"ALRIGHT! Hey there! I'm Ansu, your one and only announcer for the Pokemon Tournament of Six Tournament!" The woman who stood on the large metal platform raised her hand in the air, smiling at the roaring crowd. "Now! We have all witnessed the amazing feats of the competitors this year, have we not?" Another cheer. "Well, are we ready for this year's Finale?" She paused, manipulating a hovering holographic screen by her. "Alright! Now then, let's introduce the six competitors in this year's Battle Royal!"
From the battle platform below, six people rose to the sunlight of the floating arena as Ansu exclaimed their names. "We have the great and powerful team of Genshi and his fighting type wonders! He starts with Hitmonchan!" iThe black belt below raised his fist, smiling evilly./i "Next up, is Sa-Chan and her grass beauties! She starts with her star Roselia!" iThe dress-wearing, parasol-holding girl giggled happily, and her roselia spun, showing her roses./i "Our third competitor is the scientist Bradly, leading with his Muk!" iThis man was wearing a purple-smudged labcoat, and he seemed more interested in his computer than what was going on around him./i "Alright, now, the youngest competitor, our greatly energetic Stephen, leading with a pikachu!" iThe young boy glanced around, unsure of what to focus on first./i "Now comes the fun part! The next competitor is the mysterious man who goes by only a code name. Here is the Dark User 'D' and his Ghastly Goul Haunter!" iThe man wore all black, and his face was coated in shadow, warning people to stay away./i "And finally, the one you've all been waiting for! She's a legend coming to age now, ready to make her way to the tall Title of 'Pokemon Champion' as her Grandfather and father before her! Here is Maris, leading with her Sneasel!"
The light is nearly blinding as I rise on the platform. I'd already weighed the competitors' strengths; that 'D' guy will be hard, but i have to watch for that Scientist. I can't help but flinch when they bring up Grandpa and Dad. Those are some big shoes to fill, I tell you. It isn't very easy to be yourself when everyone expects you to fill the shoes of someone as legendary as Red.
Dusk, My Sneasel, hung on my shoulder, like always. We exchanged a glance and then turned to study the arena as Ansu explained that each member of this fight only had one pokemon to use. Absentmindedly, i rubbed the onyx amulet on my necklace. the black stone always helped me concentrate. Dad had given it to me.
The arena was a simple metal arena. nothing special... yet.
"Ready, Dusk?" I muttered. Dusk nodded and faded into her pokeball in a small red flash of light. I prepared and waited, making my face cool, hard, fierce.
"Begin!"
Chaos.
That's what one could call the ensuing battle. Six pokemon all hit the field at once, and all six trainers shouted commands at once. Except me. I didn't have to think, talk, anything. With one move of my hand, my partner knew exactly what i wanted. That didn't stop me from being showy about it though. I made a large, sharp move with my hand and arm, calling for the attack.
"Go."
I couldn't help but say it, just as I couldn't help but smile at the feeling of adrenaline that rushed through my being.
My first worry was that Haunter. He had type advantage on me, so I had to tread carefully, avoid him at all costs. Dusk, I knew, knew this, and rushed to pick a fight with the Hitmonchan across the circle from me. I took note that Pikachu over there knew Thunder and quick attack, and that Muk was dangerously low in health after such an attack. I also noticed Roselia was back to healing in her fight against Haunter who knew at least Shadow Ball and Sucker Punch. Oh, Wait. Add double team to that list. He just dodged magical leaf with it.
I turned my attention back to my fight. The move we'd agreed on starting with was fury swipes, and Dusk was sticking to that. I noticed her use accelerate. That wasn't a good omen. If Dusk had to accelerate to keep up with this Hitmonchan...
"Back off!" I shouted.
Dusk leapt out of the way just as a Thunder raced by and hit the pesky fast Hitmonchan. I glanced over at Stephen. The young blonde smiled and thumbs-up'd me from his side of the circle. Glancing at the scoreboard, I noticed that Bradly had indeed been eliminated by this pipsqueak, with little damage to his Pikachu. I nodded gratefully to him before calling a Fury Swipes assault to back up the electric ally I'd picked up.
"And it seems we may have an alliance forming between that Pikachu and Sneasel out there!" Ansu exclaimed happily. I blocked her out. As soon as Hitmonchan fainted, I turned my attention to that pesky Roselia.
"I got the ghost if you get the grass!" Stephen called. So that's what he was after. Grass wasn't affected by electricity very well, so he'd chose someone to help out with it. I couldn't help but smile at this kid's guts.
"Deal!" I replied. He laughed and called another attack. "Let's go!" I exclaimed, turning back to the fight. "Dusk!"
Suddenly assaulted by two nearly full-health newcomers, the fighting duo broke up their battle and defended. I opened the new tag battle with a quick attack followed by fury swipes. The pure speed of both moves left Roselia stunned. "So that acceleration earlier wasn't completely for the Hitmonchan, eh Dusk?" I muttered. Dusk seemed to have heard and sped up again, now only a black streak in the arena. Shortly, the Roselia was done for, fainting after a sharp shadow ball to the face. I exclaimed something totally not understandable in victory and then turned back to the rest of the fight.
Pikachu was in a tight spot. After several different double teams, Haunter was un-hitable. Combine that with the fact that he was a pure-blood ghost, and you got one nasty opponent. Dusk was spinning around to help when both of us realized it was too late. Something came out of the shadows now surrounding the field and knocked Pikachu back several feet, almost all the way across the field. I hadn't caught the attack name, nor had I recognized the attack. Whatever it was, it almost scared me.
Almost.
"DUSK!" I shouted. Why? Why was I so... strange? Mentally, I noted never to make a fool out of myself again like that.
Dusk leapt forward, suddenly seeming several dozen times faster. This was her true speed. But I had my doubts. How could pure speed work up against evasiveness?
The Haunter circled around behind Dusk, attempting a sucker punch. Dusk and I, as one, dodged the attack.
"Such simple attacks won't work on me!" I exclaimed. Adrenaline did weird things to people when they battled... and I'll admit, I'm no exception to this. "DUSK!"
Dusk heard my fierce shout and leapt up higher than most non-flying pokemon would be able to. She'd caught my message. The next thing that happened was NOT what most were expecting. I got showy.
"SAVAGE GRACE!"
I shouted the name of the move. Well... not 'move' I guess. It's more a self-made combo consisting of both fury swipes and the unseen move until now; dark pulse. I had originally made it for a contest back when I traveled through Sinoh, but shortly found out that it worked wonders in a fight too. Seeing as how no one but Dusk and I knew Dusk knew dark pulse, no one could actually say 'Savage Grace' wasn't an actual move... except that it wasn't. What happened was simple. Dusk likes attacking from the air, plus, it's show-ier that way. So, Dusk uses her insane speed to dodge an incoming attack and leaps upward. This in itself is insanely amazing to those who have never seen it before, and normally leaves people wide-eyed and stunned. Next, using her incredible speed and agility, Dusk shoots a dark pulse downward at the same speed she falls at. Somehow, we figured out how to almost wrap the pulse around the fury swipes. It's pretty insane if you ask me. Overall, what results is an insanely fast fury swipes with claws of increased size that radiate shadow and darkness and fear... all that fun stuff. I really like the attack, just because the initial action of wrapping the fury swipes makes a sort of- how do I put it?- 'Black Hole' that makes Dusk look like some glowing-red-eye shadow demon or something.
Anyway...
The attack hit solidly after one swipe, thanks to Dusk's great eyes and accuracy. We'd worked hard on that, fighting my good friend Keith's Ghastly over and over to make sure we can hit a double team'd moving pokemon on at least the second hit. Obviously that extra training was paying off.
Savage Grace ended with the dark pulse dispersing, like normal. However, in the flurry of shadows, Haunter had found a way to escape. Checking the scoreboard, I confirmed Haunter did indeed only have a sliver of health left. I have to admit, that's one tough pokemon to have survived Savage Grace like that, but one more clean hit, and he would be done for. Only problem was that dark pulse was Dusk's only elemental attack to hit with. Fury swipes was low; one more use at most. That left us with agility, a stat boost move, and quick attack, which would be useless against the ghost-type Haunter.
Gears whirled in my mind as Haunter began his next attack.
I tuned out the cheering crowd and Ansu, both of which were overexcited because of my custom move's appearance. How to get out of this? Pressuring my mind to work as fast as possible, thoughts came and went. Dusk was slowly being beaten. She didn't have the greatest attack, and was left with her maxed-out speed as her greatest asset. Her attack was good, but not the best, with her sp attack being better for the sake of Savage Grace. Haunter had the type advantage, and though Dusk dodged a majority of what was thrown at her, what did hit did loads of damage.
'Come on... think!' I thought to myself. 'I can only use Savage Grace one more time, but he'll be ready for it! What do I do to throw him off? Before he uses-'
Suddenly, it happened. Haunter's last attack.
"How the hell does he know Night Slash?" I shouted in both fear and amazement. From what I know, Haunter couldn't learn Night Slash.
Suddenly, I found myself shouting something else. I wasn't scared, nervous, nothing in my voice even remotely seemed fearful. Dusk had no place to dodge to, no place to run, and no way to defend... so, I shouted an attack.
"Quick Attack Savage Grace! Now!"
My only chance was to strike first.
Dusk launched off a ground-based Savage Grace and rushed forward, the white light of Quick Attack piercing the pure black around her. It was beautiful. Had this been a contest, it would have been an auto-win. Shadows rippled like water around the black smear that was Dusk. Her red feather added a hint of red to the mix of black and purple. Spines of white emanating from the quick attack punctured the darkness made by the pulse, and her claws held out behind her as she ran, as always when she ran, gave the feel of large wings. I could barely tell she was running, Dusk moved that fast. Even I gasped at the sight.
Haunter's boosted evasiveness due to double team showed a trail of clones as he rushed forward, claws glowing a red-black. His fangs showed, and he had no intention of turning back. I knew it was useless though.
I watched the scene in slow motion as Dusk slid under Haunter's strike and slashed with her glowing right claws. Metal strips were torn from the platform below and sparks emerged as her super-enlongated claws ripped through the floor like butter on their way to their target. Haunter tried in vain to twist and block, only to be hit by the left claws as they struck. The process of dodge, block, hit, dodge repeated again and again as the super speed Dusk and super evasive Haunter went at it. After the first hit, however, both D and I knew who the victor would be.
Me.
Dusk and I were relaxing now, along with my other pokemon. Cario, my Lucario, lounged on a sofa beside his contest partner Iva; a Glacion, Umbra, an Umbrion, was play-fighting with Flare, my Flarion, and Blaze, my Infernape, was eating his brain out by the table where we'd ordered room service. You know you're in a five-star battle hotel when room service offers a 'never ending poffins' option. Seriously. I kid you not.
I was laughing to myself about this when the door exploded open. And I very nearly literally mean 'Exploded'.
"MARIS!" The intruder exclaimed. I found myself glomped on the floor, with some sort of cake box over my face. "YOU WON!"
"Mmmmphaphhh!" Came my own muffled reply. I don't even know what I was trying to say.
"Keith, do get off of her." A third voice introduced itself into the room.
"But-" Keith groaned from on top of me.
"Get off. Now." A fourth voice, female this time, growled. I knew instantly who that was. At her words, Keith heaved himself off of my now-squished self.
"Ow..." I groaned.
"Are you alright?" The third voice asked.
"Yes, Thanks to you, Jenshi..." I replied, attempting to sit up.
"Here." The fourth human occupant of the room offered her hand to me.
"Thanks, Sei."
"No problem."
I turned to Keith who stood by the marble counter with a large cake box in front of him.
"What was that for?" I growled.
"Hey, I was just excited!" He shrugged. I sighed. There was no way to get another answer out of him.
"What are all you doing here?" I asked, standing up. "I thought you all had to go out to Almia for something!"
Sei shrugged. "We took a break."
Jenshi sighed. "We got permission to come watch the Tournament of Six from Erma herself." He shrugged. "It's all Seishin's doing really."
"The cake was my idea!" Keith exclaimed happily.
"I don't doubt that." I laughed. "So you just got out of duty? Just like that? For me?"
"Yeah, why not?" Sei responded. Now how did she already get on the television and locate the Contest Chanel? With popcorn too?
"I feel honored." I said.
"Don't be too honored. We go back to work tomorrow. How Sei wormed us out of patrol for three days is questionable enough." Jenshi muttered. "It's quite unlogical that Erma would just let THREE Top Rangers walk out of duty for three whole days..."
The other occupants of the room glanced at Seishin who merely shrugged. "Told her we were gonna be on security at the tourney. Don't see how that hurts."
Sei never fails to amaze me. She is just... well, she's just. That's about it. She's 'Just'. There is no other way to explain it. I could tell Jenshi wanted to smack her for lying right now, and Keith seemed too eager to eat than to worry about what was happening. I walked over to the small kitchen and grabbed a large cutting knife. It wasn't very sharp, but just about anything works at this point. Especially when our precious ice cream cake is melting.
"Blaze, don't you dare run me out of prize money before I upgrade my gear." I growled at the Infernape as I passed. He paused, finger over the room service button, then sat the room phone down and finished his half-eaten poffin. I continued to cut the ice cream cake. I carried over a couple of plates to Sei and Jenshi where we lounged on the couch watching a contest final round.
"AW COME ON!" Sei exclaimed at the poor Aipom who was attempting to use swift as his opponent- Pidgey- used gust to send it back in the purple monkey's face. She fell into a growling state muttering something about swift and air pressure. No doubt, she had a way to have cut the gust in three and boost her own style points in that situation.
"You know, I love the Festival of Six." Jenshi said randomly after several minutes had passed. Now there was a tag team battle tournament on and Sei was trying to shout moves at the TV. She was being helped by Flare and Umbra. By now, Iva and Cario had retreated to the table by Blaze, and the three of them were finishing the last of the cake.
"Why so, Jenshi?" I asked. "I thought you disapproved of using pokemon in violent acts like battles."
"Battles for your personal greed is what I despise. I fully approve of the Tournament's way of doing things. I mean... There are people from all over now. Even Unova. They've never showed up to the Tournament of Six before!" He smiled. "The Tournament of Six is the only time now-a-days that you hear of such peace and coordination between all the regions." He chuckled silently. "I mean, as a Ranger, I don't often get to see this side of people. Not often does a Top Ranger like us get to relax and focus on the little things rather than some crime circle misusing pokemon for their own greedy purpose."
"Ah..." I nodded. "That's understandable."
I could see what he meant. All three of these friends are Rangers. Keith and Jenshi belong to the top twelve ranking rangers in all the regions- the Top Rangers. They work alongside legendary names such as Sven and Wendy. But their case is... special. That's the only word I can use to describe it. Seishin was, in a way, a Top Ranger as well, but not in a way one may think, and Jenshi and Keith are her allies. All three of them belong to a special devision of Rangers that was made by Seishin. See, Sei isn't just a ranger, but a trainer as well. Erma herself allowed her into the Ranger Union, but for some reason, Sei was allowed to keep her status as a Trainer as well. So, all three are... well, special cases, so to speak. As they were elite members of the Rangers, they rarely had a chance to rest and take it easy. For a semi-uptight person like Jenshi, that could be horrible.
To me, that all seemed a distant nightmare. I wasn't a part of the Ranger Union. Not a bit, besides helping these three every now and again. No. Rather, I was the legendary daughter of a legendary master. I was the granddaughter of Red, daughter of his daughter; the great and mighty Silvia. Yeah. No pressure there. Not when your grandfather is the single most respected person on the face of the earth, even at age 50, not to mention that your mom happens to be the greatest freaking contest master on earth. Yeah. Seriously, no pressure. Everyone just suspects that greatness run in the blood. No big shoes to fill or anything, no overlooking shadows to stand in. No... Not at all.
Blegh... Welcome to my life.