Before the tournament can properly begin, there are still a few things that need to happen. For one thing, a prelude, where a certain score needs to be settled!
KedharS: No idea.
Aquahaze675: Akira has his own shit to deal with, and besides, it'll make sense when we see certain things.
Thunder Fire: Yeah, there are a lot of players right now.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 491
Callie and Nick went to get an early breakfast, eating at a couple's table in the Snorlax Commons.
"I'm glad my only classes on Tuesdays are in the afternoon," Callie purred, taking a bite of ham. "I get to enjoy my morning."
"Too bad we can't do anything other than eat breakfast together," Nick sighed. "I have classes in the morning, you have classes in the afternoons, like two ships passing in the night."
"Still breakfast, lunch, and the evenings," Callie reasoned, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'm enjoying myself right now, just eating with you, you know?"
"Th-thanks," Nick said, blushing a little and picking at his eggs. "Oh, um, I almost forgot, Sango came to our room last night and told me to tell you something."
"Oh? What?" Callie asked, leaning forward and piercing a piece fruit with her fork.
"Apparently, there's a guy who's looking for you," Nick said. "He wants to fight you. Sango said it was an emergency, but I didn't think that it was that big of a deal. Just thought I would mention it, so you'd be on your guard."
"Ian Davidson, you mean," Callie frowned, popping another berry chunk into her mouth.
"You know him?" Nick asked, surprised.
Callie slumped down in her seat, sighing. "We have a history…"
"Oh! By, um, a history…" Nick felt a little green around the gills to be suggesting this, but… "do you mean, well…"
"What? Oh! Oh, no, no, never! No, we weren't- It's not THAT kind of history, don't worry," Callie laughed, shaking her head. "No, we were rivals, that's it."
Her jovial tone faded and she sighed again.
"…Okay, it's a little more complicated than that."
"What do you mean?" Nick asked. "You don't have to worry about anything, you can tell me."
"…Stop looking like that, dummy," Callie said, rattling her knuckles against Nick's hand, laughing. "I already told you, it's not like that! You're the first person I've ever done anything with, you don't have to look like someone shot your Absol."
"Then what's the complicated part?" Nick asked.
Callie couldn't keep her face up, her expression darkening.
"So you know how people doubted my ability to become a member of the Eight Leaders?" Callie asked. "Still doubting… a lot of the others don't think that I can be both a member of the Eight Leaders and the president of the Pokemon Fight Club."
Callie understood that they might have a point, as some days she was having trouble just staying afloat with her workload. But she would never admit that.
"I think they're stupid," Nick assured her. "You're great, you're right on top of this."
Gosh, she just loved him to pieces.
"Basically, part of the reason for their doubts is because I was sort of… not the person they were looking for to join," Callie sighed. "This guy, Ian? He was one of the people that they wanted. All the other Juniors, mainly, they were all picked ahead of me, and, well… I was just the runner-up. The alternate. So when Ian turned the position down, well…"
She pointed her thumbs at herself, raising her eyebrows.
Nick sighed.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Nick said, reaching over and placing his hand on hers. "But it doesn't matter how you got in, you're tough, Callie. You just have to show 'em that you belong in your position, now that you're here. And you've been doing that, right?"
"Yeah," Callie smiled, nodding her head. "You're right, Nick! I am tough! And that's why I'm going to face Ian's challenge head-on!"
Callie finished off the last of her breakfast and jumped to her feet, reinvigorated.
"Wait, Callie, you mean Ian already challenged you to a battle?" Nick asked, shocked.
"Yeah, last night," Callie said, nodding. "A quick thing, 10 in the morning. No fanfare, no crowds, just going out for a quick 3 on 3."
"And you're okay with that?" Nick asked. "I mean, Callie, you don't have to fight this guy if you don't want to."
"It's fine, Nick," Callie said, punching her fist into her palm. "Win or lose, I'm in it for the fight! I know I'm tough, so there's nothing to worry about! Even if I did lose to Cynthia that one time due to a dirty trick. Ian's a tough opponent, but I'm ready to give it to him!"
"Sorry I can't be there to watch your fight," Nick apologized. "I've got class."
"It's fine," Callie assured him. "We can meet up for lunch after! But I'll tell him I'm ready." She skipped around the table and gave Nick a quick peck on the cheek. "Gotta go! See ya!"
Callie turned and waved goodbye, heading out before Nick could even get a word in. The reason for that?
Callie wasn't as confident as she was leading Nick to believe. His encouragement and support had convinced her that she should go through with the fight, sure, but that wasn't the same as being certain of her victory. Ian had been a tough opponent that had easily beaten her a year ago, and she suspected that he'd only gotten stronger in his time away.
"That's okay," she told herself. "I've gotten stronger since then, too. And win or lose, what's important is that I try my best!"
Callie had arranged with Ian to meet her on her home turf. The Pokemon Fight Club had its own battlefield for training, and she was going to make full use of it. The building was empty, so there would be no distractions. And Callie had dressed up for the occasion. For other girls, "dressing up" meant putting on a fancy dress and makeup, doing up their hair. For Callie, it was her sparring gi, crisp and white and tied with a belt the color of midnight. Barefoot, she was calming her nerves by repeatedly kicking the target bag to build her focus.
"Hello?"
There he was. Callie straightened up, wiping the sweat from her brow with a towel, and left the training area, stepping out into the makeshift stadium that Ian was waiting in.
"Ian," Callie said evenly, nodding to him.
"Callie! It's been a while!" Ian said, his eyes shining cheerily. He waved. "You look good! Have you gotten taller?"
Callie scowled. She hadn't. But she quickly regained her professional guise, walking across the battlefield to greet him.
"Welcome," Callie said, lowering her head in a respectful bow.
"The pleasure is mine," Ian replied, bowing back to her. "I am grateful to you for accepting my request."
"I'm always happy to battle with a tough opponent," Callie said. "I'm sure you understand that feeling quite well yourself."
"Absolutely," Ian nodded. "I've been waiting for this battle since I heard you joined the Eight Leaders, Callie. You'll be my first opponent."
"Yes," Callie said, nodding. She bowed her head again. "It brings me great pleasure to be the first of the Eight Leaders you challenge."
"Oh, that reminds me," Ian said, digging into his pocket and pulling out the letter he had gotten as Callie turned to walk back to her side of the battlefield. "I got this letter talking about the Phantom Cup. Are you going to be joining too?"
Callie twitched, scowling. No, she wasn't going to be joining.
"I didn't receive an invitation," she replied, trying to keep from sounding upset about it as best as she could.
"Oh, really?" Ian asked, sounding genuinely surprised. That surprise quickly turned into disappointment. "So does that mean the other members of the Eight Leaders didn't get invitations either? That kind of sucks, I was hoping to fight them there."
"I believe they did," Callie said through gritted teeth. "My brother and I are the only ones who did not receive invitations."
"Rafe doesn't seem like the tournament type," Ian admitted, unable to keep the relief out of his voice. "Still, I'm surprised you didn't get an invitation, you're a member of the Eight Leaders and you're really tough."
"I'm surprised as well," Callie said, nodding sharply. From someone else it would probably have sounded sarcastic, but Ian wasn't the condescending sort. She walked to the other side of the field and turned to face him. She held out her hand and turned her fingers up, beckoning him in a challenge. "We don't need to talk about that anymore. Let's just fight, shall we?"
"Sounds good," Ian said, nodding. He took his place across from Callie. "As the challenger, I'll take the first move! Go, Fluorite!"
Ian threw a pokeball into the air, and from inside it came a small pokemon with a body shifting like shadows as it flew forward. The only solid part of the pokemon's body was the stump of wood that it wore as a mask, red eyes glowing ominously from gaps in the wood.
"Starting off with a ghost type against me already, huh?" Callie asked, scowling. "Why am I not surprised?"
"You know me so well," Ian smiled.
"Jania! Let's do it!" Callie said, throwing out her own pokeball. Her Mienshao emerged, raising her arm up in a guard in front of her face, narrowing her eyes at the Phantump.
"Oh? Not going to lead with your Monferno?" Ian asked.
"I'm not dumb enough to take that bait," Callie replied. "Jania! Use hone claws!"
Jania slid her sleeves back and sharpened her talons, increasing her attacking strength and accuracy as she darted towards the floating ghost pokemon.
"You may not have sent out your fire type, but that's not a concern," Ian smiled. "Fluo! Use will-o-wisp!"
"Phantump!" Fluorite opened his small mouth, and fired several orbs of flame at the approaching Mienshao.
"Jania, bounce!" Callie snapped her fingers. The swift-footed Jania kicked off the ground and leapt into the air, dodging the fireballs, spinning towards the ghost pokemon. As she spun, she stuck out her leg, dropping it down on the Phantump's wooden head, slamming it into the ground.
"So fast!" Ian gasped. "I've never seen a bounce attack executed so quickly!"
"What can I say?" Callie asked, her eyes shining. "I make sure to give Jania all the energy supplements she needs to work at her optimum efficiency!"
"Mienshao." Jania nodded in agreement, leaping into the air and doing several backflips, landing effortlessly on her feet, holding her sleeve in front of her mouth as she readied herself, the picture of elegance. Behind her sleeve, she bit into some red-colored leaves.
"You want to know? Do you?" Callie asked, relishing in the fact that she knew something Ian didn't. "They're called power herbs! A type of plant I've been having Alcea cultivate specially for me, one bite and a pokemon can execute slower moves that take longer to build up in a single burst of power! Not bad, don't you think?"
"I did miscalculate," Ian nodded. "When you used bounce I thought we would have more time to act. Fluorite, are you okay?"
"Phan!" Fluorite nodded, floating back up into the air. He was injured, but not down for the count. Ian smiled, nodding back.
"Great! Then you're ready to use grass knot, right?"
"Phantump!" Fluorite began glowing green, and roots erupted from the ground around Jania's feet, tearing up the floorboards and wrapping around her legs.
"Mien?" Jania gasped, glancing down at her legs. She tried to pull herself free, but she was stuck.
"Jania!" Callie cried. "So you were just playing possum, huh? Pretending that attack was more damaging than it was."
"Your Mienshao's fast footwork is a bother," Ian replied. "So this way, we can keep her in place. Now, Fluorite, let's try burning her again with will-o-wisp!"
"Phantump!" While the roots and vines squeezed tightly around Jania's legs, pinning her down, the orbs of ghostly fire flew towards her, engulfing her.
"Mienshao!" Jania cried.
"Jania!" Callie shouted as the flames engulfed her, burning the vines as well. The fires died down after a few seconds.
When they did, Ian gasped in surprise and Caelia's lips curled up into a grin.
"What do you think, Ian?" She crowed as a small stuffed Mienshao singed by flames fell, bouncing off the floor. "Substitution!"
"Taking lessons from Dokukage, huh?" Ian said, smiling in spite of himself being played. "And that cry, you're getting better at acting, Callie."
"I've improved quite a bit since we last met, Ian," Callie smiled. "Now, let me show you how! Jania, baton pass!"
Callie held her pokeball up and Jania appeared, flashing with light and returning to the ball.
"So, using substitute to hide your pokemon? How crafty," Ian smiled.
"You wanted him? You got him!" Callie said, reaching to her black belt and unclipping another pokeball. "Ferno, go!"
She threw the pokeball out, but Ferno did not emerge from it. At least, not anywhere that Ian or Fluorite could see.
"Well, come on Ian," Callie smiled, holding her hand up and beckoning him to attack. "Don't be so cautious!"
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, Callie," Ian smiled. "We're going to enjoy this just as much! But not right now. Fluorite, return!"
Ian held up his pokeball and recalled the Phantump.
"Now, Sapphire, go!"
Ian switched to his next pokemon. From the pokeball, a large Crobat emerged, spreading out his four wings and shrieking, flying forward at high speed.
"Of course you'd use your Crobat," Callie smiled. "But that won't make a difference! I'm prepared for him now! Ferno, use flamethrower!"
A blast of flames erupted from the substitute, flying in a straight line towards the bat pokemon.
"You think that'll hit us?" Ian smiled. "Saph, get him with your aerial ace!"
"Crobat!" Sapphire nodded, shooting forward. Before the flames could strike him, he disappeared, reappearing in front of the stuffed toy, flying towards it at top speed. But it wasn't the pokedoll that Sapphire tackled with his high-speed aerial ace. He struck the air, hitting Ferno, and knocking him backwards, much to the surprise of Callie and the Infernape- and Ian, as well.
"Your Monferno evolved?" Ian said, his eyes widening. "Congratulations, Callie! Way to go!"
"Ferno!" Callie shouted, too worried about her injured pokemon to give a damn about Ian's congratulations. "Are you okay?! How did that aerial ace hit you through the substitute?! It's not even broken!"
"Sapphire's special ability," Ian smiled, his Crobat returning to fly next to him with a flap of his wings. "Infiltrator. It allows Saph to slip through defenses and barriers, and even through protection like substitute! What do you think, Callie? Did your Infernape like it?"
"In… fernape…" Ferno groaned, slowly picking himself back up. He narrowed his eyes into a glare, stepping forward. The attack had injured him, but it wasn't enough to put him down for the count by a long shot.
"That's the spirit, Ferno!" Callie cheered. "We're still in this!"
"Infernape!" Getting back his second wind, Ferno opened his mouth and fired another blast of flames at Sapphire, who dodged out of the way.
"Saph, let's soften him up for now," Ian ordered. "Use toxic!"
"Crobat!" Sapphire flapped his wings and opened his mouth, an orb of poison appearing in front of him. He spat the ball at Ferno, the toxins exploding and raining down on the fire pokemon in order to badly poison him.
"Not going to happen!" Callie said, shaking her head. "Ferno! Use flame charge!"
"Infernape!" Ferno's long mane of flames began growing in size, until it wrapped around him completely. He charged forward, his speed increasing, the poison hitting the curtain of fire and sizzling away into nothing long before it ever landed on his fur.
"You won't get us that easily!" Callie cheered. "Now, take that Crobat down!"
"If poison won't work, then we'll use other methods," Ian declared. "Sapphire, keep you distance from that Infernape and use shadow ball!"
"Cro!" Sapphire flew back while opening his mouth, firing a sphere of ghostly energy at the advancing pokemon. But Ferno wasn't that easy to hit. The speed boost from his flame charge helped him dart to the side, avoiding the explosion of ghost power, while continuing to pursue the Crobat. No matter how many shadow balls Sapphire fired his way, they weren't enough, especially not when he boosted his speed even more with a second flame charge as the first began to die down.
"Saph! The Infernape is only getting faster, he's going to catch us soon! Use haze!" Ian ordered.
"Crobat!" Sapphire opened his mouth, a haze of black smog billowing out. With a flap of his wings, Sapphire sent the haze rolling over the battlefield, engulfing Ferno in its smoke, making it nearly impossible to make him out to Callie. She could only see the faintest glow of his flames through the darkness.
"With haze, now all the stat changes of your pokemon have been reduced to nothing," Ian smiled. "That means that attack buff you passed on from your Mienshao and the speed boosts you gathered from your flame charges are all gone! And that means Sapphire is now much faster than your Infernape! Sapphire, use aerial ace again!"
Ian smiled. "And Crobats are experts at hunting in the darkness!"
"Ferno!" Callie called into the smoke, unable to make out where exactly her Infernape was. "I trust you! Wait until he strikes, and then get him with our special move!"
Seconds later, the sound of two pokemon colliding rang out across the battlefield, Sapphire finding his target with ease. It was immediately followed by a cry of pain from Ferno, having taken another powerful flying attack.
But then, a third sound came out. Like the crackle of electricity, on the heels of flashes of light from within the haze.
"CROBAT!" Sapphire shouted in pain, the crackling sounds growing louder and louder as the haze dispersed, Sapphire tumbling backwards through the sky.
When the smoke cleared, Ferno was standing, injured but whole, and holding his fist up. Lightning was channeling through it, the same way it was currently surging through Sapphire's body, electrocuting him.
"Flying type pokemon like your Crobat have always been an annoyance," Callie grinned. "While you were gone, I taught a few of my pokemon how to use thunderpunch, to really even out the playing field! What do you think, Ian? Did I manage to surprise you pretty well?"
Ian grinned. After checking that Sapphire was still good to go, he turned to Callie.
"What I think is that move of yours was really 'shocking'," Ian laughed, Callie rolling her eyes at the lame pun. "And I also think… this battle is getting exciting, I can't wait to see what you pull of next!"
Callie grinned, both trainers preparing for the next exchange of blows.
So Ian and Callie are fighting! Will Callie manage to win, or will she be the first stepping stone in Ian's quest to defeat the other Eight Leaders? We'll have to find out!