AUTHOR'S NOTES (1):
Happy New Year! I received a couple of messages from people who were worried about me (since I haven't posted in almost three weeks), and I just wanted to say that I'm okay. I've been really busy with debuting for a Japanese professional wrestling company (one of my dreams), and then I decided to just relax for a bunch of days during New Years. I hope you're all healthy! Now, on with the chapter, which is one of the most important in all of KiiK. I'm sorry it took so long.
Chapter 68 - Seshiru's Rematch! Hello, Titan!
The day of Seshiru's final challenge had finally come. It was something that she had been preparing for since her loss, and she knew deep down that she was ready. Her Pokémon were much stronger than they were last time, and she was planning on approaching the battle with new tactics. In the morning, she had contacted Bill so she could exchange a few Pokémon, and when the time was right, the three headed off towards the Battle Pyramid.
With every day, we get closer to ending our journey together, Yurie thought. She walked behind Seshiru and Logan as they discussed strategy. I finished at the Grand Festival, and now Seshiru is about to wrap up her Battle Frontier challenge. Next is Logan, and then everything is just… done.
Torchic looked up at his trainer. He could see the pain in her eyes, and although he didn't understand exactly why, he was still concerned.
"I think your team is solid," Logan said. "There's a chance that he's gonna try to use all three of the titans against you. Unless there's any more that I'm unaware of, then I think you're properly prepared."
"I'm sure I am. Even if I don't have the type advantage, my Pokémon are top-level. Poliwrath alone can take down one of those Regis," Seshiru answered with a smile. "I'm sure of it."
The three reached the Pyramid, and they all stopped momentarily. Seshiru looked back at Logan and Yurie before smiling.
"Well, this is it! My last battle! I didn't envision you both coming all this way with me, but I'm glad you did," she said.
Logan rubbed the back of his head. "It feels like ages ago since we first met."
Yurie thought back and remembered Seshiru's battle in the Seviper tent. "I'm glad that I've been able to watch all of your battles."
"The following battle between the 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. He wore a blue polo shirt and black khakis. He eyed both Seshiru and Jindai and then raised his flags. "Begin!"
Jindai grinned and drew out the Timer Ball from his belt. "I'll select my Pokémon first. I think I'll change up my order a little bit. Regirock, I need your assistance!"
The family Pokémon appeared from the ball and rocked back and forth while its eyes glowed in a random pattern. It faced Seshiru, and its expressionless face made her slightly uneasy. However, she knew that she couldn't let the Pokémon get to her.
"Time to put my money where my mouth is! Poliwrath, go!" Seshiru shouted while throwing her Poké Ball forward. Poliwrath emerged and flexed his muscles. He eyed Regirock and then took a battle position, prepared to fight with all of his heart against the legendary Pokémon.
"Once more, I'll give you the first attack," Jindai said. "But make it count, Seshiru."
"We will! Poliwrath, use Liquidation!"
Poliwrath wasted little time. Aquatic energy formed around his body, and he skated across the battlefield, raising his arms and preparing to strike.
"Iron Defense!" Jindai commanded.
Moments before Poliwrath struck, Regirock started to glow with an iron-like hue. The Water-type crashed into it, but there was seemingly no damage done. Regirock remained still, waiting for Jindai's follow up command.
"Focus Punch!" he shouted.
"Psychic!" Seshiru yelled.
Regirock bent back slightly before lunging his large arm outward. He intended to connect directly with Poliwrath's midsection, but the Water-type was too fast. He held out his arms and focused his energy, managing to slow down Regirock's attack. The two struggled momentarily before Regirock managed to finally hit Poliwrath. His body flew into the air, but he flipped before landing on his feet and striking a fighting pose.
We just need to land a couple of hits, and we can win this. Poliwrath was practically built to beat up rock types. It doesn't matter if this one is legendary or not. Seshiru thought.
"Regirock, use Lock-On!" Jindai shouted.
"That's not good, but it gives us a chance to strike!" Seshiru exclaimed. "Use Dynamic Punch!"
"Poli!" her Pokémon yelled while putting power into his fist. He ran down the field once more while Regirock observed his every movement. When Poliwrath was close enough, he swung, and his fist exploded with power, engulfing the legendary Pokémon in smoke. Poliwrath backed away, and everyone waited for the big reveal.
Jindai folded his arms. "Smart move. Now my Regirock is going to suffer from a confused state. My once guaranteed shot is no more." He grinned. "But that's not going to stop me from trying. Regirock, use Hyper Beam!"
"Poliwrath, hands up!"
The smoke finally cleared, and Regirock started to buzz. Without any more warning, he fired off his strong beam, which connected directly with Poliwrath. The large Water-type was dragged against the ground before being blown into the air. He hit the field hard when he came back down, and Seshiru felt as though all of the wind had been knocked out of her chest.
But then, Poliwrath started to stir, and within only a few seconds, he was back to his feet. He puffed out his chest and then held his arms out, ready to keep battling. Seshiru felt a wave of relief and she grinned.
"We're not done yet!" she yelled. "And now your little rock is frozen! Poliwrath, use Liquidation!"
Although he was much slower now, Poliwrath skated as quickly as he could across the field. He formed aquatic scythes around his arms and then slashed, hitting Regirock directly in its midsection. The Rock-type doubled over slightly before stumbling back a few feet.
"Focus Punch!" Jindai commanded.
Regirock tried to recoil, but it instead shoved its arm into the ground, affected by its confusion status.
Seshiru grinned. "Here's our chance! Poliwrath, give it all you got! Use Liquidation!"
Poliwrath knelt low while increasing the amount of aquatic energy around his arms. He then uppercut as hard as he could, managing to lift Regirock off of the ground, and to everyone's surprise, knock it backward. Regirock fell onto its back and then went limp while the light in its eyes slowly died down.
The referee raised his flag. "Regirock is unable to continue! Poliwrath is the winner!"
Jindai kept a cold expression on his face, but deep down, the loss of Regirock so early had made him nervous. He slowly grabbed the Timer Ball and withdrew his Pokémon before observing the ball closely.
"Seshiru, you're the talk of the town when it comes to the Battle Frontier. Everyone had their eyes on you from day one. It's easy to see why. You have future champion written all over you," Jindai exclaimed while pulling out a Poké Ball. "But that's a story for another time. For now, I'm asking for 100% of your attention. Dusclops, I need your assistance!"
Logan put his hand to his chin. "Interesting tactic."
"What tactic?" Yurie asked.
"Well, this could go one of two ways," Logan said. "He chose Regirock first to see how much damage he could do to Seshiru's team. It looks like that wasn't as effective as he had been hoping. I was assuming that we'd be getting an onslaught of legendary Pokémon, but it looks like Jindai is going for some kind of cool down strategy."
Yurie tilted her head. "That, or his Dusclops is an elite level Pokémon."
He nodded. "Out of the two ways this could go, that's the scary way."
Dynamic Punch is out of the question, so we have to take a different tactic, Seshiru thought. "Poliwrath, use Ice Ball!"
Poliwrath clapped his mits together and then formed a small ball of ice, no larger than a snowball. He flung it into the air, but Jindai and Dusclops were ready.
"Will-O-Wisp!" Jindai bellowed.
Dusclops formed a ball of blue fire and launched it forward. It burnt through the ball of ice with ease before connecting with Poliwrath, instantly giving him a burn condition.
Not good! Seshiru screamed internally. "Poliwrath, try another Ice Ball!"
Poliwrath, although in a lot of pain, was able to gather up a ball of ice in his palms, much larger than last time. He threw it at Dusclops, but his arms seemed to have given out at the last second due to the burn, and the throw was weak. Dusclops was pelted, but he quickly recovered and waited for Jindai's command.
"Confuse Ray!"
A thin green mist emitted from Dusclops before racing across the battlefield and engulfing Poliwrath. The larger Pokémon was still able to move, but he wobbled back and forth. Seshiru gritted her teeth and then slowly lifted her Poké Ball, considering her options.
"I don't think so!" Jindai yelled. "Mean Look!"
Dusclops dashed forward and looked at Poliwrath directly in the eyes. The Water-type was frozen, unable to move a muscle. The beam from Seshiru's Poké Ball wouldn't take back Poliwrath, leaving the Water-type on the field.
"Oh no."
Then, fire exploded from Poliwrath's body, making the Pokémon screech. He collapsed to his knees, but his shoulders bobbed up and down, indicating that he was still capable of fighting.
"We can still do this!" Seshiru said. "We'll work with what we have! Use one more Ice Ball!"
Poliwrath roared and then got back to his feet. He formed an even larger ball of ice over his head, preparing to throw it down onto Dusclops at close-range. But then, Poliwrath's legs gave out again, and his body lost control. He dropped the ball of ice onto his head, and it exploded into an icy mist, which slowly faded away to reveal the now unconscious Water-type.
"Poliwrath is unable to battle! Dusclops is the winner!" the referee announced.
Seshiru withdrew her Pokémon and held the ball tightly in her hand. She sighed and then tucked it away. Poliwrath had done incredibly well, managing to survive against Regirock and then get off a small bit of damage towards Dusclops. He had done more than enough, but she knew that the battle could turn at any moment. She grabbed her next Poké Ball and threw it forward. A large Pokémon appeared, one that was used to only battling in the water. It was Lapras, and she howled, prepared to prove that she was just as capable on land.
"Ice Beam!" Seshiru ordered.
"Use Will-O-Wisp!" Jindai commanded.
Lapras howled once again and blasted the jagged beam of ice from her mouth. It easily broke through the ghostly flames that Dusclops created, but the Ghost-type was not her target. Instead, her attack met with the ground, turning the field into a homemade ice rink.
"Now, use Waterfall!" Seshiru called.
Lapras stopped blasting ice from her mouth and then created aquatic energy around her flippers. She started to glide across the ice, preparing to crash directly into the Ghost-type.
"Shadow Punch!" Jindai yelled.
Dusclops remained in his position before thrusting his fist forward. It collided into Larpas' large body, but it only slowed her down momentarily. She quickly whipped around and smashed one of her back fins into the Ghost-type, knocking him into the air.
"And now, Ice Beam!"
"La-pras!" Seshiru's Pokémon called back, releasing the jagged beam once again. This time, Dusclops was the target. The Ghost-type was barraged by the beam, and his movements started to slow before he fell back to the ground. He crashed into the field, kicking up some dirt and mist.
The referee waited momentarily before raising his flag and making the call. "Dusclops is unable to continue. Lapras is the winner!"
Poliwrath really helped me to get ahead, and with this, there's a good chance that we could make it to Jindai's final Pokémon with more than half of my team left to spare, Seshiru thought.
Jindai withdrew the flattened Dusclops and promptly pulled his next Poké Ball from his belt. "Solrock, I need your assistance!"
Jindai's next Pokémon was one that Logan and Yurie were familiar with, as they had double battled against one more than a year prior. Yurie didn't know this, but it was the first time that Logan had ever felt feelings for her.
Seshiru had no experience with the Pokémon, but just from observing it, she felt confident in Lapras' ability to take it down. It floated in the air, taking in the solar energy from the glass ceiling.
"Solrock, begin with Psywave!" Jindai commanded.
"Fight back with Ice Beam!"
The two Pokémon launched their long-ranged attacks, clashing in the middle of the field. There was a small explosion of ice and kinetic powers, which shook the pyramid.
"Shadow Ball!"
Solrock spun its body around, forming balls at the tips of each of its rocky appendages. It shot each ball forward like a bullet, but Seshiru and Lapras weren't afraid.
"Knock them away with Waterfall!"
Lapras continued her defensive game, slicing through each of the Shadow Balls with her fins, appearing to be a samurai of the sea.
"Now, Body Slam!" Seshiru ordered.
Lapras used the ice to slide across the field and then somehow, she launched herself into the air, stretching out her tiny limbs as far as she could. She started a small spin and aimed for Solrock.
"Now it's our turn! Confusion!"
Solrock focused all of its energy, sending out a wave of kinetic energy from its body. The energy caught Lapras in the middle of the air, surprising the large Pokémon.
"Incredible power from Solrock!" Logan exclaimed.
"And Psywave!" Jindai yelled.
Solrock blasted more kinetic energy forward, hitting Lapras in the underbelly. Lapras was thrown back to her side of the field, crashing onto the ice shell first. She slid across the ice and started to flail about, unable to get back into a safe position.
Jindai crossed his arms. "This victory is ours. Solrock, use Solar Beam!"
Solrock began to collect energy from the sun, and its body started to glow with a yellow aura.
Seshiru hadn't ever been put in a situation like this with Lapras, as she had very little experience with battling on land with the Pokémon. There was no easy answer, and she had to come up with something on the fly.
"Lapras, calm down and use Sparkling Aria," Seshiru instructed with a collected voice.
Lapras stopped struggling before she closed her eyes and then started to hum. It started low but then slowly began to heighten its pitch, forming a ball of aquatic energy above her body.
"Now!" Both Jindai and Seshiru yelled.
The ball of aquatic energy imploded in on itself, raining out stored power all around the field while Solrock unleashed what it had gathered, shooting a beam of light towards Lapras. The mix of the attacks created smoke throughout the field, and no one, not even Jindai, could tell what was happening. But eventually, everything went silent, and the smoke faded away. The only Pokémon that remained conscious was Solrock, who barely had enough strength to remain floating in the air.
"Lapras is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "Solrock is the winner!"
Well, there goes my plan of overpowering whatever his fourth Pokémon is. Solrock isn't as easy as I thought it'd be, but I guess that's to be expected from Jindai, Seshiru thought while withdrawing the unconscious Lapras. Seshiru looked up at the ceiling, observing the light that trickled through. It appeared that it was beginning to dim as clouds slowly started to fill the sky.
"Usually, I'd welcome rain," Seshiru muttered while grabbing her next Poké Ball. "It makes fishing easier."
"It also gives an advantage to most of your Pokémon," Jindai exclaimed.
Seshiru grinned. "But not all of them. Go, Wigglytuff!" she shouted. Her pink Pokémon emerged onto the field and bobbed her head, waving the cute tuft of hair around.
Jindai put his hand to his chin. "I know better than to judge a Pokémon by their appearance. I look forward to seeing what you can do with Wigglytuff."
"Well, you won't have to wait too long! Wigglytuff, use Shock Wave!"
"Wiggly-tuff!" the Fairy-type screeched before launching a ball of concentrated electricity at the ground. It exploded into a wave, which washed over Solrock.
"Confusion!" Jindai commanded once Solrock was able to recover.
Solrock focused, and the field started to shake. Wigglytuff was forced to a stop, and she held out at her head while Solrock put pressure on her.
"Don't let it get to you!" Seshiru ordered. "Hyper Voice!"
While keeping her hands on her head, Wigglytuff channeled her pain and started to screech, sending out soundwaves across the field. Solrock lacked ears, but the vibrations from the attack were strong enough to force it to stop.
"And now, one more Shock Wave!"
Wigglytuff repeated her motions from before, unleashing the wave of electricity down the field. It connected directly with Solrock again, now bringing it to the ground. The nonstop attacks combined with Lapras' prior aria was enough to bring the Pokémon down for the count.
"Solrock is unable to battle! Wigglytuff is the winner!" the referee declared.
Jindai couldn't help but crack a smile although he was behind yet again. He withdrew Solrock, regarded the Poké Ball, and then tucked it away.
"My next Pokémon is your final challenge in the Battle Frontier, Seshiru. I'm sure that you're prepared, but anyone can make mistakes. Do your best, as I expect nothing but excellence from you," he stated.
Seshiru nodded and looked up at the ceiling once more. The sunlight had almost faded away completely. She looked back at Jindai. "You'll get nothing but excellence."
"Good. Regice, I need your assistance!"
Jindai's newest legendary titan was not as intimidating as either Regirock or Registeel, but it still had a lot of mass to it. Its movements were a lot smoother, and it slightly floated in the air. Its legs appeared like they would have been able to easily skate along the ice had it not been cracked by the intense battle.
"We can't give it any chances," Seshiru said. "Wigglytuff, take it down with Focus Blast!"
"Fight back with Focus Punch!" Jindai commanded.
Both of the Pokémon focused their chakras outward. Wigglytuff morphed hers into a ball and then launched it across the field, melting some of the ice while floated over them. Regice place the energy at the tip of his arm, thrusting it into the concentrated ball when it got close enough. What followed was an explosion of chakra, which covered Regice in smoke.
"And, Ice Punch!"
Regice came from the smoke, raising its other fist into the air. It reached Wigglytuff in an instant before swinging downward.
"Hyper Voice!" Seshiru commanded.
Wigglytuff opened her mouth to let out a screech, but she wasn't fast enough. Regice hammered down onto her, forcing her to the ground.
"And one more!" Jindai yelled.
"Shock Wave!" Seshiru shouted.
It was much easier for Wigglytuff to make the sparks necessary for Shock Wave. She blasted them at the ground and rushed over Regice's body. The Ice-type slowly backed away as the damage set in.
Seshiru observed Wigglytuff. Ice Punch was strong enough to do a lot of damage to her, and she knew that it'd be next to impossible to shrug off another blow like it. Seshiru had one final attack though, as much as she hated having to use it.
"Misty Explosion!" she shouted.
Wigglytuff's eyes started to glow pink, and she grinned before energy surged around the entirety of her body. Much like Sparkling Aria, Wigglytuff imploded, sending a pink blast across the field. It was strong enough to send the heavy Regice into the air. It crashed hard, and through the smoke, it was impossible to see what exactly had happened.
"Rest!" Jindai commanded, not wanting to wait for another command from Seshiru. He had never seen Wigglytuff's attack before, and he was concerned about follow-up.
But then it had become clear what had happened after the smoke had finally cleared, revealing an unconscious Wigglytuff flat on the ground.
"Wigglytuff is unable to continue! Regice is the winner!"
Seshiru was prepared to withdraw her Pokémon as soon as she made the command. She lifted her Poké Ball, withdrew Wigglytuff, and then observed the now sleeping Regice. Seshiru cocked her head before placing Wigglytuff's Poké Ball back in its spot. She took a deep breath and then looked at Jindai. "I should warn you, I came to win. My next Pokémon is more powerful than any of my others."
"She already used Poliwrath? What is she talking about?" Logan wondered aloud.
Yurie shrugged. "Maybe she has more secrets?"
"I enjoy a good battle. I hope you're not bluffing," Jindai said with a cocky grin.
Seshiru looked around the field and then back to Jindai. "It's going to get pretty intense in here. There's a chance that there will be some serious damage to the Battle Pyramid."
Jindai's glance didn't waver. "I'm not intimidated. The scars of the Battle Pyramid are simply reminders of the great battles that we've had."
"I'm glad to hear that. So, I won't be responsible for any costs?"
"None."
Seshiru couldn't help but grin. She held her hand into the air and snapped her fingers. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the glass ceiling, shattering it into a million pieces. The glass rained down to the field while a Pokémon entered from above, carrying lightning with it.
"She's crazy," Yurie said with a nervous giggle. Torchic couldn't help but be excited by the legendary Pokémon making its appearance.
Jindai was shocked, but he tried not to let it show. He wasn't sure if he was impressed by Seshiru or angry that she destroyed his ceiling. He was aware of her mischievous nature and knew that he should have seen it coming.
Zapdos floated over Seshiru and then observed Regice. It knew that the Ice-type wasn't awake, and it was fully prepared to take advantage of it. Zapdos screeched, sending sparks throughout the field.
And the stage for a battle between two legendary Pokémon was set.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
So, I'm still trying to get back into a writing flow, but I think I kind of got it. Unfortunately, I was set to start all sorts of projects in October/November, but… yeah. I can't promise that everything is going to be organized, but I hope to finish KiiK, Ascending Alola, and Cyan's current champion arc all within March. I think that KiiK will be finished in February, but we'll see.
And yeah! The stage is set for Zapdos vs. Regice! I decided to split this battle sort of in two. Leaving y'all with sort of a cliff hanger. We'll be dealing with the consequences of the end of this battle in the next chapter. Predictions for the battle?
REVIEWS:
CrescentApple - "Wha.. Yuta didn't make it? Dang... I guess he sort of got a redemption in this region, thanks to Reina. He seemed less... imposing after this. Or his loss against Logan humiliated him somewhat..." - That's pretty much the reaction I wanted. Haha
wisdom-jewel - "I do wonder if Logan and Yurie's become a platonic or a romantic relationship." - This is an issue that I'm currently dealing with...
pokemonking0924 - "This was quite the emotional chapter both sad and sweet they way they talked about the future. I feel bad that Yuta didn't get badge number eight but I am impressed by his growth as a person and his idea to help give out starter Pokémon to new trainers to prevent trainers who went rogue and became evil organization grunts." - Yeah! I also kind of want to introduce the idea that a lot of trainers give up after two or three years of traveling, so that's one reason why I had Yuta take this path.
