Heart of Steel [Pokémon Fanfiction]

00| The Path Forged

I paced back and forth around my chamber, footsteps echoing loudly in the huge open space. My eyes constantly flitted from my watch to the wide screen monitor mounted above the room's doors. The words "Challenge 4 of 4" displayed on the screen in blocky green letters. I sighed, checking my watch again. Drake had always loved dragging out his speech. Dragons are this, dragons are that... It seemed like he made it longer every time there was a new challenger.

The screen finally flickered to life with a crackle of static, causing me to pause. When I saw who the challenger was, I felt a surge of excitement.

   "Challenger May Oras vs. Elite Drake. Battle 4 of 4 will now commence," a metallic voice announced over the PA system. I wasn't here to see the past three battles. I was only called here when a challenger managed to get past Glacia. Even then, most of the time I would get another call minutes later saying that Drake had beaten the poor Trainer's Pokémon to a pulp. But this time would be different.

   The figures onscreen threw a single Poké Ball each. So Drake was using his Salamence first; this would be quite interesting. May, the girl I had come to know so well over the past six months, sent out her Blaziken. Almost immediately, she tapped her right index and middle fingers to the bracelet around her left wrist.

   "Okay, Medli," May said, a confident sparkle in her bright blue eyes. "Mega Evolve!"

   Her Blaziken was enveloped in a flash of purple light. The light appeared to freeze and harden, encasing the Fire-type in a purple cocoon. White cracks began spreading from the shell's center, spider webbing across the entirety of its luminescent surface within seconds. The shell then burst away, the purple fragments exploding outwards like a lavender bomb.

   May's Blaziken had changed. Its coloring had darkened, its headdress of feathers was now pointing skyward, and two tendrils of flame began flowing from its talon-tipped hands. The Pokémon let out a battle cry, a rainbow-colored double helix forming in the air above the creature's head. My heart was now racing. Witnessing Mega Evolution was always a beautiful sight. So much power, so much potential... all being concentrated and unleashed in a single supernova of pure energy. It never ceased to amaze me. I then realized I had been holding my breath the whole time, letting it out in a sharp exhale.

   The battle finally began. I watched intently, eyes glued to the screen. May's Blaziken was using so many fire moves that the view was wavering from the heat haze. Even though it was at a disadvantage from being a Fire-Fighting-type Pokémon, the boosts to its stats from the Mega Evolution made that inconvenience nonexistent.

   May's Blaziken had swept through over half of Drake's team before she recalled it since his Altaria knew a Fairy-type move. It didn't matter though, her Aggron dispatched it within seconds, being replaced with her Blaziken once again.

   Watching this battle was even more exhilarating than seeing Blaziken Mega Evolve. Whether it was the well-timed Blaze Kicks or Sky Uppercuts, the way Blaziken's eyes glinted with the joy of one doing something they loved, or how in-synch both Trainer and Pokémon were, they all had the same impact. It gave me an antsy feeling in the pit of my stomach, an instinctual feeling that was supposed to be a warning but instead served as a reminder of how strong May truly was. I smiled, reminiscing about my previous encounters with her.

   I had always known this girl was special. From the moment I first met her in Granite Cave, I could tell she was different from every other Trainer I had met. And as usual, my intuition was correct. It took a special talent to be able to get this far. Not just by strength alone, the bond between the Trainer and their teammates played a major part as well. And now here she was, facing off against the five any Trainer wished to conquer.

   Before I knew it Drake had been defeated and May was leaving his arena, leaving stray flames, black scorch marks, and countless warped tiles in her wake. Right on cue, a short buzz sounded in my earpiece. I pressed my finger to the small device and I heard Drake speaking to me.

   "The challenger has defeated me and she is making her way to your chamber. Be ready."

   "I see that, thank you for informing me anyways," I said calmly despite the overwhelming excitement churning inside me. I couldn't wait for what would take place next!

   As I was waiting for May to arrive, I let my anticipation build even more, pumping myself up for our battle. My face managed to remain relatively expressionless except for the small smile permanently affixed to it.

   Choosing at random, I selected a Poké Ball from my belt. It was my Metagross'. A perfect way to start off the battle, I thought, absentmindedly fiddling with the pin stuck into my jacket, pinned right above my pounding heart. I already knew I wouldn't win. The sheer amount of power May's Pokémon displayed was enough evidence. I didn't care, it would be a battle worthy of giving my position up for.

   The doors opened before me, revealing the Trainer I had hoped to battle with for ages along with her Blaziken, it had reverted after the last battle and was now back in its regular form. May's face fell when she saw me.

   "You... you're the Champion?" she gasped.

   I laughed. "Who else would it be? Was it really not that obvious?"

   "N-no! I mean, it just surprised me, that's all," May replied, shaking her head.

   "It doesn't matter. You're here for a battle, and I will be happy to give you one!" I tossed the ball I held skyward. My beloved Metagross appeared beside me in a flash of white. "Are you ready, May?"

   "Of course I am. I've been waiting for this day ever since I became a Trainer!"

   "Very well then." I plucked my pin from my jacket and brought it close to my lips, taking a moment to relish in the energy it gave off before holding it before me in a fluid flourish. "As the Champion of the Hoenn region... I, Steven Stone, accept your challenge. Meteor, Mega Evolve!"

   "Medli, Mega Evolve!"

   Both Pokémon were consumed by the purple light, changing into the forms they were meant to be in. Meteor stared Blaziken down and it stared back, neither flinching under the other's gaze. It's time!

   "May the better Pokémon be victorious!" I declared. "Let it begin!"