Chapter 91: Friends and Foes Alike Part 1

Deep in the corridors of the Stadium, Hau was preparing for his match against Sun. Although he was excited, he was also very apprehensive.

"I was hoping to save our match for the finals, but I guess fate had other plans for us. Look out Sun, because here I come!"

"Sun and Hau to the arena, please. Sun and Hau to the arena."

"Showtime."

With that, he made his way to the arena, ready as he'd ever be. Sun was already there, and although Hau couldn't be sure, he was certain he was thinking the same thing.

"This battle between Sun of Pua Town and Hau of Iki Town will now begin! Each trainer will use three Pokemon, and the battle will be over once all Pokemon on either side are unable to battle. Subsitutiions are allowed, and each trainer will send their Pokemon out at the same time. Are you ready?"

Sun and Hau nodded.

"Then let the battle begin!"

"Go, Raichu!"

"Persian, I Choose You!"

Ash watched intently from his place next to Lillie as the two Pokemon stared each other down. He was most interested in Hau's Raichu. Unlike other Raichu he had seen, this one used his tail as if it were a surfboard.

"Is that another Alolan form?"

"Sure is. That Raichu is part Psychic type."

"Psychic, huh? That puts it at a disadvantage, then. Since Persian is a dark type, its psychic type attacks won't do a thing."

"Type isn't everything, Ash. This battle will come down to skill and strategy."

Hau and Sun stared each other down, deciding their next move. Eventually, Sun made the initiative.

"Persian, use Beat Up!"

"Dodge and use Electro Ball!"

Persian pounced, ready to claw the mouse to shreds, but Raichu surfed on its tail to safety, hurling an Electro Ball to cover its escape. Persian saw this and jumped just in time, barely escaping unscathed.

"Not bad Hau, but we won't give up that easily! Persian, use Dark Pulse!"

"Discharge, Raichu!"

Dark energy clashed with bolts of lightning in the sky, each side putting every ounce of energy into their attacks. Eventually, the build up was so great that a small explosion occurred, covering the arena in smoke.

"Beat Up, Persian!"

"Raichu, watch out!"

Hau's words came too late, as Persian was already upon his Raichu and tearing it a new one. Raichu tried to get away, but Persian was relentless.

"Knock it off with Iron Tail!"

Barely managing to make enough room for preparation, Raichu swung its tail as hard is it could, slamming it into Persian's gut and sending it reeling. Hau felt pleased with this counterattack, but Sun was ready for that.

"Persian, use Payback!"

Recovering almost instantly, Perisan reeled back around and smacked Raichu with its own tail, causing it to cry out in pain. Before Raichu could recover, it started slashing into it with its claws, making it cry out even more. By the time Persian finally relented, Raichu was down and out.

"Raichu is unable to battle! The round goes to Persian!"

Hau smiled sadly as he returned his Pokemon.

"Good job, Raichu. Go, Crabominable!"

Sun briefly considered switching out, but decided against it. Persian hadn't taken too much damage, and he wanted to save his other two for when he would need them.

"Persian versus Crabominable, begin!"

"Hyper Beam, Persian!"

"Crabominable, Bulk Up!"

Crabominable brought his arms to his chest, forming a small shield so that he could gather energy while Persian's Hyper Beam besieged him. Eventually. Perian had to let up and recharge, giving Hau an opening he gladly took.

"Crabominable, use Close Combat!"

Acting fast, Crabominable was upon Persian, pounding it over and over with its large fists. Persian, being a dark type and not having the energy to retaliate, could only try and put up a meager defense.

"Throat Chop, Persian!"

Finally gaining enough strength, Persian slashed hard at Crabominable's throat, causing it to stumble back in pain.

"Reversal, Crabominable!"

Said pain didn't last long, and it quickly returned blows with a swift slap across the face, sending Persian flying back to Sun's side. By the time it hit the ground, it was already out cold.

"Persian is unable to battle. Crabominable is the winner!"

Despite now being on equal level with Hau, Sun couldn't help but enjoy himself. Choosing his next Pokemon carefully, he removed his next Pokeball.

"I wanted to save her for last, but you've forced my hand. Go, Primarina!"

Sun's fully evolved starter burst onto the scene, doing a small pirouette before landing gracefully, laughing playfully as she waved to the crowd. Hau was concerned, but decided to keep Crabominable in.

"Crabominable versus Primarina, begin!"

"Primarina, use Sing!"

Faster than Hau could react, Primarina swam through the air, getting up close and pesonal to her foe. Giving Crabominable a flirty wink, she began to sing a beautiful harmony, which made Crabominable feel drowsy. Despite his best efforts to stay awake, the yeti soon succumbed to the drowsiness and began dozing, much to Hau's shock.

"Crabominable, wake up! This is a battle, not a snooze fest!"

But Hau's pleas fell on deaf ears, giving Sun the opportunity he needed.

"Hit him with a Moonblast!"

Nodding, Primarina gathered energy within herself before unleashing it, sending waves of pink energy that swept over Crabominable, dealing massive damage. Despite this, he still wouldn't wake up.

"Enough messing around! Sparkling Aria, now!"

Primarina didn't need telling twice, summoning the largest bubble she could to ensnare Crabominable. Once the yeti was fully encased, she lifted it high above the arena. The sudden change of altitude was enough to wake him up, but by then it was too late.

"Crabominable, break out of it, quick!"

Crabominable thrashed about, trying to break free, but to no avail. Seeing no reason to prolong his suffering, Primarina lowered her raised flippers, telepathically bringing the bubble hurdling towards the ground, landing with an explosive impact. Once the dust had settled, Crabominable was down for the count.

"Crabominable is unable to battle! The round goes to Primarina!"

Hau was getting flustered. So far Sun had outwitted and outmatched him, and his only Pokemon left was his own starter. While he may have the advantage, he didn't know what Sun's last Pokemon was, plus he had the advantage of switching out...

"Trainer Hau, if you do not send out your final Pokemon in the next minute, you will be disqualified."

Snapping quickly out of his thoughts, Hau drew out his final Pokemon. No matter what, he had complete faith in his Pokemon. He wouldn't lose, he won't...

"Go, Decidueye!"

The Night hunter swooped down, eyeing his foe with a suspicious glance. This was it, Hau's last stand.

"Decidueye vs Primarina, begin!"

"Water Gun, Primarina!"

"Spirit Shackle!"

Decidueye flew up, darting around the shots of water before reaching his vantage point. Pulling back one wing, he formed a mini bow before shooting back, sending an energy arrow right into Primarina's shadow, trapping her in the arena with him while dealing her damage.

"A trapping move, huh? You're not playing around."

"Can't let you run and hide, now can I?"

"Who said anything about hiding?"

Hau furrowed his eyes, more determined than ever.

"Decidueye, use Leaf Storm!"

"Protect!"

Primarina brought up her shield just in time, flinching as it began to bend and buckle under the blunt of the leaf barrage. But still it held, forcing Hau to change tactics.

"Decidueye, use Peck!"

Flying fast, Decidueye was right on Primarina, bringing his beak down hard on her barrier as he tried to break through. Although it held at first, cracks soon began to form as Primarina struggled to keep it up until it finally broke, letting Decidueye attack her to his heart's content, but Sun wasn't going to take this sitting down.

"Use Draining Kiss!"

Decidueye brought his head back, ready for another round of drilling, but Primarina was faster, grabbing his head and bringing him in for a big smooch. When she let go, Decidueye stumbled back dizzily, but quickly regained his footing.

"Alright Decidueye, use Leaf Blade!"

"Hyper Voice!"

Decidueye reeled his arm back and slashed, cutting Primarina with its leafy texture. Hurt but not out, Primarina assaulted her foe's ears with a hyper enhanced voice, causing Decidueye to screech in pain. Seeing that their battle was going nowhere, Sun and Hau realized it was time to bring out their aces in the hole.

"Get ready Sun, because this ends now! Decidueye, use Sinister Arrow Raid!"

"Way ahead of you, buddy! Primarina, use Oceanic Operetta!"

Decidueye flew up, creating arrows made out of psychic energy before swooping back down to attack full force. Primarina was ready though, creating a massive bubble to deflect the arrows away before bouncing Decidueye back to Hau's field. Shaking itself off, Decidueye rose back to its talons, ready for another round...

Only to notice that the sky had gotten darker all of a sudden. Looking up, he saw the even bigger bubble right above his head, slowly descending. It could only gape in horror as it hit, covering the entire battlefield in a flood of water.

"Decidueye!"

By the time the water had receded, Decidueye was out cold. Hau had lost.

"Decidueye is unable to battle! The round goes to Primarina, and the match goes to Sun of Pua Town!"

"Alright, way to go Primarina!"

Hau returned his Decidueye, but he offered him no words of encouragement. His mind was still reeling, his loss playing back in his head. It just didn't feel real.

"Hey."

Hau snapped back to reality, looking up to see Sun standing over him, hand outstretched.

"Good match, Hau. You had us on the ropes at the end there."

Hau smiled, gladly shaking it.

"You too, Sun. Of course, you do realize that you have to win this now, right? If I'm going to lose, it had better be to the first Champion of Alola."

"You can count on it."