//------------------------------// // Chapter 93 – One Last Climb // Story: Pokémon Eclipse // by moviemaster8510 //------------------------------// Sam and Alice sat across from each other at a small table at Benji and Susan’s restaurant. Sam’s tank top was covered up by a blue short-sleeved button up shirt while Alice’s legs were covered down to the shins by a pair of snug black pants, her neatly brushed hair uncovered by the absence of her cap. A basket of breadcrumbs and a plate containing a single crostini piled with bruschetta was placed between them. Sam chopped the last piece of their appetizer with the side of his fork before taking one of the halves and popping it into his mouth. Alice looked down at the portion Sam left to her and then to her brother, who slurped the last of his drink with his straw. “You can go ahead and have the whole thing if you want.” Sam put his drink down on the table, making an audible, almost intentional thud. “You know, I’d love to, but uh…” He then jingled the ice in his glass. “I’m all out of drink.” “You’ve hardly touched your water.” Sam looked over to the second, sweaty glass beside him, only a couple of thin ice cubes left bobbing on its surface. “Ah… you still sure you don’t want–” “Go right ahead.” Sam forced a shrug before taking the second half of the bruschetta with his thumb and index finger and inserting it past his lips, sucking the balsamic glaze off his fingers as he pulled them out. As he chewed, he saw as Benji and Susan both approached their tables, each one with plates in their hands. Surprised at their quick arrival, Sam swallowed his half-chewed morsel and took a couple of gulps of water to help it go down. Benji came toward Sam and dropped off his plate containing a beef wellington with demi glace, a dollop of pureed parsnip, and roasted carrots and broccolini. Susan gave Alice her dinner comprised of sliced seared tuna topped with a garlic crust and a cream sauce beside a warm salad of kale, green onion, and avocado. Susan cocked her head upon seeing Sam’s glass of ice from his first drink. “Sam, honey, you drank it all?” Sam raised his water glass to her. “I’ll be fine with water.” “Are you sure? I can get you another drink so we can toast you two.” “Toast?” Alice asked. Just then, a brunette-haired waitress arrived with four champagne flutes and a bottle of champagne on a tray. Benji stole a sassy glance to Susan, making her shrug. “Hm. Never mind.” Sam and Alice watched wordlessly as Susan placed the glasses upon the table in a neat row while Benji took the bottle and gently popped the cork off. He then poured two quarter-full glasses in the center nearest him and his wife while pouring two splashes of the bubbling wine into the outer glasses next to Sam and Alice. Susan, Sam, and Alice then took their glasses as Benji turned out toward the dining room, clanging the blade of a table knife against his glass. The patrons turned toward him, Benji staying silent until most of them were looking his way. “May I have your attention, ladies and gentlemen?! I’d like to dedicate a toast to my two children here, Sam and Alice, who have completed their Island Trials and are going to challenge the Pokémon League tomorrow to become the new Alolan champion!” A chorus of gasps and impressed exclamations sounded off before most of the patrons began to applaud and cheer. Sam and Alice couldn’t help but giggle and blush, sheepishly looking toward the back of the restaurant over the wave of attention they suddenly received. Susan and Benji then reached their glasses toward Sam and Alice. “Congrats, you two. You deserve this.” As their excitement began to die down, Sam and Alice felt more comfortable reaching their glasses to their parents’, tapping the sides and letting them ring out. As Sam and Alice downed the sips they were provided, Benji and Susan imbibed only a bit themselves. Once the joyous air of the crowd settled back to its casual atmosphere, Benji and Susan downed their glasses and handed them to the waitress before she took Sam and Alice’s as well. Benji looked down on his children, who lounged in their seats as they still tried to process the last thirty or so seconds. “I mean… dinner’s served, guys. Don’t let it get cold now!” Looking back down at the table, Sam and Alice looked incredibly surprised to find that there was indeed food that they remembered getting put out for them. Grabbing their knives and forks, the siblings began to dig in, quickly cutting their first bites of food. Benji put his hand on Sam’s shoulder, though he seemed to ignore it as he already speared his second bite with his first still in his mouth. “I know you two are excited, but do try and enjoy your meals, alright?” Alice swallowed her first bite and took a deep breath to further calm herself. “Yes, dad.” “Unless you want some dessert too,” Susan said, “you can leave whenever you’re finished eating. We’ll take care of the rest. Sam, I’ll get you another drink.” Sam looked up to Susan with his second bite held up near his face, nodding to her. “Thanks, mom.” “Again,” Benji added, “congrats you two. If you two are asleep by the time we get home, we’ll see you off tomorrow morning.” With their mouths filled with food and their minds completely concentrated on their dinners, neither child looked up to him. “Thanks, dad,” they both said. Susan walked back toward the front of the restaurant while Benji made his way back to the kitchen. Sam continued chewing and savoring his food, finally able to appreciate the flavors of the meat and the texture of the dough. As well, he began to pick up on the murmurs of the other guests surrounding him and Alice. Though he could only pick up on a couple of words at a time, he knew that their conversations were about him and Alice. Suddenly, the mush of food that still occupied his mouth began to lose its flavor, the mounting pressure he began to feel ruining his enjoyment. Alice walked through the hallways of the apartment in her pajamas, walking toward Sam’s room. Moonlight visibly streamed through the gap in the doorway, allowing her to quietly push the door open and peak her head inside. “Sam?” she whispered, uncertain if she would find Sam in his bed. Stepping further in, she found one of the top corners of his covers draped over to the opposite corner, a vacant space where Sam would normally be. Alice looked upward and let out a short huff of a sigh. Turning back, she left his room and briskly walked back into her own. Finding her slippers to the right of her door, she slipped them on her feet and walked back out to the apartment’s front door. Opening the door to the roof, Alice felt her front instantly assaulted by the cool, sea breeze blowing into her, making her yelp and hug herself tightly for warmth. As she slunk around the stairwell, she stepped out into the open and looked to the southern side of the building, finding Sam standing on the ledge, facing her in his own sleeping attire. “Alice?” He stepped down onto the floor. “What are you doing here?” “I would ask you the same thing,” she said, approaching him, “but I know you all too well to do that.” Sam sighed in slight humiliation as he began to walk toward her. “Wait,” Alice shouted, shaking her hand at him, “hold on! I’d… like to join you.” Sam stopped in his tracks, staring at Alice with uncertainty. She took this as her sign to continue walking at him until she went past him, his eyes tracking her head as she did. Alice stopped and looked back. “Well? Are you coming?” Feeling a weight leave his shoulders, Sam felt comfortable picking his feet back up as he followed Alice to the ledge where he was sitting. As she carefully swung her legs over the ledge and sat down, her feet dangling over the ground far below, Sam stepped up onto the ledge before squatting down and placing the backs of his thighs onto the concrete. Alice prepared to scold Sam for his risky choice of sitting, but pressed her lips to think of something more productive to say. “So… why aren’t you in bed?” Sam shrugged and shook his head, a little disappointed that Alice wouldn’t have been able to tell him right away. “Wouldn’t be able to sleep there. At least here, looking out over the city and the sea… it’s peaceful.” “I mean, I get that, but why aren’t you in bed?” Sam forced a smile that became a grimace. “Nervous? I don’t know… We barely beat Hap–” Sam caught himself, even shooting a glance at Alice to see her reaction, though didn’t seem to spot one. “I barely beat Hapu, and now we each have to fight four trainers stronger than she… in a row!” “We’re going to do fine,” Alice whispered, laying her hand on his shoulder. “You and your Pokémon are ready for this.” “Yeah, maybe.” Sam wiped the grease from his brow. “It’s just that… Yeah, you know, I don’t care how close those Earthquestria centers are to being done, I miss them!” “You mean, Star–” “Of course Starlight and Fluttershy! I miss them cheering us on. I miss traveling with them, eating with them, talking with them, just being around… It’s just… I don’t know how well I can possibly do knowing that they, or even you, aren’t there. It’s going to be so lonely challenging the league without all of you.” Alice felt another bout of harsh advice rise up in her throat, but on taking a deep breath, she managed to keep it down. “When we fought and beat Plumeria’s trial,” she finally said, “Starlight and Fluttershy weren’t there.” Sam sneered. “Well, yeah bu–” “And we did just fine doing Mina’s trial and battling Hapu without them too.” “But you were there! You never left my side during any of this, and tomorrow, we’re going off and fighting these trainers by ourselves.” Alice picked herself off of Sam to do her own shrug. “Okay? You think every 11-year old Pokémon trainer gets to have their brother or sister or friends constantly tag along when they go off on their own Pokémon adventures? Nah bro, you have to do these things on your own. You should consider yourself so lucky that you’ve spent most of your journey with me or friends like Starlight and Fluttershy.” “Yeah… I suppose you’re right… but then mom and dad did that toast for us at the restaurant, and now I’m even more frightened of losing. I don’t want to just up and disappoint everyone now, especially them.” Alice then scooted herself closer to her brother before leaning her body against his shoulder. Sam looked down and swallowed as quiet as he could, unsure where his sister was going with this. “The only person you should worry about disappointing is yourself, Sam. I can tell you that for everything we went though on this journey of ours, no matter what happens tomorrow, mom and dad won’t be disappointed, all those people at the restaurant whose lives we probably saved won’t be disappointed, your Pokémon won’t be disappointed... you certainly know I won’t.” Sam took a deep breath and slowly let it out. As patronizing as it was to have his sister be the one to constantly talk reason to him, it would never stop feeling good. Sam leaned against his sister, putting his arm around her back before holding onto her shoulder and resting the side of his head on the top of hers. “One of us may actually become the Alolan champion tomorrow.” Sam found this statement strangely uplifting. “For everything its worth… I really hope it’s you.” Now it was Alice’s turn to blissfully sigh. Slipping her arms around the middle of her brother’s back and stomach and holding on, she nuzzled herself into him and rested against him, eternally thankful to have him for her family. “Yeah…” she whispered. “I really hope it’s me too.” The tension in Sam and Alice’s bodies evaporated instantly, the two able to share a rousing bout of laughter as they basked under the glow of the Alolan moon. Benji and Susan faced Alice and Sam in the large, open plaza of a shopping center, which was completely abandoned save for the four of them, a handful of stray tourists admiring the sights, and a few janitors brushing the floors clean for the day’s guests. “You sure you have everything?” Susan asked to both of her children. Sam hiked his backpack higher up on his shoulder. “Pretty sure. Anything else we need we can probably get at the Pokémon Center on Mount Lanakila.” Benji sized his two children up, their immaculately clean clothes and nearly-full backpacks giving him confidence that they were more prepared than he could ever expect. “Look at them. Not just one; both of my kids headed to the Pokémon League. I never thought today would come. I’m so incredibly proud of you both!” “Yes dad,” Alice nervously chuckled, “I think we got all that at the restaurant. We’re nervous-enough wrecks as it is and we still have two islands to fly to.” Susan took a deep breath, captivated by her daughter’s resolve. “No matter how well you guys do, your father and I love you both so very much. Though we shouldn’t need to worry; we know you’ll knock ‘em dead!” Sam smiled, his talk with Alice already having dispelled most of his fears. “Thanks, mom.” Walking up to her, Sam threw his arms over and around her back, pulling her in close. As Susan returned her son’s embrace, Alice walked forward to Benji and the two hugged each other together. “Thanks for everything, dad,” Alice spoke into his ear. Benji could feel his face smiling wider. “Of course, sweetie.” Stepping off to the side, Sam and Alice then hugged the other parent before stepping back to give themselves and their rides some room. Pulling their Ride Pagers from their pockets, Sam and Alice both produced a metal Poké Ball from the top slot of their devices. Picking them up, they gently lobbed their balls a couple of feet out in front of them, where they opened and released a large explosion of white energy that took the shape, color and form of two saddled and harnessed Charizards. As they stretched their tired joints, Sam and Alice carefully climbed up the two dragons as they allowed themselves to limber out. By the time the two children plopped onto their seats, their Charizards stood still and ready, awaiting one of them to make the first command to fly out. Alice firmly slapped her hand against the base of her Charizard’s neck. “Alright, Charizard, fly east!” With an eager roar, Alice’s Charizard threw its wings out before beating them down, lifting itself up into the sky. Once Alice was high enough, Sam’s Charizard also took to the air, trailing just behind. Benji and Susan stood by and waved their children farewell, not caring that not one of them looked back. Once both Charizards had flown over the city rooftops and out of their sights, Benji and Susan leaned into each other and held themselves tight, their next feeling emptier than ever before. With Ula’ula Island and the snow-capped Mount Lanakila in their sights, Sam and Alice’s Charizards picked up their speeds, Sam and Alice tucking their heads down and holding onto their saddles’ handles tight as the wind blew into their faces and around their heads. Nearing Po Town, the two dragons instinctively veered away and prepared for a wide bend around the southwestern corner of the island. Once they reached the base of the mountain where the Aether House stood, they began to aim themselves straight at the mountain. The Charizards pulled up and flew directly above the massive mountain’s face, their riders taking their hands off their handlebars and placing them on the sides of the Pokémons’ necks, the air rapidly turning colder with each story they climbed. Flying up through a layer of thick, white clouds, Sam and Alice couldn’t help but grip the Charizards’ warm bodies tighter as the frigid vapor pricked their skin. Emerging up through the cloud, Sam and Alice stared open-mouthed at the sudden change from warm and tropic to cool and wintery, a thick blanket of snow covering a vast section of the mountain. Managing to pull their eyes away from the majestic sight, they looked back up into the impeccably blue sky and bright sun, managing to see that the top of the mountain was less then a hundred feet up. In only a matter of moments, the Charizards reached the summit and shot up over it, holding their wings out as they glided down onto the frozen ground just outside the Pokémon Center. Once their feet were planted upon the surface, Sam and Alice swung themselves off their saddles and landed on the ground beside their steeds. Immediately, each of them ran to the Charizards’ fronts and laid their faces, hands, and bodies against their bellies, filling themselves with their heat. “Ohhh,” Sam purred, “that feels good!” “Wear longer sleeves next time,” Alice said to him. “Wear longer shorts.” “…Touché.” Both Charizards mewed contently as they pressed their snouts into the tops of Sam and Alice’s heads, wanting to show them similar affection. “Hey!” Sam and Alice jerked up in shock upon hearing the booming, raspy yell coming from behind them. As they turned around toward the Pokémon Center, they were pleasantly surprised to find Guzma waving at them outside the entrance. He now wore a long-sleeved light-green shirt with all the buttons on the front and the sleeves undone, a light-purple V-neck t-shirt underneath it, and a pair of baggy mustard-yellow pants. “It’s probably much better if you’re getting warm inside!” he shouted at them. Smiling at his invitation, Sam and Alice fumbled their Ride Pagers from their pockets. “Yeah, just give us a second.” Alice turned to her Charizard as its metal Poké Ball appeared on the device’s slot. “Thanks again, Charizard. Would have been a lot harder without you.” Charizard happily yawned as Alice pointed the ball up to it, the red beam making contact with it and bringing it back in. Sam petted the side of his Charizard’s face before he put it back into its own ball. With their ride Pokémon taken care of, Sam and Alice sprinted for the Pokémon Center, Guzma stepping back to activate and open the automatic sliding doors. Sam and Alice ran in just as the doors were fully apart, suddenly stopped by an alarmingly unusual sight. “SURPRISE!” Standing in two rows and facing Sam and Alice with their arms spread theatrically out were Ilima, Mallow, Lana, Kiawe, Plumeria, Sophocles, Mina, Kaj, Hapu, Olivia, and Hau. “Y– You guys!” Sam sputtered. “What is all this?” “What’s it look like?” Kaj giggled. “We came to see how you guys did!” “I’m sure Hapu told you how momentous your arrival here is, right?” Hau asked two siblings, who were still petrified in a slurry of emotions. “There hasn’t been a new Champion in Alola for over five years, and now we have two of the strongest trainers I’ve ever met ready to sit on the throne.” “Wait, hold up!” Alice yelled. “There’s a throne?!” Olivia smirked. “You wouldn’t want to stand around all day waiting for future challengers, would you?” “Ohohohoho! Sam, there’s no way I’m letting you get up there!” “And the four trainers you’re about to face will make sure of that on your end as well!” Guzma’s hand came down firmly on Alice’s shoulder, making her tense up even harder before he walked between her and Sam. “If you weren’t planning on it already, I’d suggest stocking up on some Revives or Full Restores before you head out there.” Alice smiled back to him once he turned to face them at the front of the group of captains and Kahunas. “Which is exactly why we stopped here first.” “We already got some stuff yesterday,” Sam explained, “but it wouldn’t hurt to have a little extra now.” “Atta’ boy! You two know what you’re doing!” “Listen,” Plumeria said, “we don’t want to be breathing down your necks right at the point of no return, so once you get what you need, we won’t keep you waiting any longer.” “Thanks a lot,” Sam responded. “We’re already under enough pressure as it is with our parents, so yeah, Alice, let’s do some final shopping.” The captains and Kahunas parted the way to let Sam and Alice pass them on their way to the mart counter. As they began conversing with the clerk behind the counter, each of the trainers took a good, long look at them. Appreciating the final moments of their journey soon to end. Ilima took a deep breath in, the image of his trial with Sam and Alice burned into his memory. _____________________________________________________ “Alice! I think you only need one more good hit!” Noibat looked to Honedge, whose half-open eye implied how exhausted it must have been. Looking back up at Gumshoos, who looked down at the two, Noibat crouched, ready to leap into action on Alice’s word. Alice watched as Gumshoos tried to roar, but swooned before it could, making her smirk. “You heard him!” Alice shouted. “Hit ‘em with Wing Attack!” Noibat sprung up towards Gumshoos’s stomach, passing by its arms as it tried to grab it. Swinging both wings in, the bars of Noibat’s wings rammed into Gumshoos’s gut and continued pushing, even as a sickening gurgle escaped its mouth. With Noibat pushing off, Gumshoos fell slow like a large tree but limply as rubber. Noibat flew up high as Gumshoos crumpled to the ground, its mouth slack and its breathing slow and tired. _____________________________________________________ Lana and Mallow nearly stood shoulder to shoulder, reminiscing on their time with the two siblings. _____________________________________________________ Sam gasped as he saw the mouth of the Totem Wishiwashi glow as it fully emerged from the lake. “Honedge, Return! Quickly!” The Totem Wishiwashi shot off its Water Gun at Rockruff, pushing it into the Lapras’s shell as the water spraying off it hit both Alice and Rockruff, the sting making them cry out. “Oh no!” Starlight shouted out. “Alice!” Honedge flew at the Totem Wishiwashi as Sam held his right arm and closed fist out. Once it got near the horde’s neck, Sam swung his arm down and in, Honedge also swinging down and breaking apart the left side of the Totem Wishiwashi’s neck in what appeared to be a huge gash. With a roar of pain, the Totem Wishiwashi’s Water Gun stopped. Alice and Mudbray, now able to see, watched as the individual fish from the Totem Wishiwashi’s School Form began to tumble off and fall into the water. “Keep it going!” Sam shouted. “Another Dragon Rage.” The Salandit spat another blue blast of energy into Lurantis, hitting it in the side of its chest and spinning it around until it fell to its forearms and knees. “Aerial Ace!” Noibat swooped into the Lurantis’s gut, throwing it on its side to the ground. _____________________________________________________ “Flannery, you lucky woman…” Kiawe said to himself. “To have been the one to see to their trial…” _____________________________________________________ The Totem Salazzle, at first dumbfounded, shut its eyes in realization before smiling at Salandit, which was now filled with warmth, respect, and acceptance. Sam clapped twice in excitement. “Looks like she’s ready to take her final shot, girl!” Salandit roared out again. “Use Dragon Rage!” Salandit charged a blue energy inside of its mouth, the Totem Salazzle closing its eyes as it awaited the next and more than likely last attack. With a hard breath, Salandit shot its harsh aura out, looking to be aimed in the dead center of the Totem Salazzle’s chest. The attack hit, throwing Salazzle limply back, tumbling off the platform and refusing to move once its body hit the floor. _____________________________________________________ Kaj sniffled, still in disbelief that two great friends of hers were so close to the end of the road to glory. _____________________________________________________ “Rông, use Bulldoze!” “Huh?!” Sam and Alice both shouted. “It knows that move?” Alice questioned. As if to respond, the Vibrava sped forward toward Lycanroc while flying as low to the ground as it comfortably could. Its wings began to blow a thick mixture of dust and mud that flowed in a wave at Lycanroc and swamped it. With a hard bank to the right, Vibrava blasted more mud out over the arena, were it hardened into a single, but elegant wave-shaped clump before speeding on toward Salandit. “Salandit, dodge it!” Salandit waggled its body, waiting for the perfect time to move, and just as Vibrava came close, Salandit leapt to its left. Rông was quick to respond, drifting midair to steer right, the mud and dirt sweeping into Salandit and forming another muddy wave sculpture. As Salandit struggled to break free from the mud, Rông went full speed at Mudbray, who stood still and awaited for a strategy from its trainer. “Mudbray,” Alice commanded, “charge through it!” “Huh?” The announcer squealed. “Did I hear that right?” Mudbray galloped as fast as it could at the approaching Vibrava, its mud wave forming beneath it. Tucking its head in, Mudbray shot forward even harder as Rông pulled up and launched its mud tsunami at Mudbray. Though it was struck, Mudbray was able to break through the wave before it could harden, leaving a similar structure in its wake minus the tunnel that it had created. Alice pumped her fist proudly. _____________________________________________________ Plumeria crossed her arms and smiled warmly, suddenly realizing how thankful she was that her role as trial captain led her to meeting the two of them. _____________________________________________________ “Alright, boy!” Alice shouted. “Get ready for it. Now, finish Muk off with Continental Crush!” With the black tips of its collar glowing, Lycanroc let out another howl as the mud on the floor began to fly off and into the ceiling, forming into large stones that began to accumulate and form their way down directly over the Totem Muk, whose wide eyed stare implied it saw its demise coming. More stones began to rise out through the carpet and continue enlarging the small mountain above. With nowhere to run, the Totem Muk put its arms over its head as the still-forming boulder forced down onto it, flattening it until there was no space between the floor and ceiling. The cracks in the rock began to glow and spread all over, the entire structure soon glowing white before it exploded out into numerous small fragments that quickly disintegrated as they were hurled through the air. The grunts looked down at the Totem Muk, whose eyes were shut and it’s mouth open wide, its body stretched to the thinness of a crepe. It showed no signs of movement or intention to keep battling. _____________________________________________________ “Sam… Alice…” Sophocles softly spoke, unheard by anyone. “Thank you…” _____________________________________________________ Alice pumped her arm before pointing straight out. “Mudsdale, you got this now! Finish off Zeraora with High Horsepower!” Zeraora came up to its feet to see Mudsdale already close to it and turning around to buck. Too tired to try and avoid it, Zeraora could only cover its face with its arms just as Mudsdale’s back hooves collided with them, sending it flying hard over the open door to the hallway. With its back slamming against the wall, the lights around the room flickered as the infrastructure stressed to maintain itself. Peeling off the indent its body left, Zeraora, its eyes half-closed, tumbled forward to the floor, and just before its body could hit, its body was covered in Starlight’s magic and hovered just above the ground. Turning it over, Starlight placed Zeraora down into a seated position, looking down as he panted. Sam and Alice stayed silent as Zeraora got back to its feet with a limp in its right leg. Finally looking up to the two trainers, his mouth opened up to speak. “I… I yield. You have defeated me.” _____________________________________________________ Hau and Olivia smiled as they watched Sam and Alice hand the cashier their trainer IDs, their transaction about to come to an end and the start of their final test about to begin. _____________________________________________________ “Hariyama!” Hau’s Pokémon stood up straight. “Honedge!” Sam’s Pokémon slashed the air. “Knock Off!” “Return! Both Pokémon charged at one another, Hariyama’s hands pushing out one at a time in quick repetition, while Honedge lowered its blade to the right, following Sam’s stance. Sam looked intently at the pattern of Hariyama’s thrusts, seeing the path to victory within them. Holding his fist straight out, Sam reeled in his arm, wrapping it around his neck. Honedge’s sword now aimed its tip to the upper left, soaring to Hariyama’s upper right, barely managing to slip in between its hands before they switched. Coming around behind it, the end of Honedge’s pommel was aimed at the back of Hariyama’s head. Hau gasped as his Hariyama turned around to see Honedge from the corner of its eyes. Sam then thrust the bottom of its fist out, Honedge speeding down and striking Hariyama in the temple, the hit making Hariyama crumple to its stomach. “Don’t let him touch you!” Alice shouted. “Use one last Thunder Shock!” Bright plasma danced off of Pikachu’s cheeks while it kept its eyes focused on the charging Hariyama. The electricity grew brighter and brighter until Hariyama’s fist began to thrust out at Pikachu’s cheeks. At that moment, Pikachu screamed out and let every ounce of energy zap out from its body, the lightning hitting Hariyama’s hand with such ferocity that it stopped its punch just inches from Pikachu’s face and kept it there. Pikachu continued pressing on, Hariyama groaning as it struggled to keep pushing with the energy beginning to cover its whole body. By now, the stage had erupted into a ball of light that every human and pony off to the side couldn’t look away from, mesmerized by Pikachu’s strength. “Pikachu, get out of there and hit her with Brick Break!” With a final push up, Pikachu rolled off of Lycanroc’s bottom set of jaws, which it couldn’t close much to its despair. Pikachu then leapt up into a backflip, whipping its tail underneath Lycanroc’s chin, slamming its jaw back to the upper half of its mouth and flinging it up to land flat on its back. Sam and the ponies all gasped as Lycanroc appeared to stay still, but as Olivia looked down and over to see her Pokémon’s face, the fire was still alight in its eyes. “You’re not down yet,” she encouraged. “Let’s get up and strike it with–” Lycanroc let out another whine, making Olivia look up and see several pieces of rock from the broken Continental Crush fall back down toward the center of the court where Lycanroc and Pikachu both stood. Pikachu quickly fled and stayed by Alice’s side while Lycanroc, unable to move with its paralyzed limbs, closed its eyes as the pieces fell one by one around it, blasting it from several angles. A gust of dirt and dust pulsed out and struck both trainers and the spectators beside them, leaving another sizable cloud where Lycanroc still laid. Olivia, with a whimper, rushed out and began fanning the dust away to see her Pokémon and it’s eyes, which were facing off in other directions as it lay completely still. “It may not have worked last time,” Sam said, “but I have a real good feeling about this one. Doublade, use Shadow Sneak!” Olivia gasped, almost having forgotten about Sam’s ultimate strategy. As the rock came closer upon it, Doublade thrust itself down to the ground, sending out a far wider and faster shadow than the one it made as a Honedge. Easily making its way to Lycanroc, it came beneath it and blasted Lycanroc high up into the air with one long shrill whine. Sam kept his eyes on Lycanroc, hoping it would not have the energy to flip over and land safely as it had done before. Sam, Doublade, and the audience all waited for that moment, the world feeling as though it was in slow motion waiting for it to happen or not. The moment never came, and the moment Lycanroc’s limp body crumpled onto the ground, the falling mountain lit up before breaking apart into a handful of small rock shards. _____________________________________________________ Sam and Alice both zipped their bags back up, now looking rigidly full with the extra provisions they purchased. Upon them turning around to the exit, the trainers continued watching them. “So, you think you’re ready?” Kiawe asked them. “I honestly don’t know how much more ready we’re going to be without needlessly worrying ourselves,” Alice responded. “At least, more than we already are.” Guzma walked backwards until he heard the doors slide open, quickly sidestepping to avoid the cold draft blowing itself in. “Then get on with it! The Elite Four eagerly await you! Now get!” Sam and Alice watched as the gathered trainers stepped aside once more for them, leaving their pathway out completely unblocked. With a glance and a nod at each other, Sam and Alice sprinted out from the Pokémon Center without a backward or sideways glance. The only one to follow them out was Guzma, who watched as the two siblings rounded the turn in the path up the last hill, the massive Pokémon League building in sight. Reaching the top of the hill, Sam and Alice noticed the two blue-uniformed trainers standing guard of the titanic entrance. Slowing themselves down to walk up to them, they awaited for the moment that they would step aside and let the doors open for them. Once Sam and Alice were only a few feet away, they came to a stop, but neither of them yielded. “So,” the right trainer asked, “you two are ready to face the Pokémon League?” “We are,” Sam responded firmly. “Once you enter,” the left trainer reinforced, “you cannot leave until you’ve defeated all the trainers inside or if any of them defeats you. Knowing this, are you still prepared to face them?” After a momentary pause, Alice managed to nod. “Yes. We are all ready.” With the left trainer looking to the right one, he lifted his wrist device to his mouth. “Sam and Alice have arrived, and they’re ready. Open the–” “Wait! Wait…” On Sam’s sudden shout, the right trainer pulled his arm away. Alice turned her full head to face her brother, her expression filled with disappointment. “What is it now?” Sam then turned his whole head to look into Alice’s eyes. “How do we want to do this? First to defeat the Four faces the Champion?” Alice’s sneer morphed into a smirk, the idea growing on her. “Yeah… let’s do that. A real race to the very top.” “Excellent. I wouldn’t want it any other way.” Sam then looked back forward, his sister doing the same. “Okay, man, let us in!” With a nod, the right trainer put his wrist back up near his lips. “Sorry about that, now they’re ready. Open the doors.” Putting his arm down, the two trainers stepped aside as the circular doorway yanked itself open a foot. Sam and Alice flexed or squeezed the fingers in their hands as the door began to slowly come open to them, no longer as a guest, but as trainers ready to bring their long, incredible journey to its climactic, explosive end. “Good luck, you two,” the left trainer bid. Sam offered Alice his hand. “Ready, sis?” Alice took his hand and squeezed hard. “Always, bro.” Letting go, they shifted their feet into a slight lunge, ready to push off and give themselves the running start they needed. All that was needed was a signal from either one of them. “Three…” Alice whispered. “Two…” Sam quietly giggled. “One!” Alice broke into a sprint, Sam tensing up as he realized what his sister had done. “I thought it was on ‘go!’” Sam grunted, left with no choice but to run. Going as fast as he could after her, quickly gaining on her, the two ran past the doors and were instantly met with a blast of warmth. They were inside now. It was official. Their final five battles of their Alolan journey were about to begin.