Chapter 58 - Fancy Apple Juice
The Kanto Grand Festival was now in the Top 8, and with only seven battles remaining, it was the third and final day of competition. No matter what happened, the group knew that the winner would be crowned that day, and tensions were higher than usual.
When the crowd had shuffled into their seats and the clock struck noon, the fanfare all began again. Trumpets sounded, and the spotlight shone onto Lilian, who recapped the last two days of appeals and battles. When she finished that, she brought everyone's attention to the board and the tournament bracket. Michika's battle was set to go on first. She was called to the field alongside her opponent, a girl from Kalos.
In the backroom, it was much quieter than usual. All of the contestants were focused, as any one of them could win the whole thing. Omori was positive that he was going to be the winner, and he watched Michika's match intently, taking notes on all of her strategies.
Yure didn't feel that it was too necessary, as she had prepared as much as she could already. She also understood that Michika wouldn't be repeating the same strategies in her next couple of battles if she managed to move on.
Instead, Yurie found Reina, who was sitting alone and watching the screen. Yurie took a seat next to her and smiled.
"You ready?"
Reina was quiet.
"You okay?"
"Everyone keeps asking if I'm ready or if I'm okay. Everyone keeps feeling the need to check up on me," Reina answered in a monotone voice.
"I think people are just concern-"
"Well, they shouldn't be," Reina exclaimed sternly. "I don't want people to worry about little Eguchi Reina anymore! I want them to watch me and be amazed by what my team and I can do!"
Yurie smiled. She wasn't quite sure if Reina was angry or determined, but she liked the shift in attitude.
"I'm going to beat you, Kawahara-senpai!" Reina exclaimed. "And then everyone will know that I'm nothing to scoff at!"
"I see you as nothing to scoff at," Yurie answered quietly. "You're one of my strongest rivals. Give it all you got, and let's put on a show."
Michika's battle wrapped up quickly, and she came back to the locker room as a victor. Yurie and she drank a quick sip of fancy apple juice, and then Omori and Kitty were called to the stage.
"Our next battle is between two fearsome competitors!" Lilian's voice rang down the hallway while Omori and Kitty made their way.
Omori chose to wear a gold vest for today's events. It was a vest that he had been saving for months to use, but now that he felt destined to win the Grand Festival, he knew it was appropriate to wear.
Kitty was dressed in a maid's outfit that had various feline designs imprinted on it. Her legs had cute cat ears, and the ribbon that she used to keep her shoulder sleeves poofy had small cat designs on them. She was oddly quiet though, as she was one of the girls who had a crush on Omori. She didn't want to make it known, as she was just as determined to win.
"Coming all the way from Sinnoh, it's the coordinator known as Kitty!" Lilian announced.
Kitty let the spotlight rain down onto her while running onto the field. The crowd cheered loudly for her, as people from Kanto didn't share the same aversion to puns as Logan did.
"And then, he's the Goldenrod Playboy, it's Kitahara Omori!"
Now the crowd's cheers were different, full of screeching fangirls. The sound of their screeches pierced Logan's, Seshiru's, and Yuta's ears.
"I don't know if I'm rooting for Omori or Kitty," Logan said. "One of them annoys me, but I simply wish that one didn't exist."
"Which one?" Seshiru asked.
"Take your pick."
"Let's begin!"
"Misdreavus and Pichu, the stage is yours!" Omori shouted. A Ghost-type Pokémon materialized in the air. Next to her was the spiky-eared Pichu that Yurie had battled against once. If it were a league battle instead of a contest, then choosing a Pichu would be a questionable choice, but the battles were more about style than power, and Omori was confident in his Pokémon's ability.
Kitty grinned and grabbed her two Poké Balls, preparing to send her Pokémon to the stage. "If I've said it once, I've said it a million times."
"Please no," Logan muttered.
"My Pokémon-"
"No. No. No."
"-are purr-fect! Liepard and Purugly, go!"
Logan stood up and put his foot on the rail. He had every intention of jumping over it, taking to the stage, and then pummeling the girl with his bare fists, but Seshiru, despite being almost an entire foot smaller than him, managed to keep him back. "Omori, beat her! I don't care if you move on to the next round! Do it! Do it now!"
The timer started, and Omori wasn't going to let Kitty go first, despite his gentleman-like character. "Iron Tail and Shock Wave! Hit them hard!"
"Oh no! Meow!" Kitty shouted while Pichu raced down the field. Misdreavus unleashed a wave of electricity from the pearl necklace that she wore. It followed behind Pichu in a straight line, slowly building into a tide.
"Snarl right meow!" Kitty shouted.
Purugly jumped in front of her partner and began to growl, generating a black orb of energy in front of her mouth. She released it forward after a loud roar that echoed throughout the dome.
Omori snapped his fingers. "I don't think so! Use Surf and ride the Shock Wave!"
Pichu maintained his Iron Tail before jumping into the air and forming a ball of aquatic energy under his feet. He let the wave that Misdreavus created carry him forward, and he rode the wave, mixing the two energies together. It washed over Purugly's dark energy, destroying it completely, and then, before Kitty could make another command, her Pokémon were struck directly.
Omori grinned. "You can't beat our combination! Power Gem!"
Misdreavus howled while the pearls around her ghostly neck started to shift and change to a blue hue. She materialized a crystalized rock in front of her, giving it a lot of power. When she felt that it was beautiful enough and could be seen clearly by the whole crowd, she lunged it forward.
"I don't think so!" Kitty shouted. "Slice through it with Night Slash!"
It was once again Purugly who attacked. She ran forward and leaped into the air, giving dark powers to her claws. She crossed her claws and slashed, destroying the rock with ease and letting the crystals rain down below her.
"Go fur-ward with Aerial Ace!"
Now it was Liepard's turn. She bounded forward as wind whipped around her body. She tackled Pichu, who was not expecting such a quick strike. The Electric-type was thrown backward, but he was nimble enough to land on his feet, striking a pose for the crowd.
"One more Aerial Ace, meow!"
Liepard kept her forward momentum but then changed targets. She eyed Misdreavus before darting across the stage, attempting to repeat her attack.
"Will-O-Wisp!" Omori called while running his fingers through his hair. The fangirls screeched.
Misdreavus remained calm and collected while her eyes glowed red. Blue fire exploded from her body in what looked like a wave. They wafted over Liepard, making her screech from the instantaneous burn.
"It doesn't matter! Your Pokémon are in-fur-ior!" Kitty declared. "Night Slash!"
"Pichu, fight back with Iron Tail!"
Purugly and Pichu darted down the stage at one another. When they got close enough, they struck, iron-hard tail meeting evil infested claws. They held out awhile before realizing that they were even in strength. They separated, and all four Pokémon returned to their respective sides of the field.
"We're going to finish this!" Kitty yelled. "Rain Dance!"
Purugly began to wave her body around in an odd motion. She formed a ball of mist in her mouth and then shot it upwards, causing it to explode into artificial clouds. It began to rain down onto the stage, giving the battle a more dramatic feel.
Kitty started to laugh. "If we can't knock out your points, then we'll just go with knocking you out! Liepard, use Thunder!"
The artificial clouds began to rumble, indicating that Liepard was cooking up something devastating. Although she was burned, she still managed to be intimidating, her white eyes piercing through the darkness of the rain.
"The sound of our Rain Dance and Thunder combination strike is Mew-sic to my ears!" she declared.
Then, Liepard used her attack. Lightning struck down onto her, she focused, and they sent the lightning towards Omori's side of the field.
"Take the hit!" Omori shouted.
Pichu knew that the command was for him, and although he understood that a powerful strike like Thunder was dangerous, no matter the typing, he trusted in Omori's instincts. He ran forward and puffed out his chest before taking the full electric blast. There was a blinding explosion that followed, and everyone in the dome was forced to wait for the results. When the light finally faded away, Pichu remained standing, now appearing to be super-charged by the strike.
"What power," Logan muttered.
Omori pointed at Purugly and Liepard. "Finish this Pichu! Use Volt Tackle!"
Pichu got down on all fours. He began to race across the stage, slowly gaining momentum with each bound until his speed became blindingly fast. He was engulfed in electric power and then slammed his body into both of Kitty's Pokémon, causing yet again another explosion.
Kitty looked up at the screen, noticing that her points had been drained to zero, and then she was surprised as the rain came to a complete stop. The smoke cleared, and all three of the Pokémon that were involved in the final attack were unconscious.
"Your winner and moving onto the Top 4 is the Goldenrod Playboy himself, Omori!" Lilian declared. "Through a show of tremendous power, the cute Pichu and Misdreavus combo were able to land him the victory!"
Omori returned Pichu and then waved at the crowd as he took in their cheers. He found a camera, pointed at it, and winked, making some of the fangirls scream. Kitty, on the other hand, was disappointed in her loss. She withdrew her Pokémon, and then returned to the hallway.
There was one battle to determine who Michika would be facing off against, which was won by a boy named Rory. Yurie recognized him from her contest in Lavender Town and then again when they competed in the King of Kanto tournament. He specialized in Fairy-types and was mostly silent. When he spoke, it was with a Galarian accent.
When that battle wrapped up, the time for Yurie and Reina's third battle came. Their names were called, and they slowly made their way to the hallway, silent. They reached the curtain and waited while Lilian hyped up the match. No matter how much drama she tried to add to it with highlight reels, it wouldn't match the real emotion that Reina and Yurie were feeling.
"Good luck," Reina said before the two walked through the curtain and entered the spotlight. The crowd roared while they walked to their trainer's boxes and took their positions.
Yuta and Logan sat forward. Yuta wouldn't admit it, but he had traveled with Reina for the better half of a year, and he really wanted her to win the whole thing. He not only saw her as his student, but also as a friend, and if she lost now, he'd be disappointed.
Logan knew Reina well enough to want her to win, but he also considered Yurie his best friend, and he had to cheer for her. He hoped that they'd get an interesting battle out of it regardless.
"Coordinators, begin!"
"Let's go, Wartortle and Aggron!" Yurie shouted, throwing her Poké Balls forward. Wartortle emerged and then was surprised when his partner appeared. Aggron towered over him, but he smiled, reassuring that he was friendly.
Reina took in a deep breath. "I have to battle like every battle is the finals. I can't afford to lose. Kawahara-senpai, we're not going to hold back!"
Yurie nodded.
"Go, Charmeleon! And his partner, Lapras!" she yelled.
Charmeleon materialized on the field and next to him appeared a Lapras. Only, it was not like Seshiru's Lapras. This Lapras was purple instead of blue, and when it came from it's Poké Ball, it sparkled slightly.
"A shiny Lapras?!" Seshiru yelled. "And Wartortle! I'm so jealous! This isn't fair!"
Logan sighed. "You're such a powerful trainer, yet you have so much room for jealousy."
Yurie grinned and then clapped her hands together. "That's wonderful, Reina! I love it! Now, I want to be honest with you, I wanted to save this for a later battle, but it looks like I'll have to do it now."
"Huh?"
Yurie raised her wrist, revealing her mega bracelet with the Aggronite pearl. It surged with power, and the energy in the dome changed. All wind and sound was sucked out for a second before returning. And when it did, Aggron had taken his powerful form.
"I'm not going to take it easy on you either! This is my way of proving that! Let's do this, Reina!" Yurie exclaimed. "Aggron, use Rock Slide! Wartortle, Rapid Spin!"
Aggron clanged his two front claws together and began to generate stones in front of him. It was unlike any of the other times that he had used the move. With a howl, he launched blue stones into the air, sending them directly for Reina's team.
"Metal Claw!" Reina shouted.
Charmeleon quickly got in front of Lapras and then extended his claws. He swiped, slashing through the first few rocks with ease.
"Now, Lapras use-" Reina started, but before she could finish her command, she was interrupted.
Wartortle had used Rapid Spin, entering the pile of rocks, and when Charmeleon sliced through the first few, he opened up an opportunity for Wartortle. The Water-type came through, slamming the entirety of his shell into Charmeleon and sending him backward.
"Now, Iron Tail!" Yurie commanded.
Wartortle continued spinning before coming out of his shell and sliding across the stage. He reeled around and leaped into the air, sticking his tail out. He swung, aiming to get a direct hit into Lapras' jaw.
"Thunderbolt!" Reina yelled desperately.
Lapras sucked in air before unleashing sparks from her body. They came down on Wartortle putting a stop to his attack. He froze as his body stuttered slightly.
"And Ice Shard!"
Lapras stopped sending the sparks from her body and then howled. She formed a ball of ice in her mouth and then launched it, blasting all of Wartortle. The Water-type was forced back, but he was still strong enough to hold his ground.
"Dragon Breath!" Reina ordered next, keeping her attacks relentless.
It was Charmeleon's turn. He stood up and then ran forward while launching arcane flames from his mouth in a smooth stream. They blasted into Wartortle, finally pushing him back to Yurie's half of the field.
Yurie looked up at the board. Reina has inched ahead by a few points. She needed to be more careful.
"Let's change tactics!" she yelled. "Water Pulse!"
Wartortle was a little worn out from the onslaught of attacks, but he still managed to form a ball of water and then toss it forward. It exploded into a wave, which only increased in size by the second.
"Hydro Pump and Dragon Breath and slice it down the middle!" Reina commanded.
But, before her Pokémon could start their attacks, Aggron came barreling through the wave, his head glowing with intense energy.
"It was just a distraction?!" Reina yelled.
Aggron collided with Lapras, and using his immense power, managed to lift her off of the ground and hurl her backward. The crowd cheered when she hit the ground and Aggron roared.
Reina looked around the field, unsure of a perfect countermeasure. Then, Charmeleon stepped forward and puffed out his chest. Aggron was more than double his size, but the lack of fear on Charmeleon's face earned him applause from the crowd.
"Yeah!" Reina cheered. "Go, Charmeleon! Use Overheat!"
Charmeleon's yellow stomach started to glow. He charged up power within himself and then blasted orange flames from his mouth.
"Protect!" Yurie yelled as soon as she saw the opportunity.
Aggron didn't flinch at the super-effective attack, and his forcefield of blue energy materialized in front of him. Charmeleon's attack was reflected off of it, sending flames across the field haphazardly.
"Got ya!" Reina yelled.
"Huh?"
"Hydro Pump!"
Aggron turned around to find Lapras, who had somehow managed to sneak up behind him. She unleashed her powerful blast of water, now lifting Aggron from the field. The Steel-type was thrown into the air and crashed onto Yurie's side of the field, left for Wartortle to check on him.
"Now it's our turn!" Reina exclaimed. "Lapras, use Dragon Pulse!"
Similar to what Wartortle did with his attack, Lapras created an orb of arcane energy and plunged it into the ground. It created a wave of arcane flames, which grew in size and then raced towards Yurie's side of the field.
"Get ready!" Yurie shouted.
Then, from the other side of the flames, Reina commanded, "Dragon Rush!"
Down the middle of the flames, Charmeleon emerged, engulfed in his own arcane flames.
"Withdraw!"
Wartortle took into his shell before Charmeleon charged into him. He held his ground momentarily, but Charmeleon's power was too much. The flames exploded and Wartortle was flung away, landing in a heap against the ground. His body went limp, and half of Yurie's points were depleted.
She quickly withdrew Wartortle and then looked to the field where Aggron was engulfed with Charmeleon's arcane flames. On the other side, Reina was grinning from ear to ear.
Then the flames died down, and a look of horror came over Charmeleon's face as Aggron towered over him. He glared at Charmeleon intensely, now feeling that he could go all out if necessary.
"Double-Edge!" Yurie shouted. "It's time to do what you do best! Show them pure power!"
Aggron roared, stamped his feet, and then charged forward. White energy exploded from his back, making him look like a steel rocket. He knocked Charmeleon to the side and then continued his rampage, finding Lapras as his next target.
"Hydro Pump!" Reina shouted desperately.
But it wasn't enough. Lapras put all that she had into blasting Aggron, but the Steel-type was too resilient. He reached Lapras, picked her up into the air, and held her over his head in a display of strength.
"Iron Head!" Yurie commanded while pointing to the air.
Aggron dropped Lapras directly onto himself, and he disappeared under her weight momentarily. But then he headbutted her, and the two of them flew into the air. They both came down hard, but only Aggron landed perfectly.
Before Reina or Yurie could give another command, the buzzer sounded, and the lights went down. Everyone's attention was directed towards the screen as the judges made their call.
"It looks like through skill and the bonds with her Pokémon, the judges have decided that the winner of this battle is-" Lilian started.
Reina's heart started to beat rapidly. She hadn't been paying attention to the score. She knew that she had a big advantage from knocking out Wartortle. But she started to fumble towards the end. Was Yurie's bond with her Pokémon strong enough to make up for the lost points?
"Little Miss Yurie!" Lilian declared. Yurie's face showed up on the screen, revealing that she won by draining all of Reina's points.
Reina slumped as the spotlight went away from her and focused on Yurie. She withdrew her Pokémon and clicked her tongue. She was happy for her friend, but winning the Grand Festival in her debut year in front of a hometown crowd would have been perfect.
Then, the spotlight shone down onto her, and she looked up, finding Yurie who held out her hand.
"Thanks!" Yurie exclaimed. "You've grown so much in one year, Reina! Next year, let's continue to do our best!"
Reina now felt an entirely different kind of emotion. Tears welled up, and she started to cry. She dove forward and hugged Yurie tightly.
"Good luck, Kawahara-senpai! I'll do my best no matter where I go!"
The crowd clapped, and the spotlight faded, allowing for the two to go to the back. Everyone looked up at the board to see the Top 4 bracket, and they cheered once again.
"We'll give our competitors a fifteen-minute intermission!" Lilian announced. "During that time, feel free to use the restroom and grab yourself a snack! We're entering the Top 4, which means that things are going to continue to get more intense!"
Yurie looked at the bracket and then Omori. He stared back at her before holding out his hand.
"Last chance to be my girlfriend, Yurie. Wouldn't it be cool to be the girlfriend of a Top Coordinator?"
Yurie kept her hands at her side. She shook her head and then grinned. "Good luck."
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Only three battles left to go in the Kanto Grand Festival! Next chapter it's Yurie vs. Omori and Michika vs. Rory. Any predictions for what the rest of the festival will shape up to be like?
Also, Happy Halloween! I wanted to post a Halloween special, but I'm not sure if I have the time. I kind of want to focus that energy into finishing up Kickin' It In Kanto and Ascending Alola.
REVIEWS:
CrescentApple - "Between the two I think Reina's was more creative in battle. I really think she had a shot at winning this thing. She has grand potential. Laughed a bit when it said Omori only invited Michika and Yurie, but they bought everyone else with them either way haha." - I wanted to establish Michika as a threat, so I'm glad I could do that.
pokemonking0924 - "Kitty seems to be doing well and I hope she gives Omori a hard time. I bet I can guess the next celebratory drink, sparkling apple cider." - Very close!
wisdom-jewel - "Loved the battles and I wonder if Yurie and Omori would fight against each other. Like would he tried to get Yurie to agree to date him if she loses?" - There was mention of that, but I'm sure he wouldn't actually try to force her into anything.
SceptileBlade - "Reina's opponent was quite the sport. I thought you'd somehow write the contest battles as poems too but I guess they are battles in the end and that's too much effort. Kitty going on to the next round is quite unfortunate." - I'm not quite sure how I'd write a poetic battle. Maybe someday.
