Aoki vs Leon
Aoki looked at Leon and then checked the time.
"Dreaming of becoming the World Champion is okay and all, but have you seen the time?
You're asking me for a battle in the middle of the night," Aoki said, annoyed.
"What are you saying?!
Day or night, a trainer never runs away from a battle.
If I hadn't exceeded the minimum age for the Youth Cup, I would have fought you there.
I came all the way from the Galar region to fight Professor Oak, Lance, and you," Leon said with stars in his eyes, making Aoki facepalm.
"Fine, I will fight you.
I feel like you won't leave me alone if I don't," Aoki said.
"Now that's what I'm talking about!"
Aoki looked at Sabrina and asked her to teleport them to the beach shore.
**********
Leon stood opposite Aoki on the shore of Cinnabar Island, excited for the battle.
Aoki's cool hair hit his face as a part of it hid his blue eyes.
"Let's have a six-on-six match.
You wanted to become the World Champion by defeating all the strong trainers, right?
Let's see if you can continue your dream after this battle," Aoki said with his hands in his pocket.
Aoki's nonchalant attitude infuriated Leon for some reason.
"I have been training since I was ten and haven't experienced defeat in my life yet.
I have watched all your matches, so I don't think you have what it takes to shake my dream.
I will add your name to the list of trainers I have surpassed, the champion of the Youth Cup," Leon said, taking out a Pokéball.
"Let's have Champion Time!" Leon raised one of his arms dramatically and released his first Pokémon.
It was an elite-stage Ghost/Steel Pokémon that looked like a sword and shield.
It was an Aegislash.
"Be grateful, Leon. You are the first person to see this Pokémon in battle.
Let's end this quickly. Come out, Darkrai."
A black shadow expanded from Aoki's shadow and materialized into a monster.
Leon felt goosebumps all over his body as soon as Darkrai appeared on the field.
'What is this Pokémon...
A Pokémon that scares me... that's new.'
"Aegislash, use Night Slash!"
Using the shield as a base, Aegislash rotated its body at high speed and released sharp slashes of Dark-type energy.
But instead of hitting Darkrai, all the slashes passed through it as if it were an illusion.
"Darkrai, Dark Sphere. Don't overdo it."
Darkrai disappeared from its place and reappeared in front of Aegislash.
"Aegislash, Shield Stance, and use Reflect!"
Boom!
A loud explosion rang out as Darkrai's Dark Sphere crashed into Aegislash, sending it to the ground.
One hit and Aegislash was down.
Leon received a big blow from what he had just witnessed.
Even Sabrina was a bit shaken up. Although she had a confrontation with Darkrai before, it was her first time seeing Darkrai fight.
Since her psychic power had increased, she could feel the power of endless darkness from that energy ball Darkrai created.
"Next," Aoki said with his hands still in his pocket.
Leon recalled Aegislash and called out his next Pokémon.
An elite-level Haxorus.
"Haxorus, use X-Scissor, Dragon Claw, and Dragon Tail combo."
"Darkrai, use Dark Claws."
Both Pokémon became blurred as they clashed all over the battlefield.
From the speed and the way Haxorus moved, Aoki could tell that Haxorus was very well-trained, but in front of Darkrai, training alone was not enough.
Darkrai swung its dark energy-coated arms, breaking Haxorus' tusks. Haxorus immediately retaliated with Outrage, but Darkrai held Haxorus' neck midway through the move and delivered a devastating ice punch uppercut.
Darkrai teleported above Haxorus and unleashed a condensed ice-type energy ball, causing another explosion and rendering Haxorus unable to continue battling.
"Next!" Aoki's blue eyes glowed as Leon instinctively took a step back.
Leon's next two Pokémon, Seismitoad and Dragapult, met the same fate as the first three.
"You are my last hope. Go, Charizard!"
With a loud roar, Leon's peak elite-ranked Charizard appeared on the battlefield.
"Charizard, use Flamethrower."
Charizard opened its mouth and released a sea of flames, but Darkrai created another psychic barrier, preventing the flames from reaching it.
Boom!
Boom!
Charizard used a Fire Punch followed by Mega Kick, but the psychic barrier remained unscathed.
Darkrai aimed its arms, and a dark-type energy ball shot at Charizard, dealing a significant amount of damage. However, Charizard was not ready to give up yet.
Before it could execute its next move, Darkrai teleported behind Charizard and hit it with Dark Void, followed by Dream Eater, rendering Charizard unable to battle.
Leon stood there with empty eyes. He had just lost his first match to a trainer, not just lost, but was utterly defeated.
One Pokemon stomped on his entire team that was supposed to be undefeatable.
Aoki now felt like an infinite wall that stood between Leon and his dream.
"What's with that expression, Leon? Life flashing before your eyes?" Aoki walked towards Leon.
"The undefeated trainer, was it?
Seems like I broke your record.
No hard feelings, Leon. You have a wonderful dream, but as long as I exist, you can never fulfill your dream of becoming the world champion.
If you still wish to pursue your dream, remember this fight.
The fight where a single Pokémon brought down your team of elite Pokémon... the fight where your undefeated team faced defeat.
At least you know whom you have to defeat to become the world champion.
Well then, next time we meet, try to at least put up a fight.
Work hard, Leon... to become the second strongest trainer," Aoki said before slowly walking away with Sabrina.
Leon called back Charizard and stood on the shore, motionless.
Author note:
I have read a lot of comments regarding the story being slow-paced.
Till the end of the Kanto League, the story would be slow-paced.
After the Kanto league ends, I will increase the pace of the story as big changes would occur in the world.