Pokémon XYZ: Life, Death, Order, and Chaos (book 2 of the HBoD series)

Chapter 64: Rival's Path

"Hey, I-"

"Congrats," her friend gave her a warm smile. "I saw it all on TV!"

"You-," Alex blinked. "You did?"

"Yep," he nodded, pulling himself up further on his bed. "The Alolan League was amazing! Your battles were thrilling to watch, especially that one against that Zeno guy." He laughed softly. "Shame you lost, but hey. You made it to the Quarter Finals! That's something to be proud of!"

He began coughing, nearly doubling over. Alex rushed over, but he held up his hand and gave a shaky thumbs-up. "It's okay, don't worry. I'm fine. I shouldn't be getting too excited like that, my bad."

Alex sat at the foot of the bed. "What have the doctors said about your condition?"

He shrugged. "They're still unsure what it is, but they are saying I'm getting better. At least I don't have to spend my time in the hospital and I can just stay here in my room."

Alex smiled sadly. "Were you mad when I left?"

He blinked. "No, of course not. I was happy for you, really." He nodded. "You wanted to get away from this place, I can understand that. I'm just surprised you came back so soon."

"So am I," Alex looked down. "Hartley... I think he holds a grudge. He knows I'm going to be leaving again. I tried making things right here, but I just can't..."

The boy leaned forwards. "Go then. Don't let yourself be held down or governed by what has happened here. You're your own person and you should follow your dream." He glanced sadly at an empty pokeball sitting on his desk. "I wish I could."

"And you will," Alex said, her voice filled with confidence. "I'm sure you will."

Chuckling, he said, "Alright, maybe I will. And when I do, I'll beat you in a battle." He stretched out one hand and spun the globe on his desk, pressing down his finger to stop it. "How about this region?"

"Huh?" Alex came over. "Which one is that?"

"Kalos," the sunlight peeking in through the opened window caught his hair, making the pale green color glow vibrant. "It's somewhere I've been thinking of going one day. Their Pokemon League is something to behold, not to mention the sights." He grinned at his friend. "Go, Alex. Follow your dream."

...

"My dream," Alex thought as she walked along the platform, watching as Clara did the same on the opposite side. "Is it to get stronger? Or to follow Zeno?" She gripped the pokeball in her hand tightly as she came to a stop. "Whatever it is, I will defeat you here, Clara."

"And we welcome our first Quarter Final contestants into the arena! Whoever wins this match will move on to the semifinals, where trainers will compete in full battles! But for now, it's the usual three!"

The field rose from the depths of the stadium, latching into place. It seemed to be modeled after a plaza in Lumiose, complete with a cafe and other various buildings. A cobblestone street separated Clara and Alex, tables with umbrellas set up on the side.

"And the first field of the day is the City Field! On one side we have the brutal brawler, Clara! And facing her, the girl with fiery determination, Alex! Who will stand victorious in the wake of what is expected to be a thrilling battle!?"

"The announcer sure likes his job," Alex rolled her eyes, tossing her pokeball in the air. "But he ain't wrong! Pyroar, let's go!"

The Royal Pokemon shook his large mane and roared. Clara smirked, tossing her pokeball in the air. Barbaracle appeared in front of her and took up a fighting stance, claws extended towards the Fire type.