Pokémon Heroes of Hoenn

The Road to Victory

Over the next two months, Wally, Leaf, and I trained hard together, being sure to take some time to rest and catch up on our days apart. I was shocked to see that Wally's Kirlia had evolved into a Pokémon I had never seen or heard of before. It wasn't in the latest Pokédex model, so we realized it was some type of new Pokémon. Wally explained that it evolved when exposed to an unknown stone, so we thought about getting Steven involved in our investigation later. For the time being, Wally had his mind set on calling the new Pokémon Gallade, which we accepted without any form of disagreement. Besides, it only seemed to make sense for some reason, though I couldn't place my finger on why.
Regardless of Wally's partner, we continued to hone our skills as best we could until the day arrived when Victory Road would finally be open to all trainers with eight Badges of the Hoenn region. That day just so happens to be today.
Wally, Leaf, and I all gathered with a large group of around forty or more people at the entrance, waiting to receive entry to the Badge check gates. I have to admit, I felt overwhelmed by the fact that the day had arrived. Everything that I had experienced on my journey, everything that I felt, it all lead up to this very moment. It all feels like some sort of dream that I'll wake up from the second I reach those gates to feel nothing but the emptiness and despair of my former home.
Just as the thought crossed my mind, I felt a firm hand placed on my shoulder, causing me to look up to find Leaf smiling sympathetically​ at me.
"You feelin' nervous there, pal?" Leaf asked. I faked a smile.
"Y-yeah, a little..." I murmured. Leaf gave me a look that expressed how much he knew I wasn't kidding anyone. "Okay, a lot." I confessed.
"Don't worry, Ruby. Remember, it's not power that makes you the strongest..." Leaf paused, placing a gentle fist to my chest where my heart beats continuously inside me, "it's what's in here. What makes you want to come this far? What do you love about it? What's your passion, your drive? What makes you you?" Leaf asked rhetorically, a passionate tone in his voice. When Leaf asked me what makes me want to come this far, my mind instantly flashed an image of my father. However, it wasn't an image of anger or disgust. No, it was much different. There was a soft, warm smile on his face, one that screamed of a moment of approval. As for what makes me me, that would have to be my destiny. My Pokémon are linked to my destiny, therefore, it's the Pokémon I have befriended on my journey that are a part of making me who I am today. That, and the friends who have taught me so much during my travels. I couldn't be more grateful to them, all of them. I smiled a soft, genuine smile back at Leaf, nodding in response to what he had said.
"Thank you, Leaf. I don't think I would have the courage to make it this far if not for you." I stated softly, earning a dumbfounded look from the blonde haired boy.
"Whaddya mean? I didn't do that much." Leaf stated modestly. I shook my head in disagreement.
"That you did, Leaf. When I was first challenging Roxanne, she
looked down on me for challenging her with a Fire type Pokémon. That's when you showed up. If you hadn't said all that stuff about type not being everything, I probably would've given up right then and there. My pride makes me never wish to look like a fool in others, but you showed me that it's okay to 'mess up' because you can make up for it by giving it everything you've got." I stated firmly, leaving Leaf at a momentary loss for words.
"Heheh.... You've really grown, Ruby. You didn't really like any of us back then, but ya seemed to put up with me for some reason. Now it's almost as if you think without us you'd be nothing." Leaf teased with a chuckle.
"I don't think, I know that I'd be nothing without each and every one of you. You're a part of me that could never be replaced." I said passionately, thinking back on how much each of my friends helped me learn and grow.
"You really are something else, you know that? There really is no one else out there who's quite like you, Ruby." Leaf laughed. "In a way, I'm really grateful for that. It may sound selfish, but I'm truly glad that there's only one you that I get to share a lifetime with. I'm sure Emerald and Sapphire feel the same." Leaf stated softly.
"Yeah... too bad they can't come with us. Hopefully they can watch us on the Pokémon Center's TV. They'll both cheer us on regardless, I'm sure." I said reassuringly more to myself than to Leaf.
"No doubt about it. Even though we're gonna be competing now, I gotta admit, I'm really cheering you on more than myself. That doesn't mean I'll take it easy on you though." Leaf stated competitively, a smirk making its way to his face as he spoke.
"Thanks, I guess. We'll just have to see who comes out on top at the end of the road." I stated calmly, staring ahead as my min wandered slightly.
"Don't forget about me just yet, Ruby. I plan on facing you out there, so don't go losing to anyone else, okay?" Wally teased.
"Me? Lose? Very funny." I said with a chuckle, playfully rolling my eyes as I spoke.
"Don't be so sure, you've got two rivals ready to beat ya down now." Leaf stated with a playful smirk.
"All the more reason I'm gonna win." I stated confidently.
"Oh, hey look! They're letting us get in line for the Badge check gates!" Leaf exclaimed in excitement. Ready as we all were, we were the last few people in the center of the line, making it feel like quite the long wait. When our time finally came, we stood on a golden platform that began to glow as we stood still. It quickly confirmed that we had eight Badges, and so we were allowed to proceed past the gates. Unfortunately, we would have to wait for everyone else to storm Victory Road, but I figured I could manage. It only took about an hour for the others to be checked, only one of the many being kicked out for having fake Badges. A thought in the back of my head wondered if anyone ever got away with that before, but I shoved it away to preserve my feeling of determination.
"Alright, everybody ready?" one of the entrance guards yelled out enthusiastically.
"YEAH!!" everyone cheered in unison.
"Alright then, count down time! Go from three!" the other guard called.
"Three, two, one, VICTORY!!" everyone screamed with excitement as the guards stepped aside, letting everyone rush into the cave that was Victory Road. The rules here are simple, if you lock eyes with a trainer, you battle. Otherwise you're to get through the natural obstacle courses within the cave before everyone else. When someone reaches the end, he or she is to wait for one other trainer to be their final challenge before they takes on the Elite Four. Everyone else who doesn't make it can either go home or watch the winner challenge the Elite Four from the TV in the Pokémon League HQ's lobby. I definitely don't plan on sitting in a lobby or going home a loser, so my best is to give it my very best with my Pokémon. We've dreamed this dream together from the very beginning, now it's time to live it.
I took a moment to remember the look on dad's face when he saw me the day we stopped Kyogre and Groudon. That loving look of pure relief that he had when he knew that I, his only son, was safe and sound. As I raced into Victory Road, I imagined me coming home with a proud smile on my face, letting mom and dad know that I had won, I was the new Champion. I dreamed of the shimmer in dad's eyes when I opened that door, but in that moment, realization struck me. The home I dreamed of being welcomed into wasn't my home back in Goldenrod City.

It was in Littleroot Town.