At last, the start of the Indigo League has arrived. Summer met up with Ariel, who was going to support her, and she reunited with Samir and all of her rivals. In a special meeting, the rules had changed to reflect the high number of skilled Trainers every year: each Trainer must battle an Elite Four member to determine the Top 64. Unlike her rivals, she decided to choose Bruno as her opponent. After a few days of training, the match has finally come. Will Summer show Bruno how much she improved since she last saw him?
Chapter 49: Elite Four Entry
I anxiously paced on the wooden floors of the Elite Four building as I waited for my turn to battle Bruno. Workers dressed in purple suits and dresses escorted Trainers into and out of the two long hallways that bordered a large glass case that held the Elite Four members' awards and certificates. Although the waiting area also had beautiful potted plants and nice wooden chairs lined against blue walls, I couldn't enjoy anything.
"Summer, don't be so nervous!" Lightning reassured as I saw the wall clock tick closer to 10.
I looked at the Pikachu on my shoulder and smiled. "I know, but I can't help it. I haven't seen Bruno in such a long time. And, I wonder if Blaze and I can make a good impression."
"You two obviously did. After all, he trained you guys. Plus, you and Blaze have been practicing his new move. I think you two will master it today."
I took a deep breath. "You're right. Plus, I'm not aiming to win. I just want to continue to the preliminaries."
A male worker walked up to me and warmly said, "Ms. Summer Scorcher. Bruno is expecting you now."
"Oh, thank you!" I returned Lightning and followed the man through the right emergency exit corridor. We passed by a door with a white ice crystal picture, then stopped at the second door with an orange fist. He wished me luck and said something about being on the other side of the room when I was done.
I muttered a rushed thank you as he opened the door. I walked inside and saw a large room, about twice the size of the PLA's training room. The walls were also blue, but the outside portion of the battlefield was covered by pointed rocks, hopefully just for decoration.
To my right, Bruno and Vishnu waited for us, their arms crossed confidently. "Nice to see you again, Summer," the Elite Four member greeted with a playful grin. I've been looking forward to this match all week."
A male referee walked into the room from the door I entered. He sat next to a large white timer clock mounted on the wall with the numbers "5:00" flashing in red.
"Ms. Summer, make your way to your end of the battlefield and choose your Pokémon!"
I nodded, walked to the south end of the battlefield, and let out Blaze. The Blaziken stretched his arms and legs, then calmly stared at our opponents. "Thanks, Bruno. It's an honor to finally battle you," I acknowledged as we both bowed to our former mentor.
Our opponents immediately bowed back. "Us as well. Why don't we see how much Blaze has improved by using the Fighting style format? I understand Master Kiyo has informed you of its rules."
"Sure, we're fine with that."
Vishnu walked forward and said, "I've heard you were training with Master Kiyo, Blaze. I hope you do not disappoint."
Blaze smirked. "Trust me, Vishnu. I won't."
As the two Pokémon made their fighting stances, Bruno laughed as we mimicked our Pokémon. "Well then. It seems our Pokémon are fired up. Let's go Vishnu!"
"Ready Blaze?" I excitedly asked, my nerves quickly disappearing. He glanced at me and happily nodded.
The referee looked at us and shouted, "Battle begin!" He then hit the timer, and the time started to tick down.
I clenched my right fist and shouted, "Blaze, Fire Punch!"
My Pokémon smiled and charged at Vishnu with his right fist surrounded by flames. Instead of a frontal attack, Bruno and Vishnu patiently waited for Blaze to come closer. I expected the worst and braced myself for their counterattack.
Bruno then thrust his hands forward and shouted, "Vishnu, dodge and use Vital Throw!"
The Machamp effortlessly ducked to his right and dodged the fist. He then opened his arms and grabbed Blaze's arms and legs with a powerful grip. Before the Fire type could attempt to break free, Vishnu threw him across the room. Blaze was able to quickly recover and used his legs to propel himself from the wall and back onto the field.
"What reflexes! As expected from a well-trained Blaziken," Bruno acknowledged. Vishnu nodded in agreement.
"What should we do, Summer?" Blaze asked with a hint of concern.
Although it was a long shot, I had to see more of Vishnu's strength. "Let's try this. Use multiple Fire Punches!"
Blaze's hands both flared up as he charged at his opponent once more.
"I see what you're trying to do…" Bruno remarked. He threw his fists forward and shouted, "Vishnu, match Blaze's energy with a barrage of Dynamicpunches!"
Both Pokémon ran towards the center and engaged in a battle of power and speed. Blaze was able to dodge all of Vishnu's attacks, but the Fire Punches didn't seem to do much damage. When both of them realized they weren't progressing, they retreated back to their sides to regroup. Blaze was beginning to pant while Vishnu's breathing was still normal.
The difference in experience is too great. I need to use more strategy.
"Blaze! Jump and use Fire Punch!"
Blaze noticed my fist wasn't closed and understood what I wanted to do. He nodded and jumped almost six feet into the air.
"You know what to do, Vishnu."
The Machamp braced himself for another Vital Throw, eager to cause some damage. Bruno then noticed something was off. "Wh-Why isn't Blaze's fist on fire?"
I smirked and shifted my right leg forward. "Now, Blaze Kick!"
Blaze charged with his right leg first. The fiery attack smashed Vishnu square in the chest, causing major damage. The pure Fighting type grunted in pain as a red mark slowly appeared on his body. Blaze jumped back to our side but instead of joy, he gritted his teeth.
I cautiously asked, "What's wrong, Blaze? We got the burn."
"Yeah...but that's what I was afraid of…"
I looked at the four-armed Pokémon, whose whole body became red. He roared and flexed his muscles, which were slowly growing in size.
"Perfect timing," Bruno pointed out as the timer flashed "2:00". "Guts might not be as strong from a burn condition, but it'll do."
The Guts ability? That allows the user to have increased power despite a status condition. I'd better be more careful with the attacks.
"Vishnu, Submission!" the Elite Four member roared as he stretched his arms wide. The Machamp mimicked his Trainer's position and charged with full force.
Thinking quickly, I threw a front kick. "Blaze Kick to stop him!"
Blaze waited for his opponent, then thrust a fiery kick at Vishnu's chest. However, the Superpower Pokémon brushed Blaze's right leg away effortlessly and wrapped his muscular arms once more around the Fire type. This time, Vishnu refused to let Blaze escape and did a backwards flip into the air. Once they reached the vertex, Vishnu charged towards the ground, slamming the two into the ground. After a few seconds, Vishnu was the only one moving. The Fighting type winced in pain but stood up and calmly walked back to Bruno. Blaze remained motionless in a shattered hole of the field.
"Blaze!" I frantically shouted. That Submission was so strong, even though Vishnu didn't seem to take much recoil damage...
Before the referee made his final ruling, Blaze slowly rose to his feet and growled, a hint of fire in his eyes.
"I can't give up now!" he roared as he became surrounded in glowing orange flames. I instantly felt his desire to continue, and my confidence returned.
"Ahh...this is getting interesting…" Bruno said, slightly amused. We looked at the timer and saw less than thirty seconds remained. "Now, show us what you got!"
Blaze tightly clenched his right fist and glanced at me. "Ready, Summer?"
I mimicked my starter's pose and smiled.
"Vishnu, Dynamicpunch!" Bruno roared, cracking his right wrist. Vishnu did the same with his two arms and charged at Blaze with his fists glowing bronze.
"Alright, Blaze!" I confidently shouted, moving my right fist in front of my chest. "Sky Uppercut!"
Blaze nodded firmly and charged as well, his fist glowing blue-white. As both Pokémon approached the center of the field, Vishnu punched forward but was shocked to see Blaze duck to wind up the attack. Once he bent down enough, the Blaze Pokémon sprung up, with his fist, hitting the Machamp square in the jaw. The Fighting type was rocked by the punch, but it didn't do as much damage as I thought.
As the two smirked with respect, the referee shouted, "Time is up!"
It's over! Oh my gosh, that was so stressful! I rubbed my shaking arms, and when they returned to normal, I ran to Blaze.
I caught him before he fell over and whispered, "You were great, Blaze."
He chuckled and softly smiled. Bruno then walked over and heartily clapped. "I saw your fighting spirit when you two battled Moltres, and I was happy to see it again. Excellent work, Blaze and Summer."
"Thank you, Bruno," I humbly replied. I tried to bow, but Blaze was heavier than I thought.
The man laughed. "No need for a bow. That Sky Uppercut needs more work, but I know you two can master it. Go ahead and spend the rest of the week training and enjoying the plateau. The results will be posted on Saturday. I can't give much away, but I can say this. You and your Pokémon will do well in the tournament. Good luck."
We both shook hands as Vishnu and Blaze did the same. I returned my Pokémon and walked to the door opposite to the one I came in. As I entered the hallway, Weldon walked out of the door furthest from the lobby door. We looked at each other, but while I smiled, he just stared at me. I awkwardly looked away and followed the male worker from earlier out of the building.
Later that week…
"I'm so nervous!" I screamed in our hotel room. Ariel and I spent the rest of the week training and looking around the stores. Although I was able to get more Pokédex entries and talked to different Trainers, the entry exam still muddled my thoughts.
"Don't worry, Summer!" Ariel calmly reassured. "Based on what you told me, I'm sure you passed."
I sighed. "Yeah, but I never like the pressure of exams…"
Ariel looked at her Pokégear. "Well, it looks like they're going to post the results in the hotel lobby soon. Ready to go downstairs?"
"Ready as I'll ever be."
We left our room, forced ourselves into a packed elevator, and had a chance to breathe as we entered the packed lobby. The results were posted on twelve sheets of paper to the right of the door, corresponding to the Elite Four members and divisions. As I waited for the crowd to disperse, I saw everyone I knew had excited faces while other Trainers started to cry and ran back into the elevators. I anxiously walked to Bruno's junior division list and closed my eyes.
Okay…deep breath, Summer… Let's see if our training paid off…
I looked at the sheet and, to my excitement and relief, my name was on the list. I wanted to shout and jump for joy but with the large amount of people still around, I held back my celebration.
"Ahh…" Carlos surmised by my large grin. "It appears we all passed. Why don't we have a fiesta pequeña?"
"I'm down with that!" Rai happily shouted. "Why don't we go to that Slashing Sushi Bar for dinner? All-you-can-eat sushi and ramen!"
Candy, Samir, Ariel and I agreed. I was happy everyone passed, but now we might battle each other in the future. But for now, we joyfully left the Tajiri Hotel and made our way to the sushi restaurant. We feasted and laughed for what felt like the entire night. I didn't remember much after that, but I fell asleep with a smile on my face.
Weldon sighed as he lay on his bed. He was glad he passed, although he almost lost to Lance.
Lance was sure tough… But I know the battles will be tougher ahead… Especially against-
His Pokégear suddenly rang. When he saw who was calling, he rolled his eyes but answered it.
"What is it now, Stanley?!" he growled. "Can't it wait until you get here?!"
Stanley half-heartedly replied, I just wanted give an early congratulations, that's all.
Weldon scoffed, "It doesn't sound like it…"
Hey! The rules when I battled in the Indigo League were different than yours. Anyway, did you save a bed for me?
The boy grumbled, "Yeah, I did. When are you coming?"
Just got to Vermillion City. Once I get there, we're going to train hard until you win this league. I can't have you tarnish our legacy.
Weldon angrily thought, Legacy…what a joke…
Well, that's the ferry to Pallet Town. See you at 8, Weldy.
Weldon sighed when he heard that despised nickname and hung up. He saw Summer, Samir, and their friends walk out of the hotel and down the street. Although he wanted to join them, he knew training was the only way to win the tournament, not friendship.
Pokémon: Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Double Kick, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick; Sky Uppercut- learning
Errol (Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck
Swirls (Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch
Lightning (Pikachu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch
Flower (Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder
Rocky (Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail
Questions for the Chapter:
What did you think of the battle?
Who will Summer face in the preliminaries?
What do you think of Weldon's relationship with Stanley?
