Cody had made his way to the Train Station and had ordered his ticket for his ride to Route 10.
Hop had called him and told him he made it to Wyndon along with Kaza while he was in the Wild Area,yesterday. So Cody was going to meet them there while they went ahead.
After he did that he wanted to talk to his mom so he made the video call.
Martha:*Gasp* Cody! Oh,my baby! How are you doing?
Cody:Fantastic,mama! Sorry I didn't call you much while on my journey.
Martha:Oh don't worry about it,I know you are pretty focused on something,just be more mindful next time.
Cody:Ok. How are things back home?
Martha:Cody,it's great! You won't believe this but Wedgehurst is taking a liking to you.
This shocks the normally hated boy.
Cody:Really?
Cody's mother nods.
Martha:Yeah! It's like they finally recognize your amazingness!
Cody:Wow! This is...huge,mama!
Martha:I know! I'm so proud that you've gotten this far,Cody.
Cody:Thanks mama...Though I wish my dad could see this.
Martha then gives off a big smile to her son.
Martha:Well,while you were gone,I got some news from him.
He perks up at this and gives her a 'What is it?' look.
Martha:So since you're going into the finals soon...your father requested that he be able to take time off.
Cody:W-what did they say?
Martha:...They said 'Yes'! Cody,your dad's coming to see you battle in the finals.
Cody smiles and cries tears of joy,it had been so long since he's seen his dad face to face and hearing those news gave him a big boost of support and love from him.
Martha:It's okay,baby. Don't cry,be happy.
Cody:I know,m-mama. It's just been so long.
Martha:I know,but don't worry,you'll be seeing him soon. He told me he'll be here by tomorrow morning.
Cody nods then has a conversation with his mother about his whole journey from the Pokemon he met to the battles he fought and the things he experienced.
Two hours later,he arrived at his destination and told his mom he had to go.
Martha:Okay,sweetie.Good luck in the Tournament and no matter what happens...I will always be proud of you.
Cody:Okay,mama. I love you.
Martha:You too,baby. Good luck.
She waves 'bye' and hangs up then Cody puts on his jacket and enters the ever-snowy Route 10.
He steps into the cold area and looks around.
Cody:Feels like I'm in the middle of nowhere.
Before he takes a step forward Klax comes out from his ball,surprising his trainer.
Cody:Hey Klax...What are you doing here?
Klax then looks like he's upset about something.
Cody:What is it? Is it that loss we had in the fight against Raihan you're thinking about?
He nods.
Cody:Hey don't worry about that,even if you fainted you still helped me get my Dragon Badge.
His Grimmsnarl doesn't seem too happy about it,though.
Cody:Klax...Please...don't be getting upset. If anything it's my fault,I should've tried something better than just having you use Bulk Up constantly and taking the hits.
Klax looks surprised at him,he always saw Cody as confident in a battle or when he comes up with a strategy but it was shocking to hear him say that right in front of his face.
Cody:I'll do something different...But let's not worry about the past,Klax. We've got a bunch of battles to win.
Cody then holds out his fist.
Cody:So let's win those battles with our heads up high looking at the sky.
Klax smiles and returns the fist bump while he transforms.
Klax looked like a bulky man with fair skin,pink eyes and long black hair.
He wore a black shirt with purple claw marks,black jeans and green boots on his feet,along with a bracelet with fangs on them,located on his wrist.
Cody:Nice look,but let's lay low till we get to Wyndon.
Klax nods and returns to his ball,Cody then makes his long trek up the route as he battled tons of Trainers blocking his path but he made clean work of them all.
After many battles,Cody made it to the end of the route and over the hill was the city of Wyndon.
Cody:I can't believe it. I made it!
Cody then does a dance again.
He then brings out Tiana again who instantly transforms and looks at the outside of Wyndon in wonder.
Cody and Tiana then come close together for a picture to save this important moment.
Cody*Henery Hawk Voice*:Come on! Yahoo!
The two then run to the city together with happiness all over their faces.
When they enter the big city they see it in all its majestic glory and vastness with shops and billboards all over the place.
Cody looks at his phone.
Cody*Mr.Incredible Voice*:Yeah,we've got time.
He then looks over to Tiana.
Cody:Why don't we take a look around town before signing up for the Semifinal matches?
She nods at the idea and follows Cody over to a Battle Cafe to have a little snack first.
Cody was eating a Lumiose Galette and Tiana was eating a medium-sized pouch of Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Cody caught on that his Duraludon had a Sweet Tooth to her as she liked to eat sweet stuff a lot,as seen mainly from the Cheese Curry he made yesterday,which he still had leftovers of.
After filling their stomachs,the two walked around the streets,walking around people who took tons of looks at both Cody and Tiana.
Cody sees a blimp shaped like a Wailord in the sky and upon closer inspection,sees it was playing footage of when he rode on Milotic with Nessa.
He even found some magazines of the shoot he took with his favorite Gym Leader.
Cody:Alright! I look really cool in these. Huh,Tiana?
She smiles and nods in agreement.
Cody:Come on,let's kee-
But before he could finish,he accidentally bumped into someone.
Cody:Oops,sorry.
???:Could you please pay attention to where you're going,Mr Fairson.
The autistic boy looks to who he bumped into and sees it's Oleana.
Cody:Hey,I know you! You're the Chairman's helper,Oleana,right?
Oleana looks at him with her still stoic face.
Oleana:It's secretary and Ms.Oleana to you,Mr.Fairson.
The boy gets up and dusts himself off.
Cody:Right. Sorry about that,anyway,what are you doing around here?
He asks her.
Oleana:I was on my way to get some supplies for the Chairman until you ran into me.
Oleana:Shouldn't you be preparing for the Semi-Finals?
Cody:Yes but...I was just spending time with my Pok-.
He almost slips up on what he said but thinks of something else as Oleana raises an eyebrow.
Cody:...My lady friend,her name is Tiana,she's from the Unova Region.
The boy lies as he gestures to his Duraludon in disguise.
Oleana looks at Tiana who looks at her back,but instead of her usual bright-looking face around Cody,she now wore a serious look,one that had power and dominance.
Oleana looked suspiciously at her for a bit before turning to Cody.
Oleana:Very well...Now I do believe you should be heading for the Stadium.
Cody:Of course,I think we've hung around here for too long anyway,don't wanna be late for this important moment for me,so we'll be on our way. Come on,Tiana.
He walks forward and around Oleana with Tiana following him,but not before she gives Oleana a side glance.
The stoic woman just watches as they go down the sidewalk and thinks to herself.
Oleana(Thoughts):I still can't see how he made it this far...everything about him just seems strange,maybe even somewhat incompetent in my opinion.
She then continues with her task but then thinks about something else.
Oleana(Thoughts):And that Tiana character didn't seem right as well,I haven't seen anyone before who would dress that close to a Pokemon...but that necklace she had.
She then remembers the necklace she wore around her neck since she's never seen an accessory like that one before.
Oleana(Thoughts):There maybe more than meets the eye with her...not to mention,there were reports of powerful Dynamax energy readings coming from a den in the Giant's Seat area and that woman looked scarily similar to Duraludon...I may have to keep an eye on those two.
Meanwhile,Cody and Tiana were on their way to the Stadium but made a quick stop to heal the team and learn new moves.
After Cody returned Tiana,he went inside the lobby he was met with the sight of people all over the place.
Cody made one more chat with Ball Guy getting a Dream Ball from him and he thanked the boy for following his dreams.
Cody then talked with Marnie.
Marnie:This is it. I really made it. I made it through the Gym Challenge. There might be four reamainin' in the Semifinals.
Cody:Yep! It feels unreal to be honest.
Marnie:But I'm the one who's gonna win through and battle the Champion.
Cody:Well,only time will tell.
Cody then saw Kaza and spoke with her.
Kaza:Hi,Cody it's nice to see you here.
Cody:You too,did you make it?
Kaza:Yeah,I did. But I suppose I'm gonna have to face off against you and everyone else.
Cody frowns and nods.
Kaza:But either way,I'm gonna show people just how much power I've got!
Cody perks up at her determination.
Cody:Well,I hope to see what you got.
He then goes to the front desk.
League Member:Cody,correct?
Cody:That's me.
League Member:We've been watching over your performance in the Gym Challenge.This is a formality,of course,but I'll need to check your Gym Badges,if you don't mind.
He gives the member his Badge collector.
Hop:I'm all sorted and ready to battle you on the biggest stage of them all!
Cody:It's a shame that my fans,Victor,Gloria and Bede couldn't be here.
Hop:Somehow I didn't think he'd just take being disqualified lying down,you know what I mean?
Cody:It is what it is.
Hop:Come on,Cody. We should head to the locker room!
They do so and head there.
With Cody suited up the announcer says...
Announcer:Attention,Gym Challengers who have made it through the Gym Challenge.The Semifinals will be starting soon! Please head to the pitch when you are ready!
Cody brings out Shula who sits in front of him.
Cody:Even though you can't fight right now,you can still see me battle on the screen,is that okay with you?
She nods.
Cody:Good,I'll be back soon.
He hugs his fire dog then walks through to the doors leading to the pitch.
The first round was Cody Versus Marnie.
They both met at the center and got ready.
Marnie:Heh. I knew you'd get all the Badges and meet me here.
Cody:I had to,it probably wouldn't be the same without me being here.
Marnie:I know that there's been a lot between us,what with my big brother,Team Yell,helpin' Spikemuth and all that...
Marnie:But the truth is,when all's said and done...I really just wanna become Champion for myself! So don't take it personal when I kick your butt!
Cody:Okay...Now let's do this!
They walk to their corners and stand at the ready.
Marnie throws out her Dusk Ball and releases her Liepard.
Cody meanwhile brings out Klax to start.
Marnie:I've gotta win this if I'm gonna be the Champion! I'm comin' at ya with everythin' I've got!
Cody:We're about to have this place on fire!
Klax uses his new Nasty Plot to build up his Special Attack and Liepard does the same.
Liepard then uses Snarl making a large shockwave towards Grimmsnarl.
But Klax runs towards it and does a front flip to avoid it then attacks with Spirit Break taking Liepard out.
Afterwards,Marnie sends out her Toxicroak while Cody returns Klax in exchange for Petra.
They two poison frogs glare at each other in rivalry but Marnie's is faster and it uses Swagger to confuse Petra.
Petra stumbles about but gains enough focus to use Earthquake and take out the opposing Toxicroak,making her the number one poison frog.
Cody uses a Full Heal to snap her out of her confusion and she keeps the attack boost.
Marnie brings out Scrafty next but Cody keeps Petra in.
Petra jumps into the air and strikes Scrafty with Brick Break causing it to fall instantly.
Marnie sends out her cute,little,Morpeko.
Cody waves to midget and it waves back to him.
He brings back Petra and switches back to Klax.
Morpeko uses Torment on Klax but he just attacks with a Draining Kiss,taking out the little hamster.
Marnie:I've got everyone's cheer's backin' me! I'm really really gonna win this time,got it?
Cody feels bad though as he knows what's gonna happen.
The punk girl then Gigantamax's her own Grimmsnarl.
Cody switches out for Zolta and Dynamax's her.
Marnie:My bro might not use it...But I'll Gigantamax my Pokemon if it's to win!
Zolta uses Max Ooze and brings Grimmsnarl down to a small amount of energy.
Marnie:I worked real hard trainin' my favorite move,just so I could use it in a battle against you!
Cody:Here it comes!
Zolta is then hit by G-Max Snooze which causes her to get sleepy.
Marnie then heals Grimmsnarl with a Full Restore but is then attacked by another Max Ooze but doesn't bring it down.
Things get worse when she falls asleep.
Cody wakes her up with an Awakening and Grimmsnarl goes for another G-Max Snooze.
Cody acts fast and tells his Toxtricity to use Max Guard and she blocks the attack just in time.
The Dynamax then runs out and both Pokemon return to normal size.
Cody tells Zolta to use Sludge Wave and that ends the battle.
Cody:Now that was close.
Zolta rocks out with her chest bass as Marnie takes her defeat.
Marnie:Ok,so I lost...But I got to see a lot of the good points of you and your Pokemon!
They walk up to each other.
Cody:*Sighs*Sorry,Marnie.
Marnie shakes her head and rocks from side to side.
Marnie:Everyone in the stadium was watchin' us durin' all that...I heard them cheerin' for me and my Pokemon. It was nice.
Marnie:I may have lost,but...At least we drove the audience wild! Guess that's not so bad!
Cody nods while smiling then sniffs a bit.
Marnie:Think I'll join my brother in the stands,and we'll watch from the sidelines to see who ends up challengin' the Champion.
Cody:Okay...
Marnie then walks up to her friend and hugs him after seeing he looked upset.
Marnie:Thanks for not giving up...I'm proud of you.
Cody hugs back and sheds a tear.
Marnie:Just so y'know...I still haven't decided if I'm gonna cheer for you...See ya!
Cody:Bye Marnie...Thanks for being a cool friend.
Cody then walks back to the waiting lobby and is confronted by Hop.
Hop:Codes!
Cody:Hey Hop! What's going on?
Hop:I saw your battle and after seeing you,I can't accept any outcome besides winning this match. My team is on fire!
He then heads to the pitch but tells Cody one more thing.
Hop:I'll see you at the finals!
Cody waves to him as he heads off and he sits with Shula who was impressed by his match against Marnie.
Ten minutes later,Cody is informed that the battle before him ended way more quickly than he thought,so he gets up and gets ready for his next battle with Shula barking at him to say 'good luck'.
Cody and Hop met in the middle.
Hop:I just had a flashback,you know. Remember? Back when we were still in Postwick.
Cody nods.
Hop:When we got our Pokemon from Lee that day,I never would've dreamed that I'd end up standing here...facing you,of all people.
Hop:But it's time I finish what was started that day...Got it? The one who'll become Champion is me!
Cody:Time to put on a show.
They walk to their corners and Hop gets focused and pats his face then looks on in determination.
Hop then releases his beloved Dubwool and Cody brings out Bracer.
Cody*Mack Voice*:Hey Bracer,you ready?
He looks at Cody and gives him a thumbs up then gets ready.
Hop:We battled back in the garden,but I'm really really fired up for this match in the stadium!
Cody:Me too,dude! Let's get it!
Hop's Dubwool is faster so it uses Cotton Guard,boosting it's defense to high levels.
Bracer sets up with Swords Dance to boost his attack.
Dubwool then jumps up and uses Body Slam on Bracer doing minimal damage.
Bracer attacks back with Brick Break doing some moderate damage because of Dubwool's increased defense.
The sheep then goes for another Body Slam but Bracer grabs it then slams them to the ground then attacks with a critical boosted Brick Break.
Hop:I knew you were going for a super effective hit!
Cody:You know it,pal!
Hop then brings out his Pincurchin while Cody keeps Bracer and has him use Swords Dance again.
Pincurchin uses Curse to boost his attack and defense but lowers his speed.
However,this does nothing as Bracer simply attacks with Brick Break to take it out.
Cody's best friend then sends out his Snorlax next.
Cody has Bracer use Brick Break on Snorlax but he survives with its high health.
It then attacks using Heavy Slam to do some moderate damage but Bracer hits it with one more Brick Break.
Cody then sends back his Kommo-o to rest and brings out Zolta next.
It was a good call as Hop sent out his Corviknight.
Corviknight attacks using Drill Peck but Zolta dodges and runs around the field with the steel bird behind her.
Corviknight uses Steel Wing but Zolta hops onto it and knocks it to the ground then beats it with Overdrive.
Hop returns his bird and brings out his Cinderace with Cody bringing out Ima.
The rabbit and lizard look at each other with determined expressions on their faces.
Hop:Think you got me backed in a corner? No way! This'll just make my victory all the better!
The two trainers Dynamax at the same time and go to attack each other.
Hop:Release all the thoughts poured into my Wishing Star...Time for a Dynamax.
Cinderace attacks with Max Flare but Ima bends backwards to dodge it.
Announcer:What an astonishing move made by Cody's Inteleon!
Ima then attacks using Max Geyser and takes the win.
Cody turns to his starter.
Cody:Thank you,Ima!
She gives a nod then shrinks down to normal size.
Hop gets upset by his loss but smiles sincerely at his best pal.
Hop:Cody...Thanks,mate. I'm really glad you were the one here with me.
Cody and Hop meet in the middle as the announcer gives the good news.
Announcer:And there's the match,folks,the victor of the Semifinals is...Challenger Cody!
Hop:You know,even when Sonia was saying that you and I looked like we could become heroes,I really never felt like one...
Cody puts on a worried face.
Hop:But you,mate...I always knew you would do great things.
Hop:Good on you,Cody! And Ima and the rest of your team!
Cody nods.
Cody:Thanks Hop.
He then gives Hop a high-five and a fist bump.
Cody*Cal Weathers Voice*:We had a lot of good times together...I think I'll miss those moments the most.
Hop:...Don't worry...we can always make more amazing one's...just keep going,Cody.
With the Semifinals complete,Cody changes out of his uniform and brings Shula with him and is accompanied by Hop.
Upon entering the lobby they see tons of people around the place,cheering for Leon as he does his Charizard Pose.
He then walks up to them.
Leon:Cody! That was brilliant,incredible.
Cody:Thanks,Leon.
Leon:Honestly...there were even tears rolling down my face before I knew it.
The boy looked surprised by this.
Leon:To think you two set out together from the same town,built up the greatest teams,and arrived here at this point to throw everything you had at one another...That burning desire to win...Those moves filled with undefeatable passion!
Leon:It was battling at its very purest,in every way possible! Even if people doubted you two were fit to be endorsed,especially you,Cody.
Cody nods and smiles brightly.
Hop:That was you,Lee!
Leon:Well,that's all the more reason! Me and my team are gonna give everything we got to defeat our Cody!
Cody crosses his arms and puts on a ready stance.
Cody:I can't wait.
However,he then yawns.
Cody:But,I feel as beat as a punching bag right now.
Leon:Then you best refill your energy stores first! Why don't we all have dinner together?
Cody hops up and down while he shouts...
Cody*Yosemite Sam Voice*:Yippee Ki Yay!
Hop:A night like this deserves more than rubbish takeaway,so at least pick something good!
Hop and Cody then head back to the hotel together when the autistic boy is met with a news reporter.
Reporter:Hey,Challenger Cody!
Cody:Hi.
Reporter:Got time for questions?!
He nods and gestures to bring them up.
They ask him questions about what he thinks of Hop and how it felt to fight him along with what he thought of him.
Reporter:Level with me kiddo,do you think you can win the Finals?
Cody thinks for a few minutes on this then comes up with his answer.
Cody...In my positive mindset,I think I can,but my negative mindset is telling me that I'm gonna lose...it's a battle of the mind basically...but no matter what,I'm gonna give it my highest effort...for the people who've supported me through this entire Challenge.
She nods and is about to go on when Hop stops her.
Hop:Alright,I think that's enough! My friend is really tired from his battles today,no more questions.
Cody:He's right,plus I gotta go to dinner with the Champion so I need my rest.
Reporter:Of course! We're looking forward to seeing the birth of a new star!
They then walk away.
Cody:That was cool..but I can't believe I'm gonna have to deal with that if I become Champion.
Hop:Yeah,famous people have it rough,eh? I hope Lee gets here soon,I could eat my own arm off right now.
Suddenly,Tiana comes out of her ball in her human form and thankfully there weren't a lot of people around.
Cody looks at her and sees she looks anxious,getting him worried.
Cody:Hey,what's wrong Tiana?
She points at him then mimes a fighting stance then mimes holding a trophy over her head.
Hop:You're worried about it raining?
She shakes her head and repeats her gestures which Cody catches.
Cody:You're...worried about me fighting in the Champion Cup?
Tiana nods and gets a nervous look on her face while tapping her foot on the ground rapidly.
Cody:Hey,don't worry,we'll worry about that later,just relax.
But she doesn't feel assured and hugs him in fear of letting him down.
Cody:It's okay,Tiana...In fact I got an idea!
She looks at him questioningly.
Cody:Why don't you go on a walk through Wyndon to calm yourself?
She nods but Hop interjects.
Hop:Woah! Are you sure about that,Cody?
Cody:Mmh. I'll just give her my Rotom Phone,that way she can call you or my phone can return to me in case something happens.
Hop:Well...that does help a bit...okay.
Cody then told Tiana to keep herself safe as he handed her his phone and taught her how to use it. Once set,she was off into the city while her trainer sat in the lobby to rest.
Cody made a good call too as he was gonna have the most heart pounding moment of his life.