Hey, if you guys want to listen to the music that I reference during this part, they are "Courtesy Call" by Thousand Foot Krutch and "Run This Town" by Jay-Z respectively.

Final: VS Cynthia

Riley and Cobalt left the break room shortly afterwords. "We'll be watching from the stands." Riley said right before he slipped through the door.

"Wait, stands?" I asked, but before I could even get another thought in about it, two female officials for the league burst in, one wielding a clipboard and the other a small makeup kit. "What the hell?" I asked, shocked, as they forced me down into a chair.

"We're your prep group, have to make sure you look good for the cameras." the one with the clipboard as the other immediately went to work on covering me with some kind of powder.

"Cameras?" I managed to get out from the cloud of choking makeup.

"Yes, cameras, this battle is televised live." the official replied. "There's a live audience as well, and we need to know what your preferred entrance music is."

"Entrance what?" I gasped. This was going to be an interesting night to be sure. By the end of it all, I had gotten everything the officials needed, and apparently looked "good enough" for the cameras. Catching a look in the mirror, I did look a lot better than I had in a while. My hair wasn't tangled and sticking out in random directions, but combed and neat, gelled so it would sit up. My clothes were swapped out for fresh versions of the same, that had to have been dry cleaned, there were no wrinkles on any of them. My face was clear of any dirt, grime or blemishes. For all intents and purposes, I looked pretty damn good.

As usual at this point before a battle like this, I sent the team out. They were all healed up to full, anyone that needed and Ether had gotten one, and they were ready to go. "Alright guys, final speech time." I said.

"Man, do we have to?" Cerberus groaned before Rose slapped him.

"Yes, Cerb, we have to." I grinned. "Everyone, I want to thank you. For the sacrifices you have made, for the time you have given, and for the blood, sweat and tears that have been shed to make it this far. We've come a long way, from the oldest," I looked pointedly at Mufasa. "to the newest." turning to Redwood. "There isn't a single one of you here that hasn't earned their spot. If I thought that this team didn't have what it took to win, I wouldn't have bothered coming here. But let's not forget, that we did not get here alone. There were others, seven others to be exact, that helped us get here. I want you all to remember them. Brittany, the first one to fall. Lin, the toughest Graveler I've ever seen. Trish, who always had a smile. Sora, who kept us on track. Armstrong, the strongest battler I've seen yet. Lola, who was like a mother to us all, and really was to some. And Franklin, who started it all, and taught us that while the worst can happen, we can push through."

"We're going to win. I know it. We're going to win and there's nothing that Cynthia or her pokemon can do to stop us. We're more than just trainer and pokemon. We're a family. Our bonds are stronger than anything else, even the power of myth and legend. So let's get out there, and show everyone what we're made of."

There was no cheer, no loud obnoxious celebration of overconfidence. They all simply got up and put their hands in. We held our hands together, as a family, one last time. Then, just as silently, I returned them all to their pokeballs and I walked through the door.

The stadium was dark. No lights were shining except for a few dim ones lining the stage, to prevent me from falling off I imagine. Though I couldn't see, I heard the crowd. You can't put that many people in one place together and keep them all silent. It sounded like one of the few basketball games I had gone to back home. There must be hundreds of people here I thought, excitement flowing through me.

There was a crackle as a speaker turned on, allowing an announcer to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen. I am pleased to announce, the thirty-fourth Sinnoh championship match!" The crowd cheered, the sound almost drowning out the speakers. "Introducing first, the challenger. He hails from Sandgem Town, a small-time name turned prime-time in only a few short months. He is the Nuzlocker, Nick!"

The lights didn't come on. Instead, my music started playing. I remembered my cues from the official, and moved to my spot as the music played.

"Heeeyo. Here comes the danger up in this club. When we get started then we ain't gonna stop. We're gonna turn it up 'til it gets to hot. Everybody say heeeyo, tell'um turn it up 'til they can't no more. Let's get this thing shakin' like a disco ball. This is your last warning, a courtesy call."

As the music hit it's crescendo, the spotlight sprung to life, illuminating me and my half of the arena. The crowd went wild, screaming and cheering. I'm pretty sure I heard someone scream "Marry me." That may have just been my ego, but regardless it felt great. The people were cheering for me, they wanted me to win as much as I did, or at least were excited for a great match. The cheering died down and the announcer came back. "And now, introducing his opponent. The reigning champion and currently undefeated, Cynthia Shirona!"

Unlike for my appearance, the spotlight immediately appeared on Cynthia, who stood atop a tall staircase. As she walked down it, each stair was lit up, making it almost look like they were appearing under her. She wore the black fur outfit I had first seen her in, and I'd be lying if she didn't look stunning. I barely registered her music playing over the sound of people cheering.

"Life's a game but it's not fair. I break the rules so I don't care. So I keep doin' my own thing, walkin' tall against the rain. Victory's within the mile. Almost there, don't give up now. Only thing that's on my mind, is who's gonna run this town tonight?"

I couldn't help but smile. The lyrics were basically a challenge. She wanted me to know that she was feeling just as confident as I was, and that there would be no holding back just because of what we've been through. And despite all of that, she felt we were an even enough match that she didn't know who was going to win.

The announcer came back on as Cynthia arrived at her end of the arena, which was a plain, simple white tiled floor with black paint to make the pokeball symbol. "Alright folks, just a heads up for those of you at home, this is a special match for more than one reason. Nick is a Nuzlocker. For those of you that do not know what that is, he has taken a challenge that means his pokemon do not have the special gland that makes them faint if they take to much damage. That means his pokemon can die. So, please, make sure that this program is appropriate for everyone watching. And with that said, let the match start!"

Without a second of hesitation, Cynthia threw out a pokeball, releasing a Spiritomb. The pokemon would be a problem, being both ghost and dark type. It had no weaknesses I could exploit, and worse, three immunities. But I had a decent idea about how to deal with it. I sent out Cerberus, who howled at his opponent, causing the crowd to go wild.

"Cerberus, use Flamethrower!" I ordered. The official had given me a special headset to wear so my voice echoed across the stadium. Cerberus didn't hesitate, unleashing a huge blast of fire that enveloped the ghost pokemon entirely.

"You're not going to get any one-shot wins here Nick." Cynthia boasted as her Spiritomb rose out of the flames, apparently unharmed. "And I'm not holding back. Silver Wind!" The attack caught me off guard. I didn't think a bug-type move would be coming from a pokemon like Spiritomb, but the ghost smiled wickedly as an oddly visible gust of wind pushed relentlessly against Cerberus. The attack did a decent amount of damage, but thankfully, wasn't enough to put Cerberus in a bad spot.

"Use another Flamethrower, he has to be weak after the last one." I called. Cerberus gritted his teeth and forced himself through the Silver Wind attack. Through his maw came another torrent of fire, that once again smothered the enemy Spiritomb. It cried out in an unearthly wail and fell to the floor, now no more than a stone tablet. The crowd cheered as Cynthia returned her fallen pokemon. "And Spiritomb is down!" the announcer called.

"Okay then Nick, let's play with type advantages." Cynthia smirked, releasing a Milotic. The beautiful fish pokemon towered over Cerberus, and it's water-typing definitely put him in a bad spot. I swiftly returned him and sent out Rose.

Rose looked back over at me. "Petal Dance?" she asked.

"No, I don't want to risk you getting locked into it." I replied. "Magical Leaf should be enough." She nodded and went right into the attack. She pushed her large rose shaped hands forward, and a stream of razor sharp leaves shot out of them, sticking themselves all over Milotics body. The serpent pokemon cried out in pain, thrashing about the stage. I grinned, giving Rose a thumbs up. "Told ya!" I said.

For some reason, my vision focused on Cynthia right then. She wasn't reaching for another pokeball, looking for something to replace the fallen Milotic with. She wasn't even smiling like she knew something I didn't. Instead, her face was fixed in a grim stare. "I told you I wasn't holding back Nick." she said darkly. "Why would you?" Milotic rose up, breathing hard but clearly not out of the fight yet. My heart sank as I watching it, to intimidated to do much else. There was something odd about Milotics body. It was glowing, like an oily substance had covered it from head to tail. The leaves that were still sticking into her also had the coating, and were starting to wiggle a bit.

"Mirror Coat." Cynthia ordered, and I knew right then that it was all over.

Rose had to have known too, because she didn't run, she didn't curl up into a ball and wait for it to happen, she just stood there. She turned to look at me, a sad smile stretched across her face. "I told you you'd be the death of me." she whispered with a sad chuckle.

The leaves shot out of Milotic, mixed in with the energy from the Mirror Coat attack. They homed in on their target and Rose was shredded, leaves impaling her small body in every direction, the final one hitting her right between the eyes. As it did, her eyes went wide and her mouth opened in a short of "oh" though there was no noise. She collapsed on the ground, not moving. The blue aura was already spreading across her and soon her spirit rose up, floating out through the ceiling and into the clouds.

There was silence in the arena. Nobody moved, or said anything. Then the crackle of the speakers seemed to snap everyone out of their daze. "Roserade is unable to battle." he said softly. Attendants came out and quickly moved her body, probably to be buried in Lost Tower. I didn't care. I just wanted this battle to be over, and I felt the blood boiling that came with each and every death.

"Okay Cynthia." I said coldly. "You want me to stop holding back? Fine." I sent out Mufasa, who glared at Milotic. The aquatic pokemon had to have known what was coming, because it put up almost no resistance when Mufasa hit it with a Discharge attack, zapping it into unconsciousness and then some.

Cynthia returned her pokemon as the announcer said "Milotic has fainted." The crowd cheered this time, probably because they felt like they were obligated to cheer for me now that they knew the risk. I couldn't blame them. Who would root for the person who had to kill her opponents pokemon, forced or not?

"You know what's coming next." Cynthia said. I had a second to think before she said the words that I had dreaded since entering the stadium. "Garchomp."

The pokemon was terrifying. Standing just as tall as me, the land shark screeched a challenge. Some people cheered in the audience, already forgetting the taboo set from Roses death and excited to see their favorite fighter in action. The lizard was black, with a red belly. A yellow star decorated its nose, and it had two fins coming out of its arms, each of which was tipped with a wicked white claw. On its back was a large dorsal fin, and its powerful tail swiped back and forth on the ground behind it.

"Calm down." Mufasa barked, snapping me out of my observations. "We planned for this. You know what to do." he said. I nodded, returning him before my allotted tome for substitutions ran out.

"Come on Redwood." I called, releasing the large pokemon. He was easily larger than the Garchomp, which made me feel more comfortable about it for some reason. Monocle covering one eye, Redwood put up his fists. "Come on then, beast. I'll show you what's what." he barked.

Cynthia sighed, the sound echoing across the stadium. "Nick, I just said to take this seriously. You have to know that I would take precautions against ice-types. Show him Garchomp." The lizard grinned if I've ever seen a lizard do so, and reared back. It rocked forward, spewing out a torrent of fire. Flamethrower! I realized, to late to do anything about it. Redwood screamed in pain as the fire scorched his very skin, melting him as well as burning him. He had been caught off guard just as much as I had, letting the attack hit a critical spot. He collapsed in seconds, his remains smoldering. Just like Rose, his blue spirit floated up and out of the building.

Two. That's all I thought for the longest time. That's two that I've lost. I...I can't do this. I swayed a little, almost falling over. I can't. What the hell was I thinking, coming in here like I owned the place? Like I had a chance? I...Everyone's going to die and there's nothing I can do about it. Memories started flooding back to me. Of Armstrong, who died with a smile on his face. Rose, who followed me into battle knowing that she might not make it out. Lola, who brought so much life to the group. And Franklin, who wouldn't want me to quit now. That's right. I thought. I can't quit now. Not after everything that's happened. Not after everyone who's died. It'd be like spitting on their graves. I have to fight. I have to give it everything I've got.

I moved quickly, grabbing the next pokeball. There was only one option left, only one pokemon on my team that wouldn't immediately get killed by a powerhouse like Garchomp. "Moka!" I called, releasing the purple bat. While I was spacing out, the attendants must have moved Redwoods body, because now it was only Garchomp on the field. "Moka, you're the only one who can do this. I know I'm asking to much, but please, stay safe."

She smiled. "I'll do my best. Besides, this old dinosaur can't catch me. I'm the fastest pokemon alive!" With that declaration, she flew off, dancing circles around Garchomp. Her considerable wingspan made her an actual physical threat to the reptile, who swiped at her with his claws when she got to close.

"Moka, keep him off balance. Confuse Ray!" I called. She instantly launched into a snap-roll, stopping right in front of the beasts face. There was no escaping the attack and she flew away before Garchomp knew what hit him. Confused and blinded, Garchomp flailed wildly, knocking himself across the head a few times, drawing blood.

"Good Moka, now keep out of his range. Use Fly!" She zipped up, just as Garchomp managed to get a Dragon Rush off, missing her by mere inches. She looped back around, dive-bombing him in the back of his head, causing yet another wound with her talons. Garchomp swiped at her, and managed to clip one of her wings for a heart-stopping moment, but she proved herself the best flier around by righting in midair and climbing back up out of range. This time, she got as high as she could, reaching the top of the stadium. The crowd was going nuts, cheering her name as she dove, reaching speeds she had never attained before. Garchomp had no chance to avoid it, and she collided with him with such force, the dragon pokemon was lifted off his feet before collapsing.

The crowd lost it, screaming and chanting, "Moka, Moka, Moka!" at the top of their lungs. She did a victory lap as the speakers announced Garchomps defeat. This went on for a bit longer than was probably necessary, before Cynthia cleared her throat. She stood, on the other end of the arena, three pokeballs still on her belt. "Let's finish this." she said.

"Agreed." I relied, returning Moka. We tossed all three of our remaining pokeballs at the same time, letting all six pokemon out at once. Cynthia's Togekiss, Roserade and Lucario glared menacingly at Mufasa, Cerberus and Kamina.

"End this." I growled.

Mufasa went first, letting loose a nasty Discharge attack on Togekiss. The bird-like pokemon responded with an Aura Sphere, knocking Mufasa down into an uncomfortable level of health. He must have seen something I didn't, though, and he leaped forward, sparks flying from his fur as he switched to a physical attack, landing the Spark and taking Togekiss down.

Roserade moved to help her friend, when a shadow fell over her. She turned around, fear clear on her face as Cerberus growled. "You know, I had a friend that looked a lot like you. Consider this payback." He opened his mouth and bathed the grass-type in flames, ending the fight before it began.

Kamina and the other Lucario stood a few paces away from each other, each sizing the other one up. Some kind of move must have been made, because one second they were standing, and the next, they were meters away, one falling to his knees. Kamina stood victorious, landing the last of his Close Combat attack to knock the other pokemon out.

The announcer could barely get it all out in time. "Togekiss can no longer battle! Roserade can no longer battle! Lucario can no longer battle! Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you, you're new Sinnoh League Champion, Nick!"

The crowd went ballistic. Everyone was cheering. I let Moka out of her pokeball so she could join in the celebration. Cynthia returned her pokemon and crossed the stadium, hand outstretched. I looked at it for a moment, considering not taking it. But I remembered everything she had taught me, about how other trainers felt about killing their opponents, and knew that it would be selfish of me not to. We shook hands and the crowd went even crazier. Cerberus was grinning from ear to ear. "Now this is something I can get used to." he said. Mufasa nodded. Kamina looked up at the sky, whispering "I did it Mom. I made it." Moka was doing loops for the crowds enjoyment, laughing the entire time.

A few hours later, I was sitting in a conference room with Cynthia and other official league staff. The looks on the staffs faces was priceless, but Cynthia was only smiling. "What do you mean you're giving the championship back?" one of the staff asked.

"I'm not staying here." I answered. "I've got more to do. I'm heading to Hoen for the next leg of my journey. I can't stay here and be champ. So I'm giving it back to Cynthia."

One of the staff members looked like they were going to say something, but Cynthia cut her off. "If that's what you'd like to do, then I accept your offer. In return, I'll provide transport for you to Hoen."

"Thanks." I said, getting to my feet. "I'll leave tomorrow from Sandgem. I just need to do a few things first."

-EPILOUGE-

I stood in Lost Tower, looking at the two most recent graves in the top level. Inside the stones were two index cards that I had just finished writing.

Here lies Rose the Roserade

She kept me on my feet

and going the right way.

Here lies Redwood the Abomasnow

He was a cultured mind

in a fight he should not have been in.

He fought anyway.

I nodded, tapping Kamina on the shoulder, who was standing next to Lola's grave. He nodded and together we left. It was a quick flight to Sandgem later that I broke the news to the four of them.

"You're not taking us with you!?" Kamina gasped, mouth hanging open. Moka looked like she was about to cry and Cerberus was furious.

"How can you abandon us like this, after everything we've been through?" he snarled.

"I am not abandoning you." I snapped. "Listen, the Nuzlocke rules state that it's technically over when I challenge the Elite Four. I've done that now, so your guys Nuzlocke is over. But I still have to get the other items, still have to get to Mt. Silver. I know you guys would be a great help, but it would be cheating. And the last time I was caught cheating, even by accident, was...unpleasant. So no, you guys can't come with me. That's why I've found you a place to stay."

The door behind me opened and Professor Rowan stepped into the room. "I was already managing Nick's PC system, keeping his pokemon in proper shape. They're all at my lab now. You are welcome to join them." he said.

The others seemed to hesitate, not liking the situation. Only Mufasa moved, walking over to me and rubbing his head on my knee. "It was an honor to fight with you." he said. "I wish you luck on your next journey."

Kamina nodded. "If you ever need us, call Rowan. I don't care about cheating. Just come back to us."

"Please write to us." Moka sniffed.

Cerberus scoffed. "Go on, get out of here. You ain't gonna leave if we all stay here yapping."

The next day, I was on a boat, sailing away from Sandgem. My pokemon, not just the ones I used, but everyone I caught, was standing on the beach, waving goodbye. I waved back, before turning around and staring at the horizon. I breathed deeply, smelling the ocean air. "One down." I whispered softly as the breeze carried my words away.

Holy crap guys, it's actually over. Well, part one is. As Nick said, next one's going to be in Hoen. So, keep a lookout for Torihito's Nuzlocke Challenge: Emerald coming in next week. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed this story, and also everyone who has read it so far. This has been a fun few months and I'm excited to get to work on the next part. For now, I'd like to say that this is the end. Peace =P