Part CLXII: Crowning a New Winner
"Well folks, lunch is over which means that it at last time, time for the final of the Wallace Cup!" Jillian said to the cheering crowds as Ash and Serena walked out and towards the battlefield, heading to the starting spots. "Four days of exhilarating excitement, 3 of which being battles, have led to this moment. Now, at long last, we are down to the final 2 competitors vying for the first ever Misty Ribbon and I can safely say that this is not the matchup any of us had pegged as being the final when the Wallace Cup began."
The crowd let that be known as they cheered even louder at that, but Ash and Serena just ignored them as they neared the starting spots. Lunch was over, they'd eaten alone, other than when Brock had shown up with the food, with only the Pokémon each had selected for the final out in their respective set waiting rooms, as they got ready for this battle. Now they were here as friends and rivals for the Misty Ribbon, ready to give it their all one last time.
Both had their own reasons for wanting to win it. For Ash it was because it was named after Misty, and he'd come this far so he may as well go all out to win it. Plus, he'd beaten the Big 3 on Kalos's Contest circuit along the way so it seemed only fitting that he finish his massive upset with a win in the final.
For Serena it was a mix of her own respect for Misty, both her talent as a coordinator and her mentorship in the art over the year despite Serena's feelings for Ash, and to secure that needed third ribbon. With it Serena would ensure that she had a shot at the Grand Festival via the special wildcard qualifier and she couldn't think of a more fitting ribbon then the Misty Ribbon to be that third ribbon.
In short order they both reached the starting spot and their eyes locked. This wasn't the first time they'd battled; both had been part of the tag battle at Pierre's but that had had Miette and May as well. As such this was the first time that it was just them and neither were using the same Pokémon as the time before, so it was a complete unknown. The perfect place for their first proper battle.
"No hard feelings Ash." Serena said with a smile as she settled herself in the coordinator's box. "But I'm going to win this battle, I can't afford to lose it. I've come this far in the Wallace Cup, further than I thought I would given the competition in it even with how the bracket fell, so now I will win this. The pride of Kalos is on the line for me, I can't let my region down and fail them. The first Wallace Cup in an expansion region and the first Misty Ribbon will be won by a native of the region that was honored to host it."
"None taken and I'd have it no other way then to face you in the final Serena, both for the Misty Ribbon and the pride of our regions." Ash said smiling back at her. "There's been a lot of negativity in this Cup but we both overcame it in the semifinals to reach this point and have a good, pure, fun final. I'll give it my all as well because I too want to win that ribbon. I think I am the best person to be the first to raise it after all."
"I have my own reasons for wanting to be the first, but it's mostly girl stuff you wouldn't understand." Serena said doing her best to not look at Misty who must be in a right squirm with the finalists especially as she was the one who'd have to present the ribbon now named after her to either her boyfriend or one of her many love rivals who she had a mentor/mentee relationship with that went both ways because of their passions. "But we can both agree that we respect her in our own ways so what better way then to honor her legacy in the Wallace Cup and as a coordinator than to face off in the first final without her and May in years."
"Agreed so let's do this." Ash said pulling out his Poke Ball as he set himself. "I'm ready and I know you are as well so there's no need for any more words."
"My thoughts exactly." Serena said pulling out her own Poke Ball and thus signaling to Jillian that it was time to start. "Let's get this final underway."
"Yes this is just what we love to see, a true level of friendly rivalry in this Kanto v. Kalos final." Jillian said excitedly as the crowd got ready for what was to come, and she gestured to Serena. "And who better than to start with the home region girl and the one who needs the Misty Ribbon the most as with it she'll qualify for the wildcard round. She's someone who everyone in Kalos knows well as the winner of the last Master Class Showcase only to fall just short of defeating Aria for the title of Kalos Queen. This year though she's trying coordinating and until the Wallace Cup was the only non-Big 3 member to beat one of them. From Vaniville Town, it's the Kalos Princess, Princess Serena!"
At this the crowd let out a massive roar for their home region girl and Serena just smiled and waved at them to really get the cheer louder. She knew she had to win the crowd in a performance so playing to them like this was key in the long run. Still, she was more focused on the final and was getting ready for that mentally as she'd need her all to defeat Ash, as well as a lot of luck.
"And against her is another trainer who needs no introduction but he's getting one anyway." Jillian said sweeping her arm to Ash's side. "He's most well known for revealing the emergence of the new fairy type last year in the Indigo Conference where he was the runner-up, but he's also become known here after becoming the first person to defeat not one, not two, but all three Big 3 members and in the same Contest no less. He's also defeated a current and a future Top Coordinator in past Contests, so he has more than earned his title. From Pallet Town, give it up for the Upset of Kanto, Ash!"
Again, the crowd cheered though not as loud as they had for Serena which was understandable as she was the home region girl and actually aiming for the Grand Festival. Ash for his part just ignored them as he focused on the final, he had 5 minutes to win this, and he fully intended to do so. He had the Pokémon he felt was best against either of Serena's remaining two based on type and moves so he was ready for the final to commence.
"And with that there is just one more thing to say." Jillian said raising her arm and then bringing it down. "Battle begin!"
"Talonflame, I choose you." Ash said tossing out his Poke Ball as the timer began.
"Rhydon, let's go." Serena said throwing her own Poke Ball out confirming the Pokémon Ash expected more out of her two remaining ones but one that would be tough to face given some of its moves and its types. "And start us off with Thunder."
"Dodge that and get in for a Steel Wing." Ash said going straight to his best move as Rhydon roared and the final started hard and fast.
Ash had expected Rhydon over Vivillon, though he of course had a plan for the latter if Serena had chosen it given Talonflames fire type was useful there. He also knew that if he was to win this by Battle Off, his preferred method as that was best for him due to how he used Contests as practice, then he'd have to rely mostly on the steel type attack Talonflame knew though he did have a strong new move to use as well when the time came.
It was the only move that Talonflame had that would be super effective against a ground and rock type like Rhydon, the rest of his attacks could be resisted, so he'd have to use it for the most part to wear down Rhydon while relying on Talonflame's superior speed and agility as well. That was just part of the reason for his choice of Talonflame, however.
The other reason was the flying type. Sure, Ash could have gone with Hawlucha or Sigilyph, and with Rhydon's types the best was by far Greninja, but Ash couldn't risk the Battle Bond triggering, so he wasn't using Greninja at all in the Wallace Cup, as their flying types negated Earthquake which Ash knew Rhydon knew but he felt that Talonflame was better.
True Hawlucha's fighting type attacks would help and of course he also had Dunsparce and Conkeldurr with their own strengths here but in the end Talonflame was his choice and Ash was sticking to it. Plus, he might use Talonflame in the final gym battle that was coming up soon, so this was needed training for him.
Serena for her part had expected a flying type at least. She'd briefly considered that Ash might use Dunsparce or Conkeldurr, the former knew at least one steel type move if she recalled correctly and the latter was a fully evolved fighting type who could easily go toe to toe with Rhydon, but her gut had told her he wouldn't use them against her in the final. No, Ash liked speed and on an ice battlefield and against either a flying or a ground type like Serena had on her he'd go with a flying type of his own to maximize his style and defense.
That had left her possible opponents to three, and she'd not actually known who he'd go with because of her own two remaining. Ash would have started the day with the Pokémon he was planning on using against Brianna, her, and Amelia just in case he won and would thus have leeway for the final. That had meant that it could be any of his Pokémon that he'd not used in the Wallace Cup other than Greninja, the Battle Bond was too risky with the Cup's rules, but Serena knew Ash well enough to expect at least a flying type.
If Ash had been certain she'd use Rhydon he'd likely have gone with Hawlucha as it had the best matchup though the ice and Hawlucha's lack of actual consistent flight would have played a factor in his choice, but if he was certain it was Vivillon he'd use Talonflame for the same reason. Regardless Sigilyph was the least likely as it was weak to Vivillon and had nothing good to face Rhydon and Serena didn't expect Ash to surprise her when he had plenty of information to go on.
No, he'd go with Talonflame or Hawlucha to face her and he'd use the one that had the most advantages over either of her remaining two so as to be able to best prepare regardless of Serena's choice. That was Talonflame as it had a steel type move that would work well on Rhydon and a fire and flying type moves for Vivillon while all Hawlucha had was fighting for Rhydon and nothing for Vivillon who as a bug type was resistant to fighting and as a flying type would have an advantage over a fighting type like Hawlucha.
Then there was the added factor that Ash would want the Battle Off because that fit what he needed most out of this battle for his own training purposes which Serena had to factor in as well. Lastly, the time limit meant that Ash couldn't take his time so he couldn't go for a deliberately bad matchup like he did against Valerie to really test himself, he'd need the best matchup possible to win by Battle Off in the time limit. Therefore, Talonflame was the most likely though Serena had planned for any of the others just in case.
This was the beauty of the Kalos Contest rules, they forced those who made it this far to use a lot of strategy and thought into the coordinators participating as they had to decide how to deal with what was to come, who to use when, and predicting an opponent if you knew him or her in advance. That was how Ash and Serena had ended up both predicting right for the final and with Pokémon that had moves that would work well on the other.
Rhydon showed that as he let out a roar and the bolt of electricity shot off his horn and in an arc at Talonflame who was already flying hard and fast at him. Originally the point of Rhydon learning Thunder back as a Rhyhorn had been to be able to counter water types that were super strong against him and as he was Serena's only pure battle Pokémon she needed to teach him it, but it worked just as well against a flying type.
In fact, it was a good addition as Talonflame's flying type ensured immunity to ground type attacks but made it weak to electricity thus adding a strength to Rhydon in the fight. Add in that Talonflame was also a fire type and it was super weak to rock type attacks, which Rhydon had one of those for when the time came. On ice he wasn't going to be very maneuverable so Serena was going to have to fight this the way Ash would while also doing her best to maintain her own style. In short, she was going to meet his strength with her own.
That strength was shown right at the start as Talonflame easily use his superior flying skills, he was arguably Ash's best flying type in terms of speed and flying ability of the 4 he had caught in Kalos though he lacked Sigilyph's maneuverability, to bank and soar around the Thunder as his wings turned to steel. It didn't help that Thunder wasn't the most accurate attack to begin with, so it was easier to dodge, and Serena grit her teeth at the miss.
It got worse as Talonflame neared and then slammed one of his wings into Rhydon's throat driving the Pokémon back on the ice a few feet and causing Rhydon to roar in pain from the super effective hit. For his part Talonflame banked up and around to preserve his momentum after the hit and Serena instantly countered.
"Rock Blast." Serena shouted.
"Dodge that and use Steel Wing again." Ash said in response knowing that the move was going to be a damaging one if it landed as Rhydon opened his mouth for the attack.
"Use the ice to slide away from it when that move comes." Serena said, Rhydon may be a battler, but she still used performer techniques to train him, and he trained with and against all her other Pokémon, so he knew the importance of timing from his training as he needed to in order to land a hit on Delphox or Pancham after all. "Wait for the moment and use it. You can't run well on ice, but ice is slippery so use that to your advantage."
Rhydon roared in agreement with his trainer as he created a boulder between his hands and blasted it at Talonflame who was flying away but whose wings were now turning to steel. Talonflame had banked just enough to see Rhydon form the boulder and thus banked sharper to avoid it with ease and then sped around as fast as he could.
At the same time Rhydon made more boulders, 3 more in total, and shot them at Talonflame as he flew. Alas all 3 missed as the speed of the attack ensured that Talonflame was constantly ahead of it, so the boulders just slammed harmlessly into the ice and Serena's points dropped some more in the process.
The miss was annoying, but it did serve a purpose for Serena and Rhydon, it had forced Talonflame to take a longer flight path to reach him by constantly banking. That meant that Rhydon was ready as Talonflame finished his bank and came right for his opponent with wings now made of steel.
The added time was just what Rhydon needed to slide to the side using the ice to ensure that he moved far enough and with a grace few would have expected from such a large and more battle orientated Pokémon. He raised his arms as he slide and twisted around Talonflame's wingtip so that Talonflame shot past with a caw of surprise his move timing out as he effectively circled Rhydon thus registering a miss.
That wasn't all though. No, the nature of the turn and the slickness of the ice ensured that Rhydon was able to follow Talonflame with his eyes and keep him in his sights so to speak the entire time as Talonflame missed. This was the opening Serena had wanted.
"Rock Blast again." Serena said knowing how limited her moves were thanks to Talonflame's flying type and sheer mobility in the air but what she did have was a move that was more than super effective so a hit from it was devastating in this battle. "I know you won't miss."
"Dodge and use Steel Wing again." Ash said once more relying on his super effective move rather than the minimally effective ones he had and saving Talonflame's newest move for the moment it was best used. "Show off your aerial mobility Talonflame."
Alas this time Serena had timed the attack a little earlier than before having learned from that mistake and Rhydon was able to get his first boulder off before Ash's order came in and before Talonflame could look back to see it coming. As such the boulder arched through the air and came down right on Talonflame's tail feathers, clipping him but still imparting super effective damage in the process.
That clip caused Talonflame to caw in pain and threw off his flight and concentration enough for the second and last boulder that Rhydon made and tossed at his foe with more accuracy to arc down and slam into Talonflame's back. Again, Talonflame cawed in pain as he was drive down to the ice, only the angle of the boulder and the fact that his back wasn't straight when it was hit because of the first hit stopped him from being driven into the ice under the boulder. Instead, it rolled off him and crashed into the now pockmarked ice as Talonflame tumbled to the side.
Still, Talonflame was a skilled flyer, Ash's best on hand, so he quickly folded his wings in and rolled with the blow before opening his wings and angling them just enough to slow his fall and then glide right over the surface of the ice without touching it as he sped over the surface of it. A single flap of his wings allowed him to regain his height as he banked around to get ready for his next attack glad no more boulders had come for him. It was time for his counter.
Naturally, Serena hadn't been idle in any of this though she was slightly delayed by the fact that she'd expected more than 2 boulders. She quickly overcame that and gave her next order, her confidence and that of Rhydon bolstered by the hit.
"Thunder." Serena said as Talonflame's wings turned to steel, he'd not forgotten his move after all. "You know you can hit it now so let's see Talonflame survive that."
"Dodge it, I know you can do it and land." Ash said as electricity sparked on Rhydon's horn. "We know that Rhydon can slide on the ice so keep that in mind as you counter."
Talonflame cawed in agreement understanding what he had to do. He could now see his foe and it had gotten off a good shot to hit him in the air with that Rock Blast, he had to give Rhydon credit where it was due, but he wasn't going to lose to it. That was why he banked wide as the Thunder arched towards him and easily avoided it. Rhydon was a shade too telegraphed with its attacks so provided Talonflame could see him as he was attacking he should be able to dodge them as he just showed with his second dodge of a Thunder attack.
As soon as he knew that he was clear, Talonflame turned on a time on the tip of his left wing in the air and shot diagonally across the battlefield as fast as he could. It was an odd move that confused Rhydon and Serena long enough for him to bank just as sharply and pivot on his right wingtip when he was past Rhydon to the right and almost parallel to him. That was all the time Talonflame needed to shoot across the battlefield once more and rake his Steel Wing from his right wing across Rhydon's belly as he shot passed it.
It was an impressive move that required precision flying and a lot of training, something only Talonflame could pull off, and Serena grit her teeth as Rhydon let out a howl of pain and staggered slightly from the second super effective attack, but he was still in this fight. The move just showed how talented Ash was and if Serena was to win this she'd really have to bring out the stops.
"Rock Blast." Serena said as she composed herself and tried to think of how to win this based off the moves Rhydon could use and the ones she knew that Talonflame had along with her own style when she battled. "Even if you miss, keep it at bay and away from us."
Rhydon let out a roar of agreement and formed the boulder as Talonflame banked, aiming in front of it this time before he fired it. As Talonflame could see it being formed he easily banked up and away from it, but Rhydon kept the attack up for two more boulders forcing Talonflame back and away while never loosing sight of him. The moves may have missed but Ash knew at once what Serena was trying to do.
She had two moves that were both ranged and super effective against Talonflame and if he recalled correctly two ground type attacks that were useless. Talonflame on the other hand had almost exclusively close quarters moves that required physical contact to work but with Talonflame's flying prowess that wasn't an issue.
Thus, Ash deduced that Serena was going to use range to keep Talonflame away and get his timing and flight patterns down to land her extra super effective rock type move and her super effective lightning type move as all she needed was two more hits from those moves to win if Ash had to guess.
Well, Talonflame was mostly physical attacks that was true, but he had one ranged move at least. It wasn't that effective, but it would distract Rhydon long enough to get Talonflame's newest move off which had the overall power to end this battle based off the other hits Rhydon had already taken. It was time then to bring this battle to a close in a way Serena wouldn't be expecting.
"Razor Wind." Ash said as the boulders pushed Talonflame back even further. "Use it to keep Rhydon at bay and then follow them up with Brave Bird."
"Brave Bird?" Serena asked surprised by the new move, clearly Ash had been busy and taught Talonflame a new move that she'd not realized, and she had a sinking felling this wasn't going to be good. "What does that do?"
Serena had indeed been trying to keep Talonflame at bay to land the ranged attacks that Rhydon knew, it was her best strategy, and she was going to use her performance training to try to study and predict Talonflame's flight patterns but that was now thrown out of the window as Talonflame pivoted to face Rhydon directly flap his wings wildly at the Drill Pokémon from across the battlefield. Almost instantly the razor like lashes of wind that was for some reason a normal type attack shot out across the battlefield.
It wouldn't do much damage as Rhydon was resistant to normal type attacks, but it would do some and when you added that to two Steel Wings and a Brave Bird which was going to be strong even with Rhydon's resistance to it and that might be too much for him. Add in that as the winds tore across the battlefield and slammed into Rhydon, he was too big to dodge them, they registered a critical hit and he'd likely faint from the Brave Bird.
However, Rhydon grit his teeth and endured it the hit, looking back and catching his trainer's eye as he did. He loved Serena and trusted her; she'd given him the purpose that he'd wanted because he didn't want to be a Rhyhorn who raced his whole life like the others Serena's mother raised.
No, he wanted adventure, battle, and he wanted to evolve. He'd done that and that was all because of Serena so it was time to show her that he was still in this and that he'd just learned a new move that she'd know, and which would turn the tide in their favor. He trusted her and her skills to use it properly as his horn began to spin despite the Razor Wind hitting him.
Serena saw this and knew at once what the move was, she had grown up with a Rhyhorn racer and breeder for a mother, so she knew the species and its moves very well. Hers my now be a Rhydon but she knew what it was and repressed a grin so as to not tip off Ash as it was just the lucky break she needed.
She knew what the move did and with what Ash had planned, if she timed it right, she could shock everyone. The timing had to be perfect though, this was one of the most inaccurate moves out there, but Serena was a performer, timing moves was what she did best, and she was about to show it.
"Hold in there Rhydon." Serena said as the winds died down and Talonflame suddenly shot after them and at Rhydon at full speed, his body now wrapped in a blue flame or aura of some sort as he cawed his war cry. "And wait for my command."
Rhydon nodded and grinned as he lowered his head, his horn now spinning but with Talonflame in the way with his move active Ash couldn't see this. Talonflame was tearing at him at full speed and if he made contact with Rhydon it would probably be game over for him, but he trusted Serena who was watching closely, all her training with her Pokémon to perfect freestyles and the timing of their moves now being applied to a battle as she waited until…
"Now!" Serena roared as Talonflame neared and then passed the point that Serena was sure that the move wouldn't miss. "Dip and rise with Horn Drill!"
"What!" Ash exclaimed his eyes wide; he'd not seen that coming as Serena matched Rhydon in a sense with her own moves so that she raised her hand to the sky as Rhydon thrust up. "No way."
Rhydon roared as he crouched down, his horn now spinning as fast as a drill, before he rose up at Serena's command just as Talonflame reached him. The timing had to be perfect for this to work, a second or two off and either Talonflame would have soared over Rhydon for a miss of slammed into his face for a hit.
However, Serena had timed it just right thanks to knowing when to time moves to where a Pokémon would be from her freestyle training, something that until now had been hard with Talonflame's mobility but was possible for this because she knew where Talonflame was aiming. As such, the tip of Rhydon's horn slammed into Talonflame's chest right below his throat, his head tilted back so that only the tip of his horn was making contact with Talonflame as he imparted the instant KO move right into his foe.
The move only lasted a second but that was all it needed as the blue flame things around Talonflame died almost as soon as the Horn Drill hit and Rhydon pushed through his move reach his full height and tossed Talonflame back with a roar. He'd done it and he knew it, so the roar was one of both power and triumph in landing such an inaccurate attack.
Talonflame was already limp and out of it by this point, such was the nature of Horn Drill, as he was tossed back and high into the air, flipping several times as he arched back from Rhydon before slamming into the ice on his back, wings splayed, beak open and eyes swirls as he slid over the ice before coming to rest unconscious near Ash's feet. There was no doubt the moment the hit had landed that the battle was over, and Serena lowered her hand now that it had ended.
As soon as Talonflame came to a stop the 4 Xs of the active judges lit up to show that a Battle Off had been declared thus officially ending the battle and the Wallace Cup. All of them, plus Misty, Jillian, and Ash were staring open mouthed at the sudden end of the battle with a complete turning of the tides in one move and the crowd was silent as no one had seen that coming. Finally, Jillian found her voice.
"And there you have it, with 49 seconds remaining, and in the least expected fashion after looking outmatched the entire time, Rhydon has knocked out Talonflame which means that Serena has won this battle by Battle Off and thus won the Wallace Cup!" Jillian said as the crowd finally found their own voices and let out a massive cheer for the home region girl pulling off what had to be an upset given Ash's record to win it all though for Ash and Serena they were more amazed by how much time was left in the battle. "That means that Serena is the latest Wallace Cup Champion and the first winner of the Misty Ribbon!"
"Talonflame, return." Ash said with a smile as he recovered from the shock ending and recalled his Pokémon, Serena didn't need to as all her Pokémon would be out for the award ceremony and looked at the Poke Ball in his hand. "You were amazing my friend and we almost had it but that last move, the way it was done, I've never seen a Horn Drill pulled off as efficiently as that. Very impressive. Take a rest my friend, we'll get better I promise because we still have Wulfric to face here, and I don't intend to lose again."
Ash continued to smile as he put the Poke Ball away, looked up and nodded at Serena, the staff his hand preventing him from clapping for her. Serena was still a little stunned that her gamble had worked but it had and all because she understood the nature of timing a move to land at the right moment and place when she knew where the other Pokémon would be from her freestyle training, something that at least one on the judges' panel didn't miss. Still, she returned Ash's smile amazed she'd beaten her crush in a battle of all things.
As they were smiling there was a whirring sound, and a walkway began to slide out from under Serena's feet. Normally a full hard cover would be used but, well, Serena and Rhydon had thrown 9 boulders in total around during that final, so they were kinda in the way. Thankfully, the cover was segmented so it could be moved out in sections and the path between Ash and Serena was clear of any boulders, thus it easily moved across the ice, Rhydon sliding out of the way of it in the process, to connect the two trainer boxes.
That was their cue and once it was connected Ash and Serena stepped onto it and began walking towards the center of the ice, Serena smiling, congratulating and praising Rhydon as she passed him before he lumbered onto the walkway to follow her knowing that the presentation was coming which he was to be a part of. For the moment though Serena was just focused on Ash as they both walked to the center, the only time this would happen in the Wallace Cup as it was reserved for the finals alone.
"Well done Serena, that was very impressive at the end as Horn Drill is not an accurate attack." Ash said holding out his hand as they met in the center of the battlefield. "The timing to pull it off had to be perfect or else at best Talonflame would have missed, at worst hit and won because Brave Bird is strong enough to compensate for Rhydon's resistance."
"I know, thank you Ash." Serena said blushing furiously at the praise and deepening when she took his hand in hers and shook as any professionals would do and ruing the fact that both of them were wearing gloves. "It means a lot coming from you, I've learned so much from you, May, and Misty this year, I wouldn't have done this without you lot."
"You did a lot yourself Serena, you've very talented in your own right and your win came because of your own style and training as a performer, so enjoy this win." Ash said with a smile as he let go of her hand though why Serena was beat red as he spoke was beyond him. "You deserve it, and it was an honor to lose to you. Enjoy the moment, you deserve to be the winner of the first Misty Ribbon."
"I will, it was an honor to face you Ash." Serena said with a smile of her own knowing her face was flushed before Ash turned and walked away while Serena and Rhydon turned to face the judges as she tried to get her composure.
As they'd been speaking an army of Bergmites had come out from the bowls of the stadium to break up the rocks and either remove them or move the debris into the craters they'd made so that the rest of the cover could be put in place and the melting of the ice begin in earnest. That hadn't taken long and as the rest of the cover was secured in place Serena let out her remaining Pokémon, including Vivillon even though it hadn't been used, to enjoy this moment.
"Ah a good display of sportsmanship right at the end." Jillian said as Ash headed off to get rejoin his friends and watch the final presentation, he'd change later, and Wallace rose but didn't move from his place at the judges' panel. "Before we present Serena with the Misty Ribbon, Wallace has a few words to close out the Cup and get us ready for the next one."
"Thank you Jillian, and congratulations Serena on winning, usually Milotic and myself would be presenting you with the ribbon now but given it's change it is only fitting that Misty has that honor for its first presentation so allow me this moment to praise your amazing win in the Wallace Cup before I say a couple of words." Wallace said and bowed his head to Serena while the crowd cheered at it and Serena just smiled at the praise before Wallace rose and addressed the whole stadium. "And thank you Snowbelle City for hosting the Wallace Cup. Next year we will continue the expansion hosts with Lacunosa Town in the Unova region hosting it."
At that the crowd murmured and Wallace paused to smile at them. It was known that the next host had been selected in advance, it was usually 18 months before the city or town would host it when it was decided but the announcement always came at the end, or just after, the Wallace Cup. It looked like Unova would get the next one thus showing that they were ahead of Galar in adapting to Contests to get the second Wallace Cup in an expansion region while Alola was still the slowest to adapt to them ensuring that they'd be the last to host the Wallace Cup.
"There is but one more thing for me to say before we end the Wallace Cup." Wallace said quieting the crowd down. "And that is the new tradition of the Cup, the special host region event. In honor of Kalos and to thank the region for hosting the Wallace Cup this year, in two days' time this stadium will host the first ever Wallace Showcase with the Aqua Princess Key as the prize, a fully recognized Princess Key that counts towards the Master Class. This is my way to thank Kalos by embracing its regional spectacle with my own twist of course and that is a Pokémon requirement for the Theme Round. All performers must register a water type or swimming capable Pokémon like Dragonair."
That did cause a buzz and Serena was certainly interested as she looked to Misty who'd be in that Showcase, but she did have Piplup, so she was fine on the water type front. However, the look on her face showed that she was thinking of it more than just Piplup and Serena remembered one of Misty's other Pokémon and how it wasn't a water type but would fit the criteria and might be better than Piplup for a swimming-based Theme Round.
Well, it was certainly going to be an interesting Showcase that was for sure, and Serena couldn't wait to see what the Theme Round was. First though she had her own moment to enjoy, and she was going to fully enjoy it.
"That is all I have to say." Wallace said once again silencing the crowd. "I will now turn it over to Misty to close out the Wallace Cup and present the first ever Misty Ribbon to the latest champion of the Wallace Cup."
As soon as Wallace was done he sat down and Misty rose from her seat, Piplup on her head as he was going to present with her, before she picked up something from the podium in front of her that had been hidden due to how the panel was designed. She revealed it to be a pink velvet cushion with a dark blue edge and a Contest ribbon on the center. Given what it was, Misty carefully walked around the panel and out towards Serena and her Pokémon where she stood on the battlefield.
Ever since Misty had agreed to have the Aqua Ribbon renamed the Misty Ribbon in her honor, along with a new style to match its name, and to then present the ribbon to the newest winner of the Wallace Cup she'd been thinking on what to say when she did so. She had a mic attached to her cheek for this so that all could hear as it was a special moment so had to be heard. She had to be careful given her known ties to basically all of the battlers other than Amelia but as the rounds went on she honed it down until she had a statement for Ash and one for Serena.
Honestly she'd expected Ash to win, he was a great battler who'd shown that so far with all his wins and the ribbon was now named after her which likely only added to his motivation to win. Serena was good but she'd need to be perfect to beat Ash in the final.
In the end Serena hadn't been perfect, but what she had been however was a performer adapting her style and training to Contest battles. Misty had seen that begin in the quarterfinals the day before against Tierno when she used Pancham's training to win on points against a stronger battler, and again against Amelia that morning. She'd used that to beat Ash in the end though a lot had to do with that move at the end as well. Still, only a performer who understood timing could have done what Serena did to win the Wallace Cup.
Misty for her part was starting to understand that more as she did Showcases. She was going to win the Wallace Showcase, she swore it, and after seeing how Serena used timing in her battles, as did Amelia in fact, Misty realized how helpful that would be for her own training. Of course, that would have to wait as this was Serena's moment and Misty smiled at her friend and came to a stop just before her, cushion raised so that it was between and the first ever minted Misty Ribbon laying on it.
Serena just looked at the simple ribbon, it wasn't as fancy as the style Kalos used as it was just a crest that was a side relief of Misty's own Piplup's head looking happy, with two ribbons on either side hanging down forming an obtuse angle. The color of the ribbon was a bright red, and bordered in her favorite color of hot pink. It was the perfect ribbon to encapsulate Misty and her successes in the Wallace Cup, she'd won all 3 of her Aqua Ribbons with Piplup after all, and Serena was honored to be the first winner of it.
"Serena." Misty said seriously but still smiling. "I am sure that many, including myself, didn't expect it to be you who was standing here before me having just won the Wallace Cup but here you are thus proving us all wrong in the best way possible. You have defied many odds, overcome several tough challenges along the way, and emerged victorious. Despite everything, you have won, and it is a testament to Kalos that one of their own can win the first Wallace Cup held in an expansion region and marks the first native to win the Wallace Cup in their home region since my own first victory in Sinnoh a few years back."
Misty paused to let her words sink in as Serena smiled back at her. It was true, no one would have expected Serena to be here now. Advance to the battles sure, she was good enough for that, but to win all 4 was another thing.
Even with how the bracket had fallen in such a way that Kalos was all but guaranteed a finalist, Serena still had to face the best Kalos battler on the circuit in Tierno, a tricky foe who was out for revenge in Amelia, and she didn't discount Bonnie to start as Serena had lost that matchup before. All of that was to just reach the final where she was either going to face her crush and one of the best pure trainers out there in Ash or her enemy and the best coordinator on the Kalos circuit in Brianna.
Yet despite all this Serena had persevered, pushed herself and her Pokémon beyond their limits to overcome all the odds placed in front of her. She'd done so by using her own style, her own training as a performer to counter better opponents and win on points for the most part or land a KO move in the final. She'd finally learned how Contest battles worked and adapted them to her strengths to become a better performer and coordinator before their very eyes in the Wallace Cup. This win was proof of that.
"I have watched you grow more in the Wallace Cup than any other coordinator here and to see your style really come into its own has been a pleasure." Misty continued and she meant it, Serena really had come into her own in the Wallace Cup just as Misty had rebounded and found herself in her first Wallace Cup. "You really showed what performers bring to Contests for only a performer could have pulled off what you've done the last few days and the Contest world benefits from your abilities. Therefore, it is an honor to present to you the first Misty Ribbon and to pass on the legacy of the Wallace Cup that I have carried for the last few years to you."
Misty once again paused, and Serena could tell that while Misty was almost done she wasn't quite there yet and knew why. There was one more thing Misty had to mention before it was over, and Serena was looking forward to hearing it, so she just smiled and let Misty finish her speech.
"As this is your third ribbon you have now qualified for the Wildcard Weekend event to be held before the Grand Festival, so you are one step closer to reaching it." Misty said. "I look forward to seeing you there at the very least and hopefully at the Grand Festival as well be it through the wildcard path or with two more ribbons. Congratulations Serena on becoming the latest winner of the Wallace Cup and welcome to the pantheon of winners from one winner to another. The time has come, for the first time in history, please take the Misty Ribbon and show Kalos that their native daughter and unofficial princess has won the Wallace Cup."
"Thank you Misty, for your kind words, I will take them to heart and make all those who have come before me and helped me reach this point proud as I honor this ribbon that bears the name of the greatest coordinator in the history of the Wallace Cup." Serena said as she smiled at Misty, the other thanks she'd give Misty in private, before hesitantly reached out and picked up the Misty Ribbon by the seal between her thumb and forefinger before turning to the crowd and raising it high above her head for all to see. "And I am proud to proclaim that I have won the first ever Misty Ribbon!"
At this the whole stadium erupted in cheers for the Kalos girl who'd defied the odds to win the Wallace Cup on home soil. Misty smiled and stepped back to give Serena her moment while Serena's Pokémon celebrated their success by surrounding her, confetti finally being released as the board lit up with Serena's picture and her Pokémon's proclaimer her the winner, and Serena pulled her arm down and looked at the unique ribbon now resting in her palms.
Serena just smiled as she let the moment wash over her. She'd won the Wallace Cup, it was beyond what she'd ever expected when she'd entered it, and she'd done so by beating Ash of all people. In the process she'd won the Misty Ribbon, the new ribbon for the cup named after her close friend, mentor, and rival becoming the first to do so and to do so in her own region. It meant the world to her to win this, and she'd treasure this ribbon and Misty's words for the rest of her life.
It also meant that she'd now be guaranteed at least a solid shot at the Wallace Cup via the special wildcard qualifier. All that didn't matter to Serena at the moment though. No all that mattered was that she'd won, and she closed her eyes as tears came to them to enjoy this moment as the crowd continued to cheer for the newest Wallace Cup champion.
