Chapter 24: Four Battles to Remember
It was late morning when I found myself staring up at the castle that was home to Kalos's Elite Four. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear the blood rushing through my ears. In the end, I'd stayed two days at the local PokéCenter, not one, researching and training and preparing myself for this match. I'd asked around to learn what the Elite Four were like to get a feel for their strategies, learned their Pokémon, memorized strengths and weaknesses. My Pokémon were working just as hard if not harder, learning moves and tactics and preparing themselves for this fight. I still didn't feel ready, but I probably never would.
I certainly looked the part of a promising trainer. I'd dressed in my best and made sure all of my Pokémon were clean and fit and sparkling with joy. Even the Poké Balls on my belt were gleaming. I was stocked and restocked with all sorts of potions and creams and unguents in case of any sort of injury or malady. I knew I wouldn't be able to visit the PokéCenter in between each match so I'd have to do my best to heal up with medicines in between. I had done everything I could possibly do, but still my pulse was racing.
I was as ready as I'd ever be, so I bit my lip and took the plunge, crossing over the small pool and into the doors to the inside of the Pokémon League. Two long halls led to the back of the castle, surrounding a large, inner room. I walked slowly towards the back, my heart pulsing with each step, not even seeing the artwork displayed on the walls.
The inside chamber was beautiful and richly decorated, but my attention was drawn to the center of the room where a woman with pink hair greeted me. She introduced herself as one of the Elite Four members, Malva, the Fire-type user. She calmly explained the system to me, though she seemed dismissive oif my abilities. I decided to take her down first. I followed her into the door and down a long corridor to an elevator that rose to bring me to a room filled with blazing flames in two large columns on either side. Sweating profusely, I mounted the steps for my first Elite Four challenge.
Malva opened with a Pyroar, so I brought out Arbok. Pyroar managed to outspeed me, but it's Flamethower did negligible damage compared to Arbok's powerful Earthquake, a new trick we'd learned in training. Malva restored it to health and called out a Noble Roar, but was only delaying the inevitable. Arbok's next Sludge Bomb poisoned it which gave me the extra edge I needed to KO it. Next was Torkoal so I swapped out to Vaporeon, knocking it out with a single Surf. Tyrantrum came out to go against Talonflame and he got hit by a quick Brave Bird, but the attack was weak against him and he shrugged it off easily to counter with a Rock Slide for the OHKO. Malva's final Pokémon was Chandelure, so I decided to swap back in Vaporeon. The ghost Pokémon managed to confuse Vaporeon before he could get an attack in and he spent a few turns hurting himself before snapping out and taking down Chandelure with a couple well-placed Surfs. Then it was over, my first battle complete with very little injury to show for it. Vaporeon was hurting a bit but still on his legs, and the others were fine.
I went into the room across the hall for my next battle and found myself in a room dominated by two humongous swords and a man in armor: Wikstrom, the Steel-type member of the Elite Four. He came down the stairs to meet me with a bunch of flowery language, and soon the battle was on. He started out with Klefki and so I opened again with Arbok, knocking out Klefki with a couple Earthquakes while it scattered spikes about. Not wanting to risk the wrath of the spikes more than necessary, I kept Arbok in for another Earthquake KO. Wikstorm's next pick was Scizor, one of my tougher match-ups. I sent in Raichu and managed to knock out the bug with a Thunder and Thunderbolt, thought not without taking some heavy damage. The last Pokémon on Wikstrom's team was an Aegislash, so I swapped out into Tyrantrum. A well-timed King's Shield lowered his Attacking power, but not enough to make a difference, especially when he swapped into Sword form, allowing Tyrantrum's second Crunch to knock it out easily. A second victory was mine.
We took a break of a break to heal and rest before the 3rd challenge, eventually heading into the lower left room where we were transported to a murky chamber protected by a pair of large dragon wings and a huge stone head. We'd entered the chamber of Drasna, the Dragon-type Elite Four member. She opened the battle with her Dragalge, and I made my first blunder of the day, calling out my recently-healed Raichu. I swapped out to Gardevoir, but my slowness had cost Gardevoir a good chunk of her health, forcing me to switch to Vaporeon for the next Pokémon, Altaria. Altaria went down to a single Ice Beam, thankfully, and I kept in Vaporeon for the next round against Noivern. Noivern got in an early Super Fang, but was damaged by Vaporeon's Rocky Helmet and I was able to get a counter KO with another Ice Beam. Drasna's last Pokémon was a Druddigon, so I swapped Gardevoir back in, healing her with a quick hyper potion while Druddigon got off a weak Revenge. Dazzling Gleam took it out the next turn, letting me win battle number 3.
The last chamber was against the hall, a room filled with waterfalls where Siebold, the Water-type member was waiting for me. We chatted for a bit about Pokémon battling as an art form, but he must have smelled my nerves since he started the battle soon after. He opened with a Clawitzer and I called out Raichu, knocking it out with a fast and powerful Thunderbolt. I kept Raichu in against Gyarados for another quick OHKO. He brought out Barbaracle next and I made another slip up, sending out Tyrantrum instead of Gardevoir like I'd planned. I thought quickly and called out an Earthquake, doing a good amount of damage, but not enough to end the battle. It did cause Siebold to spend a turn healing, though, which was just the break I needed to get in the KO with a Crunch and another Earthquake. For the last battle, I sent out Aegislash against his Starmie. It set up a quick Light Screen, but that wasn't enough to save it from Aegislash's Shadow Claw. The last battle was mine. It was now time to face the Champion, Diantha.
Back in the center room, my Pokémon and I rested and healed again, this time in the shining white light of the large open doors at the head of the room. I ran through my plans in my head one last time, double- and triple-checking everything I could think of, then plunged through the open doors. The elevator that transported me was a glowing mosaic Poké Ball that rose into an elegant room with colourful stained glass and blowing curtains.
"Welcome at last, dear Trainer." Diantha greeted me as I stepped forward. "As you must know, I am the Champion, Diantha. Oh, but you are... You're the child I spoke to in Lumiose City and Coumarine City, aren't you?! Then that means that you are also the one that dear Dedenne said..." She blushed a nice shade of beet red. "Of course! How could I--?! Oh, I must look like such a fool not to recognize you sooner! You and your Pokémon are the ones who stopped Team Flare for us all! It seems wrong of me to say this, but thank you! You saved us all... I can't wait to see what you and your Pokémon are capable now that I know exactly what it is you've done already!"
She opened up the battle with her Hawlucha and I sent out my Raichu in response, getting a quick and easy KO with a Thunderbolt. Next up was Tyrantrum, so I swapped out into Gardevoir who took it down with a Dazzling Gleam, and then I switched in my own Tyrantrum to go against her Gourgeist, knocking it out with a single super-effective Crunch. I brought Gardevoir back out for the battle against Goodra, though the gooey Dragon managed to burn her when a Dazzling Gleam wasn't quite good enough for a fast KO. We went back and forth for a few turns as my Gardevoir kept Gleaming Dazzlingly while Diantha healed up Goodra, but I managed to pull off the KO before Gardevoir took too much burn damage. Diantha brought out Aurorus next, so I countered with Aegislash's Iron Head, back in the swing of my OHKOs. Diantha's last Pokémon was her own Gardevoir, and one equipped with a Gardevoite! It Mega Evolved and sent off a Shadow Ball right as Aegislash moved in with an Iron Head of its own. It was close, but Aegislash managed to hold on long enough to get the KO in.
I had defeated the Champion! I won!
Diantha maintain her regal posture as she calmly withdrew her Mega Gardevoie. "I-I'm so choked up that it's hard to know what I should say, but I...I... I'm just so glad at this moment that I was good enough to be the Champion... After all, it gave me the chance to meet and battle with you and your wonderful Pokémon! Now I understand just why dear Dedenne--that's Professor Sycamore to you--said he had to get everything ready for the new Champion! He'll be waiting for us in Lumiose City, but before I take you there... My dear Jessie, would you mind coming this way with me?"
I didn't know what she had in mind, but I managed to nod dumbly as she stepped forward and the mosaic tiled Poké Ball rose another floor above us to a rather small room lit with a faint glow.
"Here we are!" Diantha announced, spreading her arms wide. "I'm so glad to welcome you in. This grand chamber is where you enter the Kalos region's Hall of fame. This is where Pokémon Trainers will live on forever, remembered always for giving their all in battle to the Pokémon League and for the glory and light that they shared with all.
Come, Jessie… Your love for your Pokémon… And the way that those Pokémon gave everything they had in battle for you… We'll record them all right here for eternity."