Pokemon Heroes: Sinnoh Saga [Book 1]

Chapter 103: Elite Four Aaron!

"Aaron's battle was memorable because it was my first, but it wasn't my hardest Elite Four battle. That would go to Bertha, or maybe Lucian...at least in Sinnoh. In the years to come, I'd meet stronger. Don't even get me started on Agatha or Lorelei. Oh well, that's a story for another time..."

The elevator raised Sam up to the battlefield.

He took several deep breaths as he was raised to the open field.

He looked up and saw the stars shining down on him from above. The night sky was beautiful.

The field before him was three times as large as any field he'd ever battled in. It was dotted with different obstacles and mini-environments; small ponds, rocks, patches of grass, a small trench in the field—even electrical currents running between tesla coils along the edge of the field.

"They've rebuilt this place since I've been here...it was never this fancy," smiled Aurelio, "You're lucky."

Sam didn't respond.

His stomach jumped.

He didn't feel lucky.

He looked to his left and right and saw his friends and family sitting in the stands to his left.

On his right were several officials from the Pokémon League and journalists from newspapers around the country.

In a small viewing box on the other side of the field sat the Elite Four, each in an ornately carved seat that denoted their type specialization.

At the far back of the box, centred and raised on a dais atop an ornately carved throne, sat Valentina, the Champion of Sinnoh.

The elevator kept going, bringing Sam up to his own raised challenger's box above the field.

Sam and his grandfather stepped forward into it and Sam put down his crate of Full Restores and Max Revives, and then turned to the field.

The official Pokémon League judge stood in a raised box above the field as well, his box raised up atop a crane as everyone got into position.

Sam felt his mouth go dry.

Thank goodness the challenger's box came equipped with a small fridge full of water and other drinks, and small snacks.

Sam would be in this challenger's box until he defeated the Elite Four and Valentina, or until they defeated him.

At least he wouldn't starve.

A small chair would fold down out of the wall of the challenger's box to allow Sam a place to sit while he took breaks between matches.

At least there was that.

Sam took a deep breath, and with an approving nod from his grandfather, stepped up to the edge of the challenger's box, facing the field.

"The challenger Sam Accardi of Twinleaf Town approaches," cried the referee, "Does the Elite Four accept his challenge?"

The four members of the Elite Four stood up and accepted, in unison, Sam's challenge.

"Then may the first defender step forward," continued the referee.

A man of average height stepped forward. He was slim, skinny like a stick, with long arms and green hair. His hair was part bowl-cut, part art-piece, with a single tuft sticking straight up in the air like a blade of grass—his hair was not so differently coloured from the grass either.

He wore a sleeveless black tank top with orange lines on it, orange skinny jeans, and white sneakers.

He looked young, but his eyes betrayed his youth—he was not as green as his hair. He was an Elite Four for a reason, after all.