Epilogue: Champions of Hearts, Finale
The sun had just crossed the horizon. Team Polarna vatra had already gathered in Crowning. The mood was as good as it has rarely been, the adrenaline rush in Epsilon was still up. Aurora also seemed to be in a good mood and, unlike before the last tournament, Elementareon was on good terms with the group. She and her team were already here and waiting in the entrance area. There were still almost two hours until the duel began, but better too early than too late. In addition, Team Nordika was leading the league despite everything, thus they had to make preparations.
"You're already here? Hopefully you got enough sleep anyway! Because I want to see a good fight today!"
"Of course we came early. Had to make sure your friend doesn't log in the wrong fighter's again. Today we're fighting for ourselves and nothing else!"
"Don't act as if Darkrai has any need to register someone for you. Last time you complained that part of the Plot Elite was joining us and this time you brought Epsilon herself! Are you trying to outdo yourselves?"
The friendlier atmosphere can appear the opposite to the outside world. Because with the open communication, a lot of trash talk followed between the teams, especially between the leaders who considered themselves rivals at this point.
"Who is going to commentate on the fights for us today?"
Elementareon hesitated for a moment.
"You really think I'm going to give you such an advantage straight away?"
"Well, to be honest, we'll find out soon anyway, just like you will with us. We can also reveal now that Marshadow is sitting out. You all know how to deal with his gimmicks too well.", Kel tolf the opponents.
Somewhat surprised that it wasn't a trick this time, Elementareon answered peacefully.
"Okay, Latias will sit out. But I'll do most of the commentating."
In response to the questioning looks, she pulled a familiar object out of her ear, only the coloring was something new.
"I was inspired. The thing is connected to the speakers. That makes a lot of things easier for commentary!"
Epsilon looked amused at the plug that was once a symbol of her terror.
"I'd almost have to charge money for that. That you are just stealing my stuff like that..."
"Hey, didn't you hear! I said I was inspired, not that I stole!"
"So you copied me, then."
"Well, if you want to be negative about it you might say that..."
Elementareon looked around briefly before turning back to Aurora.
"Well then. We'll see each other again in two hours. In the ring! And believe me, we're even more dangerous than last time! None of us intend to let you even take part in these battles!"
"We know ourselves that you're only trying to intimidate us because you're afraid of us! We're more than ready.", Aurora retorted.
Elementareon briefly took a relaxed stance.
"Actually, I mostly talk shit because it's fun. Well, see you later then!"
Crowning trembled, thousands were in the stands. Both teams had now registered, as announced on Polarna Vatra's side without Marshadow, since his technique was basically useless against the masters of Nordika. The five remaining Pokemon basically covered everything that needed to be covered in terms of types. Every single one of them knew steel-type attacks. Against Totodile they had Zeraora, against Tepig they had Tyrantrum or Kel, against Darkrai they had Aurora and against Latios they had Aurora or Epsilon.
The audience outside was obviously expecting a big battle today. But Aurora was a little nervous about whether her team could deliver. Yes, they had shown a great performance yesterday, but that was no different last time. And back then the duel was only even close because Polarna vatra basically cheated, even if involuntarily.
The nervousness remained, but determination also arose when Elementareon stepped onto the field above.
"Welcome Crowning, on this wonderful day! I see that the masses have come to us again today! And rightly so! For the first time since they saved our world, Team Polarna vatra are paticipting in the Champion's Duel of the Berelian League, stronger than ever before! But after ten months, their opponents are still undefeated in this duel! Team Nordika wants to defend their title again! What will take place here today will be a duel of the highest class, there is no doubt! Warriors and fighters, light and dark, opposition and equality, Nordika and Polarna vatra! Will today be the day that this continent finally gets new champions? Or will it continue as before? Everything is up in the stars, but what I can promise is that both teams are aiming for the top! And are ready to give everything for it! Let the games begin!"
With a lot of noise, Elementareon disappeared back into her cabin. The time had come. Round one. The first fight, an important momentum-builder. And that's why Polarna vatra had agreed to use one of their best. Aurora started immediately. And the seconds in which the elevator took her to the lawn felt like hours. Today. Today was the day. She would never be more ready for her dream. With one last deep breath, the nervousness had to make way for the focus that the Plot Warrior now needed. And the start was not bad.
Across from her in the ring stood Darkrai, obviously not enthusiastic about the duel he had immediately gotten into. But that was no reason for him to give up.
"Fight one, round one! GO!"
Knowing that Darkrai and she both wanted to do their setups immediately, in her case Hail and Aurora Veil, in his case Double Team and probably Swords Dance, Aurora had to quickly decide, was this exchange worth it for her? Yes! Because her Hail could basically completely negate Double Team, since sooner or later all copies would disappear. And what good was an increased offensive power for the shadow if Aurora could take more damage in return?
Nothing. And Darkrai knew this too. Aurora had guessed wrong, because her enemy knew that his setup was pointless. Accordingly, he attacked directly and at the same time revealed a new attack that he had obviously learned specifically against fairy Pokemon. Poison Jab. A bad start, especially since Aurora could still clearly feel the effect of the punch afterwards. She had been poisoned. Now her time was essentially ticking down. The longer she hesitated, the weaker she would become. And Darkrai was aware of this when he created copies. Now that Aurora no longer had time for Hail, this technique was much more effective, even if the Black Mage still lacked Marshadow's strength and the copies were truly fakes. And above all, it helped that Blizzard could do the same thing as a hailstorm.
Darkrai, who had apparently forgotten this, was now one-on-one. But his tactic remained the same. He wanted to waste time. Lots of Shadow Balls from afar and teleportation games were meant to throw Aurora off track and, truly, it created great difficulties in somehow hitting the shadow. Moonblast had been ready for a while now, but Team Polarna vatra's leader would not be able to hold on for much longer. More and more of her strength was waning. And her enemy saw this too. Because immediately, as if out of nowhere, he floated right in front of the Ninetales again and struck with a poisonous blow! But the Plot Warrior had experienced enough. War, death, a story. Her reflexes were steeled by the fight for life and death and this was still true here, in a friendly environment. She blocked in a flash and immediately discharged all the fairy energy in a powerful counterattack.
"Aurora beats Darkrai! Polarna vatra takes the lead!"
Fight two. Aurora's team wanted to secure their first point as quickly as possible. So the second team leader went onto the field, but opposite him was one of the two arch-rivals. Although Elementareon was the strongest of all the fighters in the league, it was still Tepig and Totodile that Polarna vatra was truly afraid of. While Elementareon's pure strength was the obstacle, with these two it was knowledge. How did you fight them?
And it was precisely in this questioning of the enemy that Kel's opponent, Tepig, felt most at home! Round two began with an immediate hail of rocks, which Tepig was able to avoid. Kel had well remembered the reproduction technique of the unevolved Pokemon, which was similar to that of her own teammate. But Tepig also could teleport. Darkrai had also mastered such a technique, but like every Pokemon he left a kind of shadow trail on his path, so his path could be followed. Tepig simply ignored this basic rule of teleportation. He disappeared and was suddenly somewhere else. And knowing this, Kel turned around without hesitation, a claw strike directed backwards, which smashed a Shadow Ball directly and revealed Tepig for a split second before he disappeared again. There had to be some trick! One wrong step and Tepig would have all the time to clone, the fight would simply be over.
But this was the moment. The flame demon had to have a weakness. The heat in Kel's inner fire burned as always, and yet... it seemed inconsistent. Like a gust of wind, his inner flame heated up for a split second. But not everywhere. No, only on the left side. And in that moment he understood. Just because Tepig was invisible didn't mean he couldn't be noticed. He truly moved through the air, as volcanic heat, as warmth that the Mon could feel. Weak, but the Fire Master felt it exactly. This had to be the key! Team Nordika probably all knew this, as Tepig was considered a rather weak fighter among them. Did Totodile also have such a weakness? That last question was better suited for another moment, however.
Instead, rock spikes shot out of the ground, right where the heat seemed strongest, close to Kel's left. Out of nowhere, a surprised Tepig stumbled out of nowhere, just avoiding the fatal blow by millimeters.
"So that's how it is, Tepig. The heat? A good trick! But not good enough against me!"
The Arcanine immediately threw himself at an enemy who had already noticed that his entire control had vanished in seconds. He knew his opponent knew the trick. And Kel noticed the panic that was spreading through his opponent. Well-thought-out moves turned into panic attacks, predictable and punishable.
"Duel one ends quickly! Polarna vatra takes the first point after a two-to-nil victory in duel one!"
Team Nordika were under pressure. But you didn't even really notice, because they sent their perhaps weakest fighter, Latios, onto the field, facing the former league leader Tyrantrum. Aurora caught her breath for a moment when she saw this duel. It was doable! Very doable! If Tyrantrum won this fight, the championship title was so close! But she couldn't influence anything now, she could only observe how the fight went.
As always, Tyrantrum began by summoning his rock spear. And Latios didn't feel like playing the dinosaur's typical game. He immediately flew to the edge of the battlefield and used Earthquake. It didn't do much, but it did something. When Tyrantrum approached, Latios simply flew past him to the other side of the field and continued with Earthquake. It wasn't entertaining, it wasn't honorable, but it was definitely effective. And yet it ignored one of Polarna vatra's warrior qualities. His adaptability.
Knowing that his usual caution would be useless in this duel, Tyrantrum rammed the spear into the ground, which was now covered in lava. And, contrary to Latios' expectations, the fighter immediately sprinted off, faster than Nordika's dragon had ever expected. A powerful claw strike knocked the psycho fighter into the danger zone. But he was ready for another immediate attack! Because a geyser rose from the ground, shooting up with the power of a thousand floods!
The only pity for Latios was that Tyrantrum had not moved a meter to run into the attack. Instead, a Draco Meteor shot right through the water fountain! A blow more than strong enough to hurl Latios out of the ring!
"Polarna vatra is in the lead again! If they win one of the next two fights, they will be the new champions of the Berelian League!"
Epsilon. Kel had suggested to Aurora that the daughter of the former empress should step forward herself and take the last step towards the dream, but Aurora herself had decided against it. Not every dream had to be followed alone. Instead, it was Epsilon's turn! Last time she had tried to give Polarna vatra an unfair victory in the final and now her moment had come! Retribution for her actions towards her family! A victory that the team deserved! One last point! But Elementareon had enough! The warrior herself stepped onto the battlefield.
Epsilon against Elementareon. A true battle of giants. In the times of Epsilon's rule, this battle would not have been as exciting as some fans of Team Nordika would have claimed, but now a real showdown could take place. But Elementareon did not want to give her enemy a chance. On the contrary. She had watched the duel against Grimmsnarl and recognized what made Epsilon strong. The more shadows there were, the greater her power. And so a rain dance immediately began the duel, which caused dark clouds to move over the entire arena. Where there was no light, no shadows were cast. And Epsilon saw for herself that she was severely limited, moreso than any fire Pokemon would be through this attack.
Speed and trickery remained powerful weapons nonetheless! Epsilon immediately shot forward, determined not to let Elementareon strengthen herself. But this was too aggressive an approach in a duel against an experienced warrior who was immediately ready and countered with Crunch. Elementareon would have liked to use her favorite attack, Moonblast, but she was too clever not to realize that this would bring the shadows. And even without Moonblast, she was simply worlds ahead. The fight didn't last long and was still a real massacre. Epsilon didn't have a chance, she seemed to be outdone in every aspect except speed. So it was two against two. Polarna vatra was still able to win with a single victory!
Kel entered the ring with Tyrantrum to make this dream come true. The idea behind it was that Elementareon would expect Aurora to be at the Arcanine's side and send Tepig into battle. However, this guessing game was not one that Polarna vatra won. Elementareon had no interest in missing out on any chances and entered the ring herself with Darkrai. The type distribution was definitely disadvantageous for Polarna vatra. Although there were no direct weaknesses or resistances, both Elementareon and Darkrai could use ground-type attacks, while Tyrantrum would hardly be able to get close to Darkrai to use his fighting type. Only Kel's Iron Head could do something.
The duel began and Elementareon again showed that, despite the early disadvantage, they were far from done. They had new tricks up their sleeves again. A bright flash filled the ring, created by Team Nordika's leader, as soon as the battle began. It served no purpose other than to briefly block the view. Just long enough for Darkrai to use his magic and both of them could spread out, so that Team Polarna vatra now faced two visually indistinguishable Elementareon.
Kel, however, had no desire to put up with such trickery, which is why he immediately ignited a Heatwave that filled the entire ring, and which also had almost no effect on Monargoras. But obviously not enough against Darkrai and Elementareon either. Because although both were hit, it still did not seem obvious which of the two was which, since the illusion could remain. Tyrantrum immediately created rocks on which Kel moved, while an Earthquake shook the ground and again did not have enough effect. But now came the time for resistance... and Team Nordika's biggest mistake. Because one of the two Elementareon began to charge Moonblast. Tyrantrum immediately threw himself at the other Elementareon using Superpower and Kel's Iron Head threatened to hit its target. It was the biggest mistake... but not for Elementareon's team.
Because Darkrai, the false enemy who had somehow managed to learn Moonblast just to trick his opponents, disappeared before Kel's eyes! Tyrantrum's attack was also met with strong resistance, brought about by a Focus Blast that was simply more powerful than Tyrantrum's attack. And the powerful fighting-type attack brought the dragon to the edge of the danger zone. Kel immediately jumped forward, aware that Darkrai would attack there. He could not win a two against one! And indeed, just seconds later, Darkrai appeared there from the shadows... with his actual target running straight towards him. Rock Slide hit Kel head-on and Elementareon was ready to throw him out of the ring as the first fighter of the round, with Tyrantrum following soon without much of a chance. With a confident look, Elementareon adjusted her voice transmitter in the ring.
"Team Nordika wins round two! There is only one final round, the team that can now gain the upper hand ends the duel!"
The two losers returned to their team's locker room somewhat dejected, the score now completely balanced again.
"I'm sorry, Aurora, we just couldn't get them."
The woman addressed gently nudged her partner with determination.
"The match is still even! And you couldn't have expected these tricks. We're still winning! Zeraora, do you want to do the next round? You haven't had a turn yet!"
As if he had only been waiting, the fighter quickly stood up.
"You can count on it! I'll get us the lead, don't worry!"
Zeraora's opponent for the lead would be Totodile, against whom Polarna Vatra's fighter had an advantage, but who had already proven last time against Kel that electricity didn't bother him as much as it normally does for a water Pokemon. This time too, he began to bring about an extreme rain shower, his eyes glowing golden again. However, when Zeraora pulled out his weapon of choice, he realized that his opponent had overestimated his own resistance. The electric spear electrified the surroundings, but not even strongly like Kel's electric shock, but permanently, if weakly. And Zeraora didn't notice anything, he was completely immune. However, this situation seemed to limit Totodile at most in terms of speed.
However, this was enough for Zeraora. His greatest strength was his speed, even a being like Totodile would now have problems with his sheer agility. The first blow soon hit, but it didn't seem too powerful. Totodile, on the other hand, didn't even flinch, which is why he immediately countered the attack, his Ice Punch seemed much more powerful than Zeraora's spear. Something wasn't right here! Totodile had to use some kind of trick too, just like Tepig!
Even though he continued to hold his spear due to the environment, Zeraora wanted to try out attacks from another type. After all, it was quite possible that Totodile had just become resistant to electricity, simply because it was his greatest weakness. And truly, a simple kick would do more damage. But only a little. Enough so that Totodile didn't get a direct counterattack this time. However, he went on the attack anyway, a powerful Hydro Pump shot across the entire field. However, the lance was ready, still reflective, and sent the attack straight back to the sender. And indeed, it was a water attack that really did massive damage for the first time! And so Zeraora thought about it. The golden aura had to be the secret. If electricity did this little yet water did so much... did the aura turn the type matchups around? What if water and fire were now the weapons for victory, against all intuition. There was only one way to find out... Fire Punch.
"Team Polarna vatra takes the lead again! If their next fighter wins, they will become champions!"
The risk had paid off! Zeraora had won! But who would end it now? Aurora had already planned everything... and was betting on Epsilon again! It was an immense risk if Elementareon wanted to step in again herself to secure victory. But that's exactly why they wouldn't expect the Zoroark!
But even if Team Nordika wasn't necessarily expecting Epsilon... they had still chosen the strongest fighter against her. It wasn't Elementardin who wanted to equalize. Instead, she had sent her partner into the fight. Darkrai, with his clear type advantage and, worst of all, no shadow. Although he, like Marshadow, couldn't move in the shadows without Epsilon being able to intercept it, as a living shadow he didn't cast one that Epsilon could use. But even so, the sunshine was enough for her to at least use her sword this time.
For a long time, Darkrai had lived an existence in which he submitted to the Pokemon that was now his opponent. Epsilon had been significantly more powerful than he was. Back then. Because in this short exchange of blows, the shadow showed that he was no less agilie than the glass cannon Epsilon. This made it a duel in which hits were rare, as both fighters were incredibly evasive. The problem: Epsilon's hits, even when they found their target, had almost no effect. Darkrai, on the other hand, needed three hits to end the duel. Which every Pokemon in the stadium could count, since he had achieved them after just under three minutes.
Both fighters went back down to their cabins. So that's how it should be. A two against two. A grand finale. But first Elementareon's voice rang out from the loudspeakers.
"Aurora, please step onto the battlefield. Let's talk for a moment!"
Surprised by the request, Team Polarna vatra's founder gave her partner a questioning look. He just noeeded. The audience had fallen silent when the Plot Warrior arrived on the eternal green. Elementareon alone was already standing here, just next to the ring.
"Come join me.", she asked.
Aurora followed the instruction again, so that she was now face to face with Elementareon. The latter spoke to her, but the microphone remained active.
"We are at the highest point of the duel again. I dare say that both teams are putting on a great show today, aren't they?"
Aurora just nodded silently, not knowing whether Elementareon was even expecting an answer.
"And now it's time to decide whether you have what it takes to become champions. But I've been thinking... you know, I've allowed myself one or two things since I've been leading the league. Some things that might have seemed crazy. Today I want to do it again."
A determined look followed as Elementareon's voice became louder than before.
"A two against two is the finale of every round. But here, in the fight for the title, I want to challenge you directly. Aurora, you and I. The leaders of our teams. Rivals. And yet we have never met in the ring. We might be the two strongest fighters in the league at this point! So let's decide who's truly at the top. Just you and me. The winner's team takes the title. Are you in?"
The colorful Pokemon held out her paw to the confused Aurora in a businesslike manner. There was a murmur in the audience. Two against two was the tradition! Team Polarna Vatra's leader had to pull herself together for a moment, but she quickly made up her mind and struck.
"Alright! Let's do this then! Just the two of us!"
"That's exactly what I was hoping for! I expect great things from you, my friend!"
As the two fighters moved to the edges of the ring, silence reigned throughout the arena. There was an intensity in the air, a tension. A battle of giants was about to take place, the top representatives of their respective teams. Why exactly Elementareon wanted this duel so badly, Aurora did not know, but she knew that she would do her best to win!
"The grand finale begins... NOW!"
A battle of the greatest warriors! Plot Warrior against champion. But after this duel, this is what Aurora wanted, both these titles would belong to her! And the Ninetales also knew that Elementareon would be ready for her tricks. Hail and Aurora Veil were very important to her, but greedily trying to use them as quickly as possible would only do harm. Instead, she immediately created a pillar of ice beneath herself so that she could either avoid a direct attack or, if Elementare did not start immediately, use Hail.
The latter was what happened, as her opponent had expected an immediate defensive maneuver. Accordingly, she had been confident enough to immediately increase her own attack power. Aurora quickly wanted to use her magic to compensate, but after summoning a hailstorm, she had to dodge a Flamethrower. Elementareon was ready to react quickly enough. Aurora had learned a lot about the ring since her team was founded. A major mistake Kel made in the very first duel against Team Slash, which even earned them a point, was an aggressive option in defense. If you evaded an attack and the opponent was out of reach, defense was always the option you should choose. And as the best fighter, Elementareon knew this too.
One more reason for Aurora to simply ignore the fact. Immediately after her attack, Elementareon began to glow, obviously trying to charge something up. However, since Aurora went against her instinct and attacked immediately after dodging, Hyper Beam was able to be her first hit as a powerful attack. And the recoil that the hit caused was enough to prevent Elementareon from punishing Aurora for the attack, even if it left the attacker quite vulnerable.
What Aurora didn't expect, however, was that rocks would now surround her enemy to protect her. Aurora didn't have the right weapon to counter it. But when heat flowed through the rock, flames that Aurora narrowly avoided, she remembered how she and Kel had won their first duel in the league. Back then, they had used a team attack, Ice Beam and Fire Spin, which they used to create water and beat a Geodude. So if she could do it here too...
When flames flowed out of the rock for the next time, the team leader Polarna vatras immediately shot an Ice Beam right into the middle. And as hoped, the ice melted immediately and a Hydro Pump burst the rocks. Elementareon seemed quite surprised and didn't react quickly enough before a Body Slam sent her close to the danger zone. Aurora quickly dashed over, but when she reached the destroyed rocks, memories flashed through her mind again. The test with Team Fossil. She and Marshadow had defeated Aurorus and Tyrantrum in a duel. At that time, Aurora had used a trick that Tyrantrum was not prepared for, which Elementareon later used to beat Kel in the first champion duel between the two teams. So she quickly jumped to the side, just in time to avoid the pillar that shot out of the ground where Elementareon was hiding earlier.
However, the moment she dodged it was enough for Elementareon to move back to the middle of the battlefield and try a new trick. A sticky net surrounded Aurora, leaving her almost immobile. Once again, Elementareon seemed to be charging something. Was that... Meltdown? Aurora recognized the deadly attack immediately! But how could she react? She couldn't get close due to the webs slowing her down and a wall of ice in front of Elementareon blocked attacks.
But wasn't this a situation similar to the one Kel had experienced in the battle for victory in the Upper League tournament against Galvantula? He had burned the net with his flames and launched a surprise attack. Aurora now tried to shock freeze the obstacle with an Icy Wind and make it crumble. And she succeeded. Splinters fell to the ground and the Plot Warrior immediately jumped over the wall and landed a powerful claw strike.
Elementara was thrown back a lot and looked up, exhausted and almost desperate.
"Where do you get this strength from? But whatever... it won't be enough!"
Without warning, the rainbow Pokemon jumped up, even faster than ever before. An Iron Head hit Aurora directly. Before she could recover, Flamethrower followed. The Ninetales immediately created a pillar as protection, which protected her from Terraforming on the ground. A Light Shield of hers blocked another Flamethrower. Just seconds ago she was in control! How was she suddenly at a disadvantage? The moon began to shine behind Elementareon's back. In its light, the warrior seemed even more powerful, her shadow stretched far.
"After all, you lack the experience to stand a chance against me in this ring!"
The situation was critical. Elementareon was right, what exactly did Aurora have left? But this was it. This was the moment when she felt something inside her. As if a small light was igniting in her soul. A pleasant flame that ran through her body.
"I may not be as strong as you. Not as fast, not as experienced. But from the beginning of the journey to the end, I had my faith. It made me strong, gave me strength. The Plot at my side is what can bring me victory. The power of purity, faith and knowledge, the guide of every Pokemon."
Elementara reacted mockingly.
"Your faith may be strong, but in a fight like this, in this league, what do you think it..."
Her sentence was interrupted when a powerful Steel Beam hit its target with full force. Steel, Elementareon's weakness! Kel had told the team a while ago and, conveniently, Aurora was one of the only two Ninetales able to use attack. She carefully looked down from her pillar. The audience, which had become increasingly loud as the battle progressed, had fallen silent.
"My faith may not actively help in a wrestling match. But the fact that many Pokemon like to hold monologues when they think they have the upper hand does. I learned that from the duel against Epsilon for the King's League."
Slowly and somewhat sluggishly, Elementareon stood up and looked around, a smile on her face.
"And back then this knowledge brought your team into the King's League! And today... it brought you to the top!"
A few meters in front of Elementareon was the outer ring of the battlefield. Aurora had won.
The obstacles in the battle ring all dissolved in one fell swoop and the winner noticed how the teams of both fighters also gradually appeared on the battlefield. Elementareon took a deep breath after this great duel and looked around the rows of the arena.
"Aurora, Kel, Tyrantrum, Zeraora, Epsilon, Marshadow, come here everyone. And you too, Darkrai, Latias, Latios, Tepig, Totodile."
The fighters from both teams gathered directly in front of the ring. Elementareon immediately stepped next to her rival, the respective teams gathered behind them. Elementareon reached for her transmitter again.
"Crowning, you all witnessed a duel on a level which you might not see again! And, after many seasons, you also witnessed a big change! Welcome the new champions of the league together with us! Team Polarna vatra are your new champions! So come on, make some noise Crowning!"
Now finally the shock that had kept the audience in silence seemed to fade. The crowds became louder than ever to congratulate the new top team! And Aurora just stood there, speechless. Her journey had taught her what her true goals should be, which of her dreams could really make her happy. Since then, the championship title hadn't really been important to her anymore, but standing here now and knowing that they had made it was a strange feeling. Her boyfriend also noticed Aurora's speechlessness and came over to her, looking happily into the crowd.
"Enjoy the moment. This is our applause. Your applause."
A while passed, the stadium emptied more and more. The cheering had died down and only a few Pokemon remained, among them the teams involved. Now that things had calmed down again, Elementareon turned to Aurora and her team once again.
"Now once again from me personally: Congratulations on your title! You more than deserve it! And Aurora, thank you for the battle! I couldn't have imagined a better end to my career."
These last words immediately startled the person addressed.
"The end of your career? What do you mean? You're quitting?"
The league leader looked at her team somewhat wistfully.
"Well, my team already knew about it, of course, but… I may still be quite young, but my time as a fighter is over. And what do they always say? You should quit at the greatest moment. Maybe some people wouldn't see defeat this way, but after many months, being able to pass the torch of champions to a new team, a team that you've seen rise, learn, grow, achieve great things... it's a good thing. But I really want to be able to focus on leading the league and... well, not fighting anymore."
Darkrai also joined in the conversation.
"But you don't have to worry that you'll get bored! Nordika will still regain their title next season! The team will continue to exist and I'll take over the leadership! So get ready, we'll see you here again next season!"
Aurora looked around her team a little uncertainly, all of them seemed quite surprised. But determination won out.
"Then... give it your all! And when we see each other again, be ready! You claim to be the surge yourself? Our flame is hot enough to dry up entire seas!"
New champions were born that day. A legend was created when the greatest fighter left the league. And a rivalry was about to begin that would go down in league history. This may be the end of our story, but for our heroes' lives, this was just the beginning! And they knew that no matter what life would throw at them, as a team they would be ready for anything!
THE END
Since I struggle too much with this site, you will have to visit Deviantart for the send-off picture. The picture is titled "A Journey's Aftermath, PMD War of Plot" and is published on my account "GuenterYT". I wanted to share the link in my profile or in the story itself but after trying to get this website to cooperate for about half an hour I stopped trying.
