Chapter 34 – Mutual Dislike! Volan Against Trip!
Last time on "Tale of a Legend"…
The semifinal round of the Club Battle Tournament got underway the morning after the round before, and was kicked off by a battle between Volan and Tony! Volan used Rudy, and Tony used a grumpy-looking Sewaddle named Clover. Both Pokemon battled fiercely, almost neck-and-neck from the way the battle was see-sawing back and forth. But after Clover sealed Rudy's jaws with String Shot, he managed to learn Crunch and break free! Then he finished the job with Thunder Fang, letting Volan advance to the finals! However, despite Volan's advice and encouragement, Roxie lost in the following match against Trip, meaning that Volan and Bernice will be battling their toughest foe yet.
-.-.-.-.-.
"Your Pokemon are healthy and fighting fit again, Volantes!" sang Nurse Joy as her Audino wheeled in a cart with three Poke Balls on it. "They're all fully rested and recovered from their previous battles in the tournament!"
"Thank you," Volan replied, giving the nurse a smile before taking his Pokemon back.
He, Thrin, and Stephan were visiting Virbank City's Pokemon Center this afternoon. An hour ago, they had handed Rickie, Grunge, Rudy, and other Pokemon over to Nurse Joy, in order for their wounds to be healed and for their fatigue to ebb away. They had eaten a filling lunch while they waited for Nurse Joy and Audino to finish. And now, they were preparing to head back to the stadium to reclaim their seats before the final battle between Volan and Trip.
"You ready for this?" Thrin asked, a tremor in her voice betraying her concern. "What if he uses Frillish? You'll be too scared to even move!"
Volan tried to shrug, but it ended up more like a shiver. "I don't know. I've been thinking about that for a while. Everyone needs to face their fears sooner or later – perhaps today is my day."
"Don't worry," Stephan said kindly, clapping Volan on the back. "It doesn't matter to us whether you win or lose. Just do your best!"
His words were far from comforting to Volan. For indeed, the Gurei boy knew something he didn't – if Bernice lost, and he was going to use Bernice no matter what, then it would crush her. After that dreadful day four years ago, it had taken the poor bird Pokemon a full two weeks to recover from the shame of letting her master down. Countless times, Volan had told her that he was proud of her regardless, and it had still done almost nothing to help.
These thoughts that swirled in his head like a mob of Murkrow were what caused Volan to turn his head and look Bernice in the eye.
"You might lose," he told her now. "Trip's tough, probably tougher than anyone we've faced before. Are you absolutely certain that you want to battle in front of a live audience, knowing that you might lose in front of so many witnesses?"
It took Bernice a couple of uncertain seconds to answer. "Pidooooove," she finally cooed. She nodded her head once, making her answer final.
"If that's the case," Volan continued cautiously, "then I just want you to know that even if you lose, I'll be proud of you. You don't have to worry about letting me down. Even if Trip's Pokemon knocks you out in one attack, I'll be satisfied with that. If you lose, we'll just train harder for next time. Alright?"
"Dooooove!" warbled Bernice, raising a wing in a jaunty salute.
Volan's fear and worry dissolved at her enthusiasm, and he laughed. Thrin and Stephan laughed as well, and they both patted her head gently.
"We'll all be rooting for you, Bernice," Thrin said encouragingly.
"Even if you get knocked out, we're behind you one hundred-and-ten percent," Stephan added.
With the decision made and nothing more to wait for, the group made their way out the sliding doors of the Pokemon Center and headed back to the stadium. There was a battle to be fought, and only time would tell who would be cheered in victory and who would slink away in defeat.
Volan was determined that he would not be the latter. Bernice's self-esteem depended on it.
-.-.-.-.-.
At the appointed time, with Don George ready to announce the start of the battle at any second, a surprising number of people hadn't yet made it to their seats. Volan was fidgeting in his seat on one of the armchairs in the lobby, nervously awaiting the call to step into the arena. For him, the wait was like the last few seconds in the hospital's waiting room before getting called for surgery. The suspense was killing him.
"You and Bernice will be amazing out there," Iris said kindly. "Win or lose, you'll put on a spectacular show!"
"Just do what comes naturally," Cilan advised. "The best recipes in history came to be because the chefs thought in the moment and improvised!"
Roxie, who was sitting beside Volan, chimed in next. "I'm sure you'll rock, Volan. You too, Bernice."
Volan gave her a sidelong glance, and she quickly looked away for whatever reason.
He felt like he couldn't take any more advice. It was a Pokemon battle, for Arceus' sake. Why were they treating it like it was a court summons, or his first date, or something?
The final straw came when Ash opened his mouth. Volan stood up before he could say anything and waved them all off. "Would you all get off my case?!" he demanded. "I appreciate the encouragement, but you're really making too big of a deal out of this."
Iris muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "What a little kid," under her breath. Volan scalded her with a glare before walking away from them a few paces.
"Seriously, all of you," he told them collectively. "I'm glad to see you're all on my side, but you're placing way too much pressure on me. Get to your seats so you won't miss anything, alright? Bernice and I will be fine."
Everyone nodded respectfully and left, some of them giving little waves or nods of farewell. Thrin hugged him briefly before walking off behind the rest.
Finally, Volan was alone. He sighed in relief before heading toward the hallway that would take him onto the battlefield. "You ready, Bernice?" he asked quietly.
"Pidoooooove!" she warbled confidently from her usual perch. "Ready as I'll ever be!"
Right on cue, Victini appeared in a flash of color. "Tini!" he squeaked, giving Volan a thumbs-up and a cute grin.
"Glad to see you're still with me," the Gurei boy said, gently tickling the Legendary under the chin. Victini giggled and somersaulted away from him before twirling onto his other shoulder and vanishing again.
A deep breath was softly sucked into his lungs. Hearing Don George's amplified voice echoing down the hall, Volan proceeded into the stadium.
-.-.-.-.-.
"Here we are, folks, the final round of the Club Battle Tournament!" Don George announced. "This final battle promises to be of epic proportions as two skilled Trainers clash in a contest to see which one of 'em is the better and stronger Trainer. In one corner is Volantes from Lacunosa Town, and in the other is Trip from Nuvema Town. Give 'em both a big round of applause, folks!"
The crowd roared, the loudest it had ever done so, as Volan and Trip both walked out onto their respective ends of the battlefield. They kept walking until they were face-to-face in the center of the arena, and they silently shook hands.
"I hope you don't disappoint me," Trip stated, his mouth tweaking upwards slightly at the edges. "I know you're a strong opponent with a lot of potential from our match in Nacrene City. I want to see that you actually have a chance of achieving that potential."
The ice in Volan's gaze melted a little as he mimicked Trip's smirk. But he said nothing. There was nothing to be gained in taunting or boasting to his opponent. Instead, he remained quiet and broke the handshake. The two Trainers turned away from each other and walked back to their positions.
"Trainers, release your Pokemon!" ordered the referee.
"Bernice, I'm counting on you, old friend," Volan murmured, reaching back with his arm and letting his hand hover just in front of her.
From his shoulder, Bernice hopped onto his hand. Her talons wrapped around his fingers and vice versa. He held her out like a falconer would a trained Staraptor, and with a single shake of his hand, threw her into the air. The Pidove flew high above the battlefield, circled above her master twice, and then descended onto her position on the field.
Trip gave no indication that the display impressed or intimidated him. His face remained stoic as he pulled out a Poke Ball. "Go, my Gurdurr!" he cried, hurling the capsule.
In a flash of light, the Pokemon appeared. It was tall and bulky, pinched at the waist but heavily muscled in the upper body. Its skin was dull grey and was dotted by pink, vein-like patterns. It was an intimidating creature despite the bright red, spherical nose that sat smack in the middle of its face. "Gurdurr!" it said confidently, slamming its metal girder on the ground with a heavy thud.
The instant the creature appeared, Volan's Pokedex was out and at the ready. "Gurdurr, the Muscular Pokemon, and the evolved form of Timburr. These Pokemon like showing off their muscles to their friends, usually when they are not hard at work. They carry steel beams to help them become stronger. A group of wrestlers cannot make a Gurdurr budge. This specimen is male and possesses the Sheer Force ability. His attacks are Dynamicpunch, Strength, Smack Down, and Bulk Up."
The Gurei boy's eyes narrowed even as he began to feel worried. "When did his Timburr evolve?" he asked himself. "I watched his every battle, so it couldn't have evolved then… unless he did some last-minute training. Of course, that would have to be it…"
Volan sighed and put away his Pokedex. There was nothing he could do about this unexpected turn of events, so he would just have to work with it. "You can do this, Bernice," he said quietly, almost to himself. But the Pidove heard him, and drew strength from his faith in her.
"So Volantes is usin' his Pidove, and Trip's usin' his Gurdurr," Don George stated. "A Flyin'-type versus a Fightin'-type. This could get pretty interestin'."
"These two have worked hard to get to the finals," added the assistant commentator. "It'll definitely be exciting watching these two champions clash – almost as, if not more, exciting than the kickoff match between Shauntal and Caitlin!"
Involuntarily, Volan's ears caught the name. Caitlin… he thought. She's watching me now, I'm sure of it. I have to show her how powerful we are, how strong the bond is between Bernice and I. I can't lose now!
The thought was like fire in his mind, inflaming his brain and filling it with that single thought. He became more alert, his every sense going into overdrive. I can't lose now!
The referee raised his checkered flags, paused for a brief moment, and then slashed downwards with them. "Let the battle begin!" he cried.
Volan's mouth was running before Trip could even blink. "Bernice, go straight in with Quick Attack!"
"DOOOOOVE!" warbled Bernice shrilly, absorbing white light from around her and blasting forward at Gurdurr. It all happened so quickly that Trip was caught off guard for a split second.
But he recovered quickly and ordered, "Gurdurr, smack it away with Strength!"
"Durr!" replied the Fighting-type, heaving his girder over his shoulder with some effort. When Bernice flew close enough, he swung it like a metallic baseball bat, ready to hit her out of the ballpark.
But Volan was ready for such a maneuver. It was as if his mental and Bernice's physical reflexes had become one and the same. "Accelerate and dodge!" he cried.
The heavy metal girder flew through the air right toward Bernice. It looked as if it were about to hit her when she suddenly increased her speed and ducked underneath it, allowing her free passage into Gurdurr's midsection. The impact was so great that Volan could hear it from his position.
"Gur!" gasped the Fighting-type, landing heavily on the ground while his beam landed, in turn, on top of him. With a mighty shove, he pushed the metal off of him and sprang to his feet.
"Gurdurr, use Strength again, and go on the offensive!" commanded Trip.
This time, Gurdurr heaved his girder into a ready position and then charged at Bernice, who had flown back in front of Volan. But almost the instant she did, she was forced to move as the steel beam slashed through the air toward her. Once again, it missed, but this time the miss was much narrower.
"Again, Gurdurr!" shouted Trip.
"Aim for his feet with Air Cutter!" Volan retorted.
Even as the Muscular Pokemon charged forward once more with his girder at the ready, Bernice swooped in and gave her now-glowing wings a single flap, launching a devastating Air Cutter at the ground in front of him. Not only was the attack super-effective, but it flung Gurdurr's legs out from underneath him, causing him to fall flat on his big red nose.
"Air Cutter again!" said Volan, mercilessly.
"Dodge it, Gurdurr!" Trip yelled desperately.
Bernice snapped her wings forward again, sending another blade of wind streaking toward Gurdurr. He quickly rolled to the side and let it explode against the ground, then jumped to his feet and retrieved his girder.
"Fly up and prepare for another Air Cutter," Volan called to Bernice, who thusly rose in flight with just a few strong flaps.
"Vault up there and use Dynamicpunch!" cried Trip.
"Gur gur, Gurdurr!" grunted the carnie-like Pokemon. He planted his girder into the ground after getting a running start, and – to Volan's wide-eyed shock – literally pole vaulted up toward Bernice! Gurdurr let go of the beam at the height of his jump and threw his fist back with a yell as it started to glow with tremendous power.
Volan knew that Dynamicpunch was a very risky move with a lot of power but low accuracy. All he needed to do was throw Gurdurr off a little bit. "Bernice, aim an Air Cutter at his stomach!" he cried.
"Pi-Pidooove!" chirped Bernice, sending a wind current at Gurdurr with a flap of her wings.
Gurdurr, suspended in the air as he was, could just barely twist himself out of the way of the Air Cutter. But in doing that, he completely threw off his aim, and the Dynamicpunch sailed harmlessly past the Pidove. He began to fall, but managed to catch the end of his girder just before he crashed into the ground.
"Now Quick Attack!" ordered Volan, and Bernice sped down toward Gurdurr like a blazing white arrow, too fast for Trip to possibly shout out an order in time for Gurdurr to execute it.
But as it turned out, an order wasn't necessary. Gurdurr acted on reflex, squeezing his eyes shut and randomly swinging his girder. It smashed into Bernice just as she got close, sending her tumbling through the air across the stadium. Feathers trailed behind her and floated lazily to the ground as the Pidove recovered her flight, shaking her head and blinking back the stars that danced on the edges of her vision.
"Bernice, are you alright?" Volan asked her, eyes wide. The solid thud that had occurred on impact had set his heart to racing. But he needn't have worried – Bernice was tougher than even he knew. The Normal-and-Flying-type looked back at him and gave him a confident nod.
"Dooooove," she cooed quietly. "I'm fine. Now let's come back with twice the strength."
Volan smiled, not knowing the words but understanding what she meant. "Then let's give Gurdurr a Quick Attack-Air Cutter combo!"
Bernice blazed toward Gurdurr in a flash of white light, almost too fast for the eye to follow. Trip was calm as he ordered Gurdurr to defend himself. The Fighting-type readied his steel beam, took aim, and…
…was abruptly knocked into the air as an Air Cutter, fired from Bernice's wings the second she stopped short of the girder, hit him square in the chest.
"Duuuurrrrr!" the Fighting-type yelled helplessly as he sailed toward a meeting with the ground.
And it was far more painful than it looked, Gurdurr could assure you.
"Gurdurr, get up!" snapped Trip. "Are you going to let a little bird beat you now?"
"Durr…" he growled as he staggered to his feet and retrieved his beam. He was caught between a rock and a feathery place, and he didn't know which one he dreaded facing more.
Oblivious to Gurdurr's predicament, Volan shouted another order. "Quick Attack one more time, and make sure he stays down!"
"Pidooooove!" trilled Bernice as she flew down at amazing speed, skimming the ground and throwing up clouds of dust in her wake, on a certain collision course with Gurdurr's stomach.
"Smack Down, Gurdurr!" yelled Trip.
"Durr!" grunted Gurdurr, heaving his metal beam over his shoulder and bringing it down toward the ground with devastating power. The beam smashed into Bernice's back, and she dropped like a rock into the dirt, sending a curtain of dust into the air around her.
Volan drew a sharp breath through his teeth. Smack Down was a Rock-type move, and with Gurdurr's considerable strength backing it up, it would have certainly dealt a truckload of damage to Bernice's comparatively frail body. "Please get up… please get up…" he murmured to himself.
"Gurr hurr hurr!" laughed Gurdurr, planting his beam on the ground beside him and guffawing loudly. "Man, what a weakling!"
While Trip didn't laugh, he still had a smug look on his face that made Volan want to push him into Sharpedo-infested waters.
Sharpedo don't actually eat humans, his brain instantly reminded him.
You know what I meant, Volan thought back.
Meanwhile, the seconds ticked, and there was no sign of movement.
But then, the clouds of dust that still obscured the impact site suddenly shifted. Bernice rose from the dirt with a vengeance, a defiant snarl on her beak and a raging fire in her eyes. She spread her tattered wings and sent Gurdurr a glare that would have killed him were it any fiercer.
"Dooooove! Pidoooove, DOOOOOVE!" she screeched. "Master Volan and I ARE NOT WEAKLINGS!"
Suddenly, the stadium grew dark. Bernice's dirty feathers began to shine with a new radiance. The ordinary-looking city bird, known by most people as a mere Rattata with wings, suddenly became extraordinary as blue light radiated from her every feather. Rings of this same blue light began to swirl around her, and she rose into the air without needing to flap.
Volan's eyes reflected the shining beacon of light that his treasured Starter had become. He gazed in utter awe as her neck stretched, her tail spread out, and her wings grew to a magnificent length. His mouth was frozen in a slight gape, so he couldn't possibly say even a single word to express what he was feeling.
Slowly, the blinding blue light began to fade. Light returned to the stadium and washed over Bernice's dull grey feathers, giving them a stunning gloss. But now, her feathers were punctuated by black bands, her legs were long and adorned with fearsome talons, and a sleek black ruff now spread around her neck. She was Bernice, and at the same time, she wasn't Bernice.
"Trrrrraaanquill!" she decreed, opening her hooked yellow beak and announcing her rebirth in her new squawk of a voice.
"In-CRED-ible!" announced the assistant commentator. "Volantes' Pidove has evolved into Tranquill!"
"Things are heatin' up fer sure!" replied Don George, his voice becoming tight with emotion. "It's s-so b-beautiful…!" Because he was using a microphone, the entire crowd heard the burly man sniffle and begin to weep with happiness.
Trembling, Volan shakily got out his Pokedex. And although his eyes read the information that was displayed, his dumbfounded mind could hardly process it. "Tranquill, the Wild Pigeon Pokemon. This Pokemon has stunning navigational abilities, being able to return to its Trainer after a journey of any length and time. They symbolize peace and prosperity, and form great communal nests in forests where there is no war or anarchy. This young female goes by the name of Bernice, and has the Big Pecks ability. She has forgotten Quick Attack upon evolution and now knows Aerial Ace."
Volan couldn't believe it. He stared in awe and complete shock at the beautiful and magnificent bird Pokemon that now floated majestically in the air before him.
Bernice turned around and looked at him skeptically. "Trrranquill," she said. "If you're done staring at me…"
Volan shook himself out of his shock, finally allowing his joy and pride to well up from inside of him. A wobbly grin spread across his face even as tears of happiness slipped down his cheeks, one after the other.
"Th-that was the m-most amazing thing I-I've ever…" he whispered, then dropped the sentence with a delighted sniffle.
The Gurei boy took off his glasses and wiped away the tears with a single movement of his arm. He put them back on even as his grin turned steady and confident. I'm not going to lose now!
"Alright, Bernice!" cried Volan, throwing himself back into the battle. "Show them what's what with Aerial Ace!"
"TRRRANQUILL!" shrieked Bernice, surrounding herself with a nimbus of glowing streaks. She shot off across the battlefield toward the stunned Gurdurr with absolutely incredible speed, flying far faster than when she was using Quick Attack earlier. Before anyone knew it, the Tranquill had slammed into Gurdurr with super-effective force, throwing him to the ground even as she began to circle back toward Volan.
"Gurdurr, use Smack Down!" cried Trip, sweat visibly forming on his brow.
"D-Durr!" stammered the Muscular Pokemon, readying his girder and starting toward Bernice.
"Not so fast!" shouted Volan. "Give him an Air Cutter-Aerial Ace combo!"
"Trranquill!" squawked Bernice.
She flew forward once more and gave her wings a single flap on the way, firing a single blade of wind into Gurdurr's path. Although it didn't fell him, it knocked the metal beam out of his hands and sent it thudding to the ground away from him.
"G-Gurdurr!" Gurdurr shouted in alarm.
"Bulk Up!" Trip called desperately.
Bernice hit with the force of a bullet, smashing herself into his midsection and literally picking him off of the ground and pushing him through the air before her! The Tranquill moved so fast that Gurdurr didn't make a difference in her speed, heading straight for a wall.
They connected with the wall in an explosion of dust and concrete, in a din of shattering and cracking. Bernice soared upward from the dust with a triumphant cry, briefly eclipsing the sun as she flew back across the battlefield to her master's side.
Gurdurr followed her out of the curtain of dirt three seconds later, huffing and puffing exhaustedly. As it turned out, he had executed Trip's command in the nick of time, using Bulk Up to increase his defense just enough to survive the otherwise bone-shattering collision with the wall.
"Stay sharp, Bernice," Volan murmured. "It's not over yet."
"Use Strength, Gurdurr, and don't stop until it's over!" Trip shouted determinedly.
"DUUURRRR!" roared Gurdurr, forgetting his fatigue and swinging his girder before him like a madman, chopping the air with it crazily and incessantly.
"Dodge, Bernice!" ordered Volan.
The Wild Pigeon Pokemon dove and ducked through the air, away from every stroke of Gurdurr's beam. With astounding aerodynamic prowess, she deftly avoided the barrage of Strength attacks with almost ridiculous ease. Gurdurr increased the speed and power of his swings as his rage and desperation grew, but Bernice continued to fly circles around him.
"Now barrel roll and end this with Aerial Ace!" shouted Volan, a cry that could be heard easily from the opposite edge of the stadium.
"Dynamicpunch, Gurdurr! We can't lose now!" retorted Trip, clenching his fists and shaking with tension.
With a harsh squawk, Bernice tucked in her wings and did a swift barrel roll away from Gurdurr's exhausted swing. White streaks of light surrounded her as she blazed forth to deliver the final blow. Tiredly, Gurdurr dropped his metal beam and swung his fist one more time, calling upon his last reserves of strength.
Time seemed to slow down. Bird and brute ran forward to meet each other head-on, and beak threatened to connect with fist. A single question pounded through the minds of Volan, Trip, the spectators, and – far away in Nuvema Town – Volan's mother…
Who is going to win?
-.-.-.-.-.
Biggest cliffhanger ever! (Except for the one at the end of my PMD fanfic, heh heh heh. I'm so evil.)
And so, Bernice finally evolves! Her biggest achievement yet! The grandest moment of both her and Volan's lives! A stunning display of strength and loyalty in the name of her Trainer! Things are looking up!
…For now. At this point, things look uncertain. Will Volan prevail over Trip? Will Bernice's evolution prove to be the event that turned everything around? Find out in the next chapter!
Also, this chapter is the last chance to ask the characters a question! Ask away, because they're leaving soon!
Bernice: "Trrrraaanquill! Give us a review!"
Chapter Question #25: I've officially decided to do a sequel of this story, based on Pokemon XY! Which Pokemon, new or old, do you want to see Volan train in that story?
I personally want to see him with any number of Flying-types, especially Murkrow or Fletchling.
-.-.-.-.-.
Volan's Party:
Bernice (Tranquill, female)
Ability: Big Pecks
Attacks: Air Cutter, Roost, Aerial Ace, 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