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 (Charizard, Feraligatr, Sceptile, Infernape, Snivy, and Greninja fade out and replace each other)
And when it's done, you'll move on... Pokemon! (Owen vanishes and a girl with gray eyes and brown hair replaces him)
The battle you've all been waiting for has finally arrived! That's right, Owen vs Larenz is upon us, and this is going to be the best battle of the series! Last chapter, Owen looked back on his previous failures and Red stopped by to offer some words of advice. With the potential of being the Kalos Champion on the line, will Owen defeat Larenz?
Defender31415: How so?
Guest: In order: Owen, Ariel, Frank, Fate, and CJ
Guardianboy: Yeah, Owen's done after this story and I already have the spinoff posted, though I'm still torn on whether Owen will make any appearances. And the first word in your second question got caught off, so I'll assume you were asking what it means. Basically, it's supposed to show Owen's past which meets the present (Greninja)
Guest: Thank you and thank you!
Blaze Falcon: Meh, probably. And I said last chapter that the team would be everyone from Owen's battle against Larenz in Coumarine City, but Slurpuff will replace Chesnaught
ShadowDragon9000: Yeah it will be done after this chapter. I thought about making it two parts, with the first being the first half of the battle, but I didn't like how choppy it felt. And there ten chapters left. I have the (More to Come) thingy up so that you guys will know when the last chapter is, and that has been removed starting this chapter
guest: You know, I figured someone would notice the similarities between Owen's flashbacks and Ash's whole thing with Paul, because I feel Owen and Larenz' rivalry is (albeit not close), somewhat similar to that of Ash and Paul's
SomeGuy (guest): The lack of Tyler being in the story was due to his creator's hiatus, which kept us from collaborating, and I didn't want to force Owen into certain parts of his story, so that's the reasoning for that
Owen's team for battle
Greninja, (m), level 51, Water Shuriken, Smack Down, Extrasensory, Quick Attack, Water Pulse*, Smokescreen*
Gengar, (f), level 56, Shadow Punch, Mean Look, Dark Pulse, Confuse Ray, Sucker Punch*, Shadow Ball*
Butterfree, (f), level 40, Tackle, Silver Wind, Psybeam, Gust, Poison Powder*, Sleep Powder*
Tyrantrum, (m), level 47, Earthquake, Thrash, Stealth Rock, Crunch, Ancient Power*, Dragon Tail*
Pikachu, (m), level 45, Iron Tail, Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Nuzzle, Electro Ball*, Double Team*
Slurpuff, (f), level 46, Fairy Wind, Fake Tears, Cotton Spore, Draining Kiss, Energy Ball*
"Remember, you're going to do great!" Brooklyn's voice rang in Owen's head as he sat in the trainer lounge all by his lonesome. He had just given a speech to his six competing Pokemon and withdrawn them, and Charizard and Blaziken were sitting on the bench to the side of the battlefield with Owen's traveling companions. The teen slowly took a deep breath and began pacing around the room until someone instructed him to walk down the hallway that led to the battlefield. After making his way down the hallway, Owen stopped and waited for the announcer to call his name.
Meanwhile, on the bench to the side of the battlefield, Owen's traveling partners waited anxiously.
"Man, this place is just as crazy as it was in Unova," CJ said while looking around at the stadium. The entire place was rocking and a chant for the competitors' names picked up while the lights shone brightly on the battlefield. Both Owen and Larenz' pictures were displayed on the scoreboard while six smaller spots were displayed next to them, and the announcer stepped forward.
"Welcome, all of you, to the championship round of the Kalos League Tournament! Both trainers have made impressive runs, defeating their first five opponents. Now, they put their undefeated streaks on the line tonight in hopes of being named the Kalos League Champion! Now, please welcome Owen and Larenz!" With that, the aforementioned trainers walked out of the hallways and strolled across the battlefield before stopping in their trainer boxes.
"Wahoo! Let's go, Owen!" Fate and Brooklyn screamed at the same time. Charizard, meanwhile, roared for his trainer while Blaziken clapped alongside Eddy and Cindy. Daniel and Dragonair also cheered with CJ and Leaf, but they all stopped when the referee stepped forward and spoke.
"This championship battle will be a full battle between Owen and Larenz, where both trainers may substitute their Pokemon freely! Furthermore, once all Pokemon on one side are unable to battle, the battle is over! The winner of this battle will move on to challenge the Champion of their choice, so make sure to give it your all! Now, please choose your first Pokemon!"
"I wonder who Owen's going to start with?" Daniel asked over the screaming crowd.
"I don't know, but it's definitely going to be an interesting choice," Fate answered before turning her attention to the battle. Suddenly, the crowd began to cheer at a deafening pitch, and Owen and Larenz threw their first Pokeballs at the same time.
"Tyrantrum, I choose you!" Tyrantrum exploded from his Pokeball and stomped on the ground before roaring powerfully. The dragon type's picture then appeared on the scoreboard, and Owen looked across the battlefield.
"Gardevoir, it's battle time!" Owen and Tyrantrum frowned as the fully evolved fairy type stood opposite them, and its picture appeared next to Larenz' on the scoreboard.
"Oh no! Owen's at a type disadvantage!" Cindy groaned while rolling her eyes. "How is he going to win this matchup?" the girl asked the others, who all shrugged and turned their attention to the battle.
"This battle will be between Tyrantrum and Gardevoir! Begin!"
"Gardevoir, start this with Moonblast!" Larenz commanded, starting the battle on an aggressive note. Gardevoir quickly put her hands together and unleashed a pink blast of energy towards Tyrantrum, who nearly screamed in fear of the attack. Owen, however, remained calm and countered the super effective attack.
"Block it with Earthquake and then use Stealth Rock!" Tyrantrum nodded and slammed his foot on the ground, creating a pillar of dirt in the middle of the battlefield. The Moonblast attack was stopped by Earthquake, and then Tyrantrum roared while firing a wave of white arrows towards Gardevoir and Larenz.
"Destroy Stealth Rock with Magical Leaf!" Larenz countered without hesitation. Gardevoir quickly began to spin like a top before firing dozens of rainbow colored leaves at the white arrows Tyrantrum had fired, and they destroyed the Stealth Rock, causing the stadium to shake with applause.
"What!? How is that even possible!?" Eddy screamed as Gardevoir bowed to the crowd after the stunning attack.
"Keep it going, Tyrantrum! Use Thrash!" Tyrantrum quickly charged across the battlefield and whipped his tail at Gardevoir, clobbering the fairy type in the process. Despite the ferocity of the attack, Gardevoir still managed to remain conscious, and Larenz watched on as Tyrantrum continued to whack her with his tail.
"Stand strong, Gardevoir!" Larenz instructed as his first Pokemon continued to take a beating from Owen's powerful fossilized Pokemon, much to everyone's surprise. Despite the wicked blows, Gardevoir managed to remain standing.
"Just a little more, Tyrantrum! Finish this with Earthquake!" Tyrantrum roared in response and lifted his foot in the air before preparing to stomp on the ground. Larenz, however, was quick to react.
"Moonblast!" Gardevoir quickly threw her arms forward and unleashed a pink blast of energy that struck Tyrantrum before he could stomp on the ground, and the dragon type was launched across the battlefield. After landing on his back, Tyrantrum's eyes were closed, and the referee raised his arms.
"Tyrantrum is unable to battle! Owen, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Thanks for the great work, Tyrantrum. Pikachu, show 'em your speed!" Owen shouted while throwing his second Pokeball. Pikachu hopped out of the spherical device and released small bits of electricity from his red cheeks. Tyrantrum's picture then turned black while Pikachu's appeared on the scoreboard, and the referee spoke up.
"This battle will be between Pikachu and Gardevoir! Begin!"
"Use Psychic to throw Pikachu in the air!" Larenz shouted immediately after the battle began. Gardevoir nodded and threw her arm in the air while a thin blue line appeared around Pikachu's body. The electric rodent was hurled straight in the air and he began free falling towards the ground, but Owen mangled to think of a way to break the electric type's fall.
"Spin and use Iron Tail on the ground!" Pikachu did as he was told and began spinning like a wheel as his tail turned to steel. After slamming his tail on the battlefield, Pikachu was launched like a bullet towards Gardevoir, and his tail continued to be covered in metal. "Now land an Iron Tail!" Once again, Pikachu started spinning like a wheel before whipping his tail across Gardevoir's face, knocking the fairy type onto her back.
"Recover and use Moonblast on the ground in front of Pikachu, Gardevoir!" After getting back on her feet, Gardevoir unleashed another blast of pink energy on the ground in front of Pikachu, causing an explosion that lifted the rat off the ground.
"Keep clam and use Thunderbolt to retaliate, Pikachu!" Pikachu grinned as his body was covered in electricity, and he fired a wicked bolt of zigzagging electricity at Gardevoir. The fairy type cried out in pain as she was zapped by the powerful Thunderbolt attack, and Pikachu smirked confidently as the crowd started cheering for him, making Larenz bite his lower lip.
"Keep it going, Gardevoir, use Psychic to hold Pikachu and hit him with Moonblast!" Owen could only watch as Pikachu was held in place while a thin blue line of energy surrounded his body, and he was crushed by the powerful pink blast. Despite this, Pikachu managed to stay conscious, and he darted towards Gardevoir at a blinding pace, which wowed everyone watching the battle.
"Use Quick Attack and Double Team!" Owen commanded strategically. Pikachu obeyed and cloned himself, which was followed by several waves of white energy trailing their bodies as each Pikachu ran even faster than before.
"Crush them with Psychic!"
"Use each other as launchpads and jump in the air!" Owen countered quickly. Six Pikachu hopped on the back of another and leaped into the air while the six on the ground were trapped by Gardevoir's Psychic, leaving the fully evolved Pokemon defenseless. "Now finish this with Iron Tail!" The fake Pikachu all disappeared, leaving the real one by himself. Pikachu then smashed his tail over Gardevoir's head and knocked her out cold, tying the battle.
"Gardevoir is unable to battle! Larenz, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Yeah! There we go, Owen!" CJ screamed enthusiastically while pumping his fist in the air. Leaf, along with Hez, Dragonair, Braixen, Charizard, and Blaziken matched CJ's excitement and chanted Pikachu's name while the rodent returned to Owen's side and nodded at his trainer confidently. Gardevoir's picture, meanwhile, turned black.
"Return, Gardevoir. Umbreon, it's battle time!" Larenz yelled before throwing his second Pokeball. Owen and Pikachu frowned when they saw Larenz' Umbreon, and the dark type growled at his opponents while his picture appeared on the scoreboard.
"Pikachu, let's get some revenge for last time," Owen said to his Pokemon, who nodded in agreement before dropping on all fours.
"This battle will be between Pikachu and Umbreon! Begin!"
"Start this off with Quick Attack!" Owen commanded. Pikachu nodded, dropped on all fours, and then bolted across the battlefield while a white line of light trailed his body. The entire crowd gasped in shock at the speed of the electric type, but Larenz was unimpressed and ready to counter.
"Umbreon, counter with Double Team!" Just before Pikachu could slam into Umbreon, the dark type copied himself and Pikachu passed through a fake. The electric type was quickly surrounded by the Umbreon and he looked around worriedly. "Dark Pulse!" Larenz commanded while pointing at Pikachu. All eight Umbreon unleashed spiraling rays of black energy at Pikachu, and the rodent was engulfed in the powerful attacks, crying out in pain.
"Use Countershield, Pikachu!" Owen screamed. Suddenly, the Dark Pulse attacks were destroyed by whips of electricity, and so were the Umbreon copies. After hitting the real Umbreon, Pikachu rose to his feet and darted towards his opponent. "Land a Nuzzle!" Upon hearing his trainer's command, Pikachu lunged forward and rubbed his face against Umbreon's, paralyzing the dark type.
"Damnit! Umbreon, heal up with Moonlight!" Larenz shouted to his paralyzed Pokemon. Umbreon nodded and looked up at the moon directly overhead and howled before his body began to shine from the light.
"Perfect," Owen muttered sarcastically. "Crush Umbreon with Electro Ball while he's healing!" Pikachu quickly generated a ball of electricity on the end of his tail and flung it at the healing Pokemon. Much to his and Owen's dismay, Pikachu watched as Umbreon looked fully healed and it smirked at him.
"Dodge it and use Dark Pulse again!" Umbreon leaped to his side and managed to dodge the Electro Ball attack, which exploded when it hit the ground. Umbreon then opened his mouth and fired another spiraling ray of black and purple energy at Pikachu, and the rodent was blown back onto his feet.
"Hang in there, Pikachu! Use Iron Tail!" Owen shouted while Greninja cheered for his teammate. Pikachu nodded and took off towards Umbreon with an angered look on his face. The electric type then jumped in the air while his tail was covered in metal, and he whacked Umbreon across the face, which made Larenz smirk.
"Payback!" the confident trainer countered loudly, catching Owen and Pikachu off guard. A black bullet of energy was launched from Umbreon's chest and it exploded on contact with Pikachu, which sent the rodent rolling across the battlefield. When he finally came to a stop, Pikachu's eyes were closed and Owen cursed under his breath while Larenz nodded at his second Pokemon.
"Pikachu is unable to battle! Owen, choose your next Pokemon!" the referee shouted while Pikachu's picture turned black.
"Great job, Pikachu, return." Sighing, Owen looked over at his friends and grinned when he saw them cheering for him, and he grabbed another Pokeball from his belt. "Come on out, Butterfree!"
"This battle will be between Butterfree and Umbreon! Begin!"
"Start with Double Team and then fire a Dark Pulse!" As soon as Larenz finished his command, Umbreon copied himself and fired several ray of black and purple energy at the bug and flying type. Despite the several blasts of dark energy, Owen wasn't the slightest bit overwhelmed by his opponent, and countered with confidence.
"Send Dark Pulse back at Umbreon with Gust!" Butterfree flapped her wings powerfully, creating a gale force wind that instantly deflected the Dark Pulse attacks at two times the speed. Each ray of the dark type attacks collided with the attacker and destroyed them all while sending the real Umbreon flying into the air.
"Hang in there and use Payback, Umbreon!" Larenz shouted. Umbreon quickly recovered from his out of control spiraling and fired a black bullet towards Butterfree, who was hit by the wicked attack and sent crashing into the ground, making Owen curse under his breath. She got back up, however, and Owen let out a sigh of relief before issuing another command.
"Butterfree, don't back down! Silver Wind!" Once again, Butterfree flapped her wings powerfully, which created dozens of silver crescents that cut through the air and smashed into Umbreon, dealing massive damage to the dark type Pokemon. Even though the attack was super effective, Umbreon remained standing, and he smirked at Butterfree.
"That's the spirit, Umbreon! Use Moonlight to heal back up!"
"Not on our watch! Butterfree, use Tackle!" Owen barked hurriedly. As Umbreon began to sparkle from the light shining on his body, Butterfree flew forward and rammed into him headfirst, knocking Umbreon onto his back. While Umbreon got back up, Butterfree flew back to Owen's side and began panting, and the crowd started to scream even louder than before.
"Fire another Dark Pulse!" Umbreon opened his mouth and unleashed a spiraling ray of black and purple energy that flew across the battlefield, but Owen didn't pay any attention due to his calling out a move.
"Counter it with Psybeam!" A blast of multicolored energy was released from Butterfree's antennae, and it collided with the Dark Pulse in the middle of the battlefield. The two attacks exploded instantly, and a large cloud of smoke covered the battlefield, leaving everyone waiting in angst. Once the smoke dissipated, Owen frowned when he saw both Butterfree and Umbreon had fainted.
"Both Pokemon are unable to battle! That is the conclusion of the first half of the battle! Trainers, return to your rooms for a twenty minute intermission!" the referee shouted.
000
"Damn, this is close," Owen said before exhaling and sitting down against the wall nearest the hallway he had walked through. Greninja nodded in agreement and Owen released his two other remaining Pokemon, who looked excited to be freed from their Pokeballs. "Gengar, Slurpuff, we're down 3-2 right now, and I'm really going to need you to step up. You too, Greninja," Owen informed his three Pokemon, who all nodded.
"Ja, Gren-ninja!" Greninja exclaimed before pointing at himself, to which Owen shook his head adamantly.
"No way, you're not starting the second half, I was planning on this, so I know who will," the trainer answered, making Greninja frown and cross his arms over his chest. The trainer then turned slowly to face Slurpuff, who smiled stupidly, not understanding what Owen was trying to say. "I want you to start the half, Slurpuff. Larenz hasn't seen you battle before, so you're my secret weapon."
"Puff-puff!" Slurpuff exclaimed with a competitive grin on her face, which made Owen laugh before patting her on the head. The teen then withdrew Slurpuff, and turned to Greninja.
"Greninja, do you mind going in your Pokeball for a second? I need to talk to Gengar in private," Owen said to the water frog, who reluctantly agreed. After Greninja was zapped into his spherical prison, Owen turned and looked at Gengar with a smile. "Gengar, you're going to be up last."
"Geng?" the ghost asked, shocked at the information. "Gar," she continued, still looking confused by her trainer's decision.
"I know you can do it, Gengar. You're one of the strongest Pokemon I've ever met. Here, take this," the fifteen year old said to his powerhouse before handing her a stone, which was placed in an armband. Gengar looked at the bracelet in shock and then shook her head, but Owen wouldn't take no for an answer. "Trust me, you can do it. You just need to believe in me." After a moment of silence, Gengar slowly nodded, making Owen beam. "Great! Now let's go out there and do our best!"
"Gengar!" the ghost type exclaimed before being withdrawn. Owen quickly released Greninja from his Pokeball and the water frog nodded at his trainer with an excited grin.
"Let's go."
000
"It's time for the second half of the championship battle to begin! Larenz holds a slim 3-2 lead over Owen, who is looking to capture the momentum and swing this battle in his favor! Let's turn it over to the referee!"
"Thank you. This will be a continuation of the first half of the battle! Due to both Pokemon fainting at the end of the half, Owen and Larenz will send their Pokemon out at the same time! Trainers, choose your Pokemon!"
"Electivire, it's battle time!" Larenz shouted.
"Slurpuff, let's take the momentum!" Owen screamed while throwing his fourth Pokeball forward. In a blast of light, Slurpuff landed on the ground in front of Owen and she waved to the crowd cutely while Larenz flinched in shock.
"Since when did he have a Slurpuff? Damn, I didn't expect that!" Larenz thought to himself while Slurpuff and Electivire's pictures appeared on the scoreboard.
"This battle will be between Slurpuff and Electivire! Begin!"
"Electivire, use Electro Ball!" Larenz commanded, not expecting Slurpuff to have enough power to counter the electric type attack. He was wrong, however, and Owen smirked before pointing at Electivire and countering the powerful attack.
"Block it with Energy Ball, Slurpuff!" Owen commanded. Slurpuff opened her mouth and fired a green sphere at the Electro Ball, and the two attacks collided in the middle of the battlefield. Much to everyone's surprise, Slurpuff's Energy Ball crashed through Electivire's Electro Ball and the electric type was struck by the grass attack. Larenz stared in shock at Slurpuff's power before cursing under his breath, but he regained his focus and resumed the battle.
"Charge at Slurpuff and use Focus Blast!"
"Send Electivire flying with Fairy Wind!" Owen shouted confidently while punching the air in front of him. As Electivire began to run towards Slurpuff, the short, fat Pokemon opened her mouth and released a gust of pink wind at the electric type. Electivire was quickly knocked onto his back and he began skidding across the battlefield as Slurpuff continued her Fairy Wind attack until Electivire was pressed against the wall.
"Use Protect to block the wind!" Larenz demanded, realizing there was no way for Electivire to escape the fairy type attack. The yellow Pokemon obeyed and slammed his hands on the ground, creating a green bubble of energy that shielded him from any of Slurpuff's attacks.
"Perfect!" Owen cried as Slurpuff turned to him and grinned. "Use Draining Kiss!" Slurpuff slowly ran across the battlefield and shot a pair of pink lips across the battlefield towards Electivire. Due to its extremely slow speed, Slurpuff's Draining Kiss struck Electivire when Protect faded, restoring the fairy type's health while draining Electivire's.
"Electivire, no!" Larenz yelled as Electivire dropped to one knee in pain, clearly overwhelmed by Slurpuff's surprising strength.
"Energy Ball!" Owen screamed while pointing at Electivire. Without hesitation, Slurpuff jumped in the air and fired a green sphere towards Electivire. Due to his exhaustion, Electivire was unable to dodge or withstand the attack, and he was knocked out on impact.
"Electivire is unable to battle! Larenz, choose your next Pokemon!" the referee shouted while Electivire's picture turned black.
"Return, Electivire. Ninetails, it's battle time!" Larenz quickly flicked his wrist and released his fourth Pokemon, Ninetails, who elegantly landed on the battlefield before growling at Slurpuff, who didn't look intimidated in the slightest.
"This isn't a good matchup, Owen needs to switch Slurpuff out right now," Daniel stated as the referee looked at both sides.
"Why is that?" Brooklyn inquired, not knowing what Daniel was alluding to.
"Fairy types are weak against fire types, and I don't think Slurpuff has a move that can deal any bit of damage," CJ answered before Daniel, who nodded in agreement. "But knowing Owen, he doesn't care."
"This battle will be between Slurpuff and Ninetails! Begin!"
"Slurpuff, use Fairy Wind!" Owen shouted, not aware of the type disadvantage. Slurpuff happily obliged and released a blast of pink wind from her mouth, but Larenz and Ninetails simply laughed at the attack before countering.
"Power through it with Flame Wheel, Ninetails!" Larenz commanded, knowing his Pokemon would be able to strike Slurpuff and finally deal some damage to the pesky creampuff. Ninetails nodded at her trainer's command and began to spin like a wheel while releasing fire from her mouth, and she started spinning towards Slurpuff. Much to Owen's dismay, he watched as Ninetails breezed through the fairy type attack, and she crushed Slurpuff into the wall behind him.
"Match them with Play Rough, Slurpuff!" Owen yelled. Slurpuff nodded and ran towards Ninetails while her body was covered in pink aura, and she slammed into Ninetails, sending the fire fox bouncing across the battlefield. After she stopped and rose to her feet, Ninetails glared at Slurpuff and growled lowly before Larenz issued another command.
"Now use Will-O-Wisp, Ninetails!" Before Owen could react, Slurpuff was hit by several blue flames that burnt her instantly, making the fifteen year old curse under his breath before pulling out Slurpuff's Pokeball. As he tried to withdraw her, Owen watched Slurpuff's body be engulfed in a brief blast of fire, which made her cry in pain.
"Slurpuff, return!" Owen called while zapping the fat Pokemon back to her Pokeball. The teen watched as the fairy type's picture turned blue, and he looked over at Greninja and smiled. "You know what to do, Greninja." Greninja nodded and ran forward before dropping to a low stance and placing his right hand in front of his body while his left went straight out to his side.
"He was too late with that. Owen needs to keep from making careless mistakes if he wants to win this," CJ critiqued before sitting on the bench along with everyone else.
"I think he did that on purpose," Charizard muttered, grabbing everyone's attention.
"But why? That seems idiotic, especially on this stage," Blaziken opined before glancing over to the battlefield.
"I don't know. But something tells me Owen has something up his sleeve."
"This battle will be between Greninja and Ninetails! Begin!"
"Ninetails, use Will-O-Wisp and burn Greninja!" Larenz shouted, knowing he couldn't do much damage to Greninja without burning the water type. Ninetails nodded and created blue flames on the end of each of its tails before they were flung at Greninja, who patiently waited for Owen's counterattack.
"Destroy the fires with Water Shuriken! Then get in close and use Water Pulse!" Owen commanded. Greninja quickly hurled several shurikens made of water at the flames, which were extinguished immediately. The battlefield was then covered in steam due to the collisions, and Greninja took it as an opportunity to get close to Ninetails. After sprinting through the steam, the water type formed a ball of water in his hand and slammed it against Ninetails' head, blasting the fire type back to Larenz' side.
"Don't hold anything back, Ninetails! Fire Blast!" Ninetails hopped back on her feet and opened her mouth before unleashing a star shaped burst of fire. The speed of the attack caught Owen and Greninja by surprise, which led to Greninja being launched onto his back, but the water and dark type didn't seem to take much damage.
"That's the spirit, Greninja! Use Smack Down!" Larenz gasped in shock as Ninetails was clobbered by the gigantic boulder that was flung from Greninja's mouth. The crowd began to cheer for Greninja as the water type began waving his arms to pump them up, and Ninetails struggled to stand up once again.
"Fire Blast again, Ninetails!"
"Greninja, disappear and use Water Pulse to finish this!" Owen countered instantly. As Ninetails unleashed a star shaped blast of red fire, Greninja slammed his hand against the ground and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Larenz and Ninetails looked around worriedly before Greninja appeared right in front of the fire type and slammed a ball of water against her face. The crowd gasped in shock as Ninetails fainted from the impact of the attack, and Owen's friends erupted with cheers, which made Greninja beam with confidence.
"Ninetails is unable to battle! Larenz, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Oh yeah! He's so close to winning! All he needs to do is take out two more Pokemon, and Owen will win!" Eddy cheered while Ninetails' picture turned black. "Oh man, this is so awesome!"
"Return, Ninetails. Milotic, it's battle time!"
"This battle will be between Greninja and Milotic! Begin!"
"Use Extrasensory, Greninja!" Owen shouted. Greninja quickly ran forward before jumping in the air, and he released a ray of blue energy. Much to Owen's surprise, Milotic slithered around the attack effortlessly and made her way towards Greninja, who wasn't expecting the speed of the water type.
"Wrap your tail around Greninja, Milotic!" Larenz commanded. In the blink of an eye, Milotic snatched Greninja out of the air with her tail and put him in a headlock, making it difficult for Greninja to breathe. "Now use Ice Beam to freeze Greninja!" Owen could only watch as Milotic unleashed a zigzagging beam of icy energy that froze Greninja on contact, and the crowd gasped in shock as the momentum suddenly shifted in Larenz' favor.
"Greninja, no!" Owen screamed as the water type was frozen solid. Before he could even try to withdraw Greninja, Milotic put herself in-between Owen and his starter, making the teen bite his bottom lip nervously.
"Set up an Aqua Ring to restore your health!" The crowd cheered at Larenz' strategic move, and Milotic was suddenly covered in a spiraling ring of water, which began to restore her health. While that happened, Owen groaned before attempting to help Greninja break free.
"Greninja, please break free!" the teen pleaded. Somehow, Greninja shattered the ice surrounding his body, and he sprinted around Milotic before stopping on Owen's half of the battlefield, which drew praise from every spectator.
"What!? Hydro Pump!" Larenz screamed. Before Owen or Greninja could react, Milotic unleashed a high-pressured blast of dark blue water, and Greninja was smashed into the wall behind Owen, which nearly cracked from the force of impact.
"Greninja, come back!" Owen shouted. Greninja quickly scurried back to Owen's trainer box and he sat down next to his trainer while panting in exhaustion. Owen quickly took out another Pokeball and grinned before throwing it in the air. "Gengar, come on out!" Owen shouted while his sixth Pokeball opened. Suddenly, Gengar appeared and cackled while locking eyes with Milotic.
"This battle will be between Gengar and Milotic! Begin!"
"Use Water Pulse on the ground, Milotic!" Larenz commanded, wanting to sweep Gengar off her feet. Owen, however, wasn't going to let that happen and he countered Larenz' command.
"Sucker Punch!" Owen screamed, punching his fist straight forwards. A purple blast of energy shot straight through the Water Pulse and clobbered Milotic, who fell on her side as a result of the powerful attack. Gengar cackled at her opponent while Milotic recovered from the effects of the attack, and Larenz continued his attempted assault.
"Now use Ice Beam!" the older trainer demanded. Gengar was caught off guard and hit by the Ice Beam, which did a hefty chunk of damage to the powerful ghost type, who seemed angered. Owen noticed Gengar's sudden mood change as she took to the air and flew towards Milotic, being much more aggressive than usual.
"Dish out a Shadow Ball, Gengar!" Owen shouted to his last Pokemon. Gengar nodded and created a ball of dark energy in her right hand, and she swooped down to Milotic, who attempted to bat her away with her tail. Gengar, however, dodged the attack and hurled her Shadow Ball at Milotic, which exploded on contact and sent the water type skidding back to Larenz' side, making the sixteen year old look on in concern before glancing at Gengar, who was grinning confidently. Her grin disappeared, however, when a ring of water appeared around Milotic and restored some of the water type's health while she slithered back onto the battlefield.
"Hit Gengar with Hydro Pump, Milotic!"
"Dodge it, Gengar!" Owen shouted. He was too late, however, and Gengar was blasted by the high-pressured burst of dark blue water. After flying through the air, Gengar smacked against the ground face first, making Owen wince at the sight. The ghost got back up, however, and turned to her trainer with a confident look on her face before taking to the air.
"Use Hydro Pump again, Milotic!"
"Counter it with Night Shade, Gengar!" Owen countered as soon as Larenz finished speaking. Milotic reared her head back before firing another high-pressured blast of water while Gengar put her hands together and threw them forwards, unleashing a ray of red energy. The two attacks battled back and forth for a short period of time before Gengar grinned and overpowered Milotic's Hydro Pump. Within nanoseconds, the Night Shade engulfed Milotic and made the water type cry out in pain before she fell on the ground, her eyes closed tight.
"Milotic is unable to battle! Larenz, choose your last Pokemon!"
"YEAH! One more to go!" Fate shrieked at the top of her lungs as she jumped around on the sidelines, hugging everyone around her. Owen, meanwhile, remained calm and took a deep breath while Gengar slowly made her way to his side.
"Gengar, I want you to take a quick rest, okay?" Owen asked the ghost type, who nodded reluctantly before being zapped into her Pokeball. Owen quickly threw out another Pokeball and Slurpuff landed on the battlefield with a fatigued look, but she grinned anxiously after seeing the scoreboard. Her picture then turned back to its normal color while Milotic's turned black.
"Return, Milotic." Larenz paused and took a deep breath after looking at the scoreboard, but he smirked as he pulled out his sixth and final Pokeball. This Pokemon had destroyed Owen's team in Coumarine City, and it wasn't going to let him down. "Meganium, it's battle time!" Owen grinned as Larenz' Meganium appeared on the other end of the battlefield, and it looked at him with an arrogant smile on its face.
"So, Meganium's his last Pokemon," Daniel muttered, remembering how the grass type obliterated Owen's team in Coumarine City. "Owen better be careful here."
"Even if he isn't, he still has three Pokemon left," Cindy retorted confidently while looking at the battlefield. "There's no chance Meganium takes out Slurpuff, Greninja, and Gengar."
"This battle will be between Slurpuff and Meganium! Begin!"
"Slurpuff, start this off with Play Rough!" Owen commanded, eager to win his first championship. Slurpuff happily obliged and charged forwards as bright pink aura surrounded her, but the fairy type's lack of speed made it easy for Larenz and Meganium to counter.
"Grab Slurpuff with Vine Whip, Meganium!" Larenz commanded effortlessly. Meganium nodded at his trainer's wishes and two vines shot out of his neck before wrapping around Slurpuff's tiny body. The creampuff was stopped dead in her tracks and she was lifted into the air, right in front of Meganium's face.
"Slurpuff, no!" Owen screamed before attempting to take out Slurpuff's Pokeball. He realized, however, that he wasn't able to withdraw the fairy type due to league rules, and he put her Pokeball back on her belt slowly.
"Slam Slurpuff against the ground and use Sunny Day!" As Meganium hurled Slurpuff against the ground - while maintaining his grip on her - he opened his mouth and shot a ball of fire into the air. The ball exploded when it reached its max height, and the battlefield began to glow brightly while Meganium seemed to be significantly stronger then before.
"Break free with Fairy Wind!" Slurpuff opened her mouth and released a gust of pink wind that struck Meganium in the face, but the Johto starter looked unfazed by the fairy type attack, which made Slurpuff gasp in shock while Owen stared in horror.
"Solarbeam." Meganium smirked victoriously before the flower around his neck began to glow, and Owen knew exactly what was coming. Suddenly, a ray of solar energy was shot out of Meganium's mouth and Slurpuff was absolutely obliterated. The fairy type screamed in pain as she was sent flying in the air, but her cries stopped when she crashed into the ground.
"Slurpuff is unable to battle! Owen, choose your next Pokemon!" the referee shouted, making Slurpuff's picture on the scoreboard turn black. The teen stared in shock for a few seconds before pulling out Slurpuff's Pokeball, and he zapped her back in the spherical device.
"Thanks for the incredible effort, Slurpuff, return."
"Holy crap! That thing is ridiculous!" Fate exclaimed while pointing at Meganium. "And I thought Owen's Pokemon were strong."
"I second that," Blaziken announced. "But the strongest Pokemon doesn't always win. Sometimes it's all in the bond between the trainer and their Pokemon," the fire chicken said as if he were a sage.
"Greninja, I need you to go out there again," Owen informed his starter. Greninja nodded and walked forward while cracking his neck, and he glared at Meganium the entire time. Once he dropped into his usual stance, Greninja shouted something at Meganium, but the grass type simply scoffed at his opponent, enraging Greninja.
"This battle will be between Greninja and Meganium! Begin!"
"Use Magical Leaf to start, Meganium!" Larenz barked. Meganium slammed his front feet on the ground and hundreds of rainbow colored leaves appeared around his body. The grass starter then roared, and every single one of the leaves was flung at Greninja, who prepared to block the attack.
"Disappear and counter with Extrasensory!" Owen countered. Greninja quickly slammed his hand on the ground and reappeared on the long end of the battlefield, directly across Owen's friends. Before he could try to unleash his psychic type attack, Greninja was slashed to pieces by the Magical Leaf flurry, and he dropped to one knee in pain before shooting a blue ray of psychic energy at Meganium. Surprisingly, the attack hit and made Meganium roar in pain, but Larenz made it stop within milliseconds.
"Grab Greninja with Vine Whip!" the older trainer commanded. Owen gasped in shock as Meganium's vines managed to reach Greninja, and they wrapped around his limbs, immobilizing the water starter. The entire stadium gasped soon after Owen and waited for the next attack in silence.
"Use Smack Down on Meganium's vines to break free!" Owen commanded tactically. Greninja quickly fired a boulder at Meganium's vines, but the grass type remained strong and refused to lose his grip on the speedy frog, making Owen incredibly nervous.
"Finish this with Solarbeam!" Larenz screamed over the crowd. Meganium smirked at Greninja while he struggled to break free, and the grass type reared his head back while the flower around his neck began to glow white. All of a sudden, a blast of solar energy escaped Meganium's mouth, and Greninja was sent soaring across the battlefield. After Greninja stopped rolling, the referee walked over to the downed Pokemon and raised his arms in the air.
"Greninja is unable to battle! Owen, choose your last Pokemon!"
"No way," CJ muttered in disbelief as Meganium roared while Owen walked over to Greninja and helped him off the ground. "This can't be happening."
"It is," Fate whispered. "Owen can't lose again."
"He won't!" Brooklyn proclaimed, slamming her foot on the ground. "There's no way Gengar is losing this!"
"Thank you so much, Greninja. I promise your loss won't go in vein," Owen said while withdrawing his starter. The teen quickly looked up at the scoreboard and saw Greninja's picture turn black, and he looked down at Gengar's picture before smiling. "Gengar, it's all up to you!" Owen screamed while releasing his strongest Pokemon. The bipedal ghost appeared from her Pokeball and glared at her opponent, remembering their duel in Coumarine City, which was a tie. Meganium glared right back, now wanting to defeat the Pokemon that had miraculously defeated him in their last battle.
"This battle will be between Gengar and Meganium! Begin!"
"Use Magical Leaf, Meganium!"
"Counter it with a Shadow Punch barrage!" Owen commanded. Gengar quickly threw a flurry of punches that sent dozens of shadowy fists towards the rainbow colored leaves, but they were sliced and disappeared in thin air. Gengar was then overwhelmed and cut by the accurate attack, and she cried in pain before taking to the sky to avoid the remainder of the leaves, which followed and cut her.
"Now use Vine Whip to grab Meganium!" For the third time in a row, Meganium grabbed his opponent with his insanely long vines, and they wrapped around Gengar's arms, preventing her from throwing any punches.
"Gengar, use Confuse Ray to break free!"
"Close your eyes, Meganium!" Larenz shouted right after Owen. Meganium immediately closed his eyes as Gengar attempted to confuse him, but the attack didn't work. Owen watched on in fear as Gengar continued to struggle in an attempt to break free, but Meganium's tight grip refused to be broken.
"Gengar, you have to break free!" Owen yelled to his Pokemon, who knew the obvious statement. After flailing violently, Gengar was still unable to break free of Meganium's grip, and the grass type smirked at Gengar devilishly.
"Finish this with Solarbeam, Meganium!" Everything went in slow-motion as Meganium reared his head back and blasted Gengar with a bright ray of solar energy, which sent the ghost flying into the air. Gengar then landed on the ground face first, and the crowd went absolutely ballistic. Owen simply stared in disbelief as Larenz and his Meganium began celebrating, and the referee began to walk forward.
"Gengar, please! You have to get up!" Owen pleaded while the ghost type remained motionless. "Gengar!" Owen screamed while the referee slowly began raising his arms, trying to give Gengar a chance to get back up. After several seconds of no reaction, the ref put his arms straight in the air and cleared his throat to speak.. Before he could say anything, Gengar rose to her feet and locked eyes with Meganium and grinned. Suddenly, the Mega Stone on her arm began to react, and she was engulfed in a bright light. The crowd suddenly stopped cheering, and Meganium and Larenz stared at Gengar in disbelief. Owen, meanwhile, noticed his Mega Bracelet was reacting to Gengar's Mega Stone, and he placed his hand over it.
Gengar's body seemed to be dipping into the ground instead of resting on it - which it was - and a yellow eye appeared on its forehead. Also, she grew more spikes on her back, which became even more pronounced than before, and her ears grew longer while also pointing backwards. Her arms were also pointed downwards and her hands disappeared, and the ends of her hands were glowing red.
"What happened!?" Eddy screamed in confusion as Gengar's body finished changing shape. Larenz stared in shock as the light faded from Gengar's body, and the powerful Pokemon looked reenergized.
"Gengar just Mega Evolved! Way to go, Gengar!" Cindy hollered.
"That's incredible," Cynthia said in disbelief while looking around at her peers. The others nodded in disbelief while Red simply sat in the corner and grinned at the sight, which the others noticed.
"Gengar, let's show 'em your new power!" Owen shouted to the Mega Evolved Pokemon. Gengar turned and nodded with a bright smile, and she took to the air at the speed of a bullet. "Shadow Punch!" Gengar quickly reared her arm back and fired a gigantic fist that was glowing bright red, but Larenz attempted to counter the insanely powerful attack.
"Use Magical Leaf to slice up the fist!" the sixteen year old commanded confidently. Meganium quickly slammed his front feet on the ground and fired a flurry of leaves towards the Shadow Punch, but they weren't strong enough to stop the Mega Evolved Pokemon's devastating attack. The crowd gasped as Meganium was clobbered by the wicked ghost type attack and sent rolling towards Larenz, who couldn't help but have his jaw drop. He quickly closed it, however, when Meganium stood up once again.
"Now use Shadow Ball, Gengar!" Owen commanded. Gengar quickly put her arms together and formed a massive ball of black and purple energy before hurling it at Meganium, who turned to Larenz and waited for a response. It didn't come, however, and Meganium was crushed by yet another attack, and he landed on his side in pain before rising once again.
"Meganium, use Solarbeam and end this!" Larenz finally shouted while pointing at Gengar, who had returned to the ground and was resting in front of Owen. Meganium quickly reared his head back and unleashed a powerful blast of solar energy, but Owen and Gengar weren't intimidated by the powerful attack.
"Use Night Shade and give it everything you've got!" Gengar cackled while putting her hands together, and she fired a zigzagging beam of red energy towards the Solarbeam. The two attacks collided in the middle of the battlefield and battled back and forth before Gengar turned to Owen and nodded at him. The teen was confused by Gengar's actions, but picked up on them as soon as Night Shade began to prevail. In the blink of an eye, Meganium was encapsulated in the red energy and it exploded, sending the grass type flying into the wall behind Larenz. The entire crowd cheered so loud the stadium began to shake violently, and Larenz dropped to his knees when he saw Meganium's picture turn black.
"Meganium is unable to battle! That means Owen is the winner of the Kalos League!"
"We did it! We finally did it!" Owen screamed as he ran forward and tackled Gengar to the ground. The ghost type cheered alongside her trainer, and they were soon surrounded by all of Owen's friends, Charizard, and Blaziken. The two fire types quickly hugged their trainer and cheered along with Gengar while Owen looked around at his friends and couldn't help but laugh.
"Congratulations! You finally won!" CJ and Fate shouted in unison before hugging their friend, who hugged them back. He was then embraced by Daniel, Eddy, and Cindy, but he turned his attention to Brooklyn and smiled widely. Before the girl could say anything, Owen pulled her over to his side and they kissed while cameras flashed from the crowd, and the reporters that ran onto the battlefield.
"Owen..." The aforementioned teen turned to see Larenz standing a few feet away from him, a look of devastation on his face. "Congrats. That was a great battle." The older teen extended his arm and forced a smile, and Owen returned the smile before shaking Larenz' hand.
"Thanks! Your Pokemon were all so strong! That battle could've gone either way." Larenz nodded at the kind words and bowed respectfully before leaving the battlefield, but Owen continued to celebrate his victory.
"Mr. Plateau!" Once again, Owen turned, but this time he saw Charles Goodshaw standing near him. The man took Owen's hand and shook it furiously, making the teen laugh before the older man stopped. "Congratulations on a well deserved victory! You're Pokemon were nothing short of spectacular."
"Thank you, sir. I couldn't have done it without them or my friends."
"Indeed. Now if you don't mind, let's get you to the interview room." Before Owen could protest, he was dragged off the battlefield, but his friends and Pokemon followed him all the way into a room, where he was sat down and placed in front of a microphone. Suddenly, a wave of reporters filled the room, and they began taking pictures of the fifteen year old, who laughed at the attention.
"Everybody, please quiet down! The winner of the Kalos League, Owen Plateau, is only here to answer three questions. He will be available for interviews tomorrow, but I think we all know he wants to get out of here and celebrate his victory," Charles said, making every reporter laugh. "Fire away."
"Owen! Owen!" all of the reporters screamed, making the fifteen year old look around before randomly pointing at a large woman sitting in the front row.
"Owen, after so many years of falling in regional tournaments, how does it feel to finally win?"
"Uh... it's great. I worked my butt off, and it's awesome to see my hard work pay off." The teen quickly pointed at another person before the other reporters could call his name, and a young man stood up in the back.
"Now that you've won the league competition, what are you going to do for the next week or so?"
"I'll, uh... be spending my time... watching the, uh... Grand Festival," Owen stuttered nervously. "I know two of the coordinators competing, so I'll be sticking around to root for them." Once again, Owen pointed to another random reporter, who rose from her seat and spoke loudly.
"As reward for your winning the league, you may pick whatever champion you'd like and challenge them to a battle. Have you decided who you're going to face?" the woman quizzed, which stumped Owen.
"...No," the teen answered after a brief pause. He then rose from his chair and was escorted out of the room by Charles Goodshaw, and they heard the reporters screaming in an attempt to ask more questions, which made Owen breathe a sigh of relief. "It's a good thing that's over. Now I can sit back and enjoy the Grand Festival," Owen said to his friends and Pokemon.
"Aren't you going to have to deal with reporters, though?" Eddy quizzed, making Owen roll his eyes.
"Yeah, and don't you have to decide which champion you're going to battle?" Cindy inquired, which made Owen bury his face in his hands. He slowly looked up and revealed a bright grin, which confused everyone, including Charizard.
"No, because I know who I'm going to face."
Finally! Owen has finally won a league, and he will be announcing his decision next chapter, along with the group shifting gears and focusing on the Grand Festival. He will also be picking his team for the battle against the champion soon (probably next chapter), and that's about it. Till next time, peace out.
1) Who would you like to see Owen battle?
2) What six Pokemon do you think he'll choose? (Blaziken will not be involved, btw)
Next Chapter: "Changing Styles": Now that the Kalos League is over, Owen announces the champion he will be battling, and the Grand Festival introduction begins! Who will Owen choose? How will the Grand Festival turn out?
Final Competition Arc
Chapter 79: The Grand Festival Begins!
Chapter 80: Semifinal Mayhem
Chapter 81: Added Incentive
Chapter 82: Molding a Winner
Chapter 83: Reaching for Dreams
Chapter 84: Pushed to the Limit
Chapter 85: Mega Fusion vs Mega X!
Epilogue Chapter 1: Fighting for a Title
Epilogue Chapter 2: A New Generation!
Epilogue Chapter 3: 15 Years Later