Chapter Text
Chaos. That was what the outside could be considered. Chaos everywhere. Galavan was still wrapping his head around what was going on. Were those things pokemon?! Where had they come from?! His men had said that they came from underground, but that was impossible, especially for what was obviously such an organized attack and now the city was in chaos with every cop, trainer and ranger trying to contain the never ending cluster outside.
“Boss! Boss!” His rotom radio spoke and Galavan picked it up.
“Butch, I'm here, what in the distortion world is going on?!”
“I think we finally managed to locate the leader of these things- it appears to be a little green pokemon that looks like a child wearing a mask? I never saw a pokemon like that before. It might be a grass type? It does smell like oran berries.”
“I DON'T CARE WHAT THE HELL IT IS, BUTCH! I WANT THAT POKEMON CAPTURED AND THIS ASSAULT TERMINATED!”
“Well, that is just the issue, boss! It keeps beating anyone who we send after it! We can't even wear it down because there is this togekiss that keeps healing it! And worse yet, this is already someone's pokemon!”
“What?!”
“Not as fun, is it?” Galavan jumped and looked at the window from where a familiar small man stepped inside. “I didn't like being surprised by my mother being taken hostage, nor being forced to fight against you.”
“YOU! Are you the one behind this, Penguin?!” He ran his fingers through his hair.
“Actually,” a second voice spoke and another man jumped in the building. Galavan didn't recognize him, though he was quite tall and thin. His clothes were fully green, “we are both behind this. The pokemon leading our forces is mine.” The man spoke too happily for Galavan's taste.
“And who are you?!”
“Oh, right,” he offered his hand, “Edward!”
“Ed, honey,” Oswald stood between the two. “You can't befriend the enemy.”
“Oh, right,” he pulled his hand away, “sorry.”
“It's ok.” Oswald looked at Galavan, “here is the deal, Theo. One last battle. Six versus six. I will even be nice and do this single style since I know you prefer it. If you win, we will stop. I will take the blame for this and rot in Blackgate for my crimes. You get to remain the champion of this city and you prove your superiority once and for all. But if I win, I'll become champion. My mother will be released and you will leave the city forever. Understood?”
“I-” Galavan felt like he didn't have a choice. Just like Penguin didn't back then. “Fine, fine, if all I need to do is kick your ass again, then so be it.”
“You heard it, Eddie,” Oswald turned to the other man, “start recording.”
The tall man- Ed- pulled out a video camera and began recording the fight. “Right. Let's just do this.”
Galavan's pokemon had been updated since he last fought Oswald. They were now composed of raikou, cobalion, galarian moltres, entei, Latios and Landorous. Meanwhile, the penguin's team was composed of a fluttermane, iron bundle, roaring moon, murkrow, pelipper and his beloved empoleon.
The two teams started, Galavan started with Raikou while Oswald sent out Murkrow. “Hah, seriously? You didn't even finish evolving your pokemon for this! I'll do this quickly.” He ordered his pokemon to thunderbolt the seemingly weaker pokemon, before he could, however, it's prankster ability activated allowing the pokemon to use tailwind first. The thunderbolt hit it point blank, causing the black bird to drop. “Hah, see? Easy! Just give up now, Oswald.”
Oswald didn't answer. He simply sent another pokemon: Fluttermane.
“Really? Another unevolved one? That misdreavus looks a bit weird though. Well, no matter, nothing can withstand the speed of Raikou. Go!” The pokemon tried to use thunderbolt again, however, the fluttermane with the speed of the tailwind allowing it to move faster and the choice specs causing its move to be stronger, hit the Raikou with a devastating blast from Moon Blast. Despite being just neutral, the Raikou immediately fainted. “What?! How?! Ugh, whatever! That's a ghost type, so let's just make it drop from the sky! Come, Moltres!” He sent out a different version of the flaming bird. Oswald didn't answer. “Destroy it with a dark pulse!” The bird tried to charge its attack, however, carried by the wind, the fluttermane attacked first once more, now with a super effective attack. It didn't stand a chance. It was a four versus five at that point. Theo looked at the camera, Edward was smiling. He wouldn't let that intimidate him. “It doesn't matter. My team is still stronger than yours! Go, cobalion! Show that thing our true strength!” The goat pokemon came out, ready to strike with its horns. Galavan pointed at the ghost, “use iron head! Now!” The ghost/fairy pokemon was returned to its owner at the last moment, and replaced with a pelipper. The pokemon was barely scratched by the attack as it resisted the steel type move. “Stop cheating!” Despite it being indoors, rain started to fall.
“It's not cheating. Just smart play.” Oswald smirked. Galavan rolled his eyes.
“Well, two can play that game! Cobalion, return!”
“Pelipper, return!”
As landorous was sent out, so was the little robot penguin. Galavan laughed. “Seriously? Is that even a pokemon?” Oswald didn't reply. The champion's laughter died down. “Whatever, it can't withstand the power of the lord of land! Landorus! Earthquake-”
“Iron bundle, ice beam him to oblivion.” The small pokemon acted faster than the eyes could see, appearing in front of the genie and breathing its ice on it. It was super effective. The creature fell to the ground.
“NO!” Galavan shouted and snarled before sending his cobalion out, “KILL IT! JUST KILL IT!”
The small penguin acted first, hydro pumping the Cobalion with the power to severely injure it, but not knock it out, allowing the goat to stab it in close combat with its horns. The pokemon was sent flying, unconscious, though before it could end up more hurt, Oswald returned it.
Galavan was panting. “Finally! This will be easy now. We can finish this, cobalion.”
Oswald sent its roaring moon out next. Its item, the energy booster, was used up, raising its attack.
“Ok,” Galavan took a deep breath, “just end this. Please.” The cobalion tried to attack with close combat again, but the roading moon acted first as it was faster, and with its item having been consumed, its acrobatics hit even harder, more than hard enough to knock the cobalion out. “Shit!” Galavan stomped as he returned his pokemon. “L-latios! Go!” The blue dragon got on the battlefield and Oswald narrowed his eyes. “It's a dragon part! Just- just use draco meteor!”
“Roaring moon, come back!” He returned the pokemon in favor of sending flutter mane out. The dragon move did nothing against it.
Galavan's eyes widened. “O-oh no. Ok, come back! Come back!” He returned his latios and sent out his last pokemon, entei. Oswald, having predicted this switch out as well, sent the Empoleon instead, and thanks to its ability, the intimidate increased its special attack significantly.
The Penguin grinned. “Go on. Make your move.”
“I-I- c-come back! Latios!” Oswald didn't swap that time around. He hit the latios with an ice beam, dealing enough damage to knock it out in a single turn. One pokemon left. Entei entered the battlefield again, increasing the power of the penguin once more. “Oswald, we can talk about this!”
“Make your move.”
“Please, just- you can be champion! I'd be happy being part of your elite four!”
“I would rather have a worm as my companion.”
Galavan winced. “As you wish. Fire blitz!”
“FINISH THIS WITH SURF!” As his pokemon went for its last attack, being defeated immediately, Galavan used the opportunity to rush at Oswald with a dagger, aimed straight to his heart.
The Penguin's eyes widened and just as the move was about to hit, fluttermane came out of its pokeball and blasted the human, sending him flying through a window. He barely managed to hold on and both Oswald and Ed rushed after him.
“H-hold on!’ Edward said, trying to get him up only to be interrupted by Oswald.
“Wait. Where is she? Where is my mother?! What did you do to her?!”
Galavan began laughing, “oh, didn't you hear, you pompous bastard?! She is dead! Just like you should be! That wasn't a lie! And guess what? She squealed like a pig! Do you really think that you have won here?! After all that happened today?! They will never accept you as champion again! You are ruined!”
“Maybe,” Oswald wiped his tears and swallowed a hiccup, “but you are too!” He pulled out his own dagger and stabbed Galavan's hands, sending him flying down with no pokemon left to rescue it. His blood painted the streets red.
Oswald had won. To the victor went the spoils, none of which was what he wanted. He finally allowed himself to break down, crying. He had lost his mother, his empire, his title, and soon he would lose his freedom too. Galavan was right. He was over.
“You killed him! You just- you killed him! You- you-” Edward's freaking out was interrupted by the sound of pained sobs against the champions hands. “You… I'm so sorry, Oswald.” He whispered, briefly reaching out for his shoulder before stopping himself. He took a deep breath. “He is wrong. You are not finished.”
“W-what? How can you say that?! The police will be here at any moment.”
“Yes, and they will see you as a hero, the hero that defeated the terrible Riddler, the one to cause this mayhem and who killed the previous champion.”
“E-Edward, you can't be serious!” He cried desperately.
Edward held his shoulders and shook his head. “I have never been more serious in my life, Oswald. This city needs you. They need a symbol, someone that shows that the rich are not the ones on top. That they are not better than us. That is what you represent. That is what you will continue on being. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. In fact, I will be more than fine. For the first time in my life, I will be someone. And it is all thanks to you.”
Oswald clenched his hands into fists for a moment before hugging Edwards as tightly as he could. “Don't let them capture you, ok? And thank you, Ed. For everything. I don't think I could ever repay you.”
“Hah, as if they could. I'm the smartest man in this city, after all. And the ruler of the paradox pokemon. But, if you want to give me a reward, well, t-there is one thing.”
Oswald wiped his tears and looked up at the brunette who was a blushing mess. “Anything. Just tell me, and it's yours.”
“Just- can I have one kiss?” As Oswald's eyes widened, Ed immediately regretted his request. “You know what? Forget that I said-” he was interrupted by the lips on his own. He cupped the shorter man's cheek and did his best to save that memory to his mind. He was never forgetting it. That was his happy ending.
Once Ed could no longer breathe, he pulled away with a silly smile. “I believe in you, my champion.” He said before jumping out of the window. As he did, Miraidon came out of its ball underneath the man and flew away with him on top, leaving Oswald on his own in the office to his own thoughts, his own grief.
In the end, Galavan was held as a hero and Oswald returned to his position as champion. The Riddler became known as the most terrible villain in Gotham city and even months after the attack, rumors of him and his terrible beasts still ran havoc in the streets and to anyone who heard them, it was undeniable. That man was definitely free.