The Epic Battle, part 2

Akiko

"Confusion!" Zak yelled, firing out his attack from his hands.

"Dodge it, Lapras!" I commanded, hoping that the battle rules would allow for this.

When Aximilo didn't say anything at Lapras' submergence, I knew that dodging was allowed. Now all I had to do was figure out just what would work against this guy to wear him down.

"Lapras, use Ice Shard!"

Its head reared out of the water and fired, one eye shut for aim.

Yes! She actually hit him full in the stomach!

Of course, by the look on his face, I knew Lapras was in trouble, and by proxy, me.

"Swift!"

I winced as the starry attack made contact and achieved OHKO.

Aximilo straightened up. "Lapras is unable to battle. Round One goes to Zykhon!"

Zak looked out at the crowds with a big smirk.

I rolled my eyes and recalled Lapras. Then I walked over to my team while Aximilo closed the panel again. "Okay, who's next?"

Machoke and Charmeleon spent about a minute staring at each other. Swellow rolled his eyes and raised his wing.

I smirked. "Saving the argument?"

He nodded.

"Well…you're highest level. I'd rather you waited." I reached over and tapped both Machoke and Charmeleon on the arms. "Hey, guys? I'd better save you two the argument: Machoke, you're next."

They nodded slowly, and Machoke ran out.

Aximilo called to the audience, "Round Two will be between Zykhon and Machoke. Begin!"

As Machoke started running in evasive maneuvers, dodging Zykhon's various attacks, I glanced up and saw Jomei in the bleachers! What was he doing here?

Jomei

I watched nervously from the stands. Kurt had got us front-row seats, and I hadn't been able to tell them just what could happen in Akiko's battles.

Machoke was battling with his hardest and most serious. At least one of them was being serious. Once, Zykhon just stood there and let Machoke hit him – twice! That was right before he flattened him, of course, but still!

"Machoke is unable to battle. Round Two goes to Zykhon!"

I heard a low growl next to me. I could tell that it was a growl of nervous frustration, not an actual menacing growl. Whoa – I was actually getting used to Pokemon! Looking over, I saw that there was a…something, with blue and black fur, spikes on the backs of his hands, and large pointed ears.

I leaned the other way and whispered, "Evon? What species is that?"

Evon leaned around me and looked. Then he whispered back, "Lucario. Why?"

"Just wondering."

"Round Three will be between Zykhon and Charmeleon. Begin!"

After Evon went back to watching, I carefully tapped the Lucario on the shoulder. "Um, Lucario?"

Well, he looked at me. Boy, his eyes were scary-red! "Yes?"

"Uh…what's wrong?"

He growled again and looked forward. "Zykhon knows that he's going to win, so why's he toying with her?"

I stared. "Uh…come again? I mean, sure he let Machoke hit him, but – "

"There are many more powerful attacks he could be using to win immediately! Why's he only using Swift, Confusion, and Future Sight to attack?"

"Uh…uh…" I thought about that. I only recognized Swift by sight, though I'd heard the other attacks named before – Future Sight was what Zykhon had used on Machoke. And – whoa! That must have been Confusion! Poor Charmeleon.

"Charmeleon is unable to battle. Round Three goes to Zykhon!"

But…hm. "Maybe…maybe he doesn't know anything else." Then I noticed Akiko look over at the Kadabra with this look so intense, that she had to be using telepathy or something. What was she asking?

Then he nodded, and she gave something to Swellow…three somethings…wait…

Swellow flew up to me and just hovered there. It took me a minute to register that it had a Poke ball in each talon, and one in its beak.

"Oh, Akiko wants me to hang onto the guys?"

It nodded.

"Okay…" I took the ball from its talons and shoved them in my pockets, but when I looked up, Swellow was leaving! "Uh, where…?"

The Lucario tapped my shoulder. "He gave it to me. He was in a hurry to get back to the battlefield." He held out the last ball.

"Oh. Uh…thanks." I took the last ball and shoved it with the others.

"Round Four will be between Zykhon and Swellow. Begin!"

Then I watched. And laughed. "No wonder she wanted Swellow to go last: he's the strongest, and can last the longest."

"You realize it's only a matter of time before she has to ask someone else, right?"

"Yeah. It's still fun to watch, especially – aack!" Aerial Ace, right past both our heads! "Hey, watch it!" I yelled after Swellow, not really caring if it heard me.

Swellow landed, like, a million hits in a row before the inevitable happened: a Swift made contact.

Akiko

"Swellow is unable to battle. Round Four goes to Zykhon!"

I growled softly to myself as I recalled Swellow. At least now I had some measure of Zak's strength: he was definitely lower level than Swellow, but higher level than everyone else on my team, including me. Then I looked at the ball in my hand. Swellow had carried the other balls up to Jomei, but now Swellow was unconscious. I glanced up at Zak, who was floating, and sighed.

Aximilo, I know you're listening. Could you maybe call truce on Zykhon so that he can drop off Swellow with my brother?

He didn't answer me, but I saw the two of them make eye contact. Then Zak looked over at me and held out his hand.

I tossed Swellow's ball in his general direction, but kept watching it, just to be safe. He caught it with kinesis and sent it up to Jomei, who looked very creeped out as he took the ball from the air.

At least he didn't kill Jomei with it. I looked over at Kyerrsha and Morgana. "Well? Morgana, I know you're going last, but who's going next, me or Kyerrsha?"

"What's the difference?" Morgana asked.

"Well…if I went first, then I'd be betraying my secret. Not that he doesn't already know, but… And anyway, if it's Kyerrsha, then I'd be telling him what to do."

"I'd do anything you told me to," Ky interrupted, with this weird tone to his voice. I glanced at him.

"Ky, you're not…in love with me, are you? This is kind of a weird time, don't you think?"

"I've loved you since I saw you facing down Sensei like he was nothing. But my feelings aside, I think you'd better go after me."

I cocked my head. "So why am I going between you and Morgana?"

"Because of all the rules I barely remember, switching is allowed. If I get knocked out, it isn't a big deal, because I'm not the Chosen One. Morgana is the Chosen One, so she can switch in from you. The catch is, you're the only one who can say 'we should stop now,' since you'd set the terms and he answered your challenge. So I go next, and go all-out. You go after me, and then switch with Morgana."

"I might not actually fight him. He's higher level than me." But I shrugged and set my hand against Kyerrsha's shoulder anyway, staring at Aximilo.

He nodded, and Kyerrsha started out.

I caught his tail and held him back for a second. When we made eye contact, I said softly, "I love you too, Ky. Be careful out there."

He smiled at me, I let go, and he bounded out.

"Round Five is between Zykhon and Kyerrsha."

The crowds gasped, which I'd expected, since Kyerrsha was supposedly the Chosen One.

"Begin!"