Alola, everyone! We're back after a two-week break with more of "The Challenge of a Lifetime"! I'm sure a lot of you are wondering how this next battle's gonna go, especially since we left off with all three of Erika's Pokémon getting poisoned in her match against Plumeria!
Now it's time see if they can manage a victory to get their trainer to the fourth round! Hope you enjoy!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
"Ah…" Janine yawned out tiredly as the sun set on the Fuchsia City Gym. She sat down alongside her Ariados upon the deck outside the dojo-like building. "Another long day of challenges, huh?" she inquired of her Long Leg Pokémon.
"Aree," she agreed with a nod.
"With Dad in the Elite Four, we have to pick up the slack…" her trainer noted, looking up at the orange sky.
"I doubt that it is much trouble for you," a voice chimed in, getting her attention as she blinked in surprise, "considering that you're my daughter," he mentioned, causing her to look over and see a man with black spiky hair approach, wearing a ninja outfit with a long red scarf. His outfit had purple outlines. He also wore protective grey bracers on his legs, as well as bands on his wrists.
"Dad!" Janine exclaimed in greeting. Moments later, the two of them were in the dining room, partaking in drinking tea. "Huh…" the gym leader sighed contently, setting her cup down.
"Seems you've been managing to keep busy with the gym," her father noted, refilling her cup.
"Yeah, but it's good to battle all kinds of trainers," she pointed out, "I get to experiment with a lot of different Poison-type strategies along with using what you taught me," she told Koga, who chuckled.
"It seems you're not the only one using my tactics," he noted.
"Hm?" she uttered in surprise as she blinked, "What do you mean?" she asked, seeing him stand up and approach the television set nearby. He turned it on, and his daughter widened her eyes. On the channel was the Lanakila Conference. And currently battling was… "Plumeria?!" Janine exclaimed in disbelief, seeing the former Team Skull admin commanding her Pokémon. Her Salazzle had just poisoned Erika's Alolan Sandslash.
"It seems that her opponent's been taken aback by her strategy," the Kanto Elite Four member noted, "I think that's one only she could pull off…" he mentioned.
"Yeah…" his daughter agreed, staring at the screen in amazement.
OPENING
Insert "Rise Above" by Rainych
Opens with the sun dawning over Mount Lanakila. In spite of its freezing air, Calvin and Erika stand firm alongside their full teams of Pokémon as the wind rushes by. Near the base of the mountain is the site of what will be Alola's first ever Pokémon League, where Kukui stands with an excited grin on his face.
A rainbow of flower petals washes over the logo as we cut to Calvin lamenting on the boardwalk of the Seafolk Village, sitting alone and wondering if he can really take on the rest of the island challenge. At the same time, Erika is lying on her bed upon her side, thinking about the exact same thing. They both clench their fists determinedly, ready to see things through.
We cut to Calvin flying aboard a Charizard, while Erika's aboard a Pelipper. They fly throughout each of Alola's islands, smiling all the while. They see Ilima, Lana, Kiawe, Mallow, Sophocles, Acerola, Mina, Hala, Olivia, Nanu, and Hapu along the way as they arrive at the Pokémon League.
There, they're greeted by their parents and their big sister, who encourage them as they enter through the doors into the stadium. Inside, they find Hau, Pyrrha, Paige, Trent, and Gladion there. Others like Ryuki, Plumeria, and even Guzma are present. The Ketchum twins both grin excitedly, prepared to engage in some amazing battles.
The scene changes to Calvin commanding his Toucannon to use Beak Blast to take down a Machoke, while Erika has her Lurantis use X-Scissor to down an opponent's Bisharp. Hau's Decidueye goes up against Gladion and Silvally. The Synthetic Pokémon evades his foe's arrow quills before landing a powerful Fire-type Multi-Attack. Decidueye endures it, while Hau prepares a green Z-Crystal with a symbol similar to his partner, cracking a smirk.
We cut to Paige revealing a Key Stone around her neck as she uses it to Mega Evolve her Blaziken, who speeds out to attack Pyrrha's Typhlosion with a Blaze Kick. He counters by using Flamethrower. In the meantime, Trent commands his Alolan Ninetales to use Blizzard on Ryuki's Turtonator. The Blast Turtle Pokémon endures the freezing winds, unleashing a Flamethrower that appears to engulf his foe.
Calvin and Erika are then facing off, with Incineroar and Primarina battling for them. The two collide via a Flare Blitz/Aqua Jet, resulting in a powerful blast. As it clears, we witness Lycanroc slamming his clenched paws against the ground for a Stone Edge aimed to take down Araquanid. However, the Water Bubble Pokémon blasts the incoming stone pillars apart with Liquidation. Oricorio in her Baile Style comes out to unleash the searing fireball of a Revelation Dance toward Toucannon, who endures the attack and retaliates with Hyper Voice.
As the dust settles, we see Lurantis enduring Trop Kicks from Tsareena, gathering sunlight to unleash a Solar Blade onto the Fruit Pokémon. Mimi comes out from the dust, unleashing Shadow Claws onto Starbright, who endures them. She then strikes back with a Meteor Mash, merely busting the costume of the Disguise Pokémon as she chases after her opponent. Finally, we have Marowak using Shadow Bone to bash the incoming icicles of Sandslash, who dives down at him with an Iron Head.
The dust clears again, revealing the Ketchum twins staring at each other confidently with their teams. They're prepared for whatever else is ahead for them as they stand outside the stadium as the sun sets…
END OPENING
Through the Poison and Pain!
"What a turn of events!" Jim exclaimed over the loudspeaker in Malie Arena, "Not only do Oricorio and Primarina end up getting poisoned, but so does Sandslash, who should be immune!" he pointed out emphatically, "How in the world did that happen?!" he wondered as the crowd was completely stunned.
"Well, Salazzle and her pre-evolution, Salandit, both have a very unique ability called Corrosion," Tom chimed in, "This ability allows the user to poison any kind of Pokémon, including Poison and Steel-types," he explained thoroughly, "This changes the tide of this battle entirely," he mentioned.
"Absolutely," Jim agreed. On the field, Erika grimaced in frustration. All three of her Pokémon were wincing from the effects of being poisoned. From Oricorio getting struck by Crobat's Cross Poison, Primarina ramming into Toxapex's Baneful Bunker, and Sandslash taking Salazzle's Toxic without any prior knowledge that it would work regardless of his assumed immunity, things weren't looking good at all.
"She's really in trouble…" Sunset commented from the stands.
"I guess it really didn't matter whether she used her Palossand or not…" Pyrrha realized, "Plumeria's team would've gotten him poisoned, too…" she concluded grimly, balling her hands into fists over her knees.
"Now we'll have to see how Erika's going to counter this sudden development!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers, "What will she and her team do?" he wondered aloud.
'It didn't matter if I brought a Poison-type or a Steel-type into this battle, because Salazzle would've been able to poison either, too!' the Ketchum girl inwardly noted, clenching her fists in frustration, 'You gotta calm down, Erika…' she insisted of herself, taking a deep breath, 'We can push through this,' she affirmed through her thoughts. Meanwhile, Plumeria smirked.
"Salazzle, Flamethrower!" she commanded. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon licked her lips, rearing her head back before unleashing a stream of orange fire from her mouth, heading toward Sandslash.
"Sparkling Aria!" Erika called out. Primarina quickly perked up, having her ponytail come up as she raised her head, having a shining blue ball of water appear over her pink nose. She sang a high note, causing the ball to burst apart into watery streaks, which flew out and struck the incoming fire in an explosion of steam. It spread out around the sandy field, while both trainers stared out at each other.
"Come on, Eri!" Hau cheered.
"You got this!" Calvin yelled on. Pikachu, Mimi and Jangmo-o cried out as well.
"Toxapex, Poison Jab!" Plumeria ordered, sticking her left hand out. From within the steam, the Brutal Star Pokémon's eyes lit up. He used his legs to leap upward, diving toward an unaware Oricorio.
"Oricorio, watch out!" Erika screamed upon noticing. The orange claws at the tips of Toxapex's legs glowed purple. He swung them out at the Dancing Pokémon, who was quick to hop back. However, she suddenly keeled over as her body shined a bright purple, with bubbles and sparks to follow. That allowed for her opponent to jab his claws into her stomach.
"REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" she shrieked in agony.
"ORICORIO!" her trainer exclaimed out of fright.
"And Toxapex lands a powerful Poison Jab that looks devastating to Oricorio!" Jim yelled into the microphone.
"That's extremely bad, especially with Toxapex's unique ability, Merciless!" Tom chimed in, "Whenever Toxapex strikes a target that's poisoned, his attacks do a lot more damage than normal!" he explained.
"And with all three of Erika's Pokémon poisoned, he's going to be a key player in the battle ahead," Jim mentioned.
"So that's why Toxapex was waiting in the wings…" Leslie realized, narrowing her eyes a little.
"Plumeria wanted to save him when it came to battling once every one of Erika'zzz Pokémon were poisoned, zzt…" Rotom concluded grimly.
"Now Liquidation!" the former Team Skull admin commanded. Water swirled around Toxapex's legs as he swung them out toward the injured Oricorio. Erika grimaced.
"Sandslash, block it with Iron Head!" she called out. The Alolan Mouse Pokémon perked up upon hearing his trainer, quickly hurrying toward his teammate as he cloaked himself in a whitish light. But as he lunged out, Salazzle zipped up next to him, much to his surprise.
"Dragon Pulse!" Plumeria ordered. A multicolored beam of light in the shape of a dragon's head left the mouth of the Toxic Lizard Pokémon, engulfing Sandslash in a powerful blast.
"No!" Erika yelped out. Meanwhile, Toxapex slammed its water-covered legs into Oricorio, sending her tumbling across the sand. The Ketchum girl grimaced. "Primarina, Sparkling Aria!" she commanded. The Soloist Pokémon stood up on her tail fins, having her ponytail come undone again as she formed a shining ball of water over the tip of her pink nose.
"Maaaaahhh~!" she sang out again, causing the water ball to burst and shoot out in streaks. They struck both Toxapex and Salazzle, blowing them back. However, Crobat weaved around them as he closed in.
"Venoshock!" Plumeria shouted. The Bat Pokémon went ahead and spat out a stream of purple, poisonous liquid from his mouth, striking Primarina in a blast of grey smoke as she yelped.
"Primarina!" Erika cried out. The smoke cleared, revealing the Soloist Pokémon wincing from the poison as a purple glow shined upon her body with sparks and bubbles again. The same was happening with Oricorio and Sandslash, who grimaced as they stood up as well. Their trainer lowered her head in frustration.
"Tough to really find a way to get the edge back, huh?" Plumeria guessed, trying to get her opponent's attention, "That's what I taught myself with this strategy of mine," she pointed out, "And we're using it to win this whole thing," she declared on.
"Plumeria's team is absolutely overwhelming Erika's with speed and power!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers, "And with all of them still poisoned, there really isn't any room for error now!" he added. The Ketchum girl gritted her teeth. All of her plans were being picked apart from the seams, and her team was slowly succumbing to their poisoned conditions. But she steeled herself, lifting her head up and giving off a determined glare.
'If speed and power are the problems…' she began inwardly, swinging her right arm out.
"Primarina, use Icy Wind!" she commanded. Perking up, the Soloist Pokémon inhaled a deep breath before expelling a chilling, sparkling air from her mouth, washing over her three opponents. They didn't seem to wince too much, though frost was forming upon their bodies. "Don't stop!" Erika instructed.
"Preee… maaaahhhh!" Primarina exclaimed, continuing to release the chilling air, even as a purple glow shined along her body.
"And Primarina's Icy Wind washes over Plumeria's Pokémon!" Jim yelled into the microphone.
"What are you planning, Erika…?" Pyrrha wondered from the stands.
"Stalling for time's not gonna help!" the former Team Skull admin proclaimed, sticking her left hand out, "Crobat, X-Scissor on Oricorio!" she ordered.
"Croh!" the Bat Pokémon responded, making her wings glow a yellowish-green as she dove toward her target.
"Revelation Dance!" Erika shouted out. Ignoring the poison as its glow shined upon her body, the Dancing Pokémon twirled around as the feathers at the tips of her wings glowed pink. She formed a pink orb of twisting energy, firing it out at Crobat. She was immediately caught by surprise, getting struck in the face in an explosion of grey smoke.
"Ah!" Plumeria gasped, while many in the audience were just as surprised.
"Oh my!" Jim yelped through the loudspeakers, "Crobat, likely one of Plumeria's faster Pokémon, just took a super effective Revelation Dance!" he pointed out emphatically.
"That's the risk you run when ignoring the added effects of what you think are weaker moves," Tom chimed in, "Icy Wind also lowers a target's speed when it hits, so all of Plumeria's Pokémon are at risk of not moving as fast as they normally would," he explained.
"Nice!" Hau exclaimed excitedly.
"That'zzz an Erika-style strategy if I've ever zzzeen one…" Rotom mentioned.
"But the question is, will it work out?" Leslie wondered aloud.
"Pika, pika!" Pikachu cheered, pumping his right fist out.
"Toxapex, Liquidation!" Plumeria commanded, "Salazzle, Flamethrower!" she ordered on. The Brutal Star Pokémon leapt up, having his legs become surrounded by swirling water. Meanwhile, the Toxic Lizard Pokémon expelled a stream of orange fire from her mouth, heading toward Sandslash.
"Moonblast! And Stone Edge!" Erika quickly called out. Primarina had a golden aura shroud her body as she formed a pink orb of energy in front of her open mouth. She fired it out at Toxapex, striking him in the face before he could come down on her, blowing him back in an explosion of grey smoke.
In the meantime, Sandslash slammed his claws against the sand. Light blue rock pillars erupted from the ground, striking through and dissipating the incoming flames. Salazzle managed to avoid taking the brunt of the attack as she slinked aside, but was nicked as she winced, tumbling over onto her stomach.
"Oricorio, Hurricane!" Erika commanded on. The Dancing Pokémon's wings glowed a bright blue before she flapped them mightily, generating a vortex that caught Toxapex, sending him crashing into the sand below.
"And Erika's team goes on the counterattack, landing strong blows to Toxapex!" Jim yelled.
"She recognizes that Toxapex is the biggest threat to her team thanks to his Merciless ability," Tom pointed out, "Taking him down will at least give her Pokémon some breathing room…" he added.
"Tahhh…" the Brutal Star Pokémon groaned, pushing himself back up on the sand.
"Not bad, kid…" Plumeria admitted, seeing all three of her opponent's Pokémon wince as their bodies glowed purple with sparks and bubbles from the poison, "Trying to take my team out before the poison finishes you off…" she noted aloud, "But you're not getting us that easy," she affirmed confidently to Erika's surprise, "Toxapex, Recover!" she instructed.
"Toxahhh!" the Brutal Star Pokémon responded, making his body glow yellow before a greenish, healing aura flowed up his body.
"Ah!" the Ketchum girl gasped.
"And with one move, Toxapex recovers from almost all that damage he took earlier!" Jim exclaimed.
"Very good call on Plumeria's part, especially when she's looking to let her opponent's poisoned Pokémon tire themselves out!" Tom mentioned in a complimentary tone.
"Oh man…" Calvin muttered with a grimace.
"Eri's gotta do something quick!" Hau pointed out worriedly.
"Come on, Erika!" Leslie cheered loudly.
"Dragon Pulse! And Venoshock!" Plumeria ordered. Salazzle reared her head back before unleashing a multicolored ray of light from her mouth in the shape of a dragon's head, while Crobat spat out a stream of purple, poisonous liquid. Both attacks were heading for Oricorio, who was still wincing as a result of her poisoned condition.
"Sandslash! Primarina! Protect Oricorio!" Erika called out. Both the Alolan Mouse Pokémon and the Soloist Pokémon leapt out in front of their partner, taking the attacks in a burst of grey smoke. When it cleared, it revealed that neither of them were harmed.
"And Oricorio's saved by her teammates, thanks to their immunities to Dragon and Poison-type attacks!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers.
"A very good call on Erika's part," Tom chimed in, "You can't let your Pokémon take more damage when they're poisoned," he pointed out.
"Oricorio, Revelation Dance!" the Ketchum girl commanded. The Dancing Pokémon had the feathers at the tips of her wings glow bright pink before she formed an orb of energy. She fired it out to Toxapex, who quickly put down his legs to shield his head, getting struck in a blast of smoke.
"And another Revelation Dance seeks out and strikes Toxapex!" Jim yelled out, "Will that be enough to take him down for good?!" he wondered aloud. As the smoke cleared, it revealed that the Brutal Star Pokémon was still up, lifting his front legs to reveal his face.
"Nice try…" Plumeria remarked with a smirk, "Recover!" she called out. Toxapex had a yellow light shroud his body as he lowered his legs, followed by a greenish, healing aura flowing up his form again. In the meantime, all three of Erika's Pokémon had a purple glow with sparks and bubbles appearing upon their bodies as they winced. But at that moment, an ocean blue glow started to shroud Primarina, which everyone noticed. The Ketchum girl herself smirked.
"Gotcha'!" she shouted, quickly setting her Primarium Z onto her Z-Power Ring before crossing her arms over her face. The Z-Crystal itself flashed brightly.
"Oh my!" Jim exclaimed in shock into the microphone, "Erika's going for a Z-Move with Primarina!" he noted loudly.
"She's using her Z-Move now?!" Calvin exclaimed in question, blinking rapidly.
"But why?" Hau wondered aloud. All of sudden, Rotom widened its eyes.
"It'zzz Primarina'zzz Torrent ability, zzt!" it buzzed as it floated in between them, getting their attentions, "Erika knew that she wazzz gonna have low health, so she waited until she could uzzze the Z-Move at her strongest!" it explained to the trial-goers.
"Erika's really taking some big risks out there…" Sawyer pointed out.
"That's what makes her a Ketchum, I guess," his wife remarked with a giggle. They watched as Erika waved her arms around like waving water, with Primarina doing the same from right to left. The blue energy that had been building up around the Ketchum girl's form shot out in streaks to her partner, merging with her before the Z-Move symbol flashed in front of her.
"Time for an Oceanic Operetta!" her trainer declared, raising her pointer fingers like an orchestra conductor.
"Prreeee… MAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH~!" the Soloist Pokémon sang as she stood up on her tail fins, creating a massive ball of water over her nose that towered into the air.
"Seriously?!" Plumeria yelped in shock, grimacing a little, "Salazzle, Sludge Wave! Crobat, Air Slash!" she ordered. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon waved her tail across the ground, sending out multiple waves of purple sludge toward Primarina, while Crobat's wings glowed blue before swinging them to unleash several shuriken-shaped discs of air.
"Counter them with Air Slash and Icicle Crash!" Erika called out. Oricorio had her own wings shine bright blue, flapping them rapidly to release spinning disc-shaped air blades herself. In the meantime, Sandslash expelled a wind with light blue sparkles from his mouth, which formed small clumps of ice into the air. They grew larger and longer, shaping into sharp icicles. The air blades intercepted each other in bursts of wind, while the icicles crashed down onto the incoming sludge in bursts of grey smoke.
As that happened, the giant water bubble began to move. It loomed over Toxapex, who had just finished recovering. However, he looked up and widened his eyes to see the gargantuant water orb.
"Quick, Baneful Bunker!" Plumeria instructed. The Brutal Star Pokémon brought down his legs, followed by projecting a purple energy barrier around himself with spikes.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Erika bellowed.
"PREEEMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH~!" Primarina sang, having the water bubble slowly descend and crash onto Toxapex, resulting a powerful, sparkling blast. Everyone in the stands watched in awe at the sight, seeing smoke veil the entire field. It was slow to clear, but once it did, it revealed that the Brutal Star Pokémon appeared to be unharmed as his legs were still down, barricading the rest of his body. However, they suddenly opened and slumped, revealing the swirls in his eyes as he groaned.
"Toxapex is unable to battle!" Hapu announced with her left arm raised. The crowd erupted into cheers.
"Incredible!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "The Z-Move does the trick as Toxapex is the first Pokémon to go down in this match!" he pointed out excitedly.
"Alright, Eri!" Hau cheered from the stands.
"Now she won't have to worry about Toxapex's attacks!" Calvin mentioned as he pumped his right fist.
"Yeah, but that's not the only problem here…" Leslie noted, getting his attention as he blinked in surprise. Back on the field, Primarina winced as the purple glow of the poison reappeared upon her body, with sparks and bubbles to follow.
"Primarina!" her trainer cried out. At that moment, the Soloist Pokémon fell over onto her back, fainting upon the sand. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one as Oricorio also toppled over. Hapu quickly ran over to inspect their conditions.
"Primarina and Oricorio are both unable to battle!" she confirmed with her left arm raised.
"Oh, wow!" Jim yelped through the loudspeakers, "Just when it seemed like Erika found an edge, the poison comes back to bite her team!" he noted loudly.
"Even if Plumeria's strategy wasn't meant to end with Toxapex going down, there's still a good chance that she wins," Tom chimed in, "especially with Salazzle having a huge type advantage over Sandslash," he added.
"So now, what's Erika going to do?" Jim wondered as on the field, the Ketchum girl grimaced.
X
Plumeria returned her Toxapex to Ultra Ball in a beam of red light, setting it back onto her belt. In the meantime, Erika did the same for Primarina and Oricorio, returning them to their own Poké Balls. She looked at them sadly in her hands for a few moments.
"Sorry about all that, you two," she apologized, "Thanks for all your help," she said in gratitude, putting the spherical containers away, "I promise we'll win this," she vowed. Looking over at Sandslash, she saw that he wasn't looking as worn as his teammates were before they fainted. But the poison was obviously still wearing him down.
"Tom, is there a way Sandslash can pull out a victory here?" Jim asked over the loudspeaker.
"It depends on whether or not he can dodge Salazzle's Flamethrower as well as how fast he can defeat both her and Crobat," his color commentator responded, "The way I see it, things don't look good for him," he admitted.
"Well, we'll see how it all turns out!" the play-by-play announcer declared as the crowd roared out a frenzy of cheers.
"Come on, Erika!" Pyrrha cheered.
"Go, Sandslash!" Hau cried out. Cheers for both trainers were coming in various directions. Plumeria could recognize the voices of her former Team Skull comrades, ones she once referred to as her brothers and sisters. And she didn't want to let them down.
"Salazzle, Flamethrower!" she commanded. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon reared her head back before releasing a powerful stream of orange fire from her mouth.
"Dodge it!" Erika yelled. Sandslash was quick to move aside, avoiding the flames as they streaked by. However, he only barely evaded them, wincing from their heat. His trainer grimaced, while Plumeria smirked.
"Guess even Icy Wind's not enough to give your Sandslash more speed than us…" she remarked, "Crobat, Air Slash!" she ordered.
"Croh!" the Bat Pokémon responded, making her wings glow a bright blue as she folded them inward. She swung them out, unleashing several disc-shaped blades of air. With no room to dodge, all the Alolan Mouse Pokémon could do was cross his arms over his head as he was bombarded by the air blades, causing clouds of sand to build up around him.
"Ergh…" Erika growled in frustration.
"Even with Icy Wind lowering their speed from earlier, Salazzle and Crobat are still overwhelming Sandslash!" Jim pointed out over the loudspeakers, while the sand cleared to reveal the Alolan Mouse Pokémon uncrossing his arms as he breathed heavily.
"This is bad…" Calvin uttered.
"Erika's going to have to find a way to get an advantage for Sandslash again…" Leslie noted aloud as she narrowed her eyes with concern, "But that's easier said than done right now…" she added through her thoughts. Meanwhile, the Alolan Mouse Pokémon looked back at the frustrated expression upon his trainer's face. The whole battle had gone upside down in an instant for her and her team, and he knew that. She had given him the opportunity to compete alongside strong Pokémon on her journey, and he wanted to repay her. He looked up to the orange, sunset sky above.
"SSSSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screeched out into the air.
"S-Sandslash?" Erika stuttered in confusion. All of a sudden, the sky darkened. "Huh?" the Ketchum girl uttered, looking up to see the dark clouds that had formed over the sandy field. Snow started falling down, along with small bits of hail. As it struck Crobat and Salazzle, they winced slightly.
"It's… snowing?" Hau uttered in confusion, tilting his head and arching an eyebrow.
"It'zzz Hail, zzt!" Rotom buzzed out, "Sandslash learned how to uzzze Hail, zzt!" it noted excitedly.
"So Sandslash manages to pull off a Hail in probably the last few moments he has left thanks to the poison!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "Will that help him now?!" he wondered loudly.
"Don't think so, kid," Plumeria remarked, swinging her right arm out, "Air Slash!" she commanded. Crobat flapped her glowing blue wings, releasing more disc-shaped blades of air towards the Alolan Mouse Pokémon. Erika gasped.
"Dodge it!" she cried out. And then, Sandslash dashed away instantaneously, evading the air blades as they struck the ground harmlessly in a plume of sand.
"What?!" Plumeria exclaimed in shock, while the Bat Pokémon's eyes widened.
"Whoa!" Calvin yelped, while everyone else blinked in surprise.
"What incredible speed!" Jim shouted through the loudspeakers. Sandslash zipped around, being behind Crobat. Seeing that, Erika grinned.
"Iron Head!" she commanded.
"Sann!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon responded, shrouding his body in a whitish light before lunging out at his target.
"Quick, dodge!" Plumeria called out. Unfortunately, Crobat turned around too late as she was struck squarely in the face by Sandslash head first, causing her to crash down onto the sand in a flurry of dust. When it settled, it revealed that there were swirls in her eyes as she lied upon her back.
"Crobat's unable to battle!" Hapu declared, raising her right arm. The crowd erupted into a frenzy of cheers again.
"Unreal!" Jim exclaimed, "Sandslash somehow got faster and completely overwhelmed Crobat in one fell swoop!" he pointed out excitedly.
"Awesome!" Calvin yelled with clenched fists.
"But… how?" Hau wondered aloud.
"It's Sandslash's ability," his father answered, getting his attention.
"Correct, zzt!" Rotom buzzed in confirmation, "Sandslash'zzz ability izzz Slush Rush, which means whenever it'zzz hailing, he'zzz a lot faster!" it explained.
"And that means he's got the speed advantage over Salazzle," Leslie added, "But the question is, can he hold out long enough to beat her?" she wondered worriedly.
"Peekah, pika!" Pikachu cheered.
"Meemee!" Mimi squeaked out.
"Jahng!" Jangmo-o screeched. He was hopeful that his trainer would emerge the victor today.
"Sahhh…" Sandslash winced out as the purple glow of the poison appeared upon his body again, with sparks and bubbles to follow.
"Hang in there, Sandslash!" his trainer called out, "We're almost there!" she affirmed confidently.
"Tch…" Plumeria scoffed, returning her fainted Crobat to her Ultra Ball in a beam of red light, "Don't get all high and mighty just 'cause you brought this down to the wire…" she remarked coldly, "Salazzle, Flamethrower!" she ordered. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon slinked forward as quickly as she could, spraying out a stream of orange fire from her mouth.
"Dodge and use Stone Edge!" Erika instructed. Sandslash moved aside to avoid the flames, slamming his claws against the sand. Light blue stone pillars erected from the ground, trailing out towards Salazzle.
"Dragon Pulse!" the former Team Skull admin commanded, enticing Salazzle to release a multicolored beam of light in the shape of a dragon's head. It swirled back around before striking the incoming pillars in a powerful blast of smoke, veiling both Pokémon from seeing each other.
"Looks like this battle's as even as it gets, even with Salazzle having the clear type advantage!" Jim pointed out over the loudspeakers, "That goes to show you can never know what'll happen in this kind of environment!" he added as the Toxic Lizard Pokémon looked around in searched of her foe, narrowing her eyes.
"Close in and use Iron Head!" Erika shouted. From within the smoke, Sandslash charged forward, cloaking his body in a whitish light. However, his opponent caught sight of his silhouette approaching. Plumeria smirked.
"Flamethrower!" she commanded fiercely. Salazzle arched her head back before releasing another stream of orange fire from her mouth, engulfing the Alolan Mouse Pokémon.
"Sandslash!" his trainer screamed.
"And Sandslash takes the full brunt of a super effective Flamethrower!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "This could be it!" he confirmed on. Everyone watched with bated breath. The Alolan Mouse Pokémon was grimacing with pain from both the poison and the heat. But he steadied himself, continuing his charge.
"SAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!" he roared, lunging through the fire and slamming into Salazzle head on, making her stumble back.
"You're kidding…!" Plumeria gasped out. Even Erika was shocked by Sandslash's resilience. But she wasn't going to let it go to waste.
"Icicle Crash!" she commanded. The Alolan Mouse Pokémon raised his head and released a chilling breeze from his mouth into the air, causing clumps of ice to start forming. The former Team Skull admin grimaced.
"Quick, Flamethrower!" she ordered, but then blinked in surprise to find that Salazzle was still wincing from the blow to the head she had just taken. The clumps of ice in the air shaped into sharp icicles, which rained down onto her in a flurry of dirt and dust.
"Sandslash lands a crucial Icicle Crash thanks to his Iron Head making Salazzle flinch!" Jim yelled through the loudspeakers, "But will it be enough?!" he wondered loudly. The dust was slow to settle as the Alolan Mouse Pokémon breathed heavily, seemingly ready to fall over at any minute. But as the cloud of sand cleared, it revealed that his opponent was lying upon the ground with swirls in her eyes. Hapu ran over. She cracked a small smile before lifting her left arm up.
"Salazzle is unable to battle!" she announced, "The victory goes to Erika and her team!" she declared, gesturing toward the Ketchum girl. The crowd cheered wildly.
"Alright!" Hau exclaimed as he pumped up his right fist.
"She did it!" Calvin added excitedly.
"Huh…" Leslie sighed in relief, "She had me nervous for a while…" she admitted to her mother, who walked up beside her.
"I was the same with your father during battles like these…" she confessed in response, looking back at her husband as he was smiling happily.
"Sandslash!" Erika exclaimed as the Alolan Mouse Pokémon seated himself down onto the sand tiredly. She ran over and knelt down next to him, giving him a warm embrace. "Thanks so much!" she said with gratitude
"Sahnn…" he responded tiredly, wrapping his left arm around her. In the meantime, Plumeria returned Salazzle to her Ultra Ball in a beam of red light as she had approached her beforehand, being crouched right beside her. She looked to the spherical container in her hand, giving off a solemn expression.
"Sorry," she apologized, "Thanks for pushin' through all that…" she mentioned out of gratitude, putting the spherical container away. She turned around, starting to walk off.
"Hey, Plumeria!" Erika called out, getting her attention as she stopped and glanced back at her former opponent, "That was a really great battle!" she admitted as she smiled, standing up with Sandslash, "We should do it again sometime!" she suggested. The former Team Skull admin blinked in surprise. She glanced down in thought for a moment before continuing to walk off. "Huh?" the Ketchum girl uttered in confusion.
"Congratulations, Erika," Hapu said, getting her attention, "You're in the top sixty-four now," she pointed out while putting her hands onto her hips. The trial-goer smiled.
"And we're only gonna go further," she declared in response.
"Sahn!" Sandslash agreed with a nod. The crowd applauded, excited for whatever lied ahead for Erika and her team in the rest of the tournament…
X
Plumeria had just finished getting her Pokémon healed at the Pokémon Center before she passed by the video call booths. Somewhat reluctant at first, she sighed before seating herself down and dialing a number. She held the receiver up to her ear as she looked at the screen, watching static buzz before it finally changed to reveal who picked up, being Janine.
"Figured you'd call sooner or later!" she remarked in greeting, letting out a giggle.
"Huh…" the former Team Skull admin sighed, "Should've known you'd be expecting me to…" she admitted in a grumble, glancing away.
"I saw your match!" the Fuchsia City gym leader pointed out, causing her to blink in surprise, "Your strategy was so amazing!" she complimented, "Only someone like you could pull that off!" she mentioned excitedly.
"…Thanks, I guess…" Plumeria responded, blushing a little, "You probably saw that I lost, right?" she assumed.
"Yeah…" Janine confirmed, "but you still did great!" she affirmed on, "Dad said he was really impressed with how well thought out your tactics were," she pointed out.
"Heh," the former Team Skull admin chuckled, "I even impressed the old man, huh?" she noted, glancing down in thought as a small smile graced her lips, "Janine…" she continued, making the Fuchsia City gym leader perk up, "would it be okay if I come back to battle you sometime?" she requested.
"Of course!" she responded eagerly, "You're still my rival after all," she noted with a giggle. At that moment, she glanced away. "Oh, sounds like something's going on outside…" she said, "I'll catch up with you more later!" she promised, waving goodbye.
"Yeah, see ya," Plumeria responded, ending the call as she put the receiver back onto the hook, "Huh…" she sighed out.
"I never knew you used to be a gym leader prodigy…" a familiar voice chimed in, getting her attention as she looked to see Guzma standing nearby, leaning against a column.
"Guzma…" she uttered in surprise.
"Makes sense, considering how strong you were when we first met," he recalled with a shrug. Plumeria turned away for a moment.
"Po Town was pretty miserable back then…" she remembered aloud, "It was basically Team Skull's home before Team Skull even existed…" she mentioned, balling her hands over her fists, "But then, you came along," she noted to his surprise, "You made us all into a family under your wing," she added, "Even if we were still just a bunch of thugs, we felt united," she admitted.
"Tch," the former Team Skull leader scoffed, "Since when did you start getting so sappy?" he wondered aloud, "Guess you've been around those damn twins too much…" he grumbled. His former admin chuckled.
"Guess so…" she admitted in reply. She then blinked in surprise to see Erika at the front desk, receiving her Poké Balls upon a tray provided by Nurse Joy. She bowed with gratitude, opening the containers up as their lights spilled out onto the floor, shaping into form and dissipating to reveal Primarina, Oricorio, and Sandslash.
"Pree~!" the Soloist Pokémon sang in greeting.
"Glad you guys are okay…" Erika said as she crouched down to their eye levels, "I'm really sorry for putting you through all that…" she apologized, bowing her head slightly, "I wasn't sure what to do when Plumeria's team got all of you poisoned…" she admitted ashamedly, "But thanks for hanging in there as long as you did," she said with gratitude, "I promise that we'll make it all worth it in the end," she affirmed with a pump of her fist. Her Pokémon voiced their agreements. From afar, Plumeria saw herself in the Ketchum girl, remembering when she would thank her own team for their achievements in battle. She got up and walked over, causing Guzma to blink in surprise.
"Hey, Erika," she said, getting her attention as she saw her approach.
"Plumeria…" she uttered, standing up. She was a little shocked to see the former Team Skull admin extend her right hand out to her.
"Figured I owed you one for the battle," she admitted sheepishly, scratching at her cheek, "You were pretty great yourself…" she complimented while looking away. The Ketchum girl smiled, accepting her hand into her own.
"Let's battle again someday!" she insisted, letting out a little giggle. Guzma watched on for a moment, turning away and walking off. He wasn't like Plumeria. He felt he wouldn't receive that kind of acceptance for himself, not ever after all that he had done.
ENDING
Insert "Who Are You?" by PELICAN FANCLUB
Opens at Aether Paradise as Lillie is with her bedridden mother, sleeping by her side. In her dreams, she's imagining becoming a Pokémon Trainer herself, journeying through regions with her Pokémon by her side. She starts running along the pathway, excitedly smiling all the while.
Throughout her journey in her dream, she comes across many great things. She encounters amazing Pokémon, strong trainers to battle, and memorable sights. Her Pokémon of choice is a Clefairy which she happily lifts in her hands.
All of a sudden, the area around them darkens as a shadow looms over them. Lillie looks up in horror to see a giant version of Lusamine engulfed by Nihilego overhead. She cowers in fright momentarily, but then notices a bright light shining up above.
It turns out to be Solgaleo, who comes down with Calvin and Erika aboard. They both offer their hands to Lillie, who happily accepts them as she climbs onto the Sunne Pokémon. They hurry off, avoiding the giant rocks Lusamine chucks their way. One is about to strike, but it's destroyed as Gladion appears aboard Silvally, slashing it apart.
Together, they lunge up to attack the Aether Foundation president, engulfing her in a shining, golden light. Lillie opens her eyes, lifting her head. She finds her mother awake in bed, giving her a weak, yet thankful smile.
Lillie smiles back, gripping her hand tightly. As Wicke wanders in to check on them, they turn on the TV as the Alola League is starting. Lillie giggles at the sight of the Ketchum twins in battle once again, happy that they're seeing their dreams through…
END ENDING
This was a bit of a shorter chapter than I was expecting to do, but I think I got everything across that I wanted to. Erika's victory against Plumeria was quite the chapter to write, and we're getting closer to the big action for the Alola League!
So until then, here's a summary for the next chapter!
SUMMARY
The fourth round of the Lanakila Conference begins! With all battles from here on out taking place at Manalo Stadium, what better way to kick things off than with Battle Royals! Will Calvin and Erika make it through their matches?!
END SUMMARY
And so, we're officially at the end of November. 2022 has been an interesting year so far, at least at the time I'm writing this draft. But the year's not over yet. And I'd like to give you all a special look at what's up ahead with "Reality". Enjoy!
SPECIAL LOOK
Opens with Penny Polendina falling from the sky after pushing Amity Tower up to the broadcast range. Jenny Wakeman flies down after her, trying to catch her.
Jenny Wakeman: Penny, just hold on! I'm almost there! I'm almost…!
She manages to grab Penny's left shoulder, but suddenly, the Winter Maiden reaches out and grabs her by the throat. Her eyes are glowing red. The screen goes black.
Insert "Bones" by Imagine Dragons
Continues with Ruby Rose staring at herself in a broken mirror and crying, Weiss Schnee breathing heavily as sweat trickles down her face, Blake Belladonna drawing her Gambol Shroud, and Yang Xiao Long giving off a frightened expression as a black goo attaches to her arms, pulling her towards something. We also see Peter Parker throw on his mask, Danny Fenton assuming his ghost form, Wendy Marvell activating her Dragon Force, Sabo burning through Grimm with his Fire Fist, and Gaara forming sand shuriken that hover and spin between his hands.
We cut to Ruby and Peter tumbling out from a building as the former drops her Crescent Rose. The Hound leaps after them, only to be knocked aside by a left hook from Tifa Lockhart. In the meantime, we see Enji Todoroki unleashing a blanket of fire out onto several Grimm on the Atlas farmlands, incinerating them.
The scene changes to Mantle's crater, where Obi-Wan Kenobi draws his lightsaber, while Genji Shimada readies his katana. Behind them, Kim Possible takes a defensive stance alongside May Marigold and Fiona Thyme. Up in Atlas, Raven Branwen slashes open a portal with her Omen. She looks back to Qrow Branwen and Robyn Hill.
Qrow Branwen: Go.
Raven gives off a small smile before leaping into the portal. We then cut to various shots of Peter using the cleaver of Blake's Gambol Shroud to slash a Cenitaur, Hazel Rainart taking Oscar Pine and Ben Tennyson down a corridor of the Monstra, and Danny freezing up the Hound in ice to keep it from attacking Whitley and Willow Schnee. We also get a scene of Wendy attacking Salem relentlessly while using her Dragon Force. At one point, she manages to leave behind enough damage that the Reality Stone is revealed to be lurking in the Master of Grimm's body, which instantly heals.
Salem: Haha… AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Kevin Levin: Oh, that really doesn't sound good…
REALITY
SECOND HALF
COMING NEXT WEEK
END
Hope you all enjoying that little preview! I'm excited for you to see what's ahead!
