Chapter 13 Everyone!
Jake woke up, turning his head and looking at the clock. Upon seeing that it was 8:30, he decided to get ready for the day. Eevee felt his friend stirring, causing him to open his eyes.
"Sorry bud, did I wake you? You can go back to sleep if you want. I need to get ready for the day. I'll wake you up when I'm ready to go."
"Vui!" Eevee cooed, before drifting back off to sleep.
"Alright, shower, head down to breakfast, brush my teeth, wake Eevee up, switch out my Pokémon." Jake listed the things he had to do before the day started. "Then go see if May is up and if Max wants to see my battles. After that, I gotta figure out who I'm gonna use for the other two battles today. Four double battles in one day. Man, I'm gonna be wiped after that. Then again, when I was on the road, I was training nonstop. One of the many benefits of traveling alone. I wonder how things will change when I start traveling with May once the tournament is over?" Jake was talking to himself, getting ready for the day. He showered, then got dressed in his black gym shorts and gray t-shirt, knowing that it was gonna be hot all day long. Although he travelled light, he always kept a few different outfits in his bag, to deal with different weather conditions. He then walked down to the cafeteria to eat breakfast. He finished up fifteen minutes later, and walked back into his room to find an Eevee who was awake and ready to go.
"I guess I didn't have to wake you up after all! Come on, I gotta go switch out a few for today's battles." Jake said, holding out his arm.
"Vui!" Eevee said, hopping up onto Jake's arm and resting on his shoulder. Jake then walked out the door, only to bump into Max.
"Hey Max."
"Oh, hey Jake. I was just heading off to eat."
"Is May still sleeping?" Jake asked.
"Yeah. Don't expect her to get up for a while. She came back last night all dreamy eyed, and didn't fall asleep until ten!" Max replied, giving Jake a look.
"Are you gonna come and watch my battles today?"
"Perhaps, if I have the time."
"Drop the cool guy act, you don't have to impress me you know."
"Okay. But yeah, I planned on seeing you battle. I wanna learn a thing or two if I can."
"Smart choice, I'll see you later. I'm gonna make a few exchanges at the Pokémon Center."
"Okay, I'll see you later then," Max replied.
The two went their separate ways, with Jake walking to the Pokémon Center. He walked inside, greeted Nurse Joy, and immediately went over to the video phones.
"Time to make a call to Professor Birch!" he said, dialing a number. A few seconds later, a rather large man appeared.
"Jake! Eevee! How are you guys?" Professor Birch asked.
"Good, I just called to let you know that I'm in the qualifiers!"
"So I've heard! I knew someone with your talent could make it. The double battles start today, right?"
"Yep. I'm gonna need a few Pokémon from you."
"Sure. Who do you want?"
"I need to exchange Talon for Maverick, and Blade for Pharaoh right now. Later I'll probably call for Juggernaut, Shockwave, and Flare."
"Alright, I'll send them right over. I'll try and see if I can catch your matches on TV later."
"Thanks Professor."
"No problem!"
Once Jake had gotten his Pokémon, he thanked the professor once more and hung up. He then walked back to the hotel to make the final preparations for the day, and to see if May was up yet.
"You all ready to go?" Jake asked. He was inside May and Max's room, having been invited in.
"Yeah, I just need my fanny pack, then we can go." May replied.
"Come on sis, you're always holding people up!" Max complained.
"Shut it."
"Alright enough arguing you two," Jake cut in.
"There!" May said, strapping on her hip pack to her waist. "I'm ready to go! She exclaimed.
"Finally!" Max said, an annoyed look on his face.
The trio walked out of the room, heading down to the lobby and out the door to the stadium.
"I already know who you're gonna use the first round, but who are you gonna use the second round?" May asked.
"Maverick and Blazer." Jake replied.
"Just out of curiosity, why?" Max asked.
"Because, they have exceptional teamwork together. I've been training the two for double battles together for a few years now."
"Speaking of training, how come you haven't been training since the tournament started?" May asked.
"Tournaments are sort of my free time, if you will. Although I do train, I spend most of my time relaxing during tournaments because beforehand, I spend weeks, even months training for them. Once I'm there, I take it battle by battle. Plus I don't want my Pokémon to be worn out before they battle. That was one of the reasons why I was concerned with Blazer and your Blaziken sparring yesterday; he usually gets really intense."
"You're serious about this aren't you?" Max asked.
"Battling Pokémon is my life. I plan on doing this for a living. Most people after one or two leagues quit, so they can pursue other careers. Not me. I enjoy every moment of being a trainer. Nothing beats getting stronger and strengthening the bond between my Pokémon and I in the process," Jake explained passionately.
"Are you sure that's your whole life?" May asked coyly.
"Of course, I can make accommodations," Jake replied, smiling.
"That's better." May said, also smiling.
They had arrived at the stadium, and Jake had fifteen minutes before his battle started.
"I'm gonna head into the trainers' room. Can you watch Eevee for me?" Jake asked May.
"Of course! Come on Eevee, let's go get some good seats before they fill up!" May said, holding out her arms.
"Vui!" He cooed, finding a comfortable spot on her shoulder.
"Good luck!" Max said.
"Thanks Max," Jake replied.
"Good luck!" May exclaimed. She then gave Jake a quick peck on the cheek, causing him to blush heavily and stutter.
"Th-thanks," he replied meekly.
"Ugh. How can you stand my sister?" Max asked.
"Can it boy," May said. "Come on, let's go find some seats.
The two walked off, leaving Jake standing there. Finally, after a minute of not moving, he came back to his senses. Why do I always freeze up when she kisses me on the cheek like that? Jake wondered. He began walking towards the trainer's room. Once he got inside, he pulled out two Pokeballs, releasing his Gardevoir and Gallade. The two Pokémon looked fondly at each other, before giving their attention to their trainer.
"Alright, I've looked up my opponent, and it turns out it's the guy I ran into on the boat ride over here. I beat him in a practice battle, and he didn't take to kindly to me beating him. So watch out, he might try and take it out on you two. He battles using brute strength, so just do what you two do best, and you'll be fine. Plus he's a fighting type expert, so you have the type advantage. All in all, watch each other's backs, and have fun." Jake said, a hint of nervousness in his voice.
His two psychic types nodded, reassuring their trainer. Using telepathy, they asked why he was so nervous.
"Heh, I should've guessed that you'd figure out I'm not myself. Truth is, I don't know. It might be because I have a younger trainer now looking up to me, but more importantly, I now have a girlfriend who's cheering me on. I'm new to the whole dating thing, and I still get nervous around her. I know I shouldn't, but I hide it as best as I can. I guess it's just rubbing off into this. Don't worry, I'll be fine. This isn't anything I haven't done before. You ready to go?"
They both nodded, and a bell could be heard, signaling Jake to go out to the field.
"Alright, time to do this!" He said, his demeanor quickly changing from a more nervous one to an excited one. "Return guys." He held out the Pokeballs, recalling the two Pokémon. He then clipped them to his belt, walking out to the field. He walked out, and noticed that quite a large crowd had gathered to watch the tournament. He dismissed this as people wanting to see the Hoenn League victor in action, but he wasn't sure. He looked around, and finally spotted May and Max. Even though he couldn't hear them, he saw May excited, which gave him the boost in confidence he needed.
He stepped into the trainer's box, eyeing over his opponent. There stood Jim, the man he had beaten on the ferry. He gave Jake a menacing glare, obviously intent on revenge. The referee spoke up, drawing their attention.
"This will be a two on two double battle between Jake Smith of Littleroot Town, and Jim Rogers of Oldale Town. Each trainer will use two Pokémon at the same time, and the match is over when both of one trainer's Pokémon cannot continue battling. If one Pokémon is knocked out, then the match will continue as a two on one. The winner moves on, and the loser is knocked out of the tournament. This match will be held on a grass field. Are both trainers ready?" The ref asked, eager to start the battle.
"Yes," Jake said.
"I'm ready," Jim replied, a menacing look on his face.
"Both trainers will send out their two Pokémon at the same time at my command." The ref said. At this, the growing crowd roared in excitement.
"Begin!" The ref shouted, throwing up his flags, signaling the start of the battle.
"Grace, Blade, engage!" Jake shouted, throwing out two Pokeballs. The Embrace Pokémon and the Blade Pokémon emerged, exchanging quick glances at each other, before looking at their opponents.
On the other side of the field, Jim was calling out his Pokémon.
"Sawk, Infernape, let's roll!" he shouted, sending out his Pokémon. The Karate Pokémon and the Flame Pokémon appeared, staring down their opponents.
Jim made the first move. "Sawk, Stone Edge on Gardevoir. Infernape, Flame Wheel on Gallade!"
"Send them back with Psychic. Hit Infernape back with Psycho Cut!" Jake retaliated.
Sawk summoned three rings of stones around his body, before firing them at Grace. Her eyes glowed white, and the same glow enveloped the stones. She then used her mind to send them flying back at Sawk, dealing damage. Meanwhile, Infernape quickly covered his body with flames, then spun rapidly over towards Blade. Blade elongated the blades on his elbows, glowing with a blue energy, and held them in front of his body. When Infernape reached him, Blade uncrossed his blades, sending the flaming monkey staggering back.
"Infernape, Flamethrower on Gardevoir. Sawk, use Payback on Gardevoir!" Jim shouted.
There's no way Blade will let Grace go thought that. I just need a way to get them both out of danger Jake thought to himself.
"Grace, direct that Flamethrower towards Sawk. Blade, standby!"
As Blade was ready to move as he saw fit, Grace's eyes once again glowed white. She used her Psychic to try and redirect the flames at Sawk, who was busy summoning a black energy from his body, directing it at Grace. She was struggling, as the fire type attack was stronger than she anticipated. Sawk fired the energy towards her. She was preoccupied, and she didn't make a move to dodge the attack because of it. Upon seeing this, Blade stepped in, taking the full force of the attack, protecting his mate from damage. Grace saw this, giving her a boost of confidence, and sent an even stronger wave of psychic energy, finally pushing the flames into Sawk, causing him to lose his focus. Both attacks subsided quickly, with the three fighting types panting heavily. Gallade's low defense, as well as the increased power of payback, took its toll on the Blade Pokémon.
"Both of you, Close Combat on Gallade! Finish him off!" Jim shouted, trying to go for a quick knockout.
"Grace, Psyshock on Sawk. Blade, Detect!"
Grace surprised Sawk by summoning three orbs of psychic energy and shooting them at him. This caused him to lose focus on his attack, and he turned his attention to Grace. Infernape was upon Blade in a flash, and started to repeatedly strike Blade. However, he was able to avoid each and every hit using Detect. Once he sensed a let up, he performed a Low Sweep, kicking Infernape's legs out from under him.
"Psycho Cut!" Jake shouted, trying to press his advantage.
Blade then quickly extended his blades, covered in a blue energy, and quickly swiped at the downed Infernape, knocking him out.
"Infernape is unable to battle, this match will now continue as a two on one!" The ref shouted. The crowd roared in response, cheering on the two psychic types.
"Infernape return!" Jim shouted angrily, recalling his fire type. "Sawk, use Retaliate on Gardevoir now!"
Sawk immediately shot forward towards Grace, giving her no time to dodge. Once again, Blade protected her, teleporting in front of her and taking the hit. The powered up attack, along with previous damage, proved to be too much. Blade looked up at his mate, smiled at her, then fainted.
"Gallade is unable to continue battling. This match is now a one on one between Gardevoir and Sawk!" The ref shouted. Again, the crowd erupted into cheers at the knock out.
"Blade return," Jake said, recalling the fighting type back into his Pokeball. Alright, one on one. Grace has a four times resistance to fighting type attacks, so she should be relatively safe, I just have to play her smart Jake took a deep breath, looking up into the crowd. He saw May shouting something, but couldn't hear her. However, seeing her cheer for him like this gave him the boost in confidence he needed, before returning his gaze to the battlefield. He took another deep breath, before making his move.
"Grace, clear your mind with Calm Mind!"
"Swords Dance while she's distracted!"
Grace took a deep breath, clearing her mind of the various thoughts running through her head, closing her eyes. On the other side of the field, Sawk surrounded his body with a pink energy, dancing frantically and raising his attack in the process.
"Poison Jab!" Jim shouted.
"Stop him with Psychic. Send him flying!" Jake retaliated.
Sawk charged towards Grace, his fist glowing purple. Grace's eyes glowed white, and just before he reached her, Sawk became enveloped in a white energy. She lifted her opponent off the ground, and sent him flying across the field. He crashed into the ground, struggling to his feet.
"Come on! Use Payback!" Jim shouted angrily.
"Grace, finish with Dazzling Gleam!" Jake commanded, wanting to put Sawk out of his misery.
Sawk was clearly struggling. However, through either pure determination, or pure hatred, he sent out a massive black energy at Grace. She retaliated by glowing pink, and sending a bright light straight at Sawk. The two attacks collided in the middle, causing a massive explosion in the center of the field. Both Jake and Jim, as well as the referee, had to shield their eyes from the dust. When it finally cleared, Sawk was seen out cold on the ground. On the other side of the field, Grace was standing there gracefully, albeit heavily damaged.
"Sawk is unable to battle, Gardevoir is the winner and Jake moves on to the second round!" The ref announced. The crowd cheered in response.
Jake smiled. "Thank you Grace, you were exceptional out there," he said, recalling her.
On the other side of the field, Jim was doing his best to contain his anger. He recalled the Karate Pokémon and looked up at Jake. "Good match kid," he said, before walking off.
Jake had a content smile on his face, knowing that he had earned the respect of his opponent. He started walking off the field, going into the trainers' room. When he got there, he found May and Max waiting for him, Eevee on May's shoulder.
"That was an awesome match!" Max exclaimed. The teamwork between those two was exceptional!"
"Thanks Max, I'm sure they're appreciative of your praise too." Jake said. He then turned towards May, who finally spoke up.
"That was a great match! I'm proud of you!" She exclaimed, enveloping him in a hug.
"Thanks," Jake replied meekly, returning the gesture. The two held each other for a few moments, enjoying each other's company.
"Eeew!" Max said, turning his head. "How can you hug my sister like that?"
Instead of replying, the two teens simply ignored him, continuing to hold each other in their arms. They finally let go, although reluctantly.
"I have an hour to kill before I gotta be back here for my second match, what do you wanna do?" Jake asked May.
"We could walk around a bit, maybe get a snack or something," she replied.
"Sounds good!" Jake said, taking May's hand.
"I'll leave you two lovebirds alone for the time being, I'll be back in time to catch your second match Jake!" Max said, before running off.
"Wait, where are you going?" May called out.
"Away from you two!" Max called back. A few seconds later, he was gone from sight.
"What's up with him?" Jake asked.
"I don't think he likes the fact that his older sister has a boyfriend," May replied.
"Okay," Jake replied, shaking his head clear of thoughts. "I know where there's a place that sells hot dogs, you want one?"
"I'd love one!" May exclaimed. Just thinking about the food got her mouth drooling.
"Uhh, your mouth is drooling," Jake commented.
"Oh, sorry. Come on, let's go!"
"Thank you, have a nice day!" The shop keeper said.
"You too!" Jake replied, two hot dogs in hand. He and May walked over to find a table, and he gave her one of the hot dogs once they sat down.
"So Maverick and Blazer, you said that you've been training them together for double battles for years? Do you train specific pairs then?" May asked.
"Yeah, I figured out long ago that training two Pokémon to battle together is a hell of a lot easier than just picking two random Pokémon and hoping that they have good synergy together."
"Don't people expect that though? I mean once people figure out who you use, aren't you at a disadvantage?" May asked.
"Not necessarily. It's just like single battles. People who face me know who I'm gonna use more than likely, but not how I'll use them."
"Are you sure about that?" May inquired, a little worried about his overconfidence.
"I haven't lost a double battle in two years. They're kind of my specialty."
"If you say so. Come on, let's finish eating so you don't miss your match."
"Hold on, I wanna see who my opponent is first." Jake pulled out his Pokenav, and started typing. He then started scrolling, and finally stopped on a name. "Huh, it says that this guy, Marcus Alberts, used to be the defending Hoenn Champion."
"What Pokémon does he have?"
"He has a bunch. Says here his starter was a Mudkip, which is now a Swampert. I'd assume he'd use him against me, I just want to figure out who else he's gonna use."
"He'd probably go with something that can counter your Garchomp, so a steel, ice, dragon, or fairy type." May replied.
"Both Maverick and Blazer are super effective against steel types, so Metagross, Ferrothorn, and Aggron are out of the question."
"What about Ice types?"
"His only two Ice types are Walrein and Glalie. Both are really slow, so I doubt he'd use them. As for other Dragons, he has a Salamence and Kindgra. Kingdra is at a huge disadvantage if there's no water, so he's out of the question."
"What about Salamence?" May asked.
"He's definitely a possibility, I just want to see what fairy types he has. Hmm. Azumarill, Aromatisse, and Clefable." Jake listed.
"Based on that, I think it'll be either Azumarill or Salamence."
"I think you're right. "Thanks."
"For what?"
"For helping me figure this out."
"You could've figured it out yourself you know."
"Maybe, but it's more enjoyable when I'm with someone else. Come on, I got fifteen minutes before the match starts." Jake said.
Both May and Jake got up from the table and headed out the door, holding hands. They made some more small talk, until it was time for the match to start.
"Alright, I gotta go. You'll hold Eevee for me right?"
"Of course! Come on Eevee," May said, allowing him to climb up onto her shoulder. He immediately snuggled up to her.
"You know, I think Eevee is starting to like me more!" she teased.
"Not in a million years! Right bud?" Jake asked the normal type.
"Vui!" He cooed, once again snuggling up to May.
"Wow. Really? I see how it is." Jake pouted, pretending to be angry, causing May and Eevee to giggle. "Anyways, I gotta go."
"Good luck!" May said. Once again, she gave him a peck on the cheek, causing the same reaction as before.
"Th-thanks." Jake stuttered. Why the hell do I always freeze up when she does that? he wondered, walking into the trainers' room.
Jake sat down on one of the benches, pulling two Pokeballs off his belt. He released his two Pokémon, revealing a Garchomp and a shiny Blaziken.
"Alright guys, this is gonna be a hard battle for us. This guy was the Hoenn league winner the year before I was, so he definitely knows what he's doing. I have a feeling he's gonna use his Swampert and either Azumarill or Salamence, so be on your toes. Focus, and we can win this."
His two Pokémon nodded, and immediately perked up once the bell rang.
"Alright return," Jake said, recalling the two Pokémon. He walked out, and saw an even bigger crowd than the first match. He looked around, but couldn't spot May.
"I guess two Hoenn champs is too much to pass up," he said to himself, disappointed that he couldn't find his girlfriend in the stands.
On the other side of the field was a trainer who looked to be in his late teens. He was also looking up into the crowd, but was waving at it as well. He noticed Jake, and stopped waving, looking at him.
"So you're this year's winner, huh?" He asked.
"Yep. Prepare yourself for the battle of your life. I don't plan on losing this one." Jake replied.
"Oh I've prepared. You're gonna be in for a shock." Marcus said confidently.
Before they could say anything else, the ref cut in.
"This will be a two on two double battle between Jake Smith of Littleroot Town, and Marcus Alberts of Mauville City. Each trainer will use two Pokémon, and the match is over when both of either side's Pokémon are unable to battle. If one Pokémon is knocked out, then the match will continue as a two on one. The winner moves on, and the loser goes home. Are you both ready?"
Jake and Marcus nodded, determination in their eyes.
"Both trainers will send out their Pokémon at the same time on my mark. This match will be held on a dirt battlefield."
Both trainers grabbed their two Pokeballs from their belt, eager to begin.
The ref raised his flags, signaling the start of the match.
"Blazer, Maverick, engage!" Jake shouted, throwing his two Pokeballs.
A shiny Blaziken and a Garchomp appeared.
On the other side, Marcus sent out his Pokémon.
"Swampert, Salamence, let's go!"
The Dragon Pokémon and the Mud Fish Pokémon appeared, ready for battle. Salamence immediately took to the air.
As expected. Let's start out fast "Maverick, into the air! Quick Attack on Salamence! Blazer, stand by!" He commanded.
"Salamence, hit Garchomp with a Dragon Claw! Swampert, Water Gun on Blaziken!" He countered.
Maverick leaped into the air and immediately shot forward towards Salamence in a streak of light. He made contact, and narrowly dodged the glowing claws of his opponent. Meanwhile, Swampert sent a jet of water at Blazer. He jumped up, easily dodging the attack.
"Maverick, Earthquake. Blazer, Double Kick!" Jake shouted.
"Salamence, hit Garchomp with a Dragon Rush! Swampert, send that Blaziken flying with a Focus Punch!"
Maverick landed forcefully on the ground, causing the earth to shake. This caused Swampert to stumble briefly, which took his attention away from Blazer, who landed on Swampert's face, delivering two kicks in quick succession. Swampert was unable to make a Focus Punch, due to being attacked. Salamence shot forward at Maverick in a streak of blue light, turning his body into a bullet. Maverick was unable to dodge, so he took the full force of the attack.
"Maverick, Crunch on Salamence, you know what to do! Blazer, Flamethrower on Swampert!"
"Get away from that Garchomp! Use Hydro Pump on Blaziken. Same goes for you, Swampert!"
Maverick shot towards Salamence, taking initiative and using a Quick Attack to catch up to the fleeing dragon. He got behind him and crunched down on his neck, causing a roar of pain. Swampert was busy sending a blast of water at Blazer, who was spewing flames from his mouth. The two attacks met in the middle, and steam covered the center of the field. It quickly spread throughout the entire stadium, and no one could see a thing.
"Maverick, switch to Ice Fang!" Jake shouted.
"Get him off of you!" Marcus yelled.
Another roar of pain was heard from inside the steam, followed by a loud thud. Both trainers knew that Salamence had fainted, but they couldn't see him, so Marcus couldn't recall him.
"Maverick, blow that steam away the best you can! Blazer, stand by!" Jake commanded.
"As soon as the steam clears, fire an Ice Beam at Garchomp!"
The steam started clearing around Maverick, revealing him to be flapping his "wings" furiously. The steam cleared a little more, revealing the fallen Salamence. Out of nowhere, a beam of ice aimed straight at Maverick struck him, causing him to plummet towards the ground, one of his wings frozen in place. He tried to pull up, but ended up crash landing. He was down, but not out.
"Cloud yourself with the steam and use Fire Fang to melt that ice! Blazer, keep an eye out!"
"Find that Blaziken and take him out with a Hydro Pump!"
Maverick disappeared into the steam, which was starting to clear up, and apparently unfroze his arm. Blazer, still unseen, was alert and ready to dodge the inevitable attack. Swampert did his best to find Blazer, and whenever he thought he saw him, he would release a Hydro Pump. Salamence was still on the ground unconscious.
Finally, after five minutes of non-action, the steam cleared up. Salamence was still unconscious, so the ref made his call.
"Salamence is unable to battle! This match will continue as a two on one!"
Marcus recalled his fallen dragon type, and immediately gave a command. "Ice Beam on Garchomp!"
"Counter with Flamethrower. Blazer, help him out!"
"Swampert opened his mouth and shot a beam of ice at Maverick, who opened his mouth to spew flames. The attacks met in the middle, and steam started to form again. Blazer also unleashed a Flamethrower, quickly overpowering the Ice Beam. Swampert then did something unexpected. He raised his fists, and slammed them into the ground, causing an earthquake. Blazer leaped high into the air to dodge it, but Maverick was too slow, due to previous damage, so he took the full force of the attack.
Wow. It takes a lot of trust for a Pokémon to take advantage of the situation and attack on their own like that. This guy is good Jake thought to himself.
"Maverick, Earth Power. Blazer, Sky Uppercut!" Jake yelled.
"Retaliate with Mud Shot on Garchomp. Then finish him off with another Ice Beam!" Marcus commanded.
Maverick slammed his foot on the ground, causing it to split. The ground continued to split until it reached Swampert, when a yellow energy formed, dealing damage. Swampert spewed dozens of globs of mud at Maverick, causing him to lose focus, thus ending his attack. Swampert then unleashed another Ice Beam at Maverick, striking him head on. This was the final straw, and Maverick collapsed. Before anyone could move, Blazer charged in, fist glowing, and hit Swampert, sending him flying into the air.
"Garchomp is unable to battle, this match will continue as a one on one!" The ref shouted. The crowd roared in response, but quickly turned their eyes to the airborne water type.
Recalling Maverick, Jake gave another command. "Slam him into the ground with Blaze Kick!"
"Slow your descent with Water Gun!"
Blazer leapt up into the air using his powerful legs, aiming just above the falling Swampert. Once he got the right angle, his foot went ablaze, and he somersaulted in the air, striking Swampert in the back, sending him flying into the ground. Swampert shot a jet of water at the ground to try and slow his descent, but he was falling too fast and hit the ground with a loud thud, kicking up dust. When it cleared, Swampert slowly stood up, glowing in blue.
"Shit. Blazer might not be able to withstand a water type attack with Torrent activated," Jake said to himself. "Rock Tomb, followed by Earthquake! Be prepared to dodge his attack!"
"Hit them with a Hydro Pump! Then redirect it at Blaziken!"
Blazer stomped on the ground, causing rocks to trap Swampert in place. He then leaped into the air, preparing to slam into the ground and finish Swampert off. Swampert blasted himself free with the powered up Hydro Pump. Once free, he aimed at the falling Blaziken. As soon as Blazer noticed the water aimed at him, he broke off the attack and swiftly dodged it.
How the hell did he get so fucking fast? He should be slowing down! Not speeding up! Unless...Shit! Marcus said mentally, coming to a realization.
"That Blaziken's ability is Speed Boost! Watch out!" He cried, warning his starter.
"So you've figured it out. I guess eventually the cat had to be let out of the bag eventually. Blaze Rush, followed by Close Combat!"
"Hit him back with Superpower!"
Blazer covered his body in flames, before shooting towards his opponent. He stopped right before crashing into the water type, and immediately switched to a flurry of Sky Uppercuts and Double Kicks. The Mud Fish Pokémon defended himself the best he could with powerful punches, but Blazer's expertise in martial arts triumphed, allowing him to avoid the blows with ease. He then found an opening, and tripped the water type with a Low Kick. Swampert fell, and was struggling to stand on all fours.
"Finish with Mega Kick!"
Blazer's foot glowed white, and he swung it at the struggling Swampert, sending him flying back in front of his trainer, knocked out cold.
"Swampert is unable to battle, Blaziken is the winner and the match goes to Jake Smith of Littleroot Town!" The ref announced. The crowd roared in response, excited at the final knockout.
"Great job Blazer!" Jake said, recalling his starter.
On the other side of the field, Marcus was recalling his fallen starter, saying a few words of gratitude. Both he and Jake walked to the middle of the field to shake hands.
"Great battle, I can see why you won the Hoenn League." Marcus said, holding out his hand.
Shaking it, Jake replied. "Thanks. That Swampert of yours is really powerful."
"He's nothing compared to your Blaziken. He's somethin' else." Marcus replied. "I'm glad that I lost to you, I wish you luck in Driftveil." At that, he walked away.
Jake turned around and headed to the trainer's room, a triumphant look on his face. Two down, two to go he said mentally.
As he walked in, he was greeted by the two siblings and Eevee.
"That was awesome! I never knew that your Blaziken's ability is Speed Boost!" Max exclaimed.
"Thanks." Jake replied.
"I thought that Blaziken could only have Blaze as their ability. Just like water types get Torrent and grass types get Overgrow." May said.
"Have you heard of hidden abilities?" Jake asked. Both siblings shook their heads. "Some Pokémon have different abilities that were recently discovered for each species. They're incredibly rare, which is part of the reason why they're called hidden abilities. I always wondered why Blazer got faster during battle, even when he was a Torchic. I was also confused when Blaze never kicked in. It wasn't until I travelled to Unova that I finally learned about hidden abilities and that Blazer had his." Jake explained.
It was a bit much for the two to take in, but they understood it nonetheless. After a few moments of silence, May spoke up.
"So now that you've won, what are you gonna do?" May asked.
"I'm gonna get some lunch!" We can go to that diner we went to the other day. What was it, the Giant Wailord or something like that?" Jake asked.
"I think so. Come on, let's go!" Max exclaimed, leading the way.
"Right behind you!" Jake said, running to catch up with the youngest of the three. However, he felt a hand on his shoulder holding him back. He turned around to find May, staring into his eyes. "What's up?" He asked, not sure what was going on.
"I never got to properly congratulate you for winning," she said smiling.
"Oh"
"Congrats on winning!" She said. She then took Jake by surprise by leaning in. It took him a second to realize what was going on, but he figured it out and followed suit, leaning in as well. A few seconds later, they were sharing their third kiss.
"Hey, are you guys coming?" Max asked, turning around. He gasped when he saw the two kissing. "Ugh, I did not need to see that." He muttered to himself, turning around and continuing to walk ahead.
The two broke off after a minute, still in a state of bliss. They looked at each other lovingly, before running ahead to catch up with Max.
So there it is, chapter 13. Next chapter will go back to Ash and his day off. I don't have much else to say, so R&R!