Chapter 63 - Top 8 in Place! Logan vs. Mao: Part 2!
As Logan and Mao looked out at one another, creating strategies in their minds, the crowd slowly got louder. Impatience was setting in, and even the announcer appeared confused.
"Trainers? We're waiting," the announcer's voice echoed.
Mao snapped her fingers. "Use Aerial Ace!"
Serperior shot forward into the air, white energy exploding off of her body, but Logan was prepared.
"Flamethrower!"
Emboar tilted his head backwards before opening his mouth and unleashing flames onto the field. Serperior dove into the flames directly but continued without flinching. She emerged from the flames and smashed her head into Emboar. The Fire-type stumbled backwards, but he knew Logan's next command and was ready.
"Hammer Arm!"
Emboar's arm started to glow with white energy, and he swung his massive fist, landing a direct blow into Serperior's upper half.
"Giga Drain!"
As Serperior started to fly backwards, she curled her tail, wrapping it around Emboar's arm. Within seconds, she wrapped the entirety of her body around the Fire-type and began to suck energy. Emboar cried out from the pain.
"Head Smash!"
Emboar nodded, and with his free hand, he grabbed ahold of Serperior's throat. He forced the serpentine's head in front of him, and then with one swift motion, he headbutted the grass-type as hard as he could. Serperior loosened her grip, and then Emboar tossed her forward. She landed hard on the ground, but slowly got back up. Emboar staggered a bit, and he put his hand to his forehead.
"Wild Charge, Hammer Arm, and Head Smash: all moves that come with really big consequences," Yuichi mumbled. "Logan may not be thinking this out as well as we want him too."
"Serperior, use Leaf Storm!"
Serperior started to move her body in circles, forming energy that took the form of multiple leaves. She then shot the flurry of leaves towards Emboar, soon engulfing the Fire-type entirely. Emboar shrieked loudly as the energy dug into his skin.
"Flamethrower!"
Emboar withstood some of the damage and then looked down. He sent flames towards the ground, setting the leaves on fire. Soon, he was covered in a flame tornado, and when it finally faded away, he stood still, glaring at Serperior.
"Dragon Tail!"
Serperior was quick. She slithered across the field and through the rocks, and when she emerged, she twisted her body, swinging her large tail at Emboar.
"Grab it!" Logan ordered.
Emboar stuck his hands out and grabbed the arcane energy engulfed tail. He yelped as the energy burned his palms.
"Wild Charge! Take her with you!"
"Emboar!" the Pokémon roared as he swung Serperior above his head. He started to run across the battlefield, and his body was soon exploding with electricity. He swung Serperior at the ground and dragged her along the field as he charged around haphazardly. Once the two reached the pile of stones from before, he heaved one last time, tossing Serperior into it. Serperior disappeared into the pile with an explosion, and Emboar remained standing, but he was breathing heavily.
"Interesting," Himawari said. "But effective."
"Is it over?" Yurie wondered.
Yuichi shook his head. "Not yet."
"Aerial Ace!"
The pile of stones exploded, and Serperior emerged. She tackled directly into Emboar's stomach, knocking him back. Both Pokémon fell together and landed on top of one another. They quickly realized this, and Emboar pushed Serperior off of him. They both slowly got back up, never taking their eyes off of one another.
"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.
Not this time.
"Flamethrower once more!"
Emboar struggled as he looked towards the ground. He released his flames once more, engulfing both of the Pokémon in a bright red fire. Serperior screeched out as the flames scorched her body, and she slowly released her grip.
"Head Smash!"
Emboar, with both of his arms, grabbed ahold of Serperior. He held out his old friend in his hands in front of him, and the two looked at one another, breathing heavily. Emboar tilted his head back, paused, and then rammed it into Serperior once more. Serperior's body went limp, and Emboar let go. Her body fell to the ground into a small pile before Emboar roared once more, releasing flames into the air as the crowd cheered.
The referee raised her flag. "Serperior is unable to battle! Emboar and Logan are the victors!"
Mao's face faded away from the screen, and Logan and his team were displayed. Emboar fell to one knee and then slowly pet Serperior on her head while both of the trainers entered the field.
"We did it!" Logan yelled out. He gave his Pokémon a hug from behind. "I'm so proud of you, Emboar!"
Mao helped her Serperior up slightly and gave her a hug. "Serperior, you're wonderful. To go toe to toe with someone like Logan isn't easy, but you did it without hesitation."
"Thanks for the battle, Serperior," Logan said.
Serperior nodded with a gentle smile before the red light from Mao's Poké Ball overtook her body.
"And thank you, Mao. I've had this battle on my mind for a really long time, and I'm very glad that we could finally do this again."
"Me too, Logan. I hope that you keep riding this wave of momentum. You'll definitely win this year."
The two returned to the back while the next match was announced: Yuta Kato vs. Asper Smithon.
Asper Smithon was fifteen years old, but with the way he was built, he looked like a young adult. His dirty blonde hair was neatly combed, and he wore nothing but different shades of blue athletic wear.
"The following match will be a six on six full battle between Asper Smithon from Unova and Kato Yuta from Littleroot Town! It will be decided when one side has lost all six of their Pokémon. We will take a short intermission when one side has lost three. The first half will take place on the water field! Begin!" the referee declared while holding up his flags.
Asper revealed his Poké Ball and then tossed it into the air. A large Pokémon with a beard and a golden horn appeared on the field. It stood up on its two back legs and pulled out a sword it had sheathed.
Yuta grinned. "Shedinja, go!" An unmoving Bug-Pokémon materialized in the air. It floated calmly without moving a single muscle.
"Never seen that one before," Asper commented. "Samurott, start with Swords Dance!"
Yuta remained quiet while Asper's Pokémon lifted his swords into the air. He waved them around, and they began to glow with energy. When they were fully charged, he held them low and prepared for his next command.
"Razor Shell!"
Samurott howled. He jumped into one of the pools of water, and using extreme speed, he raced down the field. Once he reached Shedinja, he jumped out of the pool and swiped quickly. His sword bounced off an invisible wall that surrounded Shedinja. The Water-type retreated and looked confused.
"Okay, let's try Hydro Pump!" Asper ordered.
Samurott put his swords back in their sheaths and then unleashed a blast of pressurized water from his mouth. Once more, the water connected with an invisible barrier, making the attack completely useless.
"What is going on?" Asper wondered.
"Seriously, what's going on?" Himawari exclaimed. "He's not using Protect."
"And that's not Light Screen either…" Yuichi mumbled.
"What is it?" Logan asked. "Yuichi, this is the kind of technique you'd use."
"Shedinja, use Phantom Force."
Shedinja finally moved slightly, entering into a purple portal, and disappearing from the field.
"Watch out, Samurott! It can come from any-"
Before Asper could finish his sentence, Shedinja reappeared from a portal. It rammed his body into Samurott, sending the Water-type backwards.
"Use Double Team!"
Yuta smiled. "Aerial Ace."
As Samurott multiplied around the field, a burst of white energy exploded from the top of Shedinja's head. It turned its body and shot towards one of the clones. Before Asper could make his next command, Shedinja attacked, sending him flying backwards.
"Phantom Force."
Samurott swung his sword, but Shedinja quickly disappeared into the portal again. He reappeared before Asper could give an order, ramming his body into Samurott's back. Samurott let out a cry of pain before he slumped to the ground.
"Samurott is unable to battle! Shedinja is the winner!" the referee declared.
Asper returned Samurott. "I couldn't even get in a single hit. What gives?" He threw his next Poké Ball into the air, and a large blue Pokémon with what appeared to be a heavy black shell appeared on the field. "My Carracosta will show you what's what!"
Logan smiled. "I love seeing all of these Unova Pokémon!"
"Carracosta, start with Iron Defense!"
Carracosta raised his arms as his body started to glow. His shell appeared more solid and polished than before, and he grinned at the soulless Shedinja.
"Aerial Ace," Yuta ordered.
Shedinja darted forward while energy came from the top of his head.
"Aqua Tail!"
Carracosta jumped into the air and swung his body around. His tail became engulfed with aquatic energy, but all it did was bounce off of Shedinja. The Bug-type continued, crashing into Carracosta.
"Do Water-type moves just not work?!" Asper yelled. "We'll try something else then! Earthquake!"
Carracosta stomped on the ground, shaking the entire stadium, but Shedinja appeared completely unbothered. It continued to float calmly in the air.
"This is driving me crazy!" Asper screamed. "Hit it with Stone Edge!"
Carracosta cried out as he pulled pointed stones from the field. He used his energy to toss all of the stones towards Shedinja.
"Double Team!" Yuta yelled.
Before the stones could connect, Shedinja began to multiply. It circled around the field, making Carracosta nervous.
"So, Water-type moves didn't work. Ground-type moves didn't work, but Yuta looked frightened by that Stone Edge," Logan noted.
"Shedinja seems like a weird Pokémon," Yurie said. "Maybe it has an ability that only allows it to be damaged by moves that would be super-effective?"
"Earthquake!" Asper ordered.
Carracosta repeated the action from before, shaking the entire stage and the Shedinja clones, but none of them were damaged.
"Aerial Ace," Yuta ordered.
The real Shedinja appeared from the pack, and it floated forward with its head glowing.
"Stone Edge!" Asper yelled.
Carracosta turned, but only had enough time to lift one of the stones from the ground. It was more than enough though, blocking Shedinja's attack and making it fall to the ground.
"What?" Asper wondered as he saw the Bug-type collapse. "What just happened?"
The referee appeared perplexed. He looked at Yuta who just nodded. "Uh. Shedinja is unable to battle! Carracosta wins!"
Yuta returned his Pokémon and then smiled. "Shedinja is a rare Pokémon with a one of a kind ability: Wonder Guard. It can only be damaged by specific attacks, but the downside is that it can only take one. Other than that, it's completely safe."
Asper gritted his teeth. "I don't like tricks!"
Yuta pulled out his next Poké Ball. "That's fair. No more tricks, but I'm going to make a promise instead. No more of my Pokémon will faint in this battle."
"That's some confidence you have."
"Gorebyss, go!"
From the light of Yuta's Poké Ball appeared a thin pink Pokémon. It fell into one of the pools and then poked its head out, getting a good look at Carracosta.
"Carracosta, use Earthquake!"
"Swagger."
Before Carracosta could start his attack, Gorebyss jumped from the pool. Her body glowed red and steam came off of her. The steam shot from her body and wrapped around Carracosta. Soon, his body started to glow red, and he flexed his muscles. He went to stomp on the ground but stumbled slightly, stepping on his other foot.
"What?!" Asper screamed.
Carracosta howled as he grabbed ahold of his injured foot and hopped around.
"Now use Hydro Pump."
Gorebyss appeared from another one of the small pools and released a powerful jet of water out of her mouth. The water collided with Carracosta, sending him into the air. He crashed to the ground, causing rocks to fly into the air. When the rocks all fell back to the ground, the referee made his call.
"Carracosta is unable to battle! Gorebyss is the winner!"
Asper huffed before he returned his Pokémon. "I can't believe this." Another one of Asper's Pokémon was blacked out on the screen, and he grabbed his next Poké Ball. A large blue Pokémon with wavy tentacles appeared on the field. The foam on his face appeared to form a fancy mustache, and he smiled at Gorebyss.
"That looks a lot like Mao's Pokémon," Yurie noted.
Logan nodded. "The gender of Jellicent determines its color. That'd be a male Jellicent."
"Jellicent, start with Wring Out!" Asper ordered.
The Pokémon slowly floated forward while holding out his tentacles.
"Ice Beam," Yuta ordered.
Gorebyss jumped out of the water and unleashed a beam of ice from the front her snout. Jellicent easily dodged the move though and then grabbed ahold of Gorebyss from the air. He squeezed onto her body and then stretched it slightly before twisting the pink Pokémon. Gorebyss let out a loud shriek.
"Psychic!" Yuta yelled.
Gorebyss stopped shrieking and then focused. Her body became surrounded by purple energy, and Jellicent loosened his grip. He stumbled back a little bit, dropping Gorebyss into one of the pools.
"Now, Hydro Pump!"
Gorebyss emerged from the water and blasted a flow of water from her pointed mouth. The connected with Jellicent, making him fly backwards. He landed on the ground and slumped down slightly.
"I don't think so! Use Recover!"
Jellicent's body began to glow with light, and soon, he perked up, standing up straight on his tentacles once more. He appeared refreshed from the two strong attacks.
"With a move like recover, we're going to have to play smarter," Yuta noted.
"Water Spout!" Asper yelled.
"Fight back with Hydro Pump!"
The two Pokémon unleashed powerful water attacks, but it was Water Spout that broke through. Gorebyss was launched backwards, landing into one of the pools. She quickly disappeared though.
"We'll find you! And I'll show you the power of my water Pokémon!" Asper screamed. "Psychic!"
Jellicent focused his energy, and his eyes turned purple. The entire battlefield started to shake, and the pools of water lifted into the air. Soon, a few giant bodies of water were airborne, and Gorebyss was revealed.
"Wring Out!"
Yuta smiled. "Come at us."
Jellicent shot forward and dove into the water. That's when Yuta made his next command.
"Ice Beam!"
Gorebyss darted around, easily avoiding Jellicent's grip. She jumped from her pool of water, turned her body around, and released a beam of ice from her snout. The ice froze the pool with Jellicent in it, and his attack stopped. She dove into another pool of water as they all fell back to the earth. The frozen pool exploded upon connecting with the ground, sending Jellicent into the air.
"Finish this with Hydro Pump!" Yuta commanded.
She stuck her mouth out of the water and blasted Jellicent even further into the air. When he crashed down onto the ground, all of his tentacles went limp, and he flattened his body.
"Jellicent is unable to battle! Gorebyss wins!" the referee declared. "Asper has lost three of his Pokémon, so we will now move onto a fifteen minute recess!"
The crowd all mumbled to each other as they walked to the bathrooms and concession stands. They had never seen someone battle like Yuta. Meanwhile, Yuta took a seat behind his trainer's box while Asper returned to the backroom for awhile.
"Any predictions for round two?" Logan asked.
Yuichi thought on it for a moment. "Well, Asper has so far only used Water-type Pokémon, and if I remember correctly, Yuta has a really strong Sceptile. I kind of think that he'd use Sceptile to pick up the victory."
Yurie shook her head. "Finding the easy way out isn't necessarily Yuta's style. I think he's testing himself right now."
The fifteen minutes were quick to go by, and the crowd soon packed back into their seats so they wouldn't miss anything. The two trainers returned to their positions as the screen displayed quick replays of the first half and the field changed to an ice terrain. When the time came, the referee raised his flags to start the battle.
"Go, Swampert!" Asper yelled while he threw his Poké Ball onto the field. A Swampert, larger in size to Logan's appeared. It roared before flexing its muscles and then looking down the field.
Yuta calmly lifted his next Poké Ball. "My next Pokémon will be the last one of mine that you see today. I have faith that I won't need anymore." With that, he released his Pokémon, the Steel-type, Metagross.
Asper gritted his teeth. "I'm going to wipe that cocky look from your face! Swampert, start with Hydro Cannon!"
As Swampert started to charge his energy, Yuta lifted his arm into the air, showing off his bracelet. He pushed on the stone that was placed in the middle, making it glow. The energy in the stadium suddenly shifted, and Metagross was surrounded by a ball of light. The ball exploded, revealing Metagross' new form, calmly floating above the field.
At this point, Swampert had finished preparing his attack, unleashing a blast of water onto the field. It connected directly with Metagross, making it float back a little bit, but when the attack stopped, Metagross just glared.
"It just absorbed my strongest attack like it was nothing…" Asper muttered.
"Meteor Mash!" Yuta ordered.
Metagross quickly floated forward while one of his claws started to glow white. He raised his claw and swiped down, getting a direct hit on Swampert. The Water-type stumbled back a little bit, but he soon regained his composure.
"Hammer Arm!" Asper commanded.
Swampert's arm started to glow, and he swung it wide.
"Dodge!"
Before Swampert could connect, Metagross flung itself into the air, easily avoiding the strike.
"One more Meteor Mash!"
Now coming from the air, Metagross swiped his claws downwards, striking Swampert once again. Swampert jumped back a few feet, clearly worn down by the seemingly unmovable Metagross.
"Okay, Swampert! Let's try Take Down!"
The Pokémon huffed as he started to move forward on all fours.
Yuta smiled. "Stop him with Earthquake."
Metagross twisted his body and then launched his claws into the ground, shaking the entire stadium and cracking the ice on the field. Swampert stumbled and fell over onto his back. Once the shaking stopped, he slowly stood back up, his legs shaking violently.
Asper looked up to the screen. So far, Yuta still had five of his Pokémon remaining. Asper's chances were slowly whittling away.
"We won't give up! Hit him with Giga Impact!"
"In that case, we'll also use Giga Impact."
The two Pokémon charged forward while white energy exploded from their bodies. Soon, they collided, causing an explosion of energy to fill the area with smoke. When it faded, only Metagross remained standing.
"Swampert is unable to battle! Metagross wins!"
As yet another one of Asper's Pokémon was blacked out on the screen, he returned his Swampert. "We can't hold anything back. If I want to beat you, then we have to fight with everything we have. Ludicolo, it's up to you!"
His Ludicolo appeared on the field and bounced around to the rhythm of his own soul. He waved around his arms and chanted his name before focusing on Metagross and smiling wide.
"Seems like Ludicolo is more interested in dancing than battling," Yuta noted.
"Don't you worry about us!" Asper exclaimed.
"We won't. Use Zen Headbutt!" Yuta ordered.
Metagross flew forward while psychic energy emitted from his face.
"We don't think so! Energy Ball!"
Ludicolo waved his arms around before unleashing a ball of kinetic energy towards Metagross, but the Steel-type was not phased. He continued forward, blasting through the ball and destroying it completely.
"Fire Punch!"
Ludicolo jumped backwards to give himself some more time, and he swung his fist forward, covering it with flames. The two Pokémon clashed, and for a moment, they were equal in strength, but then Metagross powered through, sending Ludicolo reeling backwards.
"Don't stop! Water Pulse!" Asper yelled.
Ludicolo quickly recovered and formed a ball of aquatic energy in his palms. He flung the energy towards the ground, and it exploded, turning into a wave.
"Earthquake!" Yuta commanded.
Metagross punched the ground with one of its massive claws, shaking the stadium. The waves started to waver, and soon, they were split down the middle, completely missing Metagross.
"Meteor Mash!"
Metagross bounded forward once more and swung his claw, decking Ludicolo in his beak. Ludicolo held at his face and screeched out before angrily glaring.
"Thunder Punch!"
Ludicolo leapt into the air as his fist became electrified. He swung downwards in a hammering fashion, bashing his fist against the top of Metagross' head. The Steel-type flew back slightly, and for the first time in the battle, it appeared bothered.
"Fire Punch, Thunder Punch combo!"
Ludicolo shook his body and held out his hands. In his left hand, fire formed, while the right sparked with electricity. He ran forward and started swinging his fists rapidly, punching Metagross multiple times.
"Make him back off with Earthquake!"
Metagross, in the midst of getting pummeled, lifted one of its massive claws before shoving it into the crowd. The field shook, and Ludicolo lost his balance, stumbling back a little bit.
"Zen Headbutt!"
Before Ludicolo could recover, Metagross flew forward, crashing its body into Ludicolo. The Water-type fell over, and the energy on his hands faded away as his body went limp.
"Ludicolo is unable to battle!" the referee's voice boomed throughout the stadium. "Metagross wins!"
The crowd was almost silent at this point. Whether they were stunned into silence or they felt bad for Asper was unclear, but the fact of the matter was, they were silent.
Asper withdrew Ludicolo and sighed. He drew out his last Poké Ball and closed his eyes. With that, he released his Pokémon, a rather large white bird with dark purple feathers running up her crest.
"Swanna," Logan mumbled. "But it looks like it may be a slightly different color than your regular Swanna."
"A shiny?" Yurie wondered.
"Swanna is the jewel of my team, and I have enough confidence in her. We'll win this battle, and then move onto the next round! We won't lose!" Asper yelled.
Yuta nodded. "Alright. Let's do this."
"Swanna, use Rain Dance!"
Swanna cawed as she opened up her mouth and released a ball of mist into the air. The mist exploded, and it started to rain on the field.
"Earthquake is useless against Swanna, but I'm sure our other moves will be more than enough. Use Meteor Mash!"
As the sky rumbled, Metagross flew forward. It raised its massive arm into the air and prepared to swipe downwards.
"Ice Beam!"
Swanna leapt into the sky and unleashed a beam of ice from her mouth. The ice connected directly with Metagross' arm, freezing it completely. He swiped downwards at the ground in an attempt to break the ice.
"Hurricane!" Asper's voice called.
Swanna's eyes began to glow, and she flapped her wings, creating a massive surge of wind to flow through the stadium. The wind picked up and blasted Metagross, sending it backwards. He crashed into one of the stones of ice and slowly floated back up.
"He's weakened! Use Brine!"
Swanna called out before unleashing a blast of water from her mouth. The mouth collided with Metagross, pushing him even more into the ground. His movements were now jittery as he returned to the air.
"As long as we remain far away, you can't do anything," Asper said. "One more Hurricane! Finish it!"
"Zen Headbutt!"
As Swanna whipped up the wind storm, Metagross' body surged with energy. It blasted forward as psychic energy exploded off of its body. The Steel-type, to everyone's surprise, powered through the wind, and he crashed into Swanna. The Flying-type cried out as she fell back towards the ground.
"Don't give up!" Asper yelled.
"Don't let it go. Use Meteor Mash!"
The two Pokémon struggled as they both fell from the sky. Rain pelted them hard, and Metagross lifted one of its okay claws. He swung down hard, knocking Swanna into the ground.
"Hurricane!"
"Giga Impact!"
Before Swanna could recover, Metagross reeled back and then lunged forward. The white energy caused an explosion in the middle of the field, and Swanna's body was flung back. The smoke soon cleared, and both Pokémon tried to get back up. They locked eyes before letting out their battle cries.
"Swanna…" Asper muttered.
Swanna cooed before she fell forward, completely collapsing to the ground.
The referee nodded and then held up his flags. "Swanna is unable to battle! Metagross and Yuta are the victors!"
"In a dominating fashion, our Hoenn Hero, Yuta wins! It looks like Kato Yuta will be moving onto the Top 8 to face off against Logan Stephenson!" the announcer yelled into the microphone as Asper quietly returned his Pokémon.
Yuta looked up into the crowd, his eyes meeting with Logan.
"Well, looks like it's you vs. Yuta. Be careful. The way that he battles is ruthless," Mao said. "I'll be watching."
The day was over, and a lot of the trainers that lost were now making their way home. Logan and Mao met in the Pokémon Center for what would potentially be their final meeting.
"Going back to Rustboro?" Logan asked.
She nodded. "I have lessons to prepare, and I think I'm going to work on an application to battle with the Elite Four. I'm a former winner of a conference, so they'll at least consider my offer."
Logan grinned. "And when I win, I'll be taking them on too. We'll become members together!"
"Sounds like a plan." Mao stepped forward and gave Logan a hug. "You can do this. Don't hold back."
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
But can Logan do this?! Guess we'll find out… soon.
It's now onto the Top 8! The next chapter is going to be Luna vs. Yuichi (Top 8). I'm excited to write for that one, because the two have very different approaches to battling.