The Indigo Plateau loomed before Marcus like a monument to everything he'd ever dreamed about.
This was it. The Pokemon League. The ultimate challenge. The place where champions were made and legends were born.
Marcus had eight badges, 4,847 Pokemon, and absolutely zero chill.
"We're here," he breathed, staring up at the massive structure. "We're actually HERE."
"Yes. We arrived approximately thirty seconds ago. You've been standing motionless since then," Steve observed.
"I'm having a MOMENT, Steve."
"Your moments are inefficient."
"Let me be dramatic!"
Kenneth, perched on Marcus's head like the world's most unsettling hat, made a small noise.
"Kenneth gets it."
"Kenneth is a Shuckle. Kenneth does not 'get' anything. Kenneth simply exists."
"Kenneth exists DRAMATICALLY."
The team had gathered for a pre-League strategy meeting. All twelve of Marcus's traveling companions stood in a semicircle, awaiting instructions.
Sunny the Charizard.
Steve the Mewtwo.
Mama B the Blissey.
Big Boy the Snorlax.
Speedy the Jolteon.
Splash the Gyarados.
Rocky the Tyranitar.
Ghosty the Gengar.
Floaty the Dragonite.
Stabby the Gallade.
Shelly the Blastoise.
And Kenneth the Shuckle.
"Okay team," Marcus began. "The Elite Four. Four of the strongest trainers in Kanto, plus the Champion. This is the ultimate test."
The Pokemon listened intently.
"Now, I COULD use Steve and steamroll everyone instantly."
Steve straightened slightly, ready to volunteer.
"Or I could use Kenneth and psychologically devastate them like I did the Gym Leaders."
Kenneth vibrated.
"But I've been thinking..."
Marcus turned to look at Sunny.
The Charizard met his gaze, flames flickering from his tail, eyes burning with a fire that had nothing to do with his typing.
"Sunny. You've been with me since the beginning. The REAL beginning. Pokemon Red. 1998. You were my first Pokemon. My first partner. My first friend."
Sunny rumbled softly.
"You've watched me use Kenneth for Gyms. You've watched Splash evolve and tear through Lt. Surge. You've watched Steve get his closure with Giovanni. But YOU haven't had your moment yet."
The Charizard's eyes widened.
"The Elite Four. The Champion. FIVE battles." Marcus grinned. "All yours."
Sunny stared at him.
"Marcus," Steve interjected, "while I appreciate the sentiment, the Elite Four use diverse type matchups. Lorelei uses Ice-types, which are super effective against—"
"Sunny can handle it."
"Bruno uses Rock-types, which are ALSO super effective—"
"Sunny. Can. Handle. It."
"Lance uses DRAGON-types, including multiple Dragonite, and while Sunny is strong, the type matchup—"
"STEVE."
The Mewtwo fell silent.
"This isn't about type matchups. This isn't about efficiency. This is about LEGACY." Marcus walked over to Sunny and placed a hand on the Charizard's snout. "Sunny has been carrying me since I was six years old. In a different world, in a different life, he was just pixels on a screen. But he was MY pixels. MY partner."
Sunny's tail flame burned brighter.
"Now he's real. He's HERE. And he's going to show the Pokemon League what twenty-six years of partnership looks like."
Sunny roared.
It wasn't just a roar. It was a STATEMENT. A declaration. A promise.
"...Very well," Steve conceded. "But I am maintaining a psychic link in case intervention becomes necessary."
"It won't."
"Noted. I will intervene anyway if he's about to die."
"Fair."
INDIGO PLATEAU - ELITE FOUR CHAMBER ONE
LORELEI - ICE-TYPE SPECIALIST
Lorelei sat on her throne of ice, radiating cold confidence. She had heard the rumors about Marcus Chen, of course. Everyone had. But she was a member of the ELITE FOUR. She had faced champions. She had faced legends.
A child with a Shuckle didn't scare her.
The doors opened.
Marcus walked in alone.
Well, not alone. A Charizard walked beside him, its tail flame illuminating the icy chamber with flickering orange light.
"Welcome, challenger," Lorelei said, rising from her throne. "I am Lorelei, master of Ice-types. You've done well to make it this far, but your journey ends—"
"One Pokemon."
Lorelei blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I'm using one Pokemon for the entire Elite Four. This is Sunny." Marcus gestured at the Charizard. "He's going to beat all of you."
Silence.
"You're using a FIRE-type," Lorelei said slowly, "against an ICE-type specialist."
"Yep!"
"Ice is super effective against Fire."
"I know!"
Lorelei stared at him. Then at the Charizard. Then back at him.
"You're either very confident or very stupid."
"Little bit of both!"
"...Very well. DEWGONG, GO!"
The Dewgong materialized, sleek and ready for battle.
Sunny stepped forward, flames already intensifying.
"Sunny, SUNNY DAY!"
The Charizard roared, and suddenly the entire ice chamber was flooded with harsh, artificial sunlight. The ice on the walls began to drip. Lorelei's throne started to melt.
"What—MY THRONE!"
"FIRE BLAST!"
Under the effects of Sunny Day, Fire moves were boosted by 50%. Sunny's already obscene Special Attack was further enhanced by his Solar Power ability, which boosted it ANOTHER 50% in harsh sunlight.
The math was simple: Dewgong was about to have a very bad day.
The Fire Blast connected.
Dewgong didn't just faint. It was launched backward with enough force to crack the ice wall behind it. Steam erupted from the point of impact. When it cleared, the Dewgong was unconscious and slightly toasted.
One hit. One KO.
"WHAT?!" Lorelei screamed.
"Solar Power ability!" Marcus explained cheerfully. "Plus Sunny Day! Plus perfect IVs! Plus the fact that Sunny has been my partner for twenty-six years and has OPINIONS about type matchups!"
Sunny roared in agreement.
Lorelei's Cloyster lasted slightly longer.
About four seconds longer.
It managed to use Ice Beam, which Sunny dodged with a graceful aerial maneuver, before taking a Flamethrower that turned it into clam chowder.
Her Slowbro—not even an Ice-type, just a desperate choice—went down to a single Dragon Claw.
Her Jynx tried to use Lovely Kiss to put Sunny to sleep. Sunny responded by FLYING DIRECTLY INTO HER FACE and using Fire Blast at point-blank range.
The Jynx was subsequently retired from competitive battling.
And finally, Lorelei's Lapras.
Her ace. Her partner. Her strongest Pokemon.
It emerged from its Pokeball, majestic and ancient, ready to defend its trainer's honor.
"LAPRAS, BLIZZARD!"
The ice storm erupted—a massive, freezing assault that should have devastated any Fire-type.
Sunny flew straight through it.
The Sunny Day was still active. The ice melted before it could touch him. He emerged from the Blizzard with frost on his wings and murder in his eyes.
"BLAST BURN!"
This was Sunny's ultimate move. The Fire-type equivalent of Hyper Beam. A devastating attack that required a recharge turn afterward.
There would be no need for a recharge turn.
The Blast Burn hit Lapras like a meteor. The resulting explosion of fire and steam consumed the entire chamber. Lorelei was thrown backward from the shockwave. The remains of her ice throne completely liquefied.
When the steam cleared, Lapras was unconscious.
And Sunny landed gracefully in the center of the room, not even breathing hard.
"That's one," Marcus said.
LORELEI - POST BATTLE
Lorelei sat in a puddle of what used to be her throne, staring at nothing.
"He used a Fire-type," she whispered. "Against my Ice-types."
Her assistant rushed over. "Ma'am, are you alright?"
"He used a Fire-type. AND HE WON."
"Ma'am—"
"My chamber is MELTED. My Lapras is in the WALL. And he's SMILING."
Lorelei looked at Marcus, who was indeed smiling.
"The Gym Leaders warned me," she said quietly. "They WARNED me. I didn't listen."
"They never do," Marcus said sympathetically. "Can I go to the next chamber now?"
"Yes. Please leave. I need to reevaluate everything."
ELITE FOUR CHAMBER TWO
BRUNO - FIGHTING-TYPE SPECIALIST
Bruno was READY.
Unlike Lorelei, he had ACTUALLY listened to the warnings. He had trained harder than ever. He had meditated. He had prepared his Pokemon for anything.
A Charizard would be no problem. He had Rock-types. He had strategies.
Marcus entered the chamber.
The Charizard entered with him.
"CHALLENGER!" Bruno boomed. "I have awaited you! Your journey through the Elite Four ends HERE!"
"That's what Lorelei said."
"Lorelei uses Ice-types! I use FIGHTING-types! The strongest offensive type! And my Onix and Golem have Rock-type moves that will—"
"Sunny, EARTHQUAKE."
Bruno's Onix was underground when the Earthquake hit.
This did not help it.
The entire chamber shook. Cracks spread across the floor, walls, and ceiling. The Onix was launched out of the ground like a popcorn kernel in a microwave.
"ONIX!" Bruno screamed.
The Rock Snake Pokemon crashed to the ground, unconscious.
"Charizard can learn Earthquake," Marcus explained. "Fun fact!"
Bruno stared in horror.
His Hitmonchan went down to a single Flamethrower.
His Hitmonlee went down to a single Air Slash.
His Machamp—his MACHAMP—managed to land ONE Dynamic Punch before Sunny flew up, used Focus Blast (Fighting-type move, learned via TM), and sent it through the wall.
"WHY DOES YOUR CHARIZARD KNOW FOCUS BLAST?!" Bruno screamed.
"TMs are very versatile!"
"THAT'S NOT—THAT'S NOT HOW THIS IS SUPPOSED TO WORK!"
"Sunny's been my partner for twenty-six years. We've had a LOT of time to learn moves."
Bruno fell to his knees as his final Pokemon—Golem—was Earthquaked into oblivion.
"This isn't fair," he whispered.
"It's completely fair! Sunny earned every bit of this power!"
"He knows FOUR different types of super effective moves!"
"He's a CHARIZARD. They're very versatile."
Bruno started crying.
ELITE FOUR CHAMBER THREE
AGATHA - GHOST-TYPE SPECIALIST
Agatha was old. Agatha was wise. Agatha had been battling since before Marcus's parents were born.
And Agatha was TERRIFIED.
She'd watched the previous two battles through the internal camera system. She'd seen what that Charizard could do.
But she was Agatha. She had faced Oak in his prime. She had faced champions and gods.
She would not surrender without a fight.
"Young man," she said as Marcus entered, her voice surprisingly steady. "That is quite a Charizard."
"Thanks! This is Sunny!"
Sunny rumbled a greeting.
"I watched your other battles. Very impressive." Agatha's eyes narrowed. "But Ghost-types are different. We don't play by normal rules."
"I know! That's why this will be fun!"
"Fun. You think battling ME will be fun?"
"Everything's fun when you're with your partner!"
Sunny nodded in agreement.
Agatha sighed. "Very well. GENGAR, GO!"
Ghosty, Marcus's own Gengar, had given him very specific advice about fighting other Ghost-types.
"Hit them really hard," Ghosty had suggested. "Ghost-types are actually kinda fragile."
This advice proved accurate.
Agatha's Gengar lasted exactly one attack. Sunny had learned Shadow Ball, because of course he had, and the super effective hit sent the Ghost-type to the afterlife's afterlife.
Her Haunter followed immediately after.
Her Arbok—not a Ghost-type, but Agatha had always been unconventional—went down to an Earthquake.
Her second Gengar tried to use Hypnosis to put Sunny to sleep.
Sunny was holding a Chesto Berry.
The Hypnosis worked for approximately 0.3 seconds before Sunny woke up and responded with extreme violence.
And finally, Agatha's Golbat.
"Wait," Marcus said, genuinely confused. "Why do you have a Golbat?"
"It was a gift from my grandmother!" Agatha snapped defensively.
"Sunny, Air Slash."
The Golbat was defeated so quickly that Marcus almost felt bad.
Almost.
AGATHA - POST BATTLE
Agatha sat in silence for a long moment.
"In my seventy years of battling," she finally said, "I have never been defeated so thoroughly."
"Sunny's really good!"
"That creature is not a Charizard. That creature is WAR incarnate."
Sunny preened slightly at the compliment.
"I'm going to call Oak," Agatha muttered. "I'm going to call him and tell him that his region has produced something UNPRECEDENTED."
"Tell him I said hi!"
"GET OUT OF MY CHAMBER!"
ELITE FOUR CHAMBER FOUR
LANCE - DRAGON-TYPE SPECIALIST (ACTING)
Lance was not officially part of the Elite Four. He was the CHAMPION. But today, he was filling in because the actual fourth member had called in sick after watching the first three battles.
"Nope," the fourth member had said. "Not doing it. I have a doctor's note. The doctor is myself. I am suddenly very ill."
So Lance waited in the fourth chamber, watching his screens, observing the carnage.
A single Charizard had swept Lorelei, Bruno, and Agatha.
Without switching out.
Without using items.
Without even seeming to TRY.
"This is impossible," Lance murmured. "This defies everything I know about Pokemon battles."
The doors opened.
Marcus entered with his Charizard.
"Hi Lance! Fancy meeting you here!"
"I'm substituting. The regular fourth member is... indisposed."
"Oh no! Are they okay?"
"They saw your battles and suddenly developed a mysterious illness."
"That's too bad. Anyway, wanna battle?"
Lance looked at the Charizard.
The Charizard looked at Lance.
Specifically, at Lance's cape.
There was a flicker of something in the Charizard's eyes. Recognition, perhaps. A fellow cape-wearer. A kindred spirit.
Then the flicker passed, replaced by cold determination.
"Your Charizard," Lance said. "How long have you had it?"
"Since 1998!"
"That's... that's before you were born."
"It's a long story involving reincarnation and an angry llama god."
"I'm not going to ask."
"Probably wise!"
Lance released his first Pokemon. Gyarados.
"Let's see what you've got, Marcus Chen."
The battle was actually COMPETITIVE.
Lance's Gyarados was powerful, well-trained, and had Intimidate to lower Sunny's Attack.
Too bad Sunny was a special attacker.
Thunderbolt took the Gyarados down in two hits.
"Your Charizard knows THUNDERBOLT?!" Lance shouted.
"TM48! Very useful!"
Lance's Dragonair went down to a single Dragon Pulse.
His Aerodactyl—ancient, vicious, Rock-type—survived one hit! It actually survived!
Then it got Earthquaked.
His second Dragonair followed the first into unconsciousness.
And then, finally, Lance's ace.
His Dragonite.
The Dragon-type pseudo-legendary landed on the field with a thunderous impact. It was massive. It was ancient. It was POWERFUL.
It was also facing a Charizard that had just defeated sixteen Elite Four Pokemon without switching out.
"Dragonite," Lance said quietly. "Everything we have. OUTRAGE!"
The Dragonite lunged, entering the berserker state of Outrage, ready to tear Sunny apart with draconic fury.
"Sunny. DRAGON DANCE."
Sunny began to glow, boosting his Attack and Speed.
The Outrage connected. It was brutal. Sunny took significant damage for the first time in the entire Elite Four run.
But he didn't fall.
"Again! DRAGON DANCE!"
Another boost. Sunny's stats climbed higher.
Another Outrage. More damage. Sunny was in the yellow now.
But still standing.
"One more! DRAGON DANCE!"
"What are you DOING?!" Lance screamed. "You're going to get your Charizard killed!"
"I'm trusting my partner!"
Third Outrage. Sunny was in the RED now. One more hit would finish him.
But the Dragonite was confused from Outrage.
And Sunny was now at +3 Attack, +3 Speed.
"SUNNY," Marcus commanded. "OUTRAGE!"
What happened next would become legendary.
Sunny, damaged but unbowed, launched himself at Lance's Dragonite with all the fury of a Pokemon who had EARNED this moment.
Twenty-six years of partnership.
Thousands of battles across multiple games.
The original starter. The first friend. The beginning of everything.
The Outrage connected.
It was, objectively speaking, the most powerful Outrage ever recorded.
Lance's Dragonite—a Pokemon that had defeated champions, that had saved the world, that was one of the strongest of its species alive—was launched through the ceiling.
THROUGH the ceiling.
It kept going.
And going.
And going.
It eventually landed somewhere in Johto.
Lance stood in his chamber, staring at the hole in his ceiling.
Debris was still falling.
Somewhere in the distance, a Dragonite-shaped impact could be heard.
"That was my best Pokemon," he said quietly.
"Sunny's also my best Pokemon!" Marcus replied. "Well, one of them. They're all my best. But Sunny's my FIRST best."
Sunny roared triumphantly, then immediately used his remaining energy to look extremely cool for no reason.
"You've defeated the Elite Four," Lance continued, voice hollow. "With ONE Pokemon. A Charizard. Against Ice, Rock, Ghost, and Dragon specialists."
"Sunny's very versatile!"
"That's not VERSATILE. That's IMPOSSIBLE."
"And yet, here we are!"
Lance was quiet for a long moment.
Then, slowly, he began to laugh.
"You know what? I'm not even mad." He walked forward, hand extended. "That was the most impressive display of battling I've ever witnessed. You and that Charizard have something special."
Marcus shook his hand, grinning. "Thanks, Lance!"
"But you haven't won yet." Lance's expression sharpened. "I'm still the Champion. And you still have to face ME in the Champion's chamber."
"Wait, I have to fight you AGAIN?"
"Different team. Full Champion rules. THAT was just the warmup."
Marcus looked at Sunny.
Sunny looked at Marcus.
The Charizard's eyes said: "I can keep going."
"Alright," Marcus said. "Let's do this."
THE CHAMPION'S CHAMBER
Lance's Champion team was different from his Elite Four substitute team.
Stronger.
MUCH stronger.
Three Dragonites. A Charizard. An Aerodactyl. And a Gyarados that was specifically trained to counter other Charizards.
"This is my TRUE power," Lance declared. "No more substitutes. No more holding back. This is the team that has defended Kanto's Championship for YEARS."
Marcus looked at Sunny.
Sunny was tired. Injured. Running on fumes.
But that flame in his eyes hadn't diminished one bit.
"Sunny, you don't have to—"
The Charizard snorted dismissively.
"You want to keep going?"
A nod.
"You're sure?"
A growl that sounded distinctly like "obviously."
Marcus grinned. "Then let's finish what we started."
THE FINAL BATTLE
What followed was, by all accounts, one of the greatest Pokemon battles in recorded history.
Sunny vs. Lance's Gyarados.
The sea serpent launched Hydro Pump after Hydro Pump. Sunny dodged, weaved, and countered with Thunderbolt after Thunderbolt. Both Pokemon were taking damage. Both were pushing their limits.
The Gyarados fell first.
Sunny vs. Lance's Aerodactyl.
The ancient pterodactyl was FAST. Faster than Sunny, even with Dragon Dance boosts. It landed Rock Slide after Rock Slide, chipping away at the Charizard's remaining health.
But Sunny was SMART. He'd been battling for twenty-six years. He knew when to dodge and when to tank. He knew his limits better than any Pokemon alive.
One final Dragon Claw. The Aerodactyl went down.
Sunny vs. Lance's Charizard.
Dragon vs. Dragon. Fire vs. Fire. Charizard vs. Charizard.
This battle was PERSONAL.
They clashed in mid-air, Flamethrowers canceling each other out, Dragon Claws meeting in explosions of draconic energy. Lance's Charizard was fresh. Sunny was exhausted. By all rights, Sunny should have lost.
But Sunny had something Lance's Charizard didn't.
Twenty-six years of love.
A bond that transcended worlds.
A trainer who believed in him absolutely.
Sunny dug DEEP. Deeper than he ever had before. He found reserves of strength that shouldn't have existed.
And he unleashed them all.
BLAST BURN.
Lance's Charizard went down.
Sunny vs. Lance's first Dragonite.
The Dragon-type was fully healed. Sunny was barely standing.
One Outrage. That's all Sunny had left.
It connected.
The Dragonite tanked it.
But barely.
"Ice Beam!" Lance commanded.
The attack hit.
Sunny fell.
"SUNNY!" Marcus screamed.
The Charizard lay on the ground, unmoving. His tail flame flickered dangerously.
Lance watched with something approaching respect. "He fought well. But this is over. Dragonite, finish—"
Sunny's tail flame FLARED.
The Charizard ROSE.
Not through willpower. Not through determination.
Through BLAZE.
The ability that boosted Fire-type moves when the user was nearly unconscious.
Sunny was barely alive. His HP was in the single digits.
But his Fire-type moves were now boosted by 50%.
"FLAMETHROWER!" Marcus screamed.
The attack that erupted from Sunny was not a normal Flamethrower. It was enhanced by Blaze, by Solar Power from the still-active Sunny Day, by every ounce of fighting spirit the Charizard had left.
It was, quite frankly, the largest Flamethrower anyone had ever seen.
Lance's Dragonite was consumed by fire.
When the flames cleared, it was down.
Two Dragonites left. Lance's strongest Pokemon.
Sunny could barely stand.
"Send out your next Pokemon," Lance said quietly. "Your Charizard has done more than enough."
"Sunny?"
The Charizard looked at Marcus.
Then at the two Dragonites.
Then at the ceiling, where sunlight still streamed through the hole he'd made earlier.
Sunny made a decision.
He roared.
Not a roar of challenge. A roar of DEFIANCE. A roar that said: "I started this. I'm FINISHING this."
"You heard him," Marcus said, tears in his eyes. "Let's GO!"
What happened next defied explanation.
Sunny, running on Blaze and pure stubbornness, DOVE at Lance's fifth Pokemon.
He shouldn't have been able to move. He shouldn't have been able to fight. He shouldn't have been able to DO anything except collapse.
But Sunny was a Charizard who had been with Marcus since 1998.
He had faced every challenge. Every Gym. Every League. Every Elite Four in every game.
And he was NOT going to stop now.
Dragon Claw. The fifth Dragonite went down.
Sunny landed, panting, flame flickering.
One Dragonite left.
Lance's ace. His partner. His absolute strongest Pokemon.
The Dragonite that had defeated Champions.
It stepped forward, ready to end this.
"Dragonite," Lance said. "HYPER BEAM."
The attack charged.
Marcus knew there was no dodging this. Sunny couldn't move. Sunny could barely BREATHE.
"SUNNY—"
The Charizard looked at his trainer.
And smiled.
A Charizard smile. Toothy and terrifying and absolutely filled with love.
Then Sunny turned to face the Hyper Beam.
And he used Protect.
The golden barrier erupted around him just as the Hyper Beam connected. The collision was CATASTROPHIC. The chamber shook. The walls cracked. The barrier STRAINED.
But it held.
Protect could only block one attack. That was the rule.
But one attack was all Sunny needed.
Because Hyper Beam had a recharge turn.
"SUNNY! EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT! BLAST BURN!"
The Charizard gathered the last of his energy. The last of his strength. The last of EVERYTHING.
And he unleashed it.
The Blast Burn that erupted from Sunny was not a Pokemon move.
It was a statement.
A declaration.
A testament to twenty-six years of partnership, love, and unbreakable bonds.
It consumed Lance's final Dragonite.
It consumed the rest of the chamber.
It consumed EVERYTHING.
When the dust settled, Sunny was unconscious.
Lance's final Dragonite was unconscious.
Marcus was crying.
Lance was staring in absolute disbelief.
The winner, according to the automated referee system, was determined by who fell first.
Lance's Dragonite hit the ground 0.3 seconds before Sunny.
"The challenger wins," the referee announced.
AFTERMATH
Marcus rushed to Sunny's side, cradling his partner's massive head.
"You did it," he whispered. "You actually did it."
Sunny's eyes fluttered open weakly.
The Charizard managed a small, tired rumble.
"I'm so proud of you. I'm so, SO proud of you."
Sunny's tail flame, which had dimmed to almost nothing, flickered slightly brighter.
Lance walked over, his expression unreadable.
"In all my years as Champion," he said quietly, "I have never seen anything like that."
"Sunny's special."
"That Charizard swept the entire Elite Four. Then he swept my Champion team. While injured. While exhausted. While running on NOTHING but willpower."
Lance knelt down to look at Sunny.
"You are the strongest Charizard I have ever faced," he told the Pokemon directly. "It was an honor to battle you."
Sunny managed a weak nod before finally losing consciousness.
Marcus recalled him gently into his Pokeball.
"Rest now, buddy. You earned it."
THE HALL OF FAME
Marcus stood before the registration computer, his team's data being entered into the official record.
He had done it.
He had beaten the Pokemon League.
With ONE Pokemon.
"Marcus Chen," Lance announced formally. "You are hereby recognized as the Champion of the Kanto Pokemon League."
The title felt surreal.
"Your Charizard's achievement will be recorded in the Hall of Fame as the first Pokemon to solo the Elite Four and Champion in a single continuous battle."
"Sunny deserves all the credit."
"He'll get it." Lance smiled slightly. "But you deserve credit too. A Pokemon is only as strong as the trainer who raised them."
Marcus looked at Sunny's Pokeball.
Twenty-six years.
Thousands of battles.
One unbreakable bond.
"Thanks, Sunny," he whispered. "For everything."
THAT EVENING - POKEMON CENTER
Sunny woke up in a Pokemon Center bed, surrounded by Marcus's entire traveling team.
Steve hovered nearby.
Kenneth sat on the bedside table.
Splash—in a portable pool because Gyarados were not indoor Pokemon—watched from the window.
And Marcus sat in a chair, holding Sunny's claw.
"Hey buddy. How do you feel?"
Sunny groaned.
"That bad, huh?"
Another groan.
"Nurse Joy says you'll be fine. You just need rest." Marcus smiled. "You were amazing, Sunny. The most amazing thing I've ever seen."
Sunny looked at his trainer.
Then at the badge case on the table.
Then at the Champion certificate next to it.
The Charizard made a sound that might have been pride.
"We did it," Marcus said. "WE'RE Champion."
"Technically, YOU are Champion," Steve corrected. "Sunny is your Pokemon."
"We're a team. We're ALL Champion."
Kenneth vibrated in agreement.
"The Shuckle cannot be Champion. The Shuckle did not participate in the battle."
"Kenneth's Champion in spirit."
"That is not how titles work."
"Steve, just let me have this moment."
The Mewtwo sighed. "Very well. You are all Champions. Congratulations."
"Thanks, Steve."
"You are welcome. Now please rest. Tomorrow, the press conferences begin."
Marcus groaned.
"I forgot about press conferences."
"You have defeated an international criminal organization, traumatized eight Gym Leaders, and soloed the Pokemon League with a Charizard. The media attention will be... significant."
"Can Kenneth handle the press conferences?"
Kenneth made a noise.
"The Shuckle cannot speak."
"Exactly. No awkward interviews if you can't talk."
"...That is surprisingly clever."
"I have my moments."
HALL OF ORIGIN - FINAL SCENE
The twelve Arceus watched the Champion ceremony in silence.
Finally, the Original spoke.
"He won."
"Yes."
"With a Charizard. One Charizard. Against the entire Elite Four and Champion."
"Yes."
"A Charizard he's had since 1998."
"Yes."
Original Arceus was quiet for a long moment.
Then, slowly, he smiled.
"You know what? Good for him."
"Sir?"
"He's earned it. Twenty-six years with that Charizard. Countless battles. An unbreakable bond." Arceus nodded. "THAT'S what being a Pokemon trainer is supposed to mean."
"Are you... proud of him?"
"I'm ACKNOWLEDGING him. Again. There's still a difference."
"Of course."
The Arceus collective watched as Marcus hugged his Charizard one more time.
"He's going to be insufferable now," Original Arceus muttered. "Champion of Kanto with 4,847 Pokemon. He'll probably challenge the other regions next."
"Probably."
"And he'll probably use ridiculous strategies and traumatize more Gym Leaders."
"Almost certainly."
"And that SHUCKLE will continue to exist."
"Kenneth does seem to persist, yes."
Original Arceus sighed.
"At least it's entertaining."
"Is that your official position?"
"It's my RESIGNED position. There's a difference."
CURRENT STATUS:
Title: CHAMPION
Method: Sunny Solo Run
Elite Four Status: Defeated
Lance Status: Impressed
Sunny Status: Exhausted but proud
Kenneth Status: Vibing (also Champion in spirit)
Records Set:
First Pokemon to solo Elite Four + Champion: Sunny the CharizardMost Gym Leaders traumatized in single journey: 8Most walls destroyed by Pokemon: 47 (and counting)
Next Destination: Unknown (but probably more chaos)
[A/N: SUNNY SOLO RUN COMPLETE! THE CHARIZARD THAT STARTED IT ALL HAS ACHIEVED ULTIMATE VICTORY! Next chapter: Champion life, press conferences, and what happens when Marcus decides to challenge OTHER regions! Leave a comment celebrating Sunny's legendary achievement!]