Hey everyone! Welcome back to the story! Here is Chapter 8 of the Chosen One's Wrath, and boy oh boy has it been getting attention as of recently! To all of you guys out there who hit that follow and favorite button, my thanks to you all! If you haven't done so already, what are you waiting for? Go on ahead! Show your support! Or don't! (Please do… XD) Nah to be honest if you think it's poor don't even worry, you wouldn't be the first to diss my writing, and you won't be the first for me to respond cheerfully and say, "You're entitled to your opinion." Speaking of responding, if you have anything to say to me, please review or PM letting me know! As long as you're not a guest, I can respond to you, and I always do so! My followers can confirm this!
Now, enough publicity talk. That's more than I've done in the past three chapters combined. Let's talk story, shall we? Who enjoyed last chapter? I felt kinda guilty about not including an Ash x May moment yet, but I promise they will get together soon! You gotta build up to that exact moment for when it happens, and I already have the scene planned, it just isn't time yet.
Also, for those who were expecting an Ash battle, you're about to be disappointed. If you took the time to read the "Fine Print", if you will, you would've noticed I said that you shouldn't keep your hopes up for the battle, you're about to find out why. I promise there will be battles soon, but like I said with the Ash x May reveal, it just isn't time yet. There will be a time, but that time is not now. So bear with me here.
I will say this again: If you're new and you enjoy this story, please follow and favorite to help make this story the most popular Ash Betrayal Story on Fanfiction! Alrighty then! Onwards to the story!
LegionZ Presents… The Chosen One's Wrath… Chapter 8
Last Chapter…
All his elites had been given special names when they had been crowned the title of Elites. Zandra's name was Zandra the Ruthless due to her aggressive battle tactics. Before she had become an elite, she was a wandering trainer looking for her calling. She had been utterly destructive in the Alola Champion tournament up until she was met by a young man named Abel Winchine. He had stunned her, countering her attacks with dazzling tactics that eliminated her much earlier than she had been projected.
Axel's name was Axel the Hero. He was granted the title of Hero when he was revealed to be a trainer by day, and a vigilante by night, defending HeaHea City from the shadows. Every single day, he and his team got stronger and stronger, and eventually, he was simply known as the Hero of HeaHea. When his identity was revealed, the citizens of HeaHea city thought it was right that he was rewarded, and is still seen as a public hero to this day. Ash made sure Axel was recognized as HeaHea's defender, and he was very grateful for it, as were the people of HeaHea City.
July's name was July the Beautiful. Being a super model had its perks: she got tons of attention before she became an elite, but even so, she still found time to model. Guys would wish to be with her and Girls would wish to be her. Of course, it came with disadvantages. She was constantly being pursued by Men and Women alike, for different reasons. Once she became an elite, the security of the Pokémon League and ALT City helped reduce the attention, and she was forever grateful of Ash.
Xavier's name was Xavier the Player. He got this name for multiple reasons: both reasons being as it sounds. He was a master card player; it was how he made his living. Gambling brought him fame as well as fortune. He didn't have as good luck with those of the opposite gender, not because they were uninterested, but rather because he didn't connect with them. He was more into the "Fun Time" rather than the "Long Time." He broke the hearts of some young females, hence his name. He took a rather long break from competitive cards when he joined the ranks of the Elites, and it helped him settle down.
"We need something special, something amazing, something that will launch us into the tournament. It doesn't necessarily have to be the battle itself, but maybe something that happens beforehand."
Alder grumbled something under his breath. Steven questioned the orange-haired champion with a curious glance. "What was that Alder?"
He spoke quietly. "This sounds like you want this to be extravagant…" Suddenly, Cynthia let out a gasp of surprise. "T-that's it! We can have a Dance!" the male Champions groaned aloud.
He didn't want to admit the sad truth, but, he had to say it: He still needed a date to the dance, and perhaps this was a way to see if May was honestly telling the truth about Drew. In his mind, sure, it was to gain information. Nonetheless, he nodded and spoke with reserve. "May, there is something I would like your help with. Need I mention that you have full control and option to say no should you want to do so." May nodded slowly, where was Ghost going with this?
He cleared his throat and spoke. "It… it came to my attention that there is now a special way to decide who is the opening battle of this ceremony. There is a Dance that is being held for Gym Leaders, Elites, and Champions. The catch of it is that everyone must have a date. And it turns out… I am available." He cleared his throat and spoke as evenly as he could.
"May Maple, will you do me the greatest of honors by coming to the dance with me?" May's mind froze completely. Did… Did the Ghost just ask her out on a date? Like the same "Ghost, Champion of Alola" Ghost? She couldn't honestly believe it! But, there was a part of her that legitimately did want to go with this young man. But, she felt as though that if she did go, she would betray Ash again. What choice could she make?
She was silent for a moment or two, pondering her choices. Ash, meanwhile, was sweating up a storm. This was an extreme longshot to try and reconnect with May without having to reveal himself, yet. Either way, there really wasn't anyone else that he wanted to go to the dance with. Plus, after talking with her for a good portion of the meet up at The Party Starter, he honestly wasn't sure if she was telling the truth or not. Part of him pleaded that she was, and perhaps a night with her would do just that.
Still, as the seconds turned into minutes, he began to lose optimism, and he lost it with every second. After a solid three minutes of eerie silence, he spoke in a rush. "Perhaps I shouldn't have asked you Miss Maple, m-my apologies, I shall see you—" He was about to bail on the brown haired beauty, but instead, she interrupted him.
"I'd love to go with you Ghost."
Ash double-taked, not sure he heard that correctly. He stared at her, who had an unreadable look in her eyes. He couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice. "Did… did you say you'd go?" May nodded and said quietly. "I still love Ash. I can't help myself there. But… if I begin adventuring outwards, maybe, just maybe… I'll learn to move on. He wouldn't want me hung up on him or any guy for this long. And well…" She giggled. "You're probably the cutest guy I've seen this far. So, yes. I'll happily go with you."
Their lips inched closer together. May had totally forgotten about the kiss situation and everything else that had embarrassed her. Ash had forgotten about the fact that he hadn't revealed himself to her yet. Both were just hellbent on kissing the person opposite to them. Only mere inches separated them now. May's eyes were closed, and Ash's were drifting shut as well.
"CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION! WE HAVE A SPECIAL ANNOUNCMENT TO MAKE!" The DJ roared. May silently cursed her poor fortune. Ash noticed her dejected look and placed a hand on her shoulder with a smile. She smiled and leaned up against him. However, she lost her man shortly when the DJ continued.
"We have a special guest with an important announcement to make ladies and gentlemen! Tonight, the first match of this tournament will be revealed by none other than the champion of Alola, the Ghost! Ghost, can you please come up?" May's eyes widened in surprise. She watched Ash navigate all the way to the front of the stage and he yelled out. "Who's ready for some battttttttttlllleeeeeessss?!" The crowd cheered in response.
"That's right! Tonight, I'll be revealing the tournament's first matchup! Here's the catch: It has to be two people here tonight that either leaders, elites, or champions! We're starting this league with a banger! Who knows? It could be Champion Alder vs Champion Lance! It could be myself against one of my elites! I don't know, you don't know, and it will all happen before our very eyes!" In one motion, a wheel appeared on a large screen behind him.
"This wheel will select two trainers at random! Until the top 16, all battles are three on three battles with substitutions and items allowed as well. Rules are subject to change. And now, let's select our first challenger!" He snapped his fingers and turned to the wheel and watched it speed up and slow down. The crowd was cheering as they saw familiar faces on both sides of the wheel. Ash saw Axel's face whiz by on the left side, then Clemont's on the right. As the wheel slowed down, Ash's eyes slightly widened. He saw his face approaching slowly on the left.
The crowd saw it happen. May saw it happen. And Ash most certainly saw it happen. On the left side, the wheel stopped on him. He couldn't believe it; he was going in the first round? Then, a loud noise was heard, almost sounding like a whooshing noise, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Ash saw what had happened, and the matchup that would follow. It would be an interesting opening battle to say the least.
My Apologies For a Very Long "Last Chapter"… Enjoy the Chapter Everyone… Present …
Ash had been more than just a little bit surprised. He first had understood the matchup, then realized what he had just seen happen. It had seemed certain that he would battle. But, when the wheel stopped on him, it suddenly flashed white, blinding out his picture, and in an instant, had replaced his face with a man's face. He had short yellow hair and brown eyes and a bright grin on his face. Ash had recognized him instantly.
It was none other than his own elite, Axel.
His opponent, however, was just as interesting. It was another man, although much older than him, likely by just under ten years. He was a creepy looking guy with black hair that was spiked in two spots. He also had a large dash of black hair shooting right down the center of his face. His light blue eyes appeared to piece right through a normal person's soul. Nearby, July's eyes widened in horror. Could this opening round have been situated any more poorly? She knew these two hated each other. Honestly, she loved them both individually, but when these two saw one another, it was like a switch was flicked in each of them.
Ash announced. "And there you have it folks! Our opening matchup scheduled to open up the tournament tomorrow at exactly 11 in the morning will be Elite Axel of Alola against Elite Grimsley of Unova! This is a classic opening matchup between two of the finest representing each of their regions! Who will emerge victorious? You all better come out and see it tomorrow!"
Ash slipped down off the stage and May, who had been watching him with a smile. "I didn't know you had such a powerful voice." Ash joked. "Comes with the job I'm afraid." She giggled and looked thoughtful. "Isn't Axel one of your elites if he's from Alola then?"
Ash nodded. "You're right. He's one of the best. The good news is that Axel specializes in Electric Types while Grimsley specializes in Dark types." May blinked and looked at Ghost with a bewildered look in her eyes. "Um… Ghost? Why is that a good thing? Electric Types have no type advantage against Dark Types if I recall correctly."
Ash grinned and said. "Smart and beautiful. I really lucked out tonight didn't I?" She blushed. "You're correct May. But, that is a good thing because the same is true Vice Versa: Dark type moves do not have a type advantage on Electric types. Therefore, the match is fair. It is strictly trainer on trainer, Pokémon on Pokémon. It's the best type of battle." Ash said firmly.
May, meanwhile, was watching Ghost with admiration. 'That kind of mentality in battles, that fighting spirit… it reminds me of Ash. I wonder if he's Ash's long-lost cousin or something… he is almost a carbon copy of Ash. Well, except for the fact that Ash was as dense as could be.' She pondered. He smiled a little and held his hand out to her. She blinked and stared down at his hand in confusion. He grinned. "Wanna dance?"
Her eyes widened and a huge smile covered her face. Even though he had just declared the tournament open, given out the first matchup, and talked in front of a titanic crowd of people that were amongst the most famous in the world, he still wanted to dance with her. She happily took his hand and he led her on the dance floor.
July, meanwhile, was trying to recuperate. What were the chances of this happening? Axel versus Grimsley? The two who couldn't stand each other like fire and water? She knew how badly things could get here. She was now going to have to figure out who to root for.
She stared up at the massive video screen above her that still showed Axel's cheerful smile on the left, and Grimsley's mischievous grin plastered on his face to the right. How was she going to choose? She knew there had been a small chance of this happening… like an astronomical chance of this happening… and it had actually happened. Now… she was going to be forced to choose who she wanted to win.
She had known both of them for what seemed like ages. She had known Axel for more than three years, but she had known Grimsley for more than five for when she was in Unova. She was best friends with Axel, but she was more than that with Grimsley. Still, how could she choose? She cared for both of them in her own way! She shook her head and sat down in shock. It was a miracle that the announcement had come out when he was seemingly gone. She needed this time to rack her mind. She knew the choice she was going to have to make.
She was choosing between her best friend… or her boyfriend.
May's Hotel… Later that Night…
Two figures were standing outside the Maple's door. One was a male, the other female. One was taller than the other by a few inches, but both were totally exhausted. The female giggled. "I really need to thank you Ghost… that was a fabulous night."
The male replied. "Only because you were there Miss Maple." She giggled again and said quietly. "I'm serious though. I thought at first you were just asking me out because you needed a date to the dance and because of how Max acted, I was indebted to you or something like that…" Ash grabbed her hands at that slowly and spoke. "I wouldn't do something like that May. I don't believe one person's actions should affect another person in that certain way. I honestly wouldn't, May." She smiled at him and gently wrapped her hand around his with a soft smile on her face.
She murmured. "I… I have a question."
Ghost nodded. "And that is?"
After a silent moment, she spoke. "Would you be interested in hanging out sometime again in the near future? Maybe the day after tomorrow or so?" Ghost was silent for as long as she had been silent. "I would love to May." She perked up visibly. "That's great!" She then simmered down and hugged him out of the blue, startling Ash completely. "Ghost… I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in you. I want to get to know you more, if you'll allow me to."
Ghost appeared to ponder this for a moment or two before speaking quietly. "I suppose that's reasonable."
May looked at him, arms around his neck. "I'm glad you asked me out tonight. I want us to grow closer… one step at a time." She kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear. "I know where we can go, but I want to surprise you. Come by around Six on the day after tomorrow. If you have a battle, I'll find you so we can reschedule. If not, I'll be waiting for you." She smiled at him and walked into her hotel room and smiled at him one last time before silently closing her door. The moment she did so, Ash silently fist-pumped in the air. He was making progress.
As he flew back on Charizard's back, he was feeling particularly good. He had been hoping for this; it was the May he was hoping to see. But, a part of him was nagging him. Was she being legit with him? Or was she just making it up? Was she in it for the fame and fortune of being "Ghost's Female?" Or did she honestly like him? He shook his head and decided it was best to sleep on that inward debate. After all, it was the dead of night, far after midnight, so he didn't need to worry about it just yet. He saw the majestic Pokémon league standing proudly on the hill above ALT City, and grinned at it. The league and ALT City were symbols of how far he and Alola had come.
When he landed on his balcony, he returned his faithful fire type Pokémon and walked inside the league's common room within a minute, expecting the area to be abandoned. He got quite the surprise. Xavier and Zandra were sitting there with pointed looks towards him. Ash was confused. "What's up? What did I do this time?"
Xavier shrugged. "It's not what you did."
Zandra continued. "It's just July. She's having a rough time right now."
Ash silently cursed. Of course! He had forgotten about the feud with Axel and Grimsley. For some reason, Axel hated Grimsley and vice versa. He never understood what exactly the two hated about one another, but whatever it was, it was very serious, and Axel refused to talk to him or anyone about it. July had been dating Grimsley for over four years now, and Axel had hated him since he had found out who Grimsley was. Either way, it was not good for July, because now she had to choose to root for Axel, her best friend in Alola, or Grimsley, her longtime boyfriend, who, other than Axel, was very friendly to everyone.
Grimsley was a little odd, but overall, he was a friendly guy to all the other elites. Axel insisted Grimsley was not as good as people as people made him out to be, but really had no proof to back it up, so nobody really believed him. Maybe that was why Grimsley was so cold to him? It was merely speculation in Ash's eyes.
"You're right. Where is she? And for that matter, where is Axel?" Zandra shook her head. "July is trying to get some sleep, and likely not succeeding. Axel is outside right now getting training in instead of sleeping. Both of them are taking totally opposite approaches. Axel is more determined than ever to beat Grimsley while July just wants to be left alone."
Of course, these three knew why Axel and Grimsley despised one another. Ash shook his head in annoyance. Sometimes his elites personal affairs, and even his own from time to time, would bother other elites. This was occasionally directly and other times indirectly.
Ash spoke calmly. "We all know it's best not to interfere with another elites affairs. Should Axel opt to train instead of resting, that's his choice. Should July choose to be alone rather than talk to her friends about it, that's her choice. Besides, tomorrow morning is the battle anyway. It doesn't matter, they'll both have to come out eventually. Let's get some rest, we've got an early day tomorrow."
Xavier nodded and walked away from his fellow elite and champion to his quarters. Zandra murmured quietly, "Good Night" and then walked off. After another moment of silence or two, Ash quietly walked to his bedchamber, his mind deep in thought. Believe it or not, Axel and Grimsley's rivalry was not on his mind. His mind was far elsewhere. It had been an incident that had occurred in between the most recent conversation with his elites and his last dance with May.
Earlier that Night…
"I'll be right back!" May quickly ran in the opposite direction of Ash in the direction of the restrooms. In just a matter of seconds, Pikachu was on his shoulder. "Pika Pi?" He questioned curiously.
Ash laughed. "No, don't worry Pikachu. I'm fine, see? May and I are starting to mend fences, hopefully, they'll be completely rebuilt sooner rather than later." The Electric-type cooed happily and nuzzled it's trainer with a happy smile. "Pikaaaaaa…" Ash scratched Pikachu under his chin before something caught his eye.
It was a figure walking in his direction. Ash slightly frowned, something was telling him that this particular trainer was quite strong. The figure was walking towards him across the dance floor at a moderate pace. Pikachu's ears suddenly twitched and he cried out. "Pika! Pikachu Pika!" He pointed at the trainer Ash was watching get closer and closer. As the figure was nearing him, Ash was faintly able to make out some details about the figure.
For starters, this person was clearly male. His mid length brown hair was mildly thick and bushy, but nowhere near Ash's hair. Ash spotted his blue eyes and slightly pale skin. His outfit was rather interesting: a dark camo suit with a white dress shirt to go with it. He also wore a camo bow tie to go with it. He was also sporting one piece of jewelry, the same as Ash: A Mega Necklace. The male appeared to be much younger than Ash, most likely the age of 17 if Ash could give a ballpark range. The boy walked up to Ash and stared at him. Ash stared back.
'Time for a little cold Ghost-talk.' Ash thought.
The boy spoke first. "So… word is you're Ghost."
Ash didn't say anything. "All these people here think they've got a chance." He scoffed and then chuckled. "They really haven't seen you battle have they?" Ash couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in surprise. This guy didn't sound like he was insulting him, but rather, acknowledging his strength in battle.
Ash spoke. "You've done your homework." He then frowned. This boy seemed familiar… but where did Ash know him from? He couldn't place his finger on it.
The boy shrugged. "Well I've seen you battle firsthand. I was a semi-finalist until Gardens dispatched me." Ash's eyes slightly widened. THAT was where he knew this boy from! He also understood why he hadn't recognized him. It had been years since Ash had seen this boy, and he hadn't even battled him. However, someone very close to him had.
"You've certainly grown Abel." Ash smirked a little. Abel actually appeared to be taken aback at this, like he didn't expect Ghost to actually know who he was. Ash added with a grin. "I do my homework too." The boy nodded, an emotionless expression on his face. "I suppose I should've known; you are the best trainer here after all… well… after me of course." Ash didn't say anything. He knew better than to underestimate this trainer.
He was, after all, the trainer that defeated Zandra in the tournament. However, that was before Abel had been starstruck in the following round by the eventual runner-up of the tournament named Deshiro Gardens. Ash had easily squashed Gardens, only losing two Pokémon while crushing all of Gardens' Pokémon. In the prior rounds, in the top 8, Zandra had been defeated by Abel, who still had two Pokémon left when he was declared the winner. Gardens had bamboozled Abel in the following round with many status conditions that left him desperate. He had fallen just short, knocking out four of Gardens' Pokémon before falling.
Abel Winchine grinned just a little. "You've got modesty Ghost. Anyone else in your position would be bragging about how easy it would be to win." Ash wisely and coldly said. "Overconfidence leads to defeat."
Abel tapped the side of his head while smirking at Ash. "Yet, no confidence at all gives one no battle spirit, wouldn't you agree?" Ash nodded. "I would indeed."
Abel walked up to Ash's side and whispered quietly. "We didn't have the chance to battle in the tournament before. I would've won then… and I will win now. I'm sorry Ghost, but I am going to win this championship and take your crown. Whenever we battle, and I know we will…" He walked slowly past him. "… I will be ready." He then walked out; a calm yet determined expression written all over his face.
Ash and Pikachu didn't look back to face him. Instead, once Ash knew he was gone, he turned to his faithful partner since day one and spoke quietly. "It appears… we have met our match in this tournament. But… he better watch it. After all…" He grinned and spoke in a serious yet joking manner.. "With that kind of overconfidence, we can't lose."
Present… the following day… Alolan Battle Stadium…
The crowd was bustling around. Shops were selling various goods and items. But of course, the most bustling place was inside the stadium itself. It was state of the art. The stadium was designed to look like a giant bowl. Sophocles thought it would be perfect because it would seat so many people. The grand total of maximum capacity? Over a hundred thousand. All kinds of events were held there, but some of its finest features were those that some fans didn't even see.
That feature was the ray shield. Ash knew how much damage would be caused if many high end battles would be held there, so he insisted that Sophocles and Clemont install a high-tech ray shield to protect the walls and ceiling from all types of attacks.
As Ash sat down, he was silently thanking his lucky stars that he insisted they install the ray shields. He knew Grimsley and Axel were going to be fighting with everything they had today, and although the stadium was new and had experienced some tough battles, this was possibly the toughest battle it would ever face. On Ash's left, stood Grimsley, a soft grin on his face, signaling just how confident he was. And of course, on his right, stood the determined Axel. He looked quite the opposite from Grimsley: Laser-Focused and hellbent on winning.
Ash and his elites were sitting in their private box. Ash could sense the tension from July, who was feeling very off. Her usual cool demeanor was replaced by a nervous, anxious, and worried one. Ash knew she was never like this, and Zandra was trying to comfort her. Xavier muttered to Ash. "Shit is going to fly. These two are going to be battling as if it's the last battle they'll ever have."
Ash nodded in affirmative. "You're right about that. I'm more worried about July. This battle is going to take a toll on her."
Indeed, July was very distressed. She had been unable to sleep. These two never got along. And now, they would be fighting in front of over a hundred thousand people plus those watching on live television. She knew Axel and Grimsley, and on the outside, they were both the same. They both shared calm and cool personalities; unlike Xavier, it was not easy to rile them up. However, the two of them just loathed one another for some reason. She never understood it.
Grimsley called across the battlefield. "Oh Axel? Do try to not mess up this battle, we wouldn't want any accidents now would we?" Axel frowned. Grimsley was more confident than usual. "We'll see about that Grimsley, if anyone's having the accidents, it's gonna be you!" He yelled back.
"That so? Hm… delusional as always. You know, acting like I didn't know you was the equivalent of putting a small bandage on a cankerous wound; it was not pleasant nor… effective… in the slightest." He chuckled. Axel fired back. "Pretending that I didn't know you wasn't a field day for me either you know."
Grimsley scoffed. "Oh, please… as if anyone could be unattracted to me… take your dear July for example…" Axel growled and on the sidelines, July shook her head. Grimsley and Axel. Fire and Water. Hot and Cold. It didn't matter. They just didn't mix.
The referee had seen enough of the pregame. "This battle is between Elite Four Grimsley of Unova against Elite Four Axel of Alola! This is a three on three battle with substitutions allowed. Furthermore, Pokémon may not hold items in this battle. By rule, Elite Axel will show first, and have the first move. Grimsley will show second, and have the second move. The winner of this battle will move on in the tournament to the second round. The loser will be eliminated. Trainers ready?" He raised both flags and yelled.
"MAY THE FIRST BATTLE, BEGIN!" Axel gripped a pokeball and yelled, "Galvantula, shock and awe!" The bug and electric type mix took the battlefield with a cry of its name and prepared for the most important battle of its life. Grimsley majestically took a pokeball out and called out with a melodic voice. "Drapion, role call!" The dark and poison Pokémon lined up opposite and roared loudly when it saw it's opponent.
Meanwhile, back in the seats, the Alolan Elites had different reactions. Zandra commented aloud. "Axel getting put up as the first show didn't help him, that's for sure. Galvantula was supposed to be a secret weapon!"
Xavier nonchalantly pointed out. "Yeah, but either way, Grimsley was almost certainly going to be using Drapion, so it's not like Axel shouldn't have expected that. Plus, if he's really dialed in, he can beat Drapion without having a type advantage." Both Ash and July stayed quiet as they watched the first battle commence. The referee raised both flags once more and yelled. "BATTLE COMMENCE!"
Axel called out the first move of the tournament. "Galvantula, begin with Electroweb!" Galvantula charged up what appeared to be an electric spider web and tossed it at the opposing Pokémon. Grimsley chuckled. "Drapion, slice through it with Slash!" Drapion's arms turned white and it swung around, slicing through the attack like sand paper.
"Now it's our turn to jump on the offensive! Use Fire Fang!" Drapion speedily charged the bug with its mouth engulfed in flames. Axel was ready. "Now! Hop on Drapion's back!" Just as Drapion clamped down, it was caught off guard when Galvantula disappeared. It reappeared on its back before it could react. "Electroweb!" From point blank range, there was nothing that Drapion could do to evade the attack, and was struck hard by the Electric type move, and suffered a speed reduction to go along with it.
Grimsley frowned. "Drapion! Use your claws to navigate the field better! Use fire fang until you catch it!"
Drapion nodded and digging it's pincers into the ground, it was able to swiftly lunge at Galvantula. Axel ordered. "Jump up and use thunderbolt!" Once more, the super effective move missed and the bug jumped high into the air only to launch a massive and jagged bolt of lightning. Grimsley grimaced. This wasn't going according to plan yet. Axel looked prepared against him, which was not good in the slightest for the Unova elite.
"Galvantula, use Agility!" The bug and electric mix began appearing and disappearing at will around Drapion, who couldn't pinpoint the location of it. Axel smirked, and Grimsley paled. He was falling behind, and both of them knew it. July frowned slightly. Axel was acting very confident, while Grimsley wasn't. What was going on? Then… she saw it.
Axel saw an opening. "Get it! Latch onto it's back and give it another Electroweb!" Grimsley smirked. 'About time.'
"Now! To your right! Catch it!" In one swift motion, Drapion swung it's body a full 180 degrees and snatched the bug type in it's one claw, immobilizing it completely. The crowd gasped in shock. The tables had turned. Axel paled; he had forgotten about Drapion's physical abilities! This wasn't good for him. Grimsley made it worse. "Toxic!"
A giant purple blob was hurled at the electric and bug type, and when it connected, it badly poisoned it. Axel cursed, but Grimsley wasn't done. "Toss it up and use Venoshock!" Drapion hurled the tiny bug type up in the air and fired off another poison type move at it's opponent. Axel knew he could not let that move hit. He yelled. "Galvantula, regain focus and spin out of the way!"
Just before it connected, Galvantula managed to spin in the air and avoid the move that would deal a tremendous amount of damage. It landed perfectly on the ground. Axel knew he couldn't use physical moves, regardless of Drapion's reduced speed. "Signal Beam!" Galvantula released a rainbow-like beam towards the dark type.
"Drapion! Use your tail to launch yourself over the beam, then use Venoshock in midair!" Axel's eyes bulged open when he saw Drapion sail over Galvantula's move and fire a purple blast at his Pokémon. "Avoid it!"
And that was when Axel realized his mistake, and Grimsley knew he had Axel trapped. Because Drapion was still in midair, it prevented Galvantula from jumping. The problem was that Venoshock had been fired over Galvantula's head, not specifically meant to hit it, but trap it. It forced Galvantula to go in one direction: closer to Drapion. Grimsley took his shot. "Fire Fang!"
Drapion struck from above, ramming into a completely surprised Galvantula, sending it flying backwards. "Oh No! Galvantula!" Axel cried. Grimsley roared. "Venoshock!" A giant explosion covered the field after that command. Axel covered his eyes and winced when the smoke cleared. Grimsley and Drapion were both still standing. When the smoke was completely gone, the crowd saw Galvantula sitting in the bottom of the pile, completely knocked out.
"Galvantula is unable to battle, Drapion wins!" The crowd exploded and Grimsley nodded to himself a few times. This was like clockwork for him. Axel was gritting his teeth. With Galvantula already poisoned, the move did an absurd amount of damage. Add that with the fire fang and there was no chance for the poor bug type.
Meanwhile, Ash and his elites had mixed reactions. Xavier whistled. "Whoa… Grimsley knocked off Axel's first Pokémon. That's pretty impressive."
Zandra nodded. "You can say that again."
Ash shrugged. "Wasn't that impressive really." His elites, excluding July, stared at him in bewilderment. "What do you mean?" Ash pointed out. "If I didn't know better I'd say Grimsley wanted to get Axel's confidence up to lure him in. Drapion isn't a Pokémon you'd think would be that physical, but it is. You don't see a lot of Drapion out here in Alola, so Grimsley may have been banking on it. Whether he was or he wasn't, in ended in his favor."
Grimsley grinned. "That's how you start a battle! A phenomenal battle Drapion, as per usual!" Drapion roared its name and got into a battle stance, preparing for its next challenger. Axel gripped his next pokeball and yelled. "Zebstrika, shock and awe!" The electric zebra took the field and cried out its name loudly. Ash was bewildered. After seeing what Drapion had just done to his Galvantula, Ash had to wonder why Zebstrika was out. It didn't take long for him to come up with a solution. 'Ahhhh it's because of his last Pokémon…' He nodded to himself.
Grimsley called out the first move. "Drapion, use Toxic!" The dark and poison type launched a purple blob at the electric zebra. Axel countered. "Show them your speed! Evade it and prepare for Wild Charge!" Zebstrika charged towards the attack and then at the last second, juked left, evading it. Electricity began circuiting from the animal, and Grimsley decided to stop it before it could get too much power.
"Counter it with Slash, quick!" Drapion charged at Zebstrika, and Axel's eyes gleamed. That was what he was looking for! "Quick Zebstrika! Stop Wild Charge!" Zebstrika immediately stopped moving, allowing Drapion to charge at it. Grimsley, meanwhile, was very confused. He had faced off against his fair share of Zebstrika before, after all, they were native to Unova, so he knew that he couldn't be banking on Static since it wasn't possible for Zebstrika to have that ability. So what was it?
It didn't take long to find out. "Use Ion Deluge!" The next thing Drapion knew, it smashed into Zebstrika with as much power as it could possibly muster with the slash attack, believing to have crushed its body entirely. It then got a good view of his opponent and blinked in confusion. Zebstrika was completely unharmed!
"Hm? What's this?" Grimsley pondered aloud in confusion. Axel smirked. "You're about to find out, and you won't like it! Thunder Wave!" Before Grimsley could even blink, Zebstrika was gone and had reappeared to the side of Drapion.
"To your left! Catch it!" Drapion reached out for Zebstrika, but was caught flat-footed when it totally whiffed, blinded by the pure speed of Zebstrika. Then, it howled in pain as Zebstrika paralyzed the poison type. Grimsley grit his teeth, all of Axel's Pokémon were blazing fast! He growled and called out. "Toxic!" Drapion estimated a spot and fired off the move. It missed easily without even giving a command.
"Use Wild Charge!" As Zebstrika rushed Drapion, Grimsley called out with a slightly desperate tone. "Use your arms to swing out of the way!" However, with Paralysis, there was no chance of evading it. Zebstrika roared and slammed into Drapion, sending it flying across the battlefield. It landed in front of a totally surprised Grimsley.
"Drapion is…" The referee began but was cut off as Drapion roared and got to its feet. Axel was caught off guard and Grimsley saw a chance to take advantage of the situation. "Quick! Use Toxic!" It took a step back to fire off the move, and lined it up perfectly with Zebstrika. Then, naturally, paralysis kicked in once again, making it lose concentration and stop the move.
'Shit.' Grimsley groaned.
"Finish it! Unleash Façade!" Grimsley's eyes bulged open in horror. That move would undoubtedly knock out Drapion should it hit. He yelled. "Quick! Hit it with Venoshock!" Drapion was able to attack this time, and as Zebstrika charged it, Drapion was able to hit it with a poison type move, making Zebstrika lose concentration completely and roll out of façade. Axel growled under his breath. "Get up and try it again!" Zebstrika charged in, Façade ready to go.
"Slash!" A large explosion blanketed the field instantly. However, the entire crowd already knew the result. Nobody had seen Drapion even get the move off. And when the dust settled, it was obvious that their eyes had not deceived them. Drapion was lying on it's stomach relatively close to Grimsley with swirls in its eyes. The referee raised his flag. "Drapion is unable to battle, Zebstrika wins!"
Axel fist pumped. "Hell yeah! That's how it's done!"
Ash was impressed. "He outthought Grimsley there, though I doubt he's ever heard of Ion Deluge before in all honesty."
And back on the battlefield, as he returned his fallen Pokémon, Grimsley wasn't afraid to question what he had just seen. "Care to indulge me on what tactic I just saw?"
Axel shrugged and explained. "Ion Deluge is a move that temporarily makes all normal type moves turn into electric type moves. When I used that move, you hit Zebstrika with Slash, a normal type move. It negated all damage and boosted his speed with—" Grimsley interrupted. "Lightning Rod. You then used that extra speed to paralyze Drapion and finish it with Façade. That is honestly an impressive battle tactic… but let's see if you can handle this one Axel. Liepard, Role Call!" The purple cat took the field opposite to the Zebra. Both Pokémon exchanged glares with one another. Axel and Grimsley frowned at one another and prepared to continue.
July…
'What the heck are these two doing? They're bringing out their very best… why do these two hate one another? I've never seen Grimsley so serious, and I've never seen Axel this determined. Even worse, their Pokémon are going to take a beating until someone finally falls.' She pondered and shook her head.
Ever since last night, she still had been unable to come to a conclusion on who to support. Both of them meant so much to her, but she knew if she rooted for one, the other would retaliate. Therefore, she could not support either side. Axel always tried to convince her Grimsley wasn't right for her, and Grimsley would always try to convince her that she needed to distance herself from Axel.
How could she choose from one another? Both held special places in her heart; she couldn't betray either of them. Therefore, being neutral was the best side to join.
Battlefield…
"Liepard, begin with Aerial Ace!" The purple cat charged at Zebstrika and began to prepare to launch the flying type move. Axel countered. "Wild Charge!" The two attacks collided, fighting for dominance. Then, finally, it was Wild Charge that overpowered Aerial Ace, and Liepard was sent flying backwards, lying on its stomach in the middle of the battlefield. The Alolan natives cheered for their elite.
Grimsley frowned. This Zebstrika was certainly a nuisance. But then, an idea came to him. It was kind of a douchey move, but it was a legit play. He waved his hand to the side and ordered. "Liepard, use Taunt!" As his Electric-Type became subject to the taunt, Axel blinked in confusion, that wasn't so bad. He was fairly certain Liepard didn't know any normal type moves, and it couldn't be paralyzed thanks to its ability Limber.
"What was the point of that Grimsley?" Axel said in confusion. Grimsley swiftly made his move.
"Liepard, return!" Axel's eyes widened a little when Grimsley yelled. "Krookodile! Role Call! Use Earthquake!"
Ash gasped in shock, if Krookodile was his last Pokémon, Axel was in deep trouble. Sure enough, the red alligator took the battlefield and immediately unleashed one of the most feared ground type moves. An explosion covered the middle of the field as a result. Axel grimaced when he saw his faithful electric type still standing, though it was panting heavily and wincing from the strain of the attack.
It was now that he realized how limited his options were here. If he swapped, it was likely that Krookodile could grab a free move on his starter Pokémon. He couldn't let that happen, but if he kept Zebstrika in, he was essentially a sitting duck. With Taunt still active, he couldn't use any status condition moves, taking out half of his rotation already. Being a ground type meant Wild Charge did nothing, and that left Façade. If only Taunt wasn't active…
"Zebstrika! Run in and strike on all sides with Façade! Don't let Earthquake hit!" Unfortunately for Axel, Grimsley knew this move was coming, since it was the only thing Axel could do, and he had a tactic for it.
"Time for Foul Play!" When he heard that command, Ash looked away, knowing the battle was over. He wasn't wrong. Krookodile grabbed Zebstrika when it was attacking and as it struggled, unleashed the powerful dark type move in one fell swoop. Zebstrika was slammed into the ground, and didn't get up. It wouldn't be moving anytime soon either.
"Zebstrika is unable to battle, Krookodile is the Winner!" The entire stadium cheered loudly, shocked at how easily and how fast Zebstrika was blown out of the water by Grimsley's most dominant Pokémon, at least against electric types. Xavier commented aloud. "Axel wasn't thinking on his feet there, that's why he got knocked off that round. He needs to stay constantly focused. Now his entire tournament hinges on his best Pokémon."
July, for the first time, finally spoke. "Yeah, but he's going to win. I know he is." The other three in the box looked at her in utter shock, not believing what they had just heard: words. She blinked and stared at them when she realized she had been eerily silent for a very long time. She blushed and said. "W-what? Focus on the battle and not me!" She defended herself. The other three looked away from her one by one and she finally let out a breath of air she had supposedly been holding in. 'Come on Axel… I know you can win.' She thought.
Meanwhile, back on the field, Axel was staring at his faithful partner, who had a grin on his face. Grimsley casually returned Krookodile and said in a confused tone. "I honestly expected more from you Fractera. What's going on with you today? Come on, give me a battle!"
On cue, Zeraora walked onto the battlefield and stood between both trainers, facing off against Grimsley's Liepard. "If you want a battle… I'll give you a war!" Zeroara took a fighting stance and Grimsley smirked a little.
"Liepard, use taunt!" Like with Zebstrika, the taunt worked on Zeraora. Only this time, it wasn't going to matter. Axel had a plan to knock off this Liepard in just two moves, if everything went to plan. "Use Plasma Fists on the ground! Let it rip!" What was seen next was seen only in films. In one full swing, Zeraora let out a loud battle cry and raised both its arms, which were a glowing light blue, and smashed the ground with every ounce of strength it could muster.
It was a gorgeous spectacle for onlookers. An explosion mixed with blue electricity and boulders created a fissure straight at Liepard, who was too mesmerized by the spectacle to even move out of the way. Xavier screamed, "Hell Yeah!" when the move hit. An explosion covered the field, and a moment later, Liepard was sent hurtling through the air, making the crowd gasp in shock. Ash chuckled. "I'll never get old of seeing moves like that."
Liepard smashed into the ground and desperately attempted to regain focus. It was desperately close to fainting, but it was giving Grimsley one last move to use. Axel, however, wouldn't allow it. "Finish it. Use Close Combat!" Zeraora began to punch and kick Liepard, who cried out in pain every time a blow connected. After a solid ten seconds of consistent connections, Zeraora gave one last mighty yell and smashed Liepard directly in its head.
Liepard got sent hurtling backwards, did a front flip, then landed on its face, completely knocked out and out for the count. The referee made the call. "Liepard is unable to battle, Zeraora is the winner!" The crowd let out a cheer for Axel, who acknowledged the cheer modestly.
July couldn't contain her shock. "B-but how? His Pokémon barely sustained any sort of damage! How was Liepard knocked out so easily?"
Ash grinned. "It's the bond Zeraora and Axel share. It's their sacred power. Did you forget about that?" July blinked and replied in bewilderment. "But that would mean he's fighting for someone close to him… but who?" Ash smirked a little when she wasn't looking. For someone so intelligent and beautiful, she was rather dull when it came to Axel.
Back on the battlefield, Grimsley nodded sourly then called out his faithful partner. Zandra pointed out. "Both of them have used two of their four moves a piece. I wonder what moves each of them know."
The referee announced. "This is the final battle of this matchup. Whoever wins this fight will be moving on, the loser will be eliminated. Battle Commence!"
Axel yelled. "Get ready for anything!"
Grimsley ordered. "Outrage!" Krookodile charged at the electric type with a loud roar. Axel ordered. "Evade left!" Zeraora did as it was told. Grimsley commanded. "Again!" Axel calmly said. "Just keep rolling." Zeraora continued to elude Krookodile, who was becoming increasingly more and more agitated by the Pokémon's agility. However, after just a few more seconds of misses, and Krookodile suddenly stopped.
It began to stumble back and forth, signaling it's confused status. Axel didn't waste any time. "Quickly! Use Bulk Up!" Grimsley frowned a little and could only watch as Zeraora's attack and defense went up once, then twice. After the second time was completed, Krookodile stopped stumbling around and realized what went wrong. Grimsley said loudly.
"Earthquake!" Krookodile let out a mighty roar and began shaking the ground. Axel knew this tactic and also knew how to counter it. "Jump Across the Rocks and use Close Combat!" Grimsley's eyes widened in horror as Zeraora hopped across the shaking rocks with athleticism before jumping straight at Krookodile and preparing to strike it with an agile blow. Suddenly, Grimsley's eyes widened: A plan!
"Now! Foul Play!" Axel's eyes bulged open in horror. "Oh No! Get Out of there!" Too late. As Zeraora looked back to hear the cry of terror, Krookodile snagged its leg and tossed it into the crowd, landing with a sickening crunch. Krookodile wasn't nearly finished. It swung Zeraora around and around rapidly before once more smashing it into the rocks beneath it two more times. It then tossed Zeraora up into the air and Grimsley cried out. "Outrage!"
Zeraora didn't stand a chance by the looks of it. Zeraora was getting abused by the powerful dragon type move and it was clear to everyone. The Alola fans were eerily silent while the Unova supporters were celebrating loudly. With one final punch, Zeraora was sent hurtling into the wall behind Axel, who whirled around in horror. The crowd looked on in shock as they awaited to see the condition of Axel's last Pokémon.
After a few seconds, Zeraora fell to the ground. Then, after a moment, it slowly arose to it's feet. However, there was no mistaking the fact that it was panting hard. Still though, Zandra couldn't believe it. "How on earth did Zeraora survive that punishment from Krookodile?" Ash replied with a shrug. "Multiple reasons. Aside from the fact that Zeraora is Axel's most conditioned Pokémon, Foul Play is a dark type move, making Foul Play just barely effective in the first place. Outrage is powerful, but don't forget Bulk up boosts both Attack and Defense, therefore nullifying the damage of both Foul play and Outrage more."
"Zeraora, use Bulk up again!" Axel ordered. Zeraora panted but did as its trainer commanded, boosting up its attack and defense once more before Krookodile snapped out of its confusion. Ash shook his head. "That was the wrong move to choose." Sure enough, Grimsley caught onto it as well. "Krookodile, snap out of it and quickly use Earthquake!"
As if by magic, Krookodile listened to its trainers call and snapped out of the confusion before letting out a mighty roar and shaking the ground. What happened next befuddled even Ash.
"Plasma Fist's on the ground!" The whole stadium gasped in surprise, and that included Axel's own box of elites. July couldn't believe the command he had just given. "Is he crazy? There's no way that will work! Why not just evade the entire attack?" Xavier spoke nothing, only watching his close friend with bewilderment on his face. It was a few seconds later when Ash suddenly said. "Wait… maybe it's not the worst idea."
"HUH?" His elite box said in disbelief.
Back on the field, Zeraora let out a cry and jumped up. It's fists glowed and then it smashed it's arms onto the ground, creating the electric fissure that it had created before. Then, the most magnificent thing happened. The electric explosion blew up the shaking ground in front of it and created a straight path to its target: Krookodile. The stadium gasped in shock and surprise. Grimsley couldn't believe what had just happened.
Axel roared. "Now! Use Close Combat!" Fueled with Adrenaline, Zeroara let out a mighty cry and appeared right in front of Krookodile and began its attack. The more and more Krookodile was hit, the louder and louder the stadium got. A chant began from the Alola Natives, roaring. "Zer-aor-a! Zer-aor-a! Zer-aor-a!" Sensing the battle slipping away, Grimsley desperately initiated an escape plan. "Foul Play!" To everyone's shock, it worked. Krookodile managed to regain it's focus enough to the point that even through all the abuse it was going through, it managed to counter Zeraora and throw the electric type away. Zeraora hit the ground hard and slowly arose to its feet.
The move, however, had taken a huge toll on Krookodile. Combined with the various times that Bulk up had been used, Close Combat did an absurd amount of damage to Krookodile and it was obvious just how much damage each of them had sustained. Both the electric type and ground type were beaten and battered, but neither one wanted to give in.
Both Axel and Grimsley could tell, however, that the end of the battle was near. Whoever landed the most decisive strike next would likely win the fight. They looked into one another's eyes and knew that they would hate each other until the very end. At the same time, they cried out. "Outrage!" "Close Combat!"
The two attacks collided, neither one giving into the other. After a short time, it was over. They were both panting hard, bruised and wounded. Zeraora looked like it would collapse at any moment, and Krookodile, though confused from Outrage, looked like it was on the verge of collapsing.
Axel saw his chance though. "Zeraora! Use Close Combat Once more!" Grimsley's eyes widened, knowing Krookodile would be done if that move hit. But, fate favored him that moment. Zeraora took two steps forwards, then fell to its knees, beyond injured from the moves that it had sustained earlier. It took a bit to recover before it finally pushed itself to its feet and was able to fight again. By this time, Krookodile had recovered from confusion as well.
"Zeraora…"
"Krookodile…"
"Let's Finish This!" They yelled at the same time. "Hyper Beam!" They both began charging up the massive beam in preparations for the final move. Zeraora and Krookodile were both on the verge of passing out, and the entire audience could see this and was anxious for their condition. July could see just how wounded and damaged both of their Pokémon were and was hurt by the fact knowing that both of these two were pushing their limits to the absolute maximum for Axel and Grimsley.
Finally, she could take it no longer. "BOTH OF YOU STOP!" Regardless of how far away she was from the actual battlefield, both of them turned up to stare at her, recognizing her voice immediately. "Look at what you're doing to your Pokémon! They've given their all! Stop this at once! Nobody is going to blame you if you lose! Look at how injured they are, yet you keep pushing them!" She cried at them, catching the attention of everyone around her.
Axel took the time to stare at his faithful partner, and then realized what a horrible mistake he had made. He saw just how wounded his partner was and now saw the error of his ways. Blinded by his hate for Grimsley, he had been willing to do anything to defeat him… even at the cost of his own partner's wellbeing.
Grimsley, meanwhile, looked at his partner in horror all the same. He saw the bruises all over Krookodile and realized that Krookodile had likely given it's all and nothing could change that. He knew this battle was over anyway, and that both Pokémon had put every ounce of effort they could, yet he kept demanding more. Guilt took over him.
"Please! PLEASE! Call off the battle! Please!" July cried.
Axel and Grimsley stared at one another across the battlefield, eyes locked. Neither one of them seemed to be willing to break the glance first, neither one wanting to be the one to concede first.
But, eventually, someone did.
Axel spoke. "Zeraora, stop the attack. You gave it your all. We need to get you checked out at the Pokémon center." The electric type looked back at his trainer with a small smile on his face as it stopped charging the attack, as if it was thanking Axel from stopping it from battling anymore. The crowd cheered when it heard Axel tell his partner that he did a great job and didn't need to battle.
Grimsley slightly smirked. "Hate to break up this reunion, but if you aren't a winner, you're a loser! Unleash the attack!" Krookodile let out a roar and fired off the beam at a totally vulnerable Zeraora. The entire crowd gasped in shock as Grimsley had ordered his Pokémon to attack a defenseless Pokémon. Axel's eyes widened in horror and he sprinted out onto the battlefield and threw himself in front of Zeraora. July screamed as an explosion covered the field. "AXEL!"
Ash was standing up and leaning over the ledge of the railing protecting them from falling, a horrified look on his face.. Xavier and Zandra were attempting to calm July, who was sobbing uncontrollably on the floor. She wailed his name over and over again, knowing that he had just listened to her pleas, only to get killed by the opposing Pokémon.
The referee raised his flag. "Zeraora is unable to—" He stopped talking when he saw a slightly green glow coming from inside the smoke and dust. Then, as the smoke and dust totally faded, the crowd exploded into cheers.
Ash chuckled in relief. "Zeraora sure picked a good time to learn that."
July pushed herself up and stared over the ledge and gasped. Zeroara had a large ray shield around itself and Axel, who was staring at his partner in shock. She squealed in joy, tears still streaking down her face. "Zeraora learned Protect!"
Zeraora lowered the shield and Axel grinned at his faithful partner. "Thank you Zeraora. You saved me." Zeraora nodded. "Ra!" It said.
He then walked back to his side of the field and got into a battle stance. "Zeraora, let's finish this!" His Pokémon, who seemingly had gotten a third wind, looked ready for anything. Axel roared. "Now, we become one!" Crossing his arms, and beginning to punch in front of him, he finished with a dominant pose, and yelled. "Unleash your inner powers!"
Zeraora let out a cry and charged a stunned Krookodile, and just before the move connected, Axel yelled. "All-Out Pummeling! Finish it!"
The explosion that blanketed the battlefield was blinding. Dust and smoke emerged from the Z-move, and Ash let out a whoop of joy. Xavier stared down, waiting to see the ending result. How Zeraora was still standing was miraculous. It looked as though it was about to be knocked over instantly by a gust of wind. Grimsley silently pleaded for a miracle, while the audience awaited to see the end result of the multiple explosions blanketing the alligator.
The referee peered into the smoke, and must've seen something, because he raised his hand and announced. "Krookodile is unable to battle, Zeraora wins! Therefore, the winner of this battle and the trainer moving on to the next round is Axel Fractera representing Alola!"
Zandra jumped up and cried out. "YES!" The entire crowd followed suit, roaring in cheers from the magnificent first battle. Axel fell to his knees and sighed in relief. He then ran over to his faithful partner and began applying various medicines to him, making sure he would be okay to take over to the Pokémon Center. Grimsley couldn't believe he had lost; he was so close! He had almost squashed his rival once and for all, and now, his dreams of winning the tournament were gone. At least he still had July, otherwise, he was unsure of where he'd be.
"Ahem." He turned and surprisingly saw none other than the Ghost beside him with an unreadable expression on his face. He placed a hand on Grimsley's shoulder and said quietly. "Walk behind you and out the doors. Take the first right you see, tell him Ghost sent you. Don't question it." He then walked to the referee and began talking to him.
Grimsley scratched his head in confusion but did as he was asked and walked to the doors in which he entered. Why was he being asked to go there? There had to be a good reason. He walked out of the stadium with slight applause but not much more than that, as Grimsley had ordered a move that could be considered a cheap shot to many. He shrugged it off. He couldn't let his emotions get in the way, yet he had still lost. He refused to let Axel get the best of him, but it had happened anyway.
He opened the door nearest to the right and stepped inside. It was fairly dark in the room and he cautiously gripped a pokeball on his belt. It slammed shut and then the lights flicked on. He was more than just a little surprised to see the rest of the Ghost's elites standing there, with the lone exception of Axel. He only spoke to one of them, however. "July! Darling! I'm so glad to—" he approached her for a hug, only to be smacked upside the cheek.
He stumbled back and rubbed the spot where she had hit him. Tears were in her eyes.
"So, this is what it came to? You and Axel are out there fighting over me, and that's what you decide to do? To prove your "Unwavering Loyalty, Sincerity, and Dedication" to our love, your first action is to attack a defenseless Pokémon with one of the most dangerous attacks known to man?
'This is not good.' Grimsley silently groaned. "M-my love… I m-made a mistake…" SMACK. Two times the charm. He stumbled backwards again; his eyes widened in disbelief. She nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Mistake? Yeah, I made a mistake too. That was choosing you over Axel. He's always been there for me, telling me just how bad of a boyfriend you were."
She sniffed and said angrily. "I always defended you, while he claimed you were nothing but selfish, and I refused to believe him."
Grimsley stuttered. "B-b-but that's not true…" Xavier pointed out from the side. "Then what exactly do you call what we just saw?" Grimsley glared at Xavier. "Back out of this, Pretty Boy. I'm trying to have a conversation with my girlfriend."
"You were." July growled.
Grimsley looked back at her. "Perfect, then let's continue."
She shook her head, her beautiful face stained with tears. "No, you were my boyfriend. And I was your girlfriend." Grimsley blinked before laughing hysterically. The Alola Elites watched him with emotionless expressions. Once he finally calmed down, he chuckled and said. "You? Dump me? I must've not heard that right. Are you certain that's the best course of action?"
Just then, Axel walked into the room with a bewildered look on his face. Xavier's eyes lit up when he saw his close friend, and Zandra smiled at him. Grimsley narrowed his eyes in anger when he saw the yellow haired boy walk into the room. July, however, had a mischievous smile on her face; the same one all her friends and elites saw her have every single day.
She walked right up to Grimsley and told him with a grin. "How's this for certain?" She then kicked him right in between the legs, making him wheeze in pain and collapse with clutching the area in between. He moaned in discomfort while he desperately tried to stop the pain that was attacking his private area.
Axel chuckled, but July wasn't finished. "And how's this for certain?" She grabbed the sides of Axel's face in her hands and crushed her mouth to his. Grimsley looked like he was watching a bus about to run him over. Xavier's eyes bulged out in complete shock. Zandra's jaw dropped in shock at the boldness of July.
After a few more seconds, she broke the kiss and stared at Axel, who had a dark blush covering his entire face. The blush faded and he said with a silly grin plastered on his face, "If I had known that was coming, I would've forfeited and ran all the way here." That was, apparently, the right thing to say, because July laughed happily and kissed him on the lips once more, as Axel wrapped his arms around her waist, determined to never let her go.
Battlefield… Traitors…
Max scoffed. "Clearly, these people from Alola can't battle that well. He nearly lost to that guy and his Pokémon were nearly completely defeated. This tournament should be a piece of cake, right guys?"
Bonnie cooed next to her boyfriend happily. "Of course babe! You'll easily win this tournament! First you'll crush anyone who gets in your way, all the way up to battling that jerk, Ghost! Next, you'll win the championship, and then we're rich!" The traitors all sweatdropped at Bonnie's simple plan. Serena spoke nothing and kept quiet, fiddling with her thumbs. Cilan said. "Still my friend, don't forget; both of those two were both Elites. They are some of the best in the world, don't underestimate them."
Max laughed arrogantly and grinned. "It's them who shouldn't underestimate me! I'm gonna crush each and every person here, mark my words!" Misty, who was sitting nearby, pointed out. "Hey! Don't forget, Trip and I are here too! Cilan is participating as well!" She leaned up against trip with a seductive grin on her face. Bonnie giggled and teased her boyfriend. "Me too, babe. Don't get too confident!"
Iris waved her hand dismissingly. "I would be shocked if you all don't make it that far though, let's be real! You guys are easily winning this tournament, no problems at all!" The group agreed loudly before Trip hushed them all. "Guys, quiet down! Ghost is about to talk!"
Sure enough, back down on the battlefield, Ghost walked onto the referees podium and roared. "How are we all doing out there?" The crowd exploded into cheers and Ghost nodded once or twice, making sure the crowd was satisfied. "Heyyyy that's right guys! Before we reveal the tournament bracket, let me give a huge thanks to Axel and Grimsley for a stellar opening matchup!"
The crowd let out a loud roar in response, thanking the two elites for their time. He grinned and pointed to the big screens around the stadium and called out. "There are four brackets that this tournament has been split into! Since there are exactly five hundred and twelve competitors participating in this tournament, that means there shall be exactly one hundred and twenty eight participants in each bracket. The winners of each bracket will automatically receive prizes set up by the committee, regardless of whether you are crowned the champion or not."
He continued. "If you'll all look at your Pokedex's right now…" Every competitor from around the stadium looked at their pokedex's. "… it will tell you which bracket you will be in. The brackets are labelled by Pokémon: The Arceus Bracket, the Girantina Bracket, the Zekrom Bracket, and the Yvetal Bracket. While all of the brackets are now posted right now at various places inside this stadium, you can look for your competition on the four big screens. You can see the outline of your Pokémon in the corner of your pokedex right now, that coordinates with a big screen right here in the stadium. Look for your name and see who your opponent is."
As trainers began searching for their matchup, Ash chose to do the same thing. He took out his pokedex and saw in the right side corner a symbol of the legendary Unova Pokémon, Zekrom, the fearsome Electric-Dragon-type. He then turned ninety degrees to his left to see who got placed where. His elites had all gotten separated, with the exception of himself and Axel, who had also been placed in the Zekrom bracket.
He searched for his first opponent and found her. She looked like she was a fairly attractive girl with curly blonde hair a sexy smile. Her dark brown eyes were lit up with mischief. Ash made a mental note to figure out who she was later. He raised his hand to the sky and yelled. "If you are an opening battle, be here tomorrow at 9 o clock… don't be late! With that, I thank you for coming out today, and may the best trainer… WIN!"
AN: Hollllllyyyy Crap. I just keep breaking through my previous records one by one. To be fair, when I started this chapter, I didn't expect it to be this long. I expect maybe 9,000ish words give or take, not on the borderline on Twelve THOUSAND. Either way, I'm sorry if you guys were hoping for a good Ash battle, you're gonna have to wait on that one. I'm going to try and include one or two major chapters featuring my OC elites, so bear with me here!
I'd like to thank a reviewer, BLstaz, for catching an error I made while typing this chapter. It's much appreciated and great to know that I've got so may followers watching my back and my writing to make sure I keep it free of errors!
In the meantime, if you're new, please follow, favorite, and review! It means a ton to me guys, so please go do so! I'm not sure what next chapter will feature, but, if you didn't notice, there was a bit of information of a "Power" that I mentioned while Axel and Grimsley battled. What kind of power is this? Well, guess you're gonna have to wait and find out!
Guys, Girls, everyone, hope you guys enjoyed it! This took me
forever to type up! So, until the next one ladies and gentlemen, it's been real! See you soon!
LegionZ