Aspiring to become a Pokémon trainer

Closing his eyes, the boy reflected on his nearly year-long journey: leaping from the Prism Tower, catching Froakie, meeting Serena, and getting to know Clemont...

Those were Carlos's many experiences, and unforgettable treasures.

Is this the end? No, Greninja and I can become even stronger, we definitely can—

"Reach the pinnacle of the Carlos Alliance!"

Their eyes met, their fighting spirit soared, the battle song began, and Ash reached out to the sky. Water gathered behind Greninja, and their shadows merged into one.

A diamond-shaped water blade was carried on his back, and crimson patterns were engraved on his forehead. His imposing figure stood with his arms crossed, like a tower, and his scarf fluttered in the wind.

"Greninja, use Water Shuriken!"

"Lucario, use close combat!"

Their eyes met, their movements were synchronized, and everyone raised their hands, echoing each other's spirits.

With a light touch of the ground, Greninja leaps into the air, wielding its sharp blade amidst the pattering rain, giving it its all.

The raindrops split in two, causing the airflow to be cleaved, a speed that is imperceptible to the naked eye.

At the same moment, Lucario broke through the cold wind and crashed through the waves, rushing close without regard for anything else, and threw a powerful punch.

Waveguide power surged outwards, and the originally weak fists and palms, covered in glow, transformed into substantial indigo.

The wind and waves surged, the ground cracked, and the rock layers spontaneously rose up to both sides. The extreme collisions created a deafening roar, and the lingering aftershocks rolled in.

boom!

When the wind and rain stopped, the area fell silent; not even crows dared to chirp.

Without uttering a word, Korni quietly gazed at that tall, upright figure.

Even with cuts and scratches all over his body, and only able to gasp for breath, Lucario still held onto his knees and stood firm.

"Liu..."

As the apology was uttered, Greninja slowly lowered its head, its eyes losing all their luster.

The water element's inherent weakness was ultimately overcome by the pressure of combat, and the boy's earlier advantage became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

"I'm sorry, Greninja."

As he murmured, Ash knew the outcome was clear, but how could he blame them for giving it their all?

One failure doesn't mean it's permanent. At least he's still young, and at least he still has time to catch up with Pikachu.

The screen above his head displayed an image: all the Poké Balls belonging to the boy's side went dark, while Korrina's portrait turned to the center and lit up with a victory sign.

"Striving forward with vigor and determination, even when she was at a disadvantage, she still defeated her opponent with ingenious tactics and an indomitable will. Without a doubt, the winner is Korne from Salo City, which means that she will step onto the stage of the finals and face off against that girl from Miare!"

Cheers erupted instantly, the crowd roared, and the audience cheered.

In this battle, they witnessed Ash's determination and Korrina's resilience. The all-out, true-or-nothing battle ignited their passion and spirit.

After calming the exhausted Lucario and softly expressing her exhaustion, the blonde girl raised her eyelashes and looked for her friends.

Without much effort, just by glancing around, she spotted Nanyin leaning against the wall, resting with her eyes closed.

Knowing that the other party was waiting for her, Korni suppressed the turmoil in her thoughts and the joy in her heart. Step by step, she went from walking slowly to running. She wanted to abandon her emotions and proudly tell Nanyin about her victory, but in the end, the girl just rushed into the former's arms.

"Nanyin, I won! I really did it!"

Her eyes welled up with tears uncontrollably. All the hardship of winning and the obstacles along the way surged up at this moment. She really stood in front of her friend as promised and stepped into the same world with him.

Without offering words of comfort or further explanation, Nan Yin simply took out a prepared towel and handed it to the tearful girl.

"Wipe your sweat, the final stage still needs us to go."

Gently patting the former's back, letting the tears soak the front of her clothes, she knew what Korne needed most.

Denied by her elders and oppressed by reality, what the girl from the Sara Dojo needed most was simply—

A word of affirmation, a word of thanks.

Therefore, in her own words, the best encouragement comes from her friend and rival, who extended the invitation to go to that stage together.

[Hmm...]

Watching the two embrace, feeling the emotions they held in each other's hearts, Qi Ye's Prayer Star seemed to vaguely understand the emotions in the battle narrative, and understood the true meaning of the tournament that Nan Yin had mentioned.

As they made their wishes, a soft glow shone through the glass of the venue and fell upon the girls.

Prayers.

The fatigue from the fierce battle vanished completely, and both the elves inside the ball and those outside felt a genuine sense of comfort.

Wiping the sweat from her brow and pulling away from her friend's generous embrace, only now did Korne realize what she had just done.

Feeling utterly ashamed, a blush immediately rose to her ears, staining her fair skin red.

"Alright, girls, there'll be plenty of time to talk about sentimentality later. Audience, you're still waiting for the final match."

As the atmosphere gradually dissipated, the blonde beauty stepped out of the room, smiled at the opportune moment, and began to chat jokingly.

"Sister Zhulan, you saw it all?"

Covering her lips and nose, the girl immediately tried to turn her back to avoid facing the mocking gaze.

"Of course, there's the unspoken understanding between you, the mutual care you give each other, and..."

He intended to elaborate, but Zhu Lan's follow-up was abruptly cut short by her female companion.

"Just like my past encounter with Zhulan, there's nothing to be ashamed of in caring for each other. When people meet, they always blossom into something wonderful."

Holding her friend's slender hand, Karuni gently traced the lines on her palm with her fingertips. Her eyes were filled with relief, and she seemed to see her past self reflected in them.

"Karuni, don't try to preach to me with my words."

Although she spoke with a hint of reproach, there was no blame in her voice; Zhu Lan was merely using this opportunity to tease her friend.

They remained silent, letting the audience's cheers grow louder and louder, the entire venue seeming to tremble, creating an atmosphere for the upcoming final.

Under the spotlight, which was attracting everyone's attention, Nan Yin took the girl's fingertips and gently lifted her up.

"Let's go, Korni."

It was a whispered exchange of glances.

When the only competitors are them, the outcome of the competition becomes less important; what matters is the emotions conveyed and the heartfelt sentiments expressed during the battle.

Fireworks were lit one by one, turning the venue into a dazzling display of light and color, reflecting each other's silhouettes.

"Night is falling, the final is approaching, no embellishment is needed, everything depends on the current match!"

"Let's welcome our two trainers who have overcome all obstacles and climbed this mountain to reach us: Nanin from Lumiose City and Korrina from the Sala Gym!"

The shouts were deafening, and thousands of fluorescent lights shone brightly, yet these incredibly clear things appeared slightly blurry in Nan Yin's eyes.

Regional conferences and final stages—these once vague and distant concepts are now vividly present before my eyes and standing right in front of me.

"Cornie."

She softly called out her friend's name, then spread her five fingers in front of her—a challenge to a duel.

"Nanyin."

When addressing her friend, Korne also slightly raised the corners of her lips and then took the former's slender hand.

Even though he and these children had a slim chance of winning.

If she shrinks back simply because she's afraid of losing, how can she possibly keep up with the other person's pace?

Her bright red bangs obscured her face, revealing only her slightly upturned lips and teeth.

Not being afraid of defeat, not blaming others, and having the courage to face any challenge – that's what a trainer should be like.

Besides, my feelings for her don't need to be described with simple words.

Without lingering, the girl calmly walked to the other end of the field.

"Contestants in position, rules as before, I hereby announce—"

After confirming that everything was correct, the familiar referee raised his flag and swung it down decisively.

"The competition officially begins!"

Clenching the sphere in their palms, both sides gazed into the distance, showing no intention of backing down.

They know each other's lineups inside and out, so any cunning schemes would be difficult to execute. The only thing to compete on is the depth of their underlying strength and the accuracy of their judgments.

"Sylveon the Fairy".

"Strange power!"

As indicated by the shout, the delicate little beast lightly touched the ground and stood in the center of the arena, while the enormous monster spread its four arms, displaying its awe-inspiring power.

But unlike their different appearances, when the attacks overlapped and fists and palms were unleashed, the one who was bent over was actually a monstrous strength known as the Strongman.

Surrounded by dazzling moonlight, the close-quarters combat, which had abandoned its defensive stance, was shattered by Sylveon's powerful roar before it could even land.

In a single exchange, the fairy's radiance overwhelmed the fighter, gaining the first advantage through divine intervention.

The score fluctuated, the Pokémon rotated, and with a flash of red light, a swift figure swept past Eevee, slashing down the Poisonous Slash.

"Gallade, Poison Jab!"

The attacks were swift and fierce, but under Nan Yin's five senses, the progression of the muscles and the surge of power were crystal clear, and how could they escape the capture of her mind?

Keep it.

The ribbons drooped down, taking root in the soil. Even with the Poison Strike's outstanding power, it still couldn't break through the small beast's defenses. To go any further, the Dark Blue Scorpion King had already taken its place, easily withstanding the subsequent slashes.

"Two wings".

Taking advantage of the moment when it lost its footing and was exhausted, the Gliscor tried to close the distance and use the force of its fall to cut off the wings, but Gallade adjusted its center of gravity in an instant and blocked the two blades.

That's the same kind of holding on.

“Nanyin, do you still remember that time when you led me through the mountain path to the small room, and we chose it together?”

"Back then, it was still young and innocent, only knowing to snuggle up to you and me, just like itself. But now—"

It has grown up and is capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities, and I am no longer a novice trainer, no longer a reckless person who doesn't know how to restrain myself.

Rotation, parrying, changing the field, altering the weather—all the guidance she received day and night, the wisdom she gained during battles, were displayed on the field. The girl was determined to dedicate everything she had learned to her friends.

Regardless of the widening score, regardless of the impending defeat, even knowing that defeat was inevitable, she still wanted to express all the emotions in her heart.

That was gratitude—gratitude for the months of companionship, gratitude for the patience and understanding, and a heartfelt final thank you.

Lucario unleashed a powerful punch, Gallade countered with a Steel Slash, and as the Key Stone's brilliance shone in their eyes, and as the roar of cheers engulfed the arena, the battle finally came to an end.

Five to two, the numbers on the high-hanging screen flashed, the three-point gap was stark, the chance of winning was slim, but that was enough.

Lucario struggled to support his knees, panting heavily, his strength failing him. And diagonally opposite him was not a powerful Pokémon, but a Wishing Star that had spontaneously stepped forward.

Without any sense of loss, it sensed the emotions that had settled in Korni's heart, and the concern that Nan Yin had hidden in her eyes. The outcome of the battle was important, but the process was even more so.

Expressing one's own feelings, demonstrating mutual understanding, and boldly acknowledging and affirming—perhaps this is what Nan Yin wants to tell Kiraqi.

And it, too, did not choose to attack, but simply clasped its little hands together, wishing each other peace.

The wish for healing.

Those are spirits who give themselves to heal all who are wounded or even faint.

The balance was now back to normal, which seemed like a mistake, but the blonde girl raised her right hand to indicate that she had given up.

When you have expressed your heartfelt feelings and poured out your emotions, and when you have exhausted all your efforts but still cannot win, then victory or defeat no longer matters.

As soon as the words were spoken, the referee slowly blew his whistle and waved the flag in one direction in the stadium where everyone was holding their breath.

"Korne conceded defeat, therefore, the winner is Nan Yin from Miare City!"

The night sky bursts into dazzling fireworks, the stars cast a gentle glow, cheers rise to their peak, and time stretches out slowly in mutual understanding.

"A new champion has been crowned at the Miare Conference!"

"She was invincible and had no defeats. Her strength was beyond doubt. Her bowing and bending down showed her utmost concern, revealing her gentleness."

With the most eloquent words, everyone was overjoyed at this moment.

"Well done, Nan Yin!"

"As expected of my most proud disciple."

A chorus of praises followed, and the blonde beauty delivered her closing remarks.