Chapter 62 - Lessons! Enter the Top 16! Logan Stephenson vs. Mao Li!
Two Years Ago - Vertress Conference Semifinals
"Emboar, use Flamethrower!" Logan ordered.
The tired Fire-type Pokémon roared as he released flames onto the field towards Mao's Serperior.
"Giga Drain!" Mao yelled.
Serperior darted through the rocks on the battlefield and avoided the flames. She wrapped her body around the large Fire-type and began to suck away his energy with every squeeze. Emboar weakly whimpered as his face started to turn blue.
Logan struggled as he thought of his next move. "Flame Crash!"
Emboar used what strength he had, and he jumped into the air. Both of the Pokémon's bodies became engulfed in flames, and they started to fall back towards the earth.
"Get off of him!" Mao ordered.
Serperior followed the instructions and let go of Emboar. The Fire-type continued to fall at regular speed and crashed into the ground, causing an explosion. When the smoke faded, he still stood, but now he was covered in wounds.
"Falling Dragon Tail!" Mao's voice called.
"Arm Thrust!"
Serperior, almost unable to move, began to charge arcane energy in her tail. She shifted her body slightly and used the motion from her fall to continue downwards at Emboar. Emboar attempted to raised his arms, but he was too weak, and Serperior slammed her tail directly onto Emboar's head. The Fire-type stumbled backwards, and both Pokémon glared at one another. Emboar fell to one knee and then the other. He huffed and then collapsed completely.
"Emboar is unable to battle! Serperior is the winner! The victory goes to Mao Li!"
Present Day
Not this time.
The second day of the full battles had begun. Luna and Yuichi both won their matches respectively, and they both moved onto the Top 8 where they would battle each other. But before that could happen, it was time for the battle that most people were patiently waiting for. Logan and Mao were called to the field, and the crowd went wild as they walked to their trainer's boxes. They looked out at one another. Mao was calm, and Logan appeared focused.
"A rematch from two years ago, folks! It's time for the former Vertress Conference champion, Mao Li, to take on her friend and ace trainer, Logan Stephenson! Has Logan improved enough over the past two years, or will Mao teach Logan another lesson in defeat!" the announcer exclaimed. The crowd cheered once more as the referee walked to her position.
"This will be a six on six full battle between Logan Stephenson from Unova and Mao Li from Unova. We will take an intermission when one side has lost three Pokémon. The first half of this battle will take place on the grass field!" the referee announced. The two trainers nodded and the grass terrain revealed itself. "Begin!"
Logan smiled as he pulled his Premier Belt from his belt. He playfully tossed it into the air and then caught it. "Let's do this! Manectric, you're up!" He threw the ball onto the field, and Manectric materialized.
Mao grinned. "Show me the power of your Hoenn Pokémon, Logan. Go, Beheeyem!"
A light brown Pokémon with glowing green eyes and multicolored fingers appeared on the field. It slowly floated to the ground and then raised its arms.
"I one time saw Beheeyem move an entire Legendary Pokémon with its psychic energy," Yurie said. "It's really strong."
Himawari leaned forward. "But Manectric has electricity running through his blood! He'll show Mao the power of Electric-types!"
"Manectric, start with Thunder!" Logan instructed.
"Beheeyem, use Psychic Terrain," Mao ordered.
As Manectric absorbed energy and then unleashed it onto the field, Beheeyem's eyes started to glow. He waved his arms out in front of his body, and the field was covered in purple energy that illuminated the dome. But this was no offensive attack, and Beheeyem was struck by the lightning. His movements stuttered, leaving Logan to attack once more.
"See how he likes close-ranged attacks! Thunder Fang!"
Manectric growled and gaped open his maw as it emitted electric energy. The Electric-type then bounded forward on the psychic energy covered terrain and howled.
"Psychic," Mao ordered.
Beheeyem's eyes started to glow once more, and he raised his arms. Manectric was lifted into the air and then tossed back by the invisible energy. He crashed into the ground hard, making the purple field vibrate.
"That was really strong," Logan muttered. This field probably gives Beheeyem a boost in power right now. We have to play smart. "Use Flamethrower!"
The Electric-type opened his mouth, blasting a stream of flames towards Beheeyem.
"Psychic."
Once more, Beheeyem lifted his arms, and his psychic energy wrapped around the flames, stopping them completely. He swung his arms around, and the fire was pulled into the air. With one swift motion, Beheeyem shot the flames back at Manectric.
"Dodge!" Logan ordered.
Manectric began to weave through the field, narrowly avoiding the fire as it chased after him.
"Lead the way! Thunder Fang!"
Manectric nodded, as he focused on avoiding the flames, he ran towards Beheeyem. Beheeyem continued to control the flames, creating a long streak of fire that chased after the Electric-type. Eventually, Manectric leapt into the air and bit down onto Beheeyem. The flames followed and engulfed both of the Pokémon. They both let out cries as the fire burned them, and when it dissipated, they both weakly backed away.
"Recover," Mao said calmly.
"What?!"
Beheeyem started to chant, and his fingers began to glow with their various colors. Soon, his body was filled with energy, and the burns created by the fire faded away completely. Manectric jumped back and waited for Logan's command.
"Wild Charge! Hit 'em hard!"
Manectric stamped his feet on the glowing field of psychic energy and then ran forward. His body exploded with electricity as he charged down the field.
"Psychic."
Once more, Beheeyem lifted Manectric off of the field, stopping his attack. He then quickly lowered his arms, pulling Manectric back towards the ground. The Electric-type crashing into the field, and when the smoke cleared, the referee made her call.
"Manectric is unable to battle! Beheeyem is the winner!"
"Darn," Logan said as he returned his Pokémon. He looked down at his Poké Balls and thought for a moment. He quickly made his decision and then threw a blue ball with what looked to be a green netting around it. A Bug-type Pokémon appeared on the field. It hunched over and glared at Beheeyem.
"Must be from Alola," Mao muttered. "Beheeyem, use Thunderbolt."
"Golisopod, First Impression!"
Before Beheeyem could charge his energy, Golisopod disappeared for a moment. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared in front of Beheeyem. He lifted one of his massive claws and slashed, knocking Beheeyem backwards. The Psychic-type crashed into the wall and then slumped to the ground as the crowd were stunned into silence.
"That speed…" Mao muttered. "Absolutely amazing…"
"Beheeyem is unable to battle! Golisopod is the winner!"
Mao turned and then withdrew her Pokémon. She looked at Golisopod closely. "I'm guessing by appearance that Golisopod is a Bug-type. I won't make anymore mistakes. Go, Gigalith!"
Mao's giant Pokémon appeared and then crashed onto the field. The psychic energy from before faded away, revealing the grassy terrain.
"Golisopod is a very strong Pokémon, and First Impression is one of his signature tactics," Logan said with a grin. "But we've got more tricks."
"Stone Edge,"
Gigaloth stomped his giant legs down, and five pillars of stone emerged from the ground. Using his energy, he flung the five stones across the field towards Golisopod.
"Dual Chop!" Logan ordered.
Golisopod watched nervously as the stone pillars approached him. When they were within distance he leapt into the air, and with two swift strikes, he destroyed two pillars. The other three circled him and then darted forward, but he was able to easily avoid it.
"Now, Liquidation!"
Golisopod landed back on the ground as the three pillars exploded onto each other. He then ran forward while water formed at his claws. He quickly swiped at Gigalith, getting a direct hit.
"Sandstorm," Mao called quietly.
Ignoring the hit, Gigalith took a step back, and then he roared. Wind blew throughout the stadium, carrying sand with it, and soon, the field was caught in its own personal storm. Golisopod took a few steps back and tried to wipe the sand from his eyes. He could no longer tell where Gigalith was.
"Hold onto your hats!" Yuichi yelled.
Himawari frowned. "None of us are wearing hats."
"Rock Polish!" Mao's voice yelled over the noise of the storm.
Through the sand, Golisopod could see a quick gleam, but before he could do anything, Mao made her next call.
"Stone Edge!"
Five pillars came crashing down from the air, completely blindsiding Golisopod. He cried out as they did their damage, but ultimately, he was okay. There was a small rumbling noise, and Golisopod looked up. Gigalith was approaching, shaking the field with every step.
"Throat Chop!" Logan ordered.
Using his extraordinary speed, Golisopod shot forward, smashing his strong claw into Gigalith's midsection.
"Liquidation!"
With one smooth motion, Golisopod span his entire body around. He chopped, his claws covered with aquatic energy, blasting Gigalith from sandstorm. Gigalith landed hard on the ground, and although he was shaking, he was able to stand.
Mao observed her Pokémon's condition and sighed. "Gigalith, I'm sorry. Explosion!" Mao ordered.
Gigalith began to charge energy in his body, and he suddenly started to glow white. For one second, it seemed as though time stopped. Gigalith exploded, sending a bright white light out of his body that overtook the field. Golisopod looked terrified of the explosion as it came his way. He turned to Logan, and then the white light overtook the battlefield, blinding everyone in the stadium. When it finally faded and everyone gained their vision back, they found Gigalith lying flat on the ground. On the other side of the field, it wasn't Golisopod that was unconscious, but the big-beaked Toucannon.
"What? How can it be?!" the announcer screamed.
"What happened?" Mao wondered, befuddled.
Logan sighed and lightly smacked himself on the forehead. He looked down at Golisopod's Nest Ball as it slightly jiggled. "Emergency Exit…"
"Have we been tricked?! What happened?!" the announcer's voice echoed as the crowd all mumbled to each other. "Let's go to the replay!"
On the screen, a slowed down version of Gigalith's Explosion showed. It revealed Golisopod turning to Logan, and then his body becoming observed in blue energy. He returned to his Nest Ball, and then Toucannon materialized on the field. Much to the Flying-type's surprise, she was engulfed by the white light of Gigalith's attack, instantly fainting.
Logan laughed nervously. "Poor Toucannon. That'd be Golisopod's ability. When things get a little out of hand for him, he's able to switch out with another one of my Pokémon in battle. It's kind of the price of having such a strong Pokémon. He can only do it once though."
Mao nodded. "You learn something new every day. Seems like quite the risk."
The referee, still shocked by what happened, finally raised her flags. "Gigalith and uh-Toucannon are both unable to battle!"
Both left with one. What do we now? Logan wondered.
"I'm not pulling any punches, Logan," Mao exclaimed. She slowly pulled her next Poké Ball out and pushed the button. A giant grey Pokémon, much larger than either one of the trainers appeared. It stood silent as the sandstorm battered its body.
"Golurk," Logan muttered. If possible, I want to save my other three Pokémon for the second round of this battle, but I hate throwing Golisopod to the wolves. He'll have the type advantage though. Logan grabbed Golisopod's Poké Ball once more and then tossed it into the air. Golispod appeared, looked up at the screen and noticed that Toucannon had fainted. He nervously scratched the back of his head while laughing.
"Iron-" Mao started.
"First Impression!"
Once again, Golisopod shot across the field at incredible speed. He slashed at Golurk, making it take a step back, but the move was not nearly as effective as it was before.
That was my last chance at that one. Logan thought.
"Iron Defense!" Mao yelled, a little bit irritated with Logan's quick command.
Golurk began to glow, adding an additional shine to its body. It looked at Golisopod, who then took a couple of steps back out of fear.
"Focus Punch."
The giant golem lifted his right arm, and before Logan could make a command, it came crashing down in front of the Bug-type. Golisopod jumped back, just narrowly avoiding the attack.
"Earthquake."
The entire field started to shake, and Golisopod fell on his belly. He curled up and whimpered while he waited for Golurk's next move.
"Finish it with Focus Punch," Mao ordered calmly.
The giant Pokémon stomped, shaking the field with every step towards the Bug-type. It lifted its giant arm in preparation for one final devastating strike.
"Got ya! Liquidation!"
Golisopod grinned and then shot up into the air. He slashed towards Golurk's head, but with its free arm, Golurk grabbed ahold of the Bug-type. Golisopod squirmed and shrieked, but he was soon silenced by one quick jab. With a hard thud onto the sandy ground, Golisopod fainted.
"Golisopod is unable to battle! Golurk wins! Logan has now lost three Pokémon, so we will go into a fifteen minute intermission!" the referee declared.
Logan returned his Pokémon, and the two trainers walked to the dark hallway.
"Fun so far," Logan said with a smile. "Golurk is as strong as ever."
"You seem awfully happy for someone who is behind."
Logan laughed. "I have you figured out. I'm not worried. I won't make any mistakes in the next round."
The two opened the door to the backroom, and the replays were focusing a lot on Gigalith's explosion and Golisopod's exit. The people of Hoenn had never seen a technique like it before, so they were fascinated by it.
"I was hoping I'd get to battle more of your Alolan Pokémon, but it looks like Golisopod ruined that for Toucannon," Mao said quietly. "Kind of seems like a waste of a Pokémon. You're practically only fighting with a team of five."
Logan nodded. "That mistake will cost me." The two were quiet for a moment. "So, why did you really come here? It couldn't just be for a rematch."
Mao laughed. "Well, after I saw everyone battle together in Sootopolis, it got me fired up again. The Elite Four were amazing, and I want to have my chance to battle them. Who knows, maybe I'll become a member myself?"
"Someone from Unova as a Hoenn Elite Four member? Interesting."
The intermission was over in fifteen minutes, and the two were called back to the field. As they entered, the crowd cheered again. Mao looked up and noticed a section with her students. They held up banners with her name on it.
The stage had changed to a rock field. Although it had taken a lot of damage from yesterday's battles, they were able to clean it up for now.
"Begin!"
"Golurk, your back on!" Mao yelled. She pushed the button on her Poké Ball, and Golurk appeared. It looked calmly at Logan.
"Golurk is a big one, and I think the best way for us to respond is with our own big boy. Swampert, it's up to you!"
Swampert emerged on the field, and he waved his arms around as he though was dancing. The crowd laughed, and the Water-type blushed. When he finally laid his eyes on Golurk, he crouched down and prepared to fight.
"I know it's early in the tournament, but I can't hold anything back," Logan exclaimed. He lifted his right wrist, revealing his bracelet. After pushing on the bracelet, the small stone in the middle started to shine. The air in the stadium stopped moving, and the energy seemed to shift. He raised his hand into the air, and an orb of energy enveloped Swampert. Soon, the energy exploded, and Swampert's new form was revealed to the world.
"So, this is Mega Evolution?" Mao wondered. "Truly is beautiful."
"Swampert, rush in with Waterfall!"
Swampert raised his two giant arms and smacked them together. Aquatic energy seeped from his body and surround his hands. He held them low and then ran forwards.
"Phantom Force."
Behind Golurk, a giant purple portal appeared. Golurk backed up into it, and then the portal soon disappeared. Swampert stopped moving and looked perplexed. Suddenly, the portal reappeared above Swampert, and Golurk fell from the sky. Swampert forced his hands into the air, smashing into the golem, but Golurk's weight was too much. The two crashed, causing some dust to fill the air.
"Focus Punch."
"Hammer Arm!"
The two Pokémon separated only a few feet, and then they swung their massive arms at one another. They clashed but stood their ground. Swampert winced from the pain, but then pushed forward.
"Golurk, use Earthquake."
Golurk lifted one of its legs and stomped. The field began to shake, and Swampert stumbled back. Golurk took this opportunity and swung its fist once more.
"Protect!"
As if Swampert had already predicted Logan's instruction, he created a blue forcefield instantly. Golurk's attack bounced off the wall, and the Ghost-type stumbled.
"Waterfall!"
As the blue forcefield faded away, Swampert put his hands together again. With one swift movement, he uppercutted the giant. Golurk continued to stumble back, and by its body language, it appeared worried.
"Phantom Force."
"Don't let it!" Logan ordered.
Swamper reached out as Golurk formed a purple portal. He grabbed ahold of Golurk's arm to try to stop it, but instead, both Pokémon were pulled in. The portal closed, and for a moment, it was completely silent in the stadium. Once the portal opened above the middle of the field, both Pokémon fell. Swampert's arms were surrounded by the aquatic energy, and he was stabbing Golurk in the chest. They crashed into the earth, but it was only Swampert that stood back up.
"Golurk is unable to battle! Swampert wins!" the referee declared.
Mao returned Golurk as Swampert took a few steps back to his original position. Mao, without having to think, pulled her next Poké Ball and pushed the button. The crowd awed as her powerful Hydreigon blessed the stage.
"Swampert, we're in for a fight, but we've prepared for this! Don't be intimidated!"
"Swampert!"
"Hydreigon, we're going up against a mega evolved Swampert. This fight will be like nothing we've ever experienced."
"Hydrei…"
"Waterfall!"
"Wait for it."
Swampert repeated his motions from before and ran down the field at full speed.
"Grab him."
As Swampert tried to uppercut the Dragon-type, Hydreigon reached out. He clamped down onto Swampert's arms with two of his mouths and then separated the Water-type's hands.
"Brutal Swing."
Hydreigon started to slowly spin, lifting Swampert into the air. Soon, the two were spinning in circles, and eventually, Hydreigon let go of his vice grip. Swampert flew backwards, smashing into one of the rocks on the field."
"Finish him with Dragon Pulse."
Hydreigon flew into the air and then formed balls of arcane fire in all of his mouths. He unleashed the energy downwards, but Logan was ready.
"Ice Beam!"
Swampert emerged from the smoke and released a beam of blue ice from his mouth. The two attacks collided in the air, and then cancelled each other out, making a small explosion.
"Hammer Arm!" Logan yelled.
Swampert jumped into the air and raised both of his arms. With one quick motion, he knocked Hydreigon back towards the ground. The Dragon-type crashed into one of the multiple rocks, but he immediately re emerged safely.
"Got him!" Logan said.
"Roost."
Hydreigon closed his eyes and began to rest. The wounds created from the previous attacks faded away, and he was soon healthy again.
Logan sighed. "Nuts…"
"Dragon Pulse!"
"Ice Beam!"
The two repeated their long-ranged attacks from before, causing yet again another explosion.
"Waterfall!"
"Brutal Swing!"
Now both Pokémon jumped into the smoke. There were sounds of a scuffle, but it was Swampert that was thrown from the smoke. Hydreigon sank back to the ground. One of his heads was weakly dangling. Swampert had done some damage.
"We have to finish this soon!" Mao called. She had started to get louder. "Dragon Pulse!"
The Dragon-type unleashed his arcane energy onto the field once more. Swampert lifted his arms and created his blue forcefield without Logan having to give him the command. Eventually, the wall gave way, and Swampert was blasted backwards. Hydreigon, now out of breath, slowly hovered towards Swampert.
"Swampert!" Logan called.
His Pokémon slowly stood back up. He growled at Hydreigon, and the Dragon-type screeched. Before Logan could make his next command, Swampert fell on his face.
"Swampert is unable to battle! Hydreigon is the winner!"
Logan sighed and then lifted his Poké Ball. "You were great." He pulled his next Poké Ball from his belt. "And we'll finish this! Lycanroc, go!"
Logan's Lycanroc appeared on the field. He hunched over and glared daggers at Hydreigon. The two tried to intimidate one another simply through stares.
"Logan's Lycanroc is a Midnight Lycanroc. They have a love for battling, so this'll be fun," Yuichi explained.
Yurie looked up at the board. Only two Pokémon to three. "C'mon, Logan."
"Focus Energy," Mao ordered. She wasn't taking any more chances.
"If that's the case, then we should start," Logan said. Lycanroc nodded.
Logan revealed his left wrist, another bracelet with a diamond shaped crystal fastened to it. Lycanrock leaned forward, and the two struck an identical pose.
"What… are they doing?" Himawari asked. "Now's not the time for coordinated dancing, Logan!"
Logan and Lycanroc moved their arms together in synchronization.
Mao looked at Logan with an addlepated expression on her face. "Stop wasting my time! Dragon Pulse!"
Hydreigon stopped focusing his energy and then shot forward. He began to charge arcane balls of fire in front of his three mouths, but then the stage started to rumble, and he stopped moving.
Logan and Lycanroc both stopped dancing, and they raised their arms into the air. Stones, large and shap, began to emerge from the field, and soon, there were enough in the air to block out the sun.
"Go! Splintered Stormshards!"
Lycanroc leapt into the air and howled. All of the stones moved by themselves and pointed downwards. Then, they slowly moved back towards the earth, eventually picking up speed and raining down on the Dragon-type. Hydreigon attempted to release his attack, but the blue fire was smothered out by the stones, and the Dragon-type was buried completely.
The crowd stared in stunned silence by the attack, and the referee wasn't sure of what call to make. Mao finally did something and then ran out onto the field. She pulled up one of the stones off of Hydreigon's body, and his main head fell limp. Mao sighed as the referee made her call.
"Hydreigon is unable to battle! Lycanroc wins!"
Mao returned Hydreigon and then walked back to her trainers box. The field was now in absolute shatters between the power of the two attacks.
Yuichi sighed and then sat back in his seat. "Logan has already used his mega evolution and his Z-Move. He has no more big tricks up his sleeve, so the rest of the battle is going to be entirely down to the power of their Pokémon and the trainers' instructions."
"What's a Z-Move, and how do I get my Luxio to do one?" Himawari asked, his eyes still wide from the surprise of the last attack.
"Logan, you're so much stronger than you were two years ago, which doesn't surprise me. But I honestly wasn't expecting something like that," Mao said. She pulled out her next Poké Ball. "I won't hold back."
From her Poké Ball, Darmanitan appeared. He pounded his chest and then flexed his muscles as he looked out onto the field. He looked taken aback by the rubble.
"Lycanroc, use Thunder Fang!"
Lycanroc's red fur blew in the air as he howled and electricity started to emit from his fangs. He ran forward, and the energy continued to grow.
"Meet him halfway! Use Superpower!"
Darmanitan started to glow red, and he held his arms close to his chest. He shot forward, and the two Pokémon collided. Lycanroc winced, but then he bit down onto Darmanitan's shoulder. The Fire-type started to swing his body, and he was soon able to get Lycanroc off of him. Lycanroc fell to one knee, but his attack was not for nothing, as sparks emitted from Darmanitan's body.
"Paralyzed!" Mao exclaimed.
"Stone Edge!"
Lycanroc focused his energy, and the bigger stones from the pile lifted into the air. They quickly surrounded Darmanitan, and the Fire-type began to look concerned.
"Protect!" Mao yelled as the stones shot downwards.
Darmanitan lifted his arms into the air, creating a blue forcefield. The stones crashed against the forcefield and exploded, cracking the blue wall slightly.
"One more!" Logan ordered.
Lycanroc howled, and the stones started to move again. They circled around Darmanitan, but he kept his arms up. One by one, the stones came down onto the wall, cracking it more and more with every blow. Soon there was only one stone left. Before it came crashing down, sparks exploded off of Darmanitan's body. He screeched, lowered his arms, and then the stone jabbed into him. Darmanitan yelped as he rolled backwards. His body began to glow, and he was soon in his other form, still as a statue.
"That means that we're halfway there!" Logan exclaimed. "Crunch!"
Dark energy formed in front of Lycanroc's maw, and he jumped forward, but Mao was quick.
"Psychic!" she yelled.
Darmanitan focused his energy, and his eyes started to glow. Lycanroc was stopped midair and then forced to the ground. The rocks that he landed on exploded upon contact, hiding him within the dust.
Logan closed his eyes. Lycanroc, I know that you can do this. "Reversal!"
The smoke around Lycanroc's body whipped up into a small tornado, and he bounded forward, crashing his body into his statued opponent. Darmanitan rolled backwards, but was able to recover quickly.
"Overheat!"
Darmanitan's body started to glow red, and a stream of fire encircled his body. It then shot the stream forward, connecting directly with Lycanroc, tossing the Rock-type into the air. Lycanroc landed hard on the ground, and his arms went limp.
"Lycanroc is unable to battle! Darmanitan wins!" the referee declared.
The crowd cheered as the screen display changed. Logan was left with one more Pokémon while Mao still had Darmanitan and one more.
Logan returned Lycanroc and then closed his eyes. He took in one deep breath and then pulled his final Poké Ball from his belt.
We won't make any mistakes this time. Not this time. Not this time.
"Emboar, let's go!"
Emboar roared as he materialized onto the field. He raised his arms into the air and flexed his muscles. Once he noticed Darmanitan, he struck his fighting pose.
"Darmanitan is weakened! Finish this with Wild Charge!"
"Psychic!"
Emboar ran forward, shaking the field with every gigantic step. Eventually, he picked up speed, and electric energy emitted from his body. Meanwhile, Darmanitan's eyes began to glow, and psychic energy surrounded Emboar's body, but it wasn't enough to hold him back. Logan's Pokémon crashed into Darmanitan, causing a gigantic explosion of rocks and dust. Darmanitan slowly rolled out of the smoke but not into his usual upright position.
"Darmanitan is unable to battle! Emboar wins!"
"One attack is all it took!" Himawari exclaimed.
"Yeah, but Darmanitan was weakened badly by Lycanroc, and unfortunately, Wild Charge does damage to the user too," Yuichi explained.
Mao returned Darmanitan, and without a word, she released her next Pokémon. Serperior appeared onto the field, and she slithered about, entering the pile of rocks and then climbing to the top of the mountain. She looked down at Emboar and sneered.
"Just like two years ago, Logan," Mao said. "And just like two years ago, I'll be the winner."
"It was that battle two years go that taught me the hard lesson that Pokémon battles aren't always about type-advantages. I've owned up to my shortcomings as a trainer since then, and I won't lose this time," Logan said. "Bring it, Mao."
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
So, I'm ending this chapter right here. Suspense and all that.
Next chapter will feature the ending to this battle, and then I think I'll write Yuta's Top 16 battle.
I started a forum about Healing in Hoenn. It's my first one, so I have no idea what I'm doing. However, feel free to get involved in some sort of conversation. You can find the link on my profile. I asked a couple of questions that I'd love your input on.