Chapter 59:
The Grand Festival, Part IV
Venesi City – Contest Hall
"There will be a reprieve of forty five minutes before the final match begins, so take it as a chance to go to the bathroom, buy some snacks, or just stretch your legs! However, be sure to come back in time, because this final match is one you don't want to miss for anything in the world!"
The public wasn't the only one who took this pause to stretch their legs and breathe some fresh air before the excitement of the final match, as Serena herself had left the building – sending Ash a message via pokegear telling him and the others that they could find her outside – and headed outside.
There were many people outside, some of them chatting among each other, while others bought snacks or merchandise from the stands around the building.
The honey blonde looked for a more secluded space, since she wanted a little peace and quiet until she had to face Sayaka for the final time. Fortunately, she found such a place on the battlegrounds to the side of the Contest Hall, since she had concluded that no one would be using them at such time.
"Come out, everyone!"
The six pokeballs opened, releasing her Pokemon one after the other, until all six of them were standing around their trainer in a semicircle. No one said anything, the group waiting for the honey blonde to address them.
"Guys, we're almost there. We reached the finals of the Grand Festival!" Serena announced.
Her Pokemon replied in the form of a chorus of happy cries.
"I want to thank you for all the effort every single one of you has put in order to make it this far," Serena continued. "Now, one last challenge remains. One that has proved to be the most resilient of all. Delphox, Syrentide, I'm choosing you two to fight this match. Are you up for the task?"
"Del, de!" Delphox energetically nodded.
"Syre!" Syrentide agreed as well.
Of course, she wasn't expecting any other answer, but it never hurt to ask. The two of them were her best option: Delphox was her most skilled and veteran Pokemon while Syrentide could Mega Evolve, and the two of them had formed a strong bond since Serena had caught Selkid all the way back on Lakeside View after beating Maury alongside Ash, becoming almost like sisters, which reflected in their strong teamwork. Plus, given that they were the Pokemon she had used to fight Sayaka the last time, she had the feeling that they wanted another chance at beating the ruthless girl.
"Now, given that there's some time until the final match, you should try to rest and relax a little. I want you to be at your best," she advised.
Both the fox and the mermaid nodded.
"Hey, Serena!"
Serena turned around and saw a smiling Ash walking towards her, with Pikachu, perched on his shoulder as usual, hopping off and dashing towards her own Pokemon.
"Oh, hey Ash," Serena greeted him. "Where are the others?"
"At the entrance, checking on the stands and chatting with each other," Ash told her. "Shauna suggested to me to come get you alone in case you were psyching yourself up for the final match and not overwhelm you," he explained, before looking behind Serena towards the gathering of her full team, with Pikachu now talking to them. "And I see that she nailed it."
"She's no stranger to this kind of competition," Serena reminded him.
"Your Pokemon seem fine and ready for action," Ash said with an approving nod, before his auburn eyes set on her. "What about you, Serena?"
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous," the honey blonde replied, as she began slowly rubbing her arm. "Not just because of this being the finals, but also the kind of opponent I'm going to face."
"Don't worry about Sayaka. I have a feeling that you're going to beat her this time around," Ash stated with his usual unbound optimist.
At times like this, Serena wished that she could be more like Ash. The raven haired boy felt nothing but pure excitement at the prospect of facing a powerful opponent, doubly so if he was taking part in a big competition like a Pokemon League, almost like a child who was told to wait before opening a birthday gift.
And while Serena had tried to be like Ash and follow his philosophy to some degree, she wasn't Ash. She remembered being so nervous at the prospect of challenging Aria for the title of Kalos Queen that her heart threatened to jump out of her chest, especially with that busted wrist. Yet for some reason, the idea of facing somebody like Sayaka in such a high-stakes match made her even more apprehensive.
The feeling of Ash's hand grabbing hers snapped her out of her thoughts.
"It's perfectly fine to be nervous. In fact, I'm pretty sure that Sayaka is just as anxious as you are right now," Ash assured her.
"I don't know. That girl rarely loses her composure, and her confidence is enviable," Serena replied, averting his gaze. "Plus, she has beat me every time she and I fought one on one. I bet she just thinks this match is a mere formality."
"Then you'll have to show her how wrong she is," Ash simply said. "Just because you lost to her in the past it doesn't mean that you will lose again. The past is done, but the future is yours to make what you want."
"Did you feel this way when you were about to face that Paul guy in the Sinnoh League?" Serena asked.
"A little, yeah. But I simply couldn't let my past losses to Paul weigh me down," Ash replied, brimming with confidence. "So I went to face him with everything I had. And most importantly, I faced him believing that this time I'd beat him. Because how can you win if you don't believe that victory is possible?"
Serena blinked a couple times, her face blank, before her lips curved into a soft smile. "I guess you're right. I'm never going to beat Sayaka if I always fear losing against her again. Plus," she said, turning her towards her Pokemon, still talking with Pikachu. "That would also mean that I don't believe my Pokemon can do it."
"Well said!" Ash said, nodding. "Say, would you like to grab something to eat? You can't do your best on an empty stomach!"
"Haha, right," Serena chuckled. "Lead the way, Ash."
And thus the couple, followed by Serena's Pokemon, walked away from the empty battlefield and towards the front entrance of the Contest Hall.
…
"Well, this is it."
With a sigh, Vitor finished putting up the last of his regular clothes, and walked slowly out of the male dressing room.
Following his defeat, the boy from Moki Town had wanted to be alone. After ten minutes, he had sobered up a little, and upon finding a monitor, he had watched the last few moments of the second semifinal match. Deep down she didn't really care that much who would win, though he found himself rooting for Leona, despite hardly knowing her, if only because her opponent was Sayaka.
But alas it couldn't be, and after evading that Z-move, Sayaka rose as the winner.
He hoped that Serena would win, but with Sayaka as her opponent, he wasn't so sure of her chances.
A beep from his pokegear snapped him out of his thoughts. Checking the device, he saw his sister had sent him a message: apparently everybody was going to gather outside in order to spend the forty five minutes until the final match ended.
While he didn't feel like being surrounded by a large crowd, another part of him assured him that Natalie wouldn't hear the end of it if he continued to brood alone, so he went going.
"Oof!"
"Ouch!"
Still, Vitor wasn't fully snapped out of his thoughts, as he didn't notice somebody walking into him when he turned into a corner. Fortunately, the crash wasn't too painful.
"Oh my, sorry!" Vitor quickly apologized. "I really need to watch where I'm going..."
"No, no, It's okay. I'm kind of unfocused myself as well..." the person he crashed into, a familiar dark skinned girl with long dreadlocks, replied. It seemed that the feeling of familiarity was mutual, given what she said next. "Oh wait, you're Vitor, right?"
"Yeah. Your name was Leona, if I remember that correctly," Vitor replied.
"You remember right," the Alolan girl answered, smiling a little. "By the way, sorry for your loss. Admittedly, I was rooting for Serena, but well... it's not like I wanted you to lose or anything... if that makes any sense?"
"Same. Though, unlike you, I was also rooting for Sayaka to lose," Vitor answered. "That girl needs an attitude adjustment."
"I know, right? So, you knew the little ray of sunshine?" Leona asked.
"More than I would have preferred. I faced her in my very first contest. She crushed me and told me how much I sucked," Vitor bitterly recalled, as he unconsciously clenched his fists. "I also met her another time after that, but no luck."
"I did manage to beat her the first time I fought against her," Leona said, and Vitor looked at her with his eyes wide open in surprise. "Though... looking back... I started to think that I only beat her because of my Z-ring," she said, holding her wrist in front of her, looking at the bracer. "When I was ready to use my Z-move against her this time... I saw her face. She wasn't worried, as if she even expected it. And of course, she knew how to counter it."
"Hey, don't beat yourself over it. I used Mega Evolution against Serena and I didn't win either," Vitor assured her.
"Maybe... maybe that's the problem," Leona said in realization. "The last time I faced Serena, I also lost. She was expecting me to use a Z-move and prepared accordingly. And despite having Mega Evolution, she didn't even use it!" she added, her voice carrying a mixture of bitterness and admiration. "She knows how to fight without relying on power-ups despite having access to one, saving them as a trump card or a failsafe. Unlike me, who turned mine into a crutch..."
Suddenly, Vitor understood why Natalie was so insistent on hanging out with her and the rest instead of being alone and moping. Leona had gone through the exact same ordeal as him, losing in the semifinals, yet unlike Vitor, the Alolan girl didn't have the luck to fight against somebody who took victory with grace. And indeed, he could see that Leona needed something to take her mind away from the bitterness of defeat.
"Say, my sister is with Serena and her friends outside the Contest Hall," Vitor began. "Why don't you come with us? Then we can sit together and cheer for Serena."
"I don't know... I don't feel like being crowded right now..." Leona said, a bit unsure.
"Come on, it will do you some good. Trust me, I know exactly what you are feeling..." Vitor said, just as an idea dawned upon him in order to convince the girl to say yes. "And maybe you could tell me and my sister about your region? It sounds like a fascinating place."
"Oh, it is!" the girl almost shouted, her mood quickly going from gloomy to excited almost in an instant. "Where should I begin? What do you want to know?"
"How about if you tell me where you are from?" Vitor offered, as he began to move, with Leona walking besides him.
"Oh, of course! I'm from a place called Heahea City, on the island of..."
…
"And finish it off with Iron Tail, Glaceon!" Sayaka commanded.
Her Eeveelution jumped into the air as its tail glowed with a silvery sheen, before bringing it down in a vertical motion against the head of the Fafninter, producing loud noise.
"F-Faaaaa...!" the Ice and Dragon-type Pokemon wailed, before collapsing on the ground, unconscious.
Her opponent, a tall, older man dressed like a barbarian king whose eyes were hidden by thick eyebrows, didn't appear to be upset by the defeat. If anything, he looked content.
"You fought well, my friend. Take a good rest," the man, Vaeryn, said as he recalled his defeated Pokemon back to its pokeball, before looking at Sayaka. "Well fought, lass. With your victory over me, the last of your trials is complete. The Keystone and Mega Stone of your choice is yours."
Sayaka had heard of Snowbank Town as well as its Gym Leader, and how he would grant a Keystone and a Mega Stone to those he deemed worthy. The ninja had, of course, planned to get hers, but not before winning all five ribbons. If she couldn't win them without Mega Evolution, she didn't deserve them to begin with.
It had been five days full of grueling trials that put to test both her skills as well as her bonds with her Pokemon, but alas, neither her nor her team refused to give anything less than their very best, with the final trial being a match against Vaeryn himself. Not an official match for a Gym Badge, but that didn't make the battle any less easier.
And finally, as she saw one of the Acolytes walking towards her with a small metal case in his hands, she knew that all her efforts had paid off. Taking the case from the hooded man, she opened it to make sure the Keystone and the correct Mega Stone were there, which was thankfully the case.
"Before you leave, may I ask you something?" Vaeryn asked, his voice gentle and grandfatherly, as he walked towards her.
"You may," she replied, before pocketing the case.
"Now that Mega Evolution is yours, what do you plan to do with it?" the old man asked, and before she could reply, he added, "and rest assured that whatever your answer, it won't make me want to take the Keystone back from you. So please be honest with me instead of saying what you think I want to hear."
Sayaka wasn't somebody who minced her words or hid behind empty platitudes, but she had the feeling that Vaeryn was talking from experience. Still, if he wanted honesty, he would have it.
"I want to make my dreams come true, to reach higher than any other coordinator has ever reached, to be remembered as a legend," she began, causing Vaeryn to quirk an eyebrow. "And in order to get that, there's only one path: absolute victory. With Mega Evolution, I have another mean to achieve the victories I need."
"I see," Vaeryn replied. "But what if Mega Evolution isn't enough? What if you end up short of making your dreams a reality?"
"Even in the unlikely case that such a thing happens, then it means I haven't been doing enough," Sayaka replied.
"Oh? Go on."
"A team's success depends on its leader. In the case of Pokemon, the leader is the trainer, me. So it's my responsibility to ensure my team is a well-oiled machine ready to crush any opposition," she began. "It is also my duty to seek more tools that can help my team achieve victory, such as Mega Evolution." She then looked at Vaeryn, her lips curving into a mocking grin. "Was that answer honest enough to you?"
"It was," Vaeryn nodded. "There are many people who see Mega Evolution as nothing but a mean to magically make their Pokemon stronger, and are disappointed when it's still not enough to win. I wanted to make sure you understood the extent and limitations of power you now possess."
"Do not insult me," Sayaka fired back. "Pokemon are a reflection of their trainer. Weak Pokemon are the products of a weak trainer. And I'll never allow myself to become weak."
Without giving Vaeryn a chance to say anything else, the ninja turned back and began to walk away from him.
…
As the memory replayed in her head, Sayaka looked at the Keystone engraved into her fan, and felt a small tinge of satisfaction upon knowing that she had been able to reach the very top of the Grand Festival without resorting to her trump card.
"Of course, not that I'd need it to win, but better safe than sorry," the ninja said, as she adjusted her kimono. With how close she was to winning, she wasn't going to lower her guard just because her final opponent wasn't somebody Sayaka would consider a challenging rival.
Still, despite her many victories over Serena in the past, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Despite all the trash talk, deep down she knew that Serena wasn't some unskilled nobody. No one reached the final round of a Grand Festival on good luck alone. Meditation helped, but bits of restlessness remained. She needed to be confident, like she always was, and everything would work out right.
She looked at the clock on the wall; there were still five minutes left until the final round began, and Serena was nowhere to be seen. Was she planning to wait until the very last second, or did she realize that she couldn't win and decided to quit before another inevitable loss? She was hoping for the former, after all, winning by default would diminish Sayaka's victory.
That moment, one of the doors opened with a click, and her final rival entered the waiting area.
…
Serena wasn't surprised to see Sayaka already in the waiting area when she entered. She probably had been there for more than ten minutes.
"Cutting it close, aren't we?" Sayaka asked. "I was wondering if you'd show up or if you decided to give up."
"There's still time," Serena replied. "And giving up? Yeah, I'm not going to give up, if only to not give you the satisfaction."
"You got it backwards, dear. I would have been mildly upset had you decided to call it quits, since winning a major competition like this one because an opponent retires it's kind of a bummer," Sayaka haughtily said, hands on her hips. "I don't want to simply win, but for everybody to see and marvel at my skill when I crush you."
"You talk as if you have already won," Serena said, remembering the words Ash had told her not long ago about victory being impossible if you don't believe you can't win. Sayaka certainly didn't have that problem. "But the battle hasn't even begun."
"Oh sure, I have to beat you. Again. How many times have I defeated you in the past? Three, I think?" Sayaka replied. "So excuse me if I don't lose any sleep over the idea of having to face you. Again."
"This time it will be different," Serena stated.
"It sure will be, honey. Because you trained really hard since our last encounter, didn't you?" the ninja mockingly asked. "While assuming that I stayed idle."
"No. Because whenever I faced you in the past, I only thought of beating you to wipe that smug grin from your face and force you to swallow all the horrible things you said to me and all the people you beat," Serena replied, her anger rising before reigning it in. "But not anymore. After you told me about yourself in Legen... it gave me a new perspective."
Sayaka scowled. "No matter how many new perspectives you get, it won't change the outcome of this battle."
Serena ignored her. "Today, I will defeat you to prove that you didn't have to become what you're now to be a winner. That your younger self wasn't doing anything wrong, even if she got to a rough start."
"Fine. Suit yourself. Get your hopes up. Keep thinking that this time it will be different" Sayaka replied. "I will enjoy giving you another reality check."
The door opened again, and a brown haired woman with a clipboard peeked inside. "Sayaka, Serena? If you're ready, please head to the stage. The final round is about to begin."
The time for words was over.
…
Ash and his friends, with Leona now tagging along, were back to their seats, watching expectantly for the final round to begin. Serena and Sayaka were already at their respective sides of the battleground. Jillian had just finished introducing them and explaining how the winner would be taking home the gold, before instructing them to present their Pokemon.
"Delphox, Syrentide, go!" Serena said, tossing two pokeballs upwards.
The capture device opened, one of them releasing a torrent of crystaline water, the other a wave of roaring orange fire. Both elements coalesced into the forms of Serena's first Tandorian and first Kalosian Pokemon, respectively, the two of them ready for battle.
"Luxelong, Baariette, heed my call!" Sayaka shouted, mimicking Serena.
From one pokeball came a storm of cherry blossom petals, from the other a storm of golden stars, before revealing the same Dragon and Fairy-type Pokemon that Vaeryn had used in his battle, next to a bipedal black wooled sheep Pokemon that looked like a taller and more muscular version Baaschaf. Perhaps an evolution?
" Baariette, the Hard Horn Pokemon, Baaschaf's evolution and Baashaun's final form. Dark/Fighting. A master at fighting dirty, Baariette like to ensure that their foes can never oppose them again." The Pokedex explained.
"A Pokemon fitting a ninja," Lilia said upon hearing the description.
"Five minutes on the clock! Begin!" Jillian called.
~Serena (Delphox & Syrentide) VS Sayaka (Luxelong & Bariette)~
"Come on, my Pokemon! Crush them with such force they won't be able to get back!" Sayaka shouted. "Dragon Pulse!"
"Lu, luuux!" Luxelong cried as a dragon-shaped purple and amethyst energy beam shot out of its opened jaws.
Delphox and Syrentide looked at each other and nodded, and without Serena even issuing a command, Syrentide took a step forward while Delphox hopped back and hid behind her teammate. The Dragon Pulse washed harmlessly over Syrentide and dispersed it to the sides, though the bright glow of the attack forced her to shield her eyes for a moment.
"Now, Baariette! Thunder Punch!" Sayaka called.
When Syrentide opened her eyes again, she saw the grinning bipedal ovine, its right fist covered in electricity winding back, before it slammed right into her face, shocking her and pushing her backwards. The Siren Pokemon crashed against Delphox, who was also zapped the moment they made contact.
"Delphox! Syrentide!" Serena cried upon seeing her Pokemon taking such a hit.
"And Sayaka opens the battle with a very clever attack involving misdirection!" Jillian excitedly commented as Serena lost no less than ten percent of her points, while the public roared in anticipation.
"I can't believe that you fell for such an obvious trap," Sayaka mocked in a haughty tone. "Did you seriously believe that I was stupid enough to use a Dragon-type move on a Fairy-type Pokemon? And here I thought that this time you'd be an actual challenge to beat. But alas, with you all one can expect is disappointment," she said while condescendly shaking her head.
"You want a challenge? I'll give you one!" Serena said, raising her right hand over her head while touching the Keystone on her ring with the other. "Come on Syrentide, let me help you bring out the potential that hides deep within you! Mega Evolve!"
Beams of light shot from the Keystone on her ring and the Mega Stone tied to Syrentide's tail, triggering the metamorphosis into a bigger, stronger and overall more majestic form, ending with the Mega Evolution helix flashing in front of her for a second.
Sayaka lost a bit of her points.
"It seems Serena is going all out from the get go given that she has Mega Evolved her Pokemon!" Jillian commented, clearly intrigued at the idea of seeing a Mega Evolved Pokemon in action so soon.
"That wasn't a wise move on Serena's part," Ash heard Clemont say.
"Hm? Why do you say that, big brother? Isn't Mega Evolution going to help?" Bonnie curiously asked, though Ash was already imagining the answer.
"Yes, but the timing is also important. Serena should have waited until Sayaka got used to fighting Syrentide in her base form, then Mega Evolve her in order to throw her off," Clemont explained. "Now, even if Syrentide is stronger, Sayaka will be able to gauge her strength and abilities and adapt her tactics to it."
"That was the reason behind Sayaka provoking her like that, isn't it?" Miette asked.
"That girl really has a talent for getting under Serena's skin," Lilia added.
"Come on, Serena, you can do it!" Ash cheered for her.
"We have the advantage, now let's make the gap between them and us even bigger!" Sayaka said, feeling empowered by her excellent start. "Baariette, Dark Pulse, and Luxelong, Thunderbolt!"
"Baaaa!" Baariette bleated as it cupped its paws together before thrusting them forward, releasing a powerful stream of black energy.
"Luxe-LO!" Lunxelong cried, yellow sparks crackling across is body for a second before releasing a lightning bolt of the same color.
"Syrentide, Ice Beam on the ground! Form a block of ice as big as you can!" Serena commanded.
"Sy, syr!" Syrentide nodded before firing a beam of freezing energy into a spot on the ground a few meters in front of her, forming a block of ice that quickly grew into a mighty iceberg.
The Dark and Electric-type attack combo smashed against the iceberg, shattering it to pieces that flew in every direction. However, the combination attack had spent all its power to break down that barrier.
"Now Delphox, Hidden Power!" Serena commanded.
"Del!" Delphox cried, waving her wand as she conjured a volley of orbs of multicolored light that flew through the icy mist formed when the iceberg was shattered, and slammed against Baariette and Luxelong.
Sayaka scowled as she watched her points drop, putting her at the same level as Serena.
"And that's not all! Come on Syrentide, show Sayaka the power of your improved Hyper-Voice!" Serena added.
Nodding, Syrentide took a step forward, and taking a deep breath, released a powerful sonic scream which manifested in the form of visible pink soundwaves.
"Luxelong, Protect! And Bariette, get behind it!" Sayaka ordered.
As Baariette hid behind its quadrupedal companion, Luxelong's body glowed with a gentle green light, before manifesting an horizontal dome of energy in front of it, successfully blocking the Pixilate-empowered Hyper-Voice.
"Delphox, attack now with Mystical Fire!" Serena urged.
"De, del!" Delphox cried as she swung her wand forward, releasing a cone of flames surrounded by concentrical rings of fire.
"Damn! Quickly, move out of the way, Luxelong! and Baariette, counter with Dark Pulse!" Sayaka warned her Pokemon.
Unfortunately, the Dragon and Fairy-type Pokemon was unable to move as fast as its trainer demanded, and the cone of flames washed over it and its partner, who wasn't able to launch the Dark Pulse either, Both Pokemon cried in pain as they were pushed backwards by the wave of fire.
Much to the ninja's disgust, she saw her score dropping once again, falling below Serena's.
"Luxelong! Bariette!" Sayaka called. "Are you okay?"
Despite the fact that they had a few burnt marks and soot patches around their bodies, Sayaka's Pokemon managed to get back on their feet and regained their fighting stances. Both of them nodded at her.
"Good. Of course, such paltry attacks would hardly cause you any harm," Sayaka said, smiling as her confidence quickly returned. "Okay, let's show her that that was just a stroke of luck! Baariette, Rock Slide!"
"Baaaa!" Bariette bleated as it summoned a cluster of sharp rocks above the battleground, before launching them towards Serena's Pokemon.
"Syrentide, counter them with Hydro Pump!" Serena ordered.
"Ren!" Syrentide nodded as her cheeks swolled up, before releasing a powerful stream of torrential water towards the rain of rocks.
"Luxelong, use Psychic on the rocks and maneuver them around that move!" Sayaka quickly added.
"Lu, luxe!" Luxelong cried as its entire body began to glow with a blue aura.
Said aura appeared as well around the rocks summoned and launched by Baariette, which were en route to clash against Syrentide's Hydro Pump. However, as if they had life of their own, the rocks moved out of the way of the attack and continued their trajectory.
"Delphox, stop them with Hidden Power!" Serena called.
However, before the Fox Pokemon could do anything, the rocks smashed against her and her partner. And as if the rocks were bad enough, the psychic energy they were coated with was released in a single burst, causing said rocks to painfully explode.
"Del!/Syre!" her Pokemon cried in pain.
"Delphox! Syrentide! Please hold on!" Serena pleaded.
"It looked like Serena had managed to control the pace of the battle, but Sayaka isn't willing to let such a thing happen!" Jillian excitedly commented as Serena's points dropped again. Right now, Sayaka still had three quarters of her initial points, while Serena only had sixty percent.
Fortunately for the honey blonde, there was still plenty of fight in their Pokemon, who quickly jumped to their feet and prepared to continue the battle.
"Can you continue?" she asked, just in case. Upon seeing them nod, she added, "Alright then. Delphox, Psybeam!"
"Del, phox!" Delphox cried, her eyes glimmering with a multicolored light before firing a beam of psychic energy of the same color.
"You think you can use the same tactic I used against you first against me, don't you? Well, think again!" Sayaka shouted. "Luxelong, counter it with Dragon Pulse! And Baariette, get close to Syrentide and use Thunder Punch!"
"Lux, luxe!" Luxelong barked before opening her jaws and exhaling a blue and purple dragon-shaped beam of energy. The attack clashed against the Psybeam, as both moves struggled to push the other back.
"Baaa, baaa!" Baariette bleated, its hooves clapping against the ground as it dashed towards the mermaid, its fist coated in yellow electricity.
Serena merely smirked. "Syrentide, delight them with Sing!"
Syrentide didn't need to be told twice, as she began to intone a beautiful melody. Ethereal notes appeared around the battleground, and the move's effect didn't take time to manifest, with Baariette's dash slowing down until it was dragging its hooves, and Luxelong being unable to hold the Dragon Pulse, allowing Delphox's Psybeam to overpower it and push the Dragon-type move back at Sayaka's Pokemon.
"And now, turn that Sing into a Hyper-Voice!" Serena commanded.
"Sy-REEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Syrentide suddenly increased the volume of her voice, making the ethereal musical notes floating around disappear, as pink destructive soundwaves flew out of her open mouth, blasting the half asleep Baariette backwards.
Sayaka's points dropped all the way back to fifty percent.
"Yes! Way to go Serena!" Bonnie cheered.
"Keep going like this! You're doing great!" Ash followed, just as energetic as Bonnie.
"And Serena makes quite the impressive use of Syrentide's signature singing voice to once again take the lead!" Jillian commented. "Sayaka's Pokemon stand and fight bravely, but it's hard to match the power of a Mega Evolved Pokemon!"
"She isn't the only one who can Mega Evolve her Pokemon!" Sayaka protested, and opened her fan, revealing a Keystone embedded in it. "I was hoping I didn't have to resort to this, but this battle is too important to let my pride blind me. Are you ready, Baariette?"
"Baaa!" Bariette bleated, pulling aside some of the wool around its neck to reveal a hairclip with a Mega Stone hidden below.
"Good! In that case, let's go! Break the chains that hold you back and let your power reach new heights! Mega Evolve!"
Beams of light shot from the Keystone and Mega Stone, flying towards each other and merging together. The Hard Horn Pokemon's body began to glow with a bright light as it began to grow and transform. Once the metamorphosis was over, the symbol of Mega Evolution flashed in front of the transformed Pokemon.
Serena lost a few points, but her score was still ahead of Sayaka's.
"Wow... that Pokemon just got all the more scarier!" Shauna commented, sounding a little worried for Serena.
While Baariette kept the same form as in its base state, its Mega Evolved form was bulkier and packed with muscle. Its forearms and legs were now blue with golden edges, as well as silvery rings around the wrists and ankles. It now had four horns, two short and curly and the other two longer and corkscrew-shaped.
"Baaaa!" It bleated, punching a fist against its hand, grinning menacingly while looking at Serena's Pokemon.
"It's okay. Mega or not, Serena can win this," Ash said, his confidence in his girlfriend unwavering.
"What a surprise, folks! We're going to witness a battle involving not one, but two Mega Evolved Pokemon!" Jillian excitedly said, drawing a roar from the crowd, which clearly shared the hostess' anticipation. "Sayaka's Baariette was quite the powerhouse before, but I can't wait to see what it can do now."
"Then let's not make you and the good people watching this battle wait any further," Sayaka said, her grin matching that of her Pokemon's. "Baariette, Thunder Punch!"
"Baaaa!" the Hard Horn Pokemon bleated before suddenly vanishing.
"What-" Serena was about to ask, when suddenly Baariette reappeared between Delphox and Syrentide, an electrified fist raised above its head. "Guys watch-"
Before the honey blonde could finish her warning, Baariette brought its fist down, not towards any of Serena's Pokemon, but to the intermediate space between them on the ground. The moment the fist collided with the floor, it produced a powerful explosion of yellow lightning that blasted Delphox and Syrentide in opposite directions.
Serena lost some points.
"Wow! That speed and power..." Miette said, letting out a whistle. "Mega Evolution is sure something!"
"Baariette was pretty fast and strong before, and Mega Evolution has done nothing but enhance such qualities even further," Clemont observed.
"If that's the case, then Bariette's defenses might not be that great. It can deal a punch, but can it take one?" Lilia countered.
"It's not that easy. Even if that were true, Serena would have trouble landing a hit on that Pokemon thanks to its speed," Clemont rebuked.
"Mega Evolved or not, no Pokemon is invincible," Ash stated, his eyes fixed on the stage. "That Baariette must have a weak point, and I'm sure Serena can find it."
"Pi, pika!" Pikachu agreed with his trainer.
Delphox, being the least affected by the Electric-type move, was the first one to recover.
"Delphox, Flamethrower!" Serena ordered.
"Dodge and Vital Throw!" Sayaka replied. "Just the way we practiced!"
Wasting no time, Delphox waved her wand at the Mega Evolved Pokemon, sending a torrent of flames in its direction. Unfortunately, Baariette's devilish speed proved to be too much, quickly dodging the flames while getting close to Delphox, grabbing the Fox Pokemon by the arm and launching her into the air.
"Delphox!" Serena cried.
"D-Deeeeeeel!" Delphox yelled as she sailed through the air. Everybody realized, however, the Baariette hadn't just launched Delphox into a random direction, as she was moving in an arc towards Sayaka's other Pokemon.
"Luxelong, Dragon Pulse!" Sayaka ordered.
"Long lux!" Luxelong cried as it fired yet another dragon-shaped energy beam.
Unfortunately, being airborne meant that Delphox wouldn't be able to dodge the attack. The Dragon-type move hit her squarely, blasting her back to Serena's side of the battlefield, before painfully landing on the ground.
And as much as she wanted to check on her starter, Baariette was still too close to Syrentide, forcing the Kalosian to deal with it first.
"Syrentide, Hyper-Voice!" she commanded.
"Bariette, dodge it! Regroup with Luxelong!" Sayaka ordered.
Syrentide took no time to execute her Pixilate-empowered sonic attack, but Baariette's speed proved to be too much again, as not only the bipedal sheep was able to disengage, but moved fast enough to evade the attack as well. Once there was no immediate danger, the mermaid quickly waddled towards her partner and helped her back on her feet.
Serena's points dropped all the way to forty percent.
Sayaka spread her arms open "See? Nothing has changed! I'm still the superior coordinator! Always have been!" she yelled. "No matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, nothing will work against me! My victory is inevitable!"
Before Serena could reply, Delphox's body began to shimmer with a burning orange aura, followed by her eyes glowing with a red light making it look like they were burning coals, and the fire on the tip of her wand burned with more intensity.
"Del, deeeeel!" Delphox cried, the fiery aura flaring around her.
"What... what's that?" Grace asked, looking a little worried. "Is Delphox okay?"
"It's nothing bad, if that's what you're worried about," Ash quickly went to reassure her. "That's Delphox's ability, Blaze. It increases the power of Delphox's Fire-type attacks, but said ability is only active when the Pokemon is low on energy."
"So that means even if Delphox can hit harder now, she might do down the next time she takes a powerful hit," Shauna surmised. "Let's hope Serena is careful."
Seeing Delphox making such a fiery display seemed to reinvigorate Serena, who locked eyes with her rival before replying. "You say that your victory is at hand, but..." Serena began. "...then, why do you sound like you're trying to convince yourself?"
"W-What? I don't need to convince myself of anything! Every time we've clashed in a one on one, I always came out the winner! And this time it won't be different!" Sayaka insisted.
"You may deny it all you want, but I can notice it: the hesitation, the doubts, the insecurity," Serena began. "And why are you so fixated on putting me down. Because deep down you're having second thoughts about choosing to discard your older self, the one I remind you of. "
"S-Shut up!" Sayaka hissed, her normally pale face turning red with anger.
"You keep thinking that maybe you could have still reached your goals without having to become so cold and ruthless," Serena continued.
"I told you to shut up! Why do you care about myself so much? I'm your adversary! Your enemy!" Sayaka protested.
"Because my dream is to become someone able to bring smiles to everyone, regardless if they are my friends or not. And I know that deep down you do regret sacrificing your smile in order to walk this path," Serena continued. "And I will help you get that smile back!"
"If you want to make me smile, all you have to do is to lose already!" Sayaka yelled, her cool demeanor progressively cracking. "Luxelong, Energy Ball! And Baariette, combine it with Dark Pulse!"
Luxelong opened its mouth, forming and launching an emerald orb of glowing energy, while Baariette shot a stream of dark energy from its cupped hands. Both attacks combined into a sphere of swirling power with a green core and black and purple edges.
"Delphox, Flamethrower! Syrentide, Hyper-Voice!" Serena ordered.
Taking a deep breath, Syrentide released a loud sonic scream just as Delphox waved her wand forward, sending a torrent of bright red and orange flames, both attacks merging into a blazing cone of sound. When the two opposite moves met, they struggled against each other for a couple seconds, but in the end Serena's combo overpowered Sayaka's, destroying it and barreling forward towards her Pokemon.
"Luxelong, Protect, quickly! Baariette, cover behind Luxelong!" Sayaka ordered.
"Luuuu!" Luxelong cried, as it generated an energy dome around itself, which, as expected, was able to completely block the coming attack, resulting in a loud explosion followed by a cloud of smoke and dirt.
The scoreboard remained unchanged.
"Now Baariette, get close to Delphox and use Rock Slide!" Sayaka ordered.
"Delphox, get behind Syrentide, and Syrentide, counter it with Hydro Pump!" Serena ordered.
Baariette jumped into the air, summoning a cluster of rocks around itself – noticeably larger than when it used the attack prior to Mega Evolving – and sent them downwards with several arm motions.
Syrentide, meanwhile, gathered water on her cheeks before expelling it in the form of a high-pressurized torrent, which effectively pushed the Rock-type attack away.
"Now, Luxelong, Psychic!" Sayaka called.
"Lux, luuu!" Luxelong wailed, its body glowing pink as it send destructive waves of psychic power of the same color forward, harmlessly washing over Baariette in front of it.
"Syrentide, Ice Beam on the ground in front of you! Form a barrier!" Serena ordered.
"Sy, ren!" Syrentide replied, launching a beam of freezing power from her mouth to the spot in front of her, where an iceberg quickly formed.
Said ice block shattered the moment the psychic waves smashed into it, but fortunately, it managed to sap the psychic-type move of all its energy and momentum. Unfortunately for her, though, Sayaka was already counting on that.
"Now get close to Syrentide and use Vital Throw!" Sayaka ordered. "Then come back quickly!"
In a split second, Baariette was in front of Syrentide, the bipedal ovine grinning menacingly at the mermaid as it grabbed her by the arm, before violently slinging her into the air, and then jumped backwards before Delphox could retaliate.
"Luxelong, Energy Ball!" Sayaka ordered, sure that Syrentide wouldn't be able to dodge the super effective move while in the air.
"Syrentide, Hydro Pump against the ground!" Serena ordered.
Once again, Syrentide's cheeks swelled up with water before exhaling a powerful stream of the crystalline blue liquid. The moment the water hit the ground, the move not only did stop the mermaid's airborne momentum, but it reversed it as well, launching her back towards her initial position and dodging the Energy Ball, before landing next to Delphox with a loud thud.
Sayaka's points dropped further, now below Serena's at thirty percent.
"What an amazing maneuver! Once again Serena delights us with her quick thinking to counter her opponent's strategy!" Jillian commented, before looking at the scoreboard. "And the match is coming to an end with only one minute left on the clock with Serena in the lead!"
"More than enough time to turn this around!" Sayaka boasted, though she was unable to completely stifle a hint of the desperation in her voice. "Baariette, Thunder Punch on Syrentide!"
"Syrentide, Ice Beam on the ground! Cover the floor in ice!" Serena ordered.
As Baariette rushed forward, leaving a trail of dust behind, Syrentide fired a beam of chilling energy to the ground as Serena instructed. Rather than forming a huge ice block as she did before, the ice was spread evenly, covering the floor in a thin sheet of gleaming ice.
"B-Baaaa!?" The moment one of Baariette's hooves touched the frozen surface, it made the Pokemon slip, lose balance and painfully fall on its back.
"Now quickly Delphox! Fire Blast!" Serena followed.
"Deeeeel!" Delphox cried, swinging her wand forward and conjuring a terrifying wall of flames that advanced towards the fallen Baariette, not just melting but downright evaporating the ice into steam.
"Luxelong, Protect Baariette!" Sayaka urged.
The Lucky Pokemon landed in front Baariette and raised a protective barrier just a second before the wall of flames could have touched either of them. The fire roared as it tried to break the shield, but it held firm until the Delphox's attack dissipated.
"And now Syrentide, Hyper-Voice!" Serena called. "Make it as wide as possible!"
"No! Quickly, get out of the way!" Sayaka shouted.
Unfortunately, avoiding that was the reason as for why Serena had instructed her Pokemon to expand the area of effect of her attack as much as possible, so not even Baariette's amazing speed would be able to avoid it, and both Pokemon were blasted away by the super effective attack, landing on a tangled heaps of limbs and bodies.
"No! No! Get back, now!" Sayaka screamed.
"Mystical Fire, Delphox!" Serena ordered.
"Deeeeeeee-PHOX!" Delphox loudly cried, as she poured every last bit of power into her wand, releasing it in the form of a cone of flames surrounded by concentric rings of fire.
The burning wave washed over Sayaka's Pokemon before they had any chance to get back up, causing both of them to wail in pain. When the roaring flames finally dispelled, Sayaka's Pokemon were lying on the ground, their bodies covered in burnt marks and bruises, and their eyes all swirly. Baariette had also returned to its base form.
BZZZZZZZZZZ!
"No..." Sayaka whispered.
"Sayaka's Pokemon are unable to battle! The winner of this match is Serena!" Jillian announced, and the public immediately roared in excitement. "That means that Serena is the winner of the Tandor Grand Festival, and will be taking home the title of Top Coordinator and the Ribbon Cup! Congratulations, Serena!"
"Yes, yes, yes, YES! Serena won!" Bonnie cheered, bouncing on her seat.
"Awesome! You were so great, Serena!" Ash shouted, trying to make his voice heard among the noise the audience was making.
"My daughter! That's my daughter, people! My daughter just won the Grand Festival!" Grace started to tell all the people around them.
"I... won?" Serena asked, blinking a couple times, as if prey of a shock. "I won! I did it! I defeated Sayaka! And I won the festival!" she said, as the shock faded into overwhelming jubilation. She then rushed towards her Pokemon, both of them panting and exhausted, with Syrentide returning to her base form and plopping on the floor. "Delphox! Syrentide!" the honey blonde called them before tackling both of them in a hug.
"Del!"
"S-Sy...!"
"You guys were amazing. Thank you. Thank you so much..." Serena said, pulling her two Pokemon towards her.
…
A few minutes later, Serena was standing on a podium with a red carpet over it, all her Pokemon out of their pokeballs and surrounding her. In front of her were the Grand Festivals' judges, with Rosalind holding the massive Ribbon Cup between her arms. And behind them, there was a crowd of people watching, since people were allowed to leave the stands and stay on the stage in order to watch the ceremony better.
And at the front of said crowd, of course, were Serena's friends and mother. Seeing them on such an important moment in her trainer career made the moment all the sweeter.
"Congratulazioni, ragazza," Rosalind said, smiling warmly, as she handed the vaunted trophy to Serena, the honey blonde almost losing her balance upon underestimating how much it weighed. "I still remember when I saw you for the first time all the way back in Kevlar Town. I knew you'd go far, but I never imagined that I was looking at our next Top Coordinator. I'm sure all of us are expecting to see what you are going to do next."
"I think I have an idea," Aria said while sharing a knowing look with Serena, followed by the two Kalosian girls giggling.
"So, Serena!" Jillian said, walking towards her and placing her mic next to the honey blonde. "Given the situation, is there somebody you'd like to dedicate your victory to? Or somebody that helped you when you were down and would like to thank?"
"Of course. First and foremost, I'd like to thank my Pokemon. They're the ones who were out there giving out their all. This victory is as much theirs as it's mine, if not more."
All six of Serena's Pokemon happily cried in appreciation, except Pangoro, who huffed, rubbed his arm and lowered his sunglasses.
"Next, I'd like to thank my mom, Grace," Serena continued, and saw how Ash and the rest of her friends and rivals looked at the Rhyhorn Racer, followed by everybody else, making the woman redden a little. "She always wanted what was best for me and has helped me a lot, even if sometimes I couldn't see it. I couldn't have reached this far without you, mom."
There was a collective "awwwwwww" coming from the crowd, as Grace covered her mouth with her hands, her face turning even redder and what appeared to be tears welling on her eyes.
"Next, I'd also like to thank all the friends I made across both Kalos and Tandor, some of them who also became my rivals, both those who are present, and those who aren't," Serena said, looking at Clemont, Bonnie, Lilia, Shauna, Miette, Vitor, Natalie, Aisha and Leona, all of them happy to be acknowledged. "Since all of them helped me one way or another, either directly or by pushing me into being a better trainer."
Serena, however, couldn't see Sayaka among the crowd. Not that she was surprised that the ninja wasn't there, but she was hoping she could catch her up in order to have one last talk. Oh well, she'll have to find her later.
"And last, but definitely not least, I'd like to give a big thanks to my boyfriend, Ash Ketchum," Serena said, and just like it happened with Grace, all the eyes were on the Pallet Town native, who looked a little embarrassed at the sudden attention, as well as all the whistles and giggles coming from the crowd (as well as Miette and Bonnie). "He has been my biggest pillar, and the one who helped me the most both in Kalos and in Tandor. I don't think this victory would have been possible if it wasn't for him."
"Aw, come on Serena, I'm sure you would have-"
"Kiss!" somebody shouted, interrupting Ash.
"Yeah, give her a kiss!" somebody else, a woman, added.
"To celebrate her victory!" another one said.
Before anyone could protest or say anything, the crowd roared with chants of "KISS! KISS! KISS!" as they looked at Ash. Miette and Shauna not-so-helpfully pushed the boy forward, and seeing no other option, Ash walked towards the podium, where everybody grinned at him – except Ambrose, who merely rolled his eyes but thankfully stayed silent – until he finally reached Serena.
They stared into each other's eyes without moving a muscle as a blush developed in both their faces, and during a few seconds, the crowd fell into a deafening silence.
Then Ash gently cupped Serena's face and gave her a kiss on her lips, a kiss she thankfully returned. The silence went away as soon as it came and the crowd roared and hollered at the action, with Miette and Bonnie being the loudest.
"Wow, what a way to end the Grand Festival!" Jillian commented, her voice amplified by the stage's sound speakers only barely making itself audible over the noise the audience was making. "Of course, we'd like to thank all the coordinators who took part in this year's edition, and we hope to see you next year as well!"
…
Once the ceremony was finally over, Serena returned to the now empty changing room in order to get out of the beautiful but impractical princess dress she had used for the contest season – which, Serena realized with not a small amount of melancholy, she wouldn't use it for the foreseeable future – and back into her usual clothes.
Every Pokemon was now inside their respective pokeball. Every Pokemon except one.
"Come on Pangoro, everyone must be waiting for us," Serena said, as she exited the changing room, the Daunting Pokemon behind her, carrying the Ribbon Cup.
"Goro," Pangoro nodded. She didn't enjoy using her Pokemon as a beast of burden, but she knew that her arms would be sore if she kept carrying that heavy cup.
As she left the room, she saw somebody disappearing behind a corner: a raven haired girl with a red and black ninja outfit. There was Sayaka! She needed to reach her before-
"Serena."
However, before the Kalosian could go after Sayaka, she was stopped by a familiar voice calling her. Turning around, she saw Palermo, a pleasant smile plastered on her face.
"Oh. Palermo," Serena said, a bit surprised to see the Showcase Producer there, though in hindsight she realized she shouldn't have been.
"Congratulations for your well earned victory, Serena," Palermo said.
"Um, thank you, ma'am. My Pokemon and I did our best," Serena replied.
"I could see that. I could also see that what constitutes 'your best' had a notable increase in quality to what used to be back in Kalos," Palermo observed. "Even if I would have preferred if you accepted my offer to become my new apprentice, I can see that doing Pokemon Contests has done you no small amount of good."
"Yes. Thank you for suggesting to me the idea of doing contests. It has been an enriching experience," Serena replied.
"I'm glad your time here has been productive," Palermo said. "Now that you're a Top Coordinator, what do you plan to do?"
Serena took a moment to put her thoughts in order before answering. "Well, for the time being, I will continue traveling through Tandor with Ash, at least until the Pokemon League. Then I'll return to Kalos, if only to cheer for Miette and Shauna during the Master Class Showcase, given that they came all the way here to cheer me on. And after that... I think it may be time to give becoming a Kalos Queen another shot."
"I'd say that if you returned to Kalos now, with the Showcase Season extended, you'd still have time to earn three Princess Keys and take part in this year's Master Class, but given how much your relationship with that Kantonian boy has grown since then, if that public display of affection is any clue, no wonder you have even more of an incentive to stick by him," Palermo commented, making the honey blonde blush in embarrassment while Pangoro snickered. "Then again, even if I preferred if your return to the Showcase Circuit was sooner, I'm happy to know that you will be eventually back with us. Plus, Aria will still be there for you to try to take her crown away again."
"Don't dismiss the other performers. Who knows, maybe one of them brings Aria's reign to an end," Serena confidently replied.
"I doubt it, but your faith in your fellow performers is admirable," Palermo said.
The conversation reached a lull, yet Palermo remained there, not bidding Serena goodbye or even making any attempt to leave. Fortunately, before the moment could become too awkward, the Showcase Producer spoke again.
"You know, Serena, plenty of performers fell on their knees and begged me to train them the same way I trained Aria. Yet you're the only one who refused an offer to be trained by me," she said for the second time, her smile disappearing as her expression hardened. "I have said many times in the past that there will never be a Kalos Queen like Aria. I still stand by that statement," then, her lips formed the subtlest of smiles, but one Serena could catch. "Perhaps... that's not necessarily a bad thing."
"Huh?" Serena asked, taken a little aback.
"Nearly every performer sees Aria's skill and popularity and wants to follow her steps and be like her, but you," Palermo took a step closer to Serena. "It's obvious that you look up to her and strive to follow her example, but at the same time you don't want to be her, but carve out your own destiny, write your own story. Others might assume that it was arrogance that spurred you to reject my offer of apprenticeship, but somebody who knows you better can tell that you simply wanted to follow your own path.
"That's why I think you're one of the very few performers with a chance to end Aria's long reign. Aria will never lose to an Aria wannabe, but somebody who seeks to become someone different, like you? Now we're talking."
"I... thank you for your faith in me, ma'am," Serena said. "I assure you that once I make my return to the Showcase Circuit, you won't be disappointed.
Palermo's smile became more apparent. "I know I won't be, kid."
"By the way, what are you and Aria going to do now? Head back to Kalos?" Serena asked.
"For the time being, no. Aria wants to stay here and do some charity performances in order to help the victims of the nuclear disasters. But eventually we'll have to leave in order to prepare for the Master Class Showcase," Palermo explained. "Now go. I think I already kept you here for longer than you wanted, and I'm sure your friends are waiting for you so you can celebrate your victory."
"I... yes. Until we meet again, ma'am," Serena said, as she and Pangoro left the hallway.
…
The sun was already setting when Serena arrived at the Contest Hall's entrance, dying the skies with a golden orange hue. She saw at the entrance a large group waiting for her: her mother, Ash, and the rest of her friends and rivals, both Kalosian and Tandorian. Well, all her Tandorian rivals minus one.
"It's not like I should have expected her to wait for me alongside everybody else to congratulate me," she sadly thought.
She quickly joined them, and even if her humble nature made her not look for it – especially now, since after the intense excitement of the Grand Festival, Serena only wished peace and quiet to relax – the honey blonde braced herself for the inevitable shower of praises and congratulations that her friends and rivals launched her way. Thankfully, the effusiveness quickly died down, fading into a more sober mood.
"So, what do you plan to do now? Continue traveling with Ash, I believe?" Grace asked.
"Of course. He's only one badge away from the Tandor League, and I want to support him all the way to the end, just like how he always supported me," Serena said, smiling.
"Awwwww, so cute," Miette exaggeratedly cooed.
"I see. Though, I imagine you won't plan to carry that thing around with you during the rest of your journey, don't you?" Grace said, as she took the Ribbon Cup from Pangoro's hands. "Here, let me take care of that for you. When you return home, you'll see it in the living room. I have the perfect place for it."
"Next to all your Rhyhorn Racing trophies, right?" Serena asked, gently rolling her eyes.
"Hey, it still has plenty of space left for more, you know!" Grace defended her decision.
"And what about the rest of you guys?" Serena said, her eyes mostly focused on her contest rivals. "Now that the contest season is over, what do you plan to do? Train for the next one?"
"Yeah, but not now. I think I need a few weeks of doing nothing in order to clear my head and let my Pokemon time to rest," Aisha replied. "But yeah, after that, we'll train harder than ever!"
"I'm going to help my sister prepare for the league. Not just because she's my sister, but because she also helped me train for the Grand Festival," Vitor replied. "Though I hope she does better than me in the League."
"Hey, no putting yourself down, you hear me? Or else I'll have to ground you!" Natalie admonished, waving an accusatory index finger at her twin brother.
"As for me... well, I'm going to take it easy and do some sightseeing. Then... I think I will return to Alola, and maybe start over again and relearn the basics. I realized that I relied too much on Z-moves, and that hampered my development as a trainer."
It was then that Serena noticed that Leona's left wrist was bare, her Z-Ring nowhere to be found. "Leona! Your Z-Ring…?"
"It's on my backpack. Like I said, I need to break the habit of relying on it whenever things get a little difficult," Leona explained. "And it will stay there until I can prove myself that I can be a good coordinator without relying on it."
"For all it's worth, I think you're already an amazing coordinator, but still, I hope you eventually find the worthiness you seek," Serena told her. She then looked at Miette and Shauna, and smiling, she said: "Thank you for coming all the way here to see me. Don't worry, I'll make sure to be back in Kalos in time to cheer for you during the Master Class Showcase!"
"Good to hear that," Shauna said, nodding.
"You better not forget, or else!" Miette playfully warned.
"By the way, not that I expected her to be here, but have you guys seen Sayaka?" Serena asked.
Serena's question was met with confused faces and raised eyebrows. Again, not a surprising reaction.
"The ninja girl? What do you want to do with that annoying prick?" Aisha asked. "Because you don't look like somebody who likes to gloat, no matter how much that stuck-up girl deserves it."
Serena shook her head. "I don't plan to gloat. But after the battle, I was hoping I could have a talk with her, to discuss an important topic that has been... let's say, the root of our rivalry."
"I saw her briefly in the changing room shortly after they gave you the Ribbon Cup, but then she left. She appeared to be in a hurry," Leona recalled.
"Oh. Well, guess that I won't be able to talk to her," Serena said.
"Hey, don't give up so soon! Remember that Sayaka is from Tsukinami Village, and that's where we're going next, since I plan to challenge its Gym Leader!" Ash reminded her.
"Yeah, You may see her there, and you'll be able to talk with her about that important matter," Lilia added.
Serena nodded, hoping that they would be right. Finally being able to defeat Sayaka after so many failed attempts felt good, Serena wasn't going to lie to herself. However, she felt she needed to sort things out with the ninja before parting ways for good, not just to put their rivalry to a definitive end, but for the sake of Sayaka herself.
It was something she needed to do if she still aspired to be Kalos Queen, after all.
Author's Note: And thus, the Grand Festival comes to an end with Serena being crowned the winner Congrats Serena, for that big trophy and your new title as Top Coordinator!
I found funny that some of you were worried that Serena might lose, given that I thought it was obvious she was going to win, since both her character arc and her rivalry with Sayaka DEMANDED that she won in order to make narrative sense (it would be no different than if, say, Ash lost to Paul again in the Sinnoh League). But hey, if my story is less predictable than I believe, I'm not going to complain XD
(But yeah, even if that wasn't the case, there's NO WAY I was going to make Serena lose here. This isn't the anime).
Originally, I was planning to have Leona throw away her Z-ring into the sea, but I felt it was a bit too heavy handed, so I changed it to her simply keeping it stored in her backpack instead.
Thanks a lot to Fox McCloude, beamknight87 and hirowriter for reviewing the last chapter.
The Grand Festival might be over, but there's still one loose end to tie up before we can finally conclude Serena's character arc for good. Next time, our heroes travel to Tsukinami Village. In the meantime, don't forget to drop a review with your thoughts in this chapter!