Emerald Knights: A Pokemon Sword Story Epilogue

Epilogue

Ruby and Emerald were so exhausted from their epic battle together that after leaving the stadium, the first thing they wanted to do was go back to Ruby's private suite and have a nap. Of course, they had to wait while they took their Pokémon to the Pokémon Centre to heal up from the battle first. Once their Pokémon were dropped off, they went back to the suite and lay down on the bed together, falling asleep almost instantly. A couple of hours later, they woke up feeling more refreshed after that nap. They sat up on the bed together, still in awe over what had just happened.

"We fought each other to a draw…it still feels amazing that we actually did that, wouldn't you agree?" Emerald asked.

"I'm still having a hard time acknowledging that such a thing even happened!" Ruby laughed, "But I'm glad it ended that way. I guess that showing we're truly equals is the perfect ending you had in mind for your journey."

"It's better than actually beating you, that's for sure." Emerald agreed, "As I say, I'm not sure what I would've done if I actually did become the next Champion! I doubt I would've coped with the pressure of defending my title the way you do every battle. I'm glad that I got to challenge you and it ended in a way we're both satisfied!"

"As am I." Ruby said brightly, "You truly were amazing out there Em. How you've trained your Pokémon, how in sync you are with them, your out-of-the-box strategies…it's like you're a female Ash Ketchum!" she giggled.

"Being compared to a trainer as well-known and respected as him is quite a compliment." Emerald said graciously, "I wonder if he'll come to Galar one day to challenge you?"

"Judging from his track record, I'm already anticipating the day he comes to Galar." Ruby replied, "It'll be a case of Champion-to-Champion since I heard he recently won the Alola League and as far as I know, he's still the Champion of the Orange Islands. The Champion of Galar against the Champion of Alola…that's going to be pretty exciting to think about!" she said eagerly.

"And me and Sapph will be there to watch it!" Emerald declared.

"As if my favourite girls would ever miss one of my matches." Ruby retorted humorously, "So now your Galar run is over, what do you think will be next for you?" she asked.

Emerald fell silent for a moment as she contemplated the question.

"I…haven't thought of that yet." the brunette girl admitted, "My thoughts were mostly focused on today's battle so I didn't really have time to think about anything else. Now the match is done, I can think about the future. I know I want to keep being a trainer, but I'm definitely not up for becoming a Champion anytime soon, not even in another region."

"You'll find something else to use your skills for." her silver-haired sister said reassuringly, "There's more to Pokémon than just the Gym Challenge and battling the Champion. There might be some small tournament you could enter in the future or some kind of sporting event. Heck, you can even use your skills as a trainer to help protect Galar as I do!" she suggested.

Emerald liked the sound of being one of Galar's guardians and a helper for Ruby. It would certainly take a lot of weight off her sister's shoulders knowing that she could count on her to help in defending the region from threats.

"I'd be happy to help out." Emerald said brightly, "Going up against threats like Team Royal would be a great use of my Pokémon's skills, plus it'd show that I'm not someone they can push around like before!"

"I doubt anyone will think they can push you around anymore." Ruby said with a wink, "I know ever since becoming Champion, very few have been foolish enough to get on my bad side."

Emerald giggled, knowing just how true that was. Team Royal had been foolish enough to do so and look what happened to them! They were all arrested and rotting away in jail where they belonged! Using her skills as a trainer to throw bad guys in prison would certainly be fun and would be a great use of everything she'd learnt over the course of her journey.

The two chatted for a few more minutes before there was a knock on the door and a voice called out, asking if it was OK to come in. It had been Hop who asked. Ruby gave the confirmation and Hop came in. But it wasn't just Hop who was there. Sapphire, Annie and Michael were with him. They'd wanted to see the two after the battle and wondered if now was a good time to come in. They ran up to the two sisters, making sure not to crowd them.

"How are you feeling, my dears?" Annie asked softly.

"Much better now we managed to get a kip!" Emerald said brightly, "We really needed that."

"No kidding." Michael said with a smile, "I imagine you were quite worn out after that incredible match! We all agreed to give you two some time to rest before coming to see you."

"Thanks dad, we appreciate it." Ruby said graciously, "I'm glad you all came to watch the match today and I hope you all enjoyed it."

"Oh we couldn't stop talking about what a battle it was!" Sapphire piped, "And we especially couldn't stop gushing over how awesome you both were! You kept each other on your toes with all that back and forth with your Pokémon's strengths and skills! We really had no idea who was gonna win!"

"And in the end, neither of you did! It was a draw!" Hop exclaimed, "Blimey, I thought I'd go spare after a surprising result like that! I bet people will be talking about this for years to come."

"Of course they will! No match in Galar's history has ever ended in a draw before." Ruby noted, "Me and Em have truly made history. I really hope people don't think things will be easier against me with that in mind…"

"Nah, I don't think anyone will come as close to winning as Emerald did." Hop said reassuringly, "Only she or Sapphire could ever match up to you."

"I suppose." Ruby agreed, "Being skilled Pokémon trainers seem to be a shared trait among us."

Everyone nodded agreeably. It had all started with Michael being a trainer in his youth and despite his retirement, all three of his daughters had gone on to become trainers themselves and perfect the sport he'd left behind. If anyone was ever going to match Ruby, it was going to be someone in her family. Sapphire sat down on the bed beside Emerald.

"How did it feel being down there on the pitch with Ruby as your opponent?" she asked.

"To be honest…it felt like everything I'd done throughout my journey was leading to that moment." Emerald confessed, "And that it was all going to end in a big battle with the very person that inspired me to be a trainer myself. I saw reaching Ruby's level as my end goal and now I've proven I'm equal to her, ending in a draw and everything, I feel like I've achieved what I set out to do!"

"I still wish that could've been me. I would've loved to have seen how Ruby would adapt to my more strategic battle-style." Sapphire said longingly, "But at the same time, I'm glad it wasn't. As I said to her last night, I never actually wanted to succeed her so you beating me at least I wouldn't have to worry about that."

"Me and you will battle one day, Sapph." Ruby insisted, "I want at least one battle with both my sisters eventually! Whether it's a Champion battle or an unofficial one, I'll see if I can arrange one between us."

"I'll be ready for then!" Sapphire declared, "In the meantime, congratulations to both you and Em for such a hard thought battle. You and your Pokémon truly were amazing!"

"Thank you!" Ruby and Emerald said cheerfully.

"Whenever you're ready you two, we can all go home to Postwick and we'll hold a celebratory barbecue for the hard work all three of you have put into your training and Pokémon battles." Annie offered, "And of course, Hop and his family are invited to join us."

"We'll be happy to come." Hop said brightly.

"I'd like to invite someone too." Sapphire put in.

"Gee, I wonder who that is?" Emerald said teasingly.

"You hush." Sapphire muttered.

"Who would you like to invite?" Michael asked curiously.

Sapphire just blushed shyly as she gave her answer.

"M-my g-girlfriend…" she mumbled.

The rest of the day was spent back home in Postwick Town.

After Ruby and Emerald's Pokémon had fully recovered, the Silverlock family decided to leave Wyndon and head on home for Postwick so they could have their family dinner together and Ruby and Emerald could have a well-earned rest in the comfort of their own home. But before they could catch the Flying Taxi back home, there was at least one person who wanted to see Ruby before going home themselves. It was Paul. The Sinnoh teen had been about to leave for Sinnoh but upon seeing Ruby, he walked over to her. His face was blank as usual, making it impossible to read what was going through his head.

"Oh, hi Paul!" Emerald said cheerfully, "What are you doing here?"

Paul ignored her and addressed Ruby directly.

"I'll be back some day, and I WILL battle you." he insisted, "I'll win the Galar League and be your next opponent. But when we fight, I'll be bringing my best Pokémon to give you a battle you'll never forget."

Ruby just smiled daringly.

"I look forward to it." she replied, "I've heard much about you and I know for a fact a battle between us would be one for the history books. Come back soon Paul and maybe then, you'll be my next challenger!"

"I intend to." Paul said bluntly.

He then turned to Emerald as if realizing she was standing there.

"You battled the Champion well. It's a pity you didn't win, but you proved me right when I said you had potential." the Sinnoh boy complimented, "When I come back, you and I will battle again."

"I look forward to it!" Emerald declared, "Good luck with whatever you do next Paul!"

Paul shrugged.

"You too." he said casually.

He was about to go but Annie stopped him. It looked as if she'd been hoping to say something and wanted the chance to say it before he went.

"So you're that boy who battled my daughter in the semi-finals." Annie acknowledged, "I watched you two when the battle was on TV. Emerald also tells me that you saved her from being kidnapped by Team Royal earlier this month. While you're here, I want you to know that I cannot thank you enough for your bravery and heroism. You saved my daughter from those horrible criminals! Thank you very much young man."

Paul looked as if he wasn't sure how to take it. He wasn't used to such praise, nor had he been the most affectionate person ever. He just nodded in acknowledgement.

"You're welcome." he said casually.

"As a token of our thanks, we'd like to invite you to dinner back at our house." Michael offered, "We were just about to take a Flying Taxi to Postwick before you came about."

Paul shook his head.

"No thanks. I'm catching the first plane back to Sinnoh." he explained, "You enjoy yourselves. I'll see you around." he said to the three sisters, "And also, tell Ashley that I hope we can have a rematch someday."

"We'll let her know." Sapphire promised.

With nothing more to say, Paul turned and walked away. Emerald watched the purple haired trainer slowly get swallowed up by the crowd as he left for the airport. He'd be off back home to Sinnoh where he'd no doubt by honing his skills for whatever challenge he would face next. Emerald looked forward to when he next came to Galar. Whatever battle they had next would be one for the ages and she knew it!

Once Paul had gone, the family waited around until Ashley Benson caught up with them and she took the Flying Taxi back to Postwick with them. Once the Silverlock family had got back to Postwick, Annie and Michael had been quick to fire the barbecue up and whip up a grand feast for everyone. There was the usual stuff that people cooked on barbecues but they also offered pizza as well, knowing that Ruby always enjoyed one after a big battle when defending her title. The weather was perfect to be eating outside so everyone set up a table and chairs to sit around and eat while enjoying the sunshine. Leon had come home on his Charizard and his faithful Pokémon touched down in the back garden while Judy came over once Annie called her to let her know dinner was ready. She'd insisted on baking a cake to celebrate a successful Gym Challenge for Emerald and Sapphire and for a great title battle between Ruby and Emerald. Michael started off the feast by proposing a toast for his daughters.

"Let's have three cheers to Emerald and Sapphire for following on in Ruby's footsteps and accomplishing so much as trainers on their first attempts." Michael declared.

Everyone cheered for the twins.

"And may my darlings move on to greater things in the future." Annie added.

Another cheer for the twins. Emerald and Sapphire just looked away shyly, feeling uneasy being the centre of attention like so.

As everyone ate, Annie and Michael had insisted on getting a moment to talk with Ashley. She was sitting beside Sapphire with a plate of hot dogs and pizza. Naturally, the proud parents had been thrown to hear out of the blue that Sapphire now had a girlfriend but they'd quickly come to love hearing the news and were happy that their daughter had found love just like Ruby had.

"I never would've imagine that my girl would be falling for not just any trainer, but a Champion from another region." Michael joked, "It's a pleasure to meet you Ashley."

"The honour's all mine." Ashley said after finishing another hot dog, "I've loved meeting yer daughter, especially whenever we've battled together. She's a great trainer! But she's a great gal too. She's fun to be around, open to others and overall a really nice person. I don't think I could've found a more perfect match."

She put her hand on Sapphire's thigh. Sapphire put her hand on top of her's and smiled sweetly at her love's kind words. Annie and Michael's hearts felt warm at the tender scene before them. Young love, what could be sweeter?

"And Ashley couldn't be more perfect for me too." Sapphire put in, "She's always been motivating me and picking me up whenever I felt down and at times, she had more faith in me than I did in myself! She's also been a big inspiration for me on my journey too, inspiring me to get stronger no matter what I'm up against. She also saved me from being kidnapped by Team Royal too."

"And YOU saved me from being stuck to a wall so we're even in terms of saving each other!" Ashley laughed.

"A true couple is one that's always helping one another out." Annie said happily, "That's what brought me and Michael together."

"I'm thrilled that you two love each other and mean so much to each other." Michael said happily, "Though I'm concerned about the distance between regions. Unova is pretty far from here."

"We'll make it work, Mr. Silverlock." Ashley declared, "We promised each other that much. In the meantime, I'm glad you two are OK with your daughter being into girls." she added, "I worried that you'd find that weird or something…"

"Oh heavens no! We'd never think that!" Annie exclaimed, "Goodness, we're not those kinds of people! We firmly believe that people should be free to love whoever they want."

"Besides, we've always known Sapphire was a lesbian." Michael went on, "Even before she'd turned 13 this year, she'd always shown more interest in girls than boys. She was worried that something was wrong with her, bless her! But we talked to her and insisted that it was perfectly natural for boys and girls to like people of the same gender."

"That talk really helped out and I can't thank them enough for clearing up all my concerns." Sapphire said appreciatively, "Mum and dad are the best and I don't know what I'd do without them."

Annie and Michael smiled appreciatively at Sapphire's kind words.

"In any case, I hope you two can make things work." Michael said kindly, "And Ashley, I hope you continue to make my daughter very happy while you're together."

"No pressure there, Mr. Silverlock!" Ashley chuckled nervously, "But thanks anyway. After today, I'll be going back home for a while and once I'm ready, I'll be coming back. I wouldn't want my girl to be missing me too much." she added teasingly.

Sapphire giggled in return.

"Say, I never thought ta ask, but did ya give Ruby's words from last night some thought?" Ashley asked.

The blue-haired girl had expected the subject to come up like that. She'd been intending to bring it up herself eventually but Ashley had beaten her to the punch. Annie and Michael looked to her with interest. They didn't know about the talk with Ruby last night so they were curious what Ashley meant.

"I have." Sapphire answered, "I gave it some thought when I went to bed last night and I've decided. I'll take Ruby's suggestion and join the Master Dojo on the Isle of Armour. Maybe Mustard can give me something to strive for now I don't want to be the next Champion."

Annie and Michael raised their eyebrows with interest.

"So you want to go to the Isle of Armour?" Annie asked, "Oooooh, I think you'll fit right into that place, darling. Being tutored by the man who tutored Leon himself will be a great experience for you."

"He's not just Leon's old mentor, he's also a former Galar Champion." Michael added, "Did you know that Mustard currently holds the record for the longest reigning Champion of Galar?" he asked, looking to Ashley, "That man held the title for eighteen years straight! It was that record that originally inspired me to be a trainer as I liked to think I could beat that!" he laughed.

"Wow!" Ashley exclaimed, "Eighteen years?! That's insane! Nobody in Unova's ever been a Champ for that long, not even Alder! That Mustard guy must be a pretty awesome trainer if he was a Champion for that long!"

"Where do you think I got MY skills from?" Leon cut in.

He'd just been getting some food and he just happened to overhear Michael talking about Mustard so he came over to see what was going on.

"So what's this talk about my old mentor?" Leon asked.

Sapphire explained that she was going to the Isle of Armour in the future. Leon smiled broadly upon hearing that.

"You'll have a great time there!" he declared, "There's lots of Pokémon living there that you can't find in here in Galar, the weather's always nice and Mustard is a swell guy if you stay on his good side. He'll be keen to have you join the Dojo!"

"Thank you." Sapphire said brightly, "How do I sign up?"

"You can book online or send an application form." Leon explained, "Last I heard, the next term starts next month so if you apply now, you'll grab a spot for yourself and you'll be one of the new students ready to begin training with Mustard once training begins again."

"Thanks Leon, I'll be sure to sign up as soon as possible." Sapphire said graciously, "I bet it's going to be great there, seeing a beautiful island for real and getting to train with a legendary trainer like Mustard."

"Next time I come to Galar, I'll have to see this place for myself." Ashley declared, "I really hope ya have a great time there, hon. Send me lots of pics and whatever new Pokémon ya catch, OK?"

"As if I wouldn't." Sapphire snickered, "I'll remember to message you while I'm there and let you know of everything that's happening. I wonder what kind of training I'll get up to while I'm there…"

Meanwhile, Ruby and Hop had been sitting together, scoffing down pizza and burgers and chatting while Emerald had gone around talking to anyone she could. But at the moment, she was having a conversation with someone she hadn't seen in a while. Her phone had buzzed and upon answering it, she was surprised when she saw a familiar face pop up on her screen. The person was a boy, about fourteen years old with long brown hair and a very handsome face. He looked closer to the man he was becoming than the boy he had been. He'd changed a lot since infants school, but Emerald remembered him all the same.

"Tony!" she exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, I haven't see you in ages!"

"Likewise!" Tony laughed, "Sorry about that, things have been quite busy since I last messaged you."

Tony had been a friend of Emerald's at infant's school and they'd been close ever since. He had originally been an orphan but sometime after Emerald had moved on from infant's school, he had eventually been adopted by a loving family and life had been much happier for him since. Despite not being in school together anymore, Emerald and Tony messaged each other as often as they could. The last time they'd chatted had been when Tony phoned Emerald, wanting to congratulate Ruby on becoming Champion last year. He'd been quiet since then and Emerald wondered if Tony had just moved on and forgotten about her. And yet, here he was calling her now!

"You're looking well." Emerald said brightly, "How's things with your mum and dad?"

"Same as before, couldn't be better." Tony said happily, "Every day I wake up, I count my lucky stars that they adopted me. They say hi by the way."

"Tell them I said thanks." Emerald replied, "What have you been up to lately? You've been quiet for a long time."

Tony shifted uncomfortably as if there was something he didn't want to tell Emerald. But he quickly relaxed and answered her question.

"I'm so sorry about that." he replied, "Life got in the way a bit. Not to mention…"

Emerald's eyes lit up with excitement as he held out a Pokéball. The red and white sphere filled up her phone screen as Tony showed it to her.

"No way! You have a Pokémon?!" the brunette girl blurted, "You're a trainer too?!"

"Sure am." Tony said with a wink, "I was inspired by your sister's win over Leon to become a trainer and so, I've been busy catching and training up Pokémon of my own. I hope to enter the Gym Challenge and have a shot at battling Ruby."

He then opened the Pokéball to show Emerald what was inside. It was a Scorbunny. The rabbit like Pokémon chirped happily and waved at Emerald. The teen trainer smiled excitedly.

"Aww, you chose Scorbunny as your starter! It looks so cute!" Emerald cooed.

"Cheers. And here's a big surprise for you, little gem." Tony said with a broad grin on his face, "This Scorbunny was given to me by Ruby herself. She said that you and Sapphire didn't pick it so I decided to take it in."

Emerald was so astonished that she nearly dropped her phone in surprise. Thankfully, because it was possessed by a Rotom, she couldn't drop it so it just floated in front of her before she caught it.

"Ruby gave you that Scorbunny?!" she gasped, "Why didn't she tell me?"

"I asked her not to." Tony admitted, "I wanted to surprise you. I've been dying to tell you all about my becoming a trainer but I didn't want to interrupt your Gym Challenge. Why waste time chatting with me when you could be training your Pokémon? Speaking of which, MASSIVE congratulations for fighting Ruby to a draw today! I couldn't believe it when both your Pokémon collapsed together and ended the match in a tie!"

"Aww, you saw that? That's awesome!" Emerald squealed, "I hope you enjoyed it!"

"I sure did, especially when I got to see you in action, little gem." the teen boy answered, "You were simply amazing on that pitch and your Pokémon were incredible! Also, if you don't mind me saying, you've grown much cuter the last time I saw you…"

Emerald blushed bright pink from the compliment. Even Tony seemed embarrassed that he'd said that out loud. Emerald coughed shyly.

"So, how many Pokémon do you have?" she asked.

"Five." Tony answered, "I have Scorbunny, of course, and I've also managed to catch a Roselia, a Milcery, a Nickit and a Rolycoly. I really hope to catch some of the Pokémon that you and your sisters own. Having my own Noivern or Haxorus would especially rock!" he cried, punching the air excitedly.

His Scorbunny punched the air with him. It was clear that Tony's personality was rubbing off onto it.

"I bet you'll get those Pokémon yourself one day." Emerald said supportively, "If we ever meet up in person again, we should totally battle each other!"

"I've got a long way to go before I'm on your level, little gem…" Tony said sheepishly, "But yeah, I'll be training for that day. As for you, what do you have in mind next? You've challenged Ruby and finished on a draw, so now what?"

Emerald paused for a moment.

"I'm still not sure for now. But I'll think about it." she answered, "I'll let you know what I decide on."

"Great!" Tony said cheerfully, "I'll let you get back to whatever you're doing now. We can message again soon, OK?"

"Deal." Emerald said brightly, "Bye Tony. It's been great to talk to you again!"

"You too, little gem. See you around." Tony replied.

His Scorbunny waved goodbye as he shut off and Emerald's phone screen went blank. Emerald put her phone away and walked over to Ruby to let her know that Tony had just dropped by and let her know what was happening.

While the future seemed misty for Emerald at the moment, it was all clear for Sapphire. She would be on her way to the Isle of Armour next month. Emerald would find her calling soon. Both twins would find something else to aspire towards than being the next Champion, and Ruby would be there to support them every step of the way. Their journeys had been extraordinary and had taught them much, but their next adventure was just around the corner and they would learn much more as trainers…and also find a perfect new direction for their lives to take…