The battle rounds of the Wallace Cup have arrived! Thanks for sticking with us 51 chapters in, guys. You're a great audience. As always, feedback is encouraged!
A gorgeous, exciting night under the stars on Cinnabar Island came to a close with the appeals round of the Wallace Cup. Then, after a refreshing night of sleep, the coordinators and spectators alike returned to the stadium, nerves bundled and hearts racing in anticipation. Fans in the audience waved signs for popular coordinators, while kids - and Ash - munched on cotton candy.
Decked in blue, Lilian Meridian took the center of the stage in the stadium that was hosting the Wallace Cup. "Alright!" she cheered. "You've seen our talented contenders who made it to the first battle round! Now, let's them have at it!"
Behind the stage, Dawn relaxed with Larkspur as the two watched the screen.
"So, first up is Ember, huh?" Dawn noted. "I can't wait to see how this ends…"
Beside her, Larkspur watched as the red haired woman and her opponent stepped onto stage. "What's your issue with Ember, anyway?"
As Ember released her Flaffy and the opponent released her Drifloon, Dawn crossed her arms. "Ember has a nasty habit of putting the cart before the Ponyta. Still… I'm not gonna bad mouth her while she's battling."
"... Sure," Larkspur agreed, not really understanding. "Let's watch."
With her long, ruby hair flowing behind her, Ember cried out her instructions for her first attack. "Flaffy, use Electro Ball!"
Twirling on one foot and then whipping its tail at the end, Ember's Flaffy sent off a rapid fire ball of electricity at the opposing Drifloon. The opposing pokemon offered little resistance to the super effective move. Its dangling strings even crackled afterward as sparks danced between the two tendrils.
However, Ember's opponent looked unperturbed, even as the display cost her points.. "Drifloon, Stockpile!"
The purple pokemon seemed to swell up.
"Now, use Swallow!"
It constricted. With the constriction, all signs of injury from Flaffy's earlier Electro Ball disappeared! Shock was written plainly on Ember's face.
"Oh my!" Lilian commented, "Looks like we've got a healer in the house! That's gonna be a tough wall for Flaffy to climb. Can Ember figure it out?!"
"Tch… I can totally burst this ghost's bubble," Ember muttered to herself. "Flaffy, don't worry! We can do it! Just use Cotton Spore!"
Pulling its fists into itself, Flaffy's wooly mane expanded before drifting away and off towards the Drifloon. The latent fuzz stuck to the purple pokemon, introducing a whole new layer of drag resistance to it and slowing it down!
"Hm… Drifloon, use Ominous Wind!"
A purple, hazey breeze blew up from off the pool beside where the two were battling. "Flooooon!"
The impact of it sent Flaffy barreling over.
"Oh no!" Ember cried out. "Use Cotton Guard!" Her points and her pokemon had taken quite the hit. She couldn't keep risking that!
"Setting up your defenses, huh? That's fine! Drifloon, use Stockpile!"
Both pokemon began bulking up. New pieces of luxurious white fluff began forming along Flaffy's pink hide. Across the field, Drifloon grew four times the size it had originally been.
"That thing's gonna be a tough sell… We can't waste our chance!" Ember decided. "Use Charge and Cotton Spore!"
Crackling with electricity, Flaffy threw off another wave of fluff to slow Drifloon down.
"Do you think you can just fend it all off because it's not type advantageous? Well, you're wrong! Drifloon, use Stockpile once more and then Spit Up!"
Flaffy's now thoroughly fluffy body was completely covered in gross gunk. Ember's points went down further. She grit her teeth in frustration.
"Ugh, super mega ultra mundo gross!" she squealed. "Flaffy, use Electro Ball! I'm tired of this thing!"
"Flaf!" the sheep yelled before twirling again, its whole body sparking with electricity. It traveled down its tail, finally being shot off with a flick of the appendage at Drifloon. Though its target was small once more, it hit true. Furthermore, the sparks had fluffed out Flaffy once more, and the wool clinging to Drifloon lit up in sparks and embers, frying the ghost type.
"Loon!" The ghost type cried out, deflating and falling to the ground unconscious.
"Yeah!" Ember cheered, jumping up and down.
Her Flaffy sighed in relief before sitting down on its butt.
"Well, Ember and Flaffy certainly volted over that obstacle! Good show girls, both of you! Let's give them a round of applause!"
Back behind stage, Dawn was one of the many clapping for Ember as she came back down the steps to the lounge area.
"That was a pretty quick first round," Larkspur noted. "The rest should take longer than a couple of minutes, right?"
"Probably," Dawn agreed. "Oh! Ciara's up!"
"Against Quijote," Larkspur groaned.
Dawn shook her head. "I'm sure Ciara can beat Quijote." To prove a point, the coordinator stood up as Ciara was walking away from Kenny. "Heeeey! No need to worry!"
Ciara blushed and nodded at Dawn before walking onto the stage.
"She'll do great," Dawn repeated before sitting back down.
Ciara felt the familiar shaking in her knees at being before a stage. However, she had to do her best. "Vulpix, Charm up!" She threw her pokeball out, releasing the shiny fire type.
"Oh, this is a fire type of a different color, isn't it?" Quijote rhetorically asked. "Very well. Nidoking, let's show them true majesty!"
The monstrous poison type appeared opposite on the field of his opponent, bellowing furiously. Vulpix, for her part, stood tall and proud, her tails swishing behind her lightly.
Given her smaller size and more lithe nature, Ciara called out her attack. It was doubtful that Nidoking would move before her. "Vulpix, Sunny Day and Confuse Ray!"
The stage lit up as Vulpix's tiny fireball coordinated with the looming noon sun. In the meantime, a bolt of black-purple light swirled out and around Nidoking's head, dazing the poison type. Quijote's point began dipping at this point, severely affected by Ciara's commanding opening.
The man gritted his teeth. "Mm, yes… Nidoking, use Poison Jab!"
"Quick Attack out of there!"
While Nidoking fumbled forward and crashed into the ground, Vulpix quickly darted away.
"Poison Tail!"
"Quick Attack!"
The ticker for Quijote's points creeped down more as Vulpix once again elluded Nidoking's wrath.
Grunting, Quijote raised a fist. "Nidoking, use Poison Jab and make it count!"
"Nidoooo!" the beast roared before going after Vulpix again.
This time, neither she nor Ciara were quick enough to avoid the attack. Caught just under her stomach by Nidoking's Poison Jab, Vulpix was lifted up into the air, cresting in her wild and dangerous arc almost so high as to brush against her own artificial sun. Trailing behind her to the tip of Nidoking's horn was a toxic trail of purple liquid. Nidoking's mouth widened into a proud smile as his confusion passed and he realized what he'd done.
Vulpix trembled on her feet as she tried to regain composure. She was poisoned and her trainer's points were dropping.
"Vulpix!" Ciara called, genuinely worried. "Are you alright?!" She clutched her pokeball. Should she return and forfeit? That was insane…! Quijote's Nidoking had used all his strength against an opponent so much smaller than himself.
Still trembling, the golden furred Vulpix turned to look at Ciara, determination burning in her eyes. "Vul…!"
"Alright," Ciara agreed. "Use… Flame Burst!"
Vulpix spat a huge bundle of fire. Once it blasted Nidoking in his face, it rolled off to the sides, briefly catching the stage on fire. The big pokemon briefly recoiled, growling in pain.
"That's quite the fire hazard," Quijote taunted. "Nidoking, use Venom Drench!"
Raising his arms, Nidoking created a bubble of poison. Lobbing it towards Vulpix, the bubble burst into a noxious bath on the fire type.
"Vullll!" she cried, shivering on stage. The toxins in her veins burned so much! It hurt!
"Vulpix!" Ciara cried out, too caught up in her pokemon's pain to notice that her points were dropping again.
"Finish her, Nidoking! Use Earth Power!"
The ground type began to glow in a golden hue. Jabbing his fist down at the stage, a trail of golden cracks spread out and towards Vulpix.
"Oh no! Vulpix, use Quick Attack!"
Taking off at Ciara's command, Vulpix did try to out speed Nidoking's attack. However, as more and more of the stage took on those gilded fissures, Vulpix quickly found herself trapped. The fox desperately tried to dodge the coming energy blows, but it was all for naught. Bursting up from the ground, hot and angry, the ground type move blasted her up into the air in a veil of gold.
When the move ended, Nidoking alone stood in it. Vulpix was in a crumpled heap on the stage. Ciara's points were nearly depleted, as well.
"Vulpix!" Ciara yelled, running onto the stage to scoop up her precious pokemon.
It took Lilian a stunned second to take the stage, distracting the audience from the admittedly less than completely friendly competition. "There you have it, folks! Quite the impressive show of power from Quijote Mancha and his Nidoking! Let's give both of our competitors a quick round of applause!"
Dawn's eyes were wide as she watched both Ciara and Quijote leave the stage. Standing, the coordinator ran to the entry way. Larkspur trailed behind her. The two met Kenny; he looked equally distressed on behalf of their friend.
"Ciara!" Kenny and Dawn both yelled as soon as the girl nearly ran into them, tears staining her cheeks.
"Come here, we'll get Vulpix healed up!" Dawn offered.
"You did great out there," Kenny assured as the four of them moved out of the way of the entrance.
Ciara wailed as she held Vulpix to her chest. "I was so scared! I-I really thought he was trying to hurt her…!" The girl shook. "I'm so embarrassed. That was so stupid. Vulpix is a-all h-hurt because… because…!"
"Ah, don't be embarrassed, little one."
The group turned, seeing Quijote leering behind them.
"It's only natural for a delicate woman such as yourself to lose to a robust man such as myself," Quijote clarified. "Just a Snorlax yearns to taste the forbidden fruits of a Cherubi, so must the mighty defeat the… Well."
"Quijote, you dick!" Kenny hissed, fists clenched.
However, Dawn was quicker on the draw. Stepping forward, the bridge of her nose and her brow were wrinkled in an angry scowl. "I'll show you-"
Suddenly, Dawn felt an arm across her, keeping her from lashing out at Quijote as she wanted to. "I'll handle it if he says another word," Brendan offered. "I'll take him out myself."
Between Dawn's anger and Brendan's sudden reappearance, Quijote found it appropriate to make himself scarce. It was perfect timing, too, since Dawn turned her aggression on the stage guy.
"I don't need your protection," she quickly clarified. "I can handle myself."
"I know that," Brendan shot back. "But, you should focus on comforting your friend. She needs you right now."
After a tense pause, Dawn relaxed. "... Right. Thanks." She turned on her heel, looking at Ciara, who was standing between Larkspur and Kenny.
The noise of the current battle-a Gastrodon against a Sandshrew-was all but lost on Dawn's awareness.
"Dawn," Kenny said gently. "I'm up next. Will you go with Ciara to get Vulpix healed up real quick? There's always a nurse somewhere backstage…"
"Of course," she agreed. "Larkspur, will you watch our stuff?"
"Yep!" the boy agreed. He turned to Ciara. "... Hey, don't feel bad. Vulpix is really strong. She did her best for you."
That only brought on a new wave of tears. "I-I know," Ciara said, choking back sobs. She smiled, cuddling her shiny Vulpix. "S-She always does her best for me! I-I'm so proud of her…!"
With that, Dawn led Ciara away while Kenny and Larkspur continued to watch the current battle wind down.
Among the crowd of already eliminated coordinators, Maddox remained. He had wanted to leave, but he was intrigued by Brendan as well as frustrated. Now, something new had been revealed to him. Just as he respected Dawn for her previous spitfire attitude in Fuschia, he now admired her loyalty; so the same was with Brendan, whose take-no-garbage attitude was admirable.
Scratching the back of his head, the green haired punk chuckled. "Well, I guess I was The Man earlier… I gotta learn to talk better and understand others." He crossed his arms, smirking though no one was listening to his little monologue. "It isn't very punk to expect everyone to always conform to the way I roll." He nodded. "Yeah. No establishment in me. Just bein' real. Everyone's real."
Lilian was back to her cheerful self. "Our next competitors will be Kenny of Sinnoh and George of Kanto!" The hostess waited for the crowd to give a quick, cordial round for applause for the two men. "Now, let's go!"
"Machamp, let's go!"
"Rampardos, vamonos!"
Both of the large, gray skinned pokemon appeared and began posturing for the other. While Machamp flexed all four of his mighty arms, Rampardos crouched down and snapped its beak.
Knowing he couldn't risk wasting time, George raised a fist. "Screech, then Headbutt!"
Kenny's eyes widened. They couldn't flinch! Not this early in! "Vital Throw!"
Despite bracing himself, Machamp felt his resolve waver a bit in the face of the high pitched, predatory whine that Rampardos let out. For its part, the revived fossil pokemon flexed its long claws before charging straight at Machamp. Head down and tucked carefully so that it reduced the risk of neck injury, the rock type slammed directly into Machamp's stomach.
The wind was knocked briefly out of the big fighting type and Kenny's points suffered for allowing the disgraceful display to go unhindered. However, as soon as he regained his senses, all four of Machamp's arms locked along Rampardos's body. Two went around the beast's neck and another two went under its stomach. Spinning, the fighting type sent Rampardos flinging away.
The rock type skidded across the stage. This time, it was George's points that dropped!
"Not bad!" George praised. "Still… Do you think the clock's gonna let you play second fiddle?"
Regaining his normal, cocky spark, Kenny shrugged with one shoulder, his opposite hand firmly on his hip. "Who's gonna stop me?"
A bit insulted, the trainer got back to business. "Rampardos! Show them our Ancient Power!"
"Rampaaaaaaaar!" The dinosaur's eyes began to glow blue as the stage shook a bit. A volley of large stones was created.
"Attaboy!" George praised just as Rampardos let them from.
"Well, crap," Kenny muttered. "Hey, don't you get spooked out there!"
Despite this, Machamp was knocked on his butt by one of the stones. More would surely follow.
"Use Focus Energy and then Strength to stop them!"
Standing back up, the fighting type quickly flexed his muscles before holding his hands out. One by one, he caught each boulder and tossed them harmlessly to the side.
On his side of the field, Kenny sighed in relief. That had been a boon! Machamp's damage intake had been lowered, George's points were lowered for Machamp's composed recovery of the situation, and the time had been whittled away by Rampardos's stubborn insistence that an Ancient Power attack would eventually stop Machamp! It was only when a pile as tall as Machamp himself has accumulated on both sides of the pokemon that Rampardos stopped.
"They aren't using many moves, but this is still a match that is testing our competitors' endurance!" Lilian narrated. "The amount of tolerance these two have for taking and giving out a beating is truly incredible!"
The Rampardos looked strained. There was tired ring of red around the creature's eyes. Machamp, meanwhile, was breathing very deeply with sweat rolling down his massive body.
"Ugh… The clock's ticking! We can't waste anymore time. Rampardos, use Zen Headbutt!"
Bingo! Kenny threw a hand out. "Let him come to you, Machamp! Then, use Submission!"
Rampardos ran at Machamp, though it paused at the last moment. Recalling the crushing embrace of the fighting type's many arms, the rock type leered for an opening. The two postured like this for a brief while. When Rampardos took a jolting step forward, ready to jet towards a vulnerable opening, Machamp would adjust his posture, compensating for it.
However, time was a precious thing and they were running low on it.
"Augh… You're just going to have to go for it!" George yelled.
Giving in, Rampardos leaped up, aiming to knock skulls with Machamp. And, sure enough, the Zen Headbutt worked! Machamp was sent onto his back, stars briefly floating before his eyes…
But, before anyone knew it, the fighting type kicked out to his panting adversary, knocking Rampardos onto its own side. Then, the fighting type was on top of the other. The brief wrestling match ended with masterful care. Machamp caught Rampardos up so that the brute couldn't move at all, only thrash desperately!
The crowd watched in quiet awe at Kenny's calm conclusion to the match. There were still five agonizing seconds left on the clock. George's points went down rapidly during them. Though it didn't empty, the display made the point clear enough: Kenny had control during the match.
"Well!" Lilian announced as the timer ran out. "That was quite the cool, collected contest battle! Let's give a round of applause for Kenny and his Machamp!"
"Well, here we have one of Wallace's students against a could-be queen! Give it up for Brendan and Victoria!" Lilian cheered.
Tossing out the pokeball with a barely contained sense of enthusiasm, Brendan called forth his pokemon. "Shiftry, it's time!"
The woman, on the other hand, tossed her hair behind her shoulder before clicking the button on her pokeball. "Vespiquen, this is an important battle, so let's do our best, okay?"
"Well, if that isn't a compliment, I don't know what is," Brendan said, taking on a suave air. "Shiftry, use Fake Out!"
The click clack of Shiftry's feet on the stage was all the warning Vespiquen got. Sweeping his leafy hand up first to startle Vespiquen, the grass type then kicked out with its hard, wooden feet.
The mother-queen bee was knocked back mid-air, left only to reel. After a shocked pause, she looked pissed.
"Hey, keep calm!" Victoria reminded her pokemon. "Just use Heal Order."
Breathing deeply, the bug type closed her eyes. In a flash, a mob of small grubs appeared out the combs that served as her dress.
"See? It's not a big deal," Victoria assured. "Now, let's show them our Attack Order."
Brendan watched quietly as the swarm was formed. The buzzing noise was almost on par with the beating of his heart. "Shiftry, Leaf Blade!"
Flinging one arm out behind him, the middle leaf of Shiftry's arm expanded in a brilliant green light. When it ended, a glowing green 'sword' had formed.
With the utmost swiftness, the grass type lunged at the bundled swarm, striking at the assault to the tune of several feral shrieks on Shiftry's part. Several swings of its blades ended in a cross-armed swipe that left the infestation scattered, falling behind its form like a shredded foe.
Flashing a victorious, cool-tempered grin, Brendan opted to pounce on his style and momentum, throwing a hand up towards the afternoon sun. "Great job! Now, follow that up with Growth!"
Shiftry raised both of its fanned limbs to the sky, forming a vacuum of green particles of natural energy that encroached upon its form. A vibrant glow enveloped the grass/dark hybrid, channeling into the leafy appendages on both of the pokemon's arms. The Wicked pokemon cried out with vigor, inspired and revitalized.
Maintaining control of momentum from one move to the next, Brendan watched his opponent's points begin to chip away further. A bead of sweat rolling down his forehead betrayed his look of confidence, however. 'I'd better keep this pattern going… If one effective bug type move makes it through, Shiftry's in serious trouble.'
Victoria scowled. If her opponent continued to press on with his fierce attacks and showmanship, she'd lose any chance to act on her tactical advantage. Not to mention, her points would probably hit zero before her Vespiquen even hit the contest floor. "Use Defend Order!"
Yet another buzzing swarm coiled around the queen bee, earning a mixture of impressed cheers and frightened chatter from the audience. The display of Vespiquen's mastery of her own element chipped away at Brendan's points, to boot, shrinking the gap between the coordinators.
Confident in her defenses, Victoria pointed forward. "Now, Toxic!"
Pushing her arms out, the Beehive pokemon caused a glow of purple to circle around Shiftry's feet. Brewing into a bubble, it flashed over Shiftry before completely concealing him.
Brendan's cool demeanor briefly slipped. "Leaf Tornado! Get out of sight!" That was exactly what he'd feared. Shiftry's only advantage thus far had been staying a step ahead of Vespiquen. If that poisoned status started to cost his grass type in endurance, they'd be up a creek. It didn't help that Toxic's display was stunning. Luckily, the forming blur of leaves was impressive, too.
"Aw, won't you keep playing with us?" the opponent taunted. "Vespiquen, use Attack Order."
Narrowing his eyes, Brendan realized they had to fight a little dirty. Under the intense cover of the Leaf Tornado, he called out a surprising move. "Fake Out!"
"Huh?!" Victoria's jaw dropped.
The cluster of leaves was so thick there was no way that Vespiquen could have anticipated it. Though he was still struck by the Attack Order as soon he blew his cover, Shiftry was at least able to get a blow so shocking that Vespiquen was stunned into stillness.
"A Fake Out during the match!" Lilian announced. "A rarely conceived notion, folks! Brendan really had to set up for that! Some of you with sharp eyes may have noticed that Leaf Tornado didn't touch Vespiquen earlier. It seems Brendan sacrificed that to set up for Fake Out! The question is-will it be worth it for Brendan?"
"There's our opening!" Brendan commanded, almost crouching with how far he was leaning forward. "Shiftry, you're going to have to use Leaf Blade now!"
"You will not!" Victoria snarled. "Vespiquen, Attack Order!"
If Victoria's points hadn't already dropped due to being duped by Brendan's Leaf Tornado-Fake Out combination, then they definitely dropped for reusing the same attack twice in a row.
Still, the audience watched with baited breath. The tak-tak-tak of Shiftry's clunky, wooden feet over the stage and the mindless buzzing of Vespiquen's grubs were barely audible even with the audio system in the stadium due to the audience's cheering approval. This was a match! Power, pizazz, surprise!
It all culminated in a heart pounding moment as Shiftry was flung into the throng of underlings, slicing at the queen! Falling down behind her with the swarm having finished what little time they got to attack the grass type, everyone was on the edge of their seats.
Shiftry dropped down onto one knee.
Vespiquen dropped onto her face.
"Our winner is Brendan!" Lilian announced. Taking on a teasing tone, she laughed. "But, hey, we have to give it up for him! It would have been embarrassing if he lost in front of his mentor, wouldn't it?"
While the next competitors, using a Froslass and a Torkoal apiece, walked onto the stage, Dawn approached the winner of the last match as soon as he walked off the stage.
"How'd you manage that?!" she asked with a bit more force in her tone than was necessary. She was somewhere between baffled and impressed.
Scratching the back of his head with something like pride, he answered her. "Um, well, Wallace told me that if I couldn't beat someone with two type advantages, then I'm not really that clever, so-"
Dawn cut him off. "No, the second Fake Out!"
"Oh!" Brendan said. He looked over his shoulder, still seeing Quijote in the room. Grunting, he jerked his thumb to a slightly secluded corner of the lounge. "Follow me."
Obedient, the blue haired girl was content to listen to his request. Now that they were alone, she raised a brow in question.
"Okay, so," Brendan started. "You normally can't because, like, once the Skitty is out of the bag, it's out of the bag. But! If you can create a sound and a noise diversion, like my Leaf Tornado since the leaves go all whooshy and it's clearly a visual thing…" He gave a thumbs up. "You're golden!"
"Huh. Impressive," Dawn tutted.
The boy laughed. "I honestly learned it after Wallace kept kicking Shiftry's butt even though we had the type advantage!"
Thinking of all of the times Ash had stubbornly gone against type advantage, Dawn waved her hand. "That doesn't always mean anything, like how you showed with Vespiquen."
"That's true." Nodding, Brendan held his hand out. "Hey, I hope I get to battle you. You've met Cynthia, right? I got to eat lunch with her once when she was visiting Wallace and Steven. She talked highly of you."
Thrilled that Cynthia remembered her, Dawn smiled. "We've both gotta make our home regions proud then, huh?" She shook the other coordinator's hand vigorously.
"Now, we have Dawn and Aaron! Let's give them a round of applause!" Lilian encouraged. Sure enough, the audience did give up a hearty round of applause for the two coordinators. Dawn and the child she would be battling both stepped to their appropriate spots on stage.
"Pachirisu! Spotlight!" Dawn called out, releasing her electric type.
The white pokemon landed on all four feet, chattering happily in greeting.
"Aron, let's go!"
Dawn balked at the appearance of the steel type. A guy named Aaron was using an aron? Still… Since rock types had an advantage, she couldn't afford to waste time! "Pachirisu, use Sweet Kiss!"
Darting over, the little Elesquirrel pokemon went over to Aron. She twirled cutely before pressing her lips to Aron's cheek. For his part, the steel type immediately buried his face into the stage. A rusty red shine overtook his shell. He was embarrassed!
"Aron, use Heavy Slam!"
However, the pokemon was too confused by Pachirisu. He looked up back at the current object of his affection before slamming his face down into the stage again in confusion.
"Not bad work," Dawn praised. "Now, use Super Fang!"
"Pachi!" she exclaimed, long teeth glowing white and growing longer.
"Oh boy." Aaron gulped. "Aron, use Protect!"
Not having to face the object of his frustrations to use the move, Aron was able to pull it off wonderfully! Pachirisu planted mouth first against the shield and chattered angrily at it.
"Pachipachipachi!"
"Pachirisu, pull back," Dawn pleaded, praying that her voice instilled more confidence than she really felt at the moment. She loved the little rodent, but it had a bad habit of not knowing when to quit.
Just as the pokemon did back off, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Great, now let's throw them off, with Spark!" Dawn threw a hand forward with all the confidence she could muster. With any luck, they could hopefully paralyze the opponent and secure their victory.
Pachirisu did as ordered, making a mad dash for Aron with a blue electrical trail.
By now, Aaron was sweating. It was obvious the older coordinator was seasoned; the match hadn't reached a fever pitch yet and she was already using mind games. "Iron Defense!"
The small steel type tensed his exoskeleton, reinforcing it with a second layer of metal.
Pachirisu crashed, managing little more than a few beautiful sparks and a sore skull.
"Look at that," Lilian interjected with a shout. "Iron Defense is making Spark look like some sort of fierce ironwork! The sparks dancing off of its coat have truly robbed Dawn of the spotlight!"
Dawn swallowed, her stance held stiff to hide any sign of fretting. The kid came off like a newbie, but he seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, she'd give him that.
"Now, use Discharge!"
"Chi-Pachi!" The Elesquirrel shrieked, firing off a myriad of bolts.
"Charge through it with Headbutt," Aaron shouted. Maybe if intercepting worked once, it would work in his favor again!
"Ron!" The tiny underdog cried, stampeding towards Pachirisu in all his might. In all of his excitement, though, he lost his footing, letting out a squeal as he slid across the ground…
...And right into the path of an explosive Discharge.
"Oooh, that was unfortunate! If Aaron and Aron can't keep their composure, their toughness might not last them through the round!" Lilian narrated, her eyes on the score. Each contestant's score had chipped away bit by bit, but Aaron's laid less than comfortably below half.
The smoke finally began to disperse, revealing a standing, robust Aron.
Dawn's points dipped a bit closer to her opponent's.
"Look at that! Nothing more exciting than a hardy little dark horse ready to tough it through!"
He was holding up far too much. Dawn had to knock Aaron and his Aron down to size, or they might actually lose! "Pachirisu, try Super Fang!"
Knowing very well what that move did, Aaron threw out a hand. "Heavy Slam!"
The two tiny pokemon ran at each other. Pachirisu was more lithe and speedy, so the two met on Aron's side of the field. Despite this…
"Oh, a blow right to the mouth! Very painful, not very graceful," Lilian explained over the speakers.
Pachirisu held her head, walking back from the failed attack. Aron, for his part, snorted and pawed at the ground, feeling very confident. She wouldn't be able to take much more of a beating like this. Even if she was more experienced than Aron, he had weight on her.
Begrudgingly, Dawn realized the typing and weight issue were too great. She supposed if she absolutely had to, she could batter Aron until it succumbed to Pachirisu. However, she wasn't sure if the timer or her points would give out first for trying that. She couldn't risk either of those. She would have to bank on running down Aaron's points. Hopefully, she could empty them out, but if she could just keep it lower than hers by the time the match ended, she could deal with it.
"Pachirisu! Come back over here! You remember how we used to make those flowers with your Spark attack?"
Darting back to Dawn's side of the field, the squirrel nodded.
"Good! Now, let's try Sweet Kiss. Let the attack go to Aron, you hang back."
"Hmph. Aron, use Protect!" At this distance, it was unlikely Aron would be hit by the Sweet Kiss hearts. It was a little less reliable than using the move as it was traditionally intended (physical contact), but even Aaron had to admit the hearts looked very cute flying through the air.
Pity they bounced right off Aron's Protect.
"Let's hope this works… Discharge!"
Just as Aron's Protect was going down, Pachirisu's blue electricity surged across the field. First, it shattered the Sweet Kiss hearts into pink bursts before rather ineffectively causing Aron's metallic shell to sparkle.
"Well, there's probably a line about a woman scorned to be said here, but I've never seen such a shocking response!" Lilian praised. "The flair is there, folks!"
She breathed out a sigh of relief as Aaron's points plunged for a moment. The impactful, poignant statement made by breaking the refused hearts spoke to the judges' appreciation of theatrics. The sparkling on Aron's shell spoke to their aesthetics.
Dawn was just going to have to keep using Aaron's Aron as her unwilling partner in what was turning from a battle to an extended appeals performance.
Unaware of what Dawn was up to, Aaron stomped a foot. "That was a dirty trick! I just used up my Protect! Heavy Slam, Aron!"
"Aron!" the pokemon grunted before charging at Pachirisu.
"Pachirisu, give it a Spin with flair!"
Holding her hands up and to the side, Pachirisu did just that. She twisted her tail around her as she slipped out of Aron's path.
"Good!" Dawn praised. "Now, try Super Fang with Spark!" Hopefully, it would give it a similar strength to Thunder Fang but with the trailing light show Spark always offered.
"Headbutt, Aron!" Aaron said, keeping an eye on the timer. For now, he was still behind Dawn! This wasn't good!
Aron rammed his head into Pachirisu's stomach. She would have been tossed over him if she hadn't managed to hook her teeth into his exoskeleton! The two of them surged forth as Pachirisu began to crackle with blue electricity. Soon, it covered both of them. The sight of the little steel type running with the blue trail… It was magnificent!
But, it was all Dawn's planning, which meant it cost Aaron points.
Just as the joy ride ended and Aron managed to knock Pachirisu off, the timer sounded.
"Looks like we've got to call this match, folks! And, just close enough to probably work up a sweat, our by-a-nose winner is Dawn! Let's give her and Pachirisu a round of applause!"
"Now, Larkspur and Mary are up! Let's give them a warm round of applause!" Lilian introduced.
Tossing a pokeball forward, Mary took a decisive point position. "Remoraid, it's go time!"
Larkspur nodded. Hopefully, this wouldn't be too difficult. After seeing the match between Pachirisu and Aron, though, he wondered if the type advantage would mean anything. "Victreebel, I need your help!"
One of the first competitors to be able to make full use of the pool, Remoraid already cut a bit into Larkspur's points just for taking advantage of an element none of the other competitors had yet. Victreebel, on the other hand, leisurely stood on the platform. Both competitors turned to face the audience, then, as they had to watch their pokemon before them.
"This is already quite the unusual positioning! Let's see where it leads," Lilian narrated.
Twirling, Mary placed her hands over her heart. "Remoraid… Use Ice Beam!"
That was what Larkspur was afraid of. "Victreebel, Ingrain!"
Just as the flash of icy power doused Victreebel down, the plant extended its roots, locking into the stage and even touching into the water. Drawing on the energy around it, Victreebel drew forth a bit of strength. It wasn't enough to negate Remoraid's attack, but it lessened the blow.
"Oh my! It's an Ingrain user! Those are always stubborn!" Lilian seemed excited, to say the least.
"Hmph," Mary muttered. "Still… How long can you hang on? Remoraid, use Ice Beam again!"
Despite the points lost due to using the same move twice in a row, Mary stuck with her idea. Remoraid blasted Victreebel once more with frost.
Though the plant shivered a bit, it did not freeze and did not faint, though it felt close to doing such.
"We'll need to replish Victreebel's energy. Hey, Mary, be a pal. Lend us some strength when we use… Giga Drain!"
The girl squealed in shock. Remoraid, however, glowed green at the same time that Victreebel did. Little green orbs of energy floated towards the grass type, replenishing its strength.
"That's better. Now, let's use Toxic and then Venoshock!" Larkspur commanded.
Still woozy from having its energy stolen, Remoraid was prone and vulnerable to Victreebel's Toxic attack. Purple bubbles flooded the water, foaming around Remoraid.
"C'mon! You need to use Water Pulse!"
Pained and disoriented, the small fish responded to the call for Venoshock, keying into its trainer's command. Its tiny mouth parted, conjuring a glowing orb of water before firing.
The Water Pulse and Venoshock collided, bursting the bubble of Water Pulse with such potency that a sparkling, gassy purple mist exploded from the collision point, showering contaminated water vapor over the pool spanning the arena.
"Victreebel almost closed the deal with a well-thought combination of Toxic and Venoshock, but Remoraid held things together with a beautiful Water Pulse! I think we can all agree that it made a great use of the poisonous goo that was intended to finish Remoraid off!" Lilian shouted into her microphone, playing the match up.
Mary gripped a fist at chest height, her brows knit. "With Toxic going, we don't have any time to spare… Let's settle this, Remoraid! Set your sights, with Lock-on!"
A red ring projected from Remoraid's gaze, settling intently on Victreebel's form. Both the fish's eyes and the ring glowed.
"Whatever you're preppin' for, I don't want any of," Larkspur muttered. "Venoshock!" Though his points were wavering down even with his opponents, if his hunch was correct, it would be worth it. He just had to last through whatever Mary was planning!
"Hyper Beam!"
That's what she was planning!
As the white light began to glow in Remoraid's tiny maw, Victreebel belched up another Venoshock. The effect was potent! Hyper Beam's budding form briefly wavered…!
But, it was not enough. Blasting out, Victreebel was completely obscured by the white light. Both Mary and Larkspur stepped back, giving a wide girth to the attack.
When it faded, Remoraid was panting in the water, thoroughly exhausted.
Similarly, Victreebel stood, clinging barely to the stage with its Ingrain move still intact.
"Unbelievable!" Lilian shouted, full of energy. "Even after taking on a Hyper Beam, Victreebel's still hanging in there! Ingrain saves lives, folks!"
Sighing in relief, Larkspur felt pride that his hunch had been proven correct. "Now, finish them off with Giga Drain!"
Sucking Remoraid dry of its energy, Larkspur was also satisfied to see the green light show dipped Mary's points below his own. For a moment there, he had been really worried!
Once Remoraid fainted in the water, Lilian announced the conclusion of the match.
"There you have it, folks! Let's give it up for Larkspur and his Victreebel!"
The first battle rounds had concluded. Now, it was just Lilian on stage, announcing the match ups for the next round.
Backstage, Quijote felt himself catch a chill as he saw his face appear next to Brendan's. Much the opposite, the Hoenn native trainer only nodded, looking back at Ciara.
"Hey, I'll teach him some manners for you, huh?"
The girl, who was less upset now that her Vulpix was resting easy, smiled back. "T-Thank you, Brendan…"
Dawn, on the other hand, spotted her face among the many others on the board. She furrowed her brows upon seeing who her opponent would be. "Ember, huh?" She sighed. "This is either gonna be fun or completely awful…"
"Ah, Kenny! You're up first!" Ciara said, smiling at her crush.
The boy nodded, adjusting his shirt. "I'll do my best!"
"Now, to start off the second round of battles, we'll begin with two of our so-far-successful competitors. Now, let's count on them to give us a good show, and turn up the heat!" Lilian's voice blared through her microphone and over the loudspeakers.
"Kenny powered through the last round with composure and brute force! Now, we'll get to see how that prowess stacks up against all the beauty and elegance of Michelle and her pokemon!"
Both competitors had taken to the stage, Kenny standing tall with a fist stationed securely on his waist. His opponent Michelle brushed a hand smoothly through her own locks. The personality of both coordinators was evident, and a whooping audience proved itself convinced.
"Let's show them how we stack up… Alakazam! You're up!" Kenny called, tossing his pokeball.
"Kazam." The telepath held a silver spoon diligently in each of its hands, eyeing Kenny's opponent in a steely, focused gaze.
"We'll battle circles around them! Let's go, Altaria~!" Twirling in a way that could only be described as being a show-off, Michelle tossed her pokeball high, releasing the cloud-coated dragon in a bright flash of light. It fluttered around Michelle's platform as if it were as light as the clouds in the sky above.
"And… Begin!"
Michelle was quick to make the first move. "Fluff yourself up with Cotton Guard, and then use Moonblast!"
"Taria~!" The pokemon sing-songed, flapping its wings. A cloud of puffy cotton began to materialize out of thin air, surrounding and drawing to Altaria's body, giving it a thicker, even more elegant coat. The protective puffs faded into its form, its increased defenses indicated with a blow glow.
Ooh's and cheers could be heard in the stadium, admiring the pokemon's beautiful appearance.
Kenny's points chipped just a bit.
Altaria followed up with a shining, swirling orb of pink luminous energy, firing from its beak.
"Intercept that with Shadow Ball," Kenny ordered, throwing a hand aside.
"Alakazam!" A ghastly mass of darkness appeared before the PSI pokemon, crackling with dark lightning that trailed it as it fired with break-neck speed towards Altaria's attack.
The two colorful collections of energy collided over the pool, shoving against one another in a clash that caused reverberations across the pool. Flashing and snapping at one another, they finally collapsed in a swirl, resulting in a large, booming explosion of intertwining light and darkness. It looked as if a little chunk of space had been grabbed out of the night sky, allowing all present to see a miniature explosion of a star.
"Absolutely beautiful! Even with a disadvantage in type, Kenny staged a sturdy defense, and made a wonderful spectacle out of Altaria's Moonblast, as well! Way to keep cool under pressure!"
The auburn-haired teen grinned. "Now, keep up those defenses, with Light Screen!"
A green grid of translucent energy formed in a flash around Alakazam.
"Now, look at that! Kenny and Alakazam are using their heads, and securing their guard against the beautiful attacks by Michelle and Altaria! She'll have to press them if she hopes to gain an advantage!"
It seemed Kenny appealed to the smart category of appeals as Michelle's points dropped an inch or two. Now he was in the lead, but only by a bit. This match was far from over.
"You heard them," Michelle replied, throwing an open palm up. "Let's dazzle them with Draco Meteor!"
Altaria spit a shining meteor into the sky above. With a dazzling explosion, fiery shots of energy rained down upon both the battlefield and the platform Alakazam stood upon. The shimmering splashes caused by the latter were a sight to behold, managing to even the score.
As for Alakazam…
"Dodge those with Teleport," Kenny ordered without missing a beat.
As the meteors cascaded, Alakazam vanished and reappeared time and again, narrowly avoiding explosive impacts several times in a row in a diligent display of quick thinking.
The smoke soon cleared, revealing an untouched Alakazam.
Altaria, on the other hand, was huffing from the potent dragon type attack.
The contrast spoke for itself, chipping away at Michelle's points heavily.
"Ooh, and Michelle made took a risky gambit with Draco Meteor! But, Alakazam stayed composed and came out for the better, without a scratch on him! What a defense!"
By now, Michelle's heart was beating a few ticks faster. As graceful as Altaria was, all of that power and beauty was only coming off as foolish in the face of a pokemon with all of Alakazam's power and wit. They had to break Kenny's composure if they wanted any chance of coming out of this looking graceful. It was time to break out their trump card.
"Now, Altaria, use Perish Song~!"
"Allltar~!" The pokemon began to sing in a deep, haunting tone, its noble head thrown up to allow its notes to reverberate throughout the stadium.
Fortunately, they only went so far, stopping short of affecting pokemon hanging in the audience. But they did strike the ears of Alakazam, who cringed, taking in an eerie sense of foreboding.
"And, Michelle throws it all down at once, with a beautiful but chilling Perish Song! It's doubtful either coordinator will last the full five minutes now… This really ramps up the pressure!"
Kenny grimaced. "Way to throw this match for a loop… If we want to win the judges over, we'll have to make our time count while we still have it, Alakazam!"
"Kazam," the pokemon agreed with a nod. The pressure was on, but for a pokemon with an IQ of 5,000, this wasn't enough to hinder and distract his brilliant mind. The show would go on.
"Now, use Psycho Cut and combine it with Shadow Ball!"
"Alakazam!" The psychic type swiped both of his spoons in an arc, firing two large purple crescents towards Altaria. A pair of Shadow Balls followed, one from each spoon.
The arcs were eaten up by the spectral essence of Shadow Ball, leaving Altaria to confront a pair deep lavender crests, each consuming the light immediately around them.
"Dodge that!" Michelle called out, her voice cracking. What a combination…!
Altaria swooped above, crying out as it attempted to steer clear of the incoming crests.
Its command of the skies would have steered it clear of Psycho Cut alone, but the momentum lent by the Shadow Balls sped the attack up further, allowing Altaria to just barely skirt aside the first Psycho Cut. A dark violet blade of energy grazed Altaria's voluminous cotton, parting the clouds without actually hurting the evading pokemon.
The second, however, hit Altaria head-on. It cried out in pain, caught up in a booming explosion of different shades of red and violet. Telekinetic and spectral energies had hit their mark.
"Oh! That's got to hurt! Altaria tried to steer clear, but it just wasn't fast enough!"
"Moonblast!"
The dispersing smoke was blown away by another brilliant pink orb, closing in on Alakazam.
"Kazam!" The psychic type grunted, pelted with the explosive blast of magical energy.
Of course, his shimmering golden coat was only lightly dusted by the explosion, a large chunk of Moonblast's power eaten up by the green glimmer of Light Screen. A snarky reminder that Kenny and Alakazam had come into this battle prepared.
"Both pokemon stage a beautiful offensive! Ooh, but Light Screen is not doing Michelle and Altaria any favors! Alakazam is holding his composure quite well, as a result!"
Needless to say, the clock was ticking on Perish Song, as well.
Michelle's fists were trembling. With that, piled on Kenny's continued dominance, she was beginning to regret making that power play. If they didn't act now, they were done for!
With a grunt, she threw another hand to the air. "Now, let's dazzle them with all of our power, Altaria! Let's show them a gorgeous Draco Meteor!"
The dragon's beautiful call echoed through the stadium, another bright orange orb conjuring above it. Under its orange glow, Altaria's body illuminated like clouds hanging in the beautiful overcast of a setting sun.
This, sun, however, soared instead of sinking. It burst like its predecessor, raining down another barrage of fiery meteors upon Kenny's side of the battlefield.
"Now, go above and beyond, with Teleport!" Kenny grinned. Time to make them repeat their mistake.
Alakazam watched the incoming barrage with an observant eye, vanishing from one point on the stage to the next. He once again warped between impact points, his body then vanishing from the smoky stage.
Standing tall and poised, Kenny, snapped a finger. "Now, pay back the favor with Shadow Ball!"
Far above the smoky debris was none other than Alakazam! A last-second Teleport had brought him even above Altaria, earning cheers and hollers from a watching crowd. "Kazam!" The PSI pokemon thrust out both spoons, firing off a hail of violet, crackling orbs upon Altaria.
The normally elegant pokemon squawked in fear, weaving and soaring between the ghoulish blasts to the best of her ability. Most of the Shadow Balls were brushed off, but finally, one impacted, followed by roughly half a dozen more piling on top.
Thank Arceus for Cotton Guard. Altaria wearily hovered lower towards the ground, instinctively hiding under the cover of the dispersing smoke from Alakazam. Not at all suited for a contest, but self-preservation was a primal instinct that would not be won over.
"Ohhh, and Kenny counters with his own answer to Draco Meteor! A terrifying display of prowess, but Altaria's still… Ah! Look at that! It seems Perish Song finally kicked in!"
Both pokemon were brought down by gravity, each unconscious, landing in a heap.
The siren's spell had done its job.
"Would you believe that! A double knock-out! I'm not quite sure what this means for the match… The judges will briefly consult one another and give us a verdict!"
Kenny, Michelle, and the entire crowd had their eyes glued to the panel, all of which crowded together in a hushed cluster of whispers. Try as they might, even spectators in the front row couldn't overhear.
Finally, Wallace stood. "The Wallace Cup can't very well proceed without at least one victor to move on to the next round! Since both pokemon are unable to battle, the criteria used to determine a victor will be the primary one used without the presence of a knock-out!"
A dramatically waved had gestured to the scores presented on screen.
"...By the remaining number of points! In this case, that honor goes to Kenny, and his wonderfully diligent Alakazam! Both contestants put their hearts into the cup today, but it's a worthy lesson learned for both trainers, that even the most elegant beauty will fall prey to its competitors without a sturdy constitution, and the fangs to keep its enemies at bay!"
With that only, Kenny's face remained on the monitor.
The foreign coordinator resisted the urge to breath a heavy sigh of relief, opting to flash a cool smile and keep his composure. "Excellent job, Alakazam! You played your part well."
"Alakazam!"
Whoops and hollers of approval could be heard from the audience, many of them sounding young and feminine. The brains and brawn put forward seemed to attract a bit of a fanbase to the Sinnoan young man.
"Next up, we have one of our fan favorites here in Kanto and another strong willed young woman. Let's see what Dawn and Ember can do!"
Stepping onto her part of the battle grounds, Dawn looked across to Ember. There was a fire in the other girl's eyes and it made Dawn just the littlest bit nervous. Considering how Quijote, who Ember had recently been hanging out with, had acted with Ciara, would Ember do the same? Did Ember have it in her…? No! Dawn wouldn't stoop to the other girl's level and assume the worst.
"Let's have a good match!" Dawn said, hoping it might warm some of the chilly atmosphere between them.
"I plan to!" Ember spat back.
So much for that, Dawn thought.
"Absol, spotlight!" Dawn called, releasing the pokemon.
Her white furred dark type landed on the stage with a clack of her claws, looking the scene over briefly before shaking her magnificent mane. Dawn's grooming had paid off! It glistened in the sunlight.
"Miltank, we're gonna school 'em!" Ember tossed her own pokeball out.
Landing on one foot with the grace that betrayed her hefty form, Ember's Miltank pumped a fist, looking fiesty and fierce. "Mil mil!" she bleated.
"Now… Begin!" Lilian called.
"Absol, use Future Sight!" She wasn't sure what Miltank was capable of, but Dawn had to prepare for it just in case! She was sure the pokemon wasn't resistant to psychic type moves if her memory of Autumn's Miltank was reliable.
"Always using a dirty tactic… Defense Curl!" she ordered, pointing an accusatory finger towards Dawn's side of the field.
While Absol stood still, eyes glowing blue ever so briefly, Miltank tucked into herself, covering her vital areas.
"Now! Use Rollout!" Ember cheered, jumping a little with enthusiasm at the idea of getting the jump on Dawn now that her pokemon was busy doing psychic stuff.
The other coordinator, however, wasn't having it. "Detect!"
Stance tensing, the Absol's horn seemed to quiver ever so slightly just as Miltank began rolling in place. When the pink cow lurched forward, the dark type quickly darted to the side. The stage was alive with the splat-splat-splat sounds of Miltank's fatty body rolling across the stage and the click-clack of Absol's claws carrying her away from danger.
Even as Dawn's pointes had dipped from the suiting combination of Defense Curl and Rollout, her quick thinking and Absol's quick reflexes brought Ember's points down just the same.
Ember growled a bit. "She's just a big sneak!" she hissed to herself. "Miltank, use Stomp!"
Popping out of her Rollout ball, Miltank quickly began running at Absol.
"Dodge!"
Unfortunately, avoiding one's problems for too long only resulted in having to face them unprepared. Thrown to her side by what was more like a bucking kick than a stomp from Miltank, Absol flinched and laid on the floor for a time.
Absol's composure broken, Dawn's points began to dip again.
Fortunately for Dawn, Absol's Future Sight came home to roost, hitting the pink cow and causing her to bellow in pain.
"A little bit of Foresight on Dawn's part really helped out, there!" Lilian narrated. Some of the crowd members groaned at the joke. Several others, our hero Ash and company included, laughed at it.
Dawn herself had laughed at Lilian's joke. But, she tried to make herself focus on the match at hand. "Absol, use Razor Wind!"
Absol jumped to her feet, tossing her head to begin whipping up a gale. Both of the coordinators' long hair flowed in the wind.
"Rollout!" Ember cried.
And, there it was, the first significant point drop in the match. It had been too soon since Miltank used that tactic the last time. All the same, Absol was crashed into by the rolling mass of meat and bones.
"Absol, you alright?!"
"Sol."
Relieved, Dawn gripped a fist. "Now, let's try adding in Night Slash!" Their Razor Wind from earlier was coming to a head. Dawn suddenly was happy she'd switched to shorts. She could only imagine what problems wearing a skirt while using this move could cause!
But, as it was, the darkening winds of Night Slash and Razor Wind combined were beautiful. Miltank, still in ball form, was tossed around the gales, damaged much more than she would have been with either move alone.
"What kind of move is this?!" Ember shouted as the winds died down. "Miltank, keep at it!"
Needing no second order, Miltank slammed into Absol again. The accumulating damage was taking as much of a toll on Absol as it was on Ember's point for using the same move over again.
"We can't keep going like this," Dawn noted. "Use Detect!"
Eager to get a break from this beat down, Absol tensed once more, preparing to avoid danger.
"Again!"
As Miltank came spinning towards her, Absol jumped clean over the normal type. Said pokemon disengaged from her spinning move and whirled to glare at Absol. Likewise, the dark type lowered her posture, taking on a predatory stance.
"Let's try our own ace again, Absol! Razor Wind!" Dawn called.
"Oh, as if! Milk Drink, Miltank!" Ember shouted right after.
As the winds picked up on stage again, Miltank's belly began to glow. She started healing herself, recovering almost all the energy that had been lost battling Absol by the looks of things.
Lilian's voice came over the sound system again. "That's Gym Leader Whitney's trademark Miltank moveset, folks! I knew it was popular among trainers who have Miltanks, but I've never really seen it in contests! Let's see if Ember made the right choice gambling with a moveset meant for gym battles rather than contest battles!"
"Night Slash!"
"Stomp!"
Absol tossed her head again, setting off the same dark winds that had tossed Miltank around earlier. This time, though, the normal type ran through them, aiming at Absol despite her accumulating injuries. The normal type kicked out, sending Absol onto her side once more. However, a dark gale in the windstorm Absol had created swiped through, landing a critical blow onto Miltank.
"Mil!"
Absol was down, having flinched again.
"Use Stomp again!" Ember knew they couldn't waste any time.
Dawn looked up at the scoreboard as Miltank did that again. Didn't Ember know it was costing her points to keep using Rollout and Stomp back to back?! Or, did she even care?! Was this just some kind of grudge match?
Judging by the way Absol yelped upon being Stomped, Dawn could only assume that, yes, yes it was. That was fine. If Ember wanted to act reckless, then Dawn would stop her!
"Absol, use Future Sight."
Standing back up, Absol set up the attack, panting heavily. She couldn't last much longer. Miltank had her on the ropes!
"Rollout!"
Tucking into herself, Miltank set off towards Absol.
"Detect!"
Sidestepping the attack, Absol watched in satisfaction as her heavy weight opponent tumbled clumsily after ending the Rollout. She was very tired of having to deal with Miltank!
"Now, Night Slash!"
Leaping into the air, Absol tossed her head, sending off a single arc of dark cutting energy towards Miltank. At the same time, the Future Sight glowed blue around Miltank. The psychic and dark energy exploded as they collided. Standing in the middle of both attacks and receiving them was more than Miltank could bear!
When the smoke of it cleared, Absol had landed on the stage safely, pretending that she had hardly suffered at all. Her opponent, on the other hand, laid on her back, having fainted.
"With that decisive victory, the match is over! Give it up for our winners, Dawn and Absol!"
Up in the crowded audience, a small ruckus in particular stood out.
"Alright, Dawn!" Ash whistled through two fingers, a fist pumped in the air. "You showed her!"
"Pika-Pika~!"
~Ember seemed kinda mean,~ Rosa whimpered. Having tried to tune out her surroundings, the Riolu had focused all of her senses on the competitors. Talk about someone with anger issues!
"Well, if she looks like a Psyduck, quacks like a Psyduck, and holds her head like a Psyduck…"
"Now, it's time for our next match! Larkspur and Taro! These two gentlemen are both as eloquent and neat as a Kalosian garden! Let's give it up for them!"
As the audience clapped, Larkspur stepped onto stage. He couldn't help but note that the man across from stage wasn't even dressed that differently from himself. He even postured himself similarly! Perhaps they were birds of a feather…
"Farfetch'd, it's time to shine!" Larkspur commanded.
Taro tossed out a pokeball. "Golduck, let's dazzle 'em!"
Larkspur didn't mean that literally, but here it was. They were both using duck pokemon.
"Well, I seem to be copying you a bit," Taro admitted. "So, I'll take the lead so you aren't mimicked. Golduck, use Aqua Jet!"
Taking on a veil of watery protection, Golduck rushed Farfetch'd, sending the flying type onto its butt. The water veil burst after, splashing the stage beautifully.
Already, Larkspur's points were diminishing.
"Oh boy… Aerial Ace, Farfetch'd!"
"Farfetch'd!" the pokemon called out, taking its leek into its beak. It took to the air, slapping Golduck with its wing and leaving an arc of blue behind it.
Thankfully, Taro's points chipped down some.
Larkspur pumped a fist, confidence restored. "Now, use Swords Dance!"
"Mm… Let's put a little distance between us. Golduck, use Disable and then hit the water."
While Farfetch'd was moving into a dance, Golduck put both hands on either side of its face. Just as the silvery illusion of a sword was appearing alongside Farfetch'd, costing Taro some points, Golduck's Disable move activated! Marked by Golduck's forehead gem glowing, Farfetch'd found itself tripping over its own feet!
This, in turn, cost Larkspur a few points.
Sabotage completed, Golduck leaped off into the water.
"Well, talk about nipping it in the bud!" Lilian announced. "Taro isn't taking any chances!"
"I guess he thinks he can avoid us," Larkspur said to Farfetch'd. "That's fine! If he wants the sea, you take to the sky! Fly overhead!"
Farfetch'd took off, flapping its wings and flying above the pool of water where Golduck swam. The view of the two birds paralleling earned a series of coos from the audience.
"There's a tough target. Still… Golduck, try Mega Kick!"
Launching itself out of the water with tremendous energy, Golduck kept one leg poised out and towards its opponent.
"False Swipe!" Larkspur quickly called out. Given that flashy exit from the water that Golduck just had, his points were down. Taro would win right now if Farfetch'd knocked Golduck out!
The two attacks combined mid-air. Using its leek skillfully, Farfetch'd was able to divert what could have been a critical kick to the breastbone from Golduck to the side, instead. Foiled, Golduck glared up at Farfetch'd as it fell back towards the water.
"Confusion!" Taro called out.
Bobbing its head out of the water, Golduck's eyes glowed blue. An outline of the same shade closed in around Farfetch'd. Before the flying type knew what was happening, it was plunged down into the water.
"Oh no! Farfetch'd, use Fury Cutter!"
Pulsing with bug energy, Farfetch'd broke itself free of Golduc's hold. Unleashing the power of its leek, Farfetch'd skidded over the water, furiously flapping its wings. It whapped Golduck smoothly with its leek, held firmly in its beak.
"What a display of power! Though Golduck overwhelmed Farfetch'd, Farfetch'd furious retaliation reminds us why these pokemon should be respected!" Lilian said aloud.
Mirroring this, Taro's points took a huge plunge.
Furrowing his brows, Larkspur realized he was about to have to take a risk. "Farfetch'd, take to the air again! Keep your leek ready!"
"Oh, no! You're not flying away again! Golduck, use Aqua Jet!"
While Farfetch'd took to the air, Golduck began stirring up the water around it. With that, it launched itself after Farfetch'd, closing in closer and closer in the air.
"Now! Fury Cutter, again!"
The move had increased in strength. So, Farfetch'd turned swiftly, slapping Golduck off track and out of the air and back into the water.
Meanwhile, on stage, Larkspur breathed a sigh of relief. Though he lost a few points for repeating a move, Taro lost even more since his pokemon was dismissed so gracelessly.
"Farfetch'd, let's get ready to use a Fury Cutter so great it'll rip the waters apart!"
"Fat chance!" Taro yelled. "Golduck, knock his lights out with Mega Kick!"
Twirling in the air before diving, Farfetch'd grinned. Its leek glowed lightly with bug energy. Meanwhile, in the water, Golduck sat in waiting. As Farfetch'd got closer, it stuck its leek into the water. Soon, they part as if they were cleaved by a fast boat. Golduck leaped out, planning to kick Farfetch'd.
The bird pulled up at the last moment, bringing its leek up Golduck's whole body.
"Gooooool!" it screamed, being critically hit.
Soaring above the battle grounds, Farfetch'd was please to see Golduck flop back onto the surf knocked out.
"There you have it, folks! A victory for Larkspur and his fine flying friend Farfetch'd!"
"Up next we have two gentlemen! This match should be a great show for all of us who want to see coordination as it's meant to be done!"
While Lilian introduced them pleasantly, Brendan looked across to Quijote, who looked as if he were extremely aware of Brendan's intentions.
"Hey, Quijote," the Hoenn native said, smiling wickedly, "I hope you aren't in a rush. I'm going to make this match last the full five minutes. I'm going to beat you with a sleeping pokemon, too."
Quijote flinched. There was no way Brendan could really do that, right? "Are you still holding a grudge?"
"Huh? Weren't you the one who said it's natural for the strong to beat the weak?" the other boy taunted.
"Begin!" Lilian said, oblivious to the quiet conversation on stage.
"Milotic, let's go!" Brendan said before releasing his chosen pokemon.
"Seaking, we must prove ourselves!" Quijote called out.
Both of the scaled beasts splashed into the water. Seaking's delicate fins fluttered in the water as it looked towards Milotic, who floated in it quietly and calmly.
Not sure how to handle going against another water type, Quijote winged it. Perhaps he could beat them with pure force? "Waterfall, Seaking!"
As the pool began to rock and tremble, Brendan turned to Milotic. "Ride it out."
Suddenly, one side of the body of water lowered and the other lurched higher. It then rolled across the entirety of the pool under Seaking's command. Milotic, however, merely remained underwater, swimming only as was needed to correctly orient herself.
"Good girl!" Brendan praised. "Now, use Dragon Pulse!"
Quickly surfacing, Milotic leaped from the water before releasing a blue-hot beam of draconic power. It tore through the pool, blasting Seaking with all of its strength. The water around the attack bubbled and boiled briefly before cooling just as quickly. Steam rose to the surface from the force of it.
This set a decisive tone for the match. Seaking's points were lowered for Milotic's finesse and power. Another tax was levied against Quijote for the magnificence of Brendan's instructed attack.
"No way…!" Quijote's eyes were wide and his hands had fallen open in shock. "Seaking, knock them away with Waterfall!"
"Seeeaaaaa…!" The waters swelled around Milotic as Seaking prepared his attack. "King!" They burst up, rocketing Milotic into the air.
"Disarming Voice!" Brendan called out. "Then, take back to the water!"
Free falling in the air, Milotic quickly used the fairy type attack. A melodious sound so sweet and soothing, yet marked by dangerous, dancing hearts and a visible frequency of pink was pitched towards Seaking. Milotic, meanwhile, straightened herself out, aiming nose first into the water to minimize her re-entry damage.
"Ki!" the water type cried out upon being hit by the deceivingly innocent looking attack.
"Brendna lost some points for letting Quijote show off, but that Disarming Voice wasn't anything to sneeze at!" Lilian was only whipping the crowd's excitement beyond what it already was.
"We can't keep distant… Seaking, use Megahorn!"
Swimming as fast as he could manage, Seaking stuck his horn out forward. Soon enough, it rammed into the side of the long serpent below the surface.
Milotic let out a cry that barely registered as audible above the waters. Thankfully, the underwater cameras and microphones were perfectly designed, and did pick up the shrill cry.
"Miloooooo!"
Brendan's points suffered just as his pokemon did.
"Disarming Voice!"
Taking all of her pain and Brendan's order in the same action, Milotic turned to Seaking. Water was a much better conductor of sound than air was, so the attack was even speedier down here.
Seaking suffered in the sonic assault, blown back by the force.
Quijote nodded, feeling as if he were pushing back against Brendan. "Good work, my friend! Use Scald!"
Focusing, Seaking flexed its muscles before turning the water around Milotic to temperatures so high they boiled. The snake writhed in pain, quickly swimming away to cooler parts of the pool. Unfortunately, the damage was already done.
Brendan only smirked. "Alright. Time for our trump card. Milotic, use Rest!"
Closing her eyes, the heavy, muscular body of Milotic slowly sank to the bottom of the pool. Only the movement of her gills gave her away as merely sleeping.
"What kind of a trump card is that?! Are you messing with me?!" Quijote snapped, completely insulted. "Seaking, toss it out of the pool with Surf!"
"Sleep Talk," Brendan replied.
Just as one side of the pool began lowering so that one might become larger, Milotic lazily raised just its head. Her mouth opened wide in that was that snakes opened it - big as a chasm. A bundle of burning blue and yellow energy was shot out. Milotic had used Dragon Pulse. It ripped through the waves which would have swept her angrily out of the pool, and instead struck down Seaking.
Milotic only drifted along the bottom of the pool, avoiding being dragged up.
Quijote looked up to the score board. He understood, then, what Brendan meant. The cleverness of Brendan's ruse was costing Quijote points. No matter how magnificent his own displays were, the simple fact that he was fighting a sleeping pokemon would bite him in the butt.
The other coordinator's scheme was evident. He could keep Milotic asleep for however long he wished and refuse to use Sleep Talk if he wanted to make the match last longer. He would beat Quijote with points, wouldn't he?
At least, he would try. Quijote was not going to lie down and take this, after all!
"Scald!" Quijote ordered.
"Sleep Talk!"
As the water heated up around Milotic, she woke up. Brendan cursed under his breath as she was hurt. However, she was not burned. He could keep her awake for a while, he supposed. Quijote felt a sense of relief for Brendan having lost a turn.
"This is anyone's match!" Lilian loudly announced. "Brendan and Quijote are really going at it!"
"Megahorn!"
"Disarming Voice!"
While Seaking surged towards Milotic, she used another series of fluctuations against her opponent. It was visible to anyone observing. Seaking had to swim into and against Milotic's vibrating attack before he could even get to her. However, once it ended, he was free to ram into her side.
Looking to the clock, Brendan saw the clock ticking. Less than a minute remained. "Rest!"
"Megahorn!" Quijote was growing desperate. Brendan couldn't get the upper hand!
Though Seaking hit Milotic again, he lost points for using the same attack twice.
"Waterfall!"
Brendan held his breath as he watched Milotic be tossed into the air. He needed this. As she was falling down again, he called out: "Sleep Talk!"
As the final moments of their match counted down, Milotic opened her sleepy maw…
And, used Dragon Pulse.
Five seconds. The beam ripped through the air and splashed into the water with a steamy, sizzling hiss. Four seconds. Quijote's points were dropping. Three seconds. Seaking was writhing in pain. Two seconds. Milotic hit the water with a loud splash. One second. Seaking gave in and fainted.
The timer ended just as Quijote's points emptied out.
Brendan took that time to realized he'd worked up a sweat, frenziedly giving Milotic commands and hoping beyond hope he would have been able to pull that off. He dropped to his knees, a sense of fulfillment, pride, and overwhelming relief flooding him.
Waking up, Milotic slithered out of the water to comfort her trainer.
"What an incredible triple claim to victory! Why, I don't think we've seen a match this decisively in one coordinator's favor since… since… Oh, gosh, since Wallace was titled Top Coordinator in Hoenn! Truly, a student who learned from his master! Let's give them a hand, folks!"
As Brendan shakily walked back down the stairs to the coordinator lounge, he was greeted with a blushing Ciara. She twiddled her fingers together and looked at him barely over them. Her short, purple hair acted almost as a shield.
"B-Brendan… D-Did you win that… F-For my sake? D-Dawn told me w-what you said, um, earlier… Oh, gosh, I may be thinking about it too much… B-But, I want to thank you… If, um, it was for me… W-What you said at the start…? W-We heard it a little back here… Um, don't worry, though, the audience didn't, so-"
Cutting her off, Brendan took one of Ciara's trembling hands in his own before squeezing it. "Don't worry about it." He winked before walking off.
Overwhelmed, Ciara's knees buckled a bit at the contact from a stranger. Larkspur was ready to jump the gun, but Dawn knew what would happen, so she hip checked him to catch Ciara herself. Holding the embarrassed girl, Dawn looked over at Kenny.
He looked conflicted and perhaps a bit jealous. Poor boy couldn't win, it seemed.
"Wow… She really is shy," Larkspur noted, extremely blunt for now.
"H-He w-went too far for my s-sake… I-I hate being a bother… F-First you and Ash, now him… I don't want to be weak… What if Kenny thinks I'm weak?" Ciara whispered the last part so softly only Dawn heard her.
"He would have shown off anyway," Larkspur answered, not letting Dawn get a word in edgewise. "But, hey, did you see my Farfetch'd?! We were totally cool. We shownd that Golduck who was boss!"
"Yeah, but you didn't have nearly as much control over the match as my Alakazam did!" Kenny bragged, putting a hand atop the shorter boy's head. He ruffled Larkspur's hair before casting a smile down at Ciara.
Dawn, knowing Ciara couldn't see Dawn's expressions as they were behind the purple haired girl's head, raised a brow at Kenny. That kind of bragging was extremely transparent. He was just trying to get Ciara's attention back.
"Oh yeah?!" Larkspur growled. "Wait until you see my next pokemon! We'll blow you out of the water."
Kenny put his hands on his hips. "You'd think that, wouldn't you, little flower?"
"... Little Flower?!"
Dawn sighed. "There he goes again, giving people weird nicknames…"
"Oh? Do you think Kenny would give me a nickname, Dawn?"
Helping the girl up, Dawn shook her head. "Let's go get some lunch during the intermission… But, no. You don't want any of Kenny's nicknames, Ciara…"
Dawn stopped in her footsteps, turning back to face Kenny. "And, you'd better keep your guard up if you want to win this. If it comes down to it, you'll still have me to deal with!" The blue-haired girl flashed a smile brimming with confidence, tossing one of her long blue locks with a flick of her wrist.
"I'll worry about that when it comes around." Kenny grinned, folding his arms across his chest. It didn't hurt to posture himself again and steal some of their thunder. "Just make sure to make it to the finals, and give me a reason to worry!"
"Well, we're all already in the top four." The girl's vision shifted between Kenny, Lakspur, and the retreating image of Brendan. They'd be up against each other soon, and there was no way around it. "One more round, and I'll make that a promise!"
"Um… D-Dawn? Maybe you could make a point of that later?" Ciara tugged on the girl's pink vest. The competitive spirit was nice and all, but right now, it was all just a bit much for the younger girl.
As if on cue, a loud rumble could be heard, leavin Dawn's face scarlet. "That sounds like a good idea…! It wouldn't help to enter the next round on an empty stomach, would it?" Dawn reasoned with a nervous chuckle, folding her arms behind her. "Alright, we'll catch up with you guys later!"
With that farewell, she turned to lead Ciara. "Come on, let's go find Ash! Arceus knows he'll be starving after all this."
