Chapter 69 - Luna's Stance! Battle for the Finals! - Part 2 Logan vs. Luna
One Year Ago
"I'm sorry, Luna," Professor Juniper said. "He's gone."
"What do you mean gone?" Luna asked. Her eyes began to redden and puff as tears started to make their way. "We were supposed to meet this morning at the docks!"
Juniper sighed. "All of his Pokémon are here, but Logan is gone. He didn't tell me either. From what I understand, he got on a boat early this morning and left."
"Do you know where?"
Juniper thought for a moment. She did, but Logan's letter specifically asked her not to say anything. "I don't."
"Why? Why would he just leave?" Luna said as her body slowly coiled to the ground. She sat on the laboratory floor and pulled her knees to her chest. "We were supposed to travel the world together."
Juniper sighed. "Luna… Logan isn't the best at communicating his feelings. You and I both know this, but maybe this is for the best. Maybe you two should travel separately for awhile. You'll never know what kind of trainer you can truly be if you consistently play it safe. I know that he would never tell you this, but when he lost to you, it hurt his pride. It hurt him a lot. You both are so competitive. Imagine how you'd feel if he beat you instead. Give him some space and some time. You never know what the future holds."
Luna didn't respond.
Present Day
The fifteen minute break was quickly up, and the two were called back to the field. It had changed to a regular grass terrain, and the crowd cheered as the two entered into the stadium. The two of them were considered Ace Trainers, and since they were from a foreign land, they were seen as attractive. But both trainers were focused on the battle rather than their increasing popularity.
"Begin!" the referee yelled.
"Muk, you're back on!" Luna shouted while she threw her Poké Ball onto the field. Muk appeared, his body jiggling as he let out a battle cry.
Logan thought for a moment before drawing out his Fast Ball. "Flygon, let's go!" From the light of the Poké Ball, Flygon exploded into the air. She roared and then landed on the ground before glaring out at Muk.
"Most of Flygon's attacks are at a distance, so Logan is trying to avoid the poison," Himawari noted. "And Flygon is no pushover."
"Muk, use Flamethrower!"
"Flygon, try Fire Blast!"
The two Pokémon unleashed flames onto the field, and the attacks clashed in the middle, causing an explosion of fire and smoke.
"Dive in!" Logan ordered.
Flygon cried out before jumping into the smoke and disappearing completely.
"It's coming! Prepare your Crunch!"
Muk nodded as he formed dark energy in front of his massive mouth. He waited for Flygon to appear, but nothing happened.
"What?" Luna wondered.
"Earthquake!"
Flygon shot from the smoke and into the air. She quickly spiraled downwards and then stomped her massive legs against the ground, shaking the entire stadium. Muk's little bit of dark energy dissipated, and his body wobbled with the motion. He let out a screech as the pain of the attack set in.
"Now one more Fire Blast!"
As though Flygon knew what Logan was preparing to do, she released her flames without hesitation. They full enveloped Muk's body, and he let out a screech like no other. When the flames finally faded away, Muk shrunk into the ground unconscious.
"Muk is unable to battle! Flygon wins!" the referee declared.
Luna returned her Alolan Muk to her Poké Ball and then sighed.
Three Years Ago
The four trainers from Nuvema Town had graduated. The boy with the dirty blonde hair celebrated with grandmother. The girl whose parents were from Unova and Hoenn was given the award for top grades. She was stuck spending time with her family who forced her to take pictures in her sash. The boy with dark brown hair was being scolded by his aunt Juniper for making inappropriate faces during the ceremony.
But the girl with raven hair. She sat alone. The music, something that she usually took joy in, had started to fade away into nothing but noise. The people at the small gathering seemingly ignored her for the other three. She stared aimlessly past all of them. Her brother was competing in the Vertress Conference the same night, and that was a more important affair for them to attend to. She felt tears welling up.
"Hey!" a voice called, breaking her trance. She looked up, finding the boy with dark brown hair.
"Juniper and I are going to get some pizza," he said. "My parents didn't come either, so we're in the same boat!"
"What?"
"What what? Pizza? Or same boat?"
The girl blushed and looked down. "Sorry. I'm a little bit out of it. Pizza sounds great."
"That's what I like to hear!"
Present Day
"I'll admit, I wasn't expecting that kind of power from Flygon." She pulled her next Poké Ball from the strap on her bag. "But my next Pokémon won't lose." She threw the ball into the air and a large but thin blue Pokémon with long flowing hair appeared on the field. She winked at Logan.
"Primarina…" Logan muttered. This won't be easy. He lifted his Poké Ball and then returned Flygon. "As much as I like the idea of Flygon vs. Primarina, I'd be a fool to continue that battle. Instead, I'll go with Dusclops!"
Dusclops materialized on the field, and he waved his arms around slowly while looking out at Primarina.
"It looks like Luna has Logan's number. He's had to do a few tactical retreats," Himawari muttered.
Yuta grinned. "I actually think that Logan has this one in the bag."
The group looked at him in shock.
"I did a lot of studying these two, because, well, I idolized them. And so far, Luna has only used Pokémon that she used in Unova and Alola. Logan has stuck to his guns, and he's using his Hoenn team," Yuta explained. "Luna's Pokémon are without a doubt stronger, but Logan is unpredictable and he probably knows Luna's team like the back of his hand."
Yuichi shrugged. "But Luna's a good trainer, and she's prepared for the unpredictable."
Yuta chuckled. "Coming from you, that's funny. Logan knows Luna's team, and he's prepared for them. Just watch."
"Ice Beam!" the two trainers ordered.
Both of the Pokémon released a beam of ice from their mouths. The attacks connected with each other above the middle of the stage, and they started to collect together, forming a giant block of ice in the air.
"Shadow Punch!"
"Iron Tail!"
The two Pokémon stopped their attacks and then shot towards the ice as it started to fall from the sky. Instead of attacking one another, they instead used their attacks on the block of ice. They waited for a moment before the ice shattered and exploded in front of them.
"Now Thunder Punch!"
"Keep your Iron Tail going!"
With Dusclop's other fist, he formed electricity. He swung his fist, connecting directly with Primarina's tail. The two held out for awhile before Dusclop's fist gave in, and he was forced to back up.
"Close-ranged Sparkling Aria!"
The airborne Primarina twisted her body around as she started to sing. A bubble of aquatic energy formed above her nose and then she flung it downwards. It exploded into multiple bubbles, and they rained down onto Dusclops.
"You okay?!" Logan yelled out.
Dusclops backed away a few more feet as he tried to prevent the bubbles from pelting against him.
"Now Moon Blast!"
Primarina finally hit the ground and she raised her arms into the air. A ball of pink energy shot into the sky before a thick beam of light emerged from it.
"Counter with Ice Beam!"
Dusclops attempted to release another beam of chilling ice from his body, but it was quickly overtaken by Primarina's stronger attack. The pink energy came down onto Dusclops, and he let out a cry of pain. When the attack stopped, he fell to one knee.
"Dusclops…" Logan muttered.
"You know that you can't take my Primarina head on like that, Logan," Luna snapped. "One more Sparkling Aria!"
Primarina repeated her motion from before and created the bubble. It exploded and rained down again, but Dusclops had enough time to counter this time around.
"Thunder Punch!"
Both of Dusclops' fists were electrified, and he began to swing wildly. As he destroyed each and every one of the bubbles, he slowly walked forward. Primarina was preoccupied with attempting to control her bubbles, so she did not take notice, and when Dusclops was within range, he swung upwards, knocking Primarina into the air.
"And an Ice Beam for good measure!" Logan ordered.
The electricity disappeared from Dusclops' hands before he formed the ball of ice energy and released a light blue colored beam into the sky. The beam connected with Primarina directly, and she screeched from the pain before she collided with the ground. Her body rolled a few times before she recovered and found her footing. The peaceful look in her eyes was gone, and she glared at Dusclops. Static electricity emitted from her body, but she didn't appear too concerned with it.
Paralyzed, but she still stands strong. Logan thought.
Luna raised her hand into the air, and a look of worry came over Logan's face. The crystal in her bracelet started to glow, and Luna closed her eyes as she and Primarina struck poses in unison.
"A Z-Move?!" Himawari exclaimed.
The energy from her Z-Crystal raced through the field, and Primarina howled.
"Oceanic Operetta!"
Primarina stood up straight and raised her arms into the air. As she chanted and started to sing, a giant ball of water was formed. It was about ten times bigger than the bubble formed by Sparkling Aria, and when it reached its limit, the crowd went silent. With that, the bubble exploded, and it started to rain heavily down onto the field.
"Dusclops! Rapid fire Thunder Punch!"
Dusclops readied his attack and started to jab upwards. Like before, he destroyed some of the bubbles that came towards him, but he was eventually overwhelmed. Dusclops was pelted by a massive amount of bubbles, and when the attack finished, he was laid out flat on the ground.
The referee nodded before raising his flag. "Dusclops is unable to battle! Primarina wins!"
The crowd cheered for Luna as Logan returned his Pokémon. He looked out and took note of Primarina. Her regularly neat hair was frazzled and her body sparked with electricity. He pulled out his Fast Ball one more time. Flygon entered the field and let out her battlecry.
"Start with Moon Blast!"
"Earthquake!"
Primarina slowly lifted her arms into the air as she charged pink energy into a ball. But as soon as Flygon smashed her thick legs into the ground and shook the stadium, Primarina was forced to stop.
"Now Boomburst!"
Flygon bounded forward and started to flap her wings vigorously when she got in front of the Water-type. Primarina was shot back by the sheerforce of the sound energy, and she rolled across the ground. She let out a cry of pain as she forced herself back up.
"Ice Beam!" Luna yelled.
Primarina fought through the static and then unleashed a beam of ice into the air. Flygon was fast though, and she weaved around, narrowly avoiding it.
"Fire Blast!" Logan ordered.
Flygon released her big blast of fire, putting Primarina's beam to a stop. The attacks exploded once they connected with each other, and it filled the stadium with smoke. Slowly, the shade of the clouds darkened the arena as the smoke faded away.
"Finish with Boomburst!"
"Don't let him! Sparkling Aria!"
Primarina tried to lift her arms into the air to form her next attack, but the paralysis condition was too much. Flygon swooped in with her sound based attack and sent Primarina soaring. She collided with the wall and then fell to the ground, her body not moving a single muscle.
"Primarina is unable to battle! Flygon wins!"
"Paralysis really helped Logan there," Yuichi said. "Now they're tied."
Five Years Prior
It was seemingly a regular day at the Nuvema Town Pokémon Academy. The dozens of children packed in and then went to their classes that were divided by age groups. Luna, Mao, and Aaron all entered into the classrooms, immediately taking notice of something that was out of place: a fourth desk. They all took their seats at their usual desks and waited for their teacher, who was never late.
"Class," their teacher's voice called. "Today we have a new student."
The three turned towards the door and watched as a boy shyly peeked his head around the corner. His hair was a messy dark brown, and he had light blue eyes that could pierce through the dark. He slowly entered into the classroom and looked around, attempting to avoid the gaze of his new classmates.
"Everyone, please introduce yourselves to make him feel welcome."
Aaron immediately stood up from his desk and put his hand to his chest. "My name is Aaron! I'm the best looking student in Nuvema Town!"
Mao laughed as she slowly stood up and then pushed in her chair. She bowed her head and then said softly, "I'm Mao. My English isn't very good, but let's be friends."
Her English is fine. The new kid thought.
Luna was the last to stand up. She was shaky, hating the idea of meeting a new student. She looked up and caught his gaze. They both immediately looked away, their faces red as apples.
"My-my name is Luna. Nice to meet you."
The teacher looked down to the new kid. "And now it's your turn."
The new kid stepped forward in front of the teacher and stood up straight. He put his lips together and suddenly shifted his face into a wide grin. He posed, holding two peace signs at his cheeks. "I'm Logan! I like mud!"
Present Day
The clouds started to rumble as though they knew what kind of battle was set to follow. Slowly, rain started to fall from the sky, but it wasn't strong enough for most of the crowd to notice.
Luna withdrew her Pokémon and then looked out at Logan. She smiled. "Your Hoenn Pokémon aren't half bad. I'm honestly surprised. I guess you're not a bad trainer afterall." She drew out her next Poké Ball. "But this is far from over! Go, Krookodile!"
A large and brown Pokémon appeared on the field. He opened up his long mouth and roared while thunder rumbled, shaking the stadium.
"Let's go! Use Sludge Bomb!" Luna commanded.
Inside of Krookodile's large jaws, he regurgitated a ball of purple sludge.
"Fire Blast!"
The two Pokémon unleashed their attacks, and upon connecting, they exploded.
"Fire Fang!"
Krookodile howled as he jumped into the smoke. He quickly emerged and locked his massive jaws down onto Flygon. Flames exploded from his mouth, engulfing the Dragon-type.
"Blast him away! Dragon Rush!"
Flygon screeched and then started to flap her wings, sending energy from her body. The energy exploded off of her, forcing Krookodile to loosen his grip. She flew away, getting decent enough distance.
"Now, Dragon Rush!"
Luna smiled.
Flygon's body was surrounded by arcane fire before she charged towards the ground. Krookodile held out his arms, and the two collided. Krookodile was forced back, but he gripped onto Flygon, and the two were caught in a test of strength.
"Outrage!" Luna commanded.
"Get out of there!"
Flygon tried to release her grip and then fly back into the air, but Krookodile's strength was too much. He held tightly onto Flygon's arms as his eyes started to glow red and a thin veil of energy surrounded his body. He released one of Flygon's arms before pulling her closer. With a roar, he clotheslined Flygon directly in the throat. Flygon's body flipped, and Krookodile finally released his grip. He turned and grabbed ahold of Flygon by the tail before swinging her above his head. With one swift motion, he slammed her against the ground, and the arcane energy exploded off of her body. When the smoke cleared, the referee nodded.
"Flygon is unable to battle! Krookodile is the winner!"
"There's still a lot more battle to go," Yuta said calmly.
Yurie put her hands together and she looked out onto the field. Suddenly, her focus was broken by a droplet of rain pelting her nose. She looked up into the air, and noticed as the rain started to fall a little bit heavier. It was at this point that some people in the crowd started to pull out their umbrellas.
Logan returned Flygon and then smiled. He observed the rain and the crowd as some of them started to use their umbrellas.
"Didn't check the forecast today, Logan?" Luna asked.
Logan shook his head. "Never have. Never will. Maybe this is just dumb luck." He pulled his final Poké Ball from his belt. "But I'll take it. Go, Swampert!"
Swampert materialized onto the field, and he danced around. He watched as he waved his arms and Krookodile's expression turned angry. Swampert grinned and then continued to dance.
"Beautiful," Himawari muttered. "Might as well have fun."
Logan raised his arm into the air, and the crowd went silent. They knew what was coming. The stone in his bracelet began to glow, and Swampert's body was filled with energy. An orb of light formed around his body, and when it dissipated, Swampert's new form was revealed. He smashed his arms into the ground and roared, but his grin never faded.
"Krookodile, use Earthquake!" Luna commanded.
The ground started to shake after Krookodile stomped as hard as he could, but it seemingly didn't affect Swampert. He laughed and then yawned, as though the attack was rocking him to sleep.
"Waterfall!"
Swampert clapped his hands together and water formed around his arms. He then ran forward at an incredible speed as the rain pelted against his skin.
"Outrage!" Luna yelled.
The arcane energy flowed through Krookodile once more, and he charged. The two Pokémon met with one another in the middle of the field, but Swampert easily ducked. He then uppercutted Krookodile in his large jaw, making the Pokémon stumble backwards. Krookodile, now dazed from the powerful arcane energy, attempted to swing his tail around, but completely missed.
"Try a Fire Fang!"
Krookodile roared as flames exploded from his mouth. He dove and crunched down, but instead of attacking Swampert, he smashed his face into the ground.
"No!" Luna yelled.
"One more Waterfall!" Logan ordered.
Swampert twisted his body around, the aquatic energy wrapping itself around his arms, and he swung for Krookodile.
"Outrage!"
The arcane fire exploded off of Krookodile's body. He stopped Swampert's attack with one of his arms and then with his other, he grabbed Swampert by the throat. He lifted Swampert into the air and then slammed him into the ground. The water dissipated from Swampert's arms as he took the bump.
"Direct Earthquake!"
Krookodile lifted his leg and held it over Swampert's body. He charged his energy and prepared to stomp.
"Ice Beam!"
As Krookodile moved forward, Swampert unleashed a beam of ice from his mouth. The beam connected with Krookodile's midsection, stopping his attack completely. Krookodile was flung into the air, and he crashed down onto the field. His body went limp as his tongue fell out of his large mouth.
The referee raised his flags. "Krookodile is unable to battle! Swampert wins!"
The crowd cheered, and Luna returned her Pokémon. Krookodile's face was blacked out, and it was down to one Pokémon each.
The Day Prior
Luna sat in the grass with her Pokémon. Emboar was by her side with his eyes closed. He wasn't napping, but rather enjoying the momentary peace.
"Tomorrow, Emboar. We're fighting with Logan."
"Emboar..."
"If you don't want to battle him, I won't force you to. I understand that you may have reservations about it. If Logan is smart, he'll be using your brother. I don't want to make you uncomfortable by forcing you into that battle."
Emboar opened his eyes, and he used his massive arms to help him stand up. He walked further into the field and looked to the sky. Without warning, he roared, sending a stream of flames upwards.
Luna smiled. "Then I guess it's decided."
Present Day
"Luna," Logan said. She looked up at him, and to her surprise, he was smiling, but it appeared that there were tears forming in his eyes. "I want you to know that leaving was one of the hardest things I ever did. I wasn't comfortable with going out on my own. I wasn't even sure if I was going to keep battling. I didn't know where I was going or what I was doing. But ultimately, I think I did what's best for both of us. You've become a much stronger trainer, and I think I've grown a lot over the past year. You'll always be my best friend, and I'll always support you. If I lose today, I'm glad that it's against you."
Luna's lip trembled, and she grabbed her last Poké Ball. "Me too." With that, she released Emboar onto the field.
Yuichi sat back and sighed. "Alright. Here we go."
"What?" Himawari wondered.
"Logan's Emboar is really strong. You saw that before, but Luna's Emboar is on an entirely different level," Yuta explained.
Yuichi nodded. "The champion of Alola said that Emboar was a champion level Pokémon. Emboar could go toe to toe with a legendary Pokémon if it wanted to."
"Sugoi…" Yurie muttered. "But Swampert is really strong! Go Swampert!"
"Why isn't she going with mega Blaziken though?" Himawari asked.
Yuta sat forward. "I've studied Logan and Luna and their battle styles for two years. Luna is a master of battle psychology."
"Yeah. There are two reasons why she's not using Blaziken. One reason is that Logan knows that she has Blaziken. She used Blaziken in my battle to show off her newfound power. She wanted Logan to know what she is capable of. And then, by not using Blaziken, it's as if she's telling Logan that she doesn't need mega evolution to win," Yuichi explained.
"And the second reason?" Yurie asked.
"The team she has used today is the exact same team she used to beat Logan in Alola. They have an additional year of experience, but still. She's taunting Logan. This is his test to see if he's truly grown and improved. It could psyche him out. There's also the small but important detail that all six members of Luna's team are stronger than her Blaziken. Even if you account for Blaziken's mega evolution, it pales in comparison," Yuta said.
The rain was now coming down hard, but it instantly evaporated as it hit Emboar. The heat of his body was enough to make the rain feel like nothing. Swampert relished in it, and he smiled at his intimidating opponent.
"Stone Edge," Luna ordered calmly.
"Waterfall!"
Emboar roared, and the stage shook. He lifted five large stones from the ground and then used his energy to send them across the field. Meanwhile, Swampert formed the aquatic energy around his arms and then destroyed the stones with five swift strikes. He then ran across the field and lowered his arms, preparing for an uppercut.
"Arm Thrust."
Swampert jabbed, but Emboar swiftly moved to the side. He lifted his arms and then thrusted once, knocking Swampert directly in the face. Swampert put up one arm in an effort to defend himself, and Emboar went for it. He punched the aquatic arms directly, making Swampert lower his guard for a second. With that, Emboar jabbed Swampert in the stomach and then once in the face. Swampert stumbled back slightly.
"Keep it going."
Energy filled Emboar's fists as he lunged forward once more.
"Hammer Arm!" Logan yelled.
Swampert built up energy in one of his arms, and he ducked Emboar's first attack. He swung around his body and smashed the entirety of his forearm into Emboar's head. Emboar stumbled slightly, but then jabbed again, hitting Swampert in the chest. Swampert rolled backwards, and Emboar slowly followed him.
"Waterfall!"
Emboar lifted his arms into the air for another strike, but Swampert's ability allowed him to move quick. He put his hands together, and with the help of the rain, he quickly formed the aquatic energy. He moved upwards, connected directly with Emboar's jaw. The Fire-type flew backwards for a few seconds before landing on his legs. He felt at his face and winced.
Himawari stared at the two in shock. "I didn't think I'd see Swampert put into a position like this."
"Battle isn't over yet," Yuta said.
"C'mon, Swampert!" Yurie cheered.
"Use Flare Blitz!" Luna commanded.
"Charge with Waterfall!"
Swampert roared, and he was covered completely in water while Emboar used his energy, setting his entire body on fire. The two rushed at one another and collided, sending both of them sliding backwards.
"Start Solar Beam!"
If that hits, we're done! Logan thought. "Ice Beam!"
Emboar raised his arms into the air and started to focus what energy he could. A few of the clouds parted, letting in light from the sun, and the rain slowly started to fade away. Swampert roared, and he released ice from his mouth. The beam connected with Emboar's feet, freezing them to the ground.
"And now Hammer Arm!"
With only a few droplets of rain left falling from the sky, Swampert zoomed forward. His arm started to glow with a fighting aura, and he swung wide, knocking Emboar in the face. But Emboar barely flinched, and he grinned before letting out a roar. From the heavens, a beam of yellow shot downwards.
"Protect!"
Swampert put his arms in front of his face, and a forcefield of blue energy formed in front of him. The beam connected with the blue shield, but Swampert was still tossed by the sheer force of it. When the beam faded away, so did the shield. Swampert slowly stood back up as Emboar pulled himself from the ice.
"So, you knew I had Solar Beam?" Luna asked.
Logan nodded. "I know that you don't go into battles unprepared."
"I figured there was a reason why you didn't use Protect earlier."
"How about we finish this?" Logan asked.
She nodded. "Sounds good to me. Flare Blitz!"
"Waterfall!"
Once more, the two Pokémon charged at one another as they were covered in the energy of their respective elemental powers. They collided with one another, causing smoke and dirt to fly into the air. When it faded away, both Pokémon were still standing, and their arms were interlocked in a game of power.
"Arm Thrust!"
"Hammer Arm!"
Both Pokémon let go of the other, and then they charged energy in their hands. With one swift strike, they both jabbed, knocking each other in the jaw. They held out and glared, both struggling to maintain the position. After one deep breath, Swampert's arm collapsed, and Emboar began to chuckle to himself.
"No…" Yurie muttered.
But then, Emboar fell forward, his face falling into Swampert's chest. Swampert stepped backwards, allowing his opponent to collapse to the ground. He then raised his arms into the air and let out a battle cry.
"Emboar is unable to battle! Swampert is the winner! The victory goes to Logan Stephenson!"
"What a battle!" the announcer's voice echoed throughout the stadium as the crowd erupted into cheers. "Logan makes a comeback against all the odds, and he will be moving onto the finals!"
"I told you!" Yuta said as he cheered. Yurie was taken aback by the sudden explosive energy from her former classmate.
"I didn't doubt him for one second!" Himawari yelled.
Yuichi stood up and started to jump up and down. "Only one more battle left!"
Yurie smiled and then she thought about what Yuichi just said. Only one more battle left… and then what?
Luna slowly walked onto the field to Emboar and she knelt down. Logan met with her in the middle, and he bent over so they were at eye level. Both trainers had tears slowly streaming down their cheeks.
"That was quite the battle," Logan said quietly.
Luna nodded, and she smiled through the tears. "It was."
AUTHOR'S NOTES (a long one):
Gonna be honest with you, I cried writing this battle. I don't want to get into it too much, but Luna and Logan's friendship/relationship is based off of my relationship with my previous best friend. So, when I wrote this battle and Logan and Luna's history, it was all very real to me.
That person and I played the Unova and Alola games together (Kalos too, but bleh), and I eventually moved to the real-life Hoenn (Kyushu) to "heal" after a particularly bad bout with depression, and since then, our friendship/relationship turned for the worst for various reasons.
Writing 'Healing in Hoenn' was originally a way for me to get my mind off of everything and cope with the loss of my best friend. Writing these past few chapters has been extraordinary for me, and I'm so glad that I finally got to share them with you.