A single moment.
It was at that moment. That single moment that the referee announced the start of the battle, three trainers threw their capsules in the air releasing their respective Pokemon, their voices echoing through the corners of the stadium, soothing the anxiousness of the crowd.
"Let's go Buneary!"
"Crush them, Bonnie!"
"Purrloin, give them a show!"
"Meowth, I need your help."
Four Pokemon appear on the field, a Buneary and Meowth on Leaf's side of the field and a Purrloin and another Buneary on Jessica's side. Within seconds, both rabbits lunge toward each other, the result being a skirmish before they clash with the two of them engaging in a struggle, neither Pokemon not succumbing to the other until they jump back, their trainers, Leaf and Jessica, having one thought in mind. 'I'm gonna beat this bitch!'
"Water Pulse, Bonnie!" Jessica said, not missing a beat as her Pokemon followed, shooting the move.
Leaf smiles as she nods at her Buneary, it using Thunder Punch to stop the Water Pulse which made the move dissipate, descending on the field. Before they could plan a counter attack, they notice Bonnie in the air, its ears glowing as it rolls them back and attack, Leaf's Pokemon able to dodge the attack before it hears its trainer's reply. "Double Hit to counter!"
Upon hearing her, the Normal type hops forward, attack with strikes that are able to counter Bonnie's Dizzy Punch. The crowd cheer to the top of their lungs when both rabbits get into a heated boxing match, neither backing down. Their strikes intensified between the two Normal types which gets the audience at the edge of their seat as they cheer on for their team to win. Within an instant, Jessica's Buneary is able to get the upper hand, knocking back Leaf's own for a moment before using the time to use its next attack which is a Sky Uppercut, sending a blow to its opponent which knocks it into the air, causing a plethora of gasps from the crowd. In midair, Buneary recovered when it hears the sound of Leaf's voice, looking down on the field before its eyes until it focuses on Bonnie, hearing its trainer's command. "Jump Kick, Buneary! Don't give up!"
It then nodded before it descends, letting out its foot as it directs itself towards its opponent, kicking Jessica's Pokemon which caused the crowd to go wild, some jumping out of their seats.
"Man, this fight is awesome!"
"Hell yeah! Those two Bunearys are hardcore! Damn! Another hit to the stomach!"
"Hey! Don't forget the literal catfight on the other side of the field!"
On the other side of the battle, Meowth and Purrloin are trading blows, one not giving the other any room to recuperate which is getting Jessica's partner, Nia, slightly worried. 'They're both evenly matched but it looks like his Meowth is not breaking a sweat. I need to find a way to overpower him now and I think I have just the idea.'
"Hone Claws now!" Nia commands quickly as her Purrloin prepares to sharpen its claws. Before it commences the move, it glances at Meowth who taunted it, saying. 'Afraid that you can't handle me, huh? Sad, I expected more from you.'
A vein appeared on the Dark type head as it rushes angrily at Meowth, much to its trainer's confusion. 'You little…'
"Purrloin wait!" Nia exclaimed however it was too late as her Pokemon quickly become victim to a Fury Swipes move. Before long, the two felines exchange strikes, using their Scratch and Fury Swipes attack until Purrloin hears its trainers command, using Assist which made its tail glow blue, much to Red's surprise. 'Aqua Tail!'
"Meowth, dodge then Feint Attack." He countered back. In a burst of speed, Meowth avoids the attack before it slaps Purrloin's tail, making it hit its opponent in its face.
Getting hit by its own Aqua Tail causes the Dark type to stagger in its step before it became prey to Fury Swipe assault until it faints, much to Nia's dismay. She returns her Pokemon before something caught her and Red's attention, turning to see a slugfest between the Bunearys. They along with the rest of the crowd seeing it ending with both using their strongest moves, Leaf's own using Jump Kick and Jessica's Bonnie using Sky Uppercut. As both attacks connect, both trainers wince as their Pokemon withstand the others attack, not giving in as they both retreat back however are both panting heavily and barely conscious. As both Leaf and Jessica are ready to make a move, both Pokemon collapse unto the floor, unable to continue fighting which made the crowd quiet before they start to cheer loudly.
"Wow! That was crazy!"
"Damn! They're going off! What a scrapfest!"
"Easily one of my favorite battles so far! I gotta show this to my son when I go home."
Returning their Pokemon, Leaf caressed her Buneary's Pokeball, whispering words of gratitude to it before she hears a laugh, looking towards Jessica until the pink haired girl speaks. "I'm surprised, Weed. Who knew you could battle? I thought your partner there has been carrying you through this tournament."
"Why don't you shut up and battle, you damn plastic doll?" The brunette retorted with a scowl.
Jessica's eye starts twitching, her hands clenching as she was about to say something only to be interrupted when the referee clears his throat, making her grit her teeth when she looks at Leaf who sticks her tongue at her. Red quietly laugh at the antics of his partner and her opponent until he hears Nia. "Marill, take the spotlight."
A blue round mouse appears on the field, looking at Meowth who is napping, much to everyone surprise as most of the audience start laughing with some of them shaking their heads.
"That Meowth will never cease to amaze me."
"C'mon, Meowth! You can do it! You too, Red!" A girl said in the crowd before more girls join her, rooting for Red. Hearing them and seeing a devious and cheeky smile from his Meowth made him blush until he pulled his hoodie over his face out of embarrassment.
"Awww. He's shy. That's sooo adorable."
"Yep! He's like a Pokemon himself."
"If he was, I'd happily catch in a Luxury ball!"
Hearing the comments and squeals from the females, Leaf starts pouting and folding her arms after releasing her Nidoran on the battlefield, thoughts going through her head. '…I caught him first…'
The brunette looks at Red before he notices her and waves at her, making her blush as she turns around and folds her arms before she hears Jessica releases her Pokemon, a little fairy holding a flower who smiles and floats around in a playful mood.
"I'm gonna crush this bitch." Jessica said seriously, her hands clenching into fists before she turns to her partner. "Nia, assistance."
Nia nods in agreement before the pink haired girl yells a command. "Fairy Wind now!"
"Use Helping Hand, Marill."
As both trainers made their orders, Marill starts cheering Floette as the Fairy type starts spinning, a gale of sparkling wind erupts from it, hitting both Nidoran and Meowth who tries their best to endure the attack. Seeing the struggle of both Pokemon, Leaf spouts commands that are unable to be done due to the strong pressure of the Fairy Wind move which made an idea pop in Red's head as he whispers to his partner.
"Ok. So I'm going to stop the Helping Hand but I'm going to need you to distract them so that their focus will be off Meowth. Alright?" He said to which Leaf smiles and nods. After they finished, Leaf spouts another slew of commands making everyone confused as her partner mouths something, Meowth's ears twitching before it sticks its tongue out and teasing Marill which did not go unnoticed by its trainer.
"What's it doi-" She could not finish her statement when the Water type charges forward, much to her dismay. As it does so, Marill fell prey to Floette's attack, being blown towards its opponents' direction. As it travels across the field, it was hit by a Poison Tail from Nidoran which knocks it into Meowth who uses Fury Swipes on it. Floette's attack became weaker which made Nidoran able to run forward, hitting the Fairy type with a Poison Tail.
"What's wrong, Barbie? Didn't you say something about crushing me?" Leaf teased with a smug look, happy with the reaction that she's getting from Jessica. The pink haired girl calms herself before she states her next move. "Magical Leaf, Floette."
"Rollout, Marill. On Meowth." Nia said. Listening to its trainer's commands, Marill curls itself into a ball before it rolls towards Meowth who avoids the attack before it and Nidoran get pelted by Floette's Magical Leaf move. As their Pokemon is getting assaulted by the attacks of Floette and Marill, Red thought quickly when he snaps his fingers, saying. "Fury Swipes to counter the leaves and then use Taunt to lure Marill."
Nodding, the Normal type uses its claws to slash the leaves, creating an opening before it teases Marill which angered the blue mouse, making it chase it. Red watches and directs Meowth as it leads the Water type towards Floette, quickly sidestepping which made both Marill and Floette hit each other, much to their trainers' surprise.
"Leaf, now!" Red said to Leaf, making her smile when she voices her command. "Poison Tail, Nidoran!"
"Oh no! Stop it, Floette!"
"On your feet now, Marill!"
Both trainers exclaimed however they was too late as both Marill and Floette was hit by Nidoran's Poison Tail, knocking them unconscious. The crowd bellowed with mixed reaction, some cheering for Red and Leaf and the others feeling disappointed by Jessica and Nia while others encourage them on a comeback.
"Damn that bitch…" Jessica's mumbled, gritting her teeth and twitching, making Nia walk back. After a few seconds of cursing under her breath, the teen raised her head, showing a smile that caused a chill to go up Red's spine which did not go unnoticed by Leaf who smiles at the girl's shift in emotions. The pink haired girl haired girl glared at her opponent, returning her Floette and taking out another Pokeball which upon closer inspection looks like a Luxury Ball, gripping it like a vice before she aggressively throws it in the air, releasing a bipedal plant like creature that starts spinning on the field before it looks at its opponent with an intimidating glare.
"A Steenee, huh? So her Bounsweet evolved…" Leaf said, keeping her Nidoran, who seems to be anxious, on the field. Red, on the other hand, sees Meowth's wounded condition before he decided to go to the field and pick up the Normal type, much to its confusion as it protested. 'Hey! I can still fight!'
"You're too injured. You need to rest. No buts." Her trainer rebutted, not letting go of her as he carried her to his stand, putting her beside his bag and offering to her a couple berries to which she reluctantly takes, purring in delight. Looking at Steenee, Red feels unnerved by its wicked glare, his thoughts making a comment. 'How does someone make such a cute Pokemon look so intimidating?'
He then throws a Pokeball at the same time as Nia, the girl cursing under her breath when she sees Red's Pokemon which is a Luxio compared to her Tranquill. As the battle starts again, Jessica's annoyance got the better of her when she made a command. "Razor Leaf now, Steenee."
"Air Cutter on the Razor Leaf!" Nia quickly said. The Pokemon complied, Steenee twirls its pigtails to shoot a barrage of sharp leaves before Tranquill wings starts glowing, flapping them to create a burst of wind that increases the speed of the Grass type move. Due to Red's quick thinking, Luxio jumps in front of Nidoran, using Spark which provided as a shield for the incoming attacks, the leaves being vaporized by the Electric type move. Nia clicked her tongue as she tells her Tranquill to use Quick Attack, the Pokemon dashing towards its opponent, its eyes focusing on Nidoran.
"I'm gonna give you an opening." Red said, catching Leaf's attention. When she looks at him with a raised brow, he turns to her with a smirk before continuing. "You wanna show Jessica who's boss, right? I'll help."
The brunette smiles before they both nodded, Leaf whispers to the boy. "Thank you, sweetie."
"Alright, Luxio. Throw Nidoran towards Steenee!" Red said. Luxio nods before it wraps its tail around Nidoran, making it panic until it sees the faces of it trainer and her partner which calms it down. In a split second, the Poison type was thrown into the air, surprising their opponents as the Poison Pin Pokemon steadies itself while it is making its way towards Steenee, who braces itself for impact. As both Pokemon collide into each, their trainers both had the same thought, making a command at the same time.
"Chip Away, Nidoran! /Steenee, Rapid Spin!"
Obeying, Nidoran charges forward, looking for its opponent's weak spot as Steenee starts spinning, increasing in speed by the second. Both Pokemon start to tackle each other, not giving the other the chance of victory as they continue charging and bash one another. As the clash continues on, Leaf's Pokemon became overwhelmed when Steenee became faster, resulting in it attacking more rapidly compared to the blue rodent. Watching the predicament of her Pokemon, Leaf bit her lip while she tries her best to counter the Grass type's assault, her efforts ending in failure when Nidoran gets knocked around until it sends it flying into Luxio who was busy with Tranquill. Caught off guard by the Pokemon and using its tail to put it down gently on the floor before continuing to fight the Flying type, the electric lynx suddenly felt sluggish and tired, its movements becoming slow which did not go unnoticed by Red who voiced his concern. "Luxio, are you ok?"
'Yes. I'm…alright… Let's just get this over with.' The Electric type reassured its trainer before it focuses its attention to its flying foe with a slightly panted breath which did not go unnoticed by Meowth.
It then came face to face with Tranquill who assaults him with a barrage of Quick Attack and Aerial Ace, much to Red's dismay until he notices the change in Luxio's behavior before it starts roaring loudly, wildly chasing after the Flying type. 'That's it! I'm tired of this!'
As this was happening, Leaf and Jessica's Pokemon were in another skirmish as one charges the other, Nidoran using Bite and Steenee using Rapid Spin, the confrontation ending with the Grass type overwhelming the Poison type, much to Jessica's glee. "What's wrong, Weed? Losing your edge?"
The brunette bites her lip in worry, trying to think of a way out of the situation before she notices Red's Luxio wild look, a sign that its Guts ability. She then realizes that it is poisoned, thinking about what could be the cause before she remembers something. 'Wait. Did Nidoran do that? I always thought its ability was Rivalry.'
She then quickly checks her Pokedex, smiling once she finds the results as an idea popped in her mind.
"Curl into a ball now, Nidoran!" Leaf said with her hand outstretched, making her Pokemon confused by the order before it reluctantly nodded.
Obeying the order, the Poison type curls into a ball, making the points on its skin stick out like needles. Jessica laughed at the command and tell her Pokemon to continue when Steenee hits Nidoran, hitting it continuously until it made contact with its quills which cause it to recoil back in pain before it descends to its knees. Leaf smiles at the look at the pained expression on the Grass type's face, signaling that the Poison Point ability came into effect, much to her amusement as she voices her next command. "Use Poison Tail now!"
"C'mon, Steenee! Get up!" Jessica yelled at her Pokemon, her hands clenched into fists and her voice slightly crackling. Steenee tries to get up only to fall down due to its condition, unable to block or avoid the Poison Tail from Nidoran that knocked it on the head, slamming it face down on the floor. The Pokemon could not counter as it was hit by an assault of attacks from its opponent before Nidoran ends it by using Double Kick, sending the Grass type flying back.
"Now end it with Chip Away, Nidoran." Leaf said. Nidoran nodded as it starts lunging forward, Jessica mouthing commands to stop the attack which made its opponent rise from the ground, ready to attack much to both Leaf and Nidoran's dismay. However, before both of them or the crowd could react, a Pokemon immediately collided into the Grass-type, causing it to collapse under the Pokemon weight which caused the pink haired girl's eyes to widen as she recognizes it. "Wait! Isn't that…Tranquill?"
"Tranquill, get up." Nia stated. Although both members state their command, it all came to naught when Leaf's Nidoran quickly rushes towards them, the result being a tackle so strong that it knocks both Pokemon unconscious which caused Jessica and Nia along with the crowd to watch in awe and silence at the little Poison type's strength.
"What the-" Jessica could only say before the crowd erupt in cheers with some crying while some shouting in disappointment and frustration at the loss of Jessica and Nia. As the referee finishes checking the Pokemon for the final matches, he lifts his flags before descending them and announces the victory of Leaf and Red, who both high five each other before Leaf hugs Red tightly, incredibly happy that they are able to reach the finals.
"We're finally able to reach the finals!" The brunette said, skipping happily as the announcer spoke loudly to the masses.
"We see it but we can't believe it! Despite being rookies, they have blown through the competition, taking opponents big and small, fierce and strong and now they are advancing to the finals! Everyone, give a round of applause for the victors of this match: Red and Leaf!"
Hearing the crowd cheer and shout her name and watching the them go crazy brought a huge smile on Leaf's as she runs and hugs her Nidoran, feeling very giddy as she voices her thanks to the Poison type. She looks at Red, who smiles as he pets his Meowth and Luxio before he gives her a thumbs up. As she turns towards her opponents, her expression falls when she sees Jessica's twitching angrily while returning her Pokemon before she starts to pout. She then stomps the floor angrily and gripped her clothes intensely, ready to curse a slew of words before she was stopped by Nia who escorts her out of the arena, much to her dismay when she sees the smug look on Leaf's face.
"How does defeat taste, Jessica?" Leaf taunted, her Buneary grinning at the look on the pink haired girl's face. Losing control of herself due to her anger, Jessica shouted a string of curse words that would make a Trubbish look clean and neat as she is pulled from the stage by her partner, Leaf taking out a camera as she records the scene which made Red facepalm at the girl's actions.
"I love this! I'm not gonna let her live this down anytime soon." The brunette said before she and Red exits the stage. As they both were on their way to the cafeteria of the ship, they both were stopped as Leaf had to go take a pit stop, happy that there was a restroom that is in the hallway of the arena.
"Hey, Red. Can you…wait a bit please? Gotta go real quick." She said, a slight blush on her face. The raven haired teen nods, leaning on the wall and waiting for her which made her smile as she runs through the door like a Tauros. Red chuckled at the action as he pets Meowth's hair as Poliwag released itself from its capsule before jumping into Red's arms, enjoying the embrace when the boy decides to rubs its head.
'Hey trainer. I heard from big sis that you make a good Berry porridge…can I…' The Water type paused, feeling as he recollects his words.
"Yes, you can, Poliwag." Red said before the blue tadpole could finish, making the Pokemon happy as it jumps in joy, getting a laugh from the teen. It then stops jumping as he asks another request. 'C-can you call me Poli, please?'
"Poli?" Red asked. Poliwag nods as he jumps on the ground and turns to his trainer. 'Yeah. It's such a cool name. I mean imagine it. Poli the Poliwag! Right?'
Red smiles as he nodded as he says. "Alright, you got me convinced. Nice to meet you, Poli. You can call me Red."
The Water type smiled and blow bubbles in happiness before using its tail to shake his trainer's hand. Upon hearing the words 'Berry Porridge', Meowth ears starts perking up until she looks at Luxio who is sitting down beside his trainer, licking his paw. She then jumps down from Red's shoulder when she asks the Electric type a question. 'What on earth is Berry Porridge?'
'Arceus' gift to us.' Luxio said with a straight face. The Normal type was surprised by the answer that Luxio gave her before she continued. 'I-is it that good?'
'Definitely! Something blessed Red's hands when he's cooking.' Hearing what Luxio made Meowth before she walks over to Red, gripping on his jeans which catches his attention when he looks down at her. 'Can I also get some of this Berry Porridge as well? And how come you didn't tell me you could cook?'
"You never asked. Also, I caught you recently so you would not have known." Red explain simply, the cat unable to make a rebuttal before she mutters. 'You got me there. Just…let me get some next time.'
After they finished their conversation, Red notices Zane and his partner who's with a boy taller than him with brown shaggy hair and black eyes and is wearing a white t-shirt with a Pokeball on the center and blue jeans and grey sneakers. They were both down the hallway, walking up to him with a scowl on his face. Red picks up Poli and moves out of the way, thinking that the purple haired boy is going to go pass him. He was caught by surprise when he dodges a fist to the face and then is immediately held against the wall by the collar, making him quickly return Poli and causing his Pokemon to retaliate before they hear Zane's voice.
"What the hell, Eric?!" The purple haired said, dragging his friend off Red. The boy, who is now known as Eric, looks at him in confusion before he states his mind. "What? You told me you wanted to know how good he is."
"In a battle. Not a fistfight, Eric." Zane said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Oh…" Eric said quietly as he realized what he has done. He then bows and outstretches his hand before he says. "Sorry."
Red looks at the boy's hand before he smiles and shakes his hand, much to the trainers' surprise. Eric feels better as he starts shaking hands. While both boys conversed, Zane observes Red's demeanor and actions, seeing the teen take care and calms down his Pokemon and their reactions toward his orders and gestures, recognizing the close relationship between trainer and Pokemon.
'Yep. Lucario was right. He's definitely different. It's almost like he understands what they're saying.' He thought before he comes into the conversation, speaking to Red. "Honestly, I didn't expect you to reach so far, Red. I thought you were just some run of the mill trainer but…I can see that you try to understand your Pokemon. That's the type of trainer that I'm looking for in this tournament."
"Yeah! And dude, what's with your battle style? It's so…" The shaggy haired brunette paused as he searches for a word, stopping as he resumes. "…unique."
Red shrugged as he thinks about it himself. For as long as he knew, he always likes to know the Pokemon before going into a battle, observe their behavior, watch them in the wildlife and their natural habitats and how they approach conflict since he was young. Before he realized it, he uses that same mentality into battle.
"Well, even though I don't understand how you fight, I have to say that you're a good trainer and I'm looking forward to our battle in the finals." Zane said as he leaves, Eric patting Red's back before he follows behind Zane.
'Wait. Finals? Our battle was the first semi-final match. Don't they have to battle Blue and Yellow first?' Red mentally said with a raised eyebrow. Seeing Red's confused expression, Zane simply turns and smiles at him before walking away. As they left, the raven haired boy scratches his cheek in confusion as a thought comes over his head. 'Are they really that strong?'
Leaf exits the restroom as she looks at Red who is looking in the distance, walking towards him before she waves her hand in front of his face, knocking him out of his stupor.
"What's wrong?" She asked him, concerned. Red simply waves his hands and says nothing which made her squint her eyes at him. After a few seconds of visual interrogation, Leaf simply shrugs before she locked arms with him and drags him towards the cafeteria as both trainers begin to celebrate their advance to the finals.
"I-is what you're saying true, Clarence? Did that really happen?" Klaus said, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. Clarence nods as he reads the articles on the computer, his expression showing his surprise and shock as he passes each sentence. The fisherman smiles wickedly as he drinks his tea, slurping it before he asks for the man to print the information.
"This is good development. Amazing development." The man said as he stares out of the window, scratching his greyish hair before he continues. "Things are going in our favor."
After Clarence finishes printing the documents and articles, he groups the papers together and put them into a file jacket before putting it onto the fisherman's table. Klaus' smile could not get any bigger as he eyes the folder, grinning as he takes up the folder and opens it, the first page showing a picture of a younger version of Red. The man then laughs as he puts down the paper and says.
"Let's hope that the boy's prepared. This may be the last tournament that he will ever see."
It's done. Nothing here but the finals! Yeah! Sorry if this battle was a little lackluster, it's not everyone in the final stretch is going to be a threat. The next chapters may take a little bit before they get out. Also, thank you guys for your thoughts and everything. Well, I hope you all enjoy yourself and keep yourselves safe out there. Enigma out!
