Chapter 149 Meloetta and Battle Wheel Part 2

The first matches are over, Julia and Lumi also advance to the next round, much to Ash's delight. And not only just them, there are also 13 other trainers that win the first round as well.

Serena: For some reason, the people here are getting fewer and fewer.

Ash: Maybe because they lost the battle, so they won't be able to get Meloetta's autograph.

Serena: But there is still the Anomaly light, what if Meloetta accidentally summoned some Pokemon to trash them?

Ash: I was worried about it as well...but it looks like this is not happening right now.

Ringmaster: All right everyone, listen up! Round 1 has now completed! Round 2 has been posted! Stick with it for the sake of one ultra-precious autograph from the ultra-precious Meloetta!

Samson: You're really getting into it, boss.

Ringmaster: Am not! I'm just trying to hype up the crowd! That's all! (Hears Meloetta's voice) You can't just SAY these things!

Samson: Seek help, boss.

Ringmaster: And what do you think you were supposed to be?! No- forget it. Deep breaths, great vibes- And now announcing the pairings for Round 2! In the first quadrant! Bee VS "Clarice!" Ash VS Julia!

Julia: Say whaaaaaaa-

Ash is also surprised to hear that he's going to fight Julia, since they promise to advance to the final round together, along with Lumi, but that's not going to happen right now.

Ringmaster: The second quadrant! "Mystery Participant" VS Techie Yan! Break VS Gentleman Norman!

Break: No, back up; rewind. Go back; what was that you meant by a "Mystery Participant"?

Ringmaster: It's a mystery! Duh; c'mon... Third quadrant! Samson VS Percy! Hiker Oltan VS Cass!

Percy: Wait, you're pairing me against a gym leader?! Why did I even show up?!

Samson: Sorry, lass. A certain over-excitable Ringmaster went ahead and signed me up even though I was just supposed to be bouncing.

Ringmaster: I had to make an even number somehow, and you volunteered!

Samson: Whether or not I did, I'm afraid my pride won't let me go easy on you.

Ringmaster: Maybe I should've just signed your pride up as a separate participant anyway. It seems to have more agency over you than anything else...Quadrant four! Battle Girl Yselda VS Lumi! Posh Rachy VS Santiago!

Ash: Looks like you're going to fight last again...

Lumi: I'll do my best again this time too! Cheer for me, Ash.

Ash: (Smiles) Of course I will.

Ringmaster: And that's it! Sixteen remain- give it your best, each and all of you! And try not to break the gondolas too hard! You guys have no idea how many times we've had to repair them already!

Julia: (After the crowd disperses, turns to Ash) So you and I are fighting next, huh? Then let's be sure to make this an explosive- Wait, no, hold on. (Tries to do a pose) Fufufu, Ash, so we meet again... Fool you were to approach me as such, for I shall take great pleasure in, as they say, cleaning your alarm clock... Quiver in fear and other various emotions, Ash, for our battle shall truly be legendary! Get it? Legendary? Cuz- Meloetta- and- It was funny; I promise!

Ash: Really... I don't know what's so funny about that. But may the best trainer wins.

Lumi: Wow, I'm really pulling through! I gotta tell Eve when I see her!

Serena: You can do it, Lumi. Just do your best.

After getting into the car, Ash and Julia are already on the other sides of the battlefield.

Julia: Instead of running away as you should, you're actually coming closer? (Strikes the pose again) Never mind that you're already in the gondola and not moving. I was dramatically holding my eyes closed in this pose for so long that I didn't notice at first. Never mind that- our long-awaited rematch is finally upon us! When we're done with this battle, there will be nothing left of this Battle Wheel standing! Ka-ba-ba-ba-BOOM!

Ash: I just hope that you're wrong... I would like to have my own life on the cable car instead...

Then the field is the Psychic Terrain, and Julia goes for Galvantula first, Ash goes for Victini and they start the battle. Galvantula manages to strike the Thunder on the Fire Type Pokemon, but Victini manages to block the attack by using Protect, and then it goes for Searing Shot, dealing a lot of amount of damage, and then Galvantula tries to go with Sticky Web, but Ash finishes it with the V-Crate.

The second Pokemon is the Wash Form Rotom, and it goes for the Z Move: Hydro Vortex, damaging Victini a lot. Ash decides to have Victini use Final Gambit, Victini faints, but Ash knows that his efforts are not in vain. He goes for Pikachu, and by using the Thunderbolt, Rotom is also defeated. And the final Pokemon is Mega Ampharos, who defeats Pikachu with the Signal Beam and Dragon Pulse. So Ash goes for Goodra, using Dragon Pulse to defeat the Pokemon.

Julia: Wait, the structure is still intact! We can't be done yet!? (Recalls Ampharos) So that's it, then... Boo... If there's no secondary explosion and total structural collapse, what even is the point...? Well, nighty nite!

Ash: Wait, are you seriously going to sleep here in the car?

And Julia is already asleep, much to Ash's annoyance. After getting Julia out of the car, he puts her on the bench and dials a number.

Serena: Who are you calling, Ash?

Ash: Rini. I'm asking her to bring Julia back to her apartment since it is not fine for a girl like her to sleep on a bench here.

Lumi: Looks like she likes to do this a lot...

Ash: You have no idea...

Then Rini comes to the Circus, much to their delight. When Ash asks her if she wants to see the tournament on the Ferris Wheel, she refuses because she still has a lot of work to do with Fern and the Onyx School. Ash understands this and he wishes her good luck, while she carries Julia out of the circus.

After a while, they also see Lumi winning against her opponent, they are happy for her since she really improved a lot. And once they congratulate her on victory, they all head to Ringmaster and hear the announcement, and this time there are fewer people than the last round.

Ringmaster: All right, and that's Round 2! Congrats to everyone who's made it this far except Samson!

Samson: Keep talkin', lass. (Hears Meloetta agreeing with Samson) You tell her.

Ringmaster: Now we'll announce the pairings for Round 3! "Clarice" VS Ash! "Mystery Participant" VS Break! Samson's Pride VS Cass!

Samson: Beg your pardon?

Ringmaster: And Lumi VS Santiago!

Santiago: Fuck yeah! Let's fuckin' go! I'mma fuck this fuckin' shit all the way up! All for that fuckin' Meloetta, you hear?!

Lumi: (Scared a little) O-oh.

Ringmaster: That's it! Good luck to everyone! (After the crowd disperses) Isn't it awfully generous of me to host a whole tournament to give others the chance to appreciate Meloetta?! I think it is. The things we do for Meloetta~ ...And for the business!

After getting into the cable car, Ash notices that his opponent is basically a Robot Breloom.

Ash: You've got to be kidding me... I have to fight a Robot Breloom?

Ash starts to remember the Route 4 incident, it is also how he tries to capture a Gastly which is now his Gengar. Then the field is the Dragon's Den, and Breloom sends out Magnezone. Ash is delighted that the field is giving him the advantage, so he goes for Victini first. Magnezone goes for Flash Cannon, but it is reflected by Searing Shot, and Victini goes for the attack again to deal some damage, but Magnezone manages to survive with the Sturdy ability. Magnezone goes for Thunderbolt to make Victini paralyzed, but Victini manages to defeat Magnezone with the V-Create once again.

The second Pokemon is Magearna, much to Ash's shock since it is a Mythical Pokemon, but Ash knows that Victini can pull this again since it is a Steel Type Pokemon, and by using the Fire moves, Magearna is also defeated in the end. But the final Pokemon is much more painful, since it is the Breloom Robot again, like last time in Route 4, it goes for Spore to make Victini sleep, and then it uses Shift Gear to raise the attack and Speed, eventually defeating the Pokemon with Shadow Punch. Ash sends out Goodra and has it go for Muddy Water, trying to lower the accuracy as possible, but Goodra is also defeated after the Magnet Bomb, so Pikachu is the last one, thanks to the Static Ability, Breloom is paralyzed, and Pikachu finishes the Pokemon with the Z Move All out Pummeling.

After the Breloom is defeated, it just stops functioning and just sits on the battlefield, Ash knows that he might have destroyed it, and he has to carry it out of the battlefield so the next contestant can use the Car.

Ash: Just why am I battling or carrying these participants out of here...what is even going on with this tournament...

Serena also sweatdrops at the fact that Ash just battles a Robot Breloom, but she also congratulates him on his victory. And much to their surprise, the only ones left in the field are Cass and Lumi, while Samson is there, but he seems like he lost the match.

Ringmaster: All right, let's go over the results of Round 3 as we move into the semifinals! In the first match, Ash trounced the robo-Breloom known as Clarice!

Samson: Anyone knows why that thing was here in the first place?

Lumi: I guess it just really liked Meloetta?

Ringmaster: In the second match, Break was knocked out by our Mystery Participant!

Cass: Subtlety's really not your thing, huh.

Ringmaster: In the third match, Samson's Pride was eliminated by Cass! (Notices Samson's frowning face) Just, absolutely stepped on and destroyed! Really hard to overstate just how thoroughly Samson's Pride was thrashed!

Samson: Okay, you can stop now...

Cass: No, no; go on.

Ringmaster: Of the top 10 humiliating defeats we've ever had here at the Agate Circus, why, I'd say Samson's Pride suffered the worst out of all of them! But some might say that was bound to happen to someone like Samson's Pride.

Samson: You're gonna need to find yourself a new bouncer.

Ringmaster: Okay, okay- and in the fourth match, Lumi prevailed against Santiago!

Lumi: He taught me a new word!

Nobody knows how to respond that, and Ash frowns as he can't believe that guy has taught Lumi cursing, but as long as she doesn't tell the word to Eve, everything's going to be fine, right?

Ringmaster: Meloetta's right! This show needs to keep moving! So the semifinal pairs! Ash VS "Mystery Participant"! Cass VS Lumi! Let's hop on it!

Ash is curious about the Mystery Participant, but he just hopes that it is not someone who will give him a lot of annoyance, like that Robot.


And here is a new chapter, as you can see, Ash defeats Julia and the Robot Breloom as he advances to the semi-finals, who is the Mystery Participant and will Ash be able to win the whole tournament and help Meloetta with her Anomaly light? I hope you like this chapter and the next chapter will be the conclusion of this quest.