Pokémon Heroes of Hoenn

A Call For Celebration

It was almost silent as Wallace lead me down the final flight of stairs in the Pokémon League HQ. We were headed for the lobby, where the other trainers, including my friends, stood waiting for us. Wallace walked ahead and gently pushed open the doors, everyone in the lobby staring intently at him as he stepped aside and motioned for me to come out. I stepped into the lobby calmly, causing the crowd of trainers to roar in excitement. I waved casually to the other trainers, slightly embarrassed to receive so much praise from strangers.
"Ruby!!" Sapphire called out cheerfully, earning my full attention instantly. Something came over me, leading me in to an action that would normally make me uncomfortable. I raced forward, tackling Sapphire into an embrace and ignoring the soft gasp from Leaf and Emerald. When I pulled away from her, I noticed Sapphire's face was burning red from the shock and embarrassment she presumably felt.
"R-Ruby...?" Sapphire repeated more questioningly.
Huh. I flustered Sapphire... Guess I can throw that one little goal out the bucket list.
"Sorry, I just couldn't help it. I guess I needed to express how happy I am to see you guys." I stated with a sheepish grin.
"Well this is definitely a different side of you." Emerald remarked with a playful smirk.
"Never mind that! You just became the Hoenn Champion! Is no one else as thrilled about this as I am?!" Leaf exclaimed. Emerald wacked him upside the head, causing Leaf to yell and cover the spot where she hit him with his hands.
"Of course we are, you idiot!!" Emerald snapped in the process of hitting Leaf.
"We're so happy for you, Ruby! I had full faith in you! And you didn't let me down, as always." Sapphire stated cheerfully.
"Y-yeah... I can't believe I actually won. It feels like a dream." I stated breathlessly as I smiled at the ground.
"But it's not a dream." Wallace chimed in suddenly, causing me to swiftly turn around to face him. "You did well. I'm sure you've made all the friends you've made very proud of you." Wallace complemented me warmly.
"Thanks, Wallace." I smiled up at him as I spoke, but two people crossed my mind and caused me to turn my attention to looking for them.
"What's up, Ruby?" Emerald asked curiously.
"Say... whatever happened to Gabby and Ty?" I asked as I searched for the two news reporters.
"Over here, Ruby!!" I hear Gabby's voice call from the far side of the lobby. I came to her and Ty's side, curious as to when they got out here. "We've got your whole challenge on tape! Your friends and family must be losing their minds with happiness." Gabby teased.
"Congrats, kid! You're probably the youngest Champion Hoenn's had in years." Ty remarked.
"Heheh, thanks guys. If not for you, I wouldn't have this awesome memory on tape." I chuckled.
"Say, why not get a picture with your friends outside? 'The Heroes of Hoenn Celebrate Ruby's Victory!' It'd be an awesome cover page for the newspaper! And you'd get a free in-color copy of it, naturally." Gabby offered with a wink.
"Sure. Hey, Sapphire, Emerald, Leaf! Get over here!" I called, explaining what Gabby had said to them. The five of us, Wallace included, gathered outside for the photo. Unexpectedly​ to us, all the other challengers rushed outside for the opportunity to take a photo with us. None of us really minded, and the tagline​ for the newspaper had a great big photo of the Heroes of Hoenn, Wallace, and all this year's challengers on its cover. We each promised to frame the colored copies we received when we returned home.
The challengers convinced Wallace, Sidney, Phoebe, Glacia, and Drake to hold a small party before we left for home, so we decided to stay a while longer for it. It lasted quite a few hours, dying down as evening rolled by. I stood off to the side and watched the challengers dance and laugh together as I emptied the rest of my cup of punch.
It was still a little shocking, really. To think that I finally fulfilled my dream. Not that it means that it's over now, I've still got a long way to go as a trainer and as a person. Fire and the others taught me that. I smiled at the thought of the day we first met, when our Pokédexes resonated with one another.
I think it's safe to say that our lives all changed that day for the better. I surely wouldn't have it any other way.
"Hey, Ruby!" Emerald's voice called out, causing my attention to turn to her.
"You ready to go yet, pal?" Leaf asked as he straightened out his hat. I turned around to face them fully before smiling softly and nodding my head.
"Yeah, we should get going." I stated in confirmation.
"Should we call Latios and Latias?" Sapphire asked casually.
"Mm... No, I was thinking we could just take our Flying Pokémon. That way we can enjoy the ride longer." I suggested.
"Sounds like a plan. Emerald, you can just ride with Ruby or Sapphire." Leaf added. We agreed on Emerald riding Gaius with me, and we soon waved goodbye to Wallace, the Elite Four, and the challengers before flying off into the evening sky. We all headed for Littleroot Town, excitement in my heart as we neared the small town I now called home.
It didn't take us too long to get there, I'd say about thirty minutes at most. We landed in the center of town and returned our Pokémon, quick to make a beeline for my current home. Emerald, Sapphire, and Leaf stood behind me as I stood in front of the door, taking a deep breath before knocking on it.
I was quickly greeted by the door swinging open and something I've dreamed of seeing my whole life. There stood my parents, smiling warmly at me with eyes shimmering with pride. They were proud of me. Mom threw her arms around me and kissed my forehead, tears streaming down her face as she pulled away and looked into my eyes. Dad placed a had on my shoulder and smiled warmly at me, a look in his eyes that said all that I needed to hear.
"You did it, son." dad finally said allowed, making my heart swell with joy. I properly introduced mom and dad to my friends as they welcomed us in, mom being quick to make a big dinner for us to celebrate. I silently thanked myself for not eating much at the party earlier. Mom and dad endlessly praised me, telling me how happy they were to call me their son. I felt like I was in another world with the way they spoke to me. It felt unreal, but it was purely from their hearts that they spoke. We all had dinner together, including Sapphire, Emerald, Leaf, and even Professor Birch and Mrs. Birch.
Everyone was joyfully chatting and laughing together,
almost – no, exactly like one big family. When all the chatter died down, I decided to take a rest out front. I sat on the three wooden steps to the front porch, admiring the starry night sky as I breathed a sigh of contentment.
You can't see these many stars in Goldenrod.
The words Wallace said when I asked him about Steven rang in my head as I sat in silence, contemplating the hidden meaning behind them.
"Steven? He is... actually incredibly skilled. However, he's an odd soul who rarely battles. Instead, he would rather look for rare stones."
He's strong, and yet he rarely battles? I wondered​ why that is, since you would think he'd like to test his limits. I couldn't help but think back to my encounters with Steven. He seemed like a pretty cool guy, from what I've seen. I don't know many stone collectors either, so he's also pretty unique, which I don't see as a problem. More of what Wallace said came to mind as I wondered where Steven could be now.
"I'm sure he's digging in a cave or a craggy mountain somewhere. But what is a rare stone exactly? All I can think of is a Meteorite..."
A cave or craggy mountain... Meteorite... What did he mean by all that? He had such a hinting tone, like he was trying to give me a message or something. But what? Cave... mountain... Meteorite... Meteor... Wait a minute – was Wallace trying to say that...?
"Hey, Ruby? You okay out here?" Emerald asked casually as she cracked open the front door and stepped outside. I swiftly got to my feet and grabbed my bag, which lied beside me, being sure to pull out my Eon Flute before slinging it over my shoulder.
"Tell everyone I'm headed out for a while. There's something I need to check out." I told Emerald before blowing into the Eon Flute and stepping off the porch.
"What? Wait, where are you going? What's the meaning of this, Ruby?!" Emerald snapped impatiently.
"Catch ya later!" I called back as Latios swept me off my feet.
"Hey, Ruby! Ruby!!" Emerald exclaimed angrily as I flew off with Latios.
"Where to, Ruby?" Latios asked, ignoring the sound of Emerald's yelling as he flew in the surrounding area.
"Meteor Falls. There's someone I need to meet there." I informed him, earning a quick nod before Latios dashed off towards said destination. He dropped me off and said his quick farewells as I turned to enter the cave of Meteor Falls.
I made my way through it with the help of my Pokémon, Mei being one of the major helpers as we went deeper into the cave. I found another entrance further in, and I began to feel a pressure inside of me as I neared it.
This must be it.
I took a deep breath as I winded through the rocky terrain, seeing a figure at the deepest point in the cave. I inhaled sharply, stopping a few feet behind him before speaking up. "Steven." I called with a firm tone, causing him to raise his hard quickly in response before slowly turning around.
"Oh, wow, Ruby. I'm amazed you knew where to find me. Do you, uh... maybe think of me as just a rock maniac?" Steven asked hesitantly.
"What? No – of course not! I came here to challenge you, remember? We promised we'd battle if I became Champion. I just beat Wallace today." I informed him.
"Oh? The news had yet to reach me and yet you came for our battle already?" Steven questioned​ almost teasingly.
"No time like the present." I stated with a shrug, causing Steven to chuckle softly.
"Come to think of it, ever since our paths first crossed in Dewford, I had this feeling. I thought that you would eventually become the Champion. My predictions usually come true, so I guess it's no surprise that you stand before me with that title today." Steven stated thoughtfully​. He paused for a long moment before turning to me with a smirk oh his face. "Regardless, you have challenged me, yes? You should have a very good idea about how good I am if we agreed to battle after you bested Wallace." Steven stated calmly, standing up straight with a more battle ready look on his face.
"That I do. Even so, regardless if I win or lose, I look to push my limits after a good battle like the one Wallace provided." I remarked with a smirk of my own. Steven chuckled in response before plucking out a Pokéball.
"Okay, Ruby, if you're going to mount a serious challenge, expect the worst!" Steven cried out as he tossed his Pokéball into the air.

And so our battle of the ages began.

***

The battle between Steven and I was a complete slaughter. It was one hundred percent in Steven's favor, not a single ounce of competition between us. Steven's Pokémon were just too strong for me and my team to handle, especially after a tiring day like today. Regardless, I wasn't upset about losing at all. In fact, I was almost relieved. Losing meant I had room for improvement, and so long as I do, I have room to reach greater heights with my Pokémon.
"You... You're a lot stronger than I thought you'd be back then. Maybe not strong enough to defeat me yet, but you're growing at a different rate. You have great potential, Ruby." Steven complemented. I remained silent other than my tired pants for a while, but Steven didn't seemed to be bothered by it. I was on my hands and knees, no longer able to stand from the exhaustion​ I was feeling. After a few more minutes of catching my breath, I made my decision. A decision Fire made a few years ago with Lance. Raising my head slowly, I looked up at Steven, who was patiently waiting for me to say something.
"Steven..." I called with a small pant in-between.
"Yes?" He asked simply. I lowered my head again, taking in a sharp breath before speaking up again.
"Teach me..." I requested. I had no need to express what I meant any further, Steven understood. He helped me to my feet, and with a gentle hand on my shoulder, he nodded in agreement. I smiled back at him before we decided to leave, heading for Mossdeep City to rest up and prepare for our long  and hard training sessions.

And with the training, a deep and strong friendship would be formed between a former and a reigning Champion.