Creation began on 08-23-19
Creation ended on 10-27-19
Neon Genesis Evangelion
To face a Champion
A/N: Shinji's greatest match comes in play.
Thud! Lucian's Bronzong fell to the ground after being bested by Shinji's Mega-Evolved Mewtwo, leaving the Elite Four member struck in awe of how the young man's Pokémon were truly a combination of power, versatility, luck, skill and faith in each other.
He truly is powerful, he accepted, and recalled Bronzong.
"…The winner is Shinji Ikari!" The referee declared; with the loss of Lucian's Bronzong, Lucian had no other Pokémon to use in this match, giving Shinji the win.
The crowd went wild with excitement as Shinji went over to Master, who returned to his original state with the end of the battle.
"Are you okay, Master?" Shinji asked him.
"I am fine," he responded. "It is onwards to the champion now."
"That's right."
"Eevo!" Misato cheered, excited for their team to be going up against the Sinnoh League Champion in due time.
-x-
"Shinji, you're amazing when you're at the top of your game," went Toji as he and the others watched Shinji shake hands with Lucian after the matched ended in the former's favor.
"He might be too powerful for any other trainer to best," said Kensuke, "but he's definitely one of the best around."
"Maybe he'll become a Pokemon Master as time passes on," suggested Rei.
"With his success rate," Antonio uttered, "I wouldn't be surprised, anymore, if he already is one…but continues to improve both himself and his Pokemon."
Beep! Someone was calling on the console, and Antonio answered it.
"Yes?" He asked.
"Yes, there's a Kozo Fuyutsuki outside, and he wishes to speak with you, sir," one of the security guards around the building they were in informed him.
"Okay, let him down," he instructed.
A few moments later, Fuyutsuki stepped into the chamber.
"Hello, everyone," he greeted.
"You missed Shinji defeating the final member of the Sinnoh League Elite Four," Hikari informed him. "It was another epic match."
"Heh-heh… It sounds like…the match was won before it even began, and it was decided that Shinji was to be the victor."
"But now he has to face his next big challenge," went Asuka. "The Elite Four are the best of the best in any region, but the Pokemon League Champion…now, that's going to be a challenge for him, facing someone that bested the Sinnoh League before he did."
"A Pokemon Trainer that sits on the metaphorical throne that symbolizes their success…and a Pokemon Trainer that seeks to sit on the same throne to achieve the fruition of his own success."
"Ikari-Kun will do his best to achieve such a feat," Rei expressed.
"Yeah, he will. In the end, that's all he can do to get further in his goals."
-x-
A ten-day period of rest and relaxation as the preparations for the next match had Shinji pondering how his face-off with the Sinnoh League Champion would fare. Going over his studies of the trainers from the previous conference, he discovered the previous trainer that achieved the status of Sinnoh League Champion, Tobias, who seemed to be a serious person, but whose file also confirmed that he was impatient with some of his matches. This made Shinji feel the guy was likely too serious, right to the point where rest and relaxation were nearly impossible for him to enjoy.
"Eee?" He heard Misato speak to him as he turned around to the bed in his suite, seeing her sitting on the edge, looking at him.
"Say, Misato…I don't seem serious, do I?" He asked her; his Pokemon's opinion of him mattered whenever something weighed down in his mind. "I mean…do I seem…impatient sometimes?"
"Eevo!" She nodded in the negative; Shinji wasn't the type to take many things seriously or show impatience with people or objectives, whether they were traveling to a certain place or meeting someone.
Shinji chuckled and praised his Eevee for her response.
"If I face this guy, he might be among the most serious Pokemon Trainers I've ever faced," he told her. "His profile lists that he won the conference last year with just two Pokemon. That's got to be a record in any official league match. But it brings into question the trainer's versatility and reliance upon a limited number of Pokemon; if he only uses one or two, he has very little to no experience using other Pokemon he's caught over time."
"Eevo," she agreed with him.
"But that's if I face him, though. It looks like there's a vote going on where everyone's choosing between this Tobias that won last year…and this Cynthia of the Sinnoh League that has been the champion for several years now. What do you think, Misato?"
Misato jumped off the bed and hopped onto Shinji's lap, looking at the computer screen, seeing the two trainers he had been talking about. On the left was a young man that looked rather troublesome…and on the right was a woman that was pretty. She raised her left paw to the woman on the left.
"Eee!" She went.
"Eh-heh-heh! I figured you'd choose a kind face."
-x-
"…To think that he has to wait ten days until the next match against the champion," Toji sighed as they watched Shinji in his hotel room studying up on his two potential opponents. "We gotta be there when he faces the champion."
"You bet," Kensuke agreed with him.
"But if we went to see him ahead of time, would we be able to go back while he's still waiting?" Hikari questioned.
"You teens can remain in a controlled coma in this project for up to three days because we're not jeopardizing your physical health in favor of the results we get from the connection you make with Shinji," Antonio reminded them. "Adults, however, due to their greater endurance because of their age, can remain in a controlled coma for almost a week before showing signs of prolonged deterioration if not caught early on. We could send you there for the first portion of this ten-day waiting period and then back for the last portion. Or even send you there for three days and you tell him that you'll come back on the day he faces the champion."
"I volunteer to go there and inform him," offered Fuyutsuki to them.
"You'd have to have a strong desire to establish a bond with Shinji if you want to get to the Pokemon world that he resides in," said Palkia to the elder. "There must be no hidden reason to your intentions; otherwise, your goal to journey beyond this reality will be for naught."
"Understood, Palkia."
"We'd best get you setup for the procedure," Antonio told him, and then looked at Misato. "Maybe you should go, too, Ms. Katsuragi. If anything, we can keep you comatose for two days instead of the standard three-five days that you can endure."
Asuka gestured for Misato to suck it up and go see Shinji for them.
"One of these days, you'll have to come with us," Misato told Antonio, who smiled.
"I'm actually going to take you up on that offer," he expressed.
"Huh?!"
-x-
With time to spare, Shinji decided to train his Pokemon that he hadn't had much time to train, running around the training track with his Eevee, a Typhlosion, a Kingler, a Hariyama and his own Darkrai, which he decided that he needed to train in case he needed to choose whether or not to use it against Tobias and his Darkrai.
"Okay, Yami," Shinji told his Darkrai, newly-nicknamed to give it an identity, holding a bottle of water out for it, "you should have a drink to stay hydrated."
"Hmm," Yami responded, accepting the bottled water from its trainer. "Hmm?"
"Huh?" Shinji reacted, and Yami pointed past him towards the other end of the track, towards three people that were present. "Oh!"
"Hey, Shinji!" They heard Misato greet him as she and two men came over to them. "Whoa! Which Pokemon are these guys?"
"Uh…my Darkrai, Yami, my Hariyama, Sumo-Hoenn, Kingler is nicknamed Hanma (Japanese for 'hammer'), and Typhlosion is nicknamed Gekido (Japanese for 'wild rage'). Uh…who are these two men with you?"
Of course, Shinji recognized Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki, but hadn't seen him in four years since he ended up in the Pokemon world. However, he didn't recognize the other guy, who didn't look Japanese at all.
"Kozo Fuyutsuki," the sub-commander introduced himself to Shinji. "It's been way too long since we last met, Shinji."
"Yes," Shinji agreed with him, "it has."
"Antonio Giovanni," the other man introduced himself, bowing his head to Shinji. "Nice to finally meet you in person, Shinji Ikari."
"Giovanni? I once met a guy by the name of Giovanni, but he was bad news."
"The leader of that Team Rocket organization you and Mr. Aida encountered during your time in Viridian City back in the Kanto Region. No relation; I'm from the same world as you."
Shinji bowed his head to him.
"I was told that you're the man behind the science that enables my friends to travel back and forth between this world and the other world because of the Palkia that somehow ended up there," he stated. "I thank you for enabling them to come see me. Their periodic presence has been most helpful to me."
"It originally used to be a venture into exploring alternate worlds uninhabited by people for resources, but trying to find a way to help you get back to our world safely is part of the same venture…and you're actually quite the amazing person I've been looking forward to meeting. Ever since Ms. Katsuragi and Mr. Fuyutsuki mentioned you, you've been a topic that has many questions and answers, but I guess the one question I should ask you is the only one that actually matters here."
"And what is your question?"
"Could I shake your hand?"
Shinji extended his right hand to Antonio, who accepted it in a handshake.
"Eevo," his Eevee went as she approached the adults in front of her trainer.
-x-
"…It looks like they both made it to where Shinji is without a problem," one of the personnel workers expressed to the teens as they saw Fuyutsuki and Antonio with Misato in front of Shinji and his Pokemon.
"I hope Misato warned Mr. Fuyutsuki about Shinji's Eevee needing to get used to new people around her before she could be picked up by them," Hikari uttered, reminding the other teens that this Evolution Pokemon had the equivalent of a nervous bladder when picked up by people that didn't know her personally.
"I'm pretty sure she did tell him," went Asuka, seeing the sub-commander crouch down to greet the Eevee with a pet on the head. "He's not going to risk picking her up until she deems it okay for him to do so."
-x-
"…So, they'll be here on the day I face the Sinnoh League Champion, whichever one it will be on that day?" Shinji asked Misato after he led her and the men back to his hotel suite. "Some people are voting for Tobias because he was the champion of last year's tournament, while others are voting for this Cynthia lady because she was the previous champion for several years. Personally, I think it's because she has a welcoming presence to her, unlike this Tobias, who seems to invoke the opposite effect, wanting to drive others away."
"Aren't you allowed to vote on which champion to face?" Fuyutsuki asked.
"No, as the challenger, I have to face whichever one wins the vote. I've familiarized myself with Cynthia's Pokemon, but Tobias is an enigma; he's only ever used two Pokemon, leaving the other four ambiguous at best."
Antonio looked over at the computer screen behind them and saw the two champions displayed on the digital voting ballot.
"Are these the two everyone's voting on?" He asked Shinji.
"Yep, that's them," he answered.
"Tobias looks a bit like a Darkrai, invoking a sense of dread."
"I know, he just looks unfriendly. His profile states that he takes battling serious and gets impatient when it escalates toward the end."
"Say you had to face him, and that meant having to face four Pokemon he hasn't used, what would your strategy be?" Misato asked him.
"So far, his Darkrai has a type disadvantage against Fighting, Fairy and Bug-Type Pokemon. Master, my Mewtwo, can Mega Evolve to incorporate the Fighting-Type characteristics in his abilities, enabling him to use Fighting-Type moves. I can also use one of my Pokemon that have the Fairy-Type in their status. Tobias also has a Latios, a Dragon/Psychic-Type Pokemon. Because it's primarily a dragon, it's vulnerable towards other dragons, Pokemon that can use Ice or Steel-Type moves, and is just as vulnerable to Fairy Pokemon."
"Like the tales from mythology?" Antonio asked.
"Yes. Dragon Pokemon aren't all that different from the ones depicted in mythology; they're vulnerable to some type of magic, have fought against, and often lost against, knights that wear armor and use swords and shields to attack and defend, and are susceptible to extreme drops in temperature. But again, that's only if I have to face him, which is up to the voters."
"Sounds stressing," Fuyutsuki spoke.
"When in Pokemon League battles, even just gym battles, choosing the right Pokemon to best your opponent's is a calculated affair if you have no idea what their Pokemon are capable of."
"It's amazing how much you've learned about Pokemon in over four years, Shinji," Antonio expressed, impressed by his knowledge.
His Eevee hopped onto Shinji's lap and he petted her back.
"When you do what you enjoy," he responded, "you get better at it over time."
"You make it seem like it's the best profession to have."
"Any Pokemon-based profession is good, not just the profession of a Pokemon Trainer."
"Doctor? Photography? Researcher? Breeder?"
"If you love Pokemon, in a positive way, it don't matter what your profession is."
Though, when Shinji mentioned loving Pokemon in a positive way, the adults clearly got the impression that he was subtly speaking of his father, who saw these amazing creatures as less than pets, companions, friends, or even keepers of great secrets that could bridge divisions between people and Pokemon. In this world, Pokemon were the first to lay claim to it while humans were the second, and yet humans were the species that dominated the planet with their towns and cities, their cognitive functions and scientific adaptations. And there was no doubt that in the far future, when all was said and done with people, the only ones left to inherit the world…would be the Pokemon that had it first.
"Say, can I ask a personal question about your Eevee, Shinji?" Antonio asked the trainer.
"Uh, sure," he responded.
"How do you keep her coat so shiny? I mean, you two fought a Pokemon that made a Dumpster look like a new mutation waiting to happen, and she looks like she just came out of a spa day or something? Is there a type of soap you use?"
"Just a basic conditioner…and a brush. But hygiene is only half the method. Exercise, eating right, a lot of affection. Misato here didn't look as cute as she does right now when we met over four years ago."
"How'd you two meet?" Misato asked.
Shinji reflected back on that day he first arrived in the Pokemon world, clueless and wondering if he was dead or just having a dream. And then…he saw Misato limp out of the bushes, injuries and all, trying to get a drink from the lake. He never questioned it, though, the "how" to her injuries or the "why" behind her injuries, not even about the strange, healed scar he had seen under her fur at the base of her tail, even though he had every right to question it, but after that day, they've never been separated.
"I woke up on the ground," he said to them, "and saw her coming out of some bushes. She was injured, trying to get to a nearby lake…and I helped her."
"Eee," the Eevee expressed; she remembered that day, too.
And she still had a reminder of her past before she met Shinji at the base of where her tail connected to her body. It was a past full of pain that she'd rather leave buried for good, but she knew that there was a day to come where her trainer would find out what happened to her…and she'd see the side of him that was reserved mostly for those that crossed the line between people who love Pokemon…and people who didn't.
-x-
"…So, uh…who do you think Shinji will face for the title of Sinnoh Pokemon League Champion?" Maya asked Hyuga, as they had been informed by Asuka when the former woman asked the latter yesterday when they were told Misato wouldn't be in the Geo-Front for another day. "This Tobias fellow…or this Cynthia lady?"
"I'm all for Shinji facing a woman that's been the champion for far longer than a guy that only became the new champion a year ago," Hyuga expressed. "And from what was discovered, this guy has only used two Pokemon in his battles, both rare and hard to find in the wild. A Darkrai and a Latios. If those are his only Pokemon, a match between he and Shinji would seem…sour."
"Yeah," Maya agreed with him. "It's supposed to be a six-on-six battle. If he only has or uses two, while he might be a challenge for Shinji, he won't be a remarkable one. Shinji seems like his adversaries have to be fully committed to the match."
Throughout the base, people were sharing their opinions on who Shinji should face and why…while Gendo, in his office, outraged by the fact that Fuyutsuki was able to go to the Pokemon world on his first try and see Shinji after what felt like a long time (and was a long time for Shinji), continued to fume over how foolish the people were deluding themselves into viewing him as some sort of celebrity when he was just a pathetic excuse for a person that got stranded in another dimension with strange animals that were better off being used as bio-weapons or research specimens than as pets or entertainment. Of course, because he had no interest in seeing his son, there was no way for him to get there through the subconscious travel means, and his presence wouldn't have been welcomed. He just needed someone to be resentful of, and Shinji was the one person in the whole world that he resented the most…and he never did anything to him.
"…Hey, Shinji, what do you want to say to the kids at home that aspire to be Pokemon Trainers when they come of age?" The Fourth Child had asked Shinji in a video post from after the latter had fought and defeated the Viridian City Pokemon Gym, recording his face as his Eevee was on his left shoulder.
"Treat your Pokemon as you would treat yourself," Shinji responded, petting his Pokemon on her head. "If you love them, they'll love you back in their own time."
Love is for infants, thought Gendo as he found the suggestion of treating Pokemon that way to be a sign of weakness or attachment to something. Why can't he just grow up and stop acting like this is just a game?
-x-
"…So, I take it you've heard of the choice of the people here, as well, Tobias?" The current champion of the Sinnoh League was asked by the previous champion, all the while looking down at the stadium field where the next match was to take place.
Turning to face Cynthia, Tobias responded, "I see no point in this voting method at all. Why does there have to be a choice when it's clear the opponent this Shinji Ikari will face will be me? He's just another runner-up looking to get the silver or bronze."
"The people's opinions are split between you and I, Tobias," Cynthia explained. "Their views are split between power, beauty and determination. They want the next match that will decide everything in this league to be one worthy of remembrance, and that is why they're voting on which of us Shinji should face."
Tobias had done his homework on this Pokemon Trainer that had taken the conference like a perfect storm. So far, it seemed that Shinji was a combination of power and luck, a lot of confidence in his Pokemon and someone that didn't push them too far. His earlier gym battles from when he was in Kanto included several defeats in the Vermillion Gym, but he understood that the boy was just starting out, and had to learn from these defeats in order to obtain the victories he would need to get further to his own goals, whatever they were. But what seemed unusual about him, though, was how he seemed similar to Ash Ketchum…but at the same time…was like a man that had crossed the threshold at some point in the past…and became as close to a deity of sorts among people in terms of the quantity and quality of Pokemon he possessed for his diversity.
"What is your opinion of the trainer?" He asked Cynthia.
"I think he's got what it takes to become the next champion," she answered, "but there is something about him that is unusual. I've been meaning to ask Prof. Rowan about him, who would've known from Prof. Oak from the Kanto Region, but all that really can be said about Shinji, besides his success as a trainer, is that he's a transient resident of Kanto's Pallet Town."
"A transient resident? You mean to say that he's not from Kanto…but for the time being has established a degree of residency there? Any clue as to where he's from?"
"Not unless you ask Prof. Oak, who would know more than he let on about Mr. Ikari when they first met. Anyway, his past before he became a Pokemon Trainer does not exceed his present. To the victor of the poll between you and I go the challenge against Shinji Ikari."
Tobias nodded in the positive and wished Cynthia the best of luck on the voting polls.
-x-
"…Ah…ah," Fuyutsuki groaned as he came to the day he returned from the Pokemon world; he was informed that he'd feel a little groggy or weakened from the mental travel and intravenous fluids that kept his body active during the entire time he was comatose, but he didn't think it would feel this much like something as challenging as waking up to the next day.
"Ah, crud," went Antonio as he slowly got up off the cot he was on. "No offense to you, Mr. Fuyutsuki, but you look like I feel right now."
"This barely feels like waking up from a coma, sir."
"It feels more like recovering from a hangover," said Misato as she got up. "But you get used to it after a few times."
"I didn't expect this to feel like a world of hurt hangover," Antonio stated. "I can't believe I put y'all through this."
"It sucks, I know and won't deny it, but being able to see Shinji, to know that he's alive and well… It's worth it."
"Still, it feels like an example of this old saying that I knew to be harsh because it was a truth."
"Which is?" Fuyutsuki asked him.
"You reap what you sow. God, I need a burger…or at least a burrito."
"Exactly how much sedatives would be needed to use on a warm-water penguin?" Misato asked; after everything that has happened, she pretty much had to bring Pen-Pen over to try and see Shinji, too.
"We've never tried putting an animal into a medically-induced coma, so I have no clue."
Then, Antonio got up and ran over to a trash bin…where he hurled. It seemed the sojourn experience for him was more than he had realized, and it was only his first time traveling to the Pokemon world and meeting Shinji in person.
"Oh, yeah, I'm definitely reaping what I sow," he expressed.
-x-
So far, it seemed that Tobias had other Pokemon in his possession, but Shinji could only see in his battle profiles that he only ever used Darkrai and Latios, bringing into question the level of his other Pokemon as he did a last-minute brush-up on the champion in case he had to face him over Cynthia, who was a former champion with a diverse group of Pokemon instead or relying on just one or two. So, when the day came for him to challenge the champion, whichever one it was that won the poll, he had to make sure that his roster was comprised of Pokemon that stood the best chance of winning or hanging on without much difficulty. And while tomorrow was to be the day he would receive his confirmation of who his opponent would be, he had to accept the possibility that he wouldn't win the league if things went south for him.
"Eevo," Misato went, supporting him to stand his ground in the face of adversity.
"Thanks, Misato," he praised her, and then returned to his own Pokemon roster on standby at Prof. Oak's lab in Pallet Town. "Since Dark Pokemon are vulnerable to just three types of Pokemon, I should choose two Pokemon that are suited against facing Darkrai in case we have to face Tobias. Do you have any suggestions?"
Misato hopped off the bed and onto Shinji's lap to look at the list of Pokemon that were trained and had a type advantage against a Dark Pokemon. She then raised her left paw and tapped onto the Pokemon that sparked the possibility of success.
"Diva, huh?" He questioned. "You remember the concert we threw for her in Pallet Town?"
"Eee. Eevo."
While both trainer and Pokemon had to admit Diva wasn't what they expected at all when they first encountered her, she was a Pokemon full of tenacity and equally full of conviction in her determination, which was probably why she gravitated towards Shinji. It was because of this and her gravitation that earned her the nickname Diva and a spot on the reserve roster as one of the Pokemon that may have ended up tipping a match in Shinji's favor if it became absolutely necessary for him to have her close by.
"Okay, Diva's on the team in-progress," he accepted. "We're going to have such a blast."
-x-
"…Well, I must say, Toji and Hikari," went Ritsuko to the new pilot candidates during the synchronization testing, "your scores aren't bad. They're almost fifty percent. Not bad for your first try. Good work, you two."
"You're welcome, ma'am," Toji and Hikari responded; Toji had only been inside the Eva once, but from the viewpoint of Shinji, one of the things that made piloting the Eva terrible, other than the pain he experienced whenever it was damaged, was how the LCL reeked of blood, something both he and Hikari could agree on due to the discomfort they felt from being submersed in it.
Ritsuko then had them hit the showers; Gendo had wanted them to be in the plugs for six hours, but Ritsuko was against the order for different reasons. While it was important that the pilots be in shape to manipulate the Evas that were battle-ready for the next Angel attack, the faux-blond found it unlikely for another Angel to attack until after the last one was disposed of severely instead of being trapped inside a constantly-collapsing dimensional schism that it couldn't escape from. And…because the dimensional research over at Giovanni's was getting more traction than the Eva program due to how the sub-commander had been able to meet Shinji, Ritsuko had to consider the idea that she should attempt to see the boy herself. If Misato and Fuyutsuki could travel there to see Shinji, what was stopping her from seeing him…besides a positive desire to see him?
"Misato," she turned to face the purple-haired woman, "tell me, who do you think Shinji will face for the championship he's in?"
"If it's Tobias, Shinji's going to have to pull something out of his bag of tricks to win against a guy that's only ever used two Pokemon to win his matches. But if he faces the previous champion, Cynthia, then at least he knows what to expect from a woman that has defended her title for several years. We'll know who he faces when we go back to see him."
"How hard can it be to decide who he goes up against?"
"People there are split between who they want to see Shinji face for the best match. They want to see power, strategy, beauty and they want to be entertained. Personally, I wanna see Shinji face Cynthia. He goes up against her, and he wins without making it look too easy. But if he also goes up against her…then it'll be possible that his potential won't be earned."
"He wants to earn his success, to prove that he's among the best."
"To be among the best, one has to prove their mettle, show resilience and self-control. If you can't demonstrate any of these requirements, you don't stand a chance against anyone."
-x-
Again, Shinji found himself unable to sleep, so he and Misato ran over to the central stadium where the last match of the tournament would be held.
"Take a good look, Misato," he told her as they sat on the bleachers, looking down at the stadium. "We're just spectators right now, watching an unseeable match between two people and their Pokemon. Put your faith in whoever's stronger."
"Eevo," she chirped, imagining him as one of the trainers on the field, facing both champions of the Sinnoh League; in her mind, despite his initial stumbles in the beginning, Shinji had progressed throughout time to become a very powerful trainer, and if he won the league, it was just another step he took to being known to the world.
Shinji, because of what he had studied from a video recording during his first week of studying Pokemon matches from Prof. Oak, imagined a Gengar battling a Nidorino on the field, encouraged by their obscured trainers to push forward and overcome the other's Pokemon. Back then, he was witnessing another piece of history in the making by experienced combatants that were the envy of the people that watched them pursue their goals. Until the Nidorino illusion was put to sleep by the Gengar's Hypnosis attack, resulting in the trainer switching it out for an Onix.
"Heh-heh!" He chuckled, letting his imagination run a little too wild for him.
Beep! He heard a noise from his Pokegear and took it off from around his neck.
It was an update on the voting polls that was to inform him of who he would face.
"I guess it was a good thing we couldn't sleep, Misato," he told her. "Now, we know who we're up against for the final match of the conference."
"Eee?"
He showed her the update and the picture of their final opponent.
-x-
"…How was he?" Gendo asked Fuyutsuki, referring to Shinji, on the day he was to return to the Giovanni facility where he intended to see the boy face his last opponent in the Sinnoh League for the championship.
"He…has a lot of passion for Pokemon," he answered, deciding that he had to go there now. "His relationship with his Eevee…is perhaps his strongest example of his passion for them. He met her when she was injured, took her to Pallet Town to get medical treatment, and they've been together ever since. Nobody would or should try to endanger the bond between them…less they risk starting a conflict that would only end poorly for the one that caused it."
Before Gendo could even begin to think of something new, Fuyutsuki gave him a look that meant it was personal when he answered him.
"Whatever it is you're thinking, Ikari, don't," he told Gendo. "It's not worth it for you or anyone that sees what Shinji is doing with his life as some sort of problem that needs fixing when there's nothing you can do to fix it. He might not look it, but he's definitely eighteen over there, able to make his own decisions, and should he eventually find his way back, I wouldn't suggest that he goes back to piloting the Eva. Not after what he told me."
"And what did he tell you?"
"He knows what happened to his mother. He knows what you did, what we all did, and he won't go back to being a tool for you to exploit, even if it means he has to pay a heavy price of severing his family ties that may never mend."
"Did you tell him anything?"
"I didn't have to tell him anything. Never underestimate the power of Pokemon that can remedy the chaos within the mind. Especially Psychic Pokemon. People there have been using them to aid in treating mental illness and poisoning for years."
And then he left Gendo's office. Whether he could forget about his goal right now or move on from was up to him. Until then, he had other things to attend to.
"I take it that he's still upset about his son?" Misato asked him as they met in the hall.
"There's doubt that he'll ever think positively about Shinji," he answered her. "Even if he knew about his son having two-thousand Pokemon, or was a league champion of every region that has Pokemon, he'd have zero interest and respect for him. If it were me, I'd just give up on him."
"Shinji has given up on his father. He hasn't given up on anyone else, though. Our visits to him are like a godsend, reminding him that he's not been forgotten about."
Meanwhile, in the locker rooms, Toji and Kensuke were looking forward to Shinji's match.
"You think he'll use his Legendary and Mythical Pokemon like with Seiryu Shores?" Toji asked Kensuke as he zipped up his coat.
"If this Tobias uses Pokemon of those sorts, Shinji just might have to. But I've seen Shinji bring out the best in his Pokemon, even when up against those that have an edge to them, and they don't give up easily. Also, Shinji's been known to sometimes have an ace up his sleeve when it really counts. Maybe he'll have one for this match, too."
"What was, perhaps, his most difficult match in the last three-and-a-half years you two traveled the regions together?"
"His most difficult match? I guess…that would've been his match during the Silver Conference in the Johto Region. He fought the guy that won the previous conference and almost won…but lost due to his Eevee collapsing. He ended up getting the silver instead of the gold, but in the end, he gave it his all, and he praised his Pokemon for getting them to second place, which for him…was enough to feel like first place."
"Who knows for sure," Toji said with a smirk of confidence, "maybe he'll get first place this time around."
"I'm…excited to go to this match," said Rei to Asuka and Hikari as they got ready to leave the base. "I'm very excited."
"Yeah," Asuka agreed with her, "me, too."
"Let's go, then," Hikari told them, and they walked out where they met the boys. "Let's go!"
-x-
As prepared as he possibly could be for the match, Shinji sat in the locker room where he waited for the announcers to declare the match set to begin.
"I know we've done this waiting game time and again, Misato," he spoke to his Eevee as she was lapping up water from a small bowl to stay hydrated, "but it feels like a short period is an eternity for just one match to commence."
"Eee," she agreed with him. "Wee?"
"I guess I'm exhibiting some degree of impatience, something that I don't want to be one of my most common traits. It's easier to focus on something beyond the waiting period."
"Like friends and admirers?" They both heard Asuka's voice as they looked up at the entrance to the room, seeing the redhead and just about everyone else that showed up here.
"Okay, is everyone here, because this room is still spacious," Shinji had to say, seeing a number of people from friends, his guardian, Mr. Fuyutsuki and Mr. Giovanni.
"Oh, we just had to make sure someone was checked before he could attempt to come here," Hikari explained, and then someone new came into the room.
"Eee?" Misato went, not recognizing the new creature that waddled in.
"Yarp!" Pen-Pen expressed, greeting the Eevee.
"Eevo," she greeted back.
"Hey, Pen-Pen," Shinji added in. "It's good to see you. It's good to see everyone."
"Really?" A new voice came into the picture as someone else entered the room. "Everyone?"
"Doctor Akagi?"
"She let her curiosity get the better of her and wanted to tag along," Asuka told him. "Hopefully, she won't regret her decision to come when we go back a few days later."
"Welcome to the Pokemon world, Dr. Akagi. Thank you for coming."
"It feels good to be here."
"Attention, everyone!" The voice of the announcers declared through the speakers. "The championship match will commence in five minutes!"
"Well, I guess it's time to face the champion," Shinji expressed as he got up.
"Good luck, Shinji!" Rei cheered.
"You got this, Shinji!" Toji added.
"Just do your best," Kensuke finished.
Shinji nodded in the positive as he and his Eevee walked down the hall to the arena while the others went to the bleachers.
The audience of the stadium was roaring with excitement as Shinji entered the arena and stepped over to his corner of the field.
"Oh, the excitement has been elevated here since Shinji Ikari came around and fought his way up to this very moment!" The announcers went as someone came into the stadium from the opposite direction of where Shinji stood. "But it all comes to a head with his final match against his greatest opponent yet! How will he fare against the winner of the voting poll?!"
Inhaling a new breath, Shinji sighed as he uttered, "I do look forward to this match. The anticipation has been unbearable for quite some time. Are you ready?"
To be continued…
A/N: Sorry, everyone, but the poll will decide who Shinji will be facing in the next chapter, so I had to keep it unknown to all. But what did you think of Fuyutsuki, Antonio Giovanni, Ritsuko and Pen-Pen showing up at the end? It'd be quite if people were to look at Pen-Pen and suddenly think he's some kind of Pokemon that's never been seen before.