Hey, people! The S.S Anne Tournament has reached it's final chapter, and the group will finally be getting back to gym battles and contests starting next chapter. But for now, let's focus on Owen's championship battle! After narrowly beating Astral, thanks to Heatmor's heroics, will Owen be able to claim first place?
*On a side note, I forgot to mention the creators of each of the OC's that have been introduced these peat few chapters. Thanks to AstralWaveXP for the submission of Astral, ddreamer9151 for the submission of Dante (which was sent in nearly two years ago), gameplaya02 for Rebecca, and FedoraFan for Colman.
Owen's team
Snivy, (f), level 13, Tackle, Leer, Absorb, Vine Whip, Leaf Tornado
Tranquill, (f), level 23, Detect, Air Cutter, Gust, Quick Attack
Blitzle, (m), level 21, Quick Attack, Shock Wave, Thunder Wave, Flame Charge
Heatmor, (m), level 27, Flame Burst, Tackle, Hone Claws, Flame Wheel
Prinplup, (m), level 24, Bubblebeam, Peck, Metal Claw, Whirlpool
Puff, (f), level 20, Dynamic Punch, Sing, Rollout, Pound
"Welcome to the championship round of the S.S Anne Tournament! Our two competing trainers have made it through tough opponents and difficult odds to make it this far, and they're both set on being crowned the tournament champion! For our first trainer, give a warm welcome to Owen Plateau!" Joseph shouted. Owen walked up the steps and into his trainer box while the crowd applauded. The teen waved to his family and friends before waiting for his opponent to make their appearance.
"And our second trainer… Colman Calhoun!" Colman made his way onto the battlefield with an equally loud round of applause. The younger boy bowed to Owen, so Owen bowed back in respect. Joseph looked at both trainers before stepping to the middle of the battlefield.
"This will be a full battle between Owen and Colman! Both trainers may substitute after their Pokemon records a win over their opponent. Furthermore, once all Pokemon on one side have fainted, the battle is over!" Joseph then looked over to the referee after walking off the stage.
"Trainers, choose your first Pokemon!"
"Snivy!/Geodude!" Owen and Colman shouted in unison. Snivy ran forward while the Pokeball Colman threw released a Geodude. The floating rock with arms looked down at Snivy before nodding to her respectfully. Snivy bowed back at her opponent before the referee stepped forward to start the match.
"This battle will be between Snivy and Geodude! Begin!"
"Snivy, use Leer to lower Geodude's defenses!" Owen shouted while thinking strategically. Snivy shot a threatening look at the bulky Pokemon, causing a ring of green energy to appear around Geodude before disappearing into thin air. Though he rarely used stat-changing moves, Owen knew how high the average Geodude's defense was, so he'd have to lower it if he wanted to have a chance at taking the rock type out.
"Geodude, use Rock Throw!" Geodude somehow managed to form an enormous boulder in his hands before chucking it at Snivy. The tiny grass snake's eyes shot wide open before she was struck by the rock, which was thrown by a… rock. The rock from Rock Throw broke apart as soon as it hit Snivy, but the attack managed to knock her to the ground.
"Snivy, are you okay?" Owen asked the grass type, who was rubbing her aching head.
"Vy!" Snivy responded loudly before hopping back onto her feet energetically.
"Good. Use Absorb to get some of that health back!" Owen ordered. Snivy jumped in the air while shooting spiraling green energy out of her body, which surrounded Geodude and began sucking his health away while restoring Snivy's. Colman bit his lip as the rock and ground type hit the ground before floating back up slowly.
"Geodude, hit back with Magnitude!" Colman shouted to his already fatigued Pokemon. Geodude suddenly looked reenergized by the command, and he slammed both of his fists against the ground. A wave of energy rode across the battlefield and towards Snivy, who was waiting for Owen's counter move.
"Shoot into the air with Vine Whip!" Two vines appeared from Snivy's neck, which she used to propel herself over the wicked Magnitude attack. "Now use Leaf Tornado!" Snivy's tail was quickly surrounded by a flurry of leaves. The grass type then threw her trail towards her opponent, resulting in Geodude being clobbered by the super effective attack. Once Snivy landed and her Leaf Tornado subsided, Geodude sluggishly got back in the air with a look of exhaustion being displayed on his face.
"Let's change the tempo and use Rollout!" Colman yelled. Geodude's body began to spin like a tire before descending and hitting the ground. Once that happened Geodude flew towards Snivy, who was unprepared for the attack. Owen was equally shocked by the attack and had no counter, resulting in Geodude clobbering Snivy. The grass type slid across the battlefield before getting up and huffing angrily.
"Snivy, Geodude can't get out of Rollout, so we need to capitalize here!" Owen told his starter. Snivy nodded violently while she watched Geodude turn around and prepare to strike her again. "Use Absorb to stop Geodude's rolling!" Owen shouted. As Geodude made his way towards Snivy, the green Pokemon jumped in the air and released another wave of spiraling green energy. Geodude rolled right into the super effective attack, causing the limbed boulder to slow down.
"Geodude, power through and keep using Rollout!" Colman instructed naively. Geodude reluctantly continued his path towards Snivy, who looked ready to end the battle with one more super effective attack.
"Wrap this up with Leaf Tornado!" Owen roared while throwing his right fist in the air. Snivy's tail was suddenly covered in leaves, which then began to circle around her. Then, Snivy whipped her tail towards the incoming Geodude, which stopped Geodude dead in his tracks. The crowd watched the spinning boulder try to push through the leaf tornado, but was unable to. Suddenly, Geodude was thrown back by the overwhelming power behind Snivy's attack. After the attack subsided, the referee walked over to Geodude before raising his hands.
"Geodude is unable to battle! Colman, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Thanks, Geodude. You gave it everything you had," Colman told his fainted Pokemon before withdrawing him back to his Pokeball. After taking out his second Pokeball Colman looked up at Owen and Snivy with determination burning in his eyes.
"Beedrill, come on out!" Owen watched as the popular bug type flew into the air above Snivy before sharpening his stingers. The normally yellow Pokemon was green, meaning he was a shiny.
"This battle will be between Snivy and Beedrill! Begin!"
"Beedrill, use String Shot to slow Snivy down!" Beedrill flew a few feet higher before shooting a long string out of the stinger located on the lower portion of his body. Owen watched as Snivy was covered in the sticky substance, which was used to immobilize prey. The stat-changing attack did its job, and Snivy began to flail around uncomfortably. Owen's mind blew through a million scenarios of him countering the attack before settling on one that seemed foolproof.
"Snivy, break out of it by using Vine Whip!" Snivy began to slash at the ridiculous amount of string completely covering her entire body with the exception of her limbs and head. Slowly but surely, Snivy began to tear through the attack, but she wasn't getting through it quick enough to avoid being attacked.
"Quick! While she's distracted, use Twineedle!" Beedrill zipped through the air while his stingers began to glow green, which was similar to his body. As the bug type closed in on Snivy, the small snake ripped through the ball of sticky string, but it was too late. Beedrill jabbed her twice in the chest, sending her flying back across the battlefield.
"Snivy, don't give up!" Owen shouted to the struggling Pokemon. Upon hearing this, Snivy shot back up and glared at her flying foe, who was sharpening his stingers again. "Use Leer followed by Tackle!" After giving Beedrill an intimidating look, a ring of green energy surrounded the bug before disappearing. Snivy then bolted towards the Pokemon with the type advantage, hoping to take him out. Before Beedrill could react, Snivy slammed into his gut head first. Beedrill was hurled back to Colman's side while Snivy fell from the air, leaving her open to an attack.
"Beedrill, use Poison Sting from afar!" Beedrill quickly fired a series of pink needles towards Snivy, who had just landed on the ground. The Unova starter covered her eyes and put her arms over her face while the super effective attack began to strike. Owen watched his starter struggle before a lightbulb went off in his head.
"Use Leaf Tornado to send Poison Sting back at Beedrill, Snivy!" Owen shouted. Snivy dropped to the ground and aimed the tornado of leaves circulating around her tail at the incoming poison type attack. Suddenly, the Poison Sting turned back around and towards Beedrill, who was caught off guard by the attack. Colman, however, didn't seem fazed by the brilliant counter.
"Dodge it and then use Twineedle!" Beedrill easily flew out of the way of the attack while his stingers began to glow green. As Leaf Tornado faded Snivy rose to her feet, only to see Beedrill rear back to jab her.
"Snivy, stop it with Vine Whip!" Two vines shot out of Snivy's neck and she attempted to catch the incoming attack, but Beedrill was too fast. After two devastating blows, Snivy was launched into Owen, who managed to catch his starter with ease. The teen looked down to see that his starter's eyes were shut tight, prompting him to withdraw her before the referee could speak.
"Snivy is unable to battle! Owen, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Great job, Snivy. Take a long rest." Owen withdrew his fainted starter before plucking another Pokeball off his belt. "Blitzle, show off your speed!" Owen shouted. Blitzle sprung out of the Pokeball and landed before swiping his hooves against the ground. Owen's decision was based purely on his belief in Blitzle and his newly learned move. If he wanted to go with the easier win, he could've picked Heatmor, but he was confident Blitzle could win the match.
"This battle will be between Blitzle and Beedrill! Begin!"
"Blitlze, use Quick Attack!" In the blink of an eye, Blitzle slammed into Beedrill. The bug and poison type was shoved back by the force of the blindingly fast attack that completely caught him off guard. Despite the pain flowing through his body, Beedrill refused to go down after just one hit in the battle.
"Blitzle's really quick, Beedrill," Colman told his Pokemon as if he didn't already know, despite being crushed by the speedy Pokemon. "Let's slow 'em down with String Shot!" Beedrill happily went along with his trainer's order, hoping that Blitzle would be moving significantly slower. After releasing a sticky string from his lower stinger, Beedrill watched as Blitzle was tied up by the move that would reduce his speed drastically.
"Stay calm, Blitzle," Owen instructed as the electric type tried to rip the string apart. Even though he didn't agree with Owen's thinking, Blitzle obeyed his trainer solely out of respect. Had Owen been a rookie trainer, Blitzle would've ignored the strange command. "Now use Charge." Picking up on his trainer's strategy, Blitzle smirked while the stripes on his body turned yellow and electricity danced around his body.
"Beedrill, use Poison Sting!" Colman ordered, deciding to keep a safe distance between his Pokemon and Blitzle. Beedrill shot a flurry of pink thorns at Blitzle, who was immobilized by the String Shot from the beginning of the battle.
"Why don't we show off that new move you learned, Blitzle?" Owen asked rhetorically. "Flame Charge!" The command caught the entire audience off guard, leading to several gasps and puzzled looks to surface. Before the Poison Sting could reach Blitzle, he dashed to his right while engulfed in fire. The String Shot burnt off immediately, and the Poison Sting missed horribly. Before Colman or Beedrill could react, Blitzle's flame covered body slammed into the bug type. Beedrill hit the ground after the super effective attack, and it seemed that the fully evolved shiny was at his wits end.
"Twineedle, Beedrill!" Colman yelled to the downed bug in front of him. As Beedrill began to fly back up and get off the ground, a blue ring of energy circled around Blitzle before vanishing, causing Owen to smirk slyly. Beedrill then flew forwards and lunged at Blitzle with his glowing stingers flying forwards.
"Use Quick Attack to get around him," Owen told his Pokemon softly. As Beedrill threw his stingers forwards, he felt a gust of air pass by him. The Pokemon eyed Blitzle's previous location in confusion. Blitzle had just been standing a few feet in front of him. Where did he go?"
"Watch out, Beedrill! Blitzle's right behind you!" Beedrill turned to see Blitzle standing behind him confidently. After hearing Owen snap his fingers, Blitzle's body was suddenly surrounded by a ring of electricity. Beedrill didn't know what was coming next, but what he did know was that it wasn't going to be good.
"Shock Wave!" Owen ordered. Beedrill could only watch as a wave of electricity zapped him terribly. Not able to handle anymore pain, Beedrill dropped to the ground unconsciously, prompting the referee to step forward with his arms up.
"Beedrill is unable to battle! Colman, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Way to fight out there, Beedrill. Go, Nidorina!" Colman shouted after withdrawing his fainted bug type. Owen eyed the third Pokemon to occupy Colman's half of the battlefield, recognizing it instantly. Nidorina was the female counterpart to Nidorino, which was the evolution of male Nidoran, the first Pokemon he caught.
"That doesn't look like a normal Nidorina," Owen's mom whispered to her husband, who nodded in agreement. The four legged blue Pokemon was much bigger than the average Nidorina, and it looked more muscular than most Nidorino, which tampered with Owen's and Blitzle's confidence.
"This battle will be between Blitzle and Nidorina! Begin!" the referee shouted after stepping off the battlefield.
"Blitzle, use Flame Charge at full speed!" Owen yelled. Blitzle bolted towards his new foe, who didn't seem wowed by his ridiculous speed.
"Nidorina, use Poison Sting to stop Blitzle dead in his tracks!" Before Blitzle could barrel into Nidorina, he was struck by several poisonous purple thorns. "Now use Double Kick!" Before Blitzle could react, Nidorina jumped forward and landed two powerful kicks to Blitzle's face, which sent the electric type zebra rolling back to Owen's side of the battlefield. Blitzle rose from the ground, but looked gassed. Using Shock Wave always took a lot out of him, but it was much worse than usual this time.
"Use Charge, Blitzle!" Owen commanded after realizing the tired expression on his Pokemon's face. Blitzle attempted to generate more electricity, but he was unable to. The electric type looked over at Owen worriedly until he saw a calm look on his trainer's face, which eased Blitzle's nerves instantly.
"Bite!" After seeing Blitzle and Owen distract each other unintentionally, Colman and his Nidorina took the opportunity to attack. Nidorina had crept over to Blitzle like a ninja, and very few in the audience witnessed her. Blitzle turned only to see Nidorina bite his front leg, causing him to drop to the ground in pain. What was even worse was Blitzle was rendered completely immobile, and he didn't have the ability to use any attacks.
"Blitzle, are you okay?" Owen asked the Pokemon worriedly while kneeling. Blitzle didn't respond because he was too busy trying to push himself back up, which allowed Colman and Nidorina to attack once again.
"Use Horn Attack this time!" Blitzle tried to move away from the attack, but was unsuccessful in his attempt. Nidorina's force hurled him into the netting behind Owen and he hit the ground hard as result.
"Blitzle…" Owen muttered while watching the Pokemon get back up. A sudden flash of yellow caught Owen's eyes, and he saw a weak grin grow on Blitzle's face. "Use Shock Wave!" Colman watched as his powerful poison type cried in pain after being shocked by the wicked zigzagging bolt of electricity that was fired from Blitzle. The electric type then hobbled forward, hoping to land one more attack.
"Finish this with Double Kick!" Colman ordered after seeing Nidorina get back up. The small blue Pokemon nodded before sprinting on all fours. With ten feet separating the two Pokemon, Nidorina jumped in the air before landing two devastating blows that knocked Blitzle out instantly. Despite seeing the downed Pokemon next to him, Owen smiled.
"You poured your heart out there, Blitzle," he thought as he withdrew the fainted Pokemon.
"Blitzle is unable to battle! Owen, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Prinplup, come on out!" the aforementioned teenager shouted while chucking his third Pokeball forward. Prinplup hopped out of the spherical device and looked around at the crowd watching him. Earlier in the day there were maybe half as many people, but he didn't mind the attention. The water type then looked over at Nidorina before throwing his flippers to his sides and bending his knees as if he was preparing to pounce.
"This battle will be between Prinplup and Nidorina! Begin!"
"Get up close and use Bubblebeam, Prinplup!" Owen shouted. Prinplup darted over to Nidorina, who watched each and every step Prinplup took, almost as if she was calculating his speed.
"Be the aggressor, Nidorina!" Colman demanded. Nidorina dashed towards her opponent and ducked as soon as Prinplup unleashed the wave of high speed bubbles, leading to a collective gasp from the audience. "Now use Horn Attack!" Before Prinplup could react Nidorina sprung up and hit him in the stomach with the horn on her head, sending the Sinnoh starter rolling back to Owen.
"Shake it off, Prinplup." Prinplup hopped back up and looked ready to continue the battle, putting a smile on Owen's face. "Now try Metal Claw!" Owen commanded. Prinplup made his way to Nidorina before slashing her repeatedly with the metallic claws that grew from his flippers. Being a poison type, Nidorina suffered little damage, but that didn't stop Prinplup's furious series of attacks.
"Knock it away with Double Kick!" Nidorina leaned to her left side, causing Prinplup to whiff on his Metal Claw attempt, leaving him wide open for an attack. Nidorina then kicked him in the gut with her right foot before sending Prinplup flying with a second kick to his face.
"Prinplup!" Owen shouted as the water type smacked against the ground, resulting in the wind being knocked out of him. Prinplup struggled to get back up and regain his breath, allowing Colman to attack for a second time.
"Now use Poison Sting!" While he was still on the ground, Prinplup began to let out a cry of pain as he was overwhelmed by the poison type attack. Thankfully for him, Owen was an experienced trainer and knew just how to change the tide of the battle.
"Prinplup, listen!" Owen demanded. Prinplup stopped crying and waited for his trainer to continue speaking while he began rolling away from the Poison Sting. "Use Whirlpool as a shield and then throw it!" Prinplup suddenly hopped off the ground and into the air, catching everyone off guard. As his body flashed all of the colors of the rainbow, Prinplup generated a ball of energy in his flippers that turned into a massive whirlpool.
"Nidorina, don't let him hide behind it! Run around and use Horn Attack!" Nidorina sprinted towards Prinplup and began to make a turn in order to get past the enormous wall of water Prinplup was using as a shield. Out of the corner of his eye Prinplup saw Nidorina heading his way, prompting him to hurl the enormous spinning body of water. Despite being hit and swept away by the powerful attack Nidorina managed to land on her feet.
"Prinplup, use Peck!"
"Horn Attack!" Colman cried. Prinplup's beak began to glow white and extended slightly while Nidorina charged straight towards the penguin Pokemon. Prinplup lowered his head to peck Nidorina, but she jumped, giving her the perfect angle to strike the now defenseless Prinplup. Nidorina dropped straight down and drilled Prinplup in the back, causing him to slam into the ground and lose consciousness.
"Prinplup is unable to battle! Owen, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Thanks for trying your best, Prinplup. Return." Owen checked his belt, feeling the three Pokeballs containing his remaining Pokemon. After finding the next Pokemon's Pokeball, Owen chucked it onto the battlefield. "Puff, take the stage!"
"Go Puff!" Fate screamed as the Jigglypuff appeared and waved to Owen's friends and family. The normal type then turned her attention back to her poison type foe and prepared herself for battle.
"This battle will be between Puff and Nidorina! Begin!"
"Puff, we're going to start aggressively. Is that good with you?" Owen asked the Pokemon standing in front of him. Puff nodded excitedly and began sprinting towards Nidorina, knowing Owen was going to tell her to use her favorite attack. "Dynamic Punch!" Puff's fist began to glow with crimson energy, and she began to close in on Nidorina.
"Duck and use Double Kick!" Nidorina couldn't get away quick enough, and was punished for not doing so. Puff uppercut her foe, sending Nidorina straight into the air. While Puff watched her opponent, she forgot about Nidorina's command before suffering a powerful kick to the face. While rubbing her face in pain, Puff was kicked in the same spot, sending her flying into the air.
"Let's use the height to our advantage! Puff, use Rollout!" Puff began to spin like a wheel while in air, which helped the Jigglypuff move towards her opponent much more quickly than she could've on foot.
"Poison Sting!" Nidorina unleashed a series of poisonous thorns at Puff, who barreled through the painful attack. The normal type Pokemon began to slow down dramatically as she continued to roll through the poison type attack, making her new trainer cheer in support.
"Fight through the pain, Puff!" Owen shouted as the normal type came to a near stop. Upon hearing Owen's words, Puff reached top speed in a split second. Nidorina was subsequently flattened by the rock type attack, and Puff continued to roll around the battlefield. As Nidorina got back on her feet, Puff turned around and flew towards her opponent with the intent to do major damage.
"Nidorina, use Horn Attack to stop Rollout!" Colman roared. Nidorina dashed towards her opponent before striking Puff with the horn on her head, stopping the Rollout immediately. As a result of the wicked Horn Attack, Puff was sent sliding back to Owen, who was growing worried of the outcome of the battle.
"Hang in there, Puff. Use Sing!" Puff hopped back on her feet and began to sing a lullaby, causing everyone in the audience to yawn. Owen and Colman also yawned as result of the peaceful tune, and a series of music notes appeared before floating towards Nidorina. The blue creature was then hit by the notes, causing her to fall asleep instantly.
"Nidorina, wake up!" Colman shouted to the sleeping Pokemon. Nidorina didn't show any signs of waking up, which gave Owen and Puff a shot at knocking out the powerful poison type Pokemon.
"Puff, use Dynamic Punch!" Owen called. Puff made her way to Nidorina before winding up and punching her square in the nose, sending the sleeping Pokemon into Colman. The younger boy quickly placed Nidorina back onto the battlefield before reentering his trainer box with an annoyed look.
"Come on, Nidorina! I need you to wake up!" the boy shouted as loudly as he could. Again, no response.
"Puff, let's wrap this up," Owen said to the pink ball. Puff nodded confidently before taking off in Nidorina's direction. "Use Dynamic Punch at max power!" Colman could only watch as Puff's crimson covered fist struck Nidorina in the head, slamming her against the ground and knocking her unconscious at the same time. The boy sighed and withdrew the Pokemon that had won the previous two matches before the ref could say anything.
"Nidorina is unable to battle! Colman, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Great job out there, Nidorina. You were awesome!" Colman exclaimed while zapping the fainted Pokemon back into her Pokeball. After taking out a third, Colman whispered, "Please don't go psycho." Then, he took a deep breath and chucked the Pokeball high in the air. "Mankey, go!" A Mankey flipped out of the Pokeball and began pounding on his chest furiously, but Puff wasn't intimidated by her fighting type foe.
"This battle will be between Puff and Mankey! Begin!"
"Mankey, open up with Karate Chop!" Colman instructed. The fighting type lunged forwards and loaded his right arm back. Puff attempted to dodge the super effective attack, but Mankey struck her in the face. Puff was sent rolling back towards Owen, giving him an opportunity to use Rollout.
"Puff, keep rolling and use Rollout!" Owen yelled. Puff began to roll at a much faster speed before turning around and slamming into Mankey. Somehow, the monkey-pig managed to hold his ground before grabbing Puff angrily. The fighting type threw Puff against the ground so hard she bounced above his head, allowing a combo to be performed.
"Use Seismic Toss, Mankey!" Colman ordered. Owen scoffed at the command, knowing that Mankey weren't able to learn such a powerful move at a low level. The boy stopped laughing under his breath when he saw Mankey spring into the air and grab Puff at the same time, causing Owen to panic.
"Try to get out of Mankey's grip with Dynamic Punch!" As Mankey and Puff began to fall towards the ground headfirst, Puff managed to break free of her opponent's grasp before landing a ferocious Dynamic Punch. Mankey was thrown against the ground by the force of the attack, but he got back up in the blink of an eye. The fighting type began to breathe loudly and rapidly, almost like he was fuming.
"What's happening to Mankey?" Owen's father asked while watching the fighting type run around in a blind rage.
"Mankey are quite famous for their awful tempers. Often times they become so angry they stop listening to their trainer," Professor Oak responded while looking on worriedly.
"Mankey, calm down!" Colman shouted to the enraged Pokemon, who began to slam his fists on the ground. When he looked up and his eyes met Puff standing on the opposite end of the battlefield Mankey saw red, and dashed towards the pink Pokemon. Mankey then landed a series of punches and kicks, which did major damage. Mankey continued the onslaught, even when Puff dropped to the ground and tried protecting herself from the vicious attack. Once Owen realized Mankey wasn't going to let up, his mind ran through all of Puff's attacks.
"Puff, use Sing!" Owen shouted, hoping the inflatable Pokemon could put Mankey to sleep. Puff began to release music notes and they flew towards Mankey, but the fighting type punched through all of them before continuing his beat down.
"Stop! Puff can't battle anymore!" Owen shouted at the pig-monkey while running to Puff's aid. Owen tried shielding the beaten normal type, but Mankey hurled Owen back into his trainer box, causing the audience to gasp.
"Mankey, stop!" Colman screamed to the fighting type. Mankey, however, didn't pay any attention to his trainer. The fighting type picked Puff up with one hand and looked at the bloody and bruised Pokemon. He then reared his right fist back before landing a Karate Chop attack that knocked Puff out instantly.
"Puff is unable to battle! Owen, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Great job out there, Puff. Thanks for the hard work," Owen told the fainted Pokemon after withdrawing her from battle. After glaring at Mankey, Owen let out a sigh while thinking over his remaining two options. After coming to a decision, Owen grabbed the Pokeball on the left end of his belt and threw it forwards. "Tranquill, take to the skies!" Tranquill flew out of her Pokeball before landing on the ground and stretching her wings. "Make sure to keep your distance, Tranquill. Mankey's really strong!"
"Quill!" Tranquill responded before flying high in the air to keep her physical opponent from attacking.
"That's a smart decision. Along with having a type advantage, Tranquill's battle style changes the pace of the battle, which is beneficial for Owen," Professor Oak said aloud as Tranquill circled over Mankey's head.
"Why is that?" Owen's mother asked.
"All of Colman's remaining Pokemon love being up close and fighting with their strength. Tranquill has the move set to keep them away while also striking from a distance. I wouldn't be surprised if Tranquill can close out the next two matches, but that starter of Colman's…" Professor Oak trailed off.
"What about his starter, Professor?" Fate asked nervously.
The old man didn't answer, making Fate worry. If the Pokemon was that strong, would Owen be able to win? The more pressing question, however, was if it would make Heatmor freak out.
"This battle will be between Tranquill and Mankey! Begin!"
"Tranquill, use Gust!" Owen shouted. Tranquill swooped down to the ground and was a few feet away from Mankey before she flapped her wings mightily. Mankey was blown back and cut by the powerful winds, making the angry Pokemon even angrier.
"Mankey, use Karate Chop!" Colman ordered. Mankey refused to listen to his trainer, and instead tried using Fury Swipes. Tranquill ascended roughly twenty feet before Mankey could reach her, causing Mankey to fume. He slashed at the air violently while taunting Tranquill, who didn't take the bait.
"Now use Air Cutter!" While Mankey was in his blind rage, he failed to realize the wave of whipping winds that were heading his way. Once the attack struck Mankey, he began to screech and jump in an attempt to grab Tranquill. The fighting type's attempts were futile, however, and the audience laughed quietly at the furious Pokemon.
"Mank!" Mankey shrieked before he began punching himself violently. Everyone watched in confusion as the pig-monkey beat himself senseless, which Tranquill found to be hilarious. While the bird laughed at her foe, Owen could've sworn steam began to release itself from Mankey's head. The fighting type suddenly launched himself into the air, catching everyone off guard as he grabbed a hold of Tranquil.
"Shake him off and then strike with Quick Attack!" Owen yelled while he cupped his hands around his mouth. Tranquill smacked Mankey with both of her wings, causing the fighting type to let go of her. Then, Tranquill sped into her opponent before crashing into the ground, with Mankey taking the brunt of the damage. As Mankey got back up Colman rubbed his head in frustration, because of his disobedient Pokemon.
"Mankey, use Karate Chop," Colman told the Pokemon calmly. Much to his surprise, and everyone else's, Mankey obeyed his trainer's command. The angry Pokemon dashed towards Tranquill, who was getting back up off the ground. The flying type tried to dodge the attack, but Owen's counter stopped her from doing so.
"Wrap this up with Air Cutter!" Mankey jumped towards Tranquill as the bird formed a sphere of spinning air in-between her wings, so Tranquill hurled the attack at the incoming enemy. Before Mankey could land a hit, he was blasted back by the super effective attack, and he landed on his back after being sent fifteen feet back. Owen let out a sigh of relief after seeing Mankey had fainted, but he refocused on the battle at hand, knowing that it was far from over.
"Mankey is unable to battle! Colman, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Good work, Mankey… even though you didn't listen to a word I said." Colman let out a deep breath while grabbing his second to last Pokeball. He eyed Tranquill, who hadn't taken a single hit during the battle, but his confidence didn't waver. "Fearow, it's time for an aerial battle!" A Fearow appeared in the air after being let out of his Pokeball, which made Tranquill fly back in the air.
"Damn, that thing looks strong," Owen muttered. Fearow looked much stronger than Colman's four other Pokemon, making Owen slightly nervous about the battle. Tranquill and Fearow exchanged angry squawks, which pumped up the audience.
"This battle will be between Tranquill and Fearow! Begin!"
"Let's show off your speed, Tranquill! Use Quick Attack!" Owen commanded aggressively. Colman was surprised by Owen's approach, which led to Fearow getting hit by the lightning-fast normal type attack. Even though Tranquill flew near her top speed, Fearow was only pushed back a few feet. The brown crow let out an angry squawk while eyeing Tranquill, who refused to backdown.
"Fearow, retaliate with Peck!" Fearow zipped across the battlefield while his enormous red beak began to glow white and extended a few inches. Tranquill was then jabbed in the chest by the flying type attack, and it seemed to do way more damage than her Quick Attack. Fearow quickly retreated to his trainer's half of the battlefield before turning back around to glare at his smaller counterpart.
"Try an Air Cutter!" Owen yelled. Tranquill, who had previously been falling to the ground, shot back up and a ball of circling air formed in-between her two wings. Once it reached its max size, Tranquill threw the ball of wind towards Fearow. As soon as the flying type attack was thrown, it began to break down into several waves of harsh wind.
"Dodge it and use Fury Attack!" Colman retorted. Fearow gracefully spun past Tranquill's attack, leaving both Owen and Tranquill speechless. Before they knew it, Fearow began to jab Tranquill repeatedly, causing the bird from Unova to fall from the sky.
"Hang in there and use Air Cutter, Tranquill!" Tranquill managed to recover from her fall before flying back up to Fearow. While doing so, Tranquill prepared the powerful flying type attack before hurling it at Fearow from pointblank range. Fearow was blasted back as result of the attack from Tranquill, but he recovered just as quickly as Tranquill did after Fury Attack.
"Keep up the pace! Use Aerial Ace, Fearow!" Colman shouted, referring to the frenetic pace of the match. Fearow flew like a missile towards Tranquill while white streaks of light trailed off his body while stemming from his long red beak.
"Tranquill, use Gust to slow it down!" Owen yelled. With a powerful flap of her wings, Tranquill created a wicked wind that acted as a wall as it kept Fearow from moving any closer. After about ten seconds, the wind was too strong for Fearow, and he was thrown back to Colman, causing the rookie trainer to bite his lip.
"Damn, that was smart. Fearow, use Pursuit!" Colman remarked before issuing another attack. Fearow's body was surrounded by black energy and he slammed into Tranquill, knocking the white pigeon back several feet.
"Stay strong, Tranquill! Quick Attack!" Tranquill shook off the Pursuit before taking off towards her tough foe. A wave of white light trailed behind her body as she rammed headfirst into Fearow. Despite having the wind knocked out of his lungs, Fearow grabbed Tranquill's wings with his feet. Owen watched as his Pokemon struggled to break free of Fearow's tight grip, but she was unable to do so.
"Fury Attack!" Fearow jabbed Tranquill with his beak repetitively before rearing back to strike Tranquill one last time. Letting go of his foe, Fearow jabbed Tranquill so hard she was sent crashing into the ground right in front of Owen, causing the teenage boy to gasp at Fearow's strength.
"Tranquill, just push on for a little longer. Please," Owen pleaded. Tranquill nodded slowly and pushed herself back up to her feet. The normal and flying type then let out a weak squawk before taking to the air. "Tranquill, tuck your wings in and spin while using Quick Attack!"
"This is it, Fearow! Use Aerial Ace!" Colman shouted. As Tranquill was covered in a double helix of white light, Fearow sped towards her with white streaks of light trailing off his beak. Then in the middle of the battlefield, the two flying types collided and explosion occurred. BOOM! A cloud of smoke covered the entire battlefield, forcing both Owen and Colman to cover their faces to keep from breathing in the smoke. Once the thick black air cleared from the field everyone saw that both flying types were down for the count, leaving both trainers with one Pokemon.
"Both Pokemon are unable to battle! Trainers, choose your last Pokemon!"
"That was a great battle, Tranquill. You should be proud of how well you did," Owen said to the fainted Pokemon before zapping her back into the Pokeball in his left hand. Looking up, Owen and Colman locked eyes and nodded at one another before they took out their final Pokeballs at the same time.
"Heatmor, let's give this everything we've got!" Owen screamed while throwing the fire type's Pokeball. Heatmor broke out of the device and released a steady stream of fire from his tail excitedly. Owen and Heatmor waited for Colman to release his final Pokemon, hoping to have a type advantage over their opponent.
"Wartortle, it's all up to you!" Colman yelled. Owen's hopes were crushed as he watched the water type starter appear on the opposite end of the battlefield. The boy hung his head for a split second before hearing Heatmor's confident attitude.
"Hea! Heatmor!" the fire type proclaimed while looking at Owen. The teenager looked up before nodding at his Pokemon with newfound energy and hope flowing through his veins.
"This battle will be between Heatmor and Wartortle! Begin!"
"Heatmor, use Hone Claws!" Owen yelled. Heatmor obeyed his trainer's common and bright white claws appeared on his hand. After fading, a ring of red energy circled around Heatmor before fading from eyesight. Owen knew Heatmor's strongest attacks wouldn't be very effective against their bulky opponent, so he needed to up Heatmor's attack as high as he could if he wanted any shot at winning the battle.
"Let's cool them down with Water Gun!" Colman yelled to his starter with a corny pun, causing everyone to sweat drop. After the brief stoppage of time, Wartortle reared his head back before shooting a powerful burst of water at Heatmor, who was hit by the attack. The super effective move began pushing him back, but Heatmor put his arms in front of his face and began walking through the attack, wowing everyone that was watching the battle. Though his face didn't show it, Heatmor felt pain surging trough his body the entire time.
"Way to fight back, buddy!" Owen cheered before shouting a command. "Jump and use Flame Wheel!" Heatmor sprung over the blast of water that Owen thought didn't deal much damage, and the fire type began to spin while covering himself in flames. Once he hit the ground, Heatmor sped towards Wartortle and hit him head on, knocking the bipedal starter over.
"Shake it off, Wartortle," Colman said to Wartortle, who quickly got off his stomach and back onto his feet. The water type let out a deep breath before looking at Heatmor, preparing to attack for a second time. "Get in close!" Wartortle dropped to all fours and bolted towards Heatmor, who took an athletic stance in preparation to counter.
"Use Fury Swipes to fight him off, Heatmor!" Owen demanded. Heatmor slashed at his opponent as soon as he was in arm's reach, but Wartortle spun away from the normal type attack before flashing a devilish smirk at Heatmor, which unnerved the fire type.
"Use Bite on Heatmor's arm!" Before he knew it, Heatmor felt a wave of pain rush over his body as Wartortle chomped down on his right arm, which he had used during the Fury Swipes attempt. Heatmor began whipping his arm around in an attempt to shake Wartortle off, but the large turtle's grip only tightened. A rush of pain struck again, causing Heatmor to cry out in pain.
"Heatmor!" Owen called while thinking of an effective counter attack. "Slam Wartortle against the ground and then throw him in the air!" Heatmor stopped flailing about, and he threw his right arm towards the ground. Wartortle hit the ground headfirst, which caused him to let go of Heatmor's arm. The fire type rejoiced, but stopped when he remembered the battle wasn't over. The anteater Pokemon then picked Wartortle up off the ground and threw him in the air as high as he could, causing Wartortle to look down at Heatmor wide-eyed. "Now use Flame Burst!"
"Protect!" Just before the orange bullet of fire could hit Wartortle, a green bubble surrounded his entire body. The Flame Burst exploded on contact with the bubble, which prevented Wartortle from receiving any damage. The water type landed on his feet after the Protect faded away, and a standoff took place for a few seconds as each trainer thought of a move that could give them the upper hand.
"Now that Owen knows all of Wartortle's moves, he shouldn't be caught off guard the rest of the battle!" CJ exclaimed while looking around at the others sitting next to him. Nobody acknowledged his comment, so he slumped down in his chair and pouted.
"Heatmor, use Flame Burst again!" Owen commanded. Heatmor reared back before spitting out a bullet of fire that flew across the battlefield at a ridiculous velocity. Even though he was only a rookie trainer, Colman's poise and quick thinking proved to be superior to Heatmor's attack.
"Wartortle, use Water Gun!" As Wartortle shot a wave of water towards the Flame Burst, a smirk crept across Owen's face. Suddenly, a cloud of steam appeared, making it tougher to see everything. It was also unbearably hot on the battlefield, giving Heatmor an advantage over Wartortle. "Damn it. I fell right into his trap," Colman spat under his breath before looking back up at the battlefield. He wasn't able to make out much, but he could see Owen pointing at Wartortle before hearing him shout,
"Use Flame Wheel, Heatmor!" Suddenly, Heatmor appeared right in front of Wartortle and knocked into him. Thanks to Owen's use of Hone Claws earlier in the battle, Wartortle was actually hurt by the attack. Colman prepared to issue a counter attack, but his luck seemed to have disappeared when Wartortle landed on his shell, giving Heatmor and Owen an opening for another attack.
"Wartortle, hurry! Use your tail to flip you onto your stomach!"
"Not on our watch! Heatmor, use Fury Swipes!" Owen called through the thick steam. As Wartortle used his tail to get himself off his back, he was met by a series of ferocious slashes from Heatmor, which knocked Wartortle back onto his shell.
"Hit Heatmor with Water Gun before he can get away, Wartortle!" Colman shouted confidently. Wartortle angled his head so that he was able to hit Heatmor right in the face with the super effective attack. The fire type Pokemon was launched back across the battlefield, resulting in both Pokemon struggling to get up. The exhausted looks on their faces combined with their shaking limbs told both trainers the battle was coming to an end. After nearly thirty seconds, both Wartortle and Heatmor managed to get back up before glaring at each other.
"It's all or nothing, Heatmor!" Owen told his last Pokemon loudly. "Flame Wheel!" the teen roared.
"This is where it ends, Wartortle! Use Skull Bash!" Heatmor encapsulated himself in fire before spinning towards Wartortle. Wartortle tucked his head into his shell before bolting towards Heatmor. Once he was close enough, Wartortle dove at Heatmor, and the two Pokemon collided. The water type started out with the advantage due to his running start, and he began to overpower Heatmor.
"I know you can do it, Heatmor!" the aforementioned Pokemon heard Owen's cheers, and a wave of emotion fell over him.
"Owen's counting on me. I don't care if I'm at a disadvantage. I'm not going to lose!" Slowly but surely, Heatmor began to battle back. "HEEEE!" Heatmor roared before bulldozing through Wartortle, sending the water type flying into Colman. The referee ran over to Wartortle and saw the evolved starter was unconscious.
"Wartortle is unable to battle! That means Owen is the winner of the S.S Anne Tournament!"
"Way to go, Heatmor!" Owen screamed as he ran over to the fatigued Pokemon and embraced him. Fate and CJ ran onto the battlefield to cheer for Heatmor. The fire type flashed the biggest smile ever before collapsing in his trainer's arms. Owen laughed lightly before withdrawing the Pokemon back to his Pokeball.
"That was a great battle," Colman told Owen as he walked over to the fourteen year old. Owen nodded in agreement while extending his hand to the rookie trainer. Colman shook Owen's hand before the older trainer spoke up.
"You've got a lot of potential, Colman," Owen told the opposing trainer. "Good luck in the Indigo League." Colman nodded with a bright smile before clearing his throat to speak up again.
"Good luck with the Unova League. You better win it." Owen nodded before he and Colman turned in opposite directions to walk off the stage and towards the crowd.
"Congratulations, honey!" Owen's mom exclaimed while hugging her son. Owen laughed at his mom's excitement before shaking his father's hand and exchanging silent nods of congrats.
"Great job out there, Owen," Professor Oak said. "That was a very impressive win."
"Thanks, Professor Oak!" Owen replied excitedly.
"That was an awesome battle," Fate told Owen while patting him on the back.
"Yeah. I was sitting on the edge of my seat," CJ added, causing Owen to laugh. Without saying another word, the group walked off the boat and made their way towards the Vermilion City Pokemon Center for dinner.
000
Owen watched his six Pokemon talk with one another about the battle happily while he laid down on his bed in the S.S Anne, which was headed back to Castelia City. Owen noticed the newfound energy each Pokemon had, and they all looked like they were getting along incredibly well.
"Everybody," Owen started, drawing the attention of all six Pokemon in his room. "I just wanted to let you know how proud I am of you. None of you gave up today, and Heatmor," Owen said to the fire type, causing the other five Pokemon to look at him. "That was awesome! How you managed to beat a water type still isn't registering in my head. Keep it up, buddy." Heatmor nodded solemnly before being showered in cheers and pats on the back from his teammates. The fire type smiled at his friends, but the cheering died down quickly when all of the Pokemon saw Owen close his eyes and lay down on his bed. The six creatures followed suit, falling asleep within minutes.
(Scene shifts to Castelia City)
"Sir, their boat is arriving within the next day or so," a man in a bright yellow uniform told a figure sitting behind a rotating char.
"Is everything in place?" the unidentifiable person asked the man in the yellow uniform.
"Yes, my liege."
"Perfect. With him out of the way, the Unova region doesn't stand a chance against our might!"
Wow, that took longer than expected. This was supposed to be up yesterday, but I fell asleep while taking a break :P Anyways, Owen managed to win the S.S Anne Tournament, and a new character has set his/her sights on taking down Owen. Next chapter will be up within the next ten hours or so, but I can't guarantee it. Till next time, peace out.
1) Who do you think did the best on Owen's team against Colman?
2) Which Pokemon should Owen use in his gym battle against Burgh (3 vs 3)?
Next Chapter: A Hero's Destiny