Here's the list of them:
Owen Alphrax (Omesta)
Eliot Pastorek (DoubleScimitar)
Jason Scepter (JadeShapeshifter)
Kagome Sakura (pokemonking0924)
Asher Atlas Aspen (HumanWiki)
Ray P. Citron (coolhuh0526)
Kellie-Anne Mercer (WyldClaw)
Danforth Urbina (Dannurbina)
Kealoha Koa (AnonChan1)
Evan Pierce (jjjdunk1)
It will not be easy to introduce ten new characters this chapter, but I'm certainly gonna try! Let's get started now! (-o-)
Cristian smiled at Donovan, although somewhat shyly. "Okay then...let's battle! Three-on-three!"
He tossed out a Pokeball, releasing a small, black and yellow crocodile. "Go, Warrel!" His Sandile, who was not particularly strong at this point.
Donovan already knew his chosen Pokemon. "Locke, take him on!"
This was his Bisharp, a powerful Pokemon he'd met in a military base. Locke had already been well-trained by his previous Trainer, a soldier, and was quite strong. Yet if Donovan remembered right, Locke wasn't even his strongest Pokemon at this point.
No, that honor belonged to Brave, whose Pokeball felt cold and heavy on his belt.
In a flash of light, the steel warrior emerged, his armored plates glittering red and black in the sunlight. "Sharp!", he yelled, readying the blades on his arms.
"Warrel!", shouted Cristian, "It's a Steel-type! Get him with your Ground-type moves!"
"Dile!", agreed the crocodile, and sand began to swirl around him.
Donovan smirked. "Magnet Rise.", he commanded.
Energy crackled around Locke's feet, and he hovered into the air, causing the sands whirling underneath him to have no effect at all.
"What?!", cried Cristian, "How is that possible!?"
Donovan chuckled. "His previous Trainer left me a few tricks. Now, Locke, Aerial Ace!"
"Bisharp!", yelled his warrior, who raced towards the Sandile with wind whirling around him. The Sandile yelped and tried to run, but Locke kicked him into the air before slamming his momentum-powered arms into the unfortunate Pokemon. The Sandile flipped through the air before crashing on its back in front of Cristian's feet, looking dazed.
"Warrel!", his Trainer cried, "Are you alright?"
"Sand...dile...", groaned the Pokemon, as it pulled itself back up.
"Alright, Warrel, we're going to have to try something else.", Cristian said, "Hone Claws!"
The Sandile started sharpening its claws against each other, causing them to sparkle.
Donovan commanded, "Locke, Aerial Ace again! Don't give it time to build up strength!"
"Bisharp!", Locke replied, rushing towards the Sandile again. Warrel readied his jaws, but the Bisharp was too fast, plowing his fist into the Pokemon's side and punching it around in the air like it was a beach ball.
The super-effective hits were too much for the unfortunate Sandile, and it ended up fainting. Cristian returned it, a look of shock on his face.
"Sharp, bisharp.", grumbled Locke.
"I know, that Pokemon wasn't nearly strong enough for your tastes.", replied Donovan, "Let's switch you out so we can give Cristian a chance to actually beat one of us, shall we?"
"Bish.", agreed Locke, and Donovan returned him.
Cristian gritted his teeth. Clearly he did not like the idea of Donovan going easy on him.
Donovan stated, "I'll go first this time. Go, Kay!"
He sent out his Krokorok, who sniffed around carefully before readying a defensive stance. She looked like a larger, bipedal Sandile, with many odd scars across her body.
Although Cristian did not know this, Kay was blind, and relied on her other senses to battle. Unless Donovan counted the devolved Boulton, Kay was the best handicap he could give Cristian. Not that Kay was weak by any sense of the word.
"Lixx, I choose you!", cried Cristian, and emerging from his Pokeball was a small caterpillar wrapped in leaves. A Sewaddle, a Bug-Grass and one of the worst type combinations.
'Huh.', thought Donovan, 'I forgot how weak his team was in the beginning.'
"Lixx!", shouted Cristian, "Silver Wind! Keep out of that Krokorok's range!"
"Sew!", chirped the Sewaddle, which summoned a swirling silvery wind that whipped against Kay and cut into her skin like a million tiny wings.
"Krok!", she cried, and shuddered. She hunched down, listening closely to the direction the wind was coming from.
"Kay, Iron Tail!", shouted Donovan, "Knock that bug sky-high!"
"Krokor!", Kay agreed, her tail lighting up with a silvery sheen. She charged at the Sewaddle, slamming her tail into its side and catapulting it into the sky.
"Sewaddle, String Shot to ground yourself!", commanded Cristian.
Lixx fired her string at a random nearby Trainer's cap, causing him to yelp as she reeled herself in. Once her feet touched the hat, she shot off another string at Kay, wrapping around the croc's legs. Lixx pulled herself towards Kay, a glowing purple spine appearing on her head.
"Kay, she's about to use Poison Sting!", cried Donovan, "Use Brick Break on the string to get away!"
"Orok!", Kay snarled, swinging her fist into the string and severing it before the Sewaddle got close. She started sniffing around, trying to track down the bug.
"Lixx, Silver Wind to keep her off you! Then, use your Hidden Power!", Cristian ordered.
Lixx darted to the side, summoning another Silver Wind at the area she'd been in. Kay hissed as the winds cut against her again, and Lixx began glowing with green energy.
"Watch out! It appears to be Grass-type!", Donovan shouted.
Kay braced herself as Lixx fired a beam of green energy into her, shoving her back. Kay snarled and shook off the attack, but she appeared to be losing strength.
"Alright Kay, finish this! Fire Fang!", ordered Donovan.
"Fire Fang!? Lixx, watch out!", Cristian cried.
The Sewaddle scurried for cover as Kay's fangs lit up with flames. But the quiet scurrying noises were not lost on the Krokorok's ears. With a grin, she charged for the bug, and clamped her jaws on it with a flare of heat.
"Sewwww!", wailed the Sewaddle, and she fainted. Cristian looked pale as he returned her, and he readied his third Pokemon.
"Ivy, go! I need you!", he shouted, and the Ivysaur appeared.
Cristian smiled, knowing that this one was actually a challenge.
"Kay, charge in with a Fire Fang!", he ordered.
"Not happening! Ivy, Sleep Powder!", Cristian replied.
"Saur!", replied Ivy, sending forth a cloud of white dust from the bud on her back. Kay ran right into it, unable to see and dodge, and staggered back, fighting it. But she quickly succumbed, and fell over snoring.
"Now, Razor Leaf!", Cristian shouted.
Ivy bellowed, and a storm of razor sharp leaves whipped towards the Krokorok. They slashed against her with far more force than the Silver Wind, and Kay went from sleeping to fainted.
Donovan smiled as he returned his Pokemon. "Nice one, but this battle is as good as one. Boulton, we're ending it now!"
"Tepig!", cheered his partner, and he sprung into the fray.
"Ivy, you won't be able to win in a frontal confrontation. But we can whittle his health down from afar! Toxic!", Cristian commanded.
"Ivysaur!", Ivy replied, and shot a burst of potent poison into Boulton's face.
"Pig!", Boulton wailed, stumbling back as the poison started flowing through him.
Donovan winced. "Sorry Boulton, but we're going to have to fight through it! Flame Charge!"
The Tepig lit up with roaring flames, and barreled towards Ivy.
"Counter him with Razor Leaf!", Cristian shouted.
Ivy unleashed another storm of leaves, but Boulton burned through most of them. However, a few lashed into his side, causing him to squeal with pain. But he pulled through and slammed into the Ivysaur, causing both of them to roll forwards, kicking and squirming.
Ivy managed to wriggle out, however, but she shuddered as the burns across her body flared. Boulton looked pleased...until he shivered as green energy flowed out of him and into Ivy, rejuvenating her.
"Leech Seed...", growled Donovan, "She left some seeds on those leaves. But no matter! Boulton, let's see if you've still got it! Flare Blitz!"
"Flare...WHAT!?", cried Cristian.
"Teeeee...PIGGGGGGG!", shouted Boulton, as a fiery kanji symbol lit up in front of them. Pushing it forwards, the giant blazing symbol slammed into Ivy, sending her flying back flaming, where she hit the ground and fainted.
At that moment, Boulton slumped over as the Toxic overwhelmed his constitution, but the battle was won.
'Well, it's good to know Boulton still has his moves from being an Emboar.', thought Donovan, 'But that's definitely going to attract some attention.'
Cristian's mouth was hanging open, his eyes staring at Donovan with shock.
"Wha...how...can Tepig even LEARN that move!?", he said.
Donovan shrugged. "Me and my team have trained a lot. It appears you need to train some more yourself."
Cristian frowned, and asked, "Are you in the Battle Course or something? With a team like that, it sure feels like it."
"No, I'm going with the Rangers. So you won't have to worry about fighting me again until you're ready.", Donovan answered, "Now, let's go. I have it on good terms that there is a particularly amazing battle going on." (-o-)
"Come on, Travis, it's just a battle. It shouldn't take long.", Grant said, as the young musician held up his hands and stayed back.
"Yeah, it's just a battle.", Tom Tom agreed, "Just accept our challenge! Or are you too much of a Doduo to battle me?"
Travis shook his head. "I don't do battles. Music is my thing."
Grant growled, "Oh, come on! How can you call yourself a Pokemon trainer if you don't battle? That's, like, the entire purpose of it!"
"I'll challenge you in his stead!", came a somewhat cheerful, feminine voice.
Grant turned to see a young woman striding up to him, dressed in a white button-up shirt, blue jeans, an orange visor, and a denim vest. Their hair was a fiery orange, and their eyes a sparkling grey. Their freckles were accentuated by their cat-like grin, and they were cheerfully spinning a Pokeball in their hand.
"Who are you, girl?", he asked.
"I'm Asher Atlas Aspen, Triple A for short, and I'm challenging you!", they declared cheerfully, "Also, I identify as nonbinary, so don't call me girl."
"Ugh, fine, whatever! I accept your challenge!", Grant replied.
"Splendid!", Asher declared, "Alright, Arlen, let's go!"
They tossed out a Pokeball, out of which a Snivy wearing a necklace of golden beads appeared.
"Sni!", he shouted, two vines emerging from behind his yellow neck frill.
Grant smirked. "I know exactly how to deal with a Grass-type. Smolder, I choose you!"
He released a Charmander, which had clawmarks across its belly that were similar to the scars on his Trainer's arms. "Charrrr!", he roared, his tail flame flaring at the sight of the Snivy.
"Ooh, a Charmander! That's not going to be easy to fight, Arlen, but I have faith in you!", Asher said.
"Snivy!", agreed Arlen, narrowing his eyes at his opponent.
"Smolder, don't give them time to move!", commanded Grant, "Use Ember!"
"Char!", Smolder growled, spitting out several small fireballs.
Arlen dodged effortlessly, before fanning out his leaves and growing in size, raising his stats. Smolder growled, trying to intimidate the Snivy, but Arlen replied with a vicious look, before lashing out with his vines.
"Watch out, Smolder! Looks like we're going to need to come in close!", Grant shouted.
Asher grinned, "Hey, did you know that an average Grass-type can strike with their vines up to four times a second, with the proper training? Arlen, let's demonstrate!"
"Snivysni!", chirped Arlen, and his vines whipped out extraordinarily fast, lashing into Smolder repeatedly and causing him to stumble back.
"Smolder! Stay strong!", Grant yelled, "Use Scratch to fight back the vines!"
"Mander!", Smolder replied, slashing forwards with his claws and injuring Arlen's vines, forcing him to pull them back. Smolder took advantage of the situation, running forwards and readying another Ember.
"Now, Arlen! Leaf Tornado!", shouted Asher.
"Snisni!", the Snivy cried, and spun around, unleashing a storm of leaves that cut across Smolder's scales and caused him to cry out.
"Smolder! Fight through that storm! Use your Ember to light it ablaze!", yelled Grant.
His Charmander spat up several more fireballs, but the roaring winds caused the flames to blow out and get extinguished.
Asher said, "It will take a stronger Fire move to light these leaves on fire! Now, Arlen, Tackle him!"
"Not so fast! Ember!", shouted Grant.
Smolder shot several more fireballs, but this time left them on the ground. Arlen stepped on one and cried out as it burned him. Smolder charged in at him, swinging his claws forward and knocking Arlen into more of the coals.
"Wrap!", cried Asher, "Then Leaf Tornado again!"
Arlen whipped his tail around, wrapping it around Smolder's leg before conjuring another tornado of leaves. Smolder scratched at the tail as it wrapped tighter around him, but he was shuddering under the onslaught of leaves. Neither Pokemon looked like they could take much more of this.
"One more Ember! Come on!"
"Vine Whip to finish him off!"
The two attacks triggered at the same time. Smolder spat an Ember onto Arlen's tail, setting him on fire, but at the same time a vine clubbed him in the back of the head. The two Pokemon fell over, both having fainted.
Gram returned his Pokemon, and Asher returned theirs. They looked over each other, before grinning.
"Rascal! I choose you!"
"Aster! The skies are ours!"
Grant sent out a large, disheveled orange rat, while Asher sent out a majestic, red bird with white, red-yellow-and blue striped feathers. For some reason it was also wearing a pair of star-shaped goggles.
"Rascal! Watch out, that's a Braviary!", Grant warned.
Asher grinned. "Aster, we know what to do. Let's fly!"
"Bravi!", the eagle screeched, and soared high into the sky.
"Rascal! Focus Energy! When that bird comes down, you'll be ready to tear him down!", Grant said.
"Raticate!", replied Rascal, energy welling up around him.
Asher smiled. "Did you know a Braviary diving can reach up to 100 miles an hour, allowing it to stun its prey and even knock it out in one hit?"
They looked up as their Braviary descended from the sky, wings folded in around himself.
"Of course, you're about to find out for yourself.", they said.
"Rascal, Quick Attack out of his reach!", shouted Grant.
But a hundred-mile-per-hour dive was obviously faster than that. The Braviary swooped down and plowed right into the Raticate, flinging him across the ground.
Grant flinched, and readied his Pokeball. But the Raticate had not fainted. He staggered back to his feet, looking enraged as Aster flew back over to his Trainer.
Grant grinned. "Yeah, you're awesome Rascal! Now, Super Fang!"
"Rati!", agreed Rascal, his teeth glowing with white energy. He raced right for Aster, clamping his jaws around the bird's leg before it could fly out of reach again.
"Brav!", wailed Aster as the empowered fangs leached half of his health away. His eyes lit up angrily, and he flew up again, conjuring a whirlwind with his powerful wings.
"Alright, Aster, you've still got this!", Asher shouted encouragingly, "Get that Raticate off your leg, and unleash your Superpower!"
"Hold on, Rascal! Keep on whittling that bird's health down!", called Grant.
Aster spun around in the air, trying to loosen Rascal's grip by making him dizzy, but the Raticate's bite only tightened. Aster used the Whirlwind he'd summoned as an updraft, zooming high into the sky until the two Pokemon were nothing more than a dark silhouette in the sky.
Asher figured out what was going on much faster than Grant. "Yeah, Aster, bring him back down to earth, the hard way!"
Grant replied, "What?!", as the Braviary dove back down, holding out the leg Rascal was attached to. A swirling aura enveloped him as he dove down, before proceeding to slam Rascal down into the ground in a massive plume of earth, crying out as he did so.
But when the dirt cleared, revealing the new crater in the ground, only the eagle was still conscious.
"Rascal, return.", Grant said, "You're pretty strong, I'll give you that. But your Braviary's weakened, and there's no way he can defeat my last Pokemon! Prickles, go!"
He sent out a large purple rodent, covered in toxic spikes and with a bloodthirsty look in his eyes.
The Nidorino didn't even bother waiting for Grant to give him a command, and simply barreled right for the Braviary. Aster was startled at how fast the Pokemon moved, and Prickles slammed right into him. Aster screeched in pain, and flew back, awaiting orders.
"Alright, Aster, use Air Slash! Don't let him get near you!", Asher ordered.
"Heh heh, too late.", replied Grant, "Prickles, Fury Attack! That bird knocked out Rascal!"
"Nidorino!", roared Prickles, and he viciously slashed away at Aster. But the Braviary quickly flew into the air, and bombarded the Nidorino with sharp blades of air. Angrily, Prickles jumped after him, but the Braviary was too fast and had the advantage of aerial combat. It wasn't long before even the enraged Nidorino fainted.
"Well done, Aster! Come rest now.", Asher said, returning the Braviary.
Grant returned his Nidorino, a look of frustration on his face. "Ergh, that wasn't fair! Mark my words, I'll pay you back for that!"
Tom Tom groaned. "You could've given me a go, you know. But of course you had to go three-on-three, and of COURSE you chose Prickles for number three, who doesn't even have any ranged moves. Hopefully the Battle Course will knock something into your head."
"Shut up.", grumbled Grant, his face red with frustration and embarrassment.
Asher gave him one last smile, before striding off to find a Pokemon Center.
Grant sighed. "Gosh darn it, this is NOT the battle I want on my record..." (-o-)
Meanwhile, some of the other students were gathering to watch some of the battles.
Right now, the next battle was going to be between a Unovan named Evan Pierce, and an Alolan named Jason Scepter.
Evan was a tall, brown-skinned kid with messy black hair, dark brown eyes, and a pair of glasses. He was wearing a black shirt and jeans, and was currently tossing a Pokeball up-and-down impatiently.
His opponent was slightly shorter than him, but no less imposing. A sly grin was on his face as he rolled a Pokeball between his fingers, his messy black hair waving in the wind. He was currently wearing a white shirt and cargo shorts, a white cap with the symbol of the Aether Foundation upon it tilted on his head. A strange, round scar marred his right cheek.
The crowd gathered around the two was quite diverse, and as people waited for the battle to start they began chatting amongst themselves.
Charlie was there, smiling despite how close his battle had been. He noticed two girls standing near him, and went over to chat with them.
One of them was a somewhat small young lady, with thick curly brown hair, curious green eyes, and well-tanned skin. Their glasses and casual clothes were spattered with paint, and she seemed to be thinking about something.
The other had darker brown hair, with pink highlights at the tips. Their hair was styled in a sideways ponytail, and she had glittering, light green eyes. She was wearing a chef's coat over a simple white shirt (which displayed an adorable Shiny Eevee) and jeans. A glittering silver Charizard head pendant hung around her neck, with a ruby styled to look like a Flamethrower attack.
"Who are you fine ladies?", he asked, a smile that he hoped was winning on his face.
"I'm Kagome Sakura.", greeted the one in the chef coat.
"I'm, uh, Kellie-Anne. Kelly for short.", replied the other girl.
Charlie said, "Nice to meet you two. My name's Charlie."
"I saw the end of your battle.", Kelly replied, "Your Quilava is truly powerful. But, um, why is he purple? I'm pretty sure that even their Shiny form isn't that color."
Charlie shrugged. "He was restored as a fossil my dad found in Sinnoh. I guess that's just what color they were back then? It certainly is interesting."
Kagome nodded. "Perhaps. Maybe it's because of what they ate back then? But it wouldn't explain why he's that color now. Perhaps I or a fellow student could take a look at it later? I an entering the Research Course, although that's not the subject I plan to excel in."
"Oh? What are you going to do, then?", asked Charlie.
Kagome smiled. Clearly this was a subject that she was quite passionate about.
"I'll be researching the use of Pokemon in crop and produce production!", she declared, "There's so much we could do with that information. Like, what if we could get Grass-types to help us grow berries faster? Or find a way to use Honey to help Combees pollinate our vegetables? Maybe we could use Water-types as a cheaper, more reliable irrigation method! I intend to study it all!"
"Oh, that's...uh, kind of cool.", Charlie replied, "I've always been more interested in myths and legends, myself."
"There are lots of people obsessed with that.", Kagome replied, "But wouldn't it be better to focus on more pressing, immediate concerns? Like easy supply of fresh foods to families who need it, so they don't fill themselves with nasty, artificial ingredients?"
Kelly cried, "Oh look! The battle's starting!"
Evan grinned at his opponent. "Here, I'll choose first, and go easy on you. Go, Stoker! Nothing can get past your bulk!"
He sent out a ferocious looking Emboar, who beat his chest and bellowed in a deep voice, causing the flames around his neck to flare up.
"Wow, a fully-evolved starter? That's rare, but let me show you my counter! Go, Sky!", shouted Jason.
Emerging from his Pokeball was a female Unfezant, who cried out a battlecry.
"There's a lot of the Pidove line around here.", came a voice, and Charlie turned to see another young man standing near him. "At least my Luxray is a perfect counter to them."
The young man had sandy-colored hair, and mysterious light green eyes. He wore a gray hoodie and sweatpants, and Charlie noted the almost-cute looking Psyduck on it. However, that was offset by the young man's fierce expression.
"What's your name?", asked Charlie.
"I'm Owen.", answered the boy, "I'm in the Battle Course, same as you. My team is already well-skilled, and I'm eager to test them against you."
Charlie nodded. "I'm eager to do the same."
"Zor!", chirped a voice, and peeking out of Owen's backpack was a white fox head, with a long head plume tipped with red.
"Whoa!", exclaimed Kelly, "Is that-"
Owen nodded. "Yup, Sylvia here is a Hisiuan Zorua. Very rare these days, almost a legend now. But you can still find them hidden in the mountains of Sinnoh, which is where I found her."
"Cool!", Charlie exclaimed, "I have a very rare Pokemon of my own, although he's not quite as cute."
"Your Shiny Beldum, I take it?", Owen replied, "They're pretty impressive."
"Thank you!", Charlie replied.
There was a loud cheer as Sky managed to land a powerful Quick Attack into Stoker, causing the mighty pig to stumble back before readying a crackling Thunder Punch.
"Wow. Those two Pokemon are strong.", commented Kagome, "I'm not even sure who's winning at this point!"
Owen nodded. "Both are in the Battle Course, so I'm going to have to find ways to counter them. I'd recommend taking notes as well, Charlie, or else you're going to be left behind."
Charlie tapped his forehead. "Already am, Owen. I'm not that incompetent."
Owen shrugged. "Alright then."
At that moment, two more boys walked over, one looking dejected and the other indifferent.
"Oh, hello!", greeted Kagome, "Come to watch the battle?"
The dejected boy grumbled, "Yeah, I guess." He looked as if he was constantly trying to hide, with long blond hair covering his timid blue eyes, sad gray clothes, and, oddly enough, freckles that were large and bright enough to be mistaken for food crumbs.
"Don't take it too hard, Eliot.", the other boy said, "Just because I beat you this time doesn't mean you won't win later." He looked over at the others. "My name's Danforth. How about you all?"
Everyone introduced themselves again, and Charlie surveyed Danforth. Tough, tall build...dark blue hair...fierce, cool green eyes. Weathered Trainer's clothes, tactical boots...yup, almost certainly a Ranger-in-training.
"So, how was your battle?", asked Owen curiously.
"This kid's a Steel-type trainer.", replied Danforth, "Unfortunately for him, my team is all super-effective against that. Wukong nearly cleared through the whole team, minus the surprise Electrike. But Lil' Sandy finished that one."
"I...don't know who those are.", Owen stated.
Danforth barked a laugh. "Right, I'm not used to being around strangers who are unaware of my team. Wukong's a Monferno, and Lil' Sandy is a Gible. When she evolves, I'm aiming to make her so strong Cynthia's Garchomp would cower before her!"
Kagome laughed. "Good luck with that...last I heard, she is still undefeated. Your Gible has a long way to go before you can even think of challenging her Garchomp."
There came another cheer from the crowd as Stoker punched his fist into Sky's beak, sending her crashing unconscious in front of her Trainer.
"Well, that's the first knockout.", Owen commented, "How will Jason react to that, I wonder?"
Jason grinned. "Stoker's weak - he won't be able to defeat this! Doom, end him!"
Appearing in front of him was an Absol, who gave an eerie howl that sent shivers down Charlie's spine.
"Ooh, an Absol!", declared Owen, "That looks promising."
"Doom, Shadow Ball!", commanded Jason, "Finish off that Emboar!"
"Stoker, Blast Burn! Let's leave him with a parting gift!", replied Evan.
The Emboar concentrated, and a gigantic circle of fire lit up around Doom as he fired off a ghostly orb. The orb flew towards Stoker and drained the last of his energy, but by then it was too late. There was a massive fiery explosion, which scorched the Absol's fur and caused it to wail in pain.
Stoker fell over, and Evan returned him to his Pokeball. But the Absol definitely wasn't looking too good.
"Wow, normally that's a recharge move, but he doesn't need to worry about that since Stoker was going to faint anyway! And now, Jason's second Pokemon is heavily damaged! That's downright devious!", exclaimed Charlie.
"It certainly was an interesting play.", agreed Danforth.
Evan tossed out his next Pokemon. "Alright Titus, let's test you out a bit!"
Emerging from the ball was a small Rockruff, who barked excitedly at the sight of his wounded opponent.
"Alright, Doom, you may be down, but you're definitely not out yet!", Jason declared, "Dark Pulse!"
"Absooool!", howled his Pokemon, unleashing a wave of dark energy at the Rockruff. It yelped as the shockwaves hit it, then growled angrily.
"Titus, Double Team, then bury him with Rock Tomb!", ordered Evan.
"Oof, that's not going to be easy to counter.", commented Kelly.
"But with Dark Pulse, he can easily eliminate the duplicates.", stated Owen, "That's a notoriously well-known counter to use an area attack against Double Team."
Charlie watched as the battlefield was filled with Rockruffs, which all started summoning large piles of rocks. But Doom moved with surprising alacrity, blasting out another Dark Pulse that cleared out the clones before slashing with his horn to break apart the real Rock Tomb.
"Rock!", cried Titus, as Doom sped towards him with a furious snarl.
"Play Rough! Show that Rockruff how we do business!", called Jason.
"Sol!", declared Doom, and he barraged the unfortunate Rockruff with a flurry of blows. Titus stumbled back, a bad decision as the Absol shot another Shadow Ball.
"Oof. That Absol sure is brutal.", Kelly said, as Titus fainted.
Charlie nodded. "No kidding."
Owen stated, "I believe I can find a way to counter that. It certainly won't be easy, though."
"Send out your final Pokemon!", shouted Jason, "Or do you wish to forfeit?"
Evan laughed. "You won't be rid of me that easily! Glynda, let's win this!"
He sent out his final Pokemon, which appeared to be a floating purple spirit with a very large hat and several glittering red gems around its neck.
"Ooh, a Mismagius!", Danforth declared, "That won't be easy to fight, even though the Absol has a type advantage."
"Alright Doom, a few good Dark Pulses should do the trick.", Jason declared, "Let's win this!"
"Glynda, Phantom Force!", ordered Evan.
"Mismagius!", Glynda replied, before fading into the shadows.
"Watch out, Doom! She could come from anywhere!", cried Jason.
Evan smirked. "Too late."
Bursting from out of Doom's shadow, Glynda cackled as she blasted the Absol into the air, before shooting off a jet of spiritual flames that seared into the Pokemon's soul.
When Doom hit the ground, he did not get back up.
"Doom, return.", Jason said, "Alright, Evan, you're tough, I get that. But now you must fight my last Pokemon! Blaze, fight until the end!"
He sent out a ferocious, fiery panther, which was immediately recognizable as a Torracat.
"Ha, this is where I win!", Evan shouted, "Thunder Wave!"
Glynda started charging up energy from the air around her, before unleashing it in a pulse of electricity. It struck the Torracat, and caused him to stumble back, muscles convulsing.
"That must've been a TM move!", declared Owen, "Now that Blaze is Paralyzed, he's going to be a sitting Psyduck for that Mismagius!"
"Blaze, you won't let that stop you, right?", Jason shouted, "Go in with a Fire Fang!"
"Torra!", replied Blaze, and he charged in, fangs blazing with flames.
"Mis!", Glynda cried, before sinking into the shadows again. She reappeared behind Blaze, a ghostly aura welling up around her.
"Now, Hex!", commanded Evan.
Glynda cackled as she unleashed her power, causing Blaze to yelp and shudder, electricity crackling across his fur as the move took advantage of his status condition.
"Whoa, now that is just mean.", Charlie commented, "The Mismagius is just going to tear him down with that move, isn't she? I bet she has a whole ton of other status condition-causing moves just to combo with that Hex."
Owen nodded, "That's going to be a hard fight! Unfortunately, I suspect it will not end in Jason's favor."
Jason narrowed his eyes as Glynda readied another Hex. "Blaze, I believe in you! Don't let her torment you like this! You've got to win this for our team!"
"TorraCAT!", roared Blaze, and with a loud crackled the electricity faded. Glynda's next Hex hit, but Blaze shrugged that one off, his eyes glowing like coals.
"How did he do that?!", exclaimed Eliot.
"It appears Blaze's bond with his Trainer overwhelmed Glynda's paralysis.", Danforth stated, "Quite impressive."
"Now, Blaze, Flamethrower!", called Jason.
"Glynda, Phantom Force! Don't let that hit you!", Evan commanded.
"Magius!", Glynda replied, fading into the ground.
"Hiding in the shadows again, are we?", Jason replied, "Blaze, charge up a Flamethrower for when she reappears!"
"Confuse Ray!", Evan countered.
An eerie beam of light appeared from the shadow of the crowd, causing Blaze to stumble dizzily.
"Another status condition!?", cried Jason, "You really don't play fair, do you?"
"Whatever earns me victory.", Evan replied cooly, "Hex!"
Blaze shuddered as the attack barraged his confused mind, and the Flamethrower he'd been charging up dissipated. But after the move ended, Blaze's eyes narrowed, and the flames around his neck flared to enormous size.
"That Hex must have triggered his Blaze ability!", cried Owen, "Now his fire attacks are stronger!"
"This is it - the moment we've been waiting for!", shouted Jason, "Let's finish this!"
He held out his arm, revealing a red crystal nestled in a bracelet. "Z-Flamethrower!", he cried.
"What!? What the heck is that!?", cried Evan.
Golden light flared to life around Jason and Blaze, and the Torracat fired out a brilliant white jet of flames that rose the temperature of the surrounding area by several degrees.
Glynda wailed as the flames consumed her, and no one could see anything for a few seconds. But when the fire died down, Glynda could be seen as she slumped over and drifted to the ground, knocked out.
"Well, that was a nice battle.", came a voice, and Charlie noticed a dark-skinned young man standing beside them.
They had dark, golden brown eyes, and a tired smile upon their face. They wore a casual dark gray hoodie and tan cargo pants, as well as combat boots. Their black hair was currently styled into a ponytail that reached all the way down to their upper thighs, and they seemed to be eagerly awaiting the next battle.
"Who are you?", asked Charlie, wondering how many times he'd asked that question now."
"My name is Kealoha Koa. You can call me Kea.", they replied.
"Nice to meet you, Kea. Say, do you have any idea what that last move was?", Owen asked.
Kea answered, "Oh, that's easy. That was a Z-move. Using special crystals found only in my home region, they temporarily boost the bond between Trainer and Pokemon and end up boosting the strength of a move."
"That was quite impressive.", Danforth stated, "I wonder if there's any way I can get one for Wukong and I."
At that moment, a mysterious young man stepped out into the field, looking around curiously. He had long, ash brown hair, and light blue eyes. He was wearing a black jacket and some jeans, and had a Pokeball at the ready.
"I have been watching these last few battles, and would like to participate in one.", he said, "Who wants to fight me?"
"I will.", came a fierce, female voice, and striding onto the field was the 'scary' young woman Charlie had seen on the ship. Her amber eyes seemed to be judging the audience harshly, and her long black hair waved in the wind, mirrored by her impressive cape.
"Alright, then. Who are you?", asked the young man.
"Gwendolyn.", the woman answered, "Now yours."
"Ray.", the young man said, "Allow me to warn you - I am no stranger to battling."
Gwendolyn smirked. "Neither am I."
"Nala!"
"Oliver!"
The Luxio standing by Gwendolyn's side rushed in, as Ray sent out a Honedge. Gwendolyn smiled slyly.
"Oliver, Swords Dance!", Ray commanded.
"Nala, use Charge.", Gwendolyn said cooly.
Oliver slashed his blade around in the air, warming himself up, while Nala started charging up electricity in her fur. The crowd seemed impatient to see what would happen next.
"Who wants to bet that Ray is going to win?", asked Owen, "From what I've heard, that young woman is in the Ranger Course, while Ray is in Battle."
"I wouldn't count against it.", Charlie replied, "Gwendolyn looks terrifying."
"Scared, are we?", teased Kagome.
Kelly shrugged. "I'm going to wait and see how it plays out. Both look dangerous."
Kea commented, "A sound idea."
"Nala, Thunder Shock!", shouted Gwendolyn.
"Iron Defense!", countered Ray.
Nala fired off a bolt of lightning, but Oliver glittered with a silvery sheen and absorbed some of the damage.
However, Gwendolyn wasn't done yet. "Nala, charge in and use Bite!"
The Luxio ran for the sword Pokemon, biting down on its sheath and causing it to cry out.
"A Dark-type move! It's super-effective!", declared Kelly.
Ray kept his cool. "Oliver, she's up close now. Night Slash."
The Honedge whipped its blade around, shining with dark energy. The sword left a red line across Nala's side, and she yowled in pain.
"Nala, Bite him again!", called Gwendolyn.
"Oliver, do not let her fangs faze you. Iron Defense, then go for another Night Slash.", Ray ordered.
As Nala's fangs dug in once again, Gwendolyn cried, "Now, Thunder Shock!"
Electricity crackled along the length of Oliver's blade, but his eye narrowed with determination as he triggered Iron Defense once more. But as he tried to use Night Slash, there was a loud buzz, and his eye widened as he realized he was Paralyzed.
Gwendolyn grinned. "Good job, Nala! Now, finish it with another Bite!"
Ray made a strange gesture with his hand as Nala lunged. Right before she struck, there was a ghostly light, and as Oliver fell over, Nala staggered and fainted as well.
"Destiny Bond.", Ray explained, "Oliver needs more training before he can stand up to Pokemon in most major battles, but he worked quite well to remove your Electric-type from the picture. Seeing as you were walking around with the Luxio a lot, it was easy for a skilled battler to devise a quick plan to account for them."
Gwendolyn growled, "Fine then. Send out your next Pokemon!"
"Very well.", Ray replied, "Falco!"
Flying to his side was a particularly large Pidgeotto, who sang out a fierce battlecry.
"Okay then...Yaga! I choose you!", Gwendolyn declared, and appearing in front of her was a vicious Weavile.
"Yikes.", Danforth commented, "Those things are nasty."
"Falco, this won't be easy!", shouted Ray, "First, trap it with a Whirlwind!"
"Pidgeott!", cried Falco, flapping his wings and conjuring a tornado around the Weavile.
"Icy Wind!", Gwendolyn ordered, "Let's give that Pidgeotto quite the challenge!"
Yaga snarled, and a frosty wind whipped through, chilling Falco's wings and filling the whirlwind with snowflakes.
"Falco, use Agility to prevent that Weavile from hitting you!", called Ray.
Gwendolyn smiled. "You're not the only one who can speed up. Yaga, Quick Attack!"
The Weavile charged through the tornado, rapidly building up speed. Falco darted around, flying faster and faster and avoiding the Weavile.
"Icy Wind towards his wings! Let's slow him down!", Gwendolyn commanded.
The freezing wind whipped against Falco's wings, taking away his speed gains as fast as he earned them. Ray looked annoyed, before ordering, "Falco, we are not going to gain much speed, but we can overwhelm this Pokemon with our power! Brave Bird!"
"Pidgeo!", shouted Falco, and a glowing bird-shaped aura welled up around him. With a fierce cry, he descended, and then Ray noted the sinister smile on his opponent's face.
But before he could react, the Pidgeotto made impact, creating a massive explosion of winds. Yaga stumbled back, taking damage from the whirlwind from earlier, while Falco cried out from the recoil damage.
"Revenge.", Gwendolyn ordered.
Dark power surrounded her Weavile, and with a ghastly howl she unleashed all the damage she'd taken back onto the Pidgeotto.
"Geo!", Falco wailed, fluttering back as the pain nearly overwhelmed him. But then his eyes narrowed, and he fired off several blades of wind into Yaga, causing the injured Weavile to topple over, the damage proving too much even for her.
Gwendolyn smiled. "Well, I must say you impressed me. I've considered you worthy of fighting my ace. Sashimi, let's end this!"
She tossed out a Pokeball, and suddenly the battlefield was taken up by a colossal blue serpent.
Kelly gasped. "A Gyarados!"
"Are you still voting for Ray?", Charlie asked.
Owen replied, "Well, I suppose it depends on what Ray has for his last Pokemon."
"Falco!", Ray commanded, "Twister!"
Gwendolyn countered, "Sashimi, use your own Twister! Your power will overwhelm his!"
"Gyara!", Sashimi roared, and a massive cyclone of purple energy appeared in front of her, consuming Falco's before proceeding to slam into the bird with ruthless force.
The Pidgeotto cried out, before crumpling in a heap in front of his Trainer. Sashimi looked sternly at Ray, before summoning a powerful rainstorm that soaked everyone around.
"You know, I should look into getting a Pokemon that knows Rain Dance.", Kea commented, "Would be rather handy."
"Yeah, for an unwanted shower I guess.", grumbled Owen.
"Mona! We'll fight to the end!", shouted Ray, sending out a Charmeleon, "You're our last chance!"
"Surf.", ordered Gwendolyn, almost bored.
Sashimi summoned a powerful wave, which swept across the battlefield and completely covered the Charmeleon. When the water cleared, Mona gave a sad growl before promptly fainting.
Everyone was speechless.
"Well, that's that then.", Danforth said, "Luck of the draw, I guess."
"Well done, Sashimi!", congratulated Gwendolyn, stroking a hand across the side of her Pokemon, "You're the best!"
Sashimi rumbled happily and nuzzled her Trainer, as Ray stepped over.
"A most...educational battle.", he complimented, "But this only gives me the drive to get stronger! When next we battle, I will not lose!"
Gwendolyn nodded. "We'll certainly see about that.", she said, "I'll be training as well."
The crowd began to clear, as this had been one of the last battles of the day. The rain started to clear as well, but it was much too late for anyone who had wanted to stay dry. Dripping wet, Charlie said, "Well, guys, let's go see if we can track down our dorms. Maybe a Pokemon Center too."
"Sounds good.", Danforth said, "I'm going to do that too."
Everybody started heading out, eager to see what else their first day might bring. (-o-)
AN: Whew, this took a long time! Unlike my other stories, though, long chapters are my goal here. This of course means updates will take longer, but be more rewarding.
Next chapter, I'm going to assign all the students to various dorms, and form smaller groups who are roommates so I can focus on all the characters better. After that, we'll see where this story takes us! I hope to make it an awesome one!
As always, reviews are appreciated, and starting next chapter I will reply to any I receive in the first set of Author's Notes. I love to hear your thoughts and feedback, for they help make this story great!
(By the way, coolhuh0526, apologies for putting your character on the receiving end of Gwendolyn's full power first. No hard feelings.)
I'll see you all next time! Take care!