This absolutely beautiful art was provided to me by the amazing NaivEevee. She's such a talented artist! (It's a human version of Meteor with Steven by the way)
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The wind roared around me, gusting heavily and threatening to toss me about like a loose leaf. I didn't react to this, knowing that this meant I was almost to my destination. Then the gale suddenly eased, growing more calm. Maverick's wings fluttered as she prepared to land. She then touched down on a bed of grass.

   I stumbled off of her, keeping one hand on her to steady myself while I removed my jet-black goggles with the other. Before I had left Sootopolis, I decided to go out and purchase some goggles like the ones Winona had. Unlike hers, mine had a few extra bells and whistles added: Tinted lenses for extended time in the sun, and a night vision function for late-night flights. They were very expensive, but I knew they would be worth it if I got them.

Now that I was finally in Ever Grande City, I was excited to see the hub built before the Pokémon League.

Ever Grande City defied all of my expectations. I never would have thought a location with "city" in its name would be so lonely. Ever Grande "City" was a city of flowers. Autumn blooms of every type covered the overgrown grass in a multicolored sheath, their dew-speckled petals glittering in the midmorning sunlight. The only places they didn't grow were around the Pokémon Center and the single, center path leading to the entrance of the cave system called Victory Road. There was nothing else but the flora and the red-roofed building.

The inside of the Pokémon Center was more lively than it looked like it would have been. Six or seven Trainers milled about the lobby, healing their teams, using the PCs and Communicators, buying from the small Poké Mart-style shop set up on the far side of the room, activity typical from this establishment. I didn't know what I really expected, fewer people, perhaps? This place was the gateway to the Pokémon League. I guess I thought not as many Trainers wanted to go all the way with their battling careers.

One thing that didn't surprise me, however, were the ages of the Trainers. Minus a couple, the great majority of them were Faye's age, possibly even a year or so older. While the older kept to themselves, going about their business with a sense of confidence masked by nonchalance, the younger Trainers huddled in a group, talking with each other excitedly but with an air of nervousness about them. I felt caught in the middle of these groups. I certainly wasn't overwhelmingly confident in my skills, but I wasn't nearly as stirred-up as the younger Trainers.

"Hi there!"

I flinched when an overly-peppy voice exclaimed a greeting what felt like an inch from my ear. Turning to see who was so intent on talking to me, I was faced with a girl close to my age with darkly-tanned skin, short black hair, dark brown eyes, and wearing flower-patterned clothing that looked like it would be at home on a summery, tropical island.

"Um, hello," I responded. "Is there any reason why you want to speak with me?" Blunt, I know, but I was still rather shoddy with greetings.

"I just wanted to say hi. I made it a goal on my journey to meet a new person every day. And with that, I'm Phoebe!" We shook hands and I introduced myself, exchanging pleasantries in the process. "So are you going for the Champion title, Steven?" she asked.

"Isn't everybody?" I asked, puzzled.

She pointed to the other Trainers, shrugging. "I don't know about them, but I'm not. I'm going to the League to see about Elite Four training!"

   "I thought the Pokémon League was where Champion challenges were made. I didn't know you could become an Elite Four member there."

   "Where else would the Elite Four try out at? Same with the Gym Leaders!" Phoebe laughed. "I guess the requirements for the Champion position aren't as specific. I know that you need all eight badges and at least four Pokémon with the typing you're trying out for to become an Elite Four member, but I think it comes down to whether the Champion approves of you or not."

"And you want to specialize in..?"

"Ghost-types! I bet you didn't expect that, huh?" To her credit, I wasn't. "I grew up in Hoenn but I'm originally from Alola, and we have our fair share of spiritual locations there, and by extension, Ghost Pokémon." As she said that, a gray, doll-shaped Pokémon with a zipper-like mouth and red eyes materialized from midair on Phoebe's shoulder. Startled, I stumbled back a little, surprise forcing a gasp out of me.

"I-I'm guessing that Pokémon is yours, then?" I said calmly, hoping to regain a bit of my dignity.

Phoebe nodded happily. "I don't know why people are scared of Ghost-types, they're so interesting to me," she said, lovingly patting the now-grinning Ghost on its head. "I can communicate with them, you know? I grew up with ghosts around me on a constant basis, and by making friends with them, I eventually learned how to understand them."

"Oh, really? I didn't know people could do things like that." Was it even possible for people to do that? I shouldn't have thought that considering my prescience. At this point, people with strange, otherworldly abilities were practically commonplace in my world. "My own team isn't focused around one type, it's more theme-based. I train mineral Pokémon. Steel, Rock, Ground, Pokémon in those categories."

"That's cool! I haven't met many Steel or Rock Trainers," she chirped excitedly. Talking to Phoebe was refreshing. I hadn't exactly spoken to anyone besides Meteor in a few days. That, and she reminded me of Winona. Her bubbly personality and way of speaking was what did it. A fleeting feeling of sadness hit me before it was washed away by Phoebe's next question. "Hey, are you gonna go right to the League or are you gonna stick around here for a bit?" she asked.

I had been traveling for three hours straight, and by flying's standards, that was taxing on both mine and Maverick's parts. It could have been less had I asked Maverick to use Agility once or twice, but I didn't want to accidentally blow by Ever Grande and strand ourselves in the middle of the ocean. She needed some time to rest, and on top of that I wanted to spend some time training. I didn't think it would kill the other Trainers if I wanted to battle them. "I think I'll head out in a few days, why?"

"I've been here about a week, and it's interesting to me how Trainers want to approach Victory Road. Y'know, whether they actually do it or not. I honestly think those older Trainers are here to intimidate the younger ones." After she said that, two of the Trainers from opposing age groups made eye contact, the younger flinching away while the older smirked.

"It seems you're right," I said.

"Also, I was wondering if you'd want to travel through Victory Road with me. You don't seem stuck-up like the other Trainers, and I think it'd be fun to travel with someone for once. And I've heard that there are a lot of tough Trainers training in the caves. Strength in numbers, right?"

   Stuck up? That was the last impression I thought someone would get from me. I had to give this one some thought. Did I really want to travel with someone again? In the end, I decided to agree with her. "If you want to. I don't mind," I said. It wouldn't be for that long, and admittedly I wanted some company.

"Yes!" Phoebe fist-pumped the air.

A training-filled week passed, and I decided my team was finally ready. Every one of my Pokémon were in their high fifties and fully-evolved. Silvette had evolved into an Aggron, a bipedal, nearly seven-foot Steel-Ground monster of a Pokémon that was mint green in color thanks to her Shininess. With her coloring and red eyes, she looked somewhat like Meteor, a comparison that was humorous to me merely for the fact that Meteor insisted he was the better-looking out of the two of them.

Victory Road lived up to its name. A maze-like system of water-flooded caves filled with as many waterfalls as there were Trainers, each owning the toughest Pokémon in the region. I didn't mind the extra battling. Phoebe and I had enough healing items combined to open our own Pokémon Center, and I wanted all of the training and Experience Points my team could get. We were going to be ready for this.

Almost two days later we exited the tunnels only to immediately be in awe of the Pokémon League itself. A cluster of attached buildings two stories high held up by pristine marble pillars, sloping copper roofs decorated with gold-painted statues of small Pokémon, and a surprisingly calm atmosphere. How many times were my expectations going to be defied? Phoebe and I glanced at each other unsurely, and we entered the League.

The League's interior looked like it was ninety percent counters and chairs. It was a cross between a Pokémon Center, Poké Mart, and a Gym lobby, no doubt to let Trainers heal and restock for the battles ahead. The doors in the center of the room guarded by two uniformed men were clearly the "main attraction," so to speak. Besides the staff and two Trainers at the healing station, there was nobody else. It was very peaceful, and the quiet elevator-type music playing in the background added on to that.

After taking in the room's layout, I turned to Phoebe. "It was a pleasure traveling with you," I said. "I wish you luck on your tryouts."

"Same here!" she replied with a smile. "And thanks, I hope I at least get considered. Good luck with your challenge."

"If I become Champion, I'll see to it that you get the position!" I joked. She laughed, and we parted ways, her heading to one of the lobby's many counters while I went to heal my team. I milled about the lobby as long as I could, mentally preparing myself for what was to come.

   You've been pretty quiet since that Phoebe girl left, Meteor noted. Are you nervous?

   No, I'm not, I answered, taking deep breaths. It was quite the opposite of that. I'm... incredibly excited! This was what everything I'd been doing was leading up to. All of the blood, sweat, and literal tears was amounting to this challenge. My gaze focused on the guarded doors, my mind racing about what was beyond them. I couldn't take it any more. I was going in there, and I wasn't leaving without the Champion title.

"Good day, young man. Are you here to challenge the Elite Four?" one of the guards asked me once I approached the doors.

"Yes!" I exclaimed, unable to contain my excitement. "Am I able to at the moment?"

"Do you have all of Hoenn's Gym badges?" the other questioned. I showed the guards my badges and they nodded approvingly.

   "Fine, you are free to enter," the first guard said. "But there are two rules you are to uphold once you begin your challenge. One, battle fairly or you will be automatically disqualified. Two, you cannot cancel your challenge until you either win all five battles or lose. Do you understand?" I agreed and the guard that last spoke contacted someone with the earpiece they were wearing. "Lobby to Elite Helena, you have a challenger on the way. Prepare yourself." He ended the call and addressed me again. "Good luck, challenger."

The second I passed the threshold of the center doors, they closed behind me. I hardly noticed this as I was paying more attention to the open doorway at the end of the hall I now stood in. I was more than ready for this. I sped-walked down the hall, resisting the urge to run. After all, I had to retain some composure, didn't I?

The open door led to an arena decked out in shades of dark gray and orange, the lines marking the arena composed of white lights that were what provided the room's light. The sound of heels on tile across the room clicked loudly, then out of the shadows at the far end of the arena stepped a mauve-haired teen Faye's age dressed in casual but darkly colored clothing. She smiled faintly at me, her eyes hidden by the light reflecting off of her square-lensed glasses.

"Don't tell me... Your name is Steven?" she asked.

"How do you know my name?" I said, both surprise and instant wariness hitting me.

"Ari's told me all about you. You're, like, one of her best friends or something." She pushed her glasses down the bridge of her nose, letting me catch a glimmer of her amber eyes. "I'm Helena, Hoenn's very own Dark-type Elite Four member. But we both know you're not here to chat." The lights flashed on, bathing the tile-patterned room in bright light. Helena selected a Poké Ball from her belt, twirling the minimized capsule between her fingers. "You ready? 'Cause I am!"

"Definitely!" I answered.

She enlarged the Poké Ball, and with the flick of her wrist, sent it flying into the air where a Mightyena materialized on the battlefield as a result. "Ari said you have promise. I'd like to see for myself. I'm expecting something amazing from you!"

I sent out River first, his X-Scissor move at the forefront of my thoughts. My heart was pounding out of my chest, exhilaration pumping fiery adrenaline through my veins. This is it! "I hope I won't fail your expectations, then," I said as calmly as I could manage to.

Helena winked, saying, "We'll see!"

One by one, Helena's Pokémon fell, dropping within only a couple turns of them being sent out. When the battle was over she voiced her approval and granted me permission to move on.

   The battles that followed seemed to go by in an instant, the names of the Elites and one or two of their Pokémon all that registered with me. The second Elite was a user of Ghost-types named Brynne, succeeded by an Ice-type specialist by the name of Glacia.

The fourth and final Elite Four member was an older man named Drake, and after a lengthy speech about Dragon-types and how powerful they were, we started our battle. He was the most skilled member of the four, and I actually had to Mega Evolve Meteor so we could defeat his Salamence. But it eventually went down, securing our victory.

"So you can use that fancy Mega Evolution, too?" Drake commented once the battle was over. "Seems like you'll be giving our Champion a tough battle. But I can assure you, she doesn't mess around." I didn't have to be told that to know, I'd seen her battle before.

The final hallway felt the longest to me. It was then that my excitement fizzled down, nervousness taking its place. Each step I took brought me closer to the Champion. I knew who it was, and it was horribly nerve-wracking. Faye really was a force to be reckoned with.

It was then that what was at stake here hit me full-force. What if I did lose? That one question opened the floodgates. Thought after negative thought assaulted me, tearing me to pieces internally. Where my insides once squirmed in anticipation, they now writhed with anxiety. At the hall's halfway point, I was trembling so badly that I had to stop walking.

   Breathe, Steven, it's going to be fine. You'll be fine, I told myself, closing my eyes and forcibly steadying my breathing. I needed to really think of why I was so nervous, only then I realized how ridiculous it was. Why would I have even attempted this if I knew I would lose? And I wasn't going to. Steeling myself, I opened my eyes. I have come this far already, I know I can do it, and I will do it!

   Spoken like a Champion, Meteor quipped.

The last arena was twice as large as the others and stark white, light entering the room from the rows of windows along the walls near the ceiling. Across the area was a large, closed door. And before that door, facing away, stood a very familiar person. She even looked like she had the first time we met, knee-length green dress, Ponyta-tail and all.

"Welcome, challenger," she said in a calm, light tone. "I congratulate you for making it this far." She turned around, her eyes widening when she saw me. "Steven, it's you..." She looked like she wanted to say more but shook her head. "My name is Faye, and I am the Champion of the Hoenn League. You have no doubt encountered many trials over the course of your journey, and overcoming those trials brought you closer to this place. I'm the final hurdle to overcome, and I ask you this: are you prepared?"

"I've never been more prepared for anything in my life," I replied, my voice alive with returned confidence.

She smiled, her expression the ideal calm before the storm. "That is just what I wanted to hear. As the Champion of the Hoenn League, I, Faye Arietta Bellworth, accept your challenge!" she said, sending out her Chimecho, Belle. "Let's make this fun, shall we?"