokemon, whose picture turned black.
"Salamence, I'm counting on you!" Owen and Hawlucha's eyes widened when Logan's third and final Pokeball appeared on the other half of the battlefield while Greninja fell on his back and pretended like he fainted. The dragon type appeared in the last spot on the scoreboard and it roared intimidatingly, making the stadium itself shake.
"This battle will be between Hawlucha and Salamence! Begin!"
"Use Bounce, Hawlucha!" Owen shouted. Hawlucha placed his hands on the ground as if he were about to a front flip, but he suddenly shot several dozen feet into the air, shocking everyone in the stadium, including Logan. Salamence, however, remained focused and kept its eyes locked on its smaller opponent. As Hawlucha began to crash towards Salamence, the dragon looked back at Logan and nodded.
"Salamence, take Hawlucha out of the sky with Dragon Claw!" Logan countered. Salamence took off at the speed of a bullet and its claws began to glow light blue before it slashed Hawlucha, sending the fighting and flying type spiraling through the air before he crashed on the ground in front of Owen and Greninja.
"Are you okay, Hawlucha?" the fifteen year old asked his Pokemon, who was struggling to get up. Hawlucha nodded, making Owen grin. "Great! Use a spinning Aerial Ace!" Once again, Hawlucha began sprinting forward before sticking his wings out to his sides, and he started spinning like a drill. The streaks of light flying off his beak began to twist around his body, adding power to the attack, but Logan and his final Pokemon weren't ready to back down.
"Stop Aerial Ace with Hyper Beam!" Owen's eyes shot wide open as Hawlucha was stopped dead in his tracks by a wicked blast of orange energy that engulfed him. The bipedal eagle was then slammed against the wall behind Owen and he was down for the count, making the crowd explode with applause while Owen and Greninja stared in disbelief.
"Wh-what happened?" Daniel asked as the TV zoomed in on Hawlucha's face.
"I don't know, but this doesn't look good," Brooklyn muttered to herself.
"Hawlucha is unable to battle! Owen, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Great job out there, Hawlucha," the Kantonian said as he withdrew his fainted Pokemon. "If we want to beat Salamence we're going to need a lot of power, Greninja," Owen muttered. The water frog nodded and misinterpreted what his trainer was referring to, as he began to crack his neck and stretch. His expectations were shattered, however, when Owen threw a Pokeball in the air. "Chesnaught, I need your help!"
"Hmm..." a voice hummed, making Owen's companions look over. Moe and Clauncher walked into the room and stared at Owen's battle. The trainer scratched his chin while looking at the matchup Owen had just gone for, not understanding his rival's thought process. Chesnaught, meanwhile, was amped for his match and began punching his left fist into his right palm while Salamence simply growled.
"This battle will be between Chesnaught and Salamence! Begin!"
"Salamence, fire a Flamethrower!" Logan shouted while pointing at Chesnaught, who looked eager to attack. Salamence quickly opened its mouth and unleashed a wave of red-hot fire from his mouth, but Owen and his colossal Pokemon were more than ready to evade the super effective attack.
"Roll away and get in close!" Owen countered. Chesnaught nodded and began to roll like a ball, and he managed to dodge the fire. Chesnaught then rolled towards Salamence at a ridiculous speed - one that rivaled Pikachu's running speed - before he stopped inches short of his winged opponent. Chesnaught then grabbed a hold of his dragon type foe with his left hand and smirked.
"What!?" Logan shouted in disbelief as Chesnaught glanced back at Owen and waited for the followup attack.
"Needle Arm!" the fifteen year old shouted excitedly. Chesnaught grinned and turned back to Salamence, winding his arm back while doing so. Once his arm turned dark green, Chesnaught threw it down like a mallet and Salamence was struck on the head. Despite the ferocity of the attack, Salamence recovered quickly and knocked Chesnaught back with his tail.
"We're not going to let that happen again! Salamence, take to the air and cover the battlefield in flames!" Logan ordered confidently. Salamence did as he was told and shot straight in the air before settling directly above Chesnaught. The dragon type then reared his head back and unleashed a blast of fire that engulfed the battlefield, making Chesnaught cry out in pain.
"Chesnaught, keep using Seed Bomb and try to his Salamence's wings!" Despite the burning sensation running ramped on his body, Chesnaught opened his mouth and fired a glowing oval of white energy at his airborne opponent. After avoiding the first few attempts, Logan decided he had enough.
"Nose dive into Chesnaught with Dragon Claw!" Owen and Greninja stared in shock as Salamence tucked his wings into his sides and descended towards Chesnaught like a missile. As the pseudo legendary closed in on Chesnaught, a light went off in Owen's head and he remembered a move Chesnaught had learned when he evolved.
"Spiky Shield!" The teen commanded. Chesnaught smirked as he retracted his limbs and the spikes on his shell grew. When Salamence tried attacking him, the dragon type was stabbed by the spikes on Chesnaught's back, making the Hoenn Pokemon cry out in pain. Logan, however, seemed satisfied, as Chesnaught slowly tried to get back on his feet.
"Perfect! Flamethrower!" Before Owen could say another word, Chesnaught was engulfed in a wave of flames that knocked him out instantly, and the large grass type fell on his back with his eyes shut. The crowd cheered excitedly as Salamence looked back at Logan and smiled, and the trainer did the same while Owen continued to stare in disbelief, and Chesnaught's picture turned black.
"Chesnaught is unable to battle! Owen, choose your last Pokemon!"
"No way," Cindy muttered in disbelief as Chesnaught laid flat on his face. The crowd exploded with cheers and chants for Logan and Salamence who maintained their composure while Owen took a deep breath and withdrew his fainted grass type.
"Well, this could be it, but at least he's got his strongest Pokemon," Charizard opined, knowing exactly who Owen was going to use. The others, meanwhile, didn't, and Blaziken nodded along with his brother. "If he's going to lose, then he won't regret his decision."
"Gengar, it's all up to you!" Owen shouted. In a blast of white light, Gengar appeared in front of Owen and cackled mischievously while her picture appeared on the scoreboard. The ghost type then flew over to Owen and smiled, but returned to the battlefield when she heard Salamence roar.
"So Gengar's his last Pokemon," Daniel muttered, looking over at Charizard, who nodded at the statement with a grin.
"Salamence, it's time to Mega Evolve!" Logan shouted while throwing his arm in the air. Salamence nodded and began to roar before he was engulfed in a blinding light. Owen, Greninja, and Gengar watched as Salamence's wings meld together into a single huge, crescent-shaped wing. Seeing the transformation, Owen smirked and Gengar turned around with an equally confident look.
"Gengar, let's Mega Evolve!" the teen shouted, throwing Gengar her Mega Stone. The ghost type caught the rock and waited to transform as Owen touched his Mega Bracelet, but nothing happened. The audience began to shut in confusion and the referee and Logan sweat dropped at Owen's failed attempt. "What the hell? Why can't Gengar Mega Evolve?"
"Owen, are you going to battle?" the referee asked, making the teen rub his neck sheepishly while nodding. "This battle will be between Gengar and Salamence! Begin!"
"Start off with Dragon Claw!" Logan shouted aggressively. Salamence quickly took to the air while his claws started to glow blue, and he flew towards Gengar, who turned back to Owen and waited anxiously for a counterattack. Thankfully for the ghost type, her trainer was more than ready to counter the powerful Pokemon's attack.
"Counter with Shadow Punch!" the fifteen year old yelled while punching his arm forward. Gengar turned and did the same, but a shadowy fist flew towards Salamence and slammed into the Mega Evolved Pokemon and sent him flying onto his back. The crowd gasped in shock as Gengar cackled and began to float over her opponent's body, but she was caught off guard by Logan's next order.
"Damn, I guess we'll have to be cautious about this. Salamence, unleash a Draco Meteor!" Salamence opened his eyes and his stomach began to glow bright orange before he released a large ball of orange energy. Gengar barely managed to dodge the initial attack and she let out a sigh of relief, not noticing the ball of energy had suddenly broken apart. The ghost type suddenly looked up and was crushed by several bits of the wicked attack, and Owen bit his bottom lip while Greninja covered his eyes and shook his head. Gengar, however, got back up and flew over to Owen calmly while Salamence and Logan stared at the result of the attack. The battlefield was cracked everywhere, and enormous dents were also present.
"Gengar, get in close!" Owen commanded, hoping his Pokemon was fast enough to evade any potential attacks. Gengar nodded and bolted towards Salamence while barely flying above the ground, and she somehow dodged Salamence's tail. "Confuse Ray!" Gengar suddenly slapped her hands against Salamence's face and she fired rings of yellow energy into the dragon's eyes.
"Salamence, send Gengar flying back with Flamethrower!" Logan shouted. Without hesitation, Salamence unleashed a wave of red fire that struck Gengar. Owen and the audience watched as the fully evolved Pokemon bounced against the ground in pain before getting up once again, a clear look of pain resting on her face.
"Hang in there, Gengar! Use Shadow Ball!" Gengar's eyes flashed purple as she threw her arms forward and released a ball of purple and black energy towards Salamence. The dragon attempted to dodge the attack, but he fell flat on his face. The Shadow Ball exploded on contact with the Hoenn Pokemon's body and sent him skidding back while Logan cursed under his breath.
"Let's finish this, Salamence! Use Flamethrower!" Logan shouted to his final Pokemon. Much to his dismay, Logan watched as Salamence slammed his face against the ground repeatedly, giving Owen and Gengar the perfect opportunity to strike.
"Gengar, get in close!" the teen commanded for the second time. Gengar did as she was told and made her way across the battlefield, but Logan was quick to react.
"Salamence, use Dragon Claw!"
"Dodge it and use Shadow Punch!" Owen screamed. Salamence reared his arm back while his claws began to glow blue, and he attempted to slash Gengar. The ghost type reacted at the speed of light and flew backwards as quickly as she could, making Salamence whiff on his attack. Gengar then reared her arm back and unleashed a ferocious Shadow Punch, which hit Salamence in the face and knocked him out cold.
"Salamence is unable to battle! Owen is the winner and will advance to the top 16!" the referee shouted as the Hoenn Pokemon tipped over and landed on his side with his eyes shut.
"He did it!" Eddy shouted while hopping off his chair and punching the air viciously. "Yeah!" The TV focused on Owen and Gengar embracing while Greninja danced happily. Logan, meanwhile, simply withdrew his Salamence and walked out of the arena without saying a word. Once his celebrating was finished, Owen walked into the trainer lounge with Gengar and Greninja, smiling proudly before hugging Brooklyn.
"Way to go, Gengar! That was awesome!" Cindy complimented the ghost, who bowed thankfully before talking with Charizard, Blaziken, and Greninja.
"Ya know, I thought you were gonna lose, but you proved me wrong," Moe said with a grin, elbowing Owen in the ribs while doing so. "Hopefully we get to battle soon." Clauncher snapped his claws with a determined look on his face, making Owen laugh while nodding.
"I'd like that too. Now let's go celebrate!"
Well, Owen has advanced to the top 16, and will be in for quite the challenge next chapter. There's not much else to say, so till next time, peace out.
1) Should I post the first chapter of my new story? I won't update until I finish this, I just figured you guys would want a sneak peak :P
Next Chapter: "Heavyweight Bout": Owen's quest for the Kalos League Championship continues as he faces Maria in the top 16! Will he be able to settle the score, or will Maria claim victory again?
Final Competition Arc (More to Come!)
Chapter 74: Greninja's Time to Shine!
Chapter 75: The End of a Journey
Chapter 76: Reflecting on Failure