Chapter 33 – Battling the Bug-types! Volan vs Tony!
Last time on "Tale of a Legend"…
After the excitement of the second round, Volan found himself afflicted by a strange melancholia. Bianca followed him away from the rest of the group and assured him that Thrin wasn't blaming him for her previous loss in the Club Battle Tournament. But soon after she had left, Volan's old friend Caitlin appeared to talk to him for the first time in four years. Their conversation was short and a little awkward, especially when Caitlin's hand accidentally made contact with his. As it turned out, Iris heard every word and teased Volan after the other girl had left. Even as Volan started to question his relationship with Caitlin, Bernice and Rudy had a short talk of their own that ended with the Pidove forgiving Rudy for the devastating loss he had caused her four years ago.
-.-.-.-.-.
"Hello, and welcome to the semifinal round of the Club Battle Tournament!" announced Don George. "I hope yer all rested, 'cause the most excitin' part has yet to come. As you can see there up on the screen, we still have four Trainers left in this here competition. But soon, we'll only have one, and that one will win the Club Battle Tournament!"
The crowd cheered, and Volan looked up at the screen across the stadium. Indeed, there were only four combatants left – everyone else had been knocked out of the competition. The faces of Volan, Tony, Trip, and Roxie were displayed on the screen, but whom would be paired up with whom for this semifinal match?
"Please, spectators, turn your attention to the big screen!" called the assistant commentator.
All the hundreds of people in the stadium did so as the four cards representing the competitors began to whirl as if caught in a cyclone. Volan held his breath, waiting to see who he would be battling next.
The screen flashed white for a split second, and when the light faded, the matchup pairs were displayed for all to see. Volan and Bernice both looked at the screen, eyeing their displayed opponent with interest.
"And there we have it," Don George said decisively. "Our first battle will be between Volantes and Tony, and the second will take place with Trip and Roxie. Now, if the first pair would head on to the battlefield, we can get this show on the road."
Volan and Tony both stood up, meeting each other's eyes determinedly.
"Let's pick up where we left off in Burgh's Gym," said Tony.
"You mean where Bernice and I were pummeling you and Lucky?" Volan replied, smirking. "Sure, I can do that."
Tony grinned back and turned around, saying over his shoulder, "See you in the arena." And then he walked away, with Lucky fluttering just behind him.
"Come on, Bernice," Volan murmured, heading off in the opposite direction.
"Good luck," Thrin called after him, and he gave her a nod and smile.
When Volan had left the stands behind him and was heading down the hall leading to the battlefield, there was a shimmer in the air as Victini appeared. "Tini!" he squeaked, somersaulting in midair and grinning widely.
"I was wondering where you had gone," Volan replied. "You're going to cheer us on?"
"Victini!" chirped the pixie-like Pokemon, giving him a victory pose and a wink.
The little creature's attitude was infectious, and Volan found himself smiling again. It was kind of hard to believe such a small, happy-go-lucky Pokemon was a Legendary.
He continued walking down the hallway, Bernice and Victini in tow. When he approached the doorway, the Victory Pokemon disappeared once more into thin air.
-.-.-.-.-.
When the competitors entered the arena, Don George had more to say. "On my left is Volantes, a definite crowd favorite from his time here in Virbank City. He trains a variety of unique Pokemon and is definitely someone that shouldn't be underestimated. Give this Trainer prodigy a round of applause, folks!"
Volan stepped into his position on the battlefield as the crowd burst into cheers. Bernice fluttered her wings as she lifted off her perch and circled him a few times before lighting down on his other shoulder.
"And his opponent is a Trainer equally as impressive," continued Don George. "Straight from the faraway Kanto region and with a passion fer Bug-types, give it up fer the King of Insects, Tony!"
The crowd roared even more loudly than when they had cheered on Volan. "Bug Catchers" were usually considered to be weaklings by the general public, and someone who not only expressed his love of insects so proudly, but also used them to great effect in tournaments such as this, was definitely someone to be impressed by.
The referee waved his checkered flags in the air, signaling for them to start the battle. Both of them hurled their Poke Balls in unison, unleashing their Pokemon. Volan released Rudy, and Tony released a Sewaddle with an unusually menacing look on its face.
"Dile!" growled Rudy, opening his jaws wide. He looked especially intimidating with that missing tooth of his.
"Waddo," muttered the Sewaddle, sticking its tongue out.
Tony shouted out an order before Volan could. "Clover, use Bug Bite!" he cried.
The Sewaddle, apparently named Clover, yawned loudly before half-heartedly lunging at Rudy. Without waiting for a command from Volan, the Ground-and-Dark-type dodged out of the way at the last second, and Clover hit the ground face-first.
"Now, Rudy! Use Bite!" shouted Volan.
"Sandile! Take this!" cried Rudy, scuttling after Clover and pouncing on her. His jaws clamped around her caterpillar-like body, and she shrieked in pain whilst thrashing around.
"Clover, Struggle Bug!" Tony commanded.
"Wad…" she muttered. "Idiot…"
Her body became encased in a red aura. Rudy hissed with pain and released her, throwing her across the battlefield. She bounced across the ground with a series of dull thuds and glared daggers at Rudy.
"Atta girl! Now use Bug Bite again!" called Tony.
Clover eyed her Trainer with distaste before squirming forward to attack Rudy. When she reached him, she jumped and clamped her mandibles around his tail.
"Shake her off, then Dig!" said Volan.
Rudy did a quick one-eighty degree spin, succeeding in flinging Clover off of his tail. As the Bug-and-Grass-type got up, he clawed at the ground and rapidly burrowed through the dirt, vanishing in just a few seconds.
"Stay aware, Clover!" Tony shouted to the Sewaddle, who pretended to ignore him.
There were a few moments that ensued in which all was quiet and nothing happened. But then, Volan's eyes picked out a small hill of cracked earth rising up from the battlefield just behind Clover. He grinned with anticipation.
But Tony saw it as well. "Behind you, Clover! Use Bug Bite!" he cried.
"Wado wado!" said Clover, leaping forward and just avoiding Rudy's lunge. She then turned right around and bit down on his snout, provoking a cry of pain from the Desert Croc Pokemon.
"Get her off with Sand Tomb!" Volan commanded.
Rudy opened his jaws and exhaled a whirlwind of sand that smashed into Clover as she hung in front of his muzzle. The Sewing Pokemon stubbornly bit down and hung on despite the force of the sand, but she was eventually torn away and hurled a fair distance across the ground.
"Thunder Fang!" Volan said next, taking advantage of Clover's momentary helplessness.
Rudy charged forward, his fangs sparking with electricity as he closed in on the Sewaddle, who was struggling to her stubby feet.
Tony, however, was undeterred and kept calm. "String Shot, Clover!" he cried.
"Wado!" chirped Clover, spraying out a tangle of threads at the steadily-advancing Rudy. With a whiplash-like sound, the tendrils curled around his snout and forced his jaws shut with a *snap*. Instantly, the electricity around his fangs shorted out with a small flash of light.
"Now throw him!" Tony yelled.
"Stand your ground, Rudy!" Volan called out.
Clover yanked on the threads, trying to hurl Rudy over her shoulder. But the Sandile held fast, digging in his heels and clutching the ground with his claws. He yanked his snout back, managing to pull Clover a short distance before she steadied herself. It was clear that she couldn't get a footing on the ground as well as Rudy could.
Smirking at how Tony's plan had backfired, he told Rudy to throw the Sewaddle away. The Desert Croc growled, and then he reared his head back and pulled with all his might. Clover then came sailing through the air toward him with a panicked cry.
"Those're some right powerful neck muscles Volantes' Sandile's got," remarked Don George. "It's really impressive seein' how it's managed to toss a Pokemon almost its own size!"
"Sand Tomb, Rudy!" Volan ordered.
The Sandile forced his jaws open, snapping the strings that bound them shut, and then exhaled a burst of sand at Clover. It hit her in midair, sending her spiraling back through the air and down to Tony's feet.
"Can you get up, Clover?" Volan heard the other boy ask.
Clover gave her Trainer a baleful look before staggering back onto the battlefield.
"Bite!" cried Volan.
"String Shot!" retorted Tony.
Even as Rudy charged at Clover, his mouth open and his fangs flashing in the light, the Bug-and-Grass-type spat a stream of silk at him. This time, however, the String Shot didn't clamp his jaws shut – instead, it formed thick braces of string that forced them open!
"Aye?!" squeaked Rudy. He was trying to talk, but failing since he couldn't move his mouth. "Ayyye!"
"Awesome work, Clover!" cheered Tony. "Now use Air Slash!"
"Waaaaaddo!" shrieked Clover, her hood glowing with a bright blue hue. She shook her head left and right, tossing spinning blades of wind at the helpless Rudy.
"Try to use Dig!" said Volan, feeling a sudden flash of panic.
"Aye-aye!" mumbled Rudy through the blockage in his mouth. He swiftly clawed at the dirt beneath his feet, but his muzzle was forced so wide open, it couldn't fit through the hole he was digging! The Air Slashes connected with his belly and flanks all at once, hurling him across the ground.
"Ouch!" exclaimed the assistant commentator. "That has got to hurt!"
"Rudy, are you alright?" Volan asked worriedly. Even Bernice had a concerned look in her eye.
"Aaayyye…" Rudy muttered, getting to his feet painfully. Volan noticed that he was bleeding slightly where the Air Slashes had hit him.
"Your Sandile won't be able to do much with his jaws stuck like that!" Tony called out to Volan.
The Gurei boy just smiled. "Too bad he knows more than biting attacks," he replied. "Rudy, Sand Tomb!"
Rudy was delighted to receive an order that he could actually successfully carry out. "Aye!" he cried, blasting Clover again with sand.
"Waaaad…" hissed the Sewing Pokemon, holding her ground through the storm of sand. When it ended, she still stood strong, although her unceasing death stare faltered a little.
"String Shot into Bug Bite!" shouted Tony.
Clover instantly spat a single string of silk at Rudy, which stuck to the back of his head even as he tried to twist himself out of the way. The Sewaddle then reeled herself in at an incredible speed, flying just over the ground toward Rudy with a comical whizzing sound. She slammed into him, sending them both tumbling end over end, and clamped down with her mandibles and her stubby feet.
"Rudy, shake her off!" Volan cried.
If it hadn't been one of his Pokemon, the Gurei boy would have found the situation hilarious. The Desert Croc writhed and bucked like a Tauros, shaking his body every which way and trying to dislodge his stubborn rider. Clover held fast even when Rudy jumped into the air and slammed down back-first.
But suddenly, even as Rudy desperately thrashed every muscle in his body, including those in his jaws, his teeth all began to glow with bright light and extend to twice their length. The hardened silk that held his mouth open shattered with the slightest application of strength.
"DIIIIILE!" screeched Rudy, finally succeeding in flinging Clover off of him. His glowing fangs left temporary trails of light behind as he swung his head around to face the Sewaddle once more.
"Was that… Crunch?" asked Volan dazedly.
"Dile!" affirmed Rudy. "Bingo!"
"Waddo," growled Clover. "Lucky reptile…"
Volan's grin was so wide that it mimicked the expression on Rudy's face. "Alright, Rudy, let's turn this around. Use Crunch again!"
The Desert Croc lunged forward, his fangs extending once more and flashing a blinding white. It was all Clover could do to dodge.
"Bug Bite!" cried Tony, trying to get back on top of things.
It was Clover's turn to lunge forward, and Rudy was too slow to dodge. Her mandibles clamped down on his leg this time, too far back for him to twist his head around to bite back or blast her off with Sand Tomb. Volan audibly growled and clenched his teeth together in frustration, when suddenly, an idea struck him. He just hoped it would work the way he wanted it to.
"Rudy, use Sand Tomb on the ground! And make it full power!" the Gurei boy ordered.
The Sandile was perplexed, but he was willing to place his trust in his master. He sucked in a deep breath and released a sandy whirlwind from his jaws, aiming it down at the ground. Immediately, he and Clover began to spiral into the air, reaching a stunning height before the Sand Tomb lost strength.
"Now tuck and roll!" Volan shouted up to him.
Even as the Sand Tomb disappeared and the grains of sand floated down to earth, Rudy curled up and began to flip himself over and over in the air as he began to fall back down with them. He spun dizzyingly with each flip, and after ten revolutions, Clover couldn't take it any longer. She detached from his leg halfway down, eyes rolling with dizziness, and hit the ground softly.
Rudy landed on his feet and instantly turned toward the Bug-and-Grass-type, who was staggering to her feet and trying to make the world stop whirling around her.
"San Sandile!" he cried, directing a confident look at his master.
Volan smirked. "Right with you, pal," he murmured. "Use Thunder Fang!"
The Ground-and-Dark-type's jaws began to fizzle with intense electricity, and yellow sparks danced around inside. He galloped across the battlefield with astounding speed for such a little Pokemon, rapidly closing in on Clover.
"String Shot!" yelled Tony.
"Waddo wa!" shrieked Clover, squeezing her eyes shut and spraying out threads in random directions. Most of them hit the ground in a tangle, where they snagged Rudy like a Spinarak's web and trapped him in place.
"Pull her toward you!" commanded Volan coolly, confident that this would work.
"Sandile!" growled Rudy, momentarily dispelling the electricity from his mouth and clamping down on the silk. He gave a powerful yank by twisting his head, and sent the much-lighter Clover flying toward him yet again.
Volan didn't even have to tell Rudy to attack – as soon as she came close, he released the silk, readied a Thunder Fang, and waited for Clover to fall the last few inches right into his mouth. The second she did, he crunched down with all of his strength.
The Thunder Fang was so powerful that it ravaged Clover's body, filling her with terrible volts of electricity. A loud buzzing sound occurred, and the battlefield was filled with bright yellow light. The threads that entangled the two Pokemon conducted the electricity so that both were enveloped in this intense web of light. Clover screeched loudly and twisted futilely in Rudy's grasp.
Finally, the electricity died down, and the light vanished. The sticky silken strands sifted into soot where they stood (pardon the alliteration), and Rudy released Clover from his mouth. Her leaf-cloaked form was charred almost completely black.
"Waaaaa…" she moaned softly, before passing out.
"That was a truly magnificent battle indeed!" Don George announced. "Tony and his Sewaddle are unable to continue battling. And that means that Volantes will be moving on to the final round of this here Club Battle Tournament!"
Right on that cue, the crowd cheered and applauded, filling the stadium with the celebratory din. Volan smiled modestly and knelt down to greet Rudy, who was overjoyed and definitely excited to have won.
"Sandile san!" he said enthusiastically, leaping onto Volan's leg and propping himself up on his master's knee. "That was freakin' awesome!"
"Dooove Pidoooove," commented Bernice, flicking her wings casually. "It wasn't bad."
"You were great out there, Rudy," Volan replied. "Personally, I don't know why your Trainer abandoned you."
Rudy's eyes widened. How had Master Volan known that? The surprise showed on his muzzle, and it made Volan smile.
"It wasn't that hard to figure out," he explained. "But it doesn't matter now. I think you did an amazing job."
Now Rudy beamed with pride and gratitude for his Trainer's affection. He hadn't had a master that complimented him like that before, and it felt great!
The Gurei boy recalled the Sandile into his Poke Ball and stood up, just in time to see Tony do the same with Clover and then walk up to him uncomfortably.
"Um… that was some battle, I guess," Tony said awkwardly, clearly no good in situations like this.
"It was certainly one to remember," Volan agreed flatly.
Almost as if ashamed, the Miller boy rubbed the back of his head and kicked at the dirt behind him with his foot. Mostly to himself, he murmured, "I'm going to need to train more if I want to be the world's greatest Bug-type Pokemon master."
Without knowing what made him respond, Volan opened his mouth, and the words were out before he could stop them. "Training's a part of being a Trainer. We're never done training and bonding with our Pokemon. When you think about it, even the biggest goals are easy compared to the lifetime commitment we've made."
Now Tony looked up at Volan and smiled slightly. "Thanks," he said.
"Don't mention it," Volan replied, pushing his glasses farther up his nose.
The two Trainers shook hands and left the battlefield. As they walked away, Lucky gave a curt nod to Bernice in farewell. "Freeh freeeeeh," she chirped. "Good luck."
"Dooooove," Bernice replied. "And to you as well."
Even as Volan exited the battlefield and retreated into the relative coolness of the hallway, he could hear Don George booming into his microphone – "And now we have the second of our two semifinal matches. It'll be Virbank City's own Gym Leader Roxie versus Trip from Nuvema Town. Will the two competitors please make their way down into the arena so we can get started?"
Volan wondered who would come out on top. He supposed that he'd have to carefully observe both combatants and study their battling styles, since he didn't know which one he would be facing. Roxie was a Gym Leader, but he also knew that Trip was no pushover from his brief battle with him in Nacrene City. He quickly considered the phrase "picking your poison", but rejected it since he didn't actually have a choice in this matter.
He was so caught up in these thoughts of his that he bumped into someone accidentally. Stumbling, Volan caught his balance and looked up to see Roxie herself. "Sorry about that," he apologized.
"Naw, it's cool," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "That was some intense battle you fought out there. You excited for the finals?"
"I wouldn't be a good Trainer if I wasn't," Volan chuckled in response. "Good luck out there. I can tell you from experience that Trip's pretty tough. My Garbodor just managed to beat his Servine last time we battled."
Roxie considered that. "Thanks, Volan," she said after a moment. "That'll help. And… cheer me on, would you?" she added almost hopefully.
Volan gave her a nod. "Break a leg," he said, beginning to walk away.
Roxie quickly patted him on the shoulder – her touch was hesitant and almost delicate – before dashing off in the opposite direction.
-.-.-.-.-.
Volan knew he shouldn't be picking sides, but he couldn't help but feel almost disappointed that Roxie lost. It came right down to the wire too – both her and Trip's Pokemon managed to beat down the other really badly. But in the end, it was Trip who gave the order that finished it all, and his Timburr sent her Arbok flying into a wall with a Dynamicpunch attack and a sickening crunch of scales on concrete.
His sister turned to him concernedly. "You think you can handle Trip?" she asked, as Roxie slumped and walked dejectedly off of the battlefield. "You didn't even beat him before, remember?"
Volan nodded. "Right," he replied, "but I didn't lose, either. As long as he doesn't use… F-Frillish, I'll be fine."
Thrin thought about that for a second or two, then turned to Bernice. "You're going to do your master proud no matter what, I know," she said, her words coming out fierce with encouragement.
"Pidoooooove! Dove doooooove!" trilled Volan's beloved Starter and best friend. "Just you wait! We'll show him what real power is!"
Volan didn't understand the words, but he knew what Bernice was getting at, and smiled at her all the same.
-.-.-.-.-.
Bad-tempered Sewaddle is bad-tempered. (Is that the meme?)
So, Volan wins again! Sorry, Tony… but this means that Volan only has one opponent left to conquer – Unova's single reigning pain-in-the-arse, Trip! Last time they fought, the battle ended in a tie, but which one of them will prevail this time?
Tony: "Review, please!"
Rudy: "Aye-aye!"
Chapter Question #24: Who do you think will win – Volan or Trip? Answer after you review, if you may!
-.-.-.-.-.
Volan's Party:
Bernice (Pidove, female)
Ability: Big Pecks
Attacks: Air Cutter, Roost, Quick Attack, Hypnosis
Grunge (Garbodor, male)
Ability: Weak Armor
Attacks: Pound, Body Slam, Poison Gas, Solarbeam
Rickie (Palpitoad, male)
Ability: Hydration
Attacks: Bubblebeam, Uproar, Rain Dance, Mud Shot
Rudy (Sandile, male)
Ability: Moxie
Attacks: Thunder Fang, Crunch, Sand Tomb, Dig
Thrin's Party:
Oliver (Pignite, male)
Ability: Blaze
Attacks: Flame Charge, Tail Whip, Body Slam, Arm Thrust
Luna (Munna, female)
Ability: Synchronize
Attacks: Psywave, Defense Curl, Yawn, Psybeam
Valkyrie (Venipede, female)
Ability: Poison Point
Attacks: Rollout, Protect, Poison Tail, Attract