A/N:
Well, I'm sure you all have noticed the inactivity on my part this last month. I'm sorry I couldn't get this to you all sooner; again, I have had a lot of shit going on, and am trying to keep my class rank high while applying for scholarships. I've got a lot on my plate, but I still could have probably had this out by a week earlier. What I can say, though, is this - I will see this story, and its two sequels to completion. We have a long way to go.
Special thanks to Umix3 for reviewing the lemon scenes, and special thanks to Archangel2462 for beta reading the chapters.
Anyways, hope that you all enjoy reading this chapter. If you do, please consider leaving a review and voicing your thoughts.
"…" - Spoken dialogue
Italics - Michael's thoughts
'Italics' - Telepathic dialogue
/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene
"When everything feels like an uphill battle, just think of the view from the top."
-Unknown
Ch. 14 - The Tournament
It was the day that Michael had his first elimination battle that he discovered just how popular an attraction the Coastline tournament really was - the stands were occupied with thousands of locals and tourists. Ticket sales would probably generate millions for the city, and visitor turnout would surely increase as the finals grew closer.
This time, the boundaries of the field were redrawn to place the contestants in the center, giving both of the participants a larger battling space. As Michael looked to the screen, he ran his fingers over the balls at his side. His opponent - a young woman by the name of Leilani Kahele - had both an ice-type and a fire-type. Her more tanned skin and foreign name led him to believe that she was from the Alola region. Alright, Char would probably be a good start. She'll be resistant to the fire type and strong against the ice.
The referee walked out into the middle of the field, making sure that both trainers were ready. She was required to release her pokémon first. After receiving the confirmation, he gave them both the signal. On cue, Leilani threw out her choice, followed by Michael.
Materializing on her side was a white, pristine ninetales, confirming his suspicion. Wow - you don't see those every day. Charlotte materialized, flashing him a smile before squaring off against the other fox. She pulled out her stick, engulfing the tip in flames. Alright, she resists pretty much anything that ninetales could throw at her, so this shouldn't take long.
"And the two have released quite an interesting match off," Scott announced. "The typing favors Higgs, but that particular kind of ninetales has a reputation for being fast on its feet."
"That they do, Scott. This should be an entertaining battle between the two newcomers." The ref left the field, heading to the side boundary.
"Are both trainers ready?" he asked.
"Yes!" Leilani yelled.
"Yes," Michael said.
"Then begin!"
"Aurora, use extrasensory!" The ninetales's eyes flashed as she shot a rainbow-like beam towards Charlotte, bridging the gap between the two of them in what seemed like a fraction of a second.
"Char, counter it with flamethrower!" She released the scorching flame, splitting the beam into thousands of small, intense splinters of light.
"Would you look at that! Looks like we're off to an energetic start!" Mary said.
"Try and get her with a psyshock!" The braixen swiftly twisted the stick in her hand, focusing on forming the purple crystalline shapes around her opponent.
"Jump it Aurora!" The ninetales leaped over the surrounding crystals just as they closed in to her. She managed to evade most of them, but one slammed into her side, causing her to wince. "Shake it off and use return!"
"Don't let her get close - hit her with a shock wave!" They needed to impede the ninetales at all costs, and shock wave was Charlotte's fastest attack. The jolts of electricity shot towards their opponent in an instant, striking the entirety of her frame in mid-dash.
"N-niiiiine!" she yelled out in pain as the static crackled over her body.
"Ohhh, and that ninetales has taken a nasty hit," Mary announced. The white vixen shook herself off, resuming her charge towards Charlotte.
"Aurora, try and pin her down with a dark pulse!"
"Charlotte, use heat wave!" The surge of dark energy formed around the muzzle of the ninetales, converting to a distorted wave as it quickly made its way to Charlotte. "Dodge it!" She was almost too late, as the beam scraped against her shoulder. Running aside to avoid the trailing beam, she sliced her stick through the air, creating dozens of small, scorching ripples towards the ice-type.
"Get out of the—." Leilani was too late; Aurora had taken the blunt of the attack, and fell on her side. The referee raised his hand, making a quick motion towards the ninetales. On the screen, Leilani's light blue circle dimmed. Alright, now all that's left is the fire type. She pulled out a level ball and released its inhabitant.
"Look at that - Leilani sure is full of surprises. Never seen one of those up close before." In front of her stood an alolan marowak. He tightly gripped his stone-hard bone, wavering its blue-green flames on each end. Glaring through the intimidating skull he wore, he took his stance - his left hand forward, and his bone-club raised behind him.
"Charlotte, think you can take this one?" he asked.
"Oh please - I seriously doubt he could lay a claw on me." The marowak growled in response and looked back at his trainer, expecting an order.
"Specter, take her out with a bonemerang!" The marowak violently hurled its bone at her, sending it flying towards her legs.
"Jump it and use psybeam!" Charlotte leaped over the incoming attack, responding with one of her own. As the purple beam zipped towards the marowak, the bone speedily returned to its wielder. Catching it just in the nick of time, Specter rapidly spun it in front of him, creating a furious, fiery display that blocked the attack. Huh, that was a pretty clever way to protect himself…
"Shadow bone!" Leilani yelled. Specter dashed towards Charlotte, lunging into the air and spinning the bone overhead.
"Don't let him get close, Char!" If he managed to land a strike on her, it would probably knock her out. She couldn't afford close encounters - none of her moves were physical. As he brought the bone down, she dodged to the right, trotting back hastily to distance herself from the marowak. "Now hit him with a psyshock!" The purple crystals formed around her opponent, closing in as quickly as they appeared.
"Specter, you know what to do!" He made a sharp turn, spinning the bone in a quick circular motion, shattering the psyshock and leaving him unscathed once again. The audience clapped at the display.
"He sure is formidable with that bone," Scott said. "Looks like Higgs and the braixen are going to have some difficulty in landing a hit on their opponent." …He's right… That marowak is blocking everything we're doing. Somehow, we need to get that damn bone away from him…
"Use bonemerang!" As Specter hauled back to launch the bone at her, Michael got an idea. That's it - the bone is out of his control in the air! It was thrown ferociously, curving towards Charlotte at intimidating speeds.
"Char, knock it outta the air with a flamethrower!" The bone drew near, and she spewed an intense flame into its flight path. Just what Michael had hoped would happen did; the bone's path was interrupted, and it fell to the ground in front of the braixen's feet. She caught on to what he had planned, and kicked it to the side. Specter's eyes went wide at his new predicament.
"That was some quick thinking," Mary said. "Higgs has found a way around the marowak's tactic."
"Specter, use… uh… use flame charge!" Leilani shouted. The uneasiness was clear in her voice. He obeyed her command, running towards Charlotte with fire enshrouding his body.
"Char, now try a psybeam!" She pointed her stick towards the incoming marowak and released another psybeam from the flame on the end. The beam connected with Specter's head, forcing him to halt his attack and stumble backwards. Eyeing his fallen bone, he tried to make his way aside to it. "Don't let up!" Charlotte intensified her attack, and her opponent's pace became gradual as he fought the urge to collapse.
"They really aren't making it easy for him," Mary said. "I'm not so sure that he'll be able to push through this." Specter was painfully close to his target, but Charlotte would not let him obtain it. As the last bout of strength was stripped from him, the marowak fell face-first, only a mere foot away from the bone. Everyone watched as Specter struggled to get up, but fell back down, unable to make another movement.
The referee walked out onto the field. "Kahele is unable to continue battling - Higgs is the winner!" Placing her stick back in her tail, Charlotte darted over to Michael, who crouched down to her level.
"You were amazing out there," he said, rubbing her head. In truth, he would prefer to be more affectionate, but they all knew that such actions best be taken with extreme caution, being that the Assembly was in the area.
"And that concludes this battle," Mary said. "Higgs will progress to the next round. Kahele, sorry girl - that's it for you."
…..
Despite the fact that they were done there, Michael and the others agreed to stay and watch some of their competition - after all, it definitely wouldn't hurt to look into their future opponents. So they found a nice, roomy opening in the bleachers, bought a large tub of popcorn for Ver, and began studying the battlers. "Think you could get that one?" he asked Elise. A nincada was tormenting a kadabra, staying out of its reach and nailing it with one blurring attack after another.
"Mmm, I think so. Maybe with an ice shard or a blizzard."
"I think so too," he said, tracing his fingers through her fur. "Eh, I'd probably go for a blizzard - it'd cover a large area and be hard as hell to dodge, even for that thing." Speaking of which - the nincada had delivered the finishing strike to the kadabra, ending the battle.
"Out like a light," Layla joked.
"Yep," Michael said, stretching out. "I'd say it's about time we head back. What do you girls think?"
"Yeah - gimme a sec; my legs are asleep," Charlotte said. The two trainers left the field, leaving it open for the next contestants.
As they stood up and began heading towards the exit, the next battlers were announced. "Our next contestants are Liam Bauer and previous champion Leo Browning!" She said the last words with obvious excitement.
"…I think we need to watch this one," Michael said.
"Definitely," Layla said. They took their seats once again, watching as the two came out onto the field. Leo may have been an inch or two taller than Michael, had a medium build and brown hair, and looked to be in his mid twenties. Even from his position in the stands, Michael could see the smug grin on his face. He took an ultra ball from his belt and carelessly tossed it out, releasing a large tyranitar, who cast his vicious glare at the opposing krookodile.
"Damn," Zeke said, "that son of a bitch looks menacing."
"Yeah," Michael replied, "but it can't take a fighting type move, and I know that krookodile's probably got one or two up his sleeve." The other trainer, surely enough, ordered the krookodile to use brick break. He ran towards the tyranitar, preparing to release his threatening attack. Leo waited until the two pokémon were only ten yards apart before he gave his own command.
"Giga impact," Leo simply said. The tyranitar lunged forward, slamming its full weight violently into the aggressor. The krookodile was thrown back, landing on his side and rolling over like a rag-doll. Though he had fainted, he was indistinguishable from death. The onlookers burst out into applause from the brutal result, though the tyranitar seemed to be just as indifferent as the second he was released from the ball.
Shit, Michael thought, that was completely effortless on his part. And that krookodile looks like he's seen quite a few battles… The realization of how difficult it would be to match this trainer - provided he even made it that far - came as intimidating. That, and the fact that Leo had won the last four tournaments… the odds were definitely in Leo's favor.
…..
"Michael?" Alaina said, gaining his attention. He was laying on the bed and looking up at the ceiling, completely unfocused on the room around him.
"Huh?"
"What's wrong? You've been rather distant lately…" She rested on his torso, looking into his eyes.
"I'm sorry, love - I've just been thinking."
"It's about the tournament, isn't it?"
"…Yeah… yeah, it is." The latias nuzzled into his neck, then up to his cheek.
"You shouldn't worry about such things - it is supposed to be fun, after all."
"Yeah but…" He tried to come up with some sort of justification for his competitiveness - for his desire for them to finally defeat some of the greatest trainers.
"No buts about it - everything is going to work out. And besides, even if we lose, it's not like we have to stop battling or anything. There are other trainers than those in that arena, you know."
"There are," he admitted. "I just… I really want us to win this one. We got our asses handed to us back at the Indigo League, and we never finished our Hoenn campaign."
"Again, it's not like this is your last opportunity to fight good trainers. Please, just lighten up a little, okay?" He rubbed her neck, placing a kiss on her cheek.
"Alright," he chuckled.
"Good. Now, we've got the bed to ourselves and it's past eight. But," she said, beginning to pull his pajama pants down, "…we don't think we have to go straight to sleep."
…..
The first wave of battles was now over, bringing the remaining thirty-two participants one step closer to the finals. Accessing the resort's website, he looked over the tournament brackets. Fortunately, both Leo and Will were on the other side of the bracket; if both of them progressed, and they most likely would, then they would be battling each other. Ha, that's a battle I'd like to see. The thought that he wouldn't have to deal with either of the two brought him relief, but he was curious to see the results of their end of the semi-finals.
He closed his laptop, slipped on a black polo and his aviators, and rubbed Layla's shoulder. "Come on - it's time we head out. Wouldn't wanna miss our second battle."
"Of course," she said, stretching before springing out of the bed. She went into the other room, while Michael went to Zeke's door. With a grin, he raised his hand.
"You better not pound on my fucking door!" Zeke shouted from the bathroom. Son of a bitch…
"How'd you know?"
"You've only done it like ten times already. Damn drill sergeant."
"Huh. Well, we're about to head out. Think Layla's ready to kick some ass."
…..
"And on this side, we have Isaac Benton," Scott announced. Michael looked his foe over; he had short, dirty blonde hair, a sandy beard, and sported a somewhat lanky build. An electric type and a fighting type… He thought over his options; it was, after all, his turn to go first, so he needed to choose wisely. Well, I could use Ver - she'll resist the electric type, and as flying moves… But then again… Layla hasn't had the chance to battle in awhile, and she's itching for a fight. Making his decision, he took out her luxury ball, releasing the lucario.
Isaac sent out his own choice just after him. The electric type turned out to be a raichu. Alright, that thing definitely couldn't take many of Layla's physical attacks. But then again, it's probably faster than her, and it can deliver some nasty thunderbolts…
The referee walked into the middle of the field, asking if both of the trainers were ready. After receiving their confirmations, he left for the sidelines, allowing the battle to begin.
"Layla, use extreme speed!" Michael said, making sure they got the first move in. Layla dashed towards the raichu at breakneck speeds, becoming the blue blur that slammed into him. A resounding thud sounded; the raichu was sent rolling as a result of the quick, harsh kick to his chest, which he clutched in pain.
"Oh, that had to hurt!" Mary said.
"I'm sure - that was one heck of a hit," Scott replied.
"Bolt, don't let them push you around like that - use thunder!" Bolt's cheeks crackled, his tail going rigid.
"Get down Layla!" She managed to duck the incoming jolt of electricity, remaining unscathed as the bright blue bolt zipped overhead and towards the other end of the field. "Launch an aura sphere!" He hoped that they could manage to stall the raichu long enough for Layla to get closer - enough to land another blow.
"Use protect!" Perfect. Bolt formed the protective barrier in front of himself, causing the dark blue sphere to crash into it harmlessly.
"Now use extreme speed again!"
"Bolt, dodge it!" The raichu barely managed to jump aside as Layla rushed by, coming to a sliding halt as she readied herself for the next attack. "Good, now try an electro ball!"
"Layla, counter with a flash cannon!" As the crackling orb was launched at the lucario, she charged up a silver beam, releasing it straight at the incoming attack. The two neutralized one another, leaving the two facing off against each other.
"Hit her with a thunder punch!" Isaac commanded. Bolt pounced for his opponent, lunging at her with a crackling paw readied.
"Counter!" Michael saw the slight grin appear on her face as she took a defensive stance. The raichu's strike was aimed at her face; she spun to the side with a graceful movement, bringing her paw around swiftly. It connected with the back of his head, and he fell limp.
"Well that was brutal," Scott announced. "Looks like the raichu is out like a light."
Isaac returned his fallen raichu, and released his next pokémon. Oh, you have got to be kidding me…
"What are the odds of that happening?" Mary asked.
"I imagine they can't be too high," Scott replied. Standing in front of Layla was a male lucario. Ah, great - they're both weak to each other. They would have to play things smart, lest Layla get hit with a powerful fighting-type move. The two foes glared at each other, and Michael knew that the male lucario wasn't a pushover; he could tell that much by looking at his bulk. But he also knew just what Layla was capable of, and he seriously doubted that he would be half as nimble as her.
"Layla, hit 'em with a water pulse!" She attracted the moisture from the air, forming it into a dense spiral of water, which she shot at the other lucario. On instinct, he jumped over the pressurized blast, landing a few feet behind her.
"Brick break!"
"Layla duck!" Fully trusting her trainer, she crouched down, avoiding the punch that barely missed her. Knowing what to do without command, she caught his arm, yanking him over her shoulder and onto his backside with a slam. He tried to roll to the side, but she nailed him point-blank with a power-up punch to the muzzle. "Way to go, Layla!" Michael shouted as the male hurriedly backed off. Touching a paw to his muzzle, and finding the black fur on his hand stained with his blood, he released a threatening growl. But if anyone should be afraid, it was him - especially now that Layla was fired up.
"Atlas, use close-combat!" Shit…
"Don't let him hit you!" She dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding a punch aimed at her torso. She hit the ground as a roundhouse kick swept over her head. "Quick - use thunder punch!" Layla slammed her fist into her opponent's shin, causing the Lucario to growl and stumble back. Atlas's leg wobbled, and he visibly struggled to stand - a result of the nasty hit he had taken directly to the leg.
"Don't just stand there and take that - use aura sphere!"
"Right back at 'em!" Layla wasted no time in charging up her own attack, hurling the dark orb straight at her aggressor's. Atlas's dissipated into nothingness, while Layla's kept heading towards him.
"Atlas, look out!" Of course, it did no good; aura sphere never missed its mark. The male lucario clutched his stomach, bending forth from the intense pain.
"Layla, finish him off with a high-jump kick!" In a split second, she closed the distance between her and the other lucario with a leap. Her foot connected with his chest, and Atlas was sent to the ground, sprawled out on his back. The crowd erupted as she casually walked back to Michael; the male lucario was down for the count.
"And Higgs takes this match with relative ease," Scott said. "He'll be going on to the next round."
"This might be a trainer to keep an eye on," Mary added.
…..
Charlotte rested on top of Michael, trailing her hand down his bare chest. He clasped her lower back, but went no further - their lust had run its course, and now they were simply embracing each other out of love.
Due to the final step in their relationships being taken so recently, Michael was getting action just about every night. Eery night, except for one. "Hey Char?"
"Hmm?"
"Have you all enjoyed going this far with me?" She looked up at him questioningly.
"Of course - why would you even ask something like that? Isn't it obvious?"
"I'm just wondering…" She kept her gaze focused on him, then nodded.
"It's about Elise, isn't it?" As always, right on the nail…
"Yeah… Do you know if she wants to hold off for awhile?"
"Hold off?" Charlotte asked.
"Yeah, she hasn't really been vocal about anything, and I'm sure she knows by now that I've slept with all of you."
"She does. It's not like it's a secret or anything."
"Do you think… that she doesn't want to—."
"That's not the case," Charlotte interrupted. "Think about it - this is Elise we're talking about. Do you really think that she is going to come straight up to you and ask for sex?" Of course… The glaceon's timidity could never escape his mind, but he hadn't considered it as a factor inhibiting her forwardness with him. After all, there were now almost no barriers between him and the others, and she, too, had even been very intimate with him. "Of course, she may just need some time," Charlotte said, "but I think that you're going to have to initiate things for once."
…..
Veronica roared her challenge to the opposing charizard. Kyle Hahn only had a single pokémon - meaning it was likely that he had devoted all of his training into the fire-type before them. And being their only opponent, Michael was restricted accordingly; if Ver was knocked out, then they would be out of the tournament. But I doubt she'll let that happen…
Truth be told, the charizard looked like he had driven countless foes into the ground. He didn't release a look of cockiness, but rather justified confidence, as though he were ready to exploit any weakness that he may find. And Ver… well, she always looked like she was ready to tear someone's throat out.
"Looks like we have ourselves a draconic standoff," Scott commented.
"Scott, you of all people should know that charizard isn't a dragon type…"
"Close enough," he replied in a slightly irritated tone. "Anyways, it'll be interesting to see who's left standing after this round. From what we've seen, both of these trainers have brought the heat."
"But unfortunately, one of them will be walking away today."
The referee exited the field; Veronica turned to him and nodded. "Let the battle begin!"
"Take to the air!" Michael said. As soon as the words left him, she took off with a quick leap.
"Follow her!" The charizard also took the battle to the sky, gaining on Veronica. Wait for him to get closer… The gap between the two closed - charizards were typically faster than flygons, after all. "Use wing attack, Flint!" Kyle shouted. The charizard stiffened his wings as he closed in towards her neck.
"Ver, use dragon tail!" She swiftly spun around, slamming her tail into the unsuspecting aggressor's chest. He staggered, losing altitude as he clutched the now sore spot. "Follow it up with aerial ace!" His plan was to wear him out, both slowing him down and inhibiting his aerial capabilities. Once he was securely grounded, Ver could end it with a ground-type move. And so far, his plan was working perfectly; Veronica sped through the charizard, striking him in the shoulder. Flint landed on his feet with a thud, preparing to retaliate, and Ver joined him on the ground.
"Flint, use flamethrower!" His maw opened, and he released a scorching stream of flames towards the flygon - faster than it would take to fly over it.
"Use protect!" Veronica swiftly brought her wings over her front, craning her neck down to conceal all major vulnerabilities. In a split second, she was enshrouded in the flames. C'mon Ver… hang in there… The attack lasted for half a minute before it died down. Ver's position had not changed whatsoever; she slowly opened her wings, which barely showed any signs of damage, to reveal a visibly irritated expression. The crowd murmured amongst themselves as a result of the tough display.
"Wow… if looks could kill…" Mary said.
"The flygon didn't seem harmed in the slightest by that attack," Scott commented. She began making her way towards the charizard, ready to respond with much greater brutality.
"Flint, keep your distance from her!" Once more, the charizard lifted off, knowing to avoid the dragon at close ranges.
"Keep close to him." She followed him into the sky, not allowing him to obtain a large enough distance to launch any ranged attacks. "Hit him with a return!" Veronica tried slamming into the fire-type, but he fanned his wings, stopping him in midair and causing Ver to barely clip his side with the attack.
"Quick - use dragon pulse!" Oh shit… He watched as Flint hastily charged up the blue orb in his maw, releasing it into her backside. Ver roared in pain as she spiraled to the ground.
"Ver, shake it off - don't let him win that easily!" She shakily got back on her feet, facing her opponent, who was still airborne.
"Hell if that's gonna happen!" she growled. Michael thought over his options; he needed to keep Ver close to the charizard in order to prevent him from launching any more ranged attacks. Strong as she may be, Ver was weak to moves of her own type, and probably couldn't endure many more hits like that.
"Flint, finish her off with one more dragon pulse!" Okay… think Michael… As the blue pulse zipped towards a still grounded Veronica, he found a solution. If I can force him to come close, then maybe she can take him out. Most of Veronica's moves were close-ranged, but very powerful - if he could get the charizard with one of her heavier-hitting moves, they could probably secure the victory."Use flame thrower on his attack!" She opened her mouth and launched a glowing flame, parting the incoming attack just yards ahead of her. Without the immediate threat of attack, Ver was able to escape the ground once more.
"Try again - dragon pulse!" Huh, he's becoming pretty reliant on that. Good.
"Ver, same as last time!" She neutralized Flint's attack, further frustrating their opponents. As Michael had hoped, Kyle's strategy had been reduced to keeping his distance and trying to land another hit with dragon pulse. Just as Michael told her, Ver kept rendering the attacks useless with those of her own.
"You know what - screw this!" Kyle yelled. "Flint, use dragon claw!" The fire-type readied his attack; the claws on his right hand adopted a light-blue tint. Perfect… just keep coming closer. Veronica shot him a hasty, questioning glare - this one would surely hurt if she didn't do something, and Michael wasn't issuing any orders. Just a little bit closer…
"Now Ver! Use dragon breath!" The flygon quickly exhaled the blue fumes, hitting the charizard dead-on. His eyes went wide as the attack engulfed him, and soon, it became apparent that he wasn't going to be landing the attack at all. Flint was stuck gliding downwards, unable to move. Alright, the shock must've paralyzed him!
"That last attack seems to have crippled the charizard," Scott said. "Things are now looking rough for Kyle."
"He's harmless now, Ver - finish him off with a giga impact."
"No Flint, snap out of it!" Veronica climbed into the air, over the fire-type, then halted altogether. She spiraled downwards in a diagonal nosedive, tucking her wings into her body. "No!" The impact sounded throughout the stadium, and the audience went silent in shock as a result of the sheer brutality of the strike. Flint fell to the ground, completely unconscious.
…..
Michael closed his laptop, having observed the outcome of the brackets. After he had defeated Kyle, he had progressed into the final eight. Leo had no difficulty in securing his win, and drew closer to the finals on his side. Both he and Will would likely meet in the semi-finals; he was eager to see the results of that battle.
The championship match would take place on December 21 - the Solstice Battle. And judging from last years championship, the stands would be packed full. He had watched Leo's battle attentively; the trainer had only used two of his four known pokémon, as he decided to switch out. That guy didn't even have a chance… Leo had rather carelessly swept through the older man's team, sometimes without issuing commands. His pokémon simply knew what he would likely order, or what worked well against each opponent.
He turned on the television and settled into the bed. Elise cuddled up beside him, hugging against his side with his arm around her. Flipping through the channels, he couldn't resist the urge to tenderly rub her side. Michael remembered Charlotte's words as he set the remote down - Elise wanted to go further, but he would need to be the one to ask. But he wasn't sure if he could actually manage to do it.
He had stopped on a local news channel, then wrapped his other arm around her, placing them both in a close embrace. The news showed footage from a recent confrontation between the Assembly and human-pokémon rights activists. The main focus was a woman in her mid-twenties facing off against the red-garbed militants. Cops tried to force their way between the two, but the crowd was too densely packed to allow them easy access. "You perverts should be locked up for what you do!" one of the members said to her. "It's just disgusting - you're lucky that it's illegal to burn y'all alive!" Perhaps he was picking the wrong fight - the recipient of his words stood beside a nidoking. But then again, they all open carried - things could become ugly very quickly…
"What he and I do behind closed doors is none of your business!" the woman yelled, backed by a nod from the poison-type and several others on her side. "I've been with him for seven years - and we haven't hurt anyone, unlike you monsters! Why should you care if we get married?"
"Because," another assembler said, "this is nothing more than a plot from the left to drag this country to hell. Social reform my ass - before you know it, the free market will be destroyed, and we'll join Kalos in owing our entire country to a bunch of damn foreigners!"
"This world would be better if all you freaks jumped off a cliff," the first assembler said. "I hope he poisons you next time you engage in your sickness!" The woman struck out against him, slapping him in the face through his hood. Next thing she knew, she and her nidoking both had several pistols in her face. The assembler that had been slapped looked back at her, his fist clenched. "You little bitch - your nidoking's gonna enjoy watching me open your skull!"
"That's enough!" a cop yelled, finally making his way between the two. "You're both under arrest!"
"What? I did nothing wrong!" the woman replied. "This is freedom of speech, and I—"
"It's also felony rioting - you all have vandalized public property."
"No we didn't - they must have done it! We've been on this street the whole time!"
"Say that to the broken windows a block back. Return your pokémon and get on the ground. You too, and hand over the gun," he said to the member that instigated the fight. Defeated, she did as she was told, and they both were cuffed and hauled off into different police cars. The cops then separated the two sides.
Michael muted the television, irritated that the Assembly was bound and determined to instigate things in Cianwood. "Why do they hate us?" Elise asked sadly. "We've done nothing to them…"
"I know, Elise. I guess some people have nothing better to do than torment others." He stroked her cheek, then slowly moved his hand to the side, tapping her nose. "But you know what? Screw them. They don't know what they're dealing with here. I will kill them if they try to hurt you."
"Thank you…" she sniffed. "Always looking out for me."
"And I always will," he replied, taking her paw into his hand. He stared into her blue eyes, and he could tell that she wanted it. If she wanted this, but was too shy to ask, then he would be the one to ask her. So he finally decided to do just that. "Elise?"
"Y-yes?"
"Do… you want to…" She blushed, but slowly nodded.
"P…please," she said. "I do…"
"I mean… is this what you want? I have no problem with waiting."
"No… I… I do want this," she said shyly.
"Okay." He had some reservations about starting this - though he had slept with the others, they had been the ones to initiate everything. He still wasn't sure about taking the reins with Elise, but he was going to try. Determined to please his glaceon, he lowered his hand towards her hind legs.
. . . . .
The arena was now a completely different atmosphere. They were in the quarter finals, and it seemed as though everyone within a few miles of the stadium had attended. It wasn't quite full, but it was well over the halfway point.
This battle hadn't taken the pace that the others had. With an unfortunate stumble on Layla's part, and a critical hit on the opposing scizor's, the lucario was down for the count. Michael was shocked that they had received their first faint, albeit due to misfortune. But they weren't going to let that get in their way of winning the battle. And they certainly weren't going to lose in front of the forty thousand spectators in the audience…
"Alright," he muttered to himself while taking out Charlotte's ball. "Let's see how you like this." He pushed the central button, releasing the fiery vixen onto the field. "Char, use flamethrower - and don't hold back!" Maybe he was angry that they had botched up previously - surely Layla would be pissed… when she regained consciousness.
The scizor was far from fast enough to avoid the attack, and his eyes went wide as the flames encompassed her. Through the orange inferno, Michael could see him fall to her knees, then on his side. "That's enough," he said. Charlotte immediately halted her attack, looking at the still bug-type before he was returned.
"You did great out there," Nora said. She pulled a blue, netted pokéball out of her pocket. "Take her out, Maddie!" The trainer released her third and final pokémon. Ah, that's just great… A masquerain hovered in place before Charlotte, ready to try her luck against the fire-type. Michael knew that he had to tread lightly with this one - it likely had a water move or two in its arsenal. But even if it were to defeat Charlotte, the masquerain would then have to outlast his flygon.
"Char, use psybeam!"
"Aqua jet!" Before the braixen's attack could reach her, the masquerain sped forward, bringing a cascading current of water with her.
"Shit - dodge it!" Charlotte abandoned her attack altogether, jumping to the side hurriedly. She managed to avoid the blunt of the attack, but her side was struck with the fierce current, making her wince. She was flung to the ground, but rolled aside to get back on her feet. Michael noticed how she held on to her aching side, and how the masquerain never stayed in one place for long, and knew that this last opponent wasn't going to allow them a quick, easy victory.
"It looks like Nora isn't going to make this easy for Higgs," Mary said. No shit. That thing's not giving us any clear shots, and she hits pretty hard. He thought over any sort of strategy to shut the battle down quickly, finding difficulty in formulating a plan that could allow them to take her out from a distance.
"Try using a heat wave!"
"Fly over it and use air slash!" Nora shouted. Charlotte created an arch of flames with a sweeping wave, but Maddie simply flew over it and launched her own attack. Thankfully, Charlotte was able to block the attack with a slice of her stick, but the fact remained that, as long as they were distant from one another, the braixen simply wasn't going to land an attack. But then it hit him - why not capitalize upon shock wave once again? The attack couldn't miss, after all.
"Alright, change of plans!" he shouted. "Shock wave!" She thrust both paws forward, launching the bright blue static at the bug-type.
"Use protect!" Maddie formed a protective barrier in front of her, deflecting the electricity to each side. Dammit! That fucking bug is determined to screw this over for us… unless… If we can get a shock wave on the masquerain when she uses aqua jet, then she'll be done for. All that he had to do was stall until they attempted the attack again.
"Okay, Char, use flamethrower!" She thrust her stick forward, taking aim at her opponent and releasing a scorching flame.
"Dodge and use aqua jet again!" Yes, you do just that… The masquerain avoided the incoming fire without much of a problem, speeding like a missile towards the fire-type.
"Now Char - use shock wave!" By the time Nora and Maddie had realized what was about to happen, it was too late. Electricity zipped through the water surrounding her, magnifying the shock sent straight into her body. Maddie released a shrill screech as the current crackled through her.
"Wow, quick thinking on Higgs's part," Scott announced. "It looks like the end of the line for the masquerain." Surely enough, the bug-type had stiffened up, falling to the ground with an ungraceful thud. She remained still as the electricity died out, seeping into the ground. Danielle wasted no time in recalling her fainted pokémon.
"Well, that wraps up the quarter-finals," Mary said. "Higgs will be moving on the semis next Thursday. Stay tuned for Will's battle with Jason Corinth at 3:00." Charlotte made her way back to him, giving him a high-five as they left the scene.
…..
Layla was downcast for the rest of the day, hardly speaking and preferring, surprisingly to them, to be in her ball. She's taking this pretty hard, Michael thought. I'll need to talk with her later… That is, if he could get her to talk. He knew it was just because of her wounded dignity; after all, her species took great pride in their fighting abilities. And how could she teach her trainer how to fight when she herself was prone to silly mistakes? She had essentially delivered herself to the scizor, presenting him with an opening that he exploited, knocking her out.
She needs to accept, he concluded, that everyone makes mistakes. Hell, he'd almost gotten himself killed on several occasions in his first tour alone; had it not been for Mewtwo, or the medics, or Alaina, he would be underground in a coffin.
As they ate dinner, going to a steakhouse of Zeke's choice, Layla merely picked at her food, eventually setting her fork down altogether. Veronica waited a moment before speaking up. "Are you gonna eat your steak?" she asked. Layla simply pushed the plate across the table, giving it to the flygon before setting her head down.
"Layla… quit being so hard on yourself. It was just a little stumble…" She lazily looked up at him, shaking her head.
"We are nearing the finals… and I almost blew it…"
"Layla, you tripped. And you seem to be forgetting that you took out that scolipede and nearly knocked the scizor out. We definitely had a comfortable lead."
"But what if we hadn't? I should have easily been able to take down that scizor… but I freaking tripped…"
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Zeke stated. "You seem to be forgetting that everyone makes mistakes."
"That's right," Michael followed. "I mean damn, if it weren't for others, I would've gotten myself killed on the battlefield - on several occasions. Thing is, everybody screws up from time to time - what really matters is whether you get back up or not." She stared at him intently, before looking down.
"I… I know," she admitted. "I'm just… not used to getting knocked out…"
"Layla, it was an accident - I'd hardly say that counts." He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into a tender embrace, mindful of their surroundings. "Look, shit happens. Really. Please let it go, okay?" She returned the hug, giving him a discrete peck on the cheek.
"Alright," she finally said. "But that's the last time I'm screwing up like that."
"There ya go."
…..
Michael intently watched the film of Leo's battles, looking over the moves that the previous champion had been using. He had a tendency to start out, when possible, with either the garchomp or the tyranitar. Keeping that in mind, he began matching the strengths and weaknesses of his girls to the potential opponents. However, there was one thing that bothered him - nobody knew what his other two pokémon were. That made it all the harder to prepare for a possible battle with the trainer. Since he had six pokémon, whereas Michael had five, Leo would have to exclude one; for all he knew, it could very well be one of the ones he was looking at now.
But on the other hand, Leo was, in a way, facing the exact same problem. Nobody knew about Alaina. Granted, he strongly hoped that the battle would steer away from requiring her, but anything could happen. Maybe… maybe I shouldn't use her at all… After all, his girls had a record of taking two or three out before they were done - even during these later rounds. But Leo… he was likely a different case altogether. Nearly all the bets were on him; he had never lost a match at the tournament - hell, it wasn't exactly known if he had lost a match at all. Ever since he had begun participating, he had won the Solstice Battle comfortably. But Alaina volunteered to do this… If the time comes, I'll let her make the decision.
He felt that it would only be fair to allow her to make the choice, but no matter what, it came with some sort of drawback. She could either remain hidden, still a secret to the world, or reveal herself, which could come with a series of other issues. True, he hated how she had remained on the sidelines - during their vacation, of all times - but what if she strolled around causally like them? Onlookers would surely swarm them - it wasn't exactly common to see a legendary. No matter what they did, they would be trading one problem for another.
His phone vibrated, snapping him out of his thoughts. Huh, Thomas again… He opened the text, reading it to himself.
Hey, sorry to bother you again about this, but I can't seem to put the matter to rest. Ivy is a sweetheart - she really is. But I just can't see myself with a pokémon.
Huh, still wrestling with the idea, aren't you? Michael carefully considered his response. After all, with such a sensitive subject, he could really strike a nerve. Thomas needed advice, not scathing criticism or irrational acceptance.
Maybe that's just it - don't look at her as a pokémon. Just imagine that she's a human girl, if that helps. I do want you to know, though, that I'm not trying to push you one way or another. If you are interested in pokémon, then good for you. If you want to stick with humans, then that's also fine. All I'm saying is don't let her appearance deter you if you love her for who she is.
Michael decided to send the message, hoping that his comrade and friend would take his words to heart. Aside from attacks and appearance, there were truly no differences between humans and pokémon. Both were equally competent, able to feel the same complex emotions, and it was only just to fully allow relationships between the two. Michael hoped one day, maybe one day, that his conservative friends would accept this. But only time would tell.
Alright, I'll give it a shot. I'll tell you what happens.
Gotcha. Take care, Thomas.
With their conversation ended, Michael returned his attention to studying their competition. "Could you hurry up?" Ver asked impatiently. "You've been on that thing for over an hour…" Michael checked the time. She wasn't wrong.
"Sorry girl; I've been watching the other three's battles. I want to be ready for tomorrow, and for whoever we might face in the Solstice Match." She rolled her eyes at his response.
"Ah, just give it a break. What's gonna happen is gonna happen - and that'll be a win for us. But for now…" She grabbed his laptop, shut it, then tossed it onto the other bed. "…I'd rather be the focus of your attention." Wasting no time in pinning him down, the flygon began pulling his shirt off. Michael helped her in her task of disrobing him, lest his clothes get shredded to pieces. Ver, much like the others, provided for a very enjoyable time in the bed. But with the powerful flygon's sex came a tradeoff - he would be dominated and sore the next morning.
Michael went stiff as she began bobbing her head upon his flaccid member, making it go erect within the minute. It only took her a split second to straddle him with her heavy body and impale herself on his manhood. She began her rough, fast pace; but unbeknownst to her, Michael was plotting just how he would repay her possessive treatment towards him.
…..
"Here we are at the semi-finals," Scott stated. "We have witnessed these two phenomenal trainers - both newcomers to the tournament - climb their way to the top. But unfortunately, tonight will be the end of the line for one of them." The stadium was just about packed, with bright lights beaming on the two trainers.
"Sadly so. Both of them have worked very hard for this, and I'm sure we won't be disappointed with the battle," Mary followed. The announcers' words barely registered to Michael. Rather, he was focusing on the features of his opponent.
Neil Grimes surely had experience over him. The brown hair on his beard and head gave way to equal amounts of gray, suggesting his age to be in his late forties, maybe early fifties. He may have been in the game longer, but that didn't deter Michael in the slightest. After all, he and the girls had managed to defeat several veterans throughout their campaign. This one wouldn't be much different, hopefully.
Michael started the battle by throwing out Elise; he had looked into his opponent's battles and had found that Neil's team consisted of a venusaur, weavile, electivire, and a rhydon. He had been selected to send his pokémon out first, and so he chose the one that would give Neil the most trouble in type matchup. Neil responded in kind, sending out the rhydon first. Alright, that could work for or against him… Her rock typing was definitely favorable against Elise, but her ground typing and her slow speed were both going to make things equally challenging on their part.
"Rhydon, use stone edge," Neil stated.
"Ice shard!" Elise launched the pointed crystals before Rhydon had the chance to release her own attack. They impacted her mid-frame, sending her hastily flung stones astray. The icicles didn't do much damage, due to the think armor plating of the rhydon, but it was enough to be bothersome. "Good, now set up with a barrier!" Elise wasted no time in forming the protective screen, better preparing herself for incoming physical attacks.
"Use rock blast!" Rhydon stomped the ground with a resounding thud, causing several small rocks to rise, before sending them towards the glaceon with a sweep of her arm. Michael carefully watched the projectiles as they flew towards Elise, looking for an opening.
"Dodge to the right!" Elise gracefully leaped to the side, avoiding most of the stones sent straight at her. One managed to strike her before landing, but she didn't seem to have been affected much. "Elise, hit her with an ice beam!"
"Flamethrower," Neil simply responded. Oh…shit… Rhydon released a jet of flame from her gaping maw, immediately turning Elise's attack into mist. "Good, now put another one right on her."
"Elise, keep moving - don't let her hit you!" She had increased her defense against physical moves, but an attack like flamethrower would still do a number on the ice-type. Due to her speed advantage over the rhydon, Elise managed to keep a yard or two ahead of the torrents of flame. But without any time to attack, and with their opponent's move, landing a hit was going to be difficult. Well… she can't keep up that attack forever… As he thought, the flamethrower died down, albeit slowly, leaving a panting rhydon.
"Alright, that's enough. Finish her off with drill horn." Michael thought quick; if that attack landed, Elise would surely be down for the count. But keeping her slow speed in consideration, he formed a plan to take out the rhydon.
"Elise, aim an ice beam at her legs!" The glaceon shot the frigid beam at the opponent's legs, coating the rhydon's feet in mid-dash. Before she could get much closer, a layer of ice had frozen both legs together, causing her to harshly impact the ground. "One more time," Michael said. There was no way the rock-type was making a comeback from that fall, and Elise's next attack made sure of it.
"Just like that, Grimes is one pokémon down," Mary stated. "Higgs sure isn't going to make this easy for him." Neil recalled Rhydon, deciding to match Elise's typing in his next choice. Alright, there's the weavile… He could easily run circles around Elise, but defense wasn't exactly something weaviles were known for. A few strong hits and he would be down, despite his ice typing. Problem was, Elise only had ice moves, alongside shadow ball - nothing effective.
"Night slash," Neil ordered. With his claws enshrouded in black, he dashed towards Elise.
"Elise, use frost breath!" The glaceon exhaled a cold, misty breath, making the approaching weavile flinch, but not enough to prevent his attack. Weavile's strike found its mark; after all, there was no chance that Elise could avoid him. He was simply too fast. The strike found its mark on her side, and she yipped out in shock. She cast Michael a nervous glance. The strike hadn't caused as much harm as it had startled her, but it was clear that the weavile would be troublesome.
"Follow it up with shadow claw!"
"Ice shard!" Weavile tried to leap over the icy spears, but to no avail. He was struck all over, and diverted his attention to guarding his face rather than landing the next attack. "Don't let up - keep 'em coming!"
"Block and use brick break." Weavile shielded his eyes, closing in on her once again with an irritated snarl. Elise increased the intensity of her attack as he drew near. Drawing his hand back, he delivered a swift, blind chop. She attempted to dodge, but it contacted her front leg. She shrieked in pain, almost collapsing upon landing. Barely able to stand on the appendage, Michael knew they needed to either shut this down now or recall her.
"Elise, use blizzard - go all out." She nodded faintly, then inhaled deeply.
"Ah, shit - Weavile, get outta there!" Elise released the powerful flurry, hitting the weavile as he attempted to flee. She held the icy torrent on him, completely concealing him under the stinging snow. "Hold it…"
"Looks like the weavile is in trouble," Mary said.
"That blizzard looks vicious," Scott added. "I don't think he'll be walking away from that attack." Neil looked irritated with the predicament.
"Weavile, don't you dare cave in! You're better than that!" Elise continued until she ran out of breath, and eventually the flurry died down. Weavile lay on the ground motionless, having been unable to withstand the attack's intensity.
"And Neil now has two left. The situation isn't looking too optimistic for him and the remainder of his team," Scott announced.
Up next was the electivire, as Michael suspected. Neil was saving the venusaur for when Elise wouldn't be on the field, lest it fall victim to one of her ice-type attacks. Though, Michael wasn't planning on anything of the sort.
"Elise, I'm going to recall you." She briskly nodded, bending her paw to keep her weight off of it. He could tell by the looks of it that she wasn't seriously hurt, but he sure as hell wouldn't make her battle in such discomfort. He removed the glaceon from the battle, replacing her with Veronica. Because he had withdrawn Elise, he was unable to use her anymore; thus, he only had three left that he could use. Neil grimaced in irritation. Ver's typing would severely limit the electivire's moveset, and would most likely take him out. He knew that the battle had been going downhill, but this matchup probably just sealed the deal.
"Alright Ver, start with a bulldoze!" She quickly glided towards the opponent, ready to drive him into the dirt.
"Dodge it and use ice punch!" Ah, that's just great…
"Pull back!" Veronica fanned out her wings, curving her path upwards to avoid the icy strike before it could hit her chest.
"Don't let her get away - focus blast!" Electivire thrust both hands forward, shooting an orange blast at the dragoness, which collided with her tail. She growled out in irritation, grabbing it as she landed. "Now use quick attack!" In a flash, he charged her.
"Return!" Veronica's lips curled into a smile. She hauled her fist back, then released a powerful right hook, smashing into the electric-type's face and sending him sprawling. The audience sounded out in simultaneous eruption, and it was obvious that Electivire would not be able to take another hit like that.
"Ohhh, that was a brutal shot on the electivire," Mary stated. "He'd better get himself together quickly."
"Don't let him up! Use earth power!"
"Electivire! Dodge it!" He shakily sprung to his feet, but before he could leap to safety, the ground beneath him shot up. The next sound was that of him hitting the ground once again, rolling onto his side.
"Attagirl, Ver," Michael said, stifling a laugh. She gave a short nod in response, ready for the final opponent.
"The score is now three to one in favor of Higgs. To tell you the truth, Mary, I think Grimes is gonna need a miracle to pull this off," Damn right he'd need a miracle. Despite his improbability of victory, Neil threw out his last pokémon, and by the looks of it, his strongest. The venusaur was a powerful threat; that much he had seen from watching Neil's battle films.
"Venusaur, use power whip!" Several vines shot out of the plant on the grass-type's back, whirling dangerously near Veronica. Vines sliced through the air around Veronica, making the flygon duck to try to avoid them. One cut downwards mid-flight, aiming for her side.
"Block it Ver!" She raised her arm to prevent the vine from striking her, but was surprised to feel it wrap around her forearm.
"Good, now use giga drain!" The vine began to radiate yellow; Ver writhed in pain as energy was forcibly drained from her. She yanked her arm, but to no avail; it seemed as though every movement she made only further strengthened her opponent.
"Use dragon claw on the vine!" Michael yelled, hoping that she could escape her current situation. With an irritated snort, she responded with a quick slice of her claws, cutting deeply into the vine. The venusaur wasted no time in jerking the appendage back, which was now discharging a dark green liquid.
"Sleep powder!" From the large plant on its back, Venusaur released thousands of small, yellow spores over the entire field.
"Don't breathe it in!" Michael warned. The flygon craned her neck downwards, covering her face with her wings. The spores fell all over her, but she was not put to sleep. She was, however, left vulnerable - a fact that their opponents were ready to capitalize upon.
"Venusaur, use sludge bomb!" Michael was irritated with their situation; he didn't like being forced to play defensively. The violet sludge was hurled towards the dragon, who was just now unfurling her wings from her face.
"Fly!" Veronica thrust herself into the air, barely leaping over the incoming poisonous liquid in time. Venusaur tried again, this time hurling the toxic sludge higher. Ver spiraled to the side, effectively dodging the attack once more. "Ver, finish this off with a flamethrower!" By the looks of it, she was ready to end this as well. The radiating heat jumped from her maw, making its way towards the fearful grass-type.
"Hit her with a skull bash!" With no way to avoid the flames, Venusaur bounded through them, smashing his head into Veronica's stomach. Ver was sent to the ground and clutched her midsection.
"That was a very bold move on Grimes's part," Scott said.
"I'd say - he managed to break through the flygon's offense," Mary followed.
"But it definitely came at a cost," Scott continued. "Looks like the venusaur received a little bit of a burn there." Sure enough, Venusaur's skin was singed in several places, and the plant on his back had received damage to its petals. Ver touched the ground, apparently too sore to maintain her aerial advantage.
"Energy ball!" Neil ordered. Venusaur formed the green orb in front of him, sending it towards the flygon at blazing speeds. There was hardly any avoiding it, and Veronica was struck with the attack. Her legs wobbled as the attack settled, but the fire was still visible in her eyes.
"Things are starting to look bleak for Higgs's flygon," Mary announced. Bitch, please - Ver's just getting warmed up.
"Use dragon breath Ver!" As soon as the words had left his mouth, a blue cloud was forced out of Ver's own, clouding over the venusaur. He managed to escape the draconic fumes by bounding forth, but his exhaustion was becoming very apparent.
"Venusaur… try another skull bash!" Ah, starting to run outta ideas, aren't we? Michael waited for the grass-type to draw closer, knowing that Neil could very well be delivering the battle to him. But if Michael timed this wrong, then Ver could be knocked out. Wait… Venusaur was ten yards away, only a second to go till he reached Ver. Not yet… With a strong thrust, he leaped towards her, his head lowered and ready to ram into her.
"To the side - use fire punch!" Despite her size, she managed to spin aside rather gracefully. What happened next, though, was not graceful, but brutal. Her fist, enshrouded in flame, was violently thrust into his side as he passed by in midair. He initially didn't seem to budge, but upon landing, the effects of the attack were known. He didn't land on his feet, but rather slid upon impact, sending clouds of dust into the air as he drew close to Michael.
The crowd now knew, and the spectators had no room for doubt. The referee came onto the field and confirmed the obvious. They were now looking at one of the two finalists.
…..
It was only a short half hour later until the next battle began - Leo and Will. That was a fight that Michael and the girls weren't going to miss. They took seats in the stands, but had to settle for sitting near the top. Expecting to get good seats this far in to the tournament would have been foolish, after all. Oh well, at least we've got the screens, Michael thought as he bandaged Elise's foot. Nothing that would prevent her from battling next week, but enough to provide her with discomfort for now. Michael finished wrapping her sore paw, giving it a gentle kiss afterwards. "You did great out there," he said to the glaceon on his lap. He couldn't help but tenderly rub the back of her head, trailing down to rest his finger on her nose.
"It… it was nothing," she said, her cheeks becoming red. "I mean… Ver took care of the hard ones…"
"I dunno," Layla said, "you did have a disadvantage against that rhydon, and that weavile was much faster than you."
"O…okay." She nudged her bandage, then stretched out her paw.
"How does it feel?" Alaina asked. "That was a pretty nasty hit you took."
"It stings a little… but I'll be fine. I'm more concerned about Ver - she took several hits." She looked around for the flygon, but could not seem to find her. "Say, where is she?"
"Concession stand," Michael simply stated. He had handed Ver his debit card and told her to have at it. After all, her performance did secure the win for them. Once she had made her way back to them, he found that she took his words to heart.
Minutes passed by as Scott and Mary continued talking about the two upcoming participants, playing clips of their previous battles. After seeing just what Leo and his team were capable of, he was admittedly intimidated. But then again, another face-off against the Elite Four member that had totally destroyed their chances of battling the champion didn't seem much better. If Michael could choose, though, he would opt for the latter of the two. At least with Will, Michael had a pretty consistent matchup; with only psychic types, Will had left himself open several common weaknesses. That, and they sure as hell had a score to settle with him…
They all fell silent upon hearing Scott's next words. "And here they are - the two you have all been waiting for!" Leo walked out onto the battlefield, smiling and waving to the audience as he took his place. He was surely confident, if not cocky - an attribute that personally irritated Michael, though Leo definitely possessed the skill to justify his demeanor. By contrast, Will modestly made his appearance on the field.
It wasn't long before the referee signaled the battle's start. Leo, having been selected to release his pokémon first, threw out an ultra ball. His tyranitar materialized, shooting his dark, fierce gaze at the psychic-type user, who responded by casting out his slowbro. Alright, the type matchup could go either way…
But that was far from what happened. Michael and the girls watched in awe as the battle progressed, unable to process what they were seeing. The tyranitar tanked the few hits Will's slowbro had managed to land and struck back with a vicious crunch. Moments after he had been sent out, the slowbro had to be retrieved. The following exeggutor was dealt with in a similar manner, then the gardevoir, albeit it at a slower pace. After that, Leo decided to switch out, as the tyranitar was starting to show signs of exhaustion. As soon as he released his garchomp, though, the battle resumed its previous speed.
Maybe it was the full reality of their opponent's skill that caught them off guard. Or, it could have been the possibility that they may not even be on the same level as Leo that struck them. Either way, they watched as the man who had single-handedly stopped them from progressing through the rest of the Elite Four… was completely decimated with only two pokémon.
A/N:
Alright, that was a relatively long chapter. I wanted to take care of all the tournament battles in one chapter, as I felt that it would be irritating to separate each battle into its own chapter.
Please let me know what you think about the battle scenes; I feel that there is great room for improvement there, but need suggestions and criticism.
That being said, I'll see all of you next chapter!
