Ash and Dawn packed up for the big day
that awaited them; For months the two had been together trying to
collect all eight gym badges and now the journey was about to come to
a end. Cynthia led them one last time into a small mountain pass.
“There is the victory road”
she pointed.
“Are you coming with us Cynthia?”
Dawn asked.
“No, I've taught you all that I
can now only your bond and that bond alone will guide you through the
league,” with that said Cynthia left.
“Let's keep moving Dawn,”
The two began to slowly reach the pass,
when a group of other trains came as well. They followed behind Ash
and Dawn into victory road. Surrounding trainers shook Ash and Dawn's
hand as they entered victory road. The group followed a small path
for a few minutes before finally reaching a gate.A man in a jacket
and cap stood near the gate; the crowd mumbled and whispered about
the man. He waved a hand to silence the crowd and the crowd obeyed.
“Present me your badges,”
Ash, Dawn and the other trainers
presented him their badges. The man inspected them to see if they
were fake. He nodded gave them each a torch with 5 separate openings
on each of them. The man then headed toward the lever to the gate and
opened it.
“Good luck,” he said to the
trainers.
Ash and company stepped through a
mountainous pass into a small valley guarded by a gate. Eight gym
leaders standing next to the gate lit the first opening of each
trainers torch with a red fire and opened the gate.
“From fire and ice, from ashes to
ashes the heart of Kanto motivates your start to victory,” the
eight gym leaders said in chorus.
The gate opened and the travelers
continued on their path through victory road again until they reached
the second gate. The second gate was surrounded by thick trees and
the gym leaders of Jhoto. The gym leaders repeated the same process
lighting second opening of the torches but with a green flame
instead.
“The journey is not decided by
the first steps alone. Your journey is not foreshadowed by your early
gains or losses. No matter where you go whether it be the perilous
woods or the distant land that lies beyond do not lose hope,”
The second gate opened and everyone
poured through it into a small lakeside area. A large bridge guided
the heroes to the third gate of victory road. The gym leaders set
ablaze the their third opening with a blue fire and made their
speech.
“Your journey begins anew, do not
rush the adventure for the destination does not make you rich but the
journey itself. Take pride in where you have come and gone. Because
the earth and sea of Hoenn will make you rich,”
The third gate opened, Ash and Dawn
followed the company of trainers into another gate filled with snow
and mountain ranges in the distance, all wrapped in a giant clockwork
gate. The Sinnoh gym leaders waved the adventurers to come closer.
They obeyed and the gym leaders lit their torches openings with a
bright white candle lit fire.
“Your journey is not over yet and
you have stepped into the most dangerous of storms. Do not lose hope
for your way is not lost if you keep faith and determination at your
side,”
The fourth gate opened and the mass of
trainers reached the last gate into a yet another strange land
formation. The land was lush and green with meadows bordering the
mountains, the sea and sun singing a harmony of nature. The gate
opened and the Unova gym leaders stepped out to give them the final
fire to their torches. The torches were then placed into a gaint
goblet for them at the end of the gate. The trainers were then
escorted to the exit of the victory road. Upon reaching the exit the
gym leaders recited their speech to the group of trainers.
“Your journey fares well over the
years, no matter how far you go never lose your code of honor in the
midst of your journey. This will ultimately bring you closer to the
truth and the end of your adventure,”
The trainers finally reached the end of
victory road and rested at the grounds of the Fiori league. Trainers
from around the world sat and readied themselves for the battles that
lay ahead. A group of men and women stood before the trainers. Among
them was Cynthia and a few other champions at her side.
Cynthia raised her voice, “Welcome
trainers to Fiori in the next three weeks you will fight for
supremacy in the pokemon league. But in the meantime rest and train
for the upcoming event. There will be a festival and much more
hospitality available to you in the upcoming weeks. At the same time
you will also receive hardship. If you need to rest you may take
refuge in the dormitory to the right of the league building. If you
need to be served to the right of the building is the gran foyer. In
the near future we will also hold a festival here. Finally if anyone
needs to train they can do so in the training grounds beyond the
league. Wild pokemon lay there for you to battle and hone your
skills, good luck trainers and I hope to see a select few of you
become champions” Cynthia finished and left with the other
champions to the league building leaving the trainers behind.
“This is it the Fiori league,”
“All the battles we went through
all the struggle.. will be tested here,” Dawn said in
fascination.
Ash and Dawn held their pokemon close
to themselves. The Fiori league lay ahead of them in the upcoming
weeks. Ash and Dawn would have to train furiously to survive the
brutality of the regions league.