Pokemon: A Marvelous Journey, Johto Arc

by SaoirseParisa

A young autistic girl is elated to be able to have her own Pokemon, and content with her life. But when her world is thrown in upheaval, she realizes it's time to step out into the world and face it head on. Can she survive with her friends by her side? Or will the world be too much for her to handle? COMPLETE!

80. The Top Four! Caiseal VS Ethan!

Chapter 68: The Top Four! Caiseal VS Ethan!

The rest of the night was pretty enjoyable for the kids and the Ashers. They had a nice dinner at the Pokemon Center and watched Ethan's battle together, cheering for him the whole way. Ethan's opponent was tough, but the three Pokemon he used-Typhlosion, Rhydon, and Porygon2-helped him seize victory. With Perrine, Caiseal, and Ethan having several wins under their belts, they were feeling pretty good about themselves, and from what they heard, Gervasius was winning all of his battles too. It was hard to believe the silent violinist was not only participating in the Pokemon League, but with a refined battling style that really threw his opponents off. It wouldn't be too much of a surprise to assume any one of them might go up against him in due time.

As the sky turned as dark as a Sneasel's fur, the kids retreated to their rooms for the night. But Caiseal didn't want to go to bed quite yet. At about 8:45 PM, he was in his room in the Pokemon Center with Yvette, Geoffrey, and Violet. Violet was sitting on the floor playing with Electra, while Caiseal and his adoptive parents sat on the bed together, watching the two of them. Caiseal was surprised that Electra wasn't bouncing off the walls and firing electricity everywhere. Perhaps even Electra could show some restraint once in a while. He cracked a smile when he saw Violet laughing at Electra's attempt at making finger guns with her short, stubby claws.

"She's gotten taller," Caiseal mused.

"Hm? What's that?" Yvette asked.

"Did she...grow a couple inches? She seemed shorter the last time I saw her," He wondered out loud.

Yvette wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close. "She's a growing girl. For all we know, she might hit a growth spurt once she hits puberty."

That seemed possible. Caiseal shrugged. But a lingering question kept nagging at his mind. "So...how's everything going? Y'know, with the whole…" Caiseal let the sentence drift away, unable to find the words to properly convey the situation Violet was in now.

Geoffrey took it upon himself to explain. "Well, we have a court date set for the end of February," He began, crossing his arms. "Both sides have to gather all the information and evidence they can to support their cases before everything can really go down. If you're gonna present an argument, you need hard facts to back it up, and our lawyer's been doing just that."

No denying that. Caiseal had seen enough crime shows and court shows to know that evidence was always key to getting a criminal sent to prison. But evidence alone couldn't keep someone in jail forever. Caiseal knew Nollaig and what she was like, and she wasn't the type of person to take something like this lying down.

"Umm...Nollaig...she hasn't done anything to you guys, has she? Like hurt you or something?" Just thinking about the idea made bile rise to his mouth. The last thing he wanted was to put his adoptive parents in danger. His brow knitted at the awful thought.

Yvette stroke Caiseal's arm with one hand, reassuring him. "Don't worry. She hasn't done anything to us so far, nor has Fergus. Besides, we can handle anything they throw at us."

One thing Caiseal always respected about Yvette was that she never backed down. Not for anything. Even when she was his teacher, she always tried to solve a problem and see it through to the end, never giving up or cutting corners. One time, when he was in school, two kids were fighting, and she was quick to resolve the dispute between them, even managing to find a solution that benefited both parties. Even back when Nollaig disowned him and threw him out of the house in the cold, Yvette stood her ground and defended him, knowing that Nollaig could have easily hurt her if she wanted to. Knowing all of this now said a lot about her as a person.

"By the way...how did you guys manage to take Violet on?" Caiseal asked. He hadn't gotten the chance to ask them at dinner, and he was anxious to know. "I mean, isn't she still a ward of the adoption agency that took her in?"

Again, Geoffrey decided to explain. "Like we said earlier, we asked the agency to let us foster her for a three-month trial period. Since we've been sending them updates about your progress, they figured that since things turned out so well with you, having Violet with us would make things easier on her than just putting her in another foster home. They know for sure we'd never let anything bad happen to her, so they trust us completely. But at this time, we're legally only fostering her, so it all depends on what the judge decides at the hearing."

Geoffrey didn't need to say anything more for Caiseal to understand what he was implying. If they played their cards right, Violet could stay with the Ashers, ensuring that she could stay with her brother. But if they decided the Ashers weren't a good environment for her, she'd be sent to another foster home. However, even with that, they could still make arrangements for Violet to see Caiseal if they went through. But even that was still up in the air at this point. Nothing was set in stone. That was the one thing Caiseal hated about the whole thing. He wished things would just be smooth sailing and not take so much time.

"If she does get sent to another family, will she still be allowed to see me if she wants to?" Caiseal asked, his voice quavering. He hated how sad it sounded, and he tried as hard as he could to hide it.

"We don't know," Yvette said. "That's what we'll find out at the hearing. Like Ms. Anderson said before, Violet does have the right to see whatever family she wants, so in the end, it'll ultimately be her decision."

"Yeah it is!" Everyone gasped when Violet suddenly shouted out of nowhere. She walked right over to them, standing right in front of Caiseal, arms crossed and a confident look on her face. "I heard one of the ladies say they want me to tell people how mean Mom was to you, and I wanna do just that!" She edicted, as though she were a judge. But her high voice rendered any attempt she made at sounding authoritative completely futile. Yvette could only giggle.

Caiseal met Geoffrey's eyes. "So...Violet's going to testify in court?"

"Family court, yes. It's not as big and important as regular court," Geoffrey clarified. "There's no jury, so she won't have to talk in front of a whole group of people. Just the lawyers and social workers."

"Ms. Anderson's gonna be there, too!" Violet added.

"Bibi!" Electria chimed in, as if wanting to throw her own two cents into the situation even though she knew nothing about it.

For a moment, Caiseal thought he was dreaming. Before he went on this journey, he didn't think any of this was even possible. He left Blackthorn City completely resigned to the fact that he'd probably never see Violet again until she was either an adult or old enough to go on a journey herself. But here were his adoptive parents fighting to keep him and his sister together, knowing what they had been through and still supporting him. Caiseal smiled as he thought of all the things Nollaig had said to him, that he was a monster, an evil being sent by Darkrai to ruin her life, and feeling unloved all his life...none of that mattered now. She had been wrong about everything anyway. After all, Violet was here with him. The Ashers adopted him-which meant they wanted him. His Pokemon loved him, and his friends always had his back. For a second, he wasn't sure if he even deserved their love.

Knowing that all these people cared about him eased any pain that lingered in his heart. The nightmares he had still creeped in during his sleep every now and again, but they weren't as pervasive as they were before. Of course, he wasn't so naive as to think love and care alone could erase the scars Nollaig and Fergus left on him. He figured that one out the hard way.

"By the way, Cash," Geoffrey chimed in with a grin. "Have you thought about what you wanna do after all this is over?"

What he wanted to do after the League...Caiseal had put some thought into it, but hadn't set anything in stone yet. "A little. I was thinking about maybe going back to school and finishing sixth grade," He replied. "But I haven't really decided on anything yet."

Yvette stroked Caiseal's curly locks with one hand. "Well, whatever you decide to do, you know you'll always have our support."

"Oh! Oh!" Violet began jumping up and down, her voice high with excitement, ponytail bouncing in tune with her movements. "I have an idea! Once I turn ten next year, I can get my trainer's license, and maybe you and I can travel all over Johto together!"

A journey with Violet...that idea did sound appealing. Walking through forests, meadows, and mountains alongside his sister, teaching her everything from handling Pokemon to surviving in the wilderness, having some battles with her. He could picture it all so clearly in his mind. Violet was sure to love Goldenrod City and all it had to offer, since she had mentioned a few times that she wished she could go there one day, especially the big department store.

"That would be really nice," Caiseal murmured. But then he remembered the League wasn't over yet. If he or Perrine won the League somehow, they'd have to continue to stay in the Indigo Plateau and battle the Elite Four and the Champion. There was still a while yet before the League itself ended, and at this point, anything could happen.

"Now now, Violet," Yvette said. "Let's not plan that far ahead. Caiseal will need to restart his therapy sessions if he decides to come home."

Therapy. Caiseal gasped a little. Not loud enough to catch anyone's attention, but his breath hitched lightly. He had completely forgotten about therapy. Come to think of it, he did wonder how his old therapist was doing. What was her name again? His brain reached around for an answer, and one came to mind: Mrs. Rizzo. That was it. How was Mrs. Rizzo doing? He remembered seeing the smile on her face when he told her he was going on a journey, and she wished him well, along with reminding him of some techniques to use when he got upset. Taking deep breaths, counting backwards from one hundred, describing various things in the environment around him out loud…

"Yeek!" Violet yelped as something yanked on her ponytail, pulling her head back. Caiseal immediately stood up and wrapped an arm around his sister, saving her from falling backwards. The culprit was Electra, who giggled from seeing Violet's reaction, completely guiltless.

"Hey! Don't yank on my sister's hair, Electra!" Caiseal quickly admonished the plug Pokemon, waving his index finger at her like he was her father. "That's not nice!"

Feeling no remorse for her prank, Electra simply pulled the bottom of her eye socket downward and stuck her tongue out.

"You're gonna get it now!" Violet bellowed as she raced towards Electra. Being rather agile and a Pokemon, Electra leaped away from Violet, evading her grasp as the girl gave chase. Everyone laughed at the funny display playing out before them.

A warmth blossomed in Caiseal's heart. 'This was what a real family is like,' he realized. If everything went smoothly at the hearing, Violet could stay with the Ashers permanently, and they would be a complete family, the kind Caiseal always wanted. At this point, he had completely given up on the idea of Nollaig and Fergus ever giving him the love he always craved from them. Their actions had proven to him that they didn't care one bit about him. Fergus proved he always put his wife's happiness and sanity above those of his children, and Nollaig...he didn't know what was wrong with her. Even now, he still had no idea why she would think her son was some kind of murderer just because he happened to absorb his twin in utero. Whether it was some sort of mental problem she had, other underlying issues that he didn't know about, or believing way too strongly in some superstition, he couldn't say.

Real families didn't reject one child for their flaws, and something that happened through no fault of anyone. Real families love and cherish their children, never throwing them by the wayside. Real families supported each other. Yvette and Geoffrey taught him that the second they took him into their home. This was where he belonged. Both he and Violet. He prayed to Arceus that the judges or whoever was in charge would let Violet stay with the Ashers forever. He didn't care about winning the Pokemon League anymore. He was never interested in becoming champion, unlike Perrine, but he didn't regret becoming a trainer one bit.

Before, Caiseal thought his future was as dark as a black hole. Now, it was so bright, he needed sunglasses just to see it...and wouldn't have it any other way.

Now he had something he could hope for and look forward to.

And with his family here, he was content.

---

The next few days at the Pokemon League were exciting and enjoyable for everyone. Perrine, Caiseal, and Ethan battled their way through the ranks, persevering and overcoming every obstacle that threatened their chances of advancing. They were gathering wins like they were candy, and the victories gave them a high unlike any other. With every victory, they walked one step closer to possibly winning the Pokemon League as a whole. Before long, the challengers dwindled down to just four: Perrine, Caiseal, Ethan, and Gervasius.

"The top four!" When Julia saw how far the four of them had come, her jaw hung rather ungracefully from her mouth. She knew her friends were strong, but making it to the top four was a huge deal. It also meant that things were going to get serious. The semifinals had passed, and the finals were here. Everything would come down to three battles. "I still can't seem to believe it, even after seeing this!" Julia exclaimed after eating some toast in the dining hall.

"I know, right?" Ethan replied, kicking his legs under the table as he munched on an omelet drowning in ketchup. Hikaru and Typhlosion were down on the floor, eating from bowls of Pokemon food they had set down for them. "But if you ask me, that means we're just that good!"

"Have they announced who's going to battle who yet?" Julia asked.

Ethan fiddled with the straw in his cup of water. "Not yet. Perrine's checking it out right now."

"Oh. So that's why I didn't see her when I got here."

Before the kids got to the dining hall, Perrine said she was going to check on the match-ups for the finals and told everyone to go on without her. Caiseal was in another section of the hall, having breakfast with Violet and the Ashers. Julia looked over her shoulder, watching them at a table further away, just near the windows. The smile on Caiseal's face was absolutely radiant, and his stance was a lot more relaxed than it usually was. It was easy to see how he lit up whenever he was with his sister. Julia didn't mind that he was having breakfast with his family. After all he went through with his biological parents, he absolutely deserved the chance to spend as much time with Violet as possible. They both sorely needed it.

"Hey!" Perrine's high voice cut through Julia's thoughts as the orange haired girl raced over to them. "You guys are NOT gonna believe this!"

Ethan swallowed a piece of his omelet, almost choking on it, before he pushed out a question. "What?"

"I'm up against Gervasius!" Perrine exclaimed.

Everyone's eyes widened. Perrine was battling Gervasius in her next match? Today?

"Seriously?" Julia asked.

"Seriously!" Perrine repeated, slamming her hand on the table. Julia put both hands around her plate so it wouldn't clatter or spill her food. Thankfully, the force wasn't so strong that it knocked anything over. "I mean, I did some studying up on his battling technique to prepare in advance, but I didn't think I'd be picked to battle him now!"

"Well, you, me, him, and Cash are the only trainers left in the League, so it was kinda inevitable," Ethan replied.

Perrine gave a sheepish laugh. She figured the possibility of facing Gervasius in the top four was high, but felt like exaggerating her reaction a bit for dramatic effect. It was still a huge deal regardless, especially since he won against every trainer he faced so far. So far, nobody could even stand up to him, since his battling style involved giving musical commands to his Pokemon instead of shouting them out loud, so nobody could tell what attack he was going to have them use.

"I certainly do hope you win, Perrine. You didn't make it this far for nothing," Julia told her, but felt her reassurance seemed hollow. "But are you sure you'll be able to handle Gervasius?"

"He's a tough trainer," Ethan said after having finished his water. "If he can make it into the top four, you'll really need to step up your game."

Perrine found an empty chair and sat down with them, crossing her arms. "I'd be lying if I said I'm not worried. You saw how he completely obliterated Yue in his first match alone."

Then a smile spread across her face as she held her index finger up. "However! I did have to take a bunch of violin lessons before starting my journey, so I know a bit about the various sounds a violin can make. Plus, I've been watching videos of his matches on the internet, and I think I've got the pattern down for what sounds and sound combinations he has his Pokemon hear in order to know which attack he wants them to use."

Come to think of it, Perrine had been the first to figure out how Gervasius commanded his Pokemon in battle. Ethan and Julia nodded in each other's direction. That certainly explained a lot. But even with that, Julia knew all the studying in the world wouldn't guarantee victory. For all they knew, Gervasius could pull a complete wild card and throw everyone off. Then again, his whole battle style was likely tailored for that very purpose. Then it dawned on her...since Perrine is facing Gervasius, that meant only one thing.

"Ethan? I think you and Caiseal are going to face each other," Julia told him.

It took a short moment for Ethan to process the news, but he looked down at his food with wide eyes. "Whoa. You're right. I am!"

Julia was conflicted. Both Caiseal and Ethan wanted so badly to win the League and have a chance to battle the Elite Four, or even Lance if they managed to beat the Elite Four at all. But one had to win, and the other had to lose. In order for one to achieve their dream, another's dream had to be crushed in order to get there. Sure, Julia knew Caiseal and Ethan got along nicely, but who was to say either one of them wouldn't be resentful of whoever won? The last thing she wanted was for her friends to be angry at one another.

"Hey. You okay?" Ethan asked.

"Uhhh...sorta," Julia replied sheepishly, debating over whether she should tell Ethan about her worries or not. She nodded to herself and decided to act on it. "I know the League is important to you guys. But if you or Caiseal lost in your battle, I don't want you two to be mad at each other over it. You guys are my friends, and I know losing is part of battling as well, but I don't want either of you to be resentful towards whoever wins."

Perrine and Ethan exchanged bewildered expressions for a moment before the latter turned to her with a soft grin. "Don't worry. I'm not one to take it personal when I lose a battle. Not anymore, at least. That's just bad sportsmanship."

Julia immediately remembered one of Caiseal's opponents, that pink haired girl Sarah Shaw, who took losing so personally that she slapped him in the face and tried to assault him further. If security hadn't been called, who knows what could have happened. She knew Caiseal would never do something like that to Ethan, but still...losing in the Pokemon League was a huge deal to some.

"Yeah, and I'm sure Cash understands as well," Perrine told her reassuringly. "Though it'd probably be better if you told him about this directly. He'll appreciate you being honest with him, at least."

Julia shrugged, figuring that was how they'd respond, but she appreciated the reassurance nonetheless.

---

The next morning, Caiseal and Ethan's match was set to begin in another half hour. But just before the two of them were expected to be out in the stadium, the girls found them outside. "Hey, guys!" Perrine greeted them with a cheerful wave. "Big day for you two, huh?"

Ethan shrugged, but smiled right back at her. "Sure is."

Julia looked down at her hands. Would now be a good time to bring it up? Or let things play out on their own? She furrowed her brows. No, she needed to say this now. "Umm...Cash? Ethan?" Julia spat her words out before they could get stuck in her throat. "Good luck out there, and there's no shame in losing! Please...don't be mad at one another if that happens…" Her voice lowered to a soft murmur. Somehow, hearing the words out of her mouth made her cheeks flush red.

Instead of addressing her directly, Caiseal looked Ethan right in the eyes. "She's right. Let's just have a fun battle. No hard feelings if either one of us loses, right?" Caiseal said, holding his hand out.

Ethan returned the gesture, giving his opponent a firm shake. "Same here. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna hold back."

A smirk spread across Caiseal's face. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Julia's shoulders sank with relief as she exhaled a big sigh. This turned out much better than she had expected. With that out of the way, the girls made their way to the spectator seats, meeting up with the Ashers and Violet, who saved seats for them. "Over here!" Violet waved to them while standing on her chair so the girls could see her.

"Violet, get down," Yvette gently pulled on the hem of Violet's shirt. "Don't stand on the chairs."

Violet complied as soon as the girls met up with them. Julia found herself sandwiched between Violet and Perrine. From where she was, the stadium looked like a big rectangle, but she could still make out Caiseal and Ethan in their trainer boxes. They wore rather bright clothing that stood out against the solid ground. Like usual, Mr. Goodshow greeted the audience with his infectious enthusiasm. Oddly enough, Julia didn't see Gladys with him this time around.

"Good morning, ladies and gentleman! Today's first battle is a six-on-six match between Caiseal Brownstone from Blackthorn City, and Ethan Goldsworthy from New Bark Town!"

Shortly after, the judge pointed to the screen, and the roulette began spinning in its usual flashing color. Like usual, after a bit, it slowed down and stopped at a red slot, the same color as the background in Ethan's picture. "Ethan Goldsworthy, choose your first Pokemon!" The judge exclaimed.

"Alright! Go, Beedrill!" Ethan sent out his Beedrill, who zipped around in the air, its wings beating so fast, they almost looked invisible against the blue sky.

'Beedrill, huh?' Caiseal didn't expect that. Beedrill weren't exactly considered the strongest Pokemon in Johto or Kanto. More than anything, they were considered pests by the public. If Ethan was sending out his Beedrill of all Pokemon, he must have trained it fairly well. But Caiseal wasn't particularly worried. He had plenty of Pokemon that had a type advantage over it, or if they didn't, knew moves that did. He didn't want to use Apollo or Mallow right away, as they were his strongest Pokemon, and he didn't want to waste his trump cards early. Yvette had brought Geo and Stacey with her as they came to visit him, so he had them take Electra while he took Geo. He might work. But then he remembered Ravenclaw.

He made his decision. "Ravenclaw, show him what you're made of!"

Ravenclaw materialized not on the battlefield itself, but in mid-air, flapping her wings as she made her entrance.

The judge raised his flags. "Begin!"

"Dibs on the first move!" Ethan shouted. "Beedrill, use Poison Jab!"

Beedrill's stingers glowed purple, and the giant bee buzzed as it flew towards Ravenclaw, ready to stab her with poison.

"Dodge and use Wing Attack!" Caiseal cried.

Ravenclaw deftly evaded the move by flying to the side. Beedrill attempted to stab it again, repeating the thrusting motions over and over again, but the darkness Pokemon kept flying just out of reach. At one point, Ravenclaw flew right under Beedrill before smacking it with glowing white wings. Beedrill fell to the ground in an instant, but wasn't down for long. The poison bee quickly ascended back into the air, its wings beating faster than before.

"Agility!"

Beedrill's body glowed purple for just a moment, and its wings began beating faster.

"Dark Pulse, girl!"

Ravenclaw opened her beak, firing a barrage of rings made from black energy. Unfortunately for her, Beedrill dodged every single one of them by flying all over the place, just like before. With Agility having raised its speed, the poison bee was much more adept at dodging them.

Ethan smirked. "Alright, Beedrill! Let's do it! Electroweb!"

Everyone's jaws dropped, and their eyes all widened in disbelief. Electroweb? How could a Pokemon like Beedrill learn that kind of attack? When Beedrill raised one of its stingers, electricity crackled all over it. Then, Beedrill aimed it right at Ravenclaw, shooting an electrified spider web. Ravenclaw tried to fly away from it, but she didn't soar fast enough. The Electroweb managed to ensnare her from behind, sending her to the ground and sending electricity all through her body, making her squawk in pain and with no way to escape.

"My goodness! Beedrill managed to get the upper hand against Murkrow! It's not everyday you see a Pokemon like Beedrill using an electric type move!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed.

"Oh man," Even after seeing it first hand, Perrine still couldn't quite believe what she witnessed. "Ethan must have trained his Beedrill really well."

He had to have done so. Julia was sure Ethan wouldn't be the type to get just any Pokemon. After seeing a Slowking that knew Flamethrower, Julia wasn't surprised by Pokemon knowing certain, unexpected moves anymore. "I know, right? Caiseal's gotta find a way out of this somehow," She said.

"Don't give up, Raven!" Violet cried out. "You can do it!"

"Bibiiiii!" Electra followed suit, waving her arms up and down.

Not long after, the Electroweb faded, and Ravenclaw didn't feel trapped anymore, nor did her body burn from the inside out. She ascended back into the air, firing Beedrill an angry glare.

"That's not gonna stop us!" Caiseal exclaimed. "Raven, knock 'em out with Aerial Ace!"

Spreading her wings, Ravenclaw soared back in the air, its form glowing white.

"Poison Jab!" Ethan cried.

Beedrill flew right in front of Ravenclaw, its left stinger glowing a bright purple. Before Ravenclaw could even react, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through her body. Beedrill had stabbed her in the torso with its stinger. Ravenclaw backed away and attempted to attack again, but Beedrill caught up to her and stabbed her in the back-literally-this time. Ravenclaw nearly fell to the ground, but with a single flap of her wings, she spared herself a hard landing and flew upward.

"Use X-Scissor!" Ethan yelled.

Once again, Beedrill's stingers glowed, green this time, as the poison bee flew towards the darkness Pokemon and struck her on her head by swinging its arms in an X shape. This time, Ravenclaw fell to the ground with a crash. Caiseal gasped. How in the world was Beedrill managing to hit Ravenclaw so hard? Murkrow were flying type, and were fast, just as fast as Beedrill. Ravenclaw should have been able to outspeed Beedrill.

Wait a minute...Caiseal's brain reeled. 'It must have been Electroweb!' He had forgotten one important thing: Sometimes, Electroweb could lower a Pokemon's speed. Was that what happened? It would explain why Beedrill always got the jump on her, Agility notwithstanding.

"Raven! You okay?" Caiseal called out. Thankfully, Ravenclaw got back on her feet and nodded in her trainer's direction. Even with the damage she took, she could still fight. But since Electroweb lowered her speed, Caiseal knew he had to think of something. Agility was still in effect for Beedrill, so he couldn't rely on trying to outspeed it.

Outspeed it…

A light bulb flashed in his head.

"Even with all those hits it took, Ravenclaw is still standing! But Beedrill still has the upper hand, so Caiseal better think of something fast!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed.

Good thing he did.

"Raven. Don't try to attack just yet," Caiseal told her. "Just stay put for now."

"Krow?" Ravenclaw tilted her head. Why stay put? There was a battle going on. Then she remembered her battle with Fergus' Politoed. Of course he'd try that maneuver. She remained in place, unmoving.

"You're making a big mistake, Cash!" Ethan said, pointing his index finger at the darkness Pokemon. "Beedrill, use Poison Jab! Make it count!"

The poison bee's wings beat faster than everyone could see as Beedrill charged towards Ravenclaw, stingers glowing purple once again. At this point, Ravenclaw was a sitting Psyduck. It took no time at all for Beedrill to get close, possibly close enough to stab Ravenclaw right through the heart if it wanted to. Everyone watched the scene playing out before them with bated breath.

"Sucker Punch!"

Before Beedrill could land a hit, Ravenclaw folded one of her talons into a fist and struck the bee underneath its jaw. She punched it with such force that Beedrill was actually sent skidding across the ground. Beedrill stopped just a few feet short of Ethan's trainer box, having fallen right on its back, head reeling from the blow.

"Beedrill!" Ethan cried out in shock.

"Alright! Use Wing Attack, full power!" Caiseal shouted.

Knowing what he wanted out of this, Ravenclaw wasted no time flying towards the poison bee, her wings radiant with a blinding white aura. Beedrill had no time to process the fact that Ravenclaw was coming for it, and the darkness Pokemon slammed both wings into its torso. The impact had such force that the ground beneath Beedrill broke, creating a small, circular crater.

"Looks like Ravenclaw got the drop on Beedrill! What a comeback!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed.

Oddly enough, even after the hits it took, Beedrill flew out from the crater. But everyone could tell Beedrill was getting tired. The poison bee shook off all the dirt and gravel, but its wings didn't beat as fast as before, and its body was swaying.

"Let's finish this!" Caiseal cried out. "Ravenclaw, Aerial Ace!"

"Like I'd let you!" Ethan shouted back. "Beedrill, Poison Jab again!"

Ravenclaw ascended into the air as Beedrill's stingers glowed purple. The bee and the raven found themselves barreling towards each other, determined to finally deliver what would potentially be the finishing blow. Everyone gasped as Beedrill's stinger struck Ravenclaw in the torso. Simultaneously, Ravenclaw's beak managed to land a strong hit on Beedrill's thorax. Not even poison searing through her body could stop her. But their vision blurred, and the pain set in. Unable to maintain flight, the two Pokemon fell to the ground, unable to move. Beedrill lay on its side, its eyes dimming to a solid dark crimson, whereas Ravenclaw's beak was wide open.

The judge walked over to the two of them, seeing that neither of them moved an inch. Only one conclusion could be drawn from this. "Both Beedrill and Murkrow are unable to battle!"

"It's a double knockout!" Mr. Goodshow announced as Beedrill and Ravenclaw's images went completely dim on the screen. "Both Ethan and Caiseal's Pokemon battled hard, knocking each other out!"

"Wow. I sure didn't expect that," Perrine noted.

"Me either," Julia agreed. Still, she had to give credit where it was due: Both Ravenclaw and Beedrill really put up a fight, the latter especially, since Ravenclaw had a strong type advantage over it. Defeating a Pokemon at a crippling type disadvantage wasn't easy. That in itself spoke volumes of how well Ethan trained it.

Ethan returned Beedrill back to his PokeBall, flashing a sad smile at it. "You really rocked out there, Beedrill. Great job," He whispered before stuffing the ball in its pocket.

Caiseal did the same, giving similar words of encouragement.

"Since this is a double knockout, we will commence another roulette to decide which trainer will send out their Pokemon first," The judge announced, pointing to the screen above. The slots on the roulette flashed rapidly as they spun all around the circle, slowing down and settling on green this time. "Caiseal Brownstone, choose your next Pokemon!"

Caiseal grinded his teeth. 'Darn. Whatever I choose, Ethan will probably pick one with a type advantage over it,' He thought. But at this point, there wasn't any point in debating over this. Plus, he could always switch whatever Pokemon he sent out at any time. "Alright, Geo! Get out there!"

Out from Caiseal's Pokemon came his Golem, who gave a mighty roar.

"Ha! You just set yourself up for defeat, Cash!" Ethan exclaimed, pulling out his next PokeBall. "Lapras, you're up!"

Lapras materialized onto the battlefield, giving a high pitched cry as it announced its entrance. A water type. Geo was definitely at a disadvantage here. But he also had a type advantage at the same time. Lapras was part ice type, and ice is weak to rock. It helped that since the battlefield was all dirt, Lapras would be at a disadvantage in terms of mobility. If he played his cards right, Caiseal could win this one. Plus, for all he knew, Lapras probably knew some ice attacks. As much as he wanted to switch Geo out with Viole, grass types were weak against ice type attacks.

"Is everyone ready?" The judge raised both flags. "Begin!"

"I get dibs on the first move this time!" Caiseal exclaimed. "Geo, use Rollout!"

Geo withdrew his limbs and immediately began spinning his body faster than it usually did. The rolling sentient boulder immediately charged towards Lapras, who simply stood in position, unmoving.

"Lapras, use Water Gun!"

"Dodge it by rolling away!"

Lapras fired a highly pressurized blast of water in Geo's direction. Luckily, with Geo gaining speed with every roll, he was able to change direction and evade the attack. Lapras continued to fire watery blasts at it, but Geo kept rolling and dodging. Finally, once Geo got close enough, he propelled himself towards Lapras, ramming right into its torso. Lapras let out a shriek as the large, hard body slammed into it, preventing it from breathing for just a moment, but the transport Pokemon held firm, remaining in its spot.

"And Geo the Golem lands the first hit! But that Lapras is tough as nails, and it won't go down so easily!" Mr. Goodshow announced.

As Lapras took a moment to catch its breath, Geo continued to roll around the battlefield, sending dirt and gravel flying all over the place. "Good job, boy! Keep it up!"

"Nice try!" Ethan swung his arm outward. "Lapras, use Ice Beam all over the field!"

The transport Pokemon opened its mouth, shooting a turquoise beam of light at the battlefield. Gradually, the light turned into ice. At one point, Geo lost control, and rolled right into the wall just below one of the spectator seats. Geo's limbs unfurled, pulling it out of his Rollout state. But the boulder Pokemon was quick to regain his composure and waddled back onto the icy battlefield. Even so, Caiseal's jaw dropped. The battlefield had turned into an ice skating rink.

"Now slide on the ice and use Waterfall!" Ethan shouted.

Lapras pushed itself toward the ice using its back flippers, and without any difficulty whatsoever, the transport Pokemon slid across the battlefield with all the grace of a professional ice skater. Then, its whole body became enveloped in water as Lapras slid towards Geo.

"Dodge with Rollout again!" Caiseal cried.

Geo curled into a ball and rolled away from Lapras, taking care to avoid the icy parts of the field. Ice had only covered the battlefield, not the areas around it. Caiseal grunted his teeth. Ethan had Lapras use Ice Beam on the field to get around its environmental handicap. Two could play at that game. All Geo had to do was level the battlefield enough to crack the ice and make it too unstable for Lapras to navigate.

"Now, use Magnitude!"

Uncurling from its fetal position, Geo gave a roar before jumping right onto the icy battlefield. The force of the landing made the entire battlefield rumble violently, as though an earthquake had hit. Cracks formed in the ice, and the impact made the icy ground shift, making the battlefield uneven with all the new chunks that appeared. Lapras attempted to slide away, but some of the ice underneath it leveled, making it lose its balance. Not enough to lose footing, but enough so that Lapras couldn't maneuver around as well as it could before.

"Alright, Geo! Hit it hard with Heavy Slam!"

Ethan grunted before shouting, "Hold it off with Hydro Pump!"

Geo's body adopted a silver sheen as he jumped high in the air, curling back into a ball. Gravity took hold, pulling him right down. Lapras looked up and fired a highly pressurized jet of water that hit Geo point blank. But the water wasn't strong enough to blow Geo away, as the megaton Pokemon continued to fall, going right through the water. Finally, Geo landed right on top of Lapras, and the transport Pokemon let out a wail as the boulder Pokemon's weight pressed down on its body. Water flew all over the place as a result of Geo's body spreading it everywhere, giving the icy battlefield a glistening sheen under the sunlight. Not long after, Geo rolled off of Lapras' back and returned to his original position on the battlefield, just a few feet in front of Caiseal.

"Aww man! Geo really hit Lapras hard with that one!" Perrine exclaimed.

"How come?" Violet asked.

"Geo used Heavy Slam," Julia began to explain. "It's a steel type move that does a lot of damage if the Pokemon using it is heavier than its opponent," She pulled out her PokeDex to show some information to Violet. First, she pulled up Lapras' information. "Here it says Lapras are normally about 485 pounds," She then changed it to Golem's information. "And this says Golem weighs anywhere between 661 to 696 pounds."

"Ooooh!" Violet's eyes widened as she let the information sink in.

"Great job, sweetie! Keep it up! You can do it!" Yvette called out from the stands.

Lapras lifted its head up, but it took a minute to catch its breath. Ethan clenched his teeth. Lapras must have taken more damage than he thought, and it was already looking tired. But Geo wasn't looking much better. Geo was also panting heavily.

"Both sides have sustained heavy damage! Lapras and Geo aren't giving up, not even for a minute!" Mr. Goodshow announced.

"You okay, Geo?" Caiseal asked, his eyebrows furrowing in worry. If Geo kept this up, he might not last much longer. "I can switch you out."

Much to Caiseal's surprise, Geo shook his head, giving a confident growl. Caiseal wasn't convinced, but who was he to go against Geo's wishes? "Alright. We still have a way to go!"

"We're not done yet!" Ethan cried out, swinging his arm outward once more. "Lapras, use Ice Beam!"

"Geo, use Steamroller!"

Geo rolled back into a ball and rolled across the battlefield. This time, his body glowed green. Lapras opened its mouth, readying its attack. Then, one large chunk of ice shifted underneath Geo, uncurling him from his fetal position. Geo tried to maintain his balance, but the ice had grown thin, and the sudden shift in movement made him unable to catch himself in time.

"No! Geo!" Caiseal cried out.

"Now, fire!" Ethan saw his opening.

With a shrill cry, Lapras fired a turquoise beam of light. It struck Geo point blank. Ice enveloped his entire body. Geo didn't even get to process that he was hit before he was completely frozen solid.

"Geo! Hey! Can you hear me?!" Caiseal shouted, but the megaton Pokemon gave no response. His eyes were closed, and his body didn't move an inch, not even giving the slightest acknowledgement.

The judge didn't need a second glance to make his decision. "Golem is unable to battle! Lapras is the winner!"

"And there you have it, folks!" Mr. Goodshow effused, his microphone crackling a little bit. "Lapras put Geo the Golem on ice! Literally!"

"Alriiiight!" Ethan jumped up and down while Lapras cheered, clapping its two front flippers together.

"Oh no. Caiseal lost. Poor Geo…" Violet's heart went out to the fallen megaton Pokemon.

Caiseal frowned as he called Geo back to his PokeBall. "It's okay, bud. You did great."

Now he lost two Pokemon, but hope wasn't lost. He still had four left, and Lapras took a huge hit from Geo's Heavy Slam earlier. Lapras had to be getting tired at this point. As he watched Ethan give Lapras a good pat on the head, he took a moment to think. He knew exactly which Pokemon he could use to take Lapras out. It still technically had a type advantage against who he had in mind, but at this point, he couldn't afford to dwell on it.

"This one's for you, Violet!" Caiseal shouted, hopefully loud enough for his sister to hear. "I choose you, Viole!"

Out from the PokeBall came Viole, his large flower a splash of color in the otherwise icy battlefield. "Vilepluuume!" Viole raised his hands up and gave a confident smile.

Oddly enough, Ethan didn't switch Lapras out. Considering Lapras was tired, possibly likely to lose, Caiseal was sure he would. Lapras simply gave Ethan a squeal and a nod, and Ethan gave an acknowledging smile.

"Lapras versus Vileplume! Begin!"

Ethan made the first move this time. "Lapras, use Ice Beam!"

Lapras fired yet another blast of ice in Viole's direction. "Dodge and use Giga Drain!" Caiseal commanded. On cue, Viole jumped out of the way before firing a green beam of light at Lapras. The light coiled around the transport Pokemon before enveloping it completely. Lapras gave a screech as its body glowed brighter, feeling the energy being sapped out of it. On the other hand, Vileplume's body was also glowing green, but the flower Pokemon smiled throughout the entire process, feeling quite rejuvenated as energy filled his body. Caiseal smirked. Vileplume may not be as fast as Lapras, but they still had strong special attack power.

Not long after, the light around both Pokemon dissipated. Lapras hung its head down, gasping for breath. A look of worry spread across Ethan's face. "Lapras, no!"

"Let's finish this, boy!" Caiseal exclaimed. "Petal Blizzard, full power!"

"Pluuuu!" Viole lowered his head down, aiming the flower right at Lapras, who remained in place, unable to move. Then, a blizzard of pink petals shot out from the center of the flower, trapping Lapras in a floral wind. Flowers obscured Lapras' vision, and the petals were sharp as knives, cutting into its hide from every direction. At this point, Lapras couldn't move. It was completely trapped. Gradually, the wind of petals died down, revealing a collapsed Lapras.

Only one glance told the judge all he needed to know. "Lapras is unable to battle! Vileplume is the winner!"

"What a knockout!" Mr. Goodshow cheered, right as Lapras' image faded out on the screen. "Vileplume defeated Lapras with only two attacks! Withstanding the damage from Golem's Heavy Slam earlier proved to be its undoing!"

"Aww yeah! Way to go Caiseal!" Julia, Perrine, and Violet all stood up from their seats, cheering for their friend's victory.

Next to them, Geoffrey threw his fist in the air as he made jubilant whooping noises. "Woohoo! You go, Cash! That's my boy right there!"

Ethan wasted no time returning Lapras to its PokeBall. "You did great, Lapras. Take a nice long rest."

This victory was so easy. Too easy. Caiseal knew he couldn't let his guard down, especially not now. Ethan had four Pokemon left. Still, something poked at his mind. Maybe now was the time to bring it up. "Hey, Ethan! Why didn't you switch Lapras out when I chose my next Pokemon?" He asked, making sure to shout loud enough for him to hear.

For a brief moment, Ethan was silent, but he did answer Caiseal's question. "There wouldn't have been much point in doing so," He began. "Geo's Heavy Slam did a number on it, and Lapras would have gone down at some point, whether I switched it out or not. Why bother delaying the inevitable? Lapras knew that as well. Besides," Ethan flashed a grin and balled one hand into a fist. "We always keep fighting until the bitter end!"

Good point. Sending out an already weakened Pokemon into battle wouldn't have done much except hurt Ethan's chance at victory. Why send a weakened Pokemon into a battle it knew it wouldn't be able to win? Caiseal found himself respecting Ethan even more.

As Caiseal pondered this, Ethan used this time to send out his next Pokemon. "Hey, Porygon2! You're up!" Out from the PokeBall came Porygon2, who spun the blue ovoid growths on its body as a show of strength and agility.

Caiseal pulled Viole's PokeBall out. "Viole, return!" Just as quickly as he was sent out, Viole was called back to his PokeBall. "Sorry, boy, but I want to save you for later. Just in case."

At this point in time, Viole was still at full health, with Lapras not having had the chance to do any damage to it. Plus, Ethan still had his Rhydon. Why make Viole go through an unnecessary battle when a later opponent down the line would be the perfect time to use him? Better to save Viole and not waste his energy. Besides, Caiseal knew who he wanted to send out for this battle.

"Flippy! It's your time to shine, girl!"

"Quagsire versus Porygon2! Begin!"

Caiseal wasted no time calling the first attack. "Flippy, use Water Pulse!"

Flippy opened her mouth wide, generating a sphere of water. Once it was fully formed, she shot it outward, and the sphere burst into a large wave that nearly covered the entire battlefield.

"Dodge it with Magnet Rise!"

Porygon2's body glowed yellow as it levitated off the ground a few more feet, avoiding the incoming waves. The water managed to melt a good chunk of the icy battlefield. Several plates of ice began to shrink in size, revealing more slivers of mud and dirt between the cracks, probably from exposure to the sun. It helped that the battlefield was beginning to even out with most of the ice melting.

"Now use Signal Beam!"

"Counter with Mud Bomb!"

Once the water dissipated, Porygon2 fired a green and red beam of light at Flippy's direction. Flippy leaped into the air, waving her tail once as she generated six muddy spheres that collided with the light ray. Once the attacks made contact, a small dust cloud exploded from the fallout, and the two attacks vanished into thin air.

"Use Lock-On!" Ethan cried out.

Porygon2's eyes glowed white as the virtual Pokemon locked onto its target. Caiseal gaped. This wasn't good.

"We won't miss this one! Now, Porygon2! Psychic!"

A sphere of blue energy materialized in front of Porygon2's beak before firing towards Flippy in a beam similar to Signal Beam. Caiseal knew that with Lock-On in effect, Psychic wouldn't miss no matter what. It was useless to make Flippy dodge, and Psychic was a powerful move.

"Flippy! Defense Curl!" Caiseal cried.

On cue, Flippy curled into a ball, barely reacting even as her body was hit point blank with Porygon2's beam of light. The force of the impact sent Flippy rolling across the field, stopping just four feet from Caiseal's trainer box. But she uncurled from her fetal position and stood back up with a smile, like she hadn't been hit very hard.

"Great endurance, girl! Now fire back with Ice Beam!"

Flippy opened her mouth and ray a beam of turquoise light in Porygon2's direction.

"Tri-Attack!" Ethan shouted.

Porygon2's eyes glowed an eerie white, and three orbs of light materialized around its beak in a triangular formation. One was yellow, the other red, and the third was blue. The yellow one fired a flash of lightning, the red one unleashed a stream of fire, and the blue orb shot out a ray of blue light. All three lights swirled into one, becoming a spiral of color that charged right at Flippy's Ice Beam attack. The attacks collided, and an explosion of fire, ice, and lightning sprayed out across the battlefield. Flippy covered her eyes with her hands to protect herself from the debris, and Porygon2 backtracked. Not long after, the explosion dissipated.

"Mud Bomb again!" Caiseal exclaimed.

Undeterred by the failure of her previous attack, Flippy ran across the field, deftly avoiding the chunks of ice that still lay across the battlefield. Using one of them to propel herself into the air, Flippy leaped high and swung her tail once, sending six muddy spheres flying towards Porygon2. Before Porygon2 could process what was going on, mud splattered all over its body. The force of the mud bombs sent it right to the ground. Mud obscured its vision.

"Porygon2!" Ethan cried out.

Porygon2 stood back upright, but mud was already getting into its eyes. It had no real hands, so it couldn't just wipe the mud off its face.

This was the perfect opening. Caiseal smirked. He couldn't miss this opportunity. "Don't let up, Flippy! Use Muddy Water!"

As soon as Flippy landed back on the ground, a torrent of dirty brown water began spiraling from underneath her, turning into a great wave that splashed all across the battlefield. The wave swelled and threatened to swallow the still blinded Porygon2 whole. Ethan grinded his teeth. He had to do something, and quickly!

"Magnet Rise! Float above the water!" Ethan shouted.

Paying no heed to its blindness, Porygon2's body glowed yellow as it levitated itself several feet off the ground, successfully evading the wave. Some of the spray managed to splash its eyes a bit, washing away the mud. Porygon2 opened its eyes, and although briefly blinded by the sharp sunlight, its vision returned. Gradually, the wave dissipated, leaving the ground on the battlefield wet and soggy, melting the rest of the ice from the earlier battle.

"Use Telekinesis, Porygon2!"

No longer blinded, Porygon2's eyes glowed purple. Before Flippy could even move, she felt her body float into the air. She attempted to move her arms, but they refused to budge. A purple outline glowed around her body as she found herself floating just several feet above the battlefield.

"Oh no!" Caiseal realized what was happening. Telekinesis made it so that whoever was subjected to it wouldn't be able to dodge any attacks no matter what. Basically, Flippy was a sitting Psyduck.

"Time for the finishing blow!" Ethan bellowed, throwing his fist in the air. "Porygon2! Knock'em dead with Solarbeam!"

Everyone's jaws dropped. Solarbeam?! Flippy was done for!

A yellow light materialized at the tip of Porygon2's beak, drawing in the sun's rays. Knowing what was to come, Flippy tried her hardest to break free from Porygon2's psychic grip. Kicking, flailing her limbs, swinging her tail. Her body didn't move an inch. It was like she had been frozen, and she wasn't even encased in ice. Then, the light at Porygon2's beak exploded into a large energy beam that struck Flippy point blank. Flippy couldn't even cry out, as the attack swallowed her whole. Everyone in the spectator seats covered their eyes, as the flash from the beam was so bright that it nearly blinded the audience. The whole world seemed to turn white for a second.

"Flippy!" Caiseal screamed. A part of him told him there was no way Flippy could withstand the attack. She'd be out of the battle for sure. But the other part of him believed there had to be some way she withstood it. Flippy was a strong Pokemon. Sure, Solarbeam had a type advantage against both water and ground, but she could handle it. Couldn't she?

Unfortunately for Caiseal, his prayers went unanswered. Flippy was still held in place by Telekinesis, but her entire body was covered in fresh singe marks, her mouth hung open, and her eyes were completely closed.

"Set her down, Porygon2," Ethan advised. Porygon2 gently set the now unconscious Quagsire down on the ground just before the psychic outline around her body vanished.

The judge didn't take a second glance at her before making his decision. "Quagsire is unable to battle! The winner is Porygon2!"

"Awww yeah! That's three down!" Ethan threw both arms into the air, and Porygon2 spun its ovular growths.

Flippy's image went black on the screen as Mr. Goodshow commented on the victory. "That's another win for Ethan Goldsworthy! Now Caiseal only has three Pokemon left!"

"Oh no! Flippy lost," Violet's heart went out to the fallen Pokemon. "I really hope big bro wins."

"I'm sure he will," Julia reassured her, though she wondered if she should have said that. As much as she wanted Caiseal to win, she didn't want Ethan to lose either. They were both her friends, and if either one of them lost, they'd lose their chance of going further into the League. Her conflicting emotions were at war with one another, but she forced a smile for Violet's sake. "Besides, he still has three Pokemon left."

"I gotta say, that Ethan kid's mighty crafty if he can teach his Pokemon moves they don't normally learn," Geoffrey commented, arms crossed as if he were lost in thought.

Caiseal called Flippy back to her PokeBall. "It's okay, girl. You were great."

With this, Caiseal only had three Pokemon left. Viole, Mallow, and Apollo. He needed to think about this carefully. One thing was for sure: he was not going to send Viole out against Porygon2. Not with it knowing Telekinesis. That and Psychic would utterly decimate Viole, what with him being part poison type. That left Apollo and Mallow. The latter knew Rock Smash, a fighting type move that could lower a Pokemon's defense. But he had wanted to save Mallow for a little later, particularly against Ethan's Typhlosion. However, now was not the time to be picky. His options were dwindling, and he needed to put the cards he still had left to good use.

"Mallow, I choose you!"

Mallow the Marowak materialized onto the field, spinning his bone like a baton as a show of strength.

'So he's using Mallow. I thought he'd save him for last,' Ethan thought. Just a while before this, Caiseal and Ethan got to talking, and Caiseal told him that while Apollo was legally his first Pokemon-having received him from Professor Elm-he had befriended Mallow and Ravenclaw before that. In that aspect, Mallow was his very first Pokemon, and his best friend. Most trainers would save their first Pokemon for last. Considering Caiseal didn't send Viole back out, perhaps he had some kind of plan.

"Marowak versus Porygon2! Begin!"

Well, there wasn't any point in dwelling on it now. Caiseal made the first move. "Mallow, use Rock Smash!"

The tip of Mallow's bone glowed orange as the bonekeeper sprinted towards Porygon2.

"Dodge with Magnet Rise!"

Porygon2's body glowed yellow once more and levitated several feet off the ground, successfully evading the attack without a sweat. Caiseal grunted. Porygon2 had the advantage of knowing attacks that let it float off the ground. Having Mallow jump a lot wouldn't do much. If Mallow could just hinder its movement...wait.

There was one way.

"Mallow!" Caiseal cried out. "Use Rock Slide, but don't hit Porygon2 directly!"

"Huh?" Everyone raised their eyebrows, including Ethan.

But Mallow didn't question it. With a roar, Mallow pointed his bone to the sky, and rocks rained down from the sky. Porygon2 zipped around them, and as Caiseal ordered, none of the rocks managed to hit it.

The girls exchanged confused looks. "I don't get it. Why is Caiseal telling Mallow to use an attack but not letting it actually hit it?" Julia asked.

"I have no clue. But he's obviously got something in mind," Perrine reminded her.

The battlefield was now littered with large rocks bigger than both Pokemon put together.

"Not sure what you're doing, but Mallow's a sitting Psyduck!" Ethan exclaimed. "Porygon2, Tri-Attack!"

Like before, three spheres of light morphed into beams that shot towards Mallow. "Deflect them! Then use Bone Club!"

Mallow spun his bone to ward off the elemental beams. Once they dissipated, Mallow wasted no time sprinting towards Porygon2 and giving it a good whack on the head with his bone. Porygon2 spun around as it skidded across the battlefield, only stopping because a large rock prevented it from going any further.

"Now use Stone Edge!"

With a roar, Mallow slammed his bone onto the ground. Several large, pointed rocks jutted out from the battlefield...oddly enough, none of them actually hit Porygon2. Instead, they simply surrounded the virtual Pokemon, closing in on it until they had it trapped. Porygon2 attempted to wriggle out from their grasp, but the rocks didn't budge one bit.

"No! Porygon2!" Ethan cried.

"Wait, that didn't look like Stone Edge," Perrine pointed out. "One of those rocks should have hit Porygon2 outright, not trapped it."

Caiseal noticed this as well. But he did want Mallow to hinder Porygon2's movements. Wait...did Mallow learn it at last? Caiseal pulled out his PokeDex to confirm his suspicions.

"Marowak, the bonekeeper Pokemon. Special attack: Rock Tomb."

"Yes! It worked!" Caiseal cheered. His strategy worked!

"Well, look at that!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed. "Mallow just learned a new move, and Porygon2's literally stuck between rocks!"

Now that Porygon2 was immobile, now was his chance to seize victory. "Mallow, hit it with Rock Smash!"

Mallow leaped high into the air, descending down the rocks that trapped Porygon2, and with his bone glowing orange, gave Porygon2 a strong smack on the head. The force of the impact was so strong, it sent Porygon2 down into the ground, and the resulting tremor broke the rocks into pieces. Porygon2 could barely process what was going on around it.

He couldn't let up. Not now. "Finish it off with Stone Edge!"

Understanding what Caiseal wanted him to do, Mallow gave another roar and slammed his bone on the ground. This time, sharp rocks glowing in a turquoise sheen jutted out from the ground. Unlike with Rock Tomb, these rocks rushed right towards Porygon2, and one of them managed to hit the virtual Pokemon from below, sending it flying.

"Porygon2! Come on! Use Magnet Rise to save yourself!" Ethan pleaded.

Alas, Porygon2 didn't heed its trainer's command. The virtual Pokemon fell to the ground with a resounding thud, the black dots that were its pupils having faded into the white sclera.

"Porygon2 is unable to battle! The winner is Marowak!" The judge announced.

Porygon2's image went black on the screen. "What a knockout! Porygon2 fought hard and well, but even it couldn't stand up to Marowak's sheer power!"

Now both trainers were down to just three Pokemon.

"Yay! Go Caiseal!" The three girls cheered their hearts out. Yvette clapped her hands while Geoffrey gave a jubilant whoop.

Ethan called his fallen partner back to its PokeBall. "You did great, buddy. Take a nice long rest," But he took no time at all to decide on his next Pokemon, already pulling out another PokeBall. "Give it your best shot, Rhydon!"

Out from the PokeBall came Rhydon, who gave a roar while spinning the drill serving as its nose as a show of strength.

"Mallow, return!" Caiseal called Mallow back to his PokeBall, switching him out. "Go, Viole!"

As much as he wanted to keep Mallow in battle, Viole had more energy and didn't sustain any damage. Better to save Mallow for later, and Viole had a type advantage over Rhydon. Viole gave a smile as he flaunted the big flower on his head.

"Rhydon versus Vileplume! Begin!"

"Type advantage alone isn't gonna save you!" Ethan reminded him. "Rhydon, use Horn Attack!"

Rhydon readied its horn, charging towards the flower Pokemon as fast as its big legs could carry it.

"Jump and use Petal Blizzard!"

As soon as Rhydon got close, Viole leaped off the ground, firing a storm of flower petals while in mid-air. All of them struck Rhydon right on the face before it could process it. The sharp petals cut through its thick hide, and Rhydon could only curl into a fetal position to protect its more vulnerable spots. As soon as the floral storm stopped, Rhydon was back in position.

"We're not done yet! Bulldoze!" Ethan yelled.

Rhydon gave a roar and began stomping on the ground. Not long after, the battlefield began to shake and rumble, like a small earthquake had hit. Unable to keep steady, Viole fell on his rear, the force of the shaking rendering it unable to maintain his balance or stand up. Thankfully, the rumbling stopped soon after, and Viole stood back up...but the flower Pokemon could feel that its legs weren't as strong as they were earlier.

"Crap. Bulldoze reduces an opponent's speed," Perrine noted. "Rhydon could get the jump on him."

And get the jump on Viole, they did. "Rhydon, use Fury Attack!"

Rhydon wasted no time catching up to Viole and jabbing its horn all across the flower Pokemon's body, not even giving Viole a minute to process what was going on. Viole cried out as every jab from Rhydon's horn hurt worse than the last. Caiseal needed to think of something quick. If Rhydon kept this up, Viole would be out of the match.

No holding back now. "Viole! Grab Rhydon's horn!"

When Rhydon attempted to jab at it yet again, Viole grabbed a hold of its horn.

Ethan smirked. "Big mistake! Spin your horn!"

As commanded, Rhydon spun the horn on its nose. Viole held on tight, even as its body was spinning faster and faster.

"Use Petal Blizzard!" Caiseal cried out.

Even as Rhydon's horn spun it round and round, Viole managed to fire off yet another barrage of flower petals. This time, they hit Rhydon right in the face, and the blast was enough to send it flying across the battlefield.

"Finish it with Giga Drain!"

"Viiii!" Vileplume shot a green light in Rhydon's direction. Before the drill Pokemon could stand up, the green light coiled around it, and the beast let out an agonized roar as energy was sucked out of its body. The cuts on Viole's blue body gradually began to reform as green light enveloped it. Rhydon's vision blurred as it lost more and more energy. Finally, the attack dissipated, and Viole was back in top form.

"Viole turned the tables on Rhydon with a well timed Giga Drain! Rhydon's in a bind now!" Mr. Goodshow announced.

"We're not giving up! Never!" Ethan yelled. "Rhydon, use Megahorn!"

Rhydon's horn glowed green as it got back on its feet and began charging at the flower Pokemon.

"Solarbeam!"

The flower on Viole's head glowed white as it faced the sun, absorbing its light. When Rhydon got close, Viole lowered his head and fired a big, blinding beam of light that hit the drill Pokemon point blank. Rhydon couldn't keep its footing even as the light seared its entire body.

"Rhydon, no!" Ethan cried.

Eventually, Rhydon couldn't hold on. The beam of light sent it flying across the battlefield yet again, so much so that it hit the wall just beneath the spectator seats. After that, Rhydon hit the ground with a loud thud. The judge walked over to check on it and raised one of the flags in Caiseal's direction.

"Rhydon is unable to battle! Vileplume is the winner!"

"And Rhydon is out!"

"Alright!" Julia, Perrine, and Violet all joined together in a group hug.

Ethan called Rhydon back to his PokeBall. "I'm proud of you, buddy. Thanks," He whispered before pulling out another PokeBall. But not before deciding to speak to Caiseal. "I gotta say, Cash, I haven't had this much fun in a long while! You're a pretty strong trainer!"

Caiseal crossed his arms. "Back at you! But you know flattery won't get you anywhere, right?"

"Ha! I knew that. Go!" Ethan replied before sending out his next Pokemon, which turned out to be...a Sudowoodo?

"Sudo!" The imitation Pokemon flashed a big smile and held one of its branch like arms above its head in a sailor salute.

"Another rock type?" Julia asked out loud. "He knows Viole has the advantage over it, right? Why's he sending out another one?" Ethan had to have some reason for doing this. Who would knowingly send out a Pokemon with a type disadvantage? Granted, his Beedrill knew Electroweb, so for all she knew, maybe Sudowoodo knew an attack that would change the outcome of the battle?

"Hey, Viole! You okay to keep going?" Caiseal asked.

Viole turned around and gave a reassuring nod. Caiseal smiled back.

"Vileplume versus Sudowoodo! Begin!"

"Sludge Bomb!" Caiseal cried.

Viole laid down the flower on his head and shot a barrage of purple sludge, aiming all of them towards Sudowoodo.

"Double Team!"

Sudowoodo glowed white for a second before clones of itself materialized all around Viole in a circle. The sludge spheres struck some of the clones, but they didn't phase them enough to make them disappear. Confused, Viole looked all around himself, trying to find the real one. But they all looked so similar to one another. How could he find the real one?

"Don't let it throw you off, Viole!" Caiseal reminded him. "Focus! Use-"

"Fire Punch!"

Everyone's jaws dropped. Fire Punch? One of the Sudowoodo clones-the real one as it turned out-charged towards Viole, its arm bursting into flames. Once it got close enough, it slammed its fiery fist into Viole's face, sending him soaring into the air.

"Double Fire Punch!" Ethan shouted. This time, Sudowoodo leaped into the air, both hands enveloped in flames. Before Viole could even react, searing heat surged through his body as Sudowoodo plunged both fists on top of the flower on his head. Viole descended straight into the ground, the force of the fall so strong that he made a circular crater in the ground. Rocks and debris scattered all over the place, like blocks and toys in a child's messy bedroom.

But Viole fought through the pain and got right back up soon after. His legs wobbled a little, and he could feel parts of his body had been singed, but he mustered up enough strength to crawl out of the crater. Even Caiseal couldn't help but be impressed by Viole's endurance.

"Nice going, boy!" Caiseal cheered. "That's the spirit!"

Ethan flashed a confident grin. "You won't be cheering like that for long!"

"We'll see about that!" Caiseal swung his arm out to call Viole's next move. "Use Petal-"

"Sucker Punch!"

Before either Caiseal and Viole could do anything, Sudowoodo sprinted towards the flower Pokemon, striking a hard blow on the edge of one of its petals with its branchy fist. Viole swayed, reeling from the impact. Caiseal grinded his teeth. Viole wasn't going to last long. He needed to knock Sudowoodo out, and now.

"Petal Dance! Full power!"

Viole immediately began spinning, fighting through the pain, and a cyclone of pink petals spiraling out from his flower, rushing right towards Sudowoodo.

"Fight through it and land another Fire Punch!" Ethan commanded.

As soon as the flower tornado struck Sudowoodo, the imitation Pokemon could fell the petals cut through its thick, rocky hide. But the last thing it wanted was to disappoint its trainer. Holding up both hands, it let out a cry, letting its branches burst into flames. Even with the pain in its body, Sudowoodo ran towards Viole, flaming arms ready to set it ablaze. Viole had no time to react before Sudowoodo slammed both fiery fists onto Viole's head, immediately putting a stop to the floral storm. The flower Pokemon met the ground face first and didn't move.

Caiseal gasped. "Viole?!"

Sudowoodo's flames dissipated soon after. Equal parts curious and worried, Sudowoodo turned its opponent over, hoping it didn't hurt him too badly. Face up, Viole's eyes were closed, and he was completely unconscious. The judge took a quick glance, which told him all he needed to know.

"Vileplume is unable to battle! Sudowoodo is the winner!"

"Awww yeah!" Ethan jumped up and down, with Sudowoodo following suit.

"And with that, Vileplume is out for the count!" Mr. Goodshow announced as Viole's image went blank. "Now both trainers are down to two Pokemon!"

With a frown, Caiseal called Viole back to his PokeBall. "I'm proud of you, Viole. You did great out there."

He had to admit, Ethan was a great trainer, and an unconventional one for sure. His team of Pokemon knew a lot of attacks that they couldn't acquire through regular training. What was his secret? Sure, some of his own Pokemon knew unconventional attacks, but only about one or two at the most, and usually his Pokemon already knew them when he caught them. After this, he hoped to catch Ethan later and ask about his training techniques for the future. But first thing's first: he needed to defeat him, and he had the perfect Pokemon to deal with Sudowoodo.

"Mallow, I choose you!" Back onto the battlefield Mallow went, bone in hand.

"Marowak versus Sudowoodo, begin!"

"Sudowoodo! Start it off with Low Kick!" Ethan commanded.

Sudowoodo dashed forward, running towards Mallow. Once it got close enough, it attempted to stick its leg out and kick Mallow's legs.

"Knock it away with Bone Club!"

Mallow rolled backwards, evading the attack, which made Sudowoodo fall flat on its face. With it on the ground, Mallow seized the chance to give the imitation Pokemon a good whack on the head. Sudowoodo yelped from the pain.

"Mallow dodges the attack with ease, landing a secure hit just in time!" Mr. Goodshow commented.

"Get out from underneath him, Sudowoodo!" Ethan yelled.

Knowing it couldn't just lay here and be defeated like this, Sudowoodo stood back up and backpedaled. "Now use Wood Hammer!"

Sudowoodo's left branch glowed green. Mallow, figuring out what was to come, attempted to run away, but the imitation Pokemon caught up to it and gave it a resounding slam on the head. The force of the impact was so strong that Mallow lost his footing right away and fell to the ground.

"And Sudowoodo fires back with a well timed Wood Hammer!" Mr. Goodshow said.

At this point, everyone exchanged perplexed looks. First Sudowoodo knew Fire Punch, and now Wood Hammer? What else did that Pokemon have up its branches?

"So that's why Ethan sent out Sudowoodo against Mallow!" Julia exclaimed, the realization hitting her like a Thunderbolt attack. "He taught it a grass type attack specifically so it could get around its own type disadvantage!" Ground types were strong against rock type, so it'd make sense for Ethan to teach Sudowoodo a grass type move.

"But you're forgetting one thing. Look," Perrine pointed towards the battlefield.

Julia and Violet turned to look, and they saw Sudowoodo clutching his arm, its face contorted in pain. Then it hit them: Wood Hammer was a recoil attack similar to Double-Edge. The stronger the hit, the stronger the blowback.

"It's okay, Sudowoodo!" Ethan reassured. "You're doing great!"

Violet stood over her seat and shouted into the air, "Don't give up, Mallow and Big Bro! We believe in you!"

Caiseal flashed a smile in her direction, having heard her loud and clear. Then he turned right back to Mallow, determination blazing in his eyes. "Let's finish this Mallow! Use Bone Club!"

"Wood Hammer! Let's go!"

Both Mallow and Sudowoodo shouted battle cries as they charged towards one another, their weapons glowing bright and ready to deliver the final blow. Mallow managed the first hit, slamming his bone right on top of Sudowoodo's head. Sudowoodo endured the hit and punched Mallow straight in the cheek with his glowing green branch. Both Pokemon remained firmly in place, glaring at each other, refusing to back down.

"Look at that! Both Pokemon are taking huge hits but refuse to admit defeat!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed.

Of course, the two Pokemon remained standing for a few seconds. Both Mallow and Sudowoodo fell to the ground, face up, their mouths wide open, unable to continue.

"Both Marowak and Sudowoodo are unable to battle!"

"It's another double knockout!" Mr. Goodshow shouted as both Pokemons' images went blank. "Both trainers now have only one Pokemon left! This is the final showdown!"

The crowd erupted into cheers. But Ethan and Caiseal could only swallow lumps in their throats. This was it.

"I think I know which Pokemon they're both going to use," Julia said. "If only by way of the process of elimination."

"Me too," Yvette chimed in, holding Violet's hand. "But we know they'll give it their all."

Both Ethan and Caiseal called back their fallen Pokemon. At this point, there was no turning back. They couldn't afford to make any errors. There was no more room for second thoughts. If one trainer lost, the other would advance in the League. Caiseal pulled out his PokeBall, which he knew contained Apollo. It seemed oddly fitting that Apollo would be last, considering he knew Ethan saved his own Typhlosion for last. Caiseal remembered having met Apollo at the lab as a Cyndaquil. A shy, timid little Pokemon who had always been passed over, never having been chosen by any other trainer because of his shyness. Caiseal hadn't gone to Professor Elm's lab to pick a Pokemon, as at that time, he already had Mallow and Ravenclaw. But after hearing Apollo's story, he felt bad for the little guy and decided to be his friend. Apollo deserved to finally catch a break, and catch a break he did.

Caiseal looked over at Ethan, who had a smile on his face as he held his PokeBall in his hands. Was he reminiscing about the day he first met his starter as well? He didn't know, and at this point, he didn't have much interest in asking about it. He was here to win!

"Apollo, I choose you!"

"Let's rock and rule, Typhlosion!"

Two Typhlosion materialized onto the battlefield, their necks bursting into flame as a show of strength.

"Hey, Ethan! May the best trainer win!" Caiseal exclaimed.

"Back at ya, Cash!"

"The final battle!" The judge raised both flags into the air. "Begin!"

"Apollo, use Rollout!"

With a roar, Apollo curled into a ball and immediately began rolling around the battlefield, sending mud and debris flying everywhere as he charged towards Typhlosion.

"Dodge by using Dig!" Ethan cried.

Typhlosion wasted no time digging a hole and leaping into it. Apollo stopped rolling and froze in his tracks. Where did his opponent go? Apollo looked all around, trying to figure out where Typhlosion would pop up.

"Hit it!" Ethan shouted.

Apollo felt the ground beneath him shift. Then, Typhlosion popped out from the ground and headbutted its opponent straight in the torso, sending him flying at least six feet in the air.

"Apollo! Use Swift!"

Still in mid-air, Apollo reoriented himself and fired off a rain of stars that struck Typhlosion in the face.

"Even after getting hit with Dig, Apollo doesn't lose his cool and lands another attack with ease!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed.

Violet threw her hands into the air. "You go, Apollo! You can do it!"

Ethan gave a grunt before calling the next attack. "Typhlosion, use Flamethrower!"

"Dodge, then Rollout again!" Caiseal shouted.

Typhlosion fired a stream of fire as soon as Apollo hit the ground. Thankfully, Apollo landed feet first and saw the attack coming. The volcano Pokemon sprinted away as soon as the flames got close, using the chance to curl back into a ball and start rolling all over the place. Typhlosion continued to spit fire at its opponent, not intent on losing sight of its target. But Apollo noticed a large rock and used it to roll upward, right in the air. Ethan and Typhlosion both blanched at the sight.

"Now strike!"

On cue, Apollo landed right on top of Typhlosion, and the latter gave an agonized howl as it felt the former's weight pressing down on its body.

"And just like that, Apollo gets the jump on Typhlosion by using the battlefield to its advantage!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed.

"Typhlosion! Use Eruption to get it off you!"

Underneath Apollo's weight, Typhlosion let out a piercing roar. The flames on its neck exploded into an inferno that blasted Apollo into the sky, finally freeing itself. Apollo remained in the fetal position as he continued to roll, even in mid-air.

"Alright, now use Quick Attack!" Ethan shouted, pointing right at Apollo.

"You Quick Attack right back at it!" Caiseal countered.

Apollo uncurled from his fetal position as he landed back on the battlefield. Both his and Typhlosion's bodies glowed white as they sprinted towards each other. Their attacks collided, but neither of them backed down or backpedaled.

"Use Smokescreen!"

Apollo opened his mouth and unleashed a large cloud of black smoke. Since he was right in front of Typhlosion, the latter had smoke obscure its vision right away. The smoke cloud covered the entire field, and Typhlosion couldn't see where it was, nor could it tell up or down for a brief moment. After a short while, the smoke dissipated. When it looked around, it didn't see Apollo anywhere. Where did he go?

"Body Slam!" Caiseal shouted.

Typhlosion looked up and blanched. Apollo was right above it! Apollo gave a roar as he slammed right down on Typhlosion yet again, pinning his opponent down to the ground, restricting its movements. Typhlosion wriggled and writhed in futile attempts to break free, but nothing it did worked.

"Slam on the ground with Brick Break!" Ethan exclaimed.

Figuring out what Ethan wanted it to do, Typhlosion immediately began slamming its arms on the ground, making the battlefield shift and rumble, like an earthquake had hit. Apollo tried to keep his weight on top of Typhlosion, but the rumbling increased in frequency, and the volcano Pokemon found himself releasing his opponent, unable to hold on for much longer.

"Fire back with Flamethrower!"

Typhlosion stood back up, and fired another stream of flames. Apollo barely managed to stand upright before taking a direct hit.

"A scorching response from Typhlosion, folks!" Mr. Goodshow announced, his cheeriness reverberating throughout the entire stadium. "I think it's safe to say Caiseal doesn't like his Typhlosion extra crispy!"

"Jump and use Swift!" Caiseal exclaimed.

Undeterred by the flames hitting his front, Apollo leaped into the air and scattered stars all across the battlefield. Several of them struck Typhlosion head on, but Ethan's partner barely felt it this time around. Not only that, Typhlosion began running around the battlefield, barely evading the starry assault on its back.

"Build up your speed, then use Flame Wheel!" Ethan commanded.

Apollo landed back on the ground.

"Use Flame Wheel too, Apollo!"

Both Typhlosion roared in unison, their whole bodies enveloped by fire as the two of them charged towards each other, focusing all their energy and power into their attacks. It was now or never. The last Typhlosion standing would be the winner! The two of them collided, their flaming bodies refusing to budge. The audience gasped in unison. Even after that attack, the two of them were both standing, refusing to give up. Not long after, their flames dissipated, and the two Typhlosion returned to their positions on the battlefield.

"This is it! Apollo, finish it with Flamethrower!"

"As if! You fire back with your own Flamethrower!"

In unison, both Typhlosion spat streams of fire towards each other. The two attacks collided, each one pushing to overpower the other. Flames and embers crackled and danced across the battlefield. Then, an explosive inferno burst out from the two attacks, nearly covering the entire battlefield. Several audience members ducked to save themselves from getting potentially burned. The ones that were higher up simply watched in awe. Eventually, the fiery smoke cloud dissipated, revealing the two Typhlosion still standing, panting and gasping for breath, their bodies covered in brown burn marks.

"Look at that!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed. "Even after taking so much damage, both Typhlosion are still standing!"

Neither Typhlosion had any intention of admitting defeat. Not here, not now. They staked too much on this final battle. Ethan and Caiseal could feel their intense determination from afar, as if it were heat emanating from their bodies.

In the stands, Perrine crossed her fingers. Violet continued to shout words of encouragement towards both Caiseal and Apollo. Yvette held Geoffrey's hand. Julia covered her ears with both hands, keeping her eyes locked onto the battle playing out before her. Which Typhlosion was going to win? One of them had to go down at some point.

"Alright! Let's rock and rule for real this time!" Ethan shouted, throwing his fist in the air. "Go, Typhlosion! Lava Plume!"

"Apollo! You use Lava Plume too! Full power!" Caiseal screamed.

The flames on their necks flared higher than they ever did throughout the entire battle, at least a good three feet. Seconds later, great, fiery infernos exploded out from their necks, rising into the air before arching forward to strike their opponents. Typhlosion's hit Apollo right on the torso, whereas Apollo's eruption managed to strike Typhlosion square in the face. Yet another explosion covered the field, with debris and smoke flying all over the place. Both Caiseal and Ethan shielded their eyes by holding their arms up. The crowd's murmuring died down to dead silence as they waited for the smoke to disappear. Gradually, it faded, showing the two Typhlosion down on the ground, completely singed, and unconscious. Geoffrey and Yvette stood up from their seats as they witnessed the scene playing out before them. Did...both of them lose? Was it a draw?

From the looks of it, it was yet another double knockout. From what Perrine had read in her books about the Pokemon League, two trainers in the top four having a double knockout wasn't accepted. The rules stated that should any trainer lose all of their Pokemon in one battle that late in the League, both would be eliminated from the tournament.

The judge gave a glance at both Pokemon before making his decision. "Both Pokemon are unable-"

A collective gasp cut him off. Julia, Perrine, Violet, and the Ashers all flashed huge grins and began squealing with joy. Against all odds, Apollo hoisted himself up, shaking as he attempted to use what little energy he had left to stand up. As he finally stood up, Apollo flashed a grin that was bursting with pride. The judge looked over at Ethan's Typhlosion to see if it would show any signs of life. However, Typhlosion was out cold.

"Correction: Ethan's Typhlosion is unable to battle! The winner is Apollo, and the victory goes to Caiseal Brownstone! With this, he will advance to the second round of the finals!"

Pandemonium broke out as the crowd erupted into jubilant cheers that rattled the entire stadium. Julia, Violet, and Perrine all hugged each other, jumping and cheering at the same time. Caiseal ran over to Apollo and wrapped his skinny arms around him, trapping him in a hug. "Awwwww yeeeeeahhh! You were awesome, Apollo! Great job, buddy! You won the match!"

Apollo gave merry growls as he hugged his trainer right back.

Yvette wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "He did it! Our baby won the match!"

"Darn straight he did! Woooooo!" Geoffrey gave another cheer.

Meanwhile, Ethan simply walked over to his fallen Typhlosion and helped him up, a sad, self-deprecating smile on his face. "You rocked and ruled out there, partner. I'm so proud of you," Ethan told it in a low, reassuring whisper. Typhlosion gave a low growl as Ethan pulled out his PokeBall. "You take a nice long rest."

With that, Ethan simply walked off the court without a word. Caiseal stopped celebrating as soon as he saw Ethan walk away. For just a brief moment, he saw a silver of a frown on his face.

"Ethan…?" Did he take the loss harder than he expected? Caiseal deflated. He didn't crush Ethan's pride too bad, did he? He hoped that wasn't the case. Even though they promised there'd be no hard feelings if either of them lose, he could tell Ethan looked sad.

---

After meeting up with the Ashers and his friends and being showered with their congratulations, Caiseal suggested they look for Ethan. He couldn't have gone too far. After a bit of looking, they found him right outside, sitting on a bench, brushing Apollo's fur. Caiseal attempted to approach him, but Geoffrey gently pulled him back and shook his head. Give him some space, the gesture told him. Caiseal looked back and saw the frown on Ethan's face plain as day. Ethan casted his eyes to the ground as he sprayed a potion on Typhlosion's injuries. A good portion of them had already been healed, so Typhlosion already looked a lot better than he did a few short minutes ago. But just looking at Ethan, they could tell his spirit had been broken. To what extent?

Then, after he finished spraying one of Typhlosion's burns, Ethan stood up, sucked in a deep breath, faced the sky in front of him, and…

"I CAN'T BELIEVE I FRIGGIN' LOOOOOOOOST!"

Proceeded to scream at the sky, drawing out the last word like it was the only thing that'd release all of his sadness. His scream echoed and reverberated in the air. Once he was done, he took in another breath and...smiled this time.

"Phew! Man, it feels good to let that all out!"

Now seemed like a good time to approach him. Caiseal took the chance. "Ethan!"

"Huh?" Ethan turned around, seeing everyone approach him with concerned looks on their faces, even Apollo, who still looked worse for wear. "Hey guys. What's up?"

"I...I wanted to see how you were doing," Caiseal admitted sheepishly, running a hand through his blonde curls. "Listen...sorry for getting you knocked out of the League. I kinda feel bad that I ruined your chances of battling the Elite Four."

Oddly enough, Ethan waved his hand dismissively. "Don't sweat it. It's no big deal," He replied, crossing his arms. "I mean, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bummed about losing. But I know losing is a part of the Pokemon trainer experience. Besides," He uncrossed his arms, and the confident gleam was back in his eyes. "This'll be a chance for me and my Pokemon to just get better and stronger for next time!"

Apollo walked over to Typhlosion, giving him a low growl, asking if he was okay. Typhlosion smiled and growled back, extending one of his paws. Typhlosion had to admit, he had a lot of fun battling Apollo, and found himself respecting his skills. Apollo shook his paw firmly, smiling right back at him, happy that he had a great battle with him.

"So what do you plan to do now?" Perrine asked. "Are you planning on leaving?"

"Hmmm...not really, no," Ethan answered. "I thought about it, but I kinda like hanging out with you guys, so why not stick around for a bit longer? Besides," He cast a glance at Caiseal and Perrine. "I know one of you's going to come out on top, and I'm looking forward to seeing who it turns out to be!"

Julia smiled, wrapping one arm around Ethan's neck and the other around Caiseal's, pulling the two of them into a hug. "Yay! You two don't hate each other!"

Caiseal raised an eyebrow. "Of course we wouldn't hate each other over something like this. Who do you think we are?" Ethan broke into laughter, as did Violet and the Ashers.

"After this is my battle with Gervasius," Perrine reminded them. "My match isn't until three, so we still have some time on our hands."

Yvette clasped both hands together. "I bet you're all hungry. How about we have some lunch?"

"Don't mind if I do!" Ethan exclaimed happily. "I'm starving!"

Violet went over to the two Typhlosions and immediately began petting them. "You two were great out there!" The two volcano Pokemon smiled as they revealed in the girl's touch.

"By the way, Ethan," Caiseal touched Ethan's shoulder to get his attention. "Your Pokemon know a lot of moves they normally don't learn through normal training. If you don't mind, we'd love it if you could teach us how we can have our Pokemon do that as well."

"Yeah! I wanna know, too!" Julia chimed in cheerfully.

Ethan put a hand on his hip and flashed a confident grin in their direction. "I'd be honored to teach you guys a thing or two!"

---

A/N: Man, this chapter took way longer to write than I wanted it to. This is what I get for writing a huge chapter dedicated to a big battle scene, which I admit are not my strong suit. Here's hoping how it actually came out made up for it. I really hope the next chapter won't take as long to churn out, but considering other factors, like life, the stupid virus, my often fluctuating motivation to actually write, I'm not holding my breath. I have a feeling I'm not gonna finish MarJour before the end of the year like I planned. Oh well! Might as well get to it anyway! Enjoy!

---

Julia's Party:
Hikaru (Shiny Pikachu, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thunderbolt, Disarming Voice, Quick Attack, Volt Tackle

Papillon (Butterfree, Female, Calm Nature)
Ability: Compound Eyes
Attacks: Confusion, Bug Buzz, Air Slash, Quiver Dance

Neji (Furret, Male, Bashful Nature)
Ability: Keen Eye
Attacks: Dig, Hyper Voice, Sucker Punch, and Quick Attack

Karin (Smoochum, Female, Impish Nature)
Ability: Forewarn
Attacks: Pound, Confusion, Powder Snow, and Sweet Kiss

Lavinia (Scyther, Female, Rash Nature)
Ability: Steadfast
Attacks: Quick Attack, Fury Cutter, Wing Attack, and Agility

Ladybug (Ledian, Female, Timid Nature)
Ability: Early Bird
Attacks: Bug Buzz, Swift, Drain Punch, and Reflect

Perrine's Party:
Kitsune (Ninetales, Female, Quiet Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Heat Wave, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack

Florian (Meganium, Male, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Overgrow
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Vine Whip, Body Slam, and Grassy Terrain

Baloo (Wigglytuff, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Cute Charm
Attacks: Hyper Voice, Wake-Up Slap, Disarming Voice, and Body Slam

Mushi (Parasect, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Effect Spore
Attacks: X-Scissor, Cross Poison, Growth, and Giga Drain

Fuwari (Jumpluff, Female, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Leaf Guard
Attacks: Bounce, Giga Drain, Fairy Wind, and Energy Ball

Chirin (Ampharos, Male, Adamant Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Discharge, Cotton Guard, Power Gem, Signal Beam

Caiseal's Party:
Mallow (Marowak, Male, Lax Nature)
Ability: Lightning Rod
Attacks: Bonemerang, Earthquake, Rock Tomb, and Rock Smash

Apollo (Typhlosion, Male, Bold Nature)
Ability: Blaze
Attacks: Flamethrower, Eruption, Rollout, and Smokescreen

Ravenclaw (Murkrow, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Super Luck
Attacks: Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Dark Pulse, and Foul Play

Viole (Vileplume, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Petal Dance, Sludge Bomb, and Sweet Scent

Flippy (Quagsire, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Damp
Attacks: Water Pulse, Mud Bomb, Ice Beam, and Slam

Geo (Golem, Male, Brave Nature)
Ability: Sturdy
Attacks: Rock Slide, Heavy Slam, Magnitude, and Steamroller