Hey folks! It's finally time for the last part of this mini-arc, which has been focusing on Leslie and her journey through Unova! I'm sure there are some of you that might wanna see a full story in regards to her journey, but I'm afraid that's going to be impossible for the moment.
I've already put myself into quite the challenging ordeal with the coming weeks. Getting to 70 chapters for this story and finishing the likes of "Mind" before I get started with "Omni Force: WORLD HEROES' MISSION" is going to be quite the task. But I'm willing to push through it.
In the meantime, I think I've kept you all waiting long enough. Welcome back to "The Challenge of a Lifetime"!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
"I never would've believed that Pokémon could fuse together…" N admitted, completely shocked, "That there was even a formula like this…" he mentioned as his eyes shook. Leslie was just as stunned, feeling the freezing air burn against her skin as she stepped back. That warmth she felt from Reshiram before was completely replaced by a dreaded cold.
"You fool…" Ghetsis said, getting their attentions, "Last time, I was going to use you to capture people's hearts and minds to rule them!" he proclaimed, slamming his cane down against the ground and sneering, "But this time, I'm simply going to use overwhelming power and rule with an iron fist!" he declared fiercely.
"I…I…!" Leslie tried to say, completely frozen in fear. The Neo Team Plasma leader chuckled.
"Come now, trainer," he beckoned as she blinked in surprise, "This time no one will be able to save you!" he yelled. Tears of fright were building up in the Ketchum girl's eyes. She wasn't ready to face this challenge. Kyurem's glare was firmly locked onto her. She felt completely frozen.
And then, she felt something shake. She looked into her bag and saw her six Poké Balls rumbling wildly, as if her Pokémon inside were trembling with rage. Ghetsis lifted his cane from the ground and aimed it at her.
"Now end them both, Kyurem!" he ordered. Opening its mouth, the fused Boundary Pokémon had an enormous fireball form in front of itself with two rings of fire surrounding it. Leslie gasped, while N grimaced.
"I can hear your voice, Reshiram…" he noted aloud, "You're trapped, but you can still call out to me…" he added, clenching his fists, "We'll save you!" he vowed. For a moment, Kyurem appeared to hesitate. Ghetsis noticed and growled.
"Don't listen to him!" he commanded of the fused Boundary Pokémon, "He's nothing more than a freak without a human heart!" he proclaimed, "Burn them down to ashes!" he demanded with a swing of his cane. No longer getting distracted, Kyurem unleashed the massive fireball towards its targets. Leslie shut her eyes. A massive and fiery explosion occurred. The Neo Team Plasma leader smirked, thinking his foes had just been eviscerated. But when the smoke cleared, he gasped.
The Ketchum girl opened her eyes to see Mortalius standing with outstretched arms in front of her and N. He turned his head to his trainer and nodded. Her eyes shook.
"M-Mortalius…" she stammered out. Five streaks of light shot out from her back, each shooting onto the ground and shaping into form. They dissipated to reveal Serpence, Lucarus, Zoniac, Krookaro, and Reinardio, standing together in front of their trainer. "Everyone…" she uttered out.
"Your Pokémon came out to protect you…?" Ghetsis questioned aloud, gnashing his teeth together, "Ridiculous!" he snarled, "They're only tools without emotion or thought!" he claimed angrily.
"No they're not, Father," N chimed in, causing him to blink in surprise as he looked over to his adopted son, "I can hear their voices," he affirmed, "They'll do anything to protect that girl and put a stop to your plans," he added with narrowed eyes, while Leslie gasped lightly.
"Shut your damn mouth!" the Neo Team Plasma leader bellowed in demand, "There's no way you can hear a Pokémon's voice!" he claimed angrily, "Kyurem, incinerate him!" he demanded. The fused Boundary Pokémon prepped yet another massive fireball in front of his mouth with two rings of flames. It fired it toward N, who braced himself as he crossed his arms over his face.
"Aura Sphere!" Leslie commanded. All of a sudden, a blue orb of energy shot out and collided with the incoming fireball, knocking it away as it crashed into the wall in a powerful blast. Both Ghetsis and N gasped, looking over to see the Ketchum girl standing up alongside her Lucario and her other Pokémon. "I'm sorry…" she apologized, "I was so scared that I forgot…" she began, "I have my friends with me!" she declared as her partners glared out at Kyurem, "And we'll never give up!" she vowed fiercely.
OPENING
Insert "Empathy" by Asian Kung-Fu Generation
Opens with a young Leslie sitting at home in Pallet Town, watching as a Pokémon Egg is slowly starting to hatch. When it finally does, it reveals a Snivy. He looks up at the curious face of Leslie, who's instantly excited about the Grass Snake Pokémon. Soon enough, she names him Serpence, taking a family picture with him in her arms.
The years go by with Leslie and Serpence playing with each other around Pallet Town, eating together, training, and every other activity they can do. Finally, it's to the point where they're about to embark on their journey together to the Unova Region. Leslie waves goodbye to her parents after boarding the plane to fly off.
We cut to Aspertia City, where we get to meet Hugh and his little sister. Later, we see him and Leslie at the lookout, with Bianca acting as a referee as a battle between them is about to begin. His Tepig goes up her Snivy as they both collide with each other.
The scene changes to Leslie traveling to Floccesy Town, only to suddenly wind up ambushed as Alder hops down from a cliff just beside her, much to her surprise. We go through several shots of him, Cheren, Roxie, Burgh, Elesa, Clay, Skyla, Drayden, Marlon, and Iris. The area darkens around Leslie as she turns around to see Neo Team Plasma there, with Zinzolin and Colress included.
Their Pokémon lunge out to attack her, but six bright lights shoot out from her belt, taking form and dissipating to reveal each of her own Pokémon: Serpence the Serperior, Lucarus the Lucario, Zoniac the Magnezone, Mortalius the Magmortar, Krookaro the Krookodile, and Reinardio the Walrein. We see Serpence use Leaf Blade to take down a pair of Krokorok, followed by Lucarus using Psychic to blow back some Trubbish. Zoniac takes out a Golbat with a Discharge, and Mortalius uses Flamethrower to take down a Drapion. Krookaro's Earthquake hits several Pokémon, followed by Reinardio finishing them off with Surf.
Afterwards, we cut to the Giant Chasm, where Leslie confronts Ghetsis as he has Kyurem under his control beside him. He attempts to have her completely frozen, but the ice is melted away as N arrives with Reshiram, prepared to confront his father. The two have a brief standoff before commanding their respective Legendary Pokémon to attack.
The opening concludes with Leslie arriving at the Unova Pokémon League. There, she meets up with her family, along with her twin siblings, who are excited to see her in action.
END OPENING
REFLECTIONS
PART V
The look in Leslie's eyes was unsettling to Ghetsis. It reminded him of his defeat 20 years ago to children. And he didn't want it to happen again.
"KYUREM, DESTROY THEM!" he roared in command. The fused Boundary Pokémon opened its mouth and unleashed a multicolored beam of light in the shape of a dragon's head, heading for its foes.
"Block with Dragon Pulse and Ice Beam!" Leslie instructed quickly. Lucarus went forward and unleashed his own multicolored beam in the shape of a dragon's head from his forepaws, colliding with his opponent's and holding it back by using all of his might as he clenched his teeth together. Reinardio slid over, opening his mouth as a blue ball of light formed in front of it. He unleashed zigzagging beams from it, joining his teammate's attack in holding their foe's back. A massive implosion occurred from the impact, veiling the cavern in smoke.
"Ergh…!" Ghetsis growled, while N watched on in complete awe. He hadn't seen normal Pokémon try to stand up to a legendary one in some time, let alone two that were fused together. Seeing the look in Leslie's eyes reminded him of that brave person he remembered from so long ago…
"Zoniac, Flash Cannon!" she ordered. Her Magnezone floated up from the smoke, having a white ball of light form in front of its red eye. It then unleashed a powerful ray of white-and-light-blue energy, streaking through the smoke before striking Kyurem in the chest squarely, causing it to stumble back a step.
"Impossible…!" Ghetsis muttered, "With Kyurem and Reshiram's combined power, you should be invincible…!" he pointed out as his right eye twitched.
"Krookaro, go in with Outrage!" Leslie commanded, sticking her left pointer finger forward, enticing the Intimidation Pokémon to charge forward, "Mortalius, Sunny Day!" she instructed to her Magmortar. He yelled up into the air, causing it to suddenly brighten as if there was actual sunlight. It blinded the fused Boundary Pokémon as it roared, shutting its eyes.
That allowed for the Krookodile to charge in as a reddish aura burned around his body, with his eyes shining a bright red. He leapt out and struck his opponent over and over with his arms, legs, and tail, making it falter back. Watching on, the Ketchum girl maintained her serious expression.
"Zoniac, Lock-On!" she instructed as she swung her left arm out.
"Zohhnnn!" the Magnet Area Pokémon responded, releasing a red ring of light from its center eye. It shrank down and attached to Kyurem, acting as a target. The fused Boundary Pokémon's eyes shined a bright yellow as it made its claws shine a bright white. It finally retaliated, landing a powerful swipe to Krookaro to send him flying back. He tumbled upon the ground, but was fortunately saved as Mortalius came in to catch him from behind.
"Kroo…" he uttered with gratitude, receiving a nod in response from the Blast Pokémon.
"Mortalius, Flamethrower!" Leslie commanded.
"Mag!" her Magmortar replied, moving forward and withdrawing his claws from both of his cannon-like arms. He aimed them toward Kyurem, unleashing a powerful spray of flames. However, the fused Boundary Pokémon countered by unleashing massive fireball with two flaming rings orbiting around it. The flames collided, with the Blast Pokémon struggling to hold the giant fireball back. His trainer clenched her fists, grimacing a little. She glanced to see Serpence coiling his body as a purple light shined off of him. Everything was starting to come together.
"Zoniac, Zap Cannon!" she ordered, sticking her right hand out. Her Magnezone formed a yellow orb of electricity with a red center in front of itself, firing it out. Kyurem moved aside in an attempt to evade it, but to its surprise, the orb veered over and struck it.
"RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" it bellowed in agony, while yellow electricity sparked around its body.
"Incredible…" N uttered out, amazed by the strategic ingenuity of the Ketchum girl and her Pokémon.
"Lucarus, Close Combat! Krookaro, Outrage!" she commanded, pumping her fists forward. Both her Lucario and Krookodile hurried forward. Kyurem was about to attack them as its claws glowed a bright white. However, the sparking electricity forced him to cease moving as he winced.
The Aura Pokémon leapt out first, barraging its target with a flurry of fast punches and kicks. Meanwhile, his teammate had a reddish aura shroud his body as his eyes glowed the same color. He joined Lucarus in bombarding the fused Boundary Pokémon with punches and kicks. Ghetsis was on the verge of a breakdown. Kyurem was under his control, yet it was still struggling against Pokémon it should've easily beaten.
"KYUREM!" he yelled, slamming his cane against the ground, "DESTROY THEM ALREADY!" he demanded fiercely.
"Mortalius, use Flamethrower! Reinardio, Ice Beam! Zoniac, Flash Cannon!" Leslie ordered as she pointed forward. Her Magmortar again unleashed a spray of flames, joined by both rays of zigzagging blue light from the Ice Break Pokémon and a beam shot from the center eye of the Magnezone. Together, they all struck Kyurem as Lucarus and Krookodile jumped away in the nick of time. The fused Boundary Pokémon growled from within the smoke as its eyes shined a bright yellow again.
"PRRRREEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHNNNNNNNNNNNN!" it roared mightily, causing come of the icy stalactites and large icicles to fall from the ceiling, shattering upon the ground below. Once, Leslie would've been intimidated by its sheer presence and power. But right now, she wasn't scared. Not when all six of her Pokémon stood alongside her.
"Serpence, Dragon Tail!" she commanded. Leaping out was her Serperior, who had a green, scale-patterned aura shroud his tail as he dove toward Kyurem. It was prepared to retaliate with another fireball it started to form, but the sparking electricity prevented it from moving once again. "GOOOO!" the Ketchum girl yelled as her partner Pokémon swung his tail.
"Serrr… PEEEEEERRRRRRR!" he screeched, slamming into the fused Boundary Pokémon's chest. The force of the blow was strong enough to send it sliding back and crash into the wall behind it, much to the shock of both Ghetsis and N. The Regal Pokémon landed down beside his trainer, letting out a few quick breaths.
"I see…" the former king uttered in realization, "While your other Pokémon worked together to whittle down Kyurem, you had your Serperior use Coil to increase his attack power…" he noted aloud. He then overheard a rumble, enticing him to look over and see the fused Boundary Pokémon rising back up from the dirt and dust, exhaling a cold, angered breath.
"That's it, Kyurem…" Ghetsis said with a grin, "Stop playing around and finish them!" he ordered. The tubes of the fused Boundary Pokémon flowed with an orange, flaming energy, going directly into its tail. It floated up from the ground as everyone watched in disbelief. Its body glowed a bright orange as it created a reddish-purple aura around itself.
"Everyone, be ready to move!" Leslie quickly instructed of her Pokémon, getting their attentions. Kyurem then unleashed multiple reddish-purple beams, striking randomly throughout the cavern. The Neo Team Plasma leader cackled with delight as the area became veiled in clouds of cold mist and dust. When it cleared, it revealed that Zoniac, Mortalius, Krookaro, and even Walrein were entrapped in ice. Leslie opened her eyes to find Lucarus and Serpence in front of her, having shielded her from the cold as their bodies shivered.
"G-Guys…" she stuttered out, evidently freezing. Kyurem descended, landing beside Ghetsis, who grinned.
"Excellent, Kyurem…" he complimented of the fused Boundary Pokémon, "Now save yourself the trouble and end them for good!" he bellowed in command, pointing his cane towards Leslie and her unfrozen Pokémon. She clenched her teeth together, getting onto her feet and stepping out in front of her partners, much to their surprise.
"I won't let you hurt them!" she vowed, outstretching her arms.
"Hmph," the Neo Team Plasma leader scoffed with a smirk, "It's too late for that," he proclaimed, "Unova would've remained beautiful if the man beside you had simply become king," he pointed out, gesturing toward his adopted son. He appeared to lower his head slightly with shame.
"…I don't think so," Leslie retorted, causing him to look over at her in surprise, "You said he was nothing more than a freak without a human heart," she noted, "and that you were just using him in your own rise to power!" she mentioned emphatically, "The way I see it, Unova would've become uglier either way under your stupid rule!" she shouted. Ghetsis gnashed his teeth together.
"Shut your mouth, you brat!" he bellowed out, "You know nothing about me or that freak!" he yelled on, "This is why children should keep themselves out of adult affairs!" he added angrily, "Kyurem, kill them!" he commanded. The fused Boundary Pokémon had a multicolored light billow inside of its mouth. Leslie didn't flinch.
'I've already made up my mind on this…' she affirmed to herself, 'I won't abandon my Pokémon for anything!' she declared inwardly. For a moment, Kyurem appeared to hesitate. But it still unleashed the multicolored beam from its mouth in the shape of a dragon's head, ready to swallow up the Ketchum girl and her Pokémon. At least, it would have if not for the figure that suddenly came down to take the attack in a powerful blast.
"Ah!" N gasped.
"What?!" Ghetsis exclaimed. As the smoke was slow to clear, Leslie looked out and widened her eyes. Standing before her was none other than Zekrom, who narrowed its eyes onto the fused Boundary Pokémon.
"N-No way…" she stammered out.
"Zekrom…" N uttered, "You must've sensed that Reshiram was in trouble, right?" he assumed, getting the attention of the Deep Black Pokémon. They stared at each other for a moment before the ponytailed man blinked in surprise. "You're here to help save Kyurem, too?" he questioned on.
Zekrom nodded, turning to look over to Leslie, whose eyes were shaking in disbelief. She never imagined that she would ever come across such legendary beings, even though she knew that her father did in the past. The Deep Black Pokémon turned back to face Kyurem.
"Bazzzaaaaaasssshhhaaaaa!" it roared out, having a green aura shroud its arms in the shape of claws before floating up and dashing toward the fused Boundary Pokémon. It unleashed another multicolored ray of light from its mouth in the shape of a dragon's head. However, its foe flew aside to evade it, diving in and slashing it back.
"This is impossible…" Ghetsis said while trembling in place, "Zekrom hasn't been seen in centuries…" he pointed out, "And even so, it and Reshiram are complete opposites!" he mentioned emphatically, "Why would it even think to try and save it?!" he wondered aloud as the Deep Black Pokémon wrestled with Kyurem.
"Because it's the right thing to do!" Leslie yelled as a response, getting his attention as he looked back over at her in surprise, "Zekrom's a Pokémon that follows someone for their ideals, while Reshiram follows someone for their truth…" she recalled, clenching her fists tightly, "Neither of them would ever let themselves fall under your rule!" she proclaimed fiercely. Hearing her voice, the Deep Black Pokémon roared again as it flew up. Its tail shined a bright blue, sparking with electricity.
"Kyurem, stop them!" the Neo Team Plasma leader insisted in rage. The fused Boundary Pokémon attempted to ready a fireball in front of its mouth, but found itself hesitating yet again as the words the Ketchum girl yelled out earlier were echoing in its head. It allowed for Zekrom to surround itself in an orb of violet electricity.
It flew down and slammed fiercely into Kyurem, resulting in a powerful blast. Everyone watched as the Deep Black Pokémon floated back up, narrowing its eyes down onto its foe as it shook its head, standing back up. It glared at its opponent.
"Preeeeaaaaaahhhhnnnnnnn!" it roared.
"BAAZZZZZZZZZZZZAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Zekrom bellowed back. It watched as the fused Boundary Pokémon rose up from the ground, having the tubes burn with a flaming, orange energy, flowing into its tail. A reddish-purple sphere of light shrouded its body.
The Deep Black Pokémon had the generator within its tail spin rapidly, glowing a light blue with electricity. It clenched its fists, becoming surrounded by yellow electricity that had large yellow lightning bolts coming off of it as well. In an instant, it flew out toward Kyurem.
The fused Boundary Pokémon unleashed several beams over from its body. Its opponent evaded most of them, only nicked by a few as it still closed in. The two of them collided in a fierce blast of smoke, causing everyone in the immediate area to fall over from the impact's force.
"Ow…" Leslie grumbled in pain, pushing herself up onto her feet. She looked up and blinked in surprise to see the white light shining above her, being from Kyurem. It suddenly appeared to split apart, with Reshiram coming out of it as they both fell to the ground. The Boundary Pokémon was back in its original form, breathing heavily in exhaustion. Ghetsis looked completely flabbergasted. He was left to watch as Kyurem hurried off, escaping through a small pathway it fit through.
"No…" he uttered in frustration, trembling in place, "No, no…!" he snarled out, glaring over at N and Leslie. They watched as Zekrom came back down, landing beside the downed Reshiram. Fortunately, the Vast White Pokémon was able to stand back up, nodding to its legendary counterpart, who nodded back. They then looked over to the Ketchum girl, who blinked in surprise.
"They're both grateful for your help," N chimed in, catching her attention, "If it weren't for you and your Pokémon weakening Kyurem earlier, Reshiram may have never been saved," he told her.
"I…" she uttered out, giving off a small smile, "Thank you both," she said in gratitude, "You helped save our lives," she noted to them. The two legendary Dragon-type Pokémon seemed humbled by Leslie's kindness.
"I can't accept this… This isn't possible!" Ghetsis claimed from afar angrily, slamming his cane against the ground, "I can't be bested by fools who don't even use Pokémon correctly!" he bellowed out. N looked over at his adoptive father and clenched his fists. He walked over and stood just a few feet away from him, getting his attention.
"It's hard to call you this, but…" he began after a deep breath, "Father… please understand," he pleaded, "Pokémon are not tools," he stated, "Pokémon and humans take each other to greater heights," he pointed out, gesturing back towards Leslie and her Pokémon, as those who had been frozen were being thawed out by the heat from Reshiram, "They are our wonderful partners," he mentioned with a smile, "Some humans already understand this, like this girl," he added, causing the Ketchum girl to smile a little, "Why can't you?" he asked of the Neo Team Plasma leader.
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" he roared angrily, turning away, "Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" he repeated as he trembled, "Don't talk like a person, you freak!" he bellowed, "No real person could ever talk to Pokémon!" he exclaimed, almost doubling over as he hyperventilated with rage. All of a sudden, a member of the Shadow Triad arrived instantaneously.
"Lord Ghetsis…" he uttered, seeing how broken and enraged the Neo Team Plasma leader was, "We'll take it from here," he said, looking back over to N, who nodded sadly.
"I understand," he affirmed, "Without Father, Team Plasma is… no more," he noted aloud.
"Farewell," the Shadow Triad member remarked, grabbing Ghetsis and disappearing with him in an instant. His cane was left behind, falling onto the ground. Leslie was slow to realize that it was finally over. Her legs felt frozen in place. She then noticed N approach.
"On behalf of everyone… thank you," he said in gratitude to her, "Kyurem should be fine," he assured, glancing over to where the Boundary Pokémon had escape to, "It lost its power, but it will come here again," he told her, "I have to admit, it's been a long time since I've seen someone so young stand up like that for their Pokémon," he added with a chuckle, causing her to blink in confusion, "What's your name, by chance?" he inquired curiously.
"Oh… it's…" Leslie started to reply, only to suddenly feel lightheaded as she fell forward, letting her eyelids droop shut. N was quick to catch her in his arms. Fortunately, he noticed that she had just fallen asleep.
'I suppose after all of that, it can take a lot out of you…' he inwardly concluded.
"Rah!" Lucarus cried out, hurrying over with Serpence to check on their trainer.
"Don't worry, she'll be fine," N assured, picking her up and carrying her in his arms. He looked over to Reshiram and Zekrom, who both nodded, they flew up from the ground, flying out of the deep cave and into the sky in opposite directions. The former king smiled.
"Ser, ser peeerrr…" Serpence hissed worriedly as he used his tail to remove the Ketchum girl's visor from her head.
"Her name is Leslie, hm?" N noted upon hearing the Serperior, causing him to perk up in surprise, "You have a wonderful trainer," he said, "I have no doubt that she'll take you to even greater heights in the near future," he stated as white-haired girl rested in his arms.
X
"Mmm…" Leslie moaned as she slowly let her eyes flutter open, feeling the cool breeze wash over her face from the open window. She looked to see that she was in what looked like a hospital bad, wearing a teal gown. She flinched from the sunlight hitting her face, sitting up.
"Hey, lie back down," a familiar voice insisted, belonging to none other than her father as he walked over to her side.
"Dad…" she uttered out.
"Oh, you're awake!" Mirajane exclaimed as she came over with tears welling up in her eyes, "Thank goodness…!" she whimpered out gratefully.
"Mom…" her daughter uttered out, "Where… are the twins?" she asked, lying back down on her pillow.
"At home being babysat by your grandma," Ash answered, "We figured it'd be tough for them to see you like this…" he pointed out.
"Oh…" Leslie uttered solemnly, "Listen, I—"
"Shh…" Mirajane shushed, interrupting her, "Your friend told us all that happened," she pointed out, "Including the part where you saw three legendary Dragon-type Pokémon all at once…" she recalled.
"From the sound of things, you were lucky to get out of there like this," Ash noted to his daughter's surprise, "Once you're officially set, we're gonna head back to Pallet Town with you," he told her.
"W-Wait…" she stuttered out, sitting up, "What about the Unova League?" she asked, "I got my eight badges and—"
"Leslie Ketchum," her mother interjected again, "You could've wound up dying from getting involved in fighting those dangerous criminals," she noted seriously.
"But… I wasn't fighting alone!" the white-haired girl pointed out, "I had my Pokémon and my friends…" she added, starting to tear up, "You're just gonna take this away from me?" she inquired of her parents, who blinked in surprise.
"Leslie, we love you," Ash assured, crouching down to his daughter's eye level beside the bed, "But after all that's happened, you can't expect us to be okay with you continuing your journey, even if all the danger's over," he explained as she let her tears fall onto the sheets. She wanted to retort and argue that he had done the same multiple times over countless journeys through different regions. But she didn't. She wasn't going to be petty.
"Wait!" a familiar voice exclaimed as the door slammed open, causing the Ketchum family to perk up and look over to see Hugh there, breathing heavily, "Don't make Leslie go home," he pleaded, "It's my fault she got involved with fighting Team Plasma…" he admitted ashamedly, lowering his head.
"Hugh…" his rival uttered out.
"I don't think it's fair to make your daughter adhere to rules that you yourself never followed, Ash," another voice chimed in, belonging to N as he walked into the room.
"N!" Ash exclaimed, noticing that Pikachu had come in alongside him.
"Pikachu was kind enough to tell me what he thinks of this situation," he noted, "He thinks it's hypocritical of you to stop your daughter's journey when you never stopped yours after what happened the last time we faced Team Plasma," he explained.
"Ah…" the Pokémon Master uttered, looking to see his partner nod in confirmation.
"You must be N, right?" Mirajane assumed, "I'm grateful that you helped bring our daughter out of that situation safely," she affirmed to him with a slight bow of her head, "but you have to understand, we were worried sick when we heard about what happened…" she pointed out.
"I know it sounds hypocritical of me, but I don't want my own kid to end up getting into the same kind of dangers I did…" Ash mentioned.
"So… you're not gonna let her compete in the Unova League?" Hugh asked, sounding sad.
"I don't think so," the Take-Over wizard answered with a shake of her head, "I'm sorry, Leslie," she apologized to her daughter, who clutched her bedsheets tightly, "We're going home as soon as you're ready," she told her. The Ketchum girl kept her head lowered, evidently frustrated. She had come so far in Unova… and it was all about to be taken away from her.
It wasn't as if she blamed her parents. She probably would've done the same for them. But there were others whose dreams would get taken away. Her Pokémon would be left unaccomplished as they helped her gather eight badges all for nothing.
"What about my Pokémon?" she asked, causing Ash and Mirajane to perk up in surprise, "What do they think of this?" she inquired on. Silence filled the room for a few moments. Then N stepped forward.
"They want to keep going on adventures with you," he said, getting everyone's attention, "No matter where you end up going next, even if you have to leave Unova without competing in the Pokémon League, they'll always want to come along and discover more with you leading the way," he explained, giving off a small smile.
"…That's good," Leslie affirmed with a grin, "As long as they're happy with whatever I decide to do next, I'll be happy, too," she promised, "Mom? Dad?" she said, causing her parents to look over at her in surprise, "I'll be ready to go back with you soon," she vowed, giving off a little giggle.
"Leslie…" Mirajane uttered out, while Ash lowered his head with shame. He really didn't want to take away from his daughter's dream to become a strong trainer like him. Pikachu crawled up onto his right shoulder, poking at his cheek to get his attention.
"Pee, peekah?" he asked of him, sounding rather upset with his trainer, "Cha, peekah chu!" he shouted.
"Huh…" Ash sighed out, "Don't need a translator for that…" he muttered in realization, "Leslie," he said, causing his daughter to perk up, "if I were to tell you that you can keep going on your journey, it'd only be for the Unova League," he stated firmly to her shock.
"That… sounds reasonable enough…" Mirajane concurred, "If it's just the tournament that's left for you to do, then we'll let you compete," she noted with a small smile.
"Really?!" the Ketchum girl exclaimed excitedly.
"Hold on…" Hugh chimed in, catching their attentions, "What if she wins the whole thing?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"Then you'll have no need to worry about her, especially if she's to win in the Champion's League afterward," N answered for Ash and Mirajane, "Does that sound fair?" he inquired of the two parents. They looked at each other unsurely, but then saw Pikachu hop over onto their daughter's bed, nuzzling against her left arm affectionately. She smiled.
"Whether I end up winning, I'll do my best with my Pokémon," she declared, "That's all I can do for myself and my team," she added, petting the Mouse Pokémon's head as he cooed.
"I guess that's settled then," her mother realized, letting out a sigh, "You always do find a way to keep going, just like your father…" she pointed out, causing her husband to chuckle sheepishly. Leslie smiled. She was prepared to do her best. And even if she and her Pokémon didn't end up winning in the end, they'd still have a rewarding journey just by being there.
X
"This year's Unova League is turning out to be quite the event, especially with some fierce competitors coming out of the gate!" Freddy O'Martian exclaimed through the microphone. The tournament itself was taking place in Nimbasa City, as the huge stadium was filled with excited fans. Up in one of the V.I.P. sections were Ash and Mirajane, along with Calvin and Erika as they were playing on the couch with Pikachu and Zorua.
Each round of the tournament had proven that there were plenty of strong trainers to face. But Leslie was proving to be ready to face them all with her team. From the preliminaries to the semifinals, she and her Pokémon were almost unstoppable. And now, she was walking down the tunnel to face her opponent for the finals.
"So far, both of these trainers have proven that they're not going to stop until they've reached the very thing they want!" Freddy pointed out loudly through the loudspeakers, "It seems like it'll be quite the battle that either trainer could win!" he mentioned. Coming to a stop on her side of the dirt field after emerging from the tunnel, the Ketchum girl took a deep breath. She adjusted her visor before looking out at her opponent, who was none other than Hugh.
"Heh," he chuckled out, "Who would've thought, huh?" he remarked, looking around at the large crowd around them, "You really wanna keep going on journeys in Unova, huh?" he assumed, readying a Poké Ball in his right hand.
"It's more that I just wanna battle with my Pokémon," Leslie corrected, enlarging a Great Ball in her own hand by pressing its center button, "Making it this far isn't what's important to me," she affirmed.
"Before we begin, we'd like to welcome a special guest referee to the stadium!" Freddy announced, getting the attentions of the two finalists. Coming out from a tunnel in the stands was none other than Iris, though she was dressed much differently than before. She was wearing royal garments, similar to that of a princess. Her hair was now tied up in a small bun with large spike designs, and she had two rounded ringlets in each side of her head. Her hair was tied in a bun, also tied up in a long ponytail by a yellow bow. She wore a white-and-pink, V-neck, long-sleeved princess gown with flowing ribbons and frilly ends and a huge bright pink bow on her waist with a large pink ring to hold it. The gown also was open at the front, exposing her legs and feet. Her sleeves were very large and long with pink cuffs. She wore a small golden crown on her head with two emeralds encrusted within the triangle-shaped sides. On her feet she wore white sandals with a round green gem encrusted in the center of each sandal.
"I-Iris?!" Leslie stammered out, seeing the purple-haired woman hurry down the stands and leap onto the dirt field, standing at the sidelines.
"Presenting Unova's reigning Champion Master for nine years, please give a warm welcome to Iris Emeress!" Freddy exclaimed. The crowd burst into a loud round of cheers as everyone stood up and clapped.
"Wait… nine years?!" Leslie yelped in shock.
"Mm-hmm," Iris responded with a nod, "It's not that big of a deal, honestly…" she admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head, "More importantly, we have a battle to start, don't we?" she assumed, raising her right hand, "The Unova League Finals are about to begin!" she announced, "Since this is a full battle, each trainer is allowed to use all six of their Pokémon!" she continued, "Furthermore, they can substitute Pokémon at any given time," she mentioned on, "Now you may select your first Pokémon, trainers!" she called out to the two finalists.
"Right!" Hugh responded.
"We're ready!" Leslie proclaimed. Both she and her rival tossed out their respective Poké Balls, having them burst open. Their lights shot out and shaped into form, dissipating to reveal an Unfezant and Mortalius, as the latter landed down on the dirt field.
"Maggg!" he exclaimed, while his opponent glided about in midair. In a flurry the final battle went underway. The Proud Pokémon was definitely giving the Magmortar more trouble than he expected with his speed, landing Aerial Aces and even Giga Impacts. It wasn't until he wound up burnt by his foe's Flame Body ability that his trainer recalled him by having him use U-Turn.
The Ketchum girl also returned the Blast Pokémon, deciding to switch over to someone else for the time being. That turned out to be Serpence, who was faced with fighting Hugh's Eelektross. The EleFish Pokémon's Flamethrower definitely proved to be a challenge for him to overcome. But after using Coil multiple times, he landed a decisive blow with his Leaf Blade, taking down the first of Hugh's Pokémon.
Leslie recalled him back to his Poké Ball afterwards, opting to use Reinardio to face her rival's Bouffalant. But that proved to be too difficult as the Afro Bull Pokémon was much stronger than anticipated. After a few Megahorns and a well-timed Wild Charge to counter his foe's Surf, Bouffalant defeated the Walrein.
The Ketchum girl apologized to her partner, vowing to make things right. She called upon Zoniac for the next battle, only for Hugh to switch over to Flygon. Surprisingly though, the Magnezone actually gave the Mystic Pokémon a difficult time thanks to confusing him with Signal Beam. It forced the spiky-haired boy to switch him out for his Emboar, who easily dealt with the Magnet Area Pokémon with a Hammer Arm.
Things weren't looking great being down two of her Pokémon, but Leslie wasn't deterred. As Hugh switched Emboar for Simipour, she went with Lucarus. And immediately, the Lucario was swift in dealing with the Geyser Pokémon, landing some strong Aura Spheres and finishing him with a Close Combat.
Hugh called upon Flygon, while his rival resorted to Krookaro, who had yet to battle. Between the two, it seemed like an uneven match, especially as the Krookodile's Ground-type attacks couldn't even hit his opponent. In an unforeseen turn of events though, he managed to land his Outrage just as the Mystic Pokémon caught with him a Draco Meteor. They both fainted, thus leaving their trainers with three Pokémon available each.
Next, Hugh went back to Unfezant, and Leslie called on Serpence. Still burned, the Proud Pokémon's attack power was no longer as potent. But that didn't seem to matter since his ability was Super Luck. Not even boosting his defense with Coil would help the Serperior. So Leslie resorted to using tactics like her father would, waiting for Unfezant to close in with an Aerial Ace and countered with Dragon Tail. Following that, the Regal Pokémon's Leaf Storm was enough to take down his opponent.
Bouffalant came back out, taking Serpence's Leaf Blade as it boosted his attack power, followed by finishing him off with a Megahorn. Mortalius was called upon next, enduring some very strong attacks from the Afro Bull Pokémon. By using Clear Smog to reduce his foe's attack power, the Magmortar managed to finally defeat him with a point-blank Flamethrower. But in doing so, he exhausted all the remaining energy he had left, falling onto the ground with swirls in his eyes.
"Magmortar is unable to battle!" Iris announced, raising her left arm up into the air.
"Just like that, Leslie and Hugh are both down to their last Pokémon!" Freddy exclaimed through the microphone, "I'm sure this final battle's about to quite the spectacle to wrap up this year's Unova League!" he mentioned excitedly.
"Emboar, let's go!" the spiky-haired boy called out, throwing his last Poké Ball forward. It popped open, and its light formed upon the ground, dissipating to reveal the Mega Fire Pig Pokémon.
"BOORRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" he bellowed as the fire around his neck flared up mightily. Meanwhile, Leslie took out the last Poké Ball she had, taking a deep breath. She looked up into the stands, seeing her family watching on with smiles. She was thankful that her parents at least gave her the chance to compete in the tournament. And she was going to make the most of it here and now. She twisted her visor back.
"Lucarus, I choose you!" she exclaimed, firing her Poké Ball forward. It popped open, with the light from it forming upon the ground and dissipating to unveil her Lucario. He stood up, taking on a determined expression.
"Rah!" he barked, clenching his forepaws as he took a ready stance.
"Fire Blast!" Hugh commanded, sticking his right hand out. Rearing his head back, Emboar unleashed a powerful blast of flames in the shape of a five-pointed star.
"Dodge it!" Leslie instructed quickly with a swing of her arm. Lucarus was quick to hop back from the incoming fire, letting it strike the ground in a fierce explosion that veiled the field in smoke. "Now Aura Sphere!" his trainer ordered. Her Lucario quickly formed a blue orb of energy upon his forepaws. He fired it forward, sending it through the smoke. His opponent saw it coming, quickly crossing his arms over his face to block it before becoming enveloped in smoke. It all cleared after a moment, allowing him to shake his head.
"Borrrr…" he growled, glaring at the Aura Pokémon.
"Use Hammer Arm!" Hugh exclaimed. Both of the Mega Fire Pig Pokémon's arms glowed a bright white as he charged forward, ready to strike his foe.
"Bone Rush!" Leslie commanded, enticing Lucarus to create a bone of light blue energy in his forepaws, gripping it tightly. He swung it out, countering Emboar's first attempted blow onto him as sparks flew between them. He continued to deflect the strikes of the Mega Fire Pig Pokémon, spinning his formed weapon around before thrusting it into his stomach, sending him sliding back.
"Scald!" the spiky-haired boy ordered, causing his partner to perk up. He reared his head back again before expelling a steaming blast of water from his mouth. Blinking in surprise, the Lucario ended up getting struck by it, falling over and tumbling to a stop in front of his trainer.
"Lucarus!" she exclaimed.
"Now Hammer Arm!" Hugh commanded, swinging his right fist down onto the palm of his left hand. Emboar made his arms glow a bright white again, charging over and raising his right one up.
"Aura Sphere!" Leslie cried out. Acting quickly, Lucarus prepared another ball of blue energy upon his forepaws. He stuck it up just as the Mega Fire Pig Pokémon brought his arm down, resulting in a powerful blast that enveloped both of them.
"Emm buoh…!" Emboar grunted out as he jumped back, sliding to a stop. The smoke settled to reveal his opponent standing back up, clenching his forepaws. The crowd burst into cheers again.
"Incredible!" Freddy yelled through the microphone, "These two certainly aren't going to down quietly today!" he pointed out excitedly.
"Come on, Leslie!" Mirajane cheered from the stands.
"Pee, peekah!" Pikachu squeaked out.
"Ar, arr!" Zorua yipped excitedly.
"Is sissy winning, Daddy?" Erika asked of Ash, tugging on his left pant leg. He blinked in surprise before smiling, picking her up into his arms.
"We'll see," he answered with a chuckle, while his wife held onto Calvin as they watched.
"Emboar, Head Smash!" Hugh ordered, pumping his right fist forward. The Mega Fire Pig Pokémon slammed his hands together, followed by getting into a lunging stance. A reddish-brown aura then erupted all around his body, making him appear black and white.
"Lucarus, use Ice Punch!" Leslie ordered.
"Rah!" her Lucario responded, enveloping both of his forepaws in an icy blue aura as he clenched them tightly. As soon as Emboar launched forward, he did the same. He collided his clenched forepaws with the Mega Fire Pig Pokémon, resulting in a huge explosion of steam that enveloped both of them.
"Now Close Combat!" the Ketchum girl commanded, swinging her right arm down. Emboar flinched upon feeling a knee strike him in the stomach, belonging to his opponent. He continued to bombard him with punches and kicks as the steam around them was dissipating.
"HRRAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" the Aura Pokémon bellowed, landing a powerful uppercut to his foe's chin, making him falter backwards. Everyone watched in awe, thinking the battle was about to end. However…
"Use Fire Blast!" Hugh yelled. Perking up instantly, Emboar unleashed a spray of flames in the shape of a five-pointed star that engulfed Lucarus in an explosive blast.
"Ah!" Mirajane gasped, covering her mouth with her right hand, while everyone else in the stands was left stunned by what they had just witnessed. The smoke was slow to settle. Leslie was admittedly shocked. She hadn't expected Emboar to counterattack so quickly.
But she took a deep breath to calm herself down. Win or lose, she and her partner were still going to do their best. She closed her eyes.
'Lucarus…' she began inwardly, 'if you still can, let's keep going!' she insisted through her thoughts, letting her eyes shoot open.
"Aura Sphere!" she ordered. And in that instant, another blue orb of energy shot through the smoke, striking Emboar in the face before he could react. The crowd erupted into cheers again, watching the smoke clear to reveal a heavily breathing Lucarus standing up with his forepaws extended forward.
"Oh my!" Freddy exclaimed through the loudspeakers, "Seems this battle isn't over just yet!" he noted excitedly as the crowd kept cheering.
"Man, you really know how to bring things down to the wire…" Hugh remarked with a grin, sweating all the while.
"That's what my dad taught me," Leslie pointed out in response.
"Heh," her rival chuckled, "Emboar, Hammer Arm!" he commanded, closing his hands into fists.
"BORRR!" the Mega Fire Pig Pokémon bellowed, making his arms glow a bright white once again before he charged forward.
"Dodge and use Ice Punch!" the Ketchum girl instructed. Lucarus cloaked his right forepaw in an icy blue aura as he clenched it, rushing out at his foe as well. He ducked and slid under his right arm before he could end up struck, leaping up and slamming his fist into his opponent's back in a burst of steam.
"Emmm…!" Emboar winced out, feeling a patch of ice form upon his back.
"Use Scald!" his trainer ordered.
"Bone Rush!" Leslie shouted. Whipping around, the Mega Fire Pig Pokémon sprayed a gush of boiling water from his mouth toward his foe. He created another bone of light blue energy in his forepaws, using it to block the water and splash it apart.
"Head Smash!" Hugh commanded. A reddish-brown aura enveloped Emboar again, making him appear black and white. He lunged out at Lucarus, who looked to his trainer.
"Aura Sphere!" she called out. Letting the energy bone in his hands disappear, Lucarus closed his eyes and held his hands off to the side, forming another orb of blue energy upon them. The appendages upon his head vibrated slowly as his opponent approached. His eyes jolted open as he ducked under the Mega Fire Pig Pokémon, who gasped.
"RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" the Lucario roared, slamming the energy sphere into his foe's stomach, resulting in a brilliant blast of blue light and smoke. Emboar fell onto the ground hard afterwards, sliding to a stop in front of his trainer. He desperately tried to push himself back up, but ultimately failed as his eyes became swirls. Iris saw, nodding in realization. She raised her right hand into the air.
"Emboar is unable to battle, and Lucario wins!" she announced, "Therefore…" she continued, gesturing towards Lucarus and Leslie, "the winner and champion of this year's Unova League is Leslie!" she declared. Fireworks erupted along with the cheering crowd. Mirajane was crying in joy. Even Ash couldn't help but tear up a little.
"We really did it!" his daughter exclaimed back on the field, running over to happily hug her Lucario from behind as he grinned with delight. Confetti was raining down all over the field. The new champion then went over to Hugh, who stood back up after returning Emboar to his Poké Ball.
"Congratulations," he said, "You really earned this," he mentioned, holding his right hand out to her for a handshake.
"Thanks, Hugh," she responded, taking his hand into her own, "I'm glad we both got this far," she remarked with a chuckle, which he returned.
"What a show of sportsmanship!" Freddy exclaimed into the microphone, "I have no doubt that Hugh will still be quite the force to be reckoned with in years to come!" he noted aloud, "As for Leslie, I think everyone in Unova's Champion's League should watch out!" he mentioned on, "This girl's certainly a force to be reckoned with!" he proclaimed as the Ketchum girl smiled brightly, waving to the cheering crowd.
X
"A month until the Champion's League?" Ash inquired later that evening, standing at a balcony of the resort area where he and Iris were.
"Yeah, it's mostly due to the cleanup going on in Opelucid," she told him in response, "Grandpa's recovered from getting stabbed, but he needs to get back on his training regimen if he's gonna get to compete," she pointed out.
"Right…" the Pokémon Master uttered in realization, "The top three gym leaders of the region get to compete in the Champion's League after a small tourney of their own," he remembered.
"And the winner faces the region's Champion Master, also known as me…" Iris boasted proudly. Her old traveling companion rolled his eyes.
"You really haven't changed, huh?" he concluded in question.
"Oh, this coming from the guy who decided to drop the Champion Master title and let Lance take it instead…" the purple-haired woman pointed out.
"Hey, I didn't think it was for me!" Ash argued. The two of them stared seriously at each other before breaking out into a round of laughter. "I missed you, Iris," he admitted sheepishly.
"Yeah, I missed you, too…" she confessed back with a laugh. Meanwhile, Zorua and Pikachu were playing with the twins, letting them chase them through the hotel room excitedly. Watching them from afar were Leslie and Mirajane, who both smiled.
"They've never actually seen a Pokémon battle before, have they?" the Unova League victor assumed, turning to her mother.
"Mm-mm," she responded as she shook her head, "But they were really excited when they saw that you won today," she pointed out, "And I have no doubt they'll be amazed when you win in the Champion's League," she mentioned. Her daughter blinked in surprise.
"Wait… you're not gonna make me go home like you said?" she inquired curiously, raising an eyebrow.
"Honestly, all my worries faded when you showed me just how strong you got after so long…" Mirajane admitted in reply, "I'm so proud of you," she confessed, embracing her daughter lovingly.
"Thanks, Mom," she said in gratitude, hugging her back. Ash and Iris then approached.
"So I guess this means you'll be competing after all!" the latter of the two realized after putting her hands onto her hips.
"Yeah," Leslie confirmed, "I feel so stupid for not knowing you were the champion…" she admitted sheepishly to Iris, rubbing the back of her head.
"Eh, it's no biggie…" she assured in response with a dismissive wave of her right hand, "Maybe keeping it a secret was for the best!" she inferred, giggling a little.
"It was a big surprise from what I could tell…" Ash noted as he looked over at his daughter, who blushed with embarrassment.
"Let's put the big reveal of me being champion for you on the backburner," Iris insisted as she stepped forward, "The Champion's League is formatted as an eight-person tournament to include you, the Elite Four, and the top three gym leaders of the region," she started explaining, "If you end up winning the tournament, you have the opportunity to challenge me for the title of Champion Master," she mentioned, gesturing to herself with her right thumb.
"And if I don't win…?" Leslie began to ask as she arched her right eyebrow.
"You'll have the option to join Unova's Elite Four, so long as one of them finds it okay," the purple-haired woman answered, "There's a chance that you're gonna need to battle someone for that spot unless they decide to retire or something…" she added, sheepishly scratching her right cheek, "But that's the gist of it!" she concluded with her hands at her hips, "Keep in mind, this message goes out to everyone involved in the Champion's League," she pointed out, "So you better be ready!" she advised.
"I will be," the Ketchum girl affirmed in response as she nodded. Later that evening, she yawned as she wandered about the resort. She then took notice of a familiar face, smiling upon seeing that it was Hugh as he was leaning back against the railing at the lookout.
"Oh, hey!" he called out as he spotted his rival, waving to her. She giggled, walking over to stand beside him. "It's a lot like the lookout back in Aspertia where things started for us, huh?" he assumed.
"Yeah," she agreed as she nodded, "How's… Liepard doing?" she asked curiously after a moment to his surprise, "You did manage to get her home, right?" she inferred on. Looking down somberly for a moment, Hugh cracked a small smile.
"Yeah, I did," he answered, "It was tough at first…" he admitted, "but I think Liepard started to remember being with Melody and the rest of the family," he noted as he looked up to the stars above, "She's feeling right at home, and that's all I ever wanted," he pointed out additionally.
"That's great to hear," Leslie said with a smile. After another moment…
"I'm sorry…" Hugh suddenly apologized, causing her to blink in surprise as she looked back at him, "Instead of letting you enjoy your journey, I wound up getting you involved with fighting Team Plasma and almost got you really hurt…" he told her, "If it wasn't for that N guy vouching for you, I don't know if you'd be able to even compete in the Unova League…" he sadly mentioned, wiping the tears pricking his eyes away as he sniffled.
"Hugh… it's okay," his rival assured to his shock as he looked back at her, "I would've fought against Team Plasma whether or not you wanted me to help you," she said, "Because it was the right thing to do," she affirmed on.
"And now… they're finally done for," the spiky-haired boy added, "Thank you, Leslie," he said with gratitude, making her giggle, "Can I ask one more favor though?" he asked of her.
"What is it?" she inquired as she blinked, seeing him turn to face her.
"Win the Champion's League," he requested to her astonishment, clenching his right fist, "You've got the grit to go all the way, especially with your awesome Pokémon by your side," he mentioned confidently. Leslie was surprised to say the least. But she smiled, knowing that her rival wanted her to push herself.
"I will," she promised. The two of them then shook hands, followed by sharing a kind embrace. They went through a lot as rivals. And more importantly, as friends.
X
The stage was set. The Champion's League was taking place in the resort area of Undella Town, where several people had gathered to see the battles unfold. Leslie was shocked by how much bigger the crowd was, especially compared to the Unova League's setting in Nimbasa itself.
To open the festivities, there was an onstage performance by Lisia and Elesa, which got the crowd really fired up. And if that wasn't enough, Alder arrived onto the stage. He held onto a microphone, taking a deep breath as he raised it to his lips.
"Welcome to the Unova Champion's League Tournament!" he greeted to the crowd, who erupted into cheers, "As always, I'm happy to introduce our eight competitors vying for the opportunity to become Unova's next Champion Master!" he proclaimed. Coming out from the tunnel were the eight participating challengers, being the Elite Four's Shauntal, Grimsley, Caitlin, and Marshal, the top three gym leaders of Skyla, Drayden, and Marlon, and of course, Leslie. The crowd erupted into cheers. In the V.I.P. section, Ash was watching alongside his wife and Gingka Hagane, while Rachael was playing with Erika and Calvin in the background. "Now before we officially get the tournament started…" Alder continued, "I'd like to invite this year's Unova League Champion onto the stage," he said, gesturing toward the Ketchum girl as she perked up in surprise.
She made her way up onto the stage, seeing the cameras flash from the stands. This was definitely a different feeling from the tournament in Nimbasa. It was a lot bigger.
"As winner of the Unova League, Leslie here has the option to select her first opponent from Unova's Elite Four, while the rest of the matches will be randomly decided!" Alder explained to the crowd, "So Leslie, who will you pick to face first?" he asked of the Ketchum girl. She grinned, having already made her decision.
"I'm gonna take my chances," she decided with a chuckle.
"Haha!" the former champion laughed into the microphone, "It seems Leslie's not going to take the easy way out!" he noted to the crowd, who roared with excitement.
"Quite the gamble she's taking…" Grimsley remarked, flipping a coin in his right hand. Randomly, the matches of the first round of the eight-person tournament were decided. Skyla would battle Marshal, Drayden was up against Caitlin, Marlon was matched with Shauntal, and Leslie was going to duel with the Dark-type Elite Four member. All battles were three-on-three matches, including the finals. Whoever got to face Iris in the end would be in a full battle against her.
And so, the tournament started. Skyla held her own against Marshal as her Flying-types held the advantage against his Pokémon. But ultimately, he won while only losing one of his Pokémon against her three.
Drayden proved to be a fierce competitor, backing Caitlin into a corner with physical attacks from the combined forces of his Dragon-type Pokémon. He ended up winning their battle and advancing to the next round to face Marshal. In the meantime, Marlon was giving Shauntal a good battle as well. He ended up losing after managing to defeat two of her Pokémon, but it had been a thrilling ride as he put it. The Ghost-type Elite Four member was quite inspired by his words, aiming to write a novel about it.
Then came Leslie and Grimsley's battle. She led off with Lucarus against his Liepard. Unfortunately, that wasn't proving to be the best decision as the Cruel Pokémon was landing strong attacks left and right while evading her foe's. Deciding not to waste any more time, the Ketchum girl switched over to Zoniac, whose Lock-On and Thunderbolt combination easily finished off Liepard.
Unfortunately, the Magnezone was subsequently taken down by his foe Scrafty's Brick Break. Leslie called upon Mortalius next, who defeated the Hoodlum Pokémon after a grueling battle. It seemed as if taking on Bisharp next would be easy due to the type advantage, but the Sword Blade Pokémon landed a powerful Night Slash that knocked the Magmortar out in an instant.
Lucarus came back out, enduring his opponent's attacks before slamming an Aura Sphere into her chest. In a fierce explosion, she was sent flying back, falling onto the ground hard as she lost consciousness. Pumping her right fist up excitedly, the Ketchum girl moved on to the next round.
Drayden and Marshal's battle would be one for the ages. Though Sawk defeated Flygon with an Ice Punch, he was immediately downed by Druddigon's Outrage. The Cave Pokémon had to face Mienshao next, enduring a close battle against him. Ultimately, they both knocked each other out. Then came Haxorus against Conkeldurr.
It was an amazing battle of physical strength, especially with two of what were likely Unova's strongest men commanding them. Between Haxorus' Outrage and Conkeldurr's Hammer Arm, it seemed like the battle could go either way. But in the end, the Axe Jaw Pokémon wasn't strong enough to overcome the sheer strength of his foe, fainting onto the ground. Both Drayden and Marshal shared a powerful handshake afterwards, and Leslie knew that facing either of them would be a challenge.
But first, she had to win her battle against Shauntal. Krookaro was brought out first, besting the opposing Cofagrigus with his Crunch. However, he wound up burned in the process due to the Coffin Pokémon's Will-O-Wisp. Golurk was next, enticing Leslie to switch over to Reinardio. The Ice Break Pokémon won, but not without taking severe damage in the process. That left Chandelure as the only Pokémon left to face Leslie's three.
She sent in her Krookodile to try and finish things with a quick Crunch, but a surprise Energy Ball defeated him in an instant. Reinardio met the same fate. That left the Ketchum girl to resort to Mortalius. It was a battle of flames that could've gone either way. But after managing to paralyze the Luring Pokémon with a Thunderbolt, the Magmortar ultimately won, thus giving his trainer the chance to face Marshal in the finals.
Walking back onto the field after the intermission, Leslie took another deep breath to calm herself. The Fighting-type Elite Four member was definitely the favorite amongst most of the crowd to win it all. Not to mention, over half of her team carried a weakness to his Pokémon. But she steeled herself, determined to emerge victorious.
The first match pitted his Throh against Mortalius, whose Flame Body turned out to do more harm than good for the Ketchum girl, as the Judo Pokémon had Guts for an ability. A Stone Edge was more than enough to do away with the Magmortar. Thinking quickly, the Ketchum girl decided to send in Lucarus, who evaded Throh's attacks long enough for his burn to ultimately make him faint.
Up next was Medicham, and he was even more dangerous. His Pure Power ability made physical attacks like Fire Punch and Hi Jump Kick much stronger than normal. However, his opponent managed to avoid one of the latter attacks, causing him to crash into the ground and hurt himself. The Lucario then managed to defeat him with a well-timed Aura Sphere.
Then came Conkeldurr. Already worn from battling two of Marshal's Pokémon, Lucarus was no match for him, falling to a powerful Hammer Arm. Leslie thanked him for his efforts upon returning him to his Poké Ball. She called on Serpence to take on the Muscular Pokémon.
Through multiple Coils and Bulk Ups, it seemed as if either of them would emerge victorious. But the advantage that the Serperior had was not only his speed, but also his ability. When it seemed like Conkeldurr had him on the ropes and was ready to defeat him with a Hammer Arm, the Regal Pokémon's Overgrow activated, followed by a powerful Leaf Storm that finally took him down. And with that…
"Leslie will be facing Iris for the title of Champion Master of Unova!" the referee announced, gesturing to her just as she was congratulating Serpence for a job well done. She looked up to the stands and saw Iris staring at her excitedly as she stood up from her seat.
"Ah, congrats!" Rachael exclaimed, giving her friend a big hug once she returned from the field.
"Th-Thanks, Rae…" she stammered in gratitude, feeling a bit squeezed.
"Everyone getting all rested up for the big battle?" Ash asked as he approached, getting his daughter's attention as she released herself from her scarlet-haired friend.
"Yeah," she answered with a nod of confirmation, "It's a little hard to believe that we got this far…" she admitted, scratching at her right cheek.
"Don't sell yourself short!" Rachael insisted, bumping Leslie's shoulder with her left fist, "You and your Pokémon made it this far," she pointed out, "so now's the time to really give it all you got!" she advised with a wink.
"Heh," the Ketchum girl chuckled, "Too bad you can't stay to watch it in-person…" she noted.
"Yeah…" her scarlet-haired friend mumbled out, "We gotta get back to Skye though…" she mentioned.
"Glad you could come, Gingka," Ash said to his friend and colleague, shaking hands with him.
"Yeah, I'll see you around," he promised in response. Both he and Rachael headed off soon after, leaving the Ketchum family behind. Mirajane approached her eldest daughter, putting her hands onto her shoulders.
"Do your best," she said simply, "That's all anyone can ask from you," she added with a smile.
"I will," Leslie assured as a reply. Stars shined overhead as the crowd was getting amped with excitement. Spotlights beamed onto the ends of the tunnels both trainers were walking out of. The Ketchum girl took a deep breath to calm herself. This was going to be her greatest battle yet. She took her place on her end of the field, while Iris stood at hers.
"Know what?" she called out, getting her opponent's attention, "I really look forward to having serious battles with strong trainers!" she noted excitedly, "I mean, come on!" she exclaimed, "The trainers who make it here are ones who desire victory with every fiber of their being!" she pointed out, "And they're battling alongside Pokémon that have been through countless challenges with them!" she mentioned, pointing to Leslie, "If I battle with people like that, not only will I get stronger," she continued, "my Pokémon will, too!" she declared, enlarging a Poké Ball in her left hand by pressing its button, "And we'll get to know each other even better!" she added happily.
"I feel the same way, Iris," the Ketchum girl responded amidst the roaring crowd as she readied her own Poké Ball, "That's why we're going to give it everything we've got!" she vowed. Iris smiled.
"Okay, brace yourself!" she yelled out, "As the Unova League's Champion Master, I'm going to defeat you!" she bellowed in declaration. Fireworks went off in the background as fans cheered excitedly. What they were about to witness would be a battle for the ages.
X
Needless to say, the battle started with a flurry as Lucarus was pitted against Iris' Hydreigon. Despite a type advantage, the Lucario had trouble holding his own against the Brutal Pokémon. But ultimately, he won thanks to the strength of his Close Combat.
Unfortunately, he wasn't strong enough to best Archeops, whose Acrobatics did him in after a few solid hits. Leslie sent out Zoniac to battle the First Bird Pokémon, but he was recalled by the Unova Champion Master, who opted to resort to her Druddigon. Thanks to his Flamethrower, the Magnezone seemed to be at quite a disadvantage. The Ketchum girl decided that she needed to make a switch as well, taking the Magnet Area Pokémon out from the battle and calling upon Reinardio.
With a well-timed Blizzard, he defeated Druddigon and put his trainer back in the lead. Iris sent out a Lapras next, much to Leslie's surprise as she remembered her father describing how much she didn't like Ice-type Pokémon. What was even more shocking was the Transport Pokémon knowing Thunderbolt, downing the Walrein after striking him a couple of times.
The Ketchum girl opted to use Mortalius next. With a clever tactic of using Flamethrower to counter an Ice Beam followed by a Clear Smog to completely veil Lapras' view, the Magmortar wound up catching her by surprise with his own Thunderbolt. Half of Iris' team was already defeated, but she wasn't remotely deterred.
She called upon Aggron next, who broke through the Blast Pokémon's flames and knocked him out with a Double-Edge. Leslie sent out Krookaro and after a grueling battle, he managed to defeat the Iron Armor Pokémon. Unfortunately, that left him open to be taken down by Archeops, who Zoniac subsequently bested.
Iris called upon her last Pokémon, Haxorus. It wasn't even surprising when he took down the Magnezone rather instantaneously. Now both trainers were down to one Pokémon each as Leslie sent out Serpence.
"Huh... huh..." she exhaled heavily with a smile tracing her lips. Sweat trickled down her face, and her legs were shaking. But even so, excitement was beating in her heart. She and her team had come so far in the Unova Region. Besting eight gyms, stopping Neo Team Plasma, and working through the Unova League all brought her to this point. This very moment.
"Ha, ha..." Iris laughed from the other side of the large field. Despite the loud cheering from the crowd in the stands, all she could hear was her own tired breaths along with those from her Haxorus.
"Folks, we've had ourselves a fantastic battle thus far!" Freddy O'Martian exclaimed through the microphone, "Our Champion Master Iris has shown her best stuff, but Leslie and her Pokémon are still hanging in there!" he pointed out excitedly, "Now it's down to the challenger's Serperior against our Champion's Haxorus!" he noted, "Who'll come out on top?!" he wondered aloud.
"Go for it, Leslie!" Ash cheered from the stands.
"Go, go!" both Calvin and Erika cheered, standing up in their seats to get a better view.
"Peekah, pikah!" Pikachu squeaked excitedly. Sitting beside them, Mirajane giggled. She too was excited. Her daughter's victory was at hand. But she and her Serperior still had one more hurdle to overcome.
"Serr, peerr..." Serpence huffed out tiredly.
"You've come quite a ways, haven't you Leslie?" Iris inquired, catching her opponent's attention as she perked up in surprise, "It's no shock since you're Ash's daughter after all!" she mentioned with a giggle, "That said, we're not gonna give up that easily!" she promised, "Right, Haxorus?" she asked of her partner.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAA!" the Axe Jaw Pokémon roared in response.
"Same goes for us!" Leslie yelled back, "You ready, Serpence?" she inquired to the Regal Pokémon.
"Serrr!" he hissed with a nod.
""Haxorus, Dragon Dance!" Iris called out. A reddish light shrouded her partner as he danced around, with dark clouds and sparks of electricity wafting off of his body. Afterwards, a reddish aura flowed up his form.
"Leaf Blade!" Leslie commanded. Making the entirety of his tail glow a bright green, including his leaves, Serpence lunged forward and slashed mightily at his foe. He quickly crossed his arms over his chest to block the attack, sliding back a few steps.
"Use Night Slash!" Iris ordered. Her Haxorus made the axe-like blades at his jaw glow a bright purple as he ran out towards his opponent.
"Counter with Leaf Blade!" Leslie instructed quickly. With his tail still glowing, Serpence clashed it against his foe's blades, making sparks fly all around the dirt battlefield. Cheers rained down from the crowd as they grew more and more excited with each clash between the two battlers. As their respective blades locked, they glared at each other ferociously.
"Haxorus, Outrage!" Iris shouted. A reddish aura flared to life around the Axe Jaw Pokémon's body as his eyes glowed an ominous red.
"Quick, Coil!" Leslie exclaimed immediately. Her Serperior wound himself up and glowed in a purplish light before Haxorus punched him fiercely, causing him to slide back several yards.
"Serrr..." he hissed in pain, wincing a little. His trainer grimaced.
'That Outrage is gonna be a problem until Haxorus gets confused...' she realized, narrowing her eyes, 'So we have to work around that as best we can!' she inwardly declared.
"Serpence, Coil!" she called out again.
"Peer!" he responded, winding himself up while glowing in a purplish light once more.
"So you're getting ready for a big blow, huh?" Iris guessed from afar as she smirked, "Let's keep 'em on their toes, Haxorus!" she exclaimed with a swing of her arms.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" the Axe Jaw Pokémon roared, still charging towards his foe. He bombarded him with a flurry of powerful strikes from his fists and feet. Thanks to his multiple Coils, Serpence was withstanding them... but they were still painful. "SORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Haxorus roared, swinging his tail out to ferociously strike the Regal Pokémon upside his head, sending him flying back as he tumbled across the ground.
"Serpence!" Leslie screamed.
"Oh my!" Freddy exclaimed through the loudspeakers, "Even with Coil boosting his defense, Serperior still takes quite a toll from Haxorus' Outrage!" he pointed out, "Will he be able to hold on much longer?!" he wondered aloud.
"Serr... serrr..." Serpence breathed raggedly as sweat trickled down his face. He was exhausted from the battles prior to this one, having taken some super effective hits as well. But Haxorus had been hitting him much harder. Suddenly, he noticed the Axe Jaw Pokémon come to a stop. His eyes glowed a bright red, but he remained still. He had become completely confused from fatigue.
'There's our chance!' Leslie realized.
"Serpence, Dragon Tail!" she ordered quickly.
"Serr!" he replied, having a greenish, scale-like aura shroud his tail before he lunged out and swung it forward, striking Haxorus fiercely at his torso. However, Iris cracked a grin. Her partner slid back several yards, stopping just a few feet in front of her. The glow in his eyes vanished as he glared ahead at his opponent, who was shocked.
"And Haxorus used the blow from that Dragon Tail to snap out of his confusion!" Freddy exclaimed in realization, "Talk about a risky play!" he mentioned.
"Heh," Leslie chuckled, "Should've known you'd take a hit instead of trying to dodge," she remarked to Iris, "You're a lot more like my dad than you know..." she added with a tilt of her head. Iris took the remarks in stride, giggling a little.
"Confusion's not that easy to break…" she pointed out, "And if Haxorus hurt himself, he'd be looking much worse than he is now," she mentioned as she proudly crossed her arms.
"Haaaa..." the Axe Jaw Pokémon growled.
"Now let's end this!" Iris declared, "Haxorus, Giga Impact!" she commanded while swinging her right hand out. Leaping forward, the Axe Jaw Pokémon shrouded himself in an invisible energy before a yellow light flashed in front of his face. He was then immersed in an orb of purple light with yellow streaks as he zoomed towards Serpence.
"Leaf Storm!" Leslie quickly ordered. Her Serperior spun himself around as a green light outlined his body, with several leaves building up around him before shooting out towards Haxorus. They collided with him, causing him to grimace as he slowly pushed through. Both trainers gritted their teeth nervously with each passing second. All of a sudden, a huge explosion of smoke occurred just as Haxorus had finally made contact with Serpence.
"Ah!" Mirajane gasped from the stands.
"Is Serpee okay?!" Erika asked worriedly.
"Serpence, use Leaf Blade!" Leslie commanded quickly.
"Outrage!" Iris called out. Leaping through the smoke, the Serperior made his tail glow a bright green and sharpen. Just as Haxorus had gotten to his feet, he was too late to ready himself as the Regal Pokémon slashed by him instantly. It caused to remaining smoke to blow out completely.
"Haa... haxxx..." the Axe Jaw Pokémon groaned out before falling forwards onto the ground. Swirls were in his eyes.
"Haxorus is unable to battle!" the referee announced, raising his right arm, "Serperior wins!" he declared, "And therefore..." he continued, gesturing towards Leslie, "the champion is the challenger, Leslie!" he exclaimed. And with that, the crowd burst into a huge array of cheers.
"SHE DID IT!" Ash screamed excitedly.
"YAY!" the twins exclaimed with delight.
"Peekah!" Pikachu cheered. Mirajane couldn't hold back her tears of joy as they streaked down her cheeks.
"We... won...?" Leslie uttered out from the field. It hadn't yet dawned on her. But just then, her Serperior slithered over and nuzzled his head against hers. And at that moment, her eyes widened with excitement. "WE WON!" she exclaimed, happily embracing the Regal Pokémon as she laughed. In the meantime, Iris went over to Haxorus, petting him gently in reassurance as he stood up. She looked out at the new champion and smiled. She and her team had given her a tremendous battle.
And now... Unova had a new champion.
X
"Huh…" Leslie exhaled, sitting at the edge of the boardwalk of the Seafolk Village and letting the wind rush through her hair. Remembering her journey through Unova was something she was proud to think about. She had gone through trials and tribulations much like her twin siblings, even up to the point where her parents almost took the opportunity away from her. And like her, Calvin and Erika were going to prove that they could handle themselves.
"You ready?" the capped boy asked of his twin sister as they stood outside the Whiscash-shaped boat docked in front of them.
"Yep!" she responded with a nod. The two of them headed up onto the vessel, ready to take on their last trial of Alola…
ENDING
Insert "Flowers" by Asian Kung-Fu Generation
We open on Leslie entering the Floccesy Ranch alongside Serpence. She spots a wild Riolu and gets excited to capture him, but he tries to run away. After managing to catch up, she has Serpence battle the Riolu before catching him in a Poké Ball.
A while passes before she starts training alongside her Pokémon, but they also play with each other, enjoying the nice sunny weather all the while. We then cut over to the Virbank Complex, where Leslie finds a wild Magnemite and a wild Magby, catching them both. They train together as well, but also roam about the complex in awe of the machinery, especially at night.
Out on Route 4, Leslie encounters a wild Sandile, which she also catches. He helps show her around the desert-like route, especially as they head into the Desert Resort in the midst of a sandstorm. In the Undella Bay, Leslie finds a wild Spheal and catches him as well. With his help, she's able to swim across the water quicker during their journey.
We cut to a shot of all of her Pokémon walking behind her in a row, evolving over time as they continue their journey with her. They venture through places such as the Chargestone Cave, Celestial Tower, Strange House, Marine Tube, and finally, the Giant Chasm. Leslie and her Pokémon come face-to-face with Neo Team Plasma and their massive battleship.
They battle ferociously, with Leslie venturing into the deepest part of the chasm with Serpence and Lucarus to find Ghetsis there with Kyurem. The Boundary Pokémon attempts to freeze her entirely in ice, but is thwarted by Lucarus' Aura Sphere and Serpence's Leaf Storm. Leslie smiles gratefully to her Pokémon before commanding them to attack, which they do.
Afterwards, there's a scene of her contently asleep together with all six of her Pokémon, having just saved the world from Neo Team Plasma. They're asleep by a bed of flowers, which wave with the light breeze that blows by.
END ENDING
And we're finished with Leslie's journey! I have to say, I really enjoyed writing this arc from beginning to end, especially with fleshing out my OC's character. But now, we're finally back to Calvin and Erika's part of the story! So without further delay, here's a summary for the next chapter!
SUMMARY
It's finally time for Mina's trial! As Calvin and Erika are still vying to prove themselves to their parents, the trial they're faced with is much different than before… Finding petals! Will they be able to collect all the petals together before the day ends?!
END SUMMARY
See you guys next time!