Chapter 54 - Ginhikari
The three were now headed straight for the Battle Pyramid, which had found a temporary home on Route 3 in a mountainous area. Just as the name suggested, it was a massive pyramid, and if one knew where to look, it'd be impossible to miss.
During their two day adventure there, Yurie had looked up information on her upcoming Kanto Grand Festival. It would take place in a week, and the three would have to leave Route 3 for Celadon City as soon as Seshiru's battle finished, whether or not she won.
Although she had received confirmation from Akane about how well her rivals were doing, she still wanted to read the articles about their victories on her PokéNav. To Yurie's dismay, she couldn't find a single article indicating that Michika won her final ribbon. With only ten days left, this worried her. She wasn't sure if she'd see her friend again.
"You ready?" Logan asked as the three came to the glass doors of the Battle Pyramid.
Seshiru took in a deep breath and cracked her neck. "You never know, but we've prepared as much as we possibly can. I couldn't defeat the Sinnoh Battle Frontier. The leader was just too powerful. For all I know, I'm stepping into that same kind of territory. But we've trained hard and we've battled the best trainers in Kanto. We can do this. We're gonna win for Vaporeon."
"We'll buy some ginhikari and have a big feast tonight to celebrate!" Yurie said. "I think that people in Unova call it rainbow trout. It's delicious when its raw with some soy sauce!"
They walked through the sliding doors and into the lobby of the pyramid. There were dozens of workers who looked as though they had been digging in the nearby caves. They all stopped talking and looked at Seshiru.
"So, you're Seshiru?" a voice called. The group of workers divided down the middle, revealing a stern looking man in a green outfit. His hair was greying, but he looked to be healthy for his age. "I was beginning to think that you weren't coming. You're here for your final battle, correct?"
Seshiru nodded and held out a Poké Ball. "My name is Egawa Seshiru. Please accept my challenge!"
The man grinned. "My name is Jindai, Pyramid King. Your challenge is accepted."
"The following battle between challenger, Seshiru, and Pyramid King, Jindai, will now begin! It will be a four on four, single battle, and both participants are allowed to substitute!" the referee exclaimed. They wore a blue polo shirt and black khakis. They eyed both Seshiru and Jindai and then raised their flags. "Begin!"
The field at the Battle Pyramid was a standard one. It was a flat field made of dirt with white chalk lines. There was an area for a crowd, which was where Jindai's staff and Logan and Yurie sat. Seshiru knew from the way that the field was set, this battle wouldn't have any odd gimmicks like her last one. This was set to be a straightforward bout.
"I will begin the battle," Jindai said while drawing out his Poké Ball. "I've heard a lot about you and your Pokémon. We will test your strength. Ninjask, I need your assistance!"
Jindai's Pokémon materialized in the air and buzzed around. Logan and Yurie were familiar with Yuta's Ninjask, but they were sure that Jindai's would be full of surprises.
Seshiru watched the Pokémon's movements before making her selection. Floatzel appeared on the field and smacked her two tails against the ground. She snapped her maw shut repeatedly, trying to intimidate Ninjask, but the Bug-type lacked the ability to show any facial expressions.
"You may give the first command," Jindai said.
Seshiru snapped her fingers. "You got it, chief! Use Rain Dance!"
Without hesitation, Floatzel charged her attack and unleashed a ball of cloudy energy upwards. It exploded, forming artificial clouds over the field which then started a downpour. Seshiru smiled as she felt the rain hit skin, and Jindai didn't flinch, remaining stern in appearance.
"Interesting," he said. "Ninjask, use Swords Dance!"
"Aqua Tail!" Seshiru ordered.
Using her increased speed, Floatzel skated across the field with ease. She spun her body around and generated aquatic energy around her tails before slamming them into Ninjask. The Bug-type was tossed backward and crashed into the ground, skidding along its surface before coming back to the air. Due to Floatzel's distraction, there was an uncertainty as to whether or not Ninjask managed Swords Dance, but Jindai knew.
"X-Scissor!" he commanded.
"Fight back with Ice Fang!" Seshiru yelled. Her heart was beating rapidly, although the battle had only just begun.
The two Pokémon were incredibly fast. They collided in the middle of the field with their attacks. Ninjask slashed outwards, but Floatzel was quick enough to bite onto one of the Bug-type's limbs. Ninjask shrieked before retreating as ice started to crystalize itself on his body. Ninjask slashed the ice away, and then regarded Floatzel and prepared to strike once more. With every move it did, it was getting faster.
"Slash!" Jindai commanded.
"It's coming in fast! Use Aqua Tail!" Seshiru ordered.
Floatzel twisted her body around while using her tails to generate aquatic energy. She tried to slam the energy into Ninjask, but he was too fast. He narrowly avoided the water and then struck, slashing Floatzel directly in the cheek. Floatzel stumbled backward, only taking minimal damage.
If we can't dodge or outrun, it's looking like we'll have to take another tactic. Clearly he's gaining speed somehow, and even with Floatzel's boost, we still can't keep up. We're gonna have to change strategy.
"Use an X-Scissor!" Jindai yelled.
"Let's dodge it!" Seshiru directed.
Ninjask was too fast though. He turned his body around and crossed his two front limbs, forming an 'X'. They started to surge with power, and he drove himself into Floatzel's chest.
"Ice Fang and don't let go!" Seshiru shouted.
Floatzel didn't try to get away this time, instead opting to clamp down her jaws directly onto Ninjask. The smaller Pokémon cried out as the super-effective move did its damage.
"Get out of there!" Jindai commanded, but it was useless. Floatzel had made up her mind that she wouldn't release Ninjask until she was either ordered to or one of them fainted.
And eventually, Ninjask's screaming let up, and his body became limp. Floatzel let him fall to the ground and then backed up, watching the rain hit Ninjask's unconscious body.
"Ninjask is unable to battle!" the referee declared.
Jindai lifted his Poké Ball and withdrew Ninjask. He stared at the ball momentarily and contemplated his next move. "It's not very often that someone manages to defeat one of my Pokémon. The stories about how skilled you are are true, I take it." He tucked the ball back onto his belt and then drew out a white Poké Ball with a black and red top.
"A Timer Ball," Logan muttered. "Whatever is in that Poké Ball, it must have taken Jindai a long time to get it. Ninjask was only testing Seshiru's strength. It's about to get a lot harder."
"Registeel, I need your assistance!" he shouted, taking Logan and Yurie's breath away.
Registeel was a massive Pokémon that towered over Floatzel and Seshiru. It came to the field and began to beep while waving around its arms.
"No way," Yurie said. She remembered Registeel and what kind of power it was capable of.
"Be careful, Seshiru!" Logan yelled from the stands. "Registeel is a legendary Pokémon!"
"Legendary Pokémon?" Seshiru said before sighing. "Well, that's just not fair. But we're not going to give in."
"Floa!" Floatzel cried out.
"We can't give them much room to strike! Use Earthquake!" Seshiru commanded.
Floatzel used her tails to lift her into the air. When she came back to the field, she smashed her legs into the ground as hard as she could, making the entire Battle Pyramid shake. The attack was super-effective towards Registeel, but it had no facial expressions to show how much damage it was taking.
"Registeel, use Thunderbolt!"
Before the shaking could calm down, Registeel tucked its arms in. It charged up energy within itself before releasing bolts of electricity down the field. The bolts struck into Floatzel, forcing her to stop her attack. Electricity sparked off of her body, indicating that she had been paralyzed.
"Iron Head!" Jindai commanded.
Although slow to start, Registeel took a step forward. Then, as though something had been awakened in it, Registeel blasted across the rest of the field in a matter of seconds. It raised its massive head before bringing it down onto Floatzel, making the Water-type go stiff. Floatzel crumpled to the ground, leaving everyone in surprise. Registeel leaped into the air and came back down onto Jindai's half of the field.
"Floatzel is unable to battle!" the referee declared.
Seshiru withdrew Floatzel and then pulled her next Poké Ball from her belt. "Thunderbolt is a dangerous attack for my team, but we know how to handle ourselves." She threw the Poké Ball forward, and Quagsire appeared. He had the same slow movements as Registeel, but everyone was well aware of Quagsire's power.
Seshiru looked up at the clouds, which were slowly starting to dissipate. They'd soon be gone, so she knew that she had to make good use of them while she could.
"Muddy Water!" she ordered.
Quagsire let his tail hit the ground before water erupted around his body. A stream of muddied energy blasted straight towards Registeel, ready to do its damage.
"Ice Punch!" Jindai commanded.
Registeel raised one of its arms and drove it into the stream, freezing it instantly.
"And now, Superpower!" he followed.
"Quagsire, block with Mud Bomb!"
Registeel surged with power and then began to plow through the ice while it came down the field. Quagsire formed a ball of mud in his palms and then launched it forward, hitting Registeel in the eyes. It didn't slow the Pokémon down though, who continued forward, smashing its body into Quagsire. The Water-type was surprisingly tossed backward, landing hard in front of Seshiru.
Jindai grinned and then folded his arms. "I'm sure that you were thinking that Mud Bomb would have lowered the accuracy of Registeel's attacks, but because of its ability, Clear Body, that won't be happening."
Even with Clear Body, Superpower still wears down the user, so we can count that as a blessing, Seshiru thought as she watched Quagsire get back to his feet. She looked up and took note that there were no more artificial clouds. She would no longer get the boost from rain.
"Quagsire, use Ice Beam at the ground!"
"Quag!" the Pokémon called while unleashing the jagged beam of ice at Registeel. It froze the ground as Seshiru had intended, leaving Registeel without anywhere to go. With one step, it was sure to slip and fall, and Seshiru was positive it'd have trouble getting back up.
"Now, Mud Bob!" Seshiru directed.
Quagsire dove forward and slid across the ice on his belly. He formed two balls of mud in both of his palms before taking into the air, putting the mud together, and then launching the bigger ball downward. It collided with Registeel in the face, making it tumble back a few feet.
"Ice Punch!" Jindai commanded.
Registeel's red eyes shone through the thick mud, and it lifted one of its arms, jabbing it directly into the falling Quagsire's stomach. Quagsire lurched as he felt his guts move around in his stomach, but instead of flying backward, Registeel made sure that the Water-type stayed put.
"Superpower!" Jindai yelled.
Holding onto Quagsire, Registeel sent a surge of energy exploding from his body. The ice that surrounded him cracked and crumbled, and then Registeel raced forward, dragging Quagsire's body along the field. When he finished, he finally allowed Quagsire to fly. The large blue Pokémon hit the wall behind Seshiru before falling to the ground.
"Quagsire is unable to battle!"
Seshiru sighed and then withdrew Quagsire. She looked back at Registeel and examined it, unsure of how much damage it had left to take. Quagsire was her best option against it, as he could take Thunderbolt. Unfortunately, she had only brought four Pokémon with her, so she had to think over her next option thoroughly.
"C'mon out, Kingler!" Seshiru yelled while throwing her Poké Ball forward.
Kingler emerged and clamped her pinsers together, attempting to intimidate Registeel. She was unsure if it worked.
"Use Crabhammer!" Seshiru ordered without wanting to waste a moment.
Kingler scuttled forward while waving around her larger pinser. It became absorbed in aquatic energy, and when she got in close enough, she swung.
"Ice Punch!" Jindai yelled.
Registeel quickly snapped back, it's jab meeting Kingler's. The two Pokémon held out for a while before Kingler was shot backward. She quickly recovered and then blew bubbles from her mouth angrily.
Even after battling Quagsire and Floatzel, Registeel still has this much power? Incredible, Seshiru thought.
"Use Iron Head!" Jindai commanded.
Registeel robotically bent its body over before it rocketed over the field. It was much slower than last time, but it was sure to still do a lot of damage.
"Double Crabhammer!"
Kingler lifted both of her pincers and opened them while focusing all of her energy into them. When Registeel was close enough, she hammered them down, hitting the top of the Steel-type's head. Registeel fell forward while the power of Kingler's attack sent her into the air.
"Perfect!" Seshiru exclaimed. "Falling Superpower!"
"Kooki!" Kingler screeched while turning her body. She focused her power and tucked in her pincers while she fell back towards the ground.
"Use your own Superpower!" Jindai commanded.
Registeel didn't have enough time to charge up and blast forward like before, so it instead stood still while generating the fighting power needed. Kingler came crashing down, blowing smoke into the air. Seshiru looked on determinedly and waited for the smoke to waft away. She gasped as she saw Registeel's red eyes gazing straight at her. The smoke disappeared and both Pokémon stood. But then, Registeel fell straight backward, causing a loud crash.
The referee nodded and raised their flag. "Registeel is unable to battle!"
"Koo-ki," Kingler groaned while stumbling her way back to Seshiru's side of the field. She had used a lot of energy with her last two attacks, and Seshiru was unsure if she could go on much longer, but she had a strategy just in case.
Jindai returned Registeel and then looked at Seshiru. "Unfortunately, this battle will be over soon. It's been an exciting one, if I must admit, but you are not yet strong enough to defeat me. Regirock, I need your assistance!"
Jindai's next Pokémon was just as massive as Registeel was, only it was made of stone, and it's eyes shone gold. Seshiru assumed from the name and its appearance, it would have had some kind of relation to Registeel, which meant that it was also a legendary Pokémon.
Seshiru grinned. "Give me a Rock-type to battle, and we'll tear them to shreds."
"I don't think that'll happen to Regirock," Jindai said.
"Oh yeah? Kingler, use Guillotine!"
Kingler charged up energy in her pinsers and then ran forward as fast as she could. She leaped into the air and increased the energy. It came down onto Regirock like a massive wave, and both of the Pokémon were caught in an explosion of power.
But when the dust from the explosion settled, both Pokémon remained standing. The attack had effectively done nothing to Regirock.
"What? No!" Seshiru shouted.
"It looks like you've proven my point. Kingler is nowhere near the same power-level as Regirock, and therefore, they are not strong enough to pull off Guillotine," Jindai said. "Use Zap Cannon!"
Regirock put together its two massive arms and pointed them at Kingler. Its body started to buzz with energy while it generated electricity.
"Dodge!" Seshiru ordered.
But Guillotine had taken up too much of Kingler's power. She had no choice but to stay still while Regirock did its attack. The Legendary Pokémon shot off electricity from its arms like a rocket, blasting Kingler across the field. Her body tore into the ground before she reached Seshiru, where she went limp.
"Kingler is unable to battle!" the referee exclaimed.
Seshiru lifted her Poké Ball and let the red light engulf Kingler. She tucked her ball back onto her belt and then looked at Regirock. "If there's any Pokémon of mine that can defeat Regirock, it's you. Go, Poliwrath!"
Poliwrath appeared on the field in a crouched position. He slowly stood up straight and then flexed his muscles. He did not fear battling a legendary Pokémon, as it wouldn't be his first.
"Poliwrath, charge in with Waterfall!"
"Regirock, use Superpower!"
Poliwrath engulfed himself in aquatic energy before he rushed forward with enough power to climb a waterfall. Meanwhile, Regirock focused what chakra it had within its body, making it explode with energy. It rushed as fast as it could, and the two Pokémon met, colliding into one another. Regirock was no doubtedly stronger, managing to knock down Poliwrath.
But the Water-type wasn't even close to giving in.
"Dynamic Punch!"
"Stone Edge!"
Poliwrath's fist exploded with orange chakra. He ran as fast as his small legs would take him, but Regirock had already begun its defensive measures. Five pillars of stones exploded from the ground and encircled Regirock before darting towards Poliwrath. The Water-type swung his fist quickly, breaking through two of the pillars with ease. He was not quick enough for the third pillar and beyond though, which pelted him in the chest and made him fall onto his backside.
"And now, Earth Power!"
While its body remained still, its eyes continued to flash golden. The ground shook, and he tore a large chunk of the field and threw it into the air.
"Psychic!" Seshiru shouted. She could feel that her legs were beginning to shake.
Poliwrath lifted both of his mitten-like hands, and his eyes started to glow purple. The mass of land that Regirock had tossed towards him stopped moving in the middle of the air, and Poliwrath managed to toss it back. The land came down onto Regirock, causing a large explosion.
"Got 'em!" Seshiru exclaimed. "Now, Dynamic Punch once more!"
"Regirock, use Superpower!" Jindai's voice called from the other side of the smoke.
Both of the Pokémon raced forward, and they collided inside of the explosion. No one could see what happened, but they could feel the force of their strikes. It went silent momentarily before there was yet again another wave of power, blowing away all of the smoke. Both Pokémon had collapsed and were left unconscious on the ground.
The referee cocked his head and then raised both of his flags. "Regirock and Poliwrath are both unable to battle! However, Jindai still has one Pokémon left, and therefore he is the victor!"
"Oh no," Yurie said. "She lost. What happens now?"
"I'm not sure," Logan said quietly while watching his friend. "I don't know if she gets to have rematches or not. This can't be the end though, right?"
Seshiru and Jindai withdrew both of their Pokémon and then walked to the middle of the field. Seshiru bowed her head with her eyes closed. She hadn't faced a real loss in a long time, and although she was upset, she did a good job of hiding it.
"The Battle Pyramid will be leaving this location in a couple of days. We won't go far though. The rest of our time in Kanto will be near Victory Road. When you're ready, please challenge me again," Jindai said. "I'm looking forward to our rematch."
"Me too," Seshiru said quietly. She turned around and met with Logan and Yurie by the stands. Without looking back at Jindai, the three left the field and the Battle Pyramid.
Yurie wanted to hug Seshiru, and Logan wanted to ask if she was okay, but they were unsure of what to do. Seshiru was already a quiet and mysterious girl, so they didn't know how to approach it.
When they were outside, Seshiru paused, and her shoulders began to shake.
"Well?" she asked while she fought back tears. "Are either one of you going to hug me, or what?"
Yurie and Logan didn't waste another second. They both stepped forward and wrapped their arms around Seshiru, giving her a hug. With that, she finally let herself cry.
Cyan and Skylar had made their way through Rock Tunnel and were already in Cerulean City. Their goal was to get Pallet Town as soon as possible so that Cyan could find out why it was marked.
"To get there we have to go through another cave?" Skylar asked while looking at a town map that had been gifted to her. "Are you serious?" She had been through numerous caves in Unova, but none of them took as long as it did for them to get through Rock Tunnel. The thought of spending another day in a monstrous cave gave her a headache.
"Mt. Moon," Cyan said. "It's one of the places that was marked, so it's worth checking out anyways. I hear there are a lot of cool Pokémon there! Maybe we'll catch something?" He looked towards his Vulpix, but she didn't share his excitement. She was similar to Skylar in that she wasn't interested in traveling through anymore caves.
"We'll at least stay here for a night, right?" Skylar asked.
Cyan nodded. He looked around the market at the various kinds of seafood that the people had fished up. He wished that they could stay in Cerulean for a week and enjoy all of their different dishes, but they would have been better to move on.
They continued through the market, and Skylar bought a couple of items that she found interesting. When they reached the end, they came to an intersection where they had to wait to cross. On the other side of the street was a small box-like building. Cyan had heard of them, but he had never seen one before.
It was a small police station that people close-by could run to if there were ever any problems. It was near the market so it would dissuade any theft from local businesses. When they crossed, Cyan took a close look inside, finding a lone Officer Jenny.
"Over here," Skylar said, motioning towards a board with tons of posters. Some of them were for different summer camps and even a trainer's school in Cerulean City, but Skylar was focusing on the wanted posters.
Cyan and Skylar were yet to see the faces of the alleged Neo Rocket, but now they were clear.
Two posters, one with a teenage boy and one with a teenage girl. The girl had blood red hair and black lipstick. She wore skin tight leather clothing, and on her shoulder was a tattooed red 'R.' The boy had slicked back black hair and wore leather clothing, but more importantly, he looked as though he could have been a younger version of Cyan's former teacher, Giovanni.
"They have the same smile," Cyan muttered.
"Aira and Mizuki," Skylar said. "It looks like we now know the names of who we're after. That's a positive."
Cyan clenched his fist. "We're going to defeat them."
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Seshiru loses her first Kanto Battle Frontier battle! More than likely, after the Kanto Grand Festival, she'll get another shot, but we'll see!
Cyan and Skylar are in Cerulean City, and they see the faces of Aira and Mizuki. Is Mizuki related to Giovanni, or is he just a copycat?
Next chapter, we begin the Kanto Grand Festival Arc (which will finish off the second act of Kickin' It In Kanto)!
REVIEWS:
pokemonking0924 - "As for Cyan and Skylar they are looking for Neo team Rocket and Agatha told them that they are only looking for trouble and putting themselves in danger needlessly. Cyan deep down knows the elderly trainer is right but he just doesn't care, he just wants to end the team Rocket legacy." - And I'm hoping he can end them for good!
CrescentApple - "I'm a little confused why Logan wouldn't use Electivire or even Snorlax against Charizard. They would have managed a win. It almost feels like Logan isn't trying to use his strongest pokemon against Midori. It could be he is purposely rounding out his team. It was an odd choice, but he did very very good with what he had. Charizard's inability to fly kind of made me laugh a little." - Character-wise, Logan is trying to make sure his team remains balanced. Trying to write a good fanfiction-wise, I need to make sure that Logan's Pokemon man even appearances (so long as I don't put his Pokemon in stupid situations).
SceptileBlade - ""Cloyster is one of the best Pokémon defensively" *Glances at it's Sp. Def stat* Fun fact: A Steel Beam from an Excadrill can oneshot a Cloyster. Memes about it's special defense aside, it was a good battle, but tough luck for Logan once again. I guess flight isn't as easy that one just gains it on evolving. Eager to see how all this turns out." - From my experience with competitive play, a bulky Pokemon in any stat can be seen as a beast if played correctly. I'd argue that 180 in defense is enough to call it a defensive threat, even with a glaring weakness (seeing as how much switching out is done in competitive). I could have worded it better, but I learned a long time ago that dialogue along the lines of "This Pokemon has a great physical defense but is lacking in special defense" is kind of bad. It builds tension and then immediately undercuts it. However, I'll consider things like this moving forward.
