Pokémon Heroes of Hoenn

Just The First Step

I couldn't help but feel nervous as I entered the Pokémon League HQ with the other trainers. People I didn't know we're congratulating me and hoping for my success, everyone wishing for me to fulfill the dream they couldn't fulfill themselves. I don't really know if I should feel honored or offended by that, but I guess it doesn't really matter since they're supporting me. I stared anxiously at the doors that stood between me and the Elite Four as I currently waited for my Pokémon to be healed at the Pokémon Center to the back left of the lobby. It's truly nerve racking to know that I'm just one step away from facing the strongest trainers in all of Hoenn. Unlike in Johto and Kanto, where the Champion League is held privately, the Hoenn region holds the whole thing live on TV, which didn't exactly ease the pressure.
I bet Fire and Red had it easy...
"Ruby!!" a familiar voice called out, causing me to jolt back into reality.
"Sapphire? Emerald? What're you.... how did you get here?" I asked with a dumbfounded look on my face, lost as to how two non competing trainers made it anywhere near the Pokémon League HQ.
"We walked in, obviously. We are the ones who saved the entire region and possibly the world from impending doom you know. I'm pretty sure they can make an exception for us to watch you take on the Pokémon League." Emerald stated in a matter of fact, Sapphire simply giggling softly in response with her usual innocent grin on her face.
"Right.... anyway, thanks for coming to support me. I honestly don't think I'd be able to hold my own without knowing you guys were around." I confessed, scratching the back of my neck shyly as I spoke. Sapphire and Emerald stared at me with dumbfounded looks earning a look of confusion from myself. "What?" I asked curiously. Emerald laughed aloud a genuine, full-hearted laugh, one in which I've never heard before. I gotta admit, it put my heart at ease to see her laugh like that.
"You're truly nothing like your old self, Ruby. I never thought I'd see the day when you even remotely confess that you in some way need us, and yet here we are." Emerald stated softly as she calmed her laughter and wiped a tear from her eye. "To be honest, I'm really glad that we all got to meet. I haven't a clue as to where I'd be without you guys." Emerald stated with a genuine smile.
"Yeah, same here..." I agreed softly, returning a soft smile as I spoke.
"Oi, don't go holding a full out peaceful moment without me!" Leaf called out as he raced to our side.
"And there goes the happiness." I teased with an exaggerated sigh.
"Yyyyup." Emerald added on as she tried to hide her grin.
"Ouch, that hurts." Leaf muttered with a little pout. I chuckled in response as I threw an arm around Leaf's shoulder in a brotherly embrace, catching him completely by surprise.
"Come on, Leaf. You know that we'd never be complete without you around! You're the one who helped me open up in the first place." I stated reassuringly, a genuine grin on my face as I spoke.
"Really?" Leaf asked with a hopeful look in his eyes.
"Yeah, and the one that I have to drag out of bad situations all the time." Emerald deadpanned, reminding us of that time we found Leaf gambling in the Game Corner.
"You don't ever plan on letting that go, do you?" Leaf muttered, earning a jokingly proud grin from Emerald in response.
"Nope." Emerald stated bluntly, forcing herself to hold back a laugh.
"Ruby? Your Pokémon are healed and ready to go." the nurse tending to the Pokémon Center said as she handed me my Pokéballs.
"Thanks, I appreciate it." I stated calmly after clipping my Pokéballs to my belt. The nurse shook her head modestly in response, smiling softly in the process.
"Good luck to you, Ruby. The challenges you will face are rough, but you can pull through with, faith, determination, and strategy. Never forget to trust in your Pokémon and their abilities in battle or whatever you set your mind to." the nurse advised wisely. I smiled gratefully in response, bowing slightly in response as I did so.
"Yes, I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Next time you see me, I'll have a title to my name if destiny so chooses." I stated calmly as my eyes sparked with determination.
"We will see, young trainer. We will see." the nurse chuckled as she waved goodbye​ so she could tend to the other trainers and their Pokémon. I waved back, making my way towards the entrance that lead to the Elite Four, glancing nervously at the cameramen and interviewers who stood anxiously beside them. Choosing to ignore them, I turned back to face Sapphire, Emerald, and Leaf, nodding softly to confirm that I was ready.
"We're rooting for you, Ruby." Emerald stated encouragingly as she gave me a thumbs up and a wink.
"Yeah... I never really could compete with you enough to be able to call myself your rival, yet I don't mind for some reason. To be honest, more often than not, I found myself rooting for you to win." Leaf confessed with a nervous chuckle.
"Me too. Since the start, I always knew that you were strong. That's why I wanted to travel with you. I knew you had a bunch of amazing things coming your way, and I wanted to be a part of that. I'm just glad that you let me get to see all that you had in store up until now." Sapphire stated cheerfully.
"No, thank you, all of you. I wouldn't be here right now if not for you, and for that, I have to say..." I paused, bowing gratefully before them before continuing, "thank you for being a part of my life." As I stood up straight and stared passionately into the eyes of my closest friends once more, I turned away, taking the golden handles to the twin doors into my hands before taking a deep breath and pulling them open.
This is it...
I silently made my way up the stairs, luckily only having one cameraman and interviewer follow along. They introduced themselves as Gabby and Ty, and I searched my memory for those names, feeling as if I had heard of them some time ago.
As I reached the end of the staircase, another pair of doors stood before me, allowing me to pull them open and reveal the battlefield on the other side. It was your run-of-the-mill​ dirt battlefield, which put me at ease to know that they didn't plan on throwing solid gold in my face right off the bat. Waiting on the other side of the field was a mostly bald man with a small red tuff of hair on his head. He wore a black vest over a typical red collared shirt, which made him seem like a pretty average guy.
"'Sup, kid? I've been waitin' for ya. The name's Sidney." the man introduced casually as he repeatedly tossed a Pokéball up in the air and caught it effortlessly.
"I'm Ruby. Ruby of Golden- no, Ruby of Littleroot Town, and I shall serve as your opponent today, Sidney." I stated firmly, earning a curious smirk from Sidney in response.
"I like that look you're giving me! Looking real good! Alright, let's get down to the type of battle you can only have here, at the Pokémon League." Sidney stated confidently as he caught his Pokéball for the final time before taking his place on the battlefield and waiting for me to take my own. As I gathered my courage and stood in the trainer box, Sidney released his first Pokémon, a Mightyena much like my own.
"So... you're a Dark type trainer, huh? Then I guess strategy calls..." I muttered to myself as I plucked out a Pokéball.
"Alright then, Zangoose go!!" I commanded enthusiastically.
"Sweet, a Zangoose! Cool Pokémon, kid. Why don't you go first? I wanna see how you move." Sidney offered readily.
"Whatever you say. Zangoose, we're in this together, so let's make it count. Use Slash!!" I commanded enthusiastically. Zangoose sharpened the look in its eyes as it bared its claws and shot forward, leaving no room for Mightyena to dodge.
As Sidney and I got on with the battle, my nervousness subsided, and a warm feeling took over me as my heart continued to fight on. I recognized that warmth, the passion running through me as a battle got under way. Leaf once called this my drive, which continues to peak my curiosity. If this feeling is my drive, then why can I not recognize its origin?
I was so focused on my thoughts, I didn't even hear the commands that were coming from the very debts of my heart.
Sidney's gasp is what snapped me back into reality, and I found Zangoose eagerly waiting for its next opponent with Mightyena lying limply on the ground.
"Yeesh... Looks like takin' it easy on ya won't be an option, huh?" Sidney teased with a light chuckle. I smirked back, still slightly taken aback by the match I just won.
"Heh, guess not." I murmured, regaining my composure as I spoke.
But... did I really do that... subconsciously?