Chapter 21: ChaotiCup: Semifinals
Only three matches to go… Ash had one of those three. The Semifinal round began in the Tirasis Drome as he and Drake entered from opposite sides. With the Finals on the line, a mistake could turn the tide in this battle. "This is it, Pokéotic," Drake determined. "You may be one step from the ChaotiCup Final, but this is the main test to see if you're worthy of becoming a ChaotiKing." Ash had a smug look as he set his deck.
"You may be a ChaotiKing," Ash smiled. "But you're about to get a royal beat-down." The decks were set when the voice spoke up.
"SEMIFINALISTS, LOCK YOUR DECKS," the Drome detected. When the two locked up, their boards came together. Each side was astonished with what the other had.
"Not a bad deck you have, Drake," Ash noticed. "Jumbad, Galmedar, Wrenges… You've got a nice setup."
"Hey, yours isn't so shabby either," Drake acknowledged. "H'earring, Makromil, Vinta… We're in for a good one." Ash nodded to Drake as the PortCourt had Ash's friends and Pokémon at one table and the ChaotiKings elsewhere.
"These two have what it takes for a great match!" expected Tom.
"I know, and I can't wait for them to throw down!" cried Peyton. Sarah was worried as she clutched Pikachu. Kaz saw Sarah's face.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.
"Ash seemed motivated in taking on the leader of the ChaotiKings," she mentioned. "I'm worried that if he wins… he'll want to become a ChaotiKing himself. Did we do enough to take care of him?" Tom sighed to Sarah's worries.
"Don't get melodramatic. Sarah," he assured. "Ash won't become a ChaotiKing." It didn't make Sarah feel better. Back in the Drome, the computer prepared a statement.
"POKÉOTIC, BY REQUEST OF KINGDRAKE, YOU ARE THE FIRST ATTACKER," it registered. Ash realized the point of the request.
"Drake wants to see what I have to show…" he thought. He spun the wheel.
"THE LOCATION: MIPEDIM OASIS." Ash had to look through his list to determine what to attack with.
"I'll begin the Semifinal with this: Vinta attacks Jumbad!" Both hit their cards as Ash became Vinta and Drake became Jumbad. They arrived at Mipedim Oasis. Vinta was armed with the Gauntlets of Might. He searched for Jumbad when he decided to attack.
"Rock Wave!" he shouted. Hearing, Vinta prepared for the worst. The Rock Wave flew out of nowhere.
"Power Pulse!" shouted Vinta. He fired fists which pummeled the Rock Wave. "We're both Mipedians. You can't hide from me." Jumbad appeared behind Vinta.
"I knew a full frontal assault wasn't a good idea," he grunted. He came at Vinta with a two-pronged sword to which he swung. Vinta was fast on his feet and was ready to launch an attack.
"Eroding Blast!" Vinta launched a concussive blast of rusting sand that nailed Jumbad. The other Mipedian stood.
"Tectostrike!" Trying to fire, nothing came out. "I said Tectostrike!" Jumbad became confused. At the PortCourt, Peyton looked at his scanner to check the ordeal.
"No wonder Jumbad can't launch Tectostrike!" he noticed. "Eroding Blast removes the Air Element from the targeting creature!" While it may give Ash an advantage, Tom felt it wasn't enough.
"That Double Edge can give you an Element of your choice!" he pointed out. "So he could get Air back or another Element altogether!" Peyton checked the scanner again.
"Oh, Drake's chosen alright!" he warned. Back at the Oasis, Jumbad swung the Double Edge again. Before Vinta could strike again, fire began to form on Jumbad's hand.
"Flame Orb!" he summoned. The unexpected attack nailed Vinta in the chest and he staggered back a little before straightening himself out.
"Let's go Hampering Winds!" he called forth. A blast of winds struck Jumbad and reeled him to the trees. Jumbad recovered a little before a heptagon reached Drake's pool.
"Trills of Diminution! Disturb the traits of the Mipedian race!" The seven-note melody played before a sound-wave got to Vinta who reeled. This gave Jumbad an opening. "Blaze Barrage!" Vinta watched as he had the Blaze Barrage blast him. After falling, he had to stand. A heptagon flew from the card to Ash's Mugic pool.
"Big I shall go… Fortissimo!" The seven-note melody played before Vinta grew in size. Now Vinta was ready to continue. "Hammer Dash!" With new power, Vinta landed Hammer Dash that launched Jumbad through trees before code ruptured out. Vinta won. He took a deep breath before reverting back to Ash.
"That's one…" he snickered.
"Not bad, Ash," awed Drake. "It's only the first creature, but I can see the potential." Ash continued to snicker.
"You want potential, I'll give you some."
"KINGDRAKE, IT IS YOUR ATTACK," the Drome announced. Drake spun the wheel. "NEXT LOCATION: MOUNT PILLAR." Drake smirked as he chose his attack.
"Let's have a Danian versus a Danian," he declared. "Mahrrant attacks Wamma!" Both players hit their cards. Ash became Wamma and Drake became an armored ant with a golden shoulder guard. They came to Mount Pillar and faced each other. Wamma saw the charging Danian and prepared to use the Cyclance. Wamma brought out the Burithean Axe and swung away. The two weapons collided and both flew a fair distance from each other.
"Airize!" the armored Danian shouted. He punched the ground and a twister formed beneath Wamma. He was lifted high into the air before falling.
"Torrent of Flame!" he shouted as he blew from his mouth. The torrent heated Mahrrant that he backed away.
"Airsault!" Mahrrant kicked up an Airsault that blew back Wamma before he slammed into the wall. Coming at Wamma, Mahrrant was ready to end it.
"Oh no… Fireram!" Wamma rushed at Mahrrant before he lowered his flaming head.
"Let's see who can take it…" A heptagon flew into Drake's Mugic pool. "Swing the battle in my favor… Unbalancing Battlesong!" A seven-note melody played to where a beam shot from Wamma to Mahrrant. When the beam finished, Wamma blew up into code before landing the attack. In the Drome, Ash looked stunned as Mahrrant snickered before reverting to Drake.
"Looks like I timed Unbalancing Battlesong well," he believed. "And we're at one creature each." Ash took a deep breath before finding a way to speak.
"Didn't think a Mugic could end a round like that," he gulped.
"Nor did I see someone recover from some debilitating Air attacks. Suddenly, I might be facing my dethroning."
"Hey, someone will be king of the ChaotiCup before they're threatened with being dethroned."
"AND WE WILL HAVE THAT KING IN THE NEXT MATCH," the Drome agreed. "POKÉOTIC, IT IS YOUR ATTACK." Ash spun the wheel. It stopped and Ash knew what to use. "THE NEXT LOCATION: DRANAKIS THRESHOLD." Ash saw the next battle in sight.
"When the past meets the present," he teased. "Makromil attacks Ajara!" The two transformed before finding themselves at Dranakis Threshold. Ash was a giant green dragonfly while Drake was a purple female lizard with cyan hair and a skirt. The lizard saw the dragonfly.
"So, you've come back to haunt me, is that right?" she wondered. The dragonfly flew around, screeching at the female lizard. Inside, Ash realized something about the dragonfly.
'Looks like Makromil can't speak like other creatures,' he assessed. Regardless, he launched Fearocity to where Ajara dodged by little. She prepared an attack by first leaping.
"Gravity Slam!" She launched a pulse, sending Makromil into the trees below. The dragonfly creature recovered and flew back up. It flapped its wings hard, causing a Cyclone Slam to floor Ajara. She reeled before a heptagon flew from her card to Drake's pool. "Rearmed, the Tune of Xerium heeds new strength!" The seven-note melody played where her Ur-Shard was replaced with the Cyclance. Ash gulped from inside Makromil.
'He goes from no elements to two in a mugic?' Rearmed, Ajara leaped high for Makromil. It soon propelled with a corkscrew, creating a Funnel Blast.
"Mineral Mayhem!" Ajara tried to pelt Makromil with the shards of minerals but flying around, it landed nothing. However, the Mineral Mayhem was caught in the Funnel Blast to where Ajara was struck repeatedly. The dragonfly flew around before speeding for Hammer Dash. Ajara couldn't move from the barrage of her own attack before getting an attack sandwich. Code blasted out. In the Drome, Drake shook his head while Makromil shrieked before reverting back to Ash.
"I've never seen an attack like that," he awed. "Was that something you learned from training?"
"It is…" he admitted. "But I didn't think it would work."
"Well, it did." Drake spun the wheel and continued the match. "Wrenges attacks Makromil!" Drake's card coded Makromil. Ash's turn came.
"H'earring attacks Mahrrant!" Ash's Underworld card finished Drake's Danian.
"Wrenges attacks Vinta!" Drake's Wrenges took care of Ash's Mipedian.
"Aval'par attacks Wrenges!" Ash had another M'arrillian and Wrenges lost. Drake spun the wheel.
"THE NEXT LOCATION: UNDERWORLD COLISEUM," the Drome registered. Drake prepared his attack.
"Son'las attacks H'earring!" he declared. Hitting their cards, Ash became H'earring and Drake became a giant deformed white crab. In a coliseum, H'earring looked up to the giant mutated crab.
"Nice M'arrillian…" he tried to reason. H'earring shook fearfully. That's when a stone suit emerged and clothed the Underworld creature. Inside, Ash had to think of a way to take the M'arrillian down.
'I know H'earring has that Mugic,' he plotted. Son'las used its sharp pincer to pick H'earring up. It tried to crush the green rabbit-like creature. The stone armor started to crack.
"Welcome to my trap, M'arrillian! Feel the pressure of Decomposition!" The heptagon above H'earring's card flew to Ash's Mugic pool to where it played the seven-note melody. A beam struck Son'las who roared in pain. It even threw H'earring up in the air. Despite the small frame, he landed head first on the crustacean. Code spewed from Son'las. In the Drome, H'earring laughed before reverting to Ash.
"That's one way to make M'arrillian mush," he taunted. Drake became easily frustrated.
"You're about to find out about what makes me a ChaotiKing," he grunted. Ash spun the wheel.
"THE NEXT LOCATION: THE PITS," the Drome computed. With only one creature on Drake's side, Ash seemed poised for victory.
"Aval'par attacks Galmedar!" he decided. The Drome now showed the Pits as Ash became a giant black armored torso with purple tendrils from each hole with a series of eyes and a hand out. Drake became a giant red armored soldier with horns on the helmet.
"Poison Panic!" the M'arrillian gargled before shooting green glob bullets. Using an Aquashield, the Underworld creature deflected the globs.
"You're still weak from the last battle," Galmedar noted. "Rustoxic!" He shot the Rustoxic which made Aval'par screech in pain. "And I've trained to deal with the likes of M'arrillians… like you!" On his back were spear-like missiles. He palmed the ground. "These Obliterators will cook you dry… Fire Ring!" A ring of fire flared between both which burned Aval'par to its code spilling out. Ash lost the M'arrillian. In the Drome, Ash took a breath while Galmedar cackled before reverting to Drake.
"This is why I saved the best for last," Drake briefed. Ash grinned to Drake's explanation. "You're enjoying this more and more…" To Ash, it felt familiar.
"It's kinda like my last Pokémon Battle in the Orange Islands," he brought up. "Ironically, my opponent was named Drake as well… and he was the Orange Crew's leader like you are with the ChaotiKings." Drake irked his head forward in a laugh.
"That's funny… I needed one with how serious this battle is." He spun the wheel.
"THE NEXT LOCATION: SHA-KREE FLATS," the Drome registered. To Ash, Drake wanted to go after his Tangath.
'It would make sense that he goes for Tangath,' he assumed. 'That way, he'd take out my strongest and I'll be left with H'earring and that Stone Mail.' Drake made his choice.
"Galmedar attacks H'earring!" he announced. Ash irked before they hit their cards and traveled to a cracked desert. H'earring looked aroundand wondered how to fight back.
'Wait… if I read the card correctly, I can choose an element… and I know which element to use…' Galmedar came hard at H'earring.
"Flurry of Fists!" he roared. In a flash, a flurry of fists fired at H'earring who quickly got his Stone Mail on before the attacks landed. H'earring couldn't move.
"I… gotta… do… something…" he shuttered. Galmedar continued.
"Mirthquake!" The punch shook the ground and rattled H'earring hard.
'I'm losing H'earring's Energy fast!' thought Ash. 'I need one shot at him if I need Tangath to win the fight!' Galmedar threw the Obliterators which blew up at H'earring. The Stone Mail broke and freed him. 'Now!'
"Flame Breach!" he shouted. Suddenly, H'earring's body flared. "Fireram!" With a jump, H'earring raced after Galmedar with a blazing leap. The impact sent the armored creature back several feet. Galmedar recovered before attacking.
"Sunder Ground!" he declared as he chopped the land. The chop sent a shock-wave that opened the floor for H'earring to fall before code erupted. H'earring was gone. In the Drome, Galmedar let out another cackle before reverting back to Drake.
"I'm impressed, Pokéotic," he applauded. "You didn't get this far by luck. I saw impressive skill."
"Thanks," Ash accepted. "Of course, I saw mistakes from you that I could say that I won… like the fact that you went after H'earring instead of Tangath Toborn, Overworld General." Drake blinked before Ash spun the wheel. "That's a move that will give you a royal spanking." The wheel stopped.
"THE LAST LOCATION: JADE PILLAR," the Drome read.
"Tangath Toborn, Overworld General attacks Galmedar!" Both hit their cards as Jade Pillar emerged. Galmedar looked around for his opponent. Leaping from an entrance to a lower floor, Galmedar didn't see Tangath… who sneaked behind him.
"A warrior who rushes in for combat must know where to find him first," he mocked. Galmedar turned to see Tangath but he was too close and armed with the Sword of Ky'hat.
"Of course, it's easier for the attacker to be attacked!" he snarled. "Radical Ice Balls!" Galmedar launched the Radical Ice Balls. Tangath rose his guarded shoulder and charged through the attack with his own ready.
"Emberwhip!" Tangath whipped and wrapped Galmedar by the neck which caused burns. Fighting it off, Galmedar broke free and had his arm ready for the attack.
"Mirthquake!" Tangath had other ideas.
"If you can take the Rip Tide!" He stabbed the sword and palmed the hilt. A Rip Tide shot up and propelled Galmedar to the jade pillar. Tangath abandoned his sword before riding the wave. "Just like in the Orange Islands, Drake… You lose! Power Pulse!" Tangath landed a Power Pulse which broke through the armor and punched through the pillar with code emerging. The crowd in the PortCourt cheered as Ash won. In the Drome, Tangath roared triumphantly as he reverted back to Ash. He billowed a heavy sigh.
"That was a great match," he complimented. Drake was on his buttocks.
"THE WINNER: POKÉOTIC," the Drome judged. "YOU ARE IN THE FINALS." Ash removed his scanner before going to Drake. The ChaotiKings nodded in unison.
"He's earned it," Pete and Skeet agreed. Ash helped Drake up before going to the PortCourt. The ChaotiKings arrive to meet up with their head as Tom, Sarah and the Pokémon come too late.
"That was one Chaotic match you gave me," Drake acknowledged. "Now, you're in the Finals. Your reputation as a battler has proven to be quite exceptional. You've proven that you're more than qualified as a bonafide ChaotiKing." RJ, Autumn, Pete and Skeet agreed. "Ash… Pokéotic… you're now part of royalty." Drake offered his hand to shake. Ash peered at it for a few seconds. Finally, he smirked.
"Please…" he sneered. "If this is what the ChaotiKings are all about, forget it. You've been using the ChaotiCup to gain members and everyone has won and lost. You're no different." The ChaotiKings gawked at Ash's denial.
"What!? A player like you, not wanting to be a-!? But why!? You've got what it takes to be part of the ChaotiKings, the top players!" This made Ash think. Another smirk appeared.
"Wait… If all of you are top players, which one of you is the best?"
"I AM!" shouted the ChaotiKings in unison. Suddenly, they glanced at each other with confusion as players heard the commotion and stepped outside.
"Hold on a second… You can't all be the best," he teased. "One of you is the real ChaotiKing. The rest are just followers. It's common sense." The ChaotiKings turned to each other.
"Hey, it's obviously me!" argued Drake as Pikachu crawled up Ash's shoulder. "I am the leader, after all!"
"Being the leader means nothing, Drake!" snapped RJ. "It's me who's the best of this club!"
"No way!" denied Pete and Skeet. "Two heads are better than one! We're the kings!"
"Um, hello!?" barked Autumn. "I'm the only girl here! I can beat you boys any day!"
"In your dreams, Princess!" retorted RJ. The argument continued for a minute before they finally snapped.
"I can't believe you!" they shouted in unison before they broke away in different directions. Kaz and Peyton heard the aftermath.
"Was that an argument?" questioned Kaz.
"I think it was between the ChaotiKings," Peyton gawked.
"It was," Sarah confirmed.
"And I think the band's broken up!" believed Tom. "All because of a question."
"After what you told me," Ash recalled. "You guys are true friends I'd hang out with." The four laughed and patted Ash on the back. Sarah got Ash to go in the PortCourt with the others and to their table. A large tray of hot dogs awaited at their table with Shimmark Shakes. "Ash, not only are you in the Finals, but how you destroyed the strongest club is amazing!"
"Please, guys," Ash shrugged. "The ChaotiKings weren't meant for me except if it's the title for winning the ChaotiCup. Besides, I'd rather be busy gathering new scans or new Pokémon back where I'm from." Pikachu nibbled on a hot dog with a lot of ketchup on it.
"Man, you gotta use moderation with condiments on these Hoton Hot Dogs, little dude," Peyton advised. "You'll end up with a huge mess." He grabbed a mustard bottle and covered the hot dog completely before biting into it. Pikachu's yellow fur began turning green as he became queasy.
("EWW!") he stuttered. He turned his head away, concerning Hawlucha and Froakie
("Amigo!") the Wrestling Pokémon beaked. Seeing Pikachu's cheek bulge, Sarah picked the Mouse Pokémon up and cradled him as she walked to a different table.
"It's okay…" she eased. She stroked Pikachu's head and back, hoping to calm him down. Peyton seemed befuddled to Pikachu's behavior.
"What just happened?" he asked.
"Pikachu loves ketchup… a lot," Ash replied. "I remember a place called Dark City and that Pikachu was nuts for ketchup. When a trainer's Scyther sliced the bottle Pikachu had, he was heartbroken."
"Well, that makes some sense," Kaz believed. "Mice are partial to fruit and nuts."
"Okay, but what about the mustard?" wondered Peyton.
"Pikachu won't be within feet of any condiment that's yellow," Ash answered. Sarah's too occupied in making Pikachu feel better than she didn't hear the conversation as the boys blinked in confusion. Just then, Tom spotted Reggie who was nearly in tears as he looked toward his lap.
"Reggie?" he alerted. The rest turned to Reggie and rushed to him.
"Thomas!" he spotted. "Ashton! Peyton!" Tom knelt to Reggie's wheelchair level.
"What's going on, Reggie?" he asked.
"I lost my Semifinal match," Reggie answered. "I was doing well and then I lost." With Pikachu feeling a little better, Sarah approached and allowed the Pokémon to be on Reggie's lap.
"It happens a lot, Reggie," she muttered.
"Yes, it does…" Ash came to Reggie and rested a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry that you didn't make it," he apologized. Reggie's hand covered Ash's.
"Lad, thank you…" This left the group with a burning question.
"Who did Reggie face?" asked Kaz. "We were fixated on Ash's match to know of Reggie's."
"Right, meaning that whoever he or she is, Ash will face tomorrow in the Finals," Tom concluded. Before anyone could ask Reggie…
"Coming through, losers!" sounded Klay. "Future ChaotiCup Champ needs an alley to walk through!" Looking to the direction of his voice, the group saw Klay shoving aside other players. Seeing Klay approaching, Reggie's head lowered once more.
"He was my opponent," he answered. The group seemed in shock. Klay arrived and faced the group.
"And here's the lowlife moocher the Codemasters refuse to return home. Hard to believe you're the only thing standing between me and immortality." Ash didn't flinch.
"Alright, Klay," Kaz grunted. "You may have beaten Reggie, but you don't need to insult his ability."
"That's exactly the reason I can gloat, Kazket! When this mate is code, all will bow to me." Froakie and Hawlucha were ready to help Ash out.
"What you'll need after tomorrow are a pair of sunglasses once I beat you black and blue," he returned. The crowd awed the back and forth between the two.
"Tough talk for someone about to become a Chaotic loser." With that, Klay journeyed off with Krystella giving Ash a grin.
"Those two are a pain in the neck," Sarah groaned.
"That may be, but Ash shouldn't sleep on threats," Peyton warned. "He may be rude outside of the Drome, but he's dangerous inside. He's got a lot of wins and will do what it takes to claim the top spot." Ash nodded, knowing he had to be on top of his game to beat Klay. That's when the screens flickered and Codemaster Imthor appeared on the screen.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the ChaotiCup has reached the Finals as we've all seen," he started. "The first finalist is Pokéotic." Ash's picture appeared on the screen to where everyone cheered wildly for him. The girls wailed wildly for Ash.
"You've earned a lot of fans during your stay," Tom pointed out. Ash giggled as he turned back to one of the screens.
"The second finalist is Klayotic," Imthor announced. Klay's picture appeared to boos and jeers from the crowd.
"We can see and hear who the favorite is," Sarah believed. Imthor had more.
"For the Finals, there's a special Drome to where Klayotic and Pokéotic will battle in," he continued. "And they'll battle in a 16-on-16 match to prove who is the ChaotiCup Champion. The finalists will report to the Drome around sunset tomorrow. To Klayotic and Pokéotic, the Codemasters wish for an excellent and rightful match." The monitors turned back to the oval symbol as Klay returned.
"Talk about spicing up the last round," he mentioned. "16 creatures to use… Too bad these runts can't get involved… Even then, your deck is as good as code. Facing the best, expect the worst." Mutters from the crowd began to flood the floor while noticing Ash not moved at Klay's trash talk.
"Exactly…" he sneered. Klay blinked to Ash's start. "I've heard you don't pull punches in a Chaotic match… but I also know that punches don't always connect. Tomorrow night may be the night you'll be eating those words: face the best, expect the worst." The crowd gasped in awe to Ash's rebuttal. Klay quietly growled at the retort.
"By the time tomorrow, you little kiwi… this won't be a title match… It will be a war." Ash had a glint-revealing grin that Jycella gulped to. Fire began to blaze in his eyes.
"Bring it on!" With a angry gruff, Klay departed with Krystella behind him. The group looked to Ash in shock.
"Yep, Ash is playing with fire," Kaz gulped.
"Maybe… but I think Ash knows what he's up against," Tom believed. "That's not a face of someone who plays around." Ash had one challenge in mind: Klay. Tomorrow, it's the ChaotiCup Final… and it may be the battle of a lifetime.
TO BE CONTINUED…
(I want to extend my condolences to the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, France. I remember going there four years ago and seeing inside the cathedral up close. Being part-French and having family in France, it breaks my heart seeing it burned up as it was, then getting burned up by people who practically dismissed it as a common fire. I want Notre Dame to be remembered as iconic as it is historic.)