Chapter 43: Indigo League

Summary:

Here we are, the day is now. The tournament that Kanto has been waiting for. Zeryph vs Ash…and the answer to the question- who is stronger? Along with the return of a familiar face.

Notes:

I know a lot of y'all have been waiting for this. I have too, for sure, and I really hope I pay it off. That battle with Red at the end of the raid? That was just the appetizer. Soo…I hope the main course really pays it off properly. I guess we'll just have to see, won't we? After this…it's probs gonna be Mystery Dungeon, most likely Rescue Team. As I wanna save Explorers for the buildup to Sinnoh, along with PLA.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)


"Hey kiddo!" I had just hit the answer button for the call terminal in the Pokemon Center. My team and I had spent all night resting, then went through our usual workout to warm up. Today is the big day, and I can hardly wait for it.

"Hey guys!" Ash greeted, and his Pikachu waved to us. It was myself, Mewtwo, and Kaorah at the terminal. The others were outside, getting Evan and the twins harnessed for flight. "Are you all ready for the tournament?"

"Heh, better believe we are. Kid, I'll be seeing you in the finals." I said with a grin. "Let's make it a battle for the ages, huh?"

"You bet! It'll go down as the greatest battle ever seen." He was pretty hyped, himself. "We're already at the Indigo Plateau, where the tournament's gonna be. We set out a few days ago, just got here last night. We're all waiting on you now."

"Niiice. We're getting our fliers harnessed, then we'll see y'all in a bit." My grin never faded. "Kid, we'll be seein' ya soon. And if she's there, tell Delia I said hi." I smiled when I felt Melanie's arms wrap around my waist. Given how her species is known for hugs, she's safe to do that no matter where we are. Just so long as she doesn't kiss me, we're good.

"Heh, I will. Mom wasn't about to miss the chance to see this live, especially with both of us competing." Ash turned and nodded to someone off screen. Charizard leaned into view, flashing a smile at us, before disappearing again. "Anyway, I've gotta go. Need to figure out what my strategy's gonna be. We're gonna face everyone as if it's you we're fighting."

"That's the way to do it. Just don't go and reveal all your tricks before you n I get onto the field." I reached to cut contact. "See ya in a few, kiddo." As the call cut out, I heard Liz start to say something.

"Close as you two seem to be, I would've thought you were brothers if you hadn't already said you were cousins." She said to me. Liz had changed into something more suited for winter. She made it pretty clear that she wasn't gonna miss out on going. Which is why Latios was getting his flight harness fitted.

"I think we're about ready to go, now. And as for Ash, I taught him everything I know about battling. Which…despite this being my first League…that's only technically. I have much more experience than what's been shown." Beating Red in battle is a good example of that. "Anyway, it's gonna be a great day. And we're gonna give that stadium a show those people will never forget."

[Maybe you should make an entrance.] I heard Giratina's voice in my head. [Step out of a Distortion World portal, while your team flies there on their own.]

[Not a bad idea, actually. Kicking things off with a bold entrance, I mean.] Melanie gave her opinion. [Up to you, Zee.] I gave it some thought before nodding. On cue, Giratina tore open a rift, and I let the…comforting feeling, wash over me. Where it had been unnerving before, spending two months training, both in there and out here, has made it feel much more like home.

"I'll see y'all in a bit. Giratina, let's go." I stepped through the rift, waving to the others as I went. I felt the shift in gravity as I stepped onto the floating island on the other side. Giratina let the rift close, his massive Origin Forme feeling…far less terrifying than last time. This time, it had that comforting feeling of standing with a close friend. Rather than feeling existential dread.

"So, you and the brothers gonna be watching?" I asked him

"I believe so. How could we not, especially since we've trained you and your team for the past two months. We wanna see our efforts pay off, after all." Giratina's voice still rumbled, but he had really toned it down over the past two months. Giratina began to look through different rifts, looking for a good spot to send me through. Until he finally found the one he was searching for. "Here we are. Show's yours, kid. Don't disappoint us."

"Oh, c'mon. You know I won't." I said back, only earning a low chuckle. Giratina flexed his power, then swiped at the air, tearing open a large shadow rift. This earned quite a few startled reactions, some people becoming fearful while others prepared to send out their teams to defend themselves. I heard Giratina chuckle even louder. I shot him a grin, then began to slowly step through. A simple thought changing my outfit up.

Jeans with a gray t-shirt, under a black trench coat with armored padding on the back and sleeves. Long black gloves covered my hands, plating lining the outer sides of my arms and the backs of my hands. I reached up, sweeping my hair back with my left hand as my combat boots stepped onto the floor of the lobby.

"Here…for the tournament?" The receptionist seemed to be obviously unnerved. "Where's…your team?" She asked.

"They're a few minutes behind, they'll be flying in. I took the quick way, as you just saw." Giratina leaned in close to the rift, staring through for a moment. We exchanged brief nods, then he closed the rift.

"Is…that one of them?" The receptionist asked, while she handed me some stuff to fill out.

"No, but he was part of our training, at least." I think it's better to just skip over the part where I read through the paperwork. Mostly just rules and all that stuff. Pretty standard, really. With the one-mega limit being in place. Actually, I think I might be the only one who has one…maybe. But, I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

It wasn't long before everyone else arrived. I took that time to let Solais out of the base dimension. She'd gone in earlier to wait for us to all get here. Team registration was part of the paperwork, so I set up who I was going with for this. Kaorah, Solais, Cerise, Lexie, Evan, and Mewtwo. Suicune and Kalina will have their turns, one day.

People reacting to my huge gathering of Legendaries was brilliant. Especially when Dialga and Palkia finally turned up. Dialga had told me earlier that Arceus would also be observing. So I guess I've got a lot of eyes on me, today. Heh…no pressure, right? Ironic cause Mewtwo's ability is…never mind.

But because of this group, Ash was able to find us pretty easily. As well as the rest of his companions. It was the first time Gary had gotten to see my team, as well, and his reaction was priceless. A wide-eyed stare along with him going slack-jawed. He stared at us- my team and I- for several seconds, then glanced at Ash, and back to us.

"What the…what? How, how did you keep someone this strong from me?" Gary finally broke out of his stunned silence.

"I told you my cousin was wicked strong." Ash and I bumped fists. "But you didn't want to believe me, either."

"Fair enough. Still…he's gonna be a real menace, out there."

"He's not the only one." Ash showed the Pokeballs on his belt. One of which had a unique color, being black with purple accents shaped into the psychic symbol. There's no way…did he really catch…? Oh, this will be fun. More fun than I originally thought, in fact. I'd been wondering how…she…was doing, but I guess I'll find out soon. Regardless of how our last encounter went. "Zeryph, how did you get so many Legends, anyway?"

"Because I'm ridiculously lucky, is my guess." Even though my Luck stat isn't that high. Sometimes, it feels like it's way higher than it is. "I've got six in the crowd, one on my team, one in the Distortion World, and one watching from the Hall of Origin." Well, Arceus falls under Mythical classification, but still. Plus, there's the potential for Zeraora, too. Who also falls under the Mythical class.

"Well boys, remember to smile for the cameras and give it your all. Ash, I'll be seeing you in the finals." I started for the locker rooms that lead into where the field was. They were here to give us the chance to change into something better suited for battle. I'd seen that the stadium was enclosed, so it's not gonna be freezing out there.

Still, I only took my coat off, as the thing was gonna be too hot anyway. I saw how the other trainers turned to look our way, including Ash's newest friend, Ritchie. The looks we got were of awe and respect. Especially since my team was on full display. Mewtwo took this time to sit down and meditate. Our battle was last on the list, with Ash having his as the very first.

We decided that it's best that he not use the second stage of Battle Fury here. We don't need to cause a panic from him turning shadow. Kaorah's gonna be the team lead, just as planned. With the team on display, I already knew the others were gonna shift their plans to deal with us.

But we've got our own plans. For each of our battles, we're gonna show off a different mega. Mewtwo, is the one we're saving for the very last. Because, especially if Ash has who I think he does, we're gonna need it to be a surprise. Ash has seen it before, sure, but not anywhere near what Mewtwo can do now.

From the moment he achieved stable transformation, Mewtwo's power began to skyrocket. Even faster once we started training, to the point that…well, I think the battles over the past couple days really showed it best. And on top of that, Mewtwo's new battle meditation meant that he could focus even in extreme circumstances. While not as good as Gamer's Mind, it was a very close second.

With the added benefit of buffing almost everyone…apart from Solais, who it doesn't work on. The first thing for us to go through with the tournament- introductions. One of the officials let us know what the order would be. And, after the torch ceremony, introductions began. Ash was the first called onto the field, then others began to get up and go. One by one, until it was my time to step out.

[BGM Suggestion]

[Shoko Nakagawa]

[Sorairo Days]

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't super nervous right now. But, a little flick of my wrist, set my mind at ease with a bit of music. As it came down to my team being the only ones left, we all walked out together. My nervousness settled by a few deep breaths, a grin breaking out on my face as we were met with a thunderous roar from the crowd.

With, of course, the loudest being those from Fuchsia. Even now, our efforts were still fresh in their minds. Knowing that we've got a whole city pulling for us is…something else. I had even been told that they'd basically closed down all their businesses just so they could watch the tournament. Either here in person, or on live TV.

I waved to a camera as it flew up close, then struck the same pose as Simon's statue from the Gurren Lagann series. I mean, why shouldn't I go along with what song I picked out? As the introductions began to wind down, we cleared the field so the first battle could start. I took a little extra time to wish Ash good luck. Not minding the fact that commentary introduced us as cousins. Was bound to happen anyway.

I wonder…how many of my parents' friends are watching this. Either here, or on the TV at home. Especially for those who hadn't seen me since I was a kid. From bracket positioning, it looks like I'll be facing Ritchie in round five, if he gets to that point. The referee called the rules, then the first battle began, accompanied by the muffled roar of the crowd.

Ash went on to win his first battle in dominant fashion, and just as I said, managed to do so without revealing who his ace was. Or, for that matter, most of his tricks. He already knows ours, and if my suspicions are right, caught a certain someone to be able to counter him properly.

I watched through the other battles with a smile on my face. But we weren't just watching. Mewtwo and I were analyzing everyone down to the smallest detail. Planning for every little thing they could possibly come up with, for those who had a real chance of facing us. The battles up first were only partial-team, so that meant our strategy had to change.

Which is fine, I set up one for every single combination we could use. And the first to see our first combo, would be the girl who Ritchie originally lost to. Planning around what I knew for her to have, I chose Cerise, Kaorah, and Lexie. I won't be having them use a mega here, as it would be excessive.

And as Assunta opened up with Rhydon, Cerise leapt into the air before gliding down to the field. She bowed, then shifted into a stance to ready herself. Battles are set, during the smaller half-team matches, so we can't switch out as with normal Gym battles or with a Full Battle. And while this doesn't let us switch like normal, my team is more than strong enough to handle it.

"Heard about you, ya know? But…then again, who hasn't?" Assunta spoke up. "The guy with the Pokemon who can perform miracles, or something. Still…I wonder, how far do you plan to go?"

"All the way to the top. And I don't just mean Kanto." I said, nodding when I heard the Referee ask if I was ready. "Still, the idea of World Champion is in my sights. This is just gonna be the first of many." As the Ref gave the signal to begin, Cerise shed her weights, taking to the air with a high jump, before knocking an arrow and letting it fly.

And while Assunta's Rhydon did dodge the attack, it still caught his shadow, rooting him in place. Cerise rose up from behind him, lifting her leaf blades and striking across his back. Just two hits, and he was already down. I should be clear, we are not holding back here. Though we are gonna handicap ourselves in the future, this is one of the cases where we can't afford to.

Cerise retreated to our side of the field, while Assunta returned her Rhydon.

"How? How did she do that?" There was a flash as Assunta was speaking, her sending out her Venomoth.

"Our training, of course. It went to a level that most people in this crowd would call insane." I answered. "And Cerise here, isn't even the strongest. But…don't worry, there's gonna be plenty of chances to see that, coming up." Cerise went on to win our first match with ease. Her training in ranged combat meant that Assunta's mostly close-range team wasn't able to do much. Her only ranged fighter being her Venomoth.

The tournament went the same for pretty much everyone. Ash and I winning our fights in dominant fashion, the crowd cheering us on every chance they got. And just like I thought, I ended up being the one to face Ritchie as we came to the fifth round. The last of the half-team battles.

"Ash has had a lot to say about you, ya know?" Ritchie said, stepping onto his side of the field.

"Not surprised, not even a little. He learned a lot from me, had almost ten years to teach him everything. All leading up to today, and I couldn't be prouder of what my cousin can do." The kid really showed it, too. His strategy, while not planned as ridiculously well as my own, was still incredibly strong. And it was paying off, too, as he was able to react to everything. His training, whatever it may have been, really helped. Even more-so with his Charizard being so hyped for the coming showdown.

Ritchie's Butterfree was first onto the field. Did he know that I planned to send Kaorah out first, for this one? Mewtwo still hasn't stepped onto the field himself, but only because he wanted to wait for absolute last. Still, I had Kaorah step onto the field on our side.

"I must say…your team is ridiculously powerful. You guys seem to have outmatched everyone, so far." Ritchie commented.

"Yeah, two months of training with three of the world's seven strongest Pokemon…will do that to you." I said back. "In fact, they're watching us now. They wanted to see their effort pay off, and I think we've done good enough, so far."

"I'd say so, too. You guys are crazy…uh, no offense." Ritchie's Butterfree gave Kaorah a worried look. "Still, regardless of how quickly you win, I'm looking forward to the finals. I hope it all goes well."

"Me to, Ritchie. Anyway, you ready?" Kaorah took a stance, a grin spreading onto her face as her gaze locked onto Ritchie's Butterfree. Who suddenly seemed to be quite nervous.

"Happy, open with Sleep Powder!" Ritchie called out. Kaorah caught the scent, prompting her to sneeze, hard, before shaking her head. Her gaze turned into a glare.

"What?! She's immune?!" I heard the panic in Happy's voice as the realization set in.

"This…could be bad." Ritchie said. Kaorah chose this moment to kick off, rushing forward with such blinding speed that, to anyone else, it looked like she'd teleported. She reappeared mid-leap, her tail smacking Happy across the face, sending her into unconsciousness in a single strike. "Whoa…alright, we're definitely in trouble." He sent out Zippo next, who looked visibly terrified over Kaorah.

[Remember, take it easy on them. They're not built for the kind of hits we can dish out.] I said through my mind. Kaorah's only response being to nod.

"You won't have anything against us if we forfeit right? You have us outmatched by so much, we don't even have any hope of keeping up with you." Ritchie said, to us.

"That's your call, kid. But, we won't judge, and, it gives you something to work for, too." I said back. Ritchie raised a hand, stating out loud that he forfeits his match. I had a feeling before the tournament started that we were way too strong. And it shows…so far, nobody we faced has had a chance to even try to fight us.

Moving into the Full Battles, things got more interesting, as the team I registered could all be on field now. I wasn't allowed to have Melanie fully heal anyone, but she was still allowed to cure any status effects we might get stuck with. Since her ability to heal the team would just make things even less fair. Ash and I moved through into the semi-finals, then into the finals. Because of the match coming up, we were allowed to take a brief break to switch up our strategies.

If I'm guessing right, the kid's gonna expect me to send out Kaorah first, and react based on that. Unlike the battles before, full switch was allowed. And that's why we had to make our new plans. On top of media teams wanting to talk with us and everything. But as the time for our break came to an end, Ash and I began to return to the field. My team following behind me as we stepped onto the grass once again. Ash's Pikachu happily waving to us from his shoulder.

"You ready, kiddo?" I asked. He and I took a knee across from each other, before grabbing the other's right hand in a firm handshake.

"Heck yeah. Better question is, are you ready?" He asked in return.

"Believe it, kid. Let's give these folks a show they'll never forget." We both turned at the same time, waving to Delia in the stands, before turning to walk towards our sides of the field.

[BGM Suggestion]

[Dragonforce]

[Highway to Oblivion]

"Kaorah."/"Pikachu!" Our starters took to the field on our call. Kaorah began to stretch, a grin breaking out on her face. Pikachu took a stance of his own, preparing himself for the signal. The Referee lifted his hands, and gave the signal to begin. The moment Kaorah rushed forward, she found her swipe blocked by a pair of orange arms. Ash had totally called it, and switched at the exact right moment.

His Charizard began to force Kaorah back, until she used her legs to give herself a means to break away. She leapt into the air, before diving into the ground and disappearing.

"She's gonna come from below, watch out for that tail!" Ash called out. I let my grin widen, even more when Charizard nodded. He waited until the right moment, then leapt out of the way, before sending a blast of fire back downwards. Unlike any before, this one was blue-hot with a hell of a strong punch behind it. Kaorah used the smoke kicked up by Blast Burn to disappear once more.

[Switch!] Kaorah called out. As she erupted from the ground, she tagged Lexie before settling onto the ground. Lexie's fur changing as she ran onto the field, already preparing an Electro Ball.

"Wait…and…dodge!" Ash's Charizard ducked his head to the side, narrowly avoiding the orb that was aimed his way. "She can change types…need a counter…" Ash had Charizard keep Lexie busy while he tried to think of something. Knowing that she can counter every type, except- "Switch!" He traded Charizard out for Muk, just as Lexie was coming down from a Bounce. Muk caught her by the leg, before slamming her into the ground.

"Oof!" Lexie formed a fireball in her right hand and shot it at Muk's face, prompting him to growl and throw her back towards us. She recovered in the air, flipping before landing on her feet without a sound, right by the edge of the field. Close enough for her to tag Melanie in.

The moment she was on the field, Melanie had to catch a Sludge Bomb with her powers, and redirect it to the side. She however, didn't catch the second one, hidden behind the first. This caused her to stumble backwards, wincing in pain as the poison likely burned quite a bit.

Her retaliation was swift, however. Lightning dancing across her arms before she sent it out in a huge, powerful beam somewhat similar to Chaos Reach. Ash quickly swapped Muk for his Pidgeot, who was able to out-fly the beam with ease, as Melanie couldn't turn very quickly with it. As soon as the beam ended, Pidgeot swapped for Ash's Bulbasaur. He began to use his vines, going for a grab.

Although, it wasn't gonna do much good, considering who he's up against. Melanie traded with Lexie once more, who began preparing a Pyroball as soon as she was fielded. Ash made the call to switch, letting his Kingler take the hit instead. Kingler, unfazed, rushed forward before swinging with Crabhammer. Managing to just barely catch Lexie. Not enough to actually hurt, but just enough to force her off the field. Earning Ash the first elimination.

Lexie flashed him a thumbs up, as best she could, before returning to our side to sit down and watch. Cerise took her place, letting loose a Spirit Shackle as soon as she was on the field. Rooted in place, Kingler had to be switched just before Cerise could land Leaf Blade. Charizard caught her by the wrists, and let off a Blast Burn at point blank. While my team was more than tough enough to survive such a thing, not being knocked out was something else entirely.

The crowd roared as two of my stronger ones were taken down back to back. A grin split my face as Melanie took the field. She held out her left hand, muttering something, forcing Charizard to the ground just like with Red's, yesterday. This set him up, allowing Kaorah to tag in and land the exact same combo, just with a bit less force. Still, this made the cheers even louder. Especially when she followed up by also knocking out Kingler when he returned to the field.

Ash then sent out his Pidgeot, and Evan switched with Kaorah immediately. The pair of birds staring each other down for several seconds, before they finally began to fight. An intense aerial battle in which, neither let their feelings for the other interfere. Though, it steadily became clear that Evan had the advantage in both speed and strength. Ultimately, it wouldn't matter, with him and his opponent knocking each other out with the same attack.

This left Muk, Bulbasaur, and a certain other someone. Ash's Bulbasaur returned to the field, facing down Solais with his vines. Having seen the way she fought, Ash knew exactly when to call out a warning about Payback. But, instead of calling that warning, he switched Bulbasaur for Muk. Who got off a Sludge Bomb after catching Solais by the horn, causing her no small amount of pain. He then slammed her into the ground a few times, before throwing her.

She shook it off as she stood back up, switching with Kaorah at the first chance she got. Unlike the others though, Kaorah was actually able to do something. Using Earthquake to tear up the ground and launch Muk into the air. She then leapt into the air and smacked him with Dragon Tail. This was enough to force a ring-out, as he seemed to be able to shrug off physical hits.

This left Bulbasaur, who was easily dealt with, when Kaorah knocked him out of the ring with a single thump of her tail. All the fighting she'd been doing today was starting to get to her, as she'd begun to show signs of fatigue. Ash's Pikachu was also dealt with, just as easily, bringing Ash down to one last Pokemon.

He drew the black ball from his belt, smiling and mumbling, before throwing it with all his might. A burst of black and violet energy erupted from within, and a certain someone barreled into Kaorah. Earning a pained grunt as she crashed into her, knocking her backwards before unleashing a wave of Shadow Balls. Each one stronger than the last, sending her stumbling until she fell onto the ground. Out cold, groaning in pain.

[BGM Suggestion]

[Yasuharu Takanashi]

[Waltz of Wind and Fire]

A single purple tail waved behind her. Her eyes meeting mine with a silent stare. She huffed, tilting her head to the side, before her gaze met her brother's. Mewtwo growled, when she motioned for him, specifically.

Sensing this to be his cue, Mewtwo stepped onto the field, the crowd having fallen silent as these two super-powered Pokemon stared each other down. Everyone anxiously awaiting what would happen next. A grin suddenly appeared on Mewtwo's face, and his power flared to the max. An eruption of magenta light shined into the sky as he let his powers flow. A thunderous boom filled the stadium as the field cracked under the force of Mewtwo's psychic power.

He then dropped his weights and charged forward at blinding speed. A powerful overhead swing being met by an upward one from below. Their blades clashing with a deafening bang as the shockwave sent ripples through the air. The twins quickly falling into a series of rapid strikes, trading blows far too quickly to keep up with.

But unlike last time, Mewtwo had the advantage, backing her up steadily with every single move that he made. She was able to force an opening, before exploding with power…herself. Her form shifting into the Mega-Y variant. This allowed her to face her brother's power much more effectively. The pair shifting into dodging each other's attacks, their expressions shifting as they had also locked each other in a mental battle.

Watching them slip in and out of their minds, feeling it too. The ground cracking under Mewtwo's psychic Pressure as his power began to grow even stronger. His eyes changing color as he began to shift into the first stage of Battle Fury. Something which she didn't have a counter to. I saw it, the brief glimpse of fear in her eyes as she became worried that Mewtwo was gonna go too far, again.

But, this was forgotten in favor of surprise when Mewtwo's attacks became almost mechanically calculated. Down to the slightest detail, his actions and reactions perfectly measured to counter her in every single way. It was obvious who the stronger one was now. But…even in Battle Fury, Mewtwo never stopped smiling. He was enjoying this, and I can't say I blame him.

I definitely had not expected that Libra would seek out Ash. Much less join his team, yet…she did. I dunno if it's the System messing with us, or what. But still…if I'm gonna have a Mewtwo, I guess Ash should, as well. It actually means our teams are much more even than we thought. Even if he doesn't have access to the same insane methods as us.

At least it explains how they were able to train so well. They fought back and forth, trading blow for blow. The ground cracking under the force of their powers, the safety barriers straining under the weight of such energy. And as their fight drew longer, they began to slow down. Mewtwo's Battle Fury fading as he shifted back to his basic form. And, the same happened for Libra not long after.

The pair began to push themselves to the absolute limit. To the point their attacks started to draw blood. The crowd falling into silent awe as these two super-powered siblings faced each other in their first rematch of many. Giving it every last bit of power they could muster.

"Look at you, Libra…joining another human's team. And Zeryph's cousin, no less. I never knew you had it in you." Mewtwo spoke up as the pair finally separated. Both of them panting audibly as fatigue began to set in. Mewtwo wiped some blood away from his lip. Shaking his hand in order to get it off his fingers.

"Much as I…hate to admit it. I am weaker without a team. So, I sought out the first I could get wind of. And, it just so happened to be Ash that I found." Libra speaking in English was, honestly, not a surprise. If Mewtwo could pick it up from touching someone's head, then his twin could, too. "Besides…look at how strong it made you, training under someone who didn't want to hold you back."

"Oh…it's much more than just Zeryph who trained me." Mewtwo began to channel power into his right arm, his skin blackening as he began to channel power into an Aura Sphere. It formed, shifting and fading until it was magenta in color. Libra did the same, but with her left hand, forming a Shadow Ball instead.

"What do you say…to one…last…attack. Last one standing, wins it all." Libra said.

"Fine…ready?" Mewtwo asked. Without another word, the pair shot forward, their attacks colliding in the middle. Both orbs phasing into each other, their power churning into a volatile mixture as it began to rapidly grow in strength. The sphere rapidly destabilizing before finally going up in a tremendous explosion. The whole stadium shaking from the power, even with the safety fields in place. Mewtwo and Libra were thrown backwards, both slamming into the trainer platforms on either side of the field, before tumbling to the ground.

Silence…neither of the pair moving. Even the Referee was hesitant to make a call, until he knew they were OK. A low groan met my ears, and Mewtwo began to slowly push himself up. His right arm was limp, completely, and he was in awful shape, but had the strength to get back up. If only just barely, as he had to drop into a kneel.

His labored breathing was, for a moment, the only sound in the stadium. Until the Referee broke the silence by declaring us the winners. Mewtwo fell over onto his side and rolled onto his back, staring up towards the roof with a grin on his face. A quiet laugh slowly breaking out, but it was quickly drowned by the deafening roar of the crowd that quickly filled the stadium.

Ash and I shared a hug after running towards the center of the field, before separating. Ash lifting my right hand with his left, as best he could, in celebration. This only made the cheers louder.

"Proud of you, kiddo." I said, barely audible over the cheering crowd. The officials stepped onto the field, bringing a medal to put around my neck, and a trophy for me to lift into the air. Lexie began to help the medical staff with getting my team carted off safely. She had dragged Kaorah off the field just before Mewtwo's rematch with Libra.

I felt myself get tackled, stumbling with a laugh as I nearly dropped the trophy. I handed it over to Ash, in order to properly return Delia's hug with one of my own.

"I'm so proud of you…both of you." She pulled away, wiping some tears of joy from her face.

"Young man, in my career…I have never seen a battle quite like that." A new voice spoke up. A man, dressed in a dark blue outfit with orange accents. His sleeves were black at the end, and he had black boots to match. A large black cape worn on his shoulders. Bright, spiky red hair, sat atop his head.

"Lance?" I was honestly surprised to be speaking with him, in person.

"Of course. It would seem your hard work up at the mountain has paid off." He offered a handshake, which I accepted.

"Hah…you can say that again, when we're the champion team in all nine regions." I said back.

"Well, I wish you luck. By the way…since you did win here, you do have the right to challenge the Elite Four, and myself if you beat them." Lance began to walk away. "But for now, go…celebrate. You've earned it, all of you." He turned and smiled over his shoulder. "We'll be waiting, eagerly, for you to challenge us, young man."

"You're gonna go for it, right?" Ash asked me. "You'd be crazy not to, after something like that."

"One day, kiddo. One day. For now, let's get back to Pallet Town. Then, we're gonna whip up a feast and celebrate this thing, properly." I said, turning to start to leave the stadium.

"Media's gonna be all over you, after something like that." My aunt got a sigh out of me, 'cause she's absolutely right.

"Greaaat…a mob of people with cameras, wonderful." I sighed, again. "Whelp…not like I didn't have it coming. I guess you can both head home, and we'll catch up when we can." I felt Lexie's arms wrap tightly around me, a laugh breaking out from her as she did. I reached up and rubbed the top of her head.

"We'll see you at home, Zeryph." Delia said. She and Ash went to leave, while Lexie took me to where her teammates were resting currently. Ash had returned his team, it's a wonder Libra's willing to stay in the ball. But it looks like it's custom made, specifically for her. So it must be pretty comfortable.

It didn't take too long for the girls to be back up. Melanie was helping the Plateau's nurse check over Mewtwo's arm, which had been pretty badly damaged when he clashed with Libra.

"Heads up." Mewtwo said quietly, just before I was nearly floored. I lifted Liz into a tight hug, both of us spinning and laughing as we did.

"Dude, that was amazing!" She said with excitement as she pulled away. I felt myself nearly get floored, again, but by Latias this time.

"I really hope Bianca was watching, 'cause that was EPIC!" Latias was absolutely beaming. "You guys are awesome. Seriously." Dialga and Palkia entered the room just behind Latios. I could feel the pride coming off the former two.

"Well, heh…we're gonna go back to Pallet town, once everyone's healed enough to walk and all. Then…Lexie and I are gonna whip up a feast and we're all gonna celebrate." I said, as I pulled away from Latias. We found places to sit down for a while and wait, while Melanie tended to everyone. Lots of people came through, seeking to congratulate me on my big win. Even though I mostly knew it would happen, this time, it doesn't make it any less amazing.

One of these days though, Ash's team is gonna be strong enough that they can beat us. Perhaps this battle's enough to properly spark a friendly rivalry that'll last until our traveling days are finally done.

"Zeryph, a word please." Dialga began to gently pull me outside.

"What…what's going on?" I asked him. It was a cold night, as the tournament had taken us all day. We were tired, but in high spirits.

"I'll let you celebrate first, don't worry…but this is important. A mass-extinction event threatens this world. Not during the humanity era, but in the far future. Father has already approved the mission. I will be sending your team into the future to stop this catastrophe." I fell into silence as I processed his words.

"And I was hoping to just settle down and rest. But…we'll do it." I finally said.

"Well, of course. After all, you and your team are the best ones to ask." Dialga said. "We'll let you have your time to rest. But, after a week at least, we'll need to send you on your way."

"Understood. Well anyway, we still have a celebration to do. C'mon, let's gather the others and go party." I started to head back in, with Dialga moving to follow me. Kaorah wasn't too happy about Libra's unexpected return, or that she'd lost to her. Still…hearing that Mewtwo beat her, was enough to satisfy the Garchomp.

Once everyone was cleared to leave, Palkia took us all to Pallet Town. He used a Spatial Shift to do so. Those who weren't up at the Plateau, ran out to greet us all as we appeared in town. I smiled through it all, laughing as I found myself lifted by the crowd. I'll enjoy it for while it lasts, but I won't let it go to my head.

After they finally settled down, though, Lexie and I were able to set to work. With a lot of people jumping in to help us. In seemingly no time at all, we'd set up a huge cookout. And as people began to dig in, many came to Lexie to complement her cooking. She smiled and thanked them, of course. The surprise of my team knowing English had already worn off I guess, after Mewtwo and Libra's brief talk on field. While I originally didn't plan for them to use English when others were near, it's actually not an issue.

As the night went on, the crowd slowly began to disperse. Some helped us clean up from the party, though. By the time it was all done with, it was very late. While I let the rest of the team into base, I chose to sleep in my original bed tonight. Solais was quick to hop up and lay down with me, quickly making herself comfortable. Liz had gone to stay in our guest room for tonight, after Delia helped her get it set up.


Notes:

I'm sure that Libra's return was an unexpected surprise. My reasoning is that, Zeryph has a Mewtwo, so why shouldn't Ash, as well? As far as Libra goes, she'll get her redemption, one day. For now, Zeryph's team still really doesn't like her. Mewtwo least of all, with Melanie being a close second. But, she'll earn her second chance, eventually.