A/N: Alright, another several months and another chapter. I sincerely apologize for taking this long to create this, but I've been hauling ass to do so many things in real life: finishing my Eagle Scout requirements, high school graduation requirements, choir concerts, musical auditions... damn, I'm gonna be busy the next few months. But hey, lots of time for creativity! ^-^ I hope you all enjoy this anyway!
Chapter Ten
We Don't Get Paid Enough to do Stuff
Tensions were high throughout the school. The several dozen people that were a member of Professor Nozawa's classes were being subjected to his newest method of torture: forcing his students – and, by proxy, their Pokémon partners – to participate in tournaments. Thankfully, they consisted only of their own classes... otherwise they would take forever. Aromi had realized this, and hence the reason he'd limited it to only fellow classmates. Nevertheless, the participants were nervous, as today would be the day that they would begin the tournament.
"Oh, man... I don't know if we're ready for this..." Harry muttered nervously again. Hermione, unlike other times, couldn't agree more.
"Then let's get our minds off it," She suggested. "What do you think we should have for our next... meeting?"
Grateful for the subject change, the golden trio began to discuss what next to train. You see, several days before Umbridge had nearly banned Harry from Quidditch, he and his friends had started an under-the-radar club. It was formally called "Dumbledore's Army", and it was a place where the students meeting could actually practice the Defense Against the Dark Arts theories that horrible woman was forcing down their throats. The members silently met as often as they could in a special place in the castle – a place known as the Room of Requirement. It was easy to get in, really. Just pass the spot three times with a very clear idea of what you need and/or want in your mind. In the case of the DA, that was a place to safely practice DADA techniques. The group and its meetings were to be kept top-secret, due to the fact that they were afraid Professor Umbridge would find out and do something absolutely horrible to them. Frankly, with the way she was treating her students – and how she repeatedly attempted to strike Nozawa – their fears weren't too irrational. As the trio continued to talk, time went by quickly.
"Hey, what time is it?" Ron asked, glancing at the time. His question made them all look.
"..." They all went silent for a minute.
Then, in a flurry of movement, they grabbed their stuff, shoved it all in their packs unceremoniously, and raced out to the Quidditch fields as quickly as they could. By the time they reached the fields, Pokémon right behind them, they were out of breath. Professor Nozawa smirked and chuckled.
"Don't worry, you three, you're just in time," He said. "And be grateful none of you go first. Go find a spot to sit down."
The trio left their packs and robes under a conjured shelter, and then took a seat under another, much larger, conjured shelter that was a ring around the designated battlefield. The lines on the field that the students would be battling in were also placed through the use of magic. After a quick session of attendance taking, the professor walked to the center of the field.
"Alright, class," He began. "Look around you."
A flurry of quiet movement as the students did as told.
"Notice how you all sat next to your fellow house members?"
Quiet murmurs of agreement.
"Well, I've noticed how big of a rivalry the houses of Gryffindor and Slytherin have – that's why I've constructed the tournament's brackets so carefully. Each and every bracket has a Gryffindor facing a Slytherin."
Sounds of excitement were made by all the students. Aromi let it go for a few moments, then nodded to Rikku. He was chosen to be out of the room today. That, and the others on the team had opted to stay in the room and be lazy for the day. Either way, he went around the ring, making sure that the Pokémon were ready for their battles. It only took a few minutes, as Aromi was preparing to be the judge for the battles. Within minutes, they were ready.
"Alright, it's time for the first battle!" The students cheered happily. "Fred Weasley versus Gregory Goyle!"
After they were told the rules of the engagement, then forced to shake hands as a sign of formality, the two boys split to either end of the arena. With Fred on his house's side, and Goyle on his, Nozawa called for the battle to begin...
Hear the sound of the falling rain
Coming down like an armageddon flame
The shame, the ones who died without a name
Unluckily for one member of the golden trio, he would be going up today. Even worse... he was up against the one student he hated the most in the entire school: Draco Malfoy. Although... it would give Harry a good excuse to beat him and show him how much of a git he was.
"Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, please come to the center of the field!" Professor Nozawa called, standing in the designated spot. Once both students were there, their Pokémon in ther Pokéballs as per their teacher's instructions. The young man spoke to both of them in hushed tones. "Alright, listen up, the both of you. I know the kind of rivalry between you two, and frankly, I don't mind. However! I will not have any sort of the behavior I usually see from you two on this battlefield. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Professor," The boys responded, never taking their eyes off one another – but the Professor knew that they were listening.
"Keep this battle clean. Understand that the moment Rikku or I feel that you have gone too far, we will intervene, and we will stop the battle. Understood?"
With an affirmative from the boys, Nozawa sent them to their respective sides of the field. Things were about to heat up to an intense level. To be safe for the battles, the students had been forced to leave their wands in their robes – which were way out of reach from all of them. The young professor had known that if things had gone bad, there had been a chance for the students to go for their wands and things to go especially nasty; hence the reason he had Rikku making sure the wands stayed where they were. Knowing that things were relatively safe, he glanced to both of the teenagers.
"Alright, are both battlers and their Pokémon ready for battle?" Aromi asked calmly, both he and Rikku prepared for anything. The young man guessed both boy's Pokémon to be about level twelve. While it was true that the creatures didn't actually 'level up', the Pokédex put it into those terms to help the trainer figure out how much training and what kind was required to reach the next 'level.' He had instructed all of his students to keep the devices out, as they helped them know what attacks were possible and how much more damage their partners could withstand.
Harry glanced at Riolu – now out of his Pokéball along with Seviper – who nodded to his trainer. Then the raven-haired boy said he was ready. His rival just said yes. Perhaps the boy-who-lived would finally be able to show the annoying brat to respect him.
"Begin!" Nozawa exclaimed.
"Seviper, go for a Bite!" Malfoy exclaimed immediantly.
"Riolu, Quick Attack!" Harry countered quickly. His palms were starting to get a little sweaty; he had no idea how intense this battling thing was until just now!
As the large snake closed in upon the little guy, the blue Pokémon charged at it with blinding speed; the purple creature wass left stunned and winded as it was rammed into harshly. It hissed angrily and in pain, and before Malfoy could respond, snatched up Riolu in a Wrap attack. The blonde boy didn't care about the fact that he hadn't given an order; in fact, he liked his partner's choice. Strangle the little pup! He didn't care!
Conversly, Harry was panicking a little bit. If it continued much longer, the battle might be ended early and he'd be put as the loser – even worse, Riolu could be seriously hurt! He glanced at his Pokédex, hoping to find the solution there. He only winced when the little health bar there went down after another squeeze from Seviper's body – then it came to him.
"Riolu! Counter!" Harry exclaimed desperately, praying to whatever gods existed that it would work.
A moment later found him thanking them. His choice of attack had worked – the small Pokémon had taken the force of Seviper's attack into himself, focused into a paw, and punched the snake in the jaw. It was enough for Riolu to free itself and to hurt his opponent. Unfortunately, the snake still had a touch more energy left after that.
"While it's dazed, Quick Attack!"
Grateful for the chance to finally get back at the Seviper, Riolu rammed it in the stomach again, and backed away quickly. No way was he getting caught a second time in that wrap attack! Unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough...
"Prepare a Counter!" Harry exclaimed, seeing Malfoy's mouth beginning to move and from words.
"Bite the acursed thing!" Malfoy said harshly.
When those huge fangs came down upon the young Pokémon, he would admit it, he freaked – but his trainer's order helped calm him. The immense pain that came from the fangs was intense... but, by some miracle, Riolu kept his focus, and did the same as before: gathered the physical power in one limb, and struck. A moment later, the two split and leapt apart. Both were a little worse for wear at the moment, but they were more than willing to keep battling – just as their trainers were. Professor Nozawa was going to let it go with about one more attack each... however...
"Bite – and don't let go!" Malfoy sneered. The boy's increasing anger throughout the battle had led to him, and as a result, his Seviper want to kill the annoying fighting-type! Harry and his teammate sensed some maliciousness in the voice... but thought nothing of it. Aromi, however...
"Enough!" Professor Nozawa exclaimed, stepping in with Rikku immediantly. The Seviper was easily caught by the man. Having personally trained his team, he knew how to catch incoming attacks without getting anyone hurt. After a moment, he let go of the snake-like creature and gently let it sink to the ground. "Get your Pokédexes ready to present to me, and send your Pokémon back to your seats. Let them rest."
As soon as the man turned to walk over to the table he'd conjured early that day, which held the papers he needed to record the results, things occurred.
"Do it anyway!" Malfoy yelled angrily. Harry and Riolu had dropped their guard, and were caught flat-footed.
"No!" Harry exclaimed, after a moment passed. He was desperate: if the attack landed in the way Malfoy intended, things would be bad.
Wham! The Seviper was suddenly on the ground, eyes gone into spirals. Rikku stood in front of Riolu protectively, having smacked down the serpent with ease. The Empoleon's eyes were on fire with anger and frustration.
"Have you no honor?" Rikku asked Malfoy. The Pokémon's deathly calm voice sent shivers down the spines of several students – including the two on the battlefield. "When a battle's judge says that the battle is over, it is over. You do not continue the battle for your own personal vendetta. Am I clear?"
Professor Nozawa, having been unfortunate enough to also be caught flat-footed, sighed with both relief and frustration. He grabbed his clipboard and his pens and returned to the field, marking some notes. Once he was by his Empoleon's side again, he looked at the blonde with frustration.
"Mr. Malfoy, I am reaching the end of my patience with you," Nozawa said coldly. "Several times throughout the year you have disrespected me and my team; frankly, I don't care if you disrespect me – but doing so to my team is unacceptable. Now you flat-out do the opposite of what I have instructed – and you threatened the life of a Pokémon who has done nothing but battle you honorably. As such, I am docking one-hundred-fifty points from Slytherin. You and your Pokémon will also be serving a month's worth of detention with Mr. Filch. Now grab the healing items from the table, heal your Seviper, return to your seat, and behave."
The boy had gone from being infuriated at the end of the battle, to shock at Seviper's sudden loss, then back to anger at the "unjust" punishment. Malfoy wouldn't deny his desire to take down the Riolu permanently, but still – the punishment was too much.
"My father will hear about this!" He exclaimed as he did as he was instructed, the professor watching him the entire time.
"Good," Nozawa said. "Then I can finally talk to him about how he needs to make you grow up."
The entire time this was happening, Rikku had helped Harry to heal Riolu and to relax into his seat. Once that was all done and accounted for, with the detention written down and the message about it ready to be sent to Filch. Then he turned to the rest of the class.
"Alright, everyone," Aromi said. "That's all the time we have today. Mr. Malfoy, be at Mr. Filch's office by six. Those of you that battled today, please let your Pokémon have plenty of rest. Those of you that didn't, be prepared for when you do go."
With that, the group of students stood, grabbed their belongings, and left for the main building. The young professor, having no more classes, personally handed the detention slip in, when he made sure that Malfoy wouldn't cause anymore trouble. As the students were slowly learning, the strange young man was taking the castle by storm.
Credits: Quote is a Grifism from RedVSBlue, and the song lyrics are from "Holiday" by Green Day.
A/N: Alright, Malfoy has been tortured even more! Yes, I am making it my mission to have Nozawa drill at least a few manners into his head. If you want that to happen, you're going to have to give this chapter a review. Also, I realize that this chapter is a bit shorter than normal, but I feel that if I crammed anymore into it, the chapter would not be as good as it is.