AN: Enjoy the chapter.
Ch 34 The Qualifying Rounds Part 1
Both Helena and Steven were laughing on the balcony together, talking about many things such as their interest after the Evergrande Conference and beyond.
Steven looked at the black-haired girl, smiling softly at her. "Helena," She looks at him, curious why he called her name.
"Yes, Steven?" Helena asked, staring at him with her Emerald colored eyes.
The young trainer leaned closer to her; both closed their eyes.
Their lips made contact, kissing under the night sky. Both were at this for a few minutes before Steven pulled back,
Steven softly looks at Helena, cupping her face. "Helena, I love you."
"Steven…" Helena smiles at his confession, holding his hand in her own hands. "Wake up…"
"Huh?" The Steel-blue haired boy blinks, slowly dropping his hand. "Helena, what do-"
"Steven, it's time to wake up, it's almost time for your Battle," Helena said as the area began to get blurry before Steven's eyes.
Steven opened his eyes; his left arm was over his forehead. "Was that a dream?" He asked himself, pondering about the talk from last night.
He sighs, smiling at the dream he just had. That dream was the only thing that was on his mind, a dream that he'd wish would be real.
Steven knew that moment between him and Helena that night was just him dreaming. Though, the thought of his lips touching hers isn't a bad one.
However, he knows the reality behind that night's talk; that Helena would be leaving soon.
"Oi," Steven turns his attention to the bed beside his bed.
Brawly stood up from the floor, finishing his morning routine. His routine consist of push-ups and sit-ups.
Steven slowly sat up on the headboard, looking at Brawly. "Good morning, Brawly. Just finished with your morning routine?" The Steel-blue haired trainer asked.
"Yeah man," Brawly responded, walking to his bag and grabbing some fresh clothes. "You better get ready, today's the Qualifying Rounds." He reinformed his friend. "It's going to be brutal with everyone gunning for the chance to challenge the Elite Four."
"I know, my man." Steven removed the blankets from him, doing some stretches once his feet were on the carpet floor.
He looks at the Sky blue-haired trainer, walking to the shower. "You're taking a shower?" He asked.
Brawly enters the bathroom, poking his head from the door. "Yeah, it'll be quick. You need to use it right?" He asked,
"Nah, all I need to do is to brush my teeth. Took a shower last night, remember?" Steven stated, walking to his bag to get his clothes for the day.
"Gotcha, I won't take long," Brawly claimed, closing the door.
Steven adjusts his necktie in the mirror, he then checks his attire before smiling. "Alright, I'm ready." He said to himself,
Coming from the bathroom, Brawly walks out, stretching his arms. "Yo, are you ready to go?" The Sky-blue haired trainer asked his friend.
"Yeah, I just finished getting ready," Steven responded, taking a look at his friend's attire. "Seriously, what happen to be quick? After your shower, you just put on a shirt and shorts. What took you so long?" He asked,
Brawly chuckles, slicking back his hair before it poofs back. "Hey, my hair needs constant care plush I got my routine." He smirks at the Steel-haired boy. "Gotta keep up my looks, Dude."
Steven scoffs, getting his bag from his bed. "Yeah, yeah." He grabs his Mega pin on the counter and placed it in his breast pocket. He went inside the bathroom, brushing his teeth before heading out to meet the girls in the lobby.
The two boys left their room, heading to the main lobby. They talked about what to expect during the Qualifying Rounds of the Conference.
Once Steven and Brawly arrived at the Hotel's lobby, they heard the girls laughing. "What's going on over with the girls?" Steven asked Brawly.
"Don't know bro, I'm going to check it out." The Fighting-type trainer walks over to where the girls were with Steven.
Helena, Roxanne, and Flannery were laughing with the person with them. "I swear, you should've told us that you'll be coming." The black-haired girl stated. "I thought we were friends Jackie."
Steven and Brawly approached the girls, noticing the familiar face. "Jackie?" Steven asked, seeing their friend from the Trainer School.
Jackie stood before the group, wearing a simple orange sweater and grey pants with black boots. He smirks placing his hands on his side, "Hey guys, I heard you two made it to the Qualifying Rounds. Congrats," The blonde praised them.
"Thanks, Dude!" Brawly fist bumps the young trainer.
"So, what brings you to Evergrande City? I hope it isn't just to see us Battle," Steven jokes with their friend.
Helena looks at the blonde boy, already hearing his reason before. "You'll be surprised, Jackie here is applying for the Pokemon Ranger Academy." The former Witch explains to the two.
Steven and Brawly's eyes widen, hearing of his reason in the City. "Really? The Ranger Academy, Jackie?" The Steel-blue haired boy exclaims, "That's great to hear, Jack."
"Well, I always wanted to be a Ranger after getting lost in the mountains when I was younger," Jackie explains to the group. "I finished my studies at the Trainer School and I'm ready to take the next step in my journey."
"Nice Dude, we're proud of you man." Brawly gave a thumbs-up to the aspiring Pokemon Ranger.
Roxanne ponders, trying to remember something important about the Ranger Academy. "If I remember, there's an entrance exam you need to pass before you can be admitted to the Academy." The brunette stated,
Helena looks at Jackie, "Are you prepared for the entrance exam, Jackie?" She asked, curious if he was prepared for the test,
"Yeah, I read up on the Rangers' brief history and their activities around the Hoenn Region." The blonde explains, feeling he's ready to tackle the entrance exam. "But the exam won't be until the end of the week." Jackie continued his sentence.
Flannery nodded, hearing his plan. "Hey, while you're here waiting for that entrance exam why don't you watch the Evergrande Conference with us?" The red-haired girl asked, she turns to the competitors of today's match. "You guys don't mind, right?"
"Not at all, happy to have a friend watch our Battles," Steven responded, happy to have Jackie join.
Brawly laughs, placing his hand on Jackie's shoulder, "Welcome to the group, Jack!" He exclaims, welcoming the blonde with open arms.
Jackie chuckles, smiling at the group accepting him as one of their own. "Thanks, Brawly," He smiles, allowing the group to lead him to the Stadium.
They walked through the streets of Evergrande City, heading to the Pokemon League.
Steven eyes Helena, chuckling hearing the others talk with Jackie and catching up with him. "H-Ellie," He called out to her by her nickname.
Helena blushed a bit before looking up at him. "Y-Yes, Steven?" She asked, getting used to him using her nickname whenever he calls it.
"I…I want to know if you're doing okay today," Steven placed his hand behind his neck, "I just want to check up on you and all." He explains.
The black-haired girl nodded, smiling at how considerate he is. "I'm doing fine, thank you for asking," Helena appreciated his concern.
Steven nodded, "That's good to hear." He said before moving on to the next topic. "So, have you called Professor Ceder yet about your decision?" The Steel-blue haired trainer asked.
"Yes, this morning actually," Helena responded, looking at the blue sky. "He was pleased when I told him that I accepted his apprenticeship."
"And to be honest," Helena gave a gleeful smile at Steven, indicating she was very pleased with herself. "I'm happy that I talked to you about this, thank you,"
The young trainer smiles, "Anytime, Ellie." He softly replied,
Unbeknownst to the two, Flannery and Brawly were listening to the two love interest speaking to each other. "Well, they're awfully chummy," Flannery commented on their conversation.
"Each day they seem close as we travel together," Brawly added, noticing how they are talking comfortably.
Flannery was curious about what happened between the two. From the little words, she could hear from where they stood. She turns to Brawly, being the one who was with Steven the most recently. "Brawls, do you know what's going on?"
Brawly shrugs, even though he doesn't know what's happening with the two of them. "Not sure, Flannery. Steven just came back to the room after talking to Helena." He stated,
"I guess that talk was something important." The red-haired girl remembered that after the Phone call yesterday, Helena was acting differently. Her eyes shifted over to Roxanne who was still speaking with Jackie.
"Anyways, I think it'll be better if we leave those two be," Brawly stated his arms behind his head. "By the looks of it, I think they can handle things on themselves." He looks back at both Steven and Helena, laughing together about a small joke Steven made.
Flannery gazed over to the two, seeing what Brawly means, "I guess you're right, Brawly."
After walking for a good portion of the time, the group made it to the Pokemon League. They made it through Victory Road once more, and this time once standing in the lobby.
"So, this is where we separate," Brawly stated, placing both hands on his side.
"You guys are going to sit at the same place as last time?" Steven asked their friends before them.
Roxanne nodded, confirming what Steven said. "That's right, so if you're looking for us, then you know where to look." The brunette stated, giving a smile to the trainers.
Helena steps forward, standing before the two. "Good luck out there, the both of you." She wished the best for the two of them.
Brawly smirks, giving a thumbs up to the former Witch. "Thanks, Ellie! I promise you that our Battles will be rad to watch!" The Sky-blue haired trainer stated.
"We're looking forward to it, Brawly." Helena chuckles, seeing his go-happy attitude.
"We're off, see you guys later after the Battle is done." Steven turns around, waving his hand at his friends.
Brawly quickly followed his friend, saluting them. "See ya, Dudes!"
With that, Flannery starts making her way to the audience. "Alright, shall we go?"
Everyone agreed, facing the red-haired trainer. "Just one moment," Helena took out her Pokeball like last time and released Kirlia.
Kirlia twirls around before looking up at her Partner. "Kirlia!"
Helena picked up her Partner and looked at Flannery. "Alright, I'm ready Flannery."
"Do you always bring out Kirlia in the open during Battles?" Jackie asked, curious about her choice.
The black-haired girl nodded, looking at the blonde. "Yeah, I want Kirlia to experience the joy of people and Pokemon Battles," Helena explains, petting her Partner on the head.
Jackie nodded, understanding why she called her Partner Pokemon out. "I see, that's actually kinda cool of you, Helena," He commented on her thoughtfulness towards her Pokemon. He has heard of Kirlia through gossip within the halls of the Trainer School about her.
"Personally, I think she's getting more comfortable with people around her." The former Witch added, proud of her Partner making progress in trusting people.
The blonde boy looks at Kirlia, seeing she's completely different from what the rumors said she was. "Well, keep it up, Helena. I can see your methods are working with her."
Helena gave a small chuckle, looking at her friend. "It's not only Kirlia, Jackie. Both Hatenna and Dratini are doing well too with people." She commented. "Though Hatenna is more social than the others"
Jackie could only laugh, finding the little comment she made to be humorous.
Helena joined in; his laughter was contagious in her opinion. The two laugh together, following the girls to the Ghost Tower entrance.
Heading to the locker room of the Stadium, Steven and Brawly were talking to each other.
Steven chuckles at the joke the Sky-blue haired trainer made. He looks forward and noticed a certain man standing patiently near the door to their destination. He stops in his tracks, letting Brawly go a few feet from him.
Brawly turns to his friend, noticing him stopping. "Dude, what is it?" He asked the Steel-blue haired trainer,
"Um, Brawls you go ahead. I just need to check on something real quick." Steven informed his friend,
"Sure thing, see you inside, Dude." Brawly enters the Locker room, leaving Steven out in the hall.
The blue-haired man approached Steven, giving a smile at him. "Hello, Father." Steven greeted his Father in the hallway of the Locker room.
After not seeing him for a long time, Joseph embraced his son and patted his back. "It's been a while since I last saw you, Son. How you've been?" He asked, happy to have time to speak with him.
"I'm doing good, Father. Thanks for asking," Steven responded to his Father's question, "How are you doing? Are you not working yourself too hard?" he asked, knowing how stressful being the President of the Devon Corporation can be.
The navy-blue-haired man chuckles, not sure how he and his Wife were blessed with a Son who's so considerate of them. "Now, Steven. I told you; you don't need to worry about me." Joseph smiles,
Steven sighs, looking at his Father with concern. "Father, you should really get some rest." He stated, knowing that he still has a lot of work to do back at the Devon Corporation. "Don't think you being here means I didn't know that you were showing off your inventions in the lobby." He glares at him.
"Hahahaha, I knew nothing would get past you, Son." Joseph chuckles, rubbing the back of his head. "Was it your Mother who told you that I was here?"
"Mother's here?" Steven shook his head, focusing on the topic at hand. "No, Father, Helena told me that someone who was in the lobby is showing an interesting invention to the people." He stated, remembering their conversation from last night.
The Steel-blue haired boy crossed his arms at his Father, knowing that his friend was talking about his Father. "From that description, I knew that Ellie was talking about you," Steven added.
Joseph paused, hearing his Son calling the girl that Lydia was talking about by her nickname. "Ellie?" He raised his eyebrow at him.
"Mmmm?" Steven froze, just noticing that he called Helena by her nickname. He quickly covered his mouth and cheeks to hide his blushed face from his Father. 'Why did I call her Ellie out loud? Now Father will know something is up,'
The navy-blue-haired man chuckles, seeing Steven has matured more during his Journey. "So, this Ellie person, it wouldn't happen to be the young girl your Mother is fixated with now, isn't it?" Joseph asked,
Steven choked on his own breath, of course, his Mother would speak the world about Helena to his Father. Not wanting to be probed any more than he had been, he quickly made an excuse. "F-Father I have to go soon; they'll be announcing the match-ups soon."
"Of course, how can I forget," Joseph responded, knowing how important the Qualifying Rounds are for a trainer such as him. "Well, good luck Son. Both your Mother and I are proud of you. Make sure to show them what a Stone is made of, Steven."
The Steel-blue haired boy smiles at his Father, happy that his Parents are here in person to support him. "I will, Father." Steven enters the Locker room, where many Pokemon trainers that made it to the Qualifying Rounds.
Brawly turns his head to Steven, walking over to him. "Everything good, man?" He asked his friend.
"Yeah. I just met up with my Father who wanted to wish me luck." Steven informed his friend,
"Your Father, huh?" Brawly smiles, "That's rad of him to come by, and wish you luck. Both my Parents are a bit busy but they're watching at Home in Dewford."
Steven nodded, "That's good, Brawls. At least we know that our Parents are watching us compete in the Pokemon League."
Brawly smirks, placing both his hands on his side. "Yep, that we can agree on."
"Aggron! Iron Tail!" Steven cried out to his Partner,
"Agg…ron!" The Iron Armor Pokemon slammed his metallic tail at a Seviper, claiming victory.
Brawly punched the air, "Alright, Hariyama, Close Combat!"
"Hari…yama!" The Arm Thrust Pokemon rushed forward, pummeling his fist into a Wailord, giving him the win.
"Cradily, Meteor Beam!" Steven held out his hand to his Pokemon.
"Cray!" A large orange beam hurls toward an Exeggutor, knocking him out.
"Machamp, Ice Punch!" Brawly cried out,
"Machamp!" Machamp's arm took on an icy aura, punching a Hariyama in the gut. This earned him a spot in the next Round.
After many Battles with Steven and Brawly facing many trainers, they both moved up to the Finals. "So many Battles, so many great Battles we all have witnessed." The Commentator announced, "However, only one trainer can move up and challenge the Elite Four then the Champion."
Back in the audience, Helena and the others were looking at the final Match-up on the monitor for the Qualifying Rounds. "So…this is it…" Jackie said, seeing the two Familiar faces on the monitor.
"After an intense Battle, it all comes to this," Roxanne commented, looking at the Final match of the Evergrande Conference.
Flannery crossed her arms, chuckling at the trainers who were going to face each other. "I knew that outcome would come. They are probably the strongest trainers out of everyone here." The red-haired girl stated.
"Kirlia, Kirlia!" Kirlia cheered, rooting for whoever wins in the Final Match to face the Pokemon League.
"Whoever wins this Match will face the League, but who will win." Helena looks at the Battlefield, seeing the doors open from each side. "Steven, or Brawly."
"This is the Final Match in the Evergrande Conference, two trainers have proven themselves that they are the strongest out of everyone who participated in the Conference." The Commentator announced, turning to the right side of the Battlefield.
"Hailing from Dewford Town, he's known to use Fighting-type Pokemon…please welcome Brawly!"
Brawly waves at the crowds, cheering for him in the stands. "Thank you, thank you my Dudes who support me!" He shouted, approaching their cheers.
The Commentator turns to the other side of the field, where Steven waits for his debut. "Our other Finalist came all the way from Rustboro City, knowns to use Rock and Steel-type Pokemon. The heir of the Devon Corporation… Steven Stone!"
Steven steps out of the entrance to the Locker room, humbly waving at the crowds.
Helena's eyes widen, hearing what the Commentator said. "Wait…"
"STEVEN'S THE HEIR OF THE DEVON CORPORATION!?" Flannery, Roxanne, Jackie, and Helena were all shocked to hear that their long-time friend was the heir of a big company such as the Devon Corporation.
Both trainers stood on the platform, facing each other. "So, you're the heir of the Devon Corporation, Stevie." Brawly chuckles, placing his hand on his side. "Gotta say, Bro, that really shocks me to bits."
Steven smirks, showing his game face to his friend. "Well, you know how Children of big-shot companies are." He stated, "I wanted to make my own name instead of having my ties to the Devon Corporation influence my Journey."
"Nice, respect my Dude." Brawly pounds his chest with his hand, respecting his friend's decision. "Even if you're the heir of the Devon Corporation, that doesn't mean I won't go easy on you." He smirks at the Steel-blue haired boy.
"I would consider that as an insult if you go easy on me, Brawls," Steven stated, not intending to lose to him. "That goes for me, I'm bringing my A game, so you better prepare."
The Referee took the stand, "Both trainers will use up to three Pokemon, switching out is unlimited. Only one use of Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, or Terrastalize is permitted," He looks at each trainer, seeing both are ready to Battle. "Now, bring out your Pokemon!"
Both trainers took out their first Pokeball, "Go!" They cried, tossing them onto the Battlefield.
AN: How do you like it? Please leave a comment or review.