Here's a new chapter! Enjoy!
"Here it is! Raley City!" Liz pointed out.
She, along with Jason, Kristine, Amanda, Julian, and Bran walked along Route 111's cobble road with Raley City's skyline within sight.
"Valor Badge, here we come!" Julian cheered.
The group spent the previous night along Route 111, having set up their tents around a shared campfire. They departed the hilly forest terrain, entering flat grasslands.
As they got closer, paved roads became more prevalent, as did automobiles. Raley City was considered to be Inventum's fourth largest city. While not quite as big as Richland Port, the more compact metro area was still a sight to behold, with at least a dozen towering buildings standing at 20 stories or more, surrounded by commercial and residential districts from all sides.
"So," Kristine walked alongside her brother and the rest of the group, her eyes fixed on the guide book Amanda recently gave her. "Raley City boomed within the last twenty years, turning itself from a small city to a thriving hub that connects the coastal regions together, with Kenalta to the south and Viceport to the way way south. And, of course, Richland Port to the north."
"Pretty sure the Valor brand helped," Liz added. "The whole 'city pride' thing can catch on pretty quick."
"Considering Team Valor set up shop in Inventum 15 years ago, I'd say you're right," Kristine noted as she continued reading.
"Older than all of us," Jason mentioned.
"I wonder what Raley City will be like?" Amanda asked, browsing through her tablet.
"I have an idea," Julian suggested. "You should review your experience in Raley City. Blog it!"
"You can pick up a lot of younger followers that way," Bran contemplated.
Amanda shifted her eyes towards the two. "You guys are geniuses! I'll start blogging my adventures and give the rundown on Raley City!"
"At least you can give personal insight on the last nine gym leaders," Kristine chimed in.
"Wouldn't that be helpful to new trainers?" Jason snickered, knowing how good of an idea this was.
"You'd have to be active at this," Liz advised. "Consistent posting keeps the kids interested."
"You got that right," Amanda nodded. "From this day on, I'm making a blog, representing us as the next generation of trainers!"
The group walked along the sidewalk as passing cars zoomed past them. They were in the suburbs, approaching downtown Raley City. They passed several neighborhoods of one to two story homes, many which appeared to have been built within the past several years. Occasionally, they would see people with their pet pokemon out and about, usually the smaller, more tame ones such as snubbull, azurill, or pichu. These folks couldn't help themselves but frequently glance over at the group. Fully geared trainers were a fun sight to see; no one really knew for sure if they were looking at a future Cup contender, after all.
Jason noticed the glances. "I sense spotlight."
"The further you go, the brighter it gets," Liz replied. "Some is these people probably saw you and Kristine on TV last month."
"Not to mention the post Scarlet responded to," Amanda mentioned. She examined that very post on her tablet. "More than fifty thousand 'likes'."
"We're famous now!" Julian seemed excited by that idea.
After trekking through the suburban landscape, the group entered downtown Raley City. The buildings may not have been as big as some of the ones in Richland Port, but they were massive in their own merit. They all stood in close proximity to one another, making up the epicenter of all of Raley City. The Economy District, as Kristine read in the guide, was much less dedicated to entertainment or pokemon battles, but more about business aspects that can impact all of Inventum, good or bad.
The rest of Raley City was a different story. All four sides served as entertainment and commercial hubs. The group entered from the north end, which conveniently consisted the pokemon center, as well as various shopping centers centered around attire and supplies. The Trainers District, as it was aptly named, served as the hub for all incoming trainers.
Several blocks into the district, the group found the massive four story pokemon center, with deep red roofing and a light pink exterior. The group went inside, ready to settle down and prepare for what may lie ahead.
"Time to go get a comfy room and -" Amanda was the first to approach Nurse Joy's desk, but she was distracted by the television screen at the far side of the lobby.
It appeared to be on IPSN, with the anchors going about in their daily newscast, only the group picture that Amanda posted the other day was on full display at the right side of the screen.
"No way," Liz seemed surprised, approaching the screen.
"Oh man, I'm on TV!" Julian ran over.
"Yeah, me too," Bran seemed less comfortable at the idea.
"Fans of Team Valor we're surprised to find a pokemon trainer, known as Amanda Sanders, make a bold challenge to Scarlet just two days ago," the anchorman on the left addressed. "To which the Raley City gym leader responded, "Bring it!". While it appears Amanda is with a group of fellow trainers across Pattersbaugh Falls, two familiar faces are seen in the group photo: those of Jason and Kristine Kyar, who seem to do a little roughhousing pose. In case you were wondering where they were headed after claiming victory in last month's Power Duo, well, there you have it."
"Looks like Scarlet's gonna be busy for the next few days, Tom," the other anchorman chimed in before setting up for a commercial break. "Up next: where in the world are Dan and Dave Donnovan? Our own Yenela Kreea has answers."
Amanda walked up to the TV. "Our five seconds of fame," she was taken back.
"A single post did this," Liz said to her. "But to be fair, having the twins helped your odds."
Jason and Kristine, being the only ones not to approach the TV, approached Nurse Joy. It wasn't the first time they appeared on television, nor would it be the last, and they were very well aware of it. Besides, they didn't want to burst their friends' bubbles that their five seconds to fame on what was little more than a cute blip to fill time for a slow news day.
"Hi!" Kristine greeted. "One room with twin beds please!"
"Certainly!" Nurse Joy nodded, and began processing the information on her computer, before tilting her head upwards to face the twins. "Do you want to register for the Rings of Valor tomorrow?"
"Rings of Valor?" Jason seemed confused. "What's that?"
"It's a weekly competition that Team Valor hosts," Nurse Joy began to explain. "In the Valor, Arcade, and Shopping Districts are various objectives that you and your Pokémon hold. You accumulate points if you hold a spot, extra points if you hold it alone. The winner gets a chance to fight Scarlet the next day. And you only get to choose one Pokémon."
"One pokemon to hold down one spot?" Jason asked.
"Yep!" Nurse Joy confirmed. "You have to choose your spot wisely, because you all start right here in the Trainers District. Do you fight early in the Valor and Arcade districts or do you go for the Shopping District for potentially fewer opponents? And don't forget, advanced AI monitors the contest so if your pokemon faints, you can no longer get any more points."
"And how do we register our one pokemon?" Kristine asked. "Do we do it now or tomorrow?"
"Oh, you just release your pokemon out to the ring and the AI takes care of the rest," Nurse Joy smiled. Technology these days, huh?"
"Had nothing like it in the mountain regions," Jason mentioned.
"Ah, yes," Nurse Joy chuckled. "My cousins complain about doing things the old fashioned way from time to time."
Kristine looked at Jason. "You wanna do this?"
"For sure!" Jason replied, pumped up at the thought of competition.
"Okay, I'll just register you both in while I book your room," Nurse Joy said. "Your room is 301 on the left side, first door on the right."
Liz walked back towards the desk, facing the twins. "It May have been five seconds, but that was an awesome five seconds!"
"If we keep it up, we'll be in the spotlight all the time!" Kristine smiled.
"Yeah," Jason chuckled with a sense of uncertainty. "Spotlight."
"There's a competition tomorrow," Kristine addressed Liz. "You interested?"
"Competition, eh?" Liz seemed intrigued. "Well, spill the info. What's it about?"
"Competition?" Julian overheard, walking over. "Is there a tournament going on?"
"A tournament?" Amanda skipped over towards the desk. "I like tournaments!"
"Okay, what's going on?" Bran saw the commotion, and approached the group.
Nurse Joy let out a light laugh. "Okay, I'll run it all down for you. First off, you're all booking separate rooms, right?"
"Hey, we'll see you guys later!" Kristine said as she and Jason began to approach the nearby staircase.
"Bye!" Amanda waved.
Everyone else seemed too focused on Nurse Joy briefing them on the competition. The twins proceeded to the third floor through two flights of stairs, heading to their room. Once Kristine swiped the reader on the door with her key card, the door opened.
"Man," Jason quickly took off his backpack, dropping it practically in front of the door. "Time to get some rest."
Kristine shoved his backpack to the side with her right leg. "It's like noon."
"Well, we could find lunch somewhere nearby."
"Well," Kristine contemplated. "We can relax for a bit and head out later."
"Sounds good to me!" Jason walked over and sat down on the twin bed closest to the window before going through his pokedex. "I'm gonna have to figure out who to use tomorrow night?"
"We should come up with a plan," Kristine suggested. "We're competing against each other no matter what. Do we go together or do we split?"
"Nurse Joy said we get points for holding a ring, more if we hold it alone," Jason faced Kristine. "We could hold it together until we've defeated everyone, then fight."
"Would that be against the rules?" Kristine wondered.
Jason shrugged. "We can split. Show off our own strength, and may the best trainer win."
Kristine crossed her arms with a smile on her face in approval. "May the best trainer win, indeed."
The twins went out to explore the Trainers District later in the afternoon, leaving their backpacks behind but keeping their belts and pokeballs with them. The color theme of the entire district was red; all buildings had red rooftops, while some had red streaks right through the exterior walls. Even the pedestrian walkways had a red outline, and the lane markings that divide automobile traffic were light pink, likely as a compromise since red would be too dark to see, especially at night.
It became apparent to the twins what Raley City was themed around. They didn't need to go to the south side of the city to figure it out.
"We're inside a giant pokeball," Jason bluntly stated.
"We sure revolve our entire existence around our pokemon," Kristine chuckled.
The twins continued walking, passing by supply shops. They even passed by an In Your Element, and it appeared to be smaller than the one in Richland Port.
"They have one of these here as well?" Jason seemed surprised.
"It's a chain," Kristine mentioned. "I think they have two or three others besides the one in Richland Port and the one here."
"Might have to check it out then."
"Possibly. I've been having ideas lately for my teams having moves to cover their own weaknesses."
"Is it because of that machop who knew how to use Flamethrower?"
"Not quite. But knowing how machop is weak to flying types, well, what beats flying types?"
"Electric, ice, rock," Jason replied right off the top of his head.
"Well, there you go," Kristine smiled.
"I mean, that's smart," Jason commended.
"I try."
"By the way, shouldn't we be getting supplies? We were running a little light on human and pokemon food. Not to mention one of our canteens sprung a leak last night. Might want to replace it."
"Yeah," Kristine gave a nod. "But not until we leave the city. We can pretty much eat out, and the Pokémon center can feed our Pokémon."
"Good idea."
The twins came across a park moments later, much like the one in Richland Port. It came complete with several battle fields as well as an artificial lake in the center, in addition to wide open fields for training and scrimmaging."
"Found our training spot," Jason had a grin on his face. Kristine knew this was where her brother was going to do the vast majority, if not all, of his training with his team, but she had other ideas in mind.
"You know," she faced her brother. "I'm probably going to hit In Your Element. At least for tomorrow."
"Oh," Jason seemed slightly surprised, but he soon feared he may have overstepped. "Yeah, sis. You do your thing. Didn't mean to speak for you too."
Kristine snickered. "Don't worry about it."
As the twins began walking back towards the Pokémon center, they came across a Kantonian noodle shop, where they enjoyed an early dinner. As Jason enjoyed every bite of noodles covered in sauce and chopped up veggies and garnishes, Kristine could barely feel her tongue through the overwhelming spices of her bowl. A cold, refreshing glass of milk back at the Pokémon center a short while later helped relieve her taste buds.
"Talk me out of spicy food next time," Kristine said while catching her breath after practically downing the entire glass in one setting.
Jason laughed. "Will do."
"Next time, I'll get what you have," Kristine added, before going on to banter her brother. "Do you even remember what you had? You ate it so fast!"
"Nope!"
The twins went back upstairs to the third floor to retire for the evening. Jason had turned the television on while Kristine got undressed and switched to her pajamas in the bathroom. Jason flipped through the channels with the remote he grabbed from the night stand next to his bed until he got to IPSN.
"Ash Ketchum wins Kalos," read the headliner.
A replay showed the final moments leading to Ash's victory in the Kalos Championship.
"Pikachu dodges Scizor's Fury Cutter! He's using Thunderbolt to get him to back off! Scizor takes the warning and narrowly dodges it! It's all or nothing here!" A broadcaster was recorded announcing to the viewers at the time of the match, which appeared to be in the evening in Kalos. With Kalos being five hours ahead of Inventum's coast, the finals likely occurred while Jason and Kristine were out exploring the Trainers District.
"Man," Jason seemed slightly disappointed to have missed the match when it went live. "That would've been cool."
"Scizor's looking weary from the hits he's been taking earlier!" the broadcaster continued, as recorded, his voice picking up speed and volume. "Here we go! Ash is going for it! Pikachu is charging for Volt Tackle! Scizor is trying to dodge! Pikachu is on him like a homing missile! Scizor can't dodge! He can't dodge! HE CAN'T DODGE! PIKACHU DELIVERS A DIRECT HIT! SCIZOR IS DOWN! HE IS DOWN! AND THE REF CALLS IT! ASH WINS! ASH WINS!"
Roars or cheering could be heard in the background. Ash was seen running out to the field, virtually tackling Pikachu to the ground in an emotional celebration. The other trainer took his loss with humility and recalled his Pokémon.
The replay ended, with silence sinking in for a brief moment.
"And that was Ash's first ever Kalos League victory," Tom the anchorman said.
"What was that?" Kristine walked out with her pajamas on.
"Ash won Kalos!" Jason addressed.
"And so he did," Kristine fixed her eyes on the television screen.
"His last tenure in the Kalos League was years ago, where he lost to Alain in a heated finale." Tom continued. "The ceremony that took place was spoiled by Team Flare's sudden terrorist attack in Lumiose City. But nothing was going to take away from the well deserved victory today.
"And there is some bad news. Well, good news depending on which trainers you're asking. When asked if he will compete in the Inventum Cup in a few months, Ash responded that he will spend more time in the far eastern regions, closer to home, before traveling overseas once more. But there's always next year!"
"Next year, huh?" Jason smirked.
"Well, bro," Kristine patted him on the shoulder. "We got badges to win first."
"Still got a whole lot of work to do," Jason nodded. "He's living the dream right now, and that's where I want to be."
"Me too," Kristine began to envision herself as a worldwide champion.
The twins soon went to bed, wondering what exactly will be in store for them the next day.
Dawn rose over Raley City. Kristine was the first to get up, getting ready for the day in the bathroom as Jason got up moments later. They put on their gear before heading out to the lobby to grab breakfast. They didn't notice anyone from their group; only a handful of trainers were present, also fully geared and looking for a quick bite before going on with their day.
After helping themselves to the confidential breakfast selection of toast, bagels, muffins, milk, and lemonade, Jason and Kristine went out for the day, heading towards the park and In Your Element, respectively. Kristine waved goodbye as she walked into the main entrance of the facility, while Jason proceeded onward to the park.
Upon paying the single day admission of $25, Kristine entered a three story facility designed to help pokemon learn new moves and hone their skills in battle. She noticed it was much like the one in Richland Port, modern and full of advanced technology, only this location was more compact with fewer training rooms and less space in between them.
With a little bit of luck, or perhaps due to the facility opening not even thirty minutes ago, Kristine found a training room with a pool off to the far left corner all to herself. She summoned all of her Pokémon.
"Espeon!" Espeon greeted, sitting gracefully before Kristine.
"Fletch!" Fletchinder flapped his wings, standing around as if he was waiting for instructions.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu ran around Kristine in circles.
"Snorunt!" Snorunt ran after Pikachu.
"Machop!" Machop pounded his chest, ready to train.
"Dratini!" Dratini began to slither towards the pool.
"Now, you've all been here before, except Dratini," Kristine addressed. "Keep focusing on your moves and make them stronger. I'll go talk to Dratini. But first, come with me, Machop."
"Machop!" Machop complied, walking with Kristine to the center of the room as everyone else began their routine training.
"You're getting stronger by the day," Kristine commended. "What we need for you is some cover against what you're naturally weak to. Flying types, for instance."
"Machop!" Machop began punching the air with both fists, likely showing Kristine how confident he was in handling flying type pokemon.
"I think I know a good move for you," Kristine looked up towards the ceiling. "Give me some recommendations for Machop."
"Analyzing," the female voice of the AI responded. The voice seemed to come from all directions; Kristine couldn't pinpoint its location. "Machop. Current moves: Foresight, Vital Throw, Brick Break, Karate Chop."
Kristine rubbed her chin. "Could ditch Karate Chop. Brick Break is the same technique and it's more efficient overall. We could zap em out of the air."
"Would you like Machop to learn Thunder Punch?" the AI asked.
Kristine grinned. "Problem solved! Let's do it."
"Machop!" Machop assumed a fighting stance.
A projection that looked just like him appeared beside him.
"Thunder Punch," the AI explained as the digital projection demonstrated the move.
"Machop," Machop took mental notes, seeing how the projection harnessed electric energy to come up with a powerful strike.
It was hard for Kristine, or anyone for that matter, to fully understand how it could be possible for Pokémon to be able to access untapped energy like that. Many scientists and theorists have tried to explain the mysteries surrounding pokemon, but if Machop was able to learn Thunder Punch, then Kristine wasn't going to argue with the results.
As Machop learned how to harness and unleash the electric type move, Kristine walked over to Dratini.
"Dratini!" Dratini greeted her, swimming right up.
"Dratini," the AI addressed. "Moves: Wrap, Thunder Wave, Dragon Rage, Agility."
"So we're going to have you train today," Kristine said to Dratini. "You'll be fighting soon, I don't know when, but when the time comes, you'll be ready. And I'll make sure you're ready."
Kristine recalled the time Perry and his Machop, known as Chopper, used an unusual move set to help seal the victory over her and Machop in Richland Port. And that included the use of Flamethrower. Kristine was thinking more about type weakness coverage, and less on flashy moves for fun. Nonetheless, that battle opened many doors for her regarding strategy.
She crossed her arms with a smirk on her face. Dratini would learn to use Flamethrower. As for tonight's competition, she had a good idea on who to use.
Jason walked down the park, making sure his Pokémon were well conditioned and ready for the challenges to come. Jolteon bolted past Jason, working on his speed. Look how far I've come, he thought.
Before his and his sister's journeys began, he thought speed was an overrated quality. It would do Jolteon injustice to think that now. But he knew with speed combined with power, Jolteon became the powerhouse of his team. While others aspired to be as swift and powerful as Jolteon someday, there was still a lot of work to be done.
Jason checked out the rest of his Pokémon, wondering who to choose for tonight's competition. He wanted to give someone the chance to hone and improve on their overall potential, and help give them the confidence they need to succeed in battle.
Kirlia continued to practice her dancing routines, Growlithe was rolling around in a pile of leaves courtesy of Rowlet's determined mastery of Leafage, and Magikarp was splashing around in the nearby lake. It was time to develop another pokemon in the spotlight. Growlithe and Rowlet weren't quite ready, Jason deduced. And for a ring with presumably lots of close quarters fighting, he figured Kirlia wouldn't have a whole lot of fun. There would be lots of dancing, indeed, but could she hold her own for a long while?
There were two more pokemon to consider for tonight. Magikarp had his turn in the spotlight, though, so Jason moved on to consider Riolu. He was away from the rest of the group, practicing his punches and fighting technique. Riolu played an important role in winning the Power Duo, Jason admitted. He might even be the most capable Pokémon of the entire team besides Jolteon.
After a moment of thoughtful consideration, Jason decided who to go with tonight.
"All the way," he muttered under his breath.
The sun began to set over Raley City. Trainers all over town began to gather in the north side, the district dedicated to them. Many had assembled in the Pokémon center. So many, in fact, one could not move without bumping into someone else. Jason and Kristine had never seen one this crowded before. They had just left their room, noticing that trainers were also gathering near the railings of the second and third floors overlooking the lobby.
"So many of them," Kristine observed, her voice nearly muffled by the noise accumulated from the dozens of trainers around and below her. "How many live here though?"
"How many won an actual badge?" Jason added. "Some look to be too young to travel on their own, and others probably do this as a hobby."
"Well, it's a local event after all," Kristine saw Jason's point. "Still, you can't take this lightly,"
"You got that right."
Liz walked up to the twins. "Is it obvious to point out that this thing is a little bit popular?"
Jason laughed. "Probably."
"So Jason and I are going to divide and conquer," Kristine mentioned. "You In?"
"Yep!" Liz nodded. "Let's show 'em what mountain kids are made of."
"Where should we go?" Jason asked.
"I go west, you two go east?" Liz suggested.
"Works for me," Jason lightly shrugged before facing his sister. "Sis?"
"I'll go south," Kristine declared.
"Longer run, but fewer people," Liz stated.
"Yeah, but the strategy is to come up with those points uncontested."
"If you say so."
"Where are the others?" Jason asked, referring to Julian, Amanda, and Bran.
"No idea," Liz shrugged.
Suddenly, the television screen in the lobby, which was on a local channel to begin with, showing a scripted address by Scarlet herself. Donning a buttoned red coat and black slim-fit pants, the Valor Gym Leader herself appeared in a weekly recorded announcement.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," she started off, her voice modulate and crisp. Her deep red lipstick, same colored subtle eye shadow, and short, jet black hair with a red streak going down the center right of her bangs complimented her overall confident look. "Another weekend night in beautiful Raley City, and you know what that means. It's another round of Rings of Valor."
"She has a good speaking voice," Liz observed.
"Here are the ground rules of this game," Scarlet continued. "There are six rings in each of the qualifying districts: Valor to the east, Arcade to the west, and Shopping to the south. Your goal, as a contender, is to hold any one ring for as long as you can. Choose your ring wisely. The longer your Pokémon can hold their own in that ring, the more points you receive.
"And remember: if you hold it alone, you accumulate points at a much faster rate. Don't forget if your pokemon is down and out, you will no longer accumulate points. The winner of tonight's competition will have the honor of challenging me tomorrow at eleven sharp at the Valor Gym. All you need to do is show up.
"Any other questions or concerns you may have, consult a Team Valor official standing near any ring. Now, before I send you back to regular programming, it's time to count down! Everyone ready?"
"Yeah!" Everyone in the pokemon center shouted, even though it was a recorded message addressing them.
"Here we go!" Scarlet began to count down, as did everyone as loudly as they could possibly be. "Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Fight with valor!"
Everyone scrambled to run out the pokemon center. Scarlet was still on television, likely making a closing statement, but it was largely ignored by the dozens of trainers creating a human traffic jam just trying to get out of the center.
"Some people live for this," Liz noticed.
"No kidding," Kristine agreed. She turned to where her brother was. Jason was already downstairs, trying to make his way to the first floor.
"More time you waste, the less points you make!" Liz quickly spoke before dashing away.
"You're right about that!" Kristine quickly followed suit.
Jason was the first of the three to make it out of the pokemon center. There were countless people sprinting south towards the other districts. He ran towards the southeast en route to the Valor District, trailing behind at least a couple dozen other contestants. He kept running and never stopped, and when he saw the roof of a dome several blocks away, he knew he entered the Valor District.
The next step was to find a ring. What does one even look like? He figured the best way to locate one is to follow the competition. He followed a few trainers towards a round plaza surrounded by shops. The center of the plaza was big enough field a moderate sized battle ground. It wasn't as big as the official ones used in gym and tournament battles, but it was just like Jason originally envisioned.
Onlookers converged to witness the impending mayhem play out. Jason was at first hesitant, not sure what to expect or how this whole thing worked to begin with. He looked over to the right, gazing at a digital screen that seemed to appear from thin air. It was there to display the status of active trainers in that particular ring, the list being empty for the moment.
"Raticate, go!" a boy with a baseball cap on backwards called forth his pokemon.
"Rat!" the pokemon took to the center of the ring.
Jason saw the boy's name and Raticate appear on the screen. Points were rising; the boy by the name of Bobby was gaining 20 per second.
The trainers who planned to fight in this ring were all waiting for each other to make the next move. Meanwhile, Bobby was increasing his lead by the second. Jason wanted to put an end to that.
And he was happy with who he decided to bring to the competition. "Riolu! Let's go!" he tossed his pokeball.
"Rio!" Riolu stood in the ring, assuming a fighting stance before Raticate.
Jason appeared on the scoreboard. He and Bobby were sharing the points, gaining ten each by the second.
"Raticate, charge him and use Hyper Fang!" Bobby commanded.
"Raticate!" Raticate ran at Riolu.
"Jump over and use Brick Break!" Jason issued.
"Riolu!" Riolu ran at Raticate, conducting a front flip over his opponent.
Facing Raticate's back, Riolu delivered a swift and powerful blow, sending Raticate tumbling to the edge of the ring.
"Oh no! Raticate!" Bobby yelled in concern.
Raticate was slow to get up. Riolu had no interest in letting his guard down.
"It's our time! A teenage boy joined the fray. "Go Azumarill!"
"Azu!" Azumarill greeted.
"Use Aqua Jet on Riolu now!"
"Shadow Claw right quick!" Jason abruptly countered, thinking fast on his feet.
As Azumarill propelled himself towards Riolu, Raticate struck his side with Quick Attack. Riolu had Raticate to thank for thwarting Azumarill's attack. The resulting Shadow Claw landed a precise swipe across Azumarill. It went through Raticate as normal types were unaffected by ghost type moves.
"Brick Break Raticate again!" Jason followed up.
Riolu charged at Raticate, who was slow to move. He landed another direct hit to Raticate, who once again tumbled to the edge of the ring. This time, he did not get up.
"Oh man!" Bobby whined, recalling Raticate.
Azumarill looked weary yet ready to continue fighting Riolu. Suddenly, he took an electric shock from a new contender. Magnemite had entered the ring, its trainer intent on using Azumarill's weakness to his advantage. Magnemite's Thunder Shock had brought down the aqua rabbit, who was unable to continue.
"Brick Break!" Jason found a new target.
"Rio!" Riolu lunged at Magnemite.
"Magnemite! Protect!" Its trainer commanded.
Magnemite formed a protective shield in front of its body. Despite its attempt to block the attack, its trainer was unaware of Brick Break's significance in battle; the move's main function is to destroy barriers. Riolu shattered the protective shield, striking Magnemite directly and slamming it onto the floor. The super effective attack rendered the electric and steel Pokémon unable to continue after just one hit.
"Good job, Riolu!" Jason commended.
Three trainers down, many more to go.
"Rio!" Riolu assumed a fighting stance in the middle of the ring.
Two trainers, a boy and a girl, stepped forward a moment later. They called out Magmar and Breloom, respectively.
"Let's do it!" Jason said to Riolu.
"Riolu!" Riolu gave a nod before continuing his reign in the ring.
The night sky began to take hold over Raley City. As battles began to unfold east and west, Kristine made her way south, cutting through the Economy District. She passed by the towering buildings towards the Shopping District. The buildings here had white roofs, resembling the bottom half of a pokeball. There were many people out and about, browsing through shops, heading into the massive nearby mall, or dining at the finest restaurants Raley City has to offer. Kristine realized this was a district for the wealthy.
There weren't many other trainers here. Kristine figured the vast majority, like Jason and Liz, were in the other districts. She hoped that patience and strategic choice would pay off. But first of all, she needed to know what a ring looked like.
As she wandered around on a smooth stone path, passing by a few fine dining restaurants, she feared for a moment she may have been off course. She had the idea that there would be directions to the various rings throughout the city. That just wasn't the case.
She passed by a fountain. It seemed oddly placed, she thought, as it stood before a large circle where a two story restaurant curved around. A few people were leaning over the railings of the second floor, gazing below. There was also a man nearby wearing a red shirt with the sigil of a moltres, Team Valor's mascot, and black pants.
Then it hit her. Here was a ring, hers for the taking. Kristine approached the circle, receiving a couple cheers from the onlookers above.
"Okay," she took a deep breath, and pulled out her pokeball. "It's showtime, Machop!"
"Machop!" Machop assumed a fighting stance at the center of the ring.
Kristine saw the digital screen appear right before her eyes. It kept score of her progress, and it even detected Machop on the field.
A few moments passed. Kristine could hear battling going on from a distance past the restaurant.
"Shoot, if you go uncontested like that the whole night, you'd win by default!" an older man from the second floor laughed.
Kristine smirked at the comment. It was her plan, after all, to seize the objective as opposed to getting her hands dirty, as Jason and Liz did.
A challenger soon approached her.
"A machop, huh?" A boy slightly older than Kristine approached her with confidence. "Sorry, girl, but this ring is mine! Go, Wingull!"
"Gull!" Wingull greeted just as he was summoned. He took to the sky.
"Use Wing Attack on Machop!" the boy commanded.
"Machop, get ready!" Kristine responded.
"Chop!" Machop held his ground, anticipating Wingull's Wing Attack.
"Don't you know fighting types have no chance against flying types and their moves?" The boy laughed. "This ring is mine!"
Wingull closed in on Machop. Kristine waited until the last second to strike.
"Thunder Punch! Now!" She commanded.
"Ma!" Machop prepared his first, harnessing electric energy, before unleashing it upon Wingull. "Chop!"
"Wingull!" Wingull was zapped in mid air before he could even make contact. He crashed to the ground, unable to get up.
"What?" The boy seemed shocked by the turn of events. "Your machop knows Thunder Punch?"
Several onlookers cheered for Kristine and Machop.
"Hey, isn't that the girl who won last month's Power Duo with her brother?" one woman pointed out.
"Yeah, that is her!" A man replied.
"Oh, of course," the boy's face beamed red as he recalled Wingull. "I picked a spot where an actual trainer was. A good one, at that."
Kristine snickered. "Nice try, but I'm here to win and challenge Scarlet!"
Two more trainers, both girls, ran towards the ring a moment later. Machop prepared himself for what was to come.
"Go, Granbull!" one girl summoned.
"Slowbro, go!" The other called out.
The three pokemon circled around the ring, preparing for their trainers to issue attacks.
"Ready, Machop?" Kristine faced her Pokémon.
"Chop!" Machop nodded with confidence.
"Go and use Thunder Punch on Slowbro!"
Magmar crashed to the ground, unable to continue, following Riolu's Ghost Claw. Breloom went down moments ago due to a combination of Riolu's Ghost Claw and Magmar's Fire Punch.
"Rio!" Riolu maintained his fighting stance, facing the other trainers.
Jason was racking up points, and considering this was within a high traffic ring where five Pokémon had already go down, it was impressive. And the others knew it.
"Zebstrika! Go!" one boy called out.
"Lilteo, let's do it!" A girl summoned.
"Graveler, let's own this!" another boy released his Pokémon.
"Zebstrika, use Spark!" The first boy pointed at Riolu.
"Lilteo, use Ember on Riolu!" the girl commanded.
"Use Rock Throw on Zebstrika!" the second boy issued.
Zebstrika charged at Riolu while Lilteo released a ball of flame from her mouth. Graveler fired off a sizable rock at Zebstrika.
"Use Ghost Claw to stall Zebstrika!" Jason responded. "And Riolu, you can do this! Take Ember head on!"
"Rio!" Riolu complied, projecting Ghost Claw. The spectral swipe struck Zebstrika, tumbling her to the ground. Graveler's Rock Throw followed right after, rendering the Pokémon down and out.
Riolu then braved himself for Ember, taking it head on. As the smoke cleared, he simply smirked. Reversal became a viable move.
The two other trainers looked on. They were nervous, knowing what they could be dealing with. The opponent they faced was no local.
"Riolu, Don't stop!" Jason yelled.
Machop slammed Granbull to the ground with Vital Throw, having just taken a not very effective hit from Bite. Granbull was unable to get up. Slowbro had gone down moments ago, suffering two Thunder Punch attacks as well as Granbull's Bite.
More onlookers gathered to watch Kristine's dominance of the ring. As Machop once again achieved sole control of the ring, her points began to skyrocket.
For a brief moment, the digital scoreboard showed the top scorers across the city. Jason was number one, but gaining points at a slow rate. Liz wasn't far behind in fourth place, while Kristine was in 12th place and climbing. She managed to see Bran and Julian tied in 20th, and wondered where they could possibly be. Amanda was nowhere to be seen on the list.
Three more trainers soon converged on Kristine and Machop. "Fighting types, eh?" One boy smirked. "Lucky you picked the least crowded spot in the city. Crogunk, go!"
"Cro," Crogunk croaked, assuming a fighting stance before Machop.
"Doduo, let's do it!" A girl summoned her pokemon.
"Gothorita, target Machop!" A second girl called forth.
We're in a bit of a sticky situation here, Kristine thought.
"Doduo, run in and use Peck!" the first girl commanded.
"Do!" Doduo charged at Machop.
"Thunder Punch!" Kristine responded.
"Machop!" Machop charged electric energy to power the attack.
"Wait what?" the girl seemed startled. "Doduo, break off!"
Doduo complied, and bypassed Machop to avoid getting hit by Thunder Punch.
"Psybeam!" The second girl commanded to Gothorita.
"Gothorita!" Gothorita fired a powerful beam at Machop.
"Machop! Dodge!" Kristine yelled.
Machop jumped high into the air to avoid Psybeam. The colorful beam shot right underneath him. That was when Crogunk came from nowhere, leaping from the far side of the run and striking Machop directly with Poison Jab.
"Chop!" Machop grunted, taking a powerful hit as he slammed to the floor.
To make things worse, he was poisoned. The energy was being sapped from him, and Kristine knew that essentially guaranteed Machop's end at the ring.
If there was any solace to the situation, it would be Machop's special ability, Guts. The poisoned status triggered the ability, increasing his attack power immensely. Kristine knew what she had to do: follow her brother's playbook.
"Doduo! Run in with Fury Attack! Hit him while he's down!" The first girl wanted to seize the opportunity.
"Chop…" Machop slowly got up, a purple mist seeping from him.
"Pinsir! Go!"
"Take the ring, Furret!"
"You got this, Mr. Mime!"
"Come on out, Poliwrath!"
It seemed more pokemon were joining the fray by the second. Riolu held his own in the ring the entire time, but Jason feared he had chewed more than he could swallow. He had lost track of the amount of times he called for Shadow Claw and Brick Break, and he had to open the window for Reversal. Riolu was getting weary, seeing Pokémon go down left and right before him.
"Quick Attack, Furret!" the female trainer pointed at Riolu.
"Rio…" Riolu tried to catch his breath.
"Nice and easy, take the hit and use Reversal!"
Jason responded.
Riolu nodded. He grunted upon the direct hit from Furret, but did not give an inch. He responded with a swift strike of his right palm, sending Furret flying back.
"Buddy, they're gonna see us as big targets now!" Jason cautioned. "Hang in there!"
"Rio!" Riolu prepared himself for more attackers.
"Poliwrath!" a burly trainer spotted Riolu. "Get right in there and use Close Combat!"
"Close Combat!?" Jason seemed off guard. That was a move well seasoned Pokémon would know, after all.
"Poliwrath!" Poliwrath charged Riolu.
"Dodge it, Riolu!" Jason yelled.
Poliwrath closed in on Riolu, attempting to deliver swift strikes from his fists as well as his legs. Riolu jumped all over the place to avoid being hit. Jason admired the amount of effort Riolu was putting in to stay in the contest.
"Just keep using Close Combat!" the trainer ordered. "We can do this all day! Well, not really, you'll just wear yourself out after a few minutes, but I reckon young Riolu here won't last a few minutes!"
Jason knew the man was right. Riolu was getting worn out. It was time to ultilize the last trick up his sleeve. "Endure! Now!"
Riolu stopped moving. He braced himself, using a blue aura to help shield himself from Poliwrath's onslaught.
"Hehehe," the man faced Jason. "Sooner or later Endure will fade away. You had your fun but only one person gets to challenge Scarlet without having to wait, and I don't like waitin'!
"Now!" Kristine yelled.
"Ma-Chop!" Machop maintained his footing and got himself to an upright posture. This caught Doduo's trainer off guard.
"Doduo! No!" The trainer yelled, desperate to get Doduo to break away once more.
Machop didn't need a specific command to know what move to use. He harnessed electric energy with his right fist, and unleashed it upon Doduo. This sent the two headed flying type tumbling across the ring, knocked out in a single hit.
The crowd cheered for Kristine. Then many of them gasped.
"Nice going -" Kristine tried to commend her pokemon, but her next glance at him suddenly made her realize that she was never going to call him Machop again.
Machop glowed brighter than the moon that illuminated the night sky. His form grew, as his complexion. He was Machop no more. The glow ended, and Machoke came back into reality.
"Machoke!" the bulky Pokémon resumed his fighting stance, his voice deep and assertive.
The crowed roared in applause for Kristine and Machoke. Kristine felt tears building up in her eyes, feeling that sense of accomplishment when something she worked tirelessly for paid off.
The alerted trainers set their sights on Machoke. An elekid, venomoth, and lairon soon joined the fight.
"You ready, Machoke?" Kristine faced him.
Machoke's poison triggered once more, but this time, it was as if he didn't feel a thing. He pounded his chest. "Machoke!" he spoke with confidence.
"It's all over for you, son!" The burly trainer nearly cackled.
"Yeah?" Jason smirked. He faced Riolu, with Poliwrath still pummeling him, the blue aura being the only thing keeping him up.
"Reversal! Now!" Jason issued.
"Rio!" Riolu ended his aura, ducked beneath Poliwrath's punches, and delivered a devastating palm strike at at the center of his stomach. "Lu!"
Poliwrath abruptly stopped. He just stood there, as Riolu sidestepped and walked past him. Seconds later, Poliwrath fell on his knees before falling flat on his stomach.
"What in the name of all things holy just happened!?" the man was dumbfounded.
"Name's Jason Kyar," Jason faced the man. "And this is my partner Riolu. And we're here to win this thing."
"Rio," Riolu approached the other Pokémon. Literally any direct hit, maybe even a strafing hit, would knock him out, but he was determined to fight to the bitter end.
"You must be no older than a tween!" The man still seemed absolutely shocked.
"Recall your pokemon, man!" another man yelled. "Your pokemon needs to rest!"
The burly man sighed, and recalled is pokemon.
Riolu faced an array of opponents before him.
"It's just one more hit!" Mr. Mime's trainer noticed.
The other trainers focused on Riolu.
"Us against the world, Riolu!" Jason yelled. "Let's do this!"
Riolu leaped into the air at his opponents, preparing to use Shadow Claw.
"Machoke!" Machoke slammed Crogunk to the ground with a one-armed Vital Throw. With Elekid right behind him about to use Thunder Punch, Machoke quickly turned around to match it with his own Thunder Punch. Pushing Elekid back, the trainer desperately called for Protect. Elekid did just that, creating a barrier in order to shield himself and maintain his ground. A swift and powerful Brick Break ended that hope.
Lairon charged at Machoke's right flank with Take Down. Machoke stepped to the side and managed to pick up the sturdy pokemon with his own two hands before tossing him to the other side of the ring. A Psybeam shot Venomoth right out of the sky, meaning the only other Pokémon in the ring was Gothorita.
Gothorita fired another Psybeam at Machoke. Machoke ducked, enduring another tick from his poison in the process. He kept his head down, using Foresight to target his opponent. A swift, decisive blow would be the only way to prevail.
"Go!" Kristine saw the window of opportunity.
Machoke bolted as soon as Gothorita stopped firing. She began to recharge at the command of her trainer.
"Machoke!" Machoke sprinted at Gothorita head on, charging his fists once more.
"Gothorita! Psybeam! Now!" the female trainer desperately called.
"Hit her with everything you got!" Kristine yelled.
Machoke got to Gothorita before she could fire off another Psybeam. With a powerful Thunder Punch, Gothorita collapsed to the ground.
The stunned trainers recalled their pokemon. Machoke was the only one standing.
Another round of applause from the onlookers ensued. Kristine and Machoke stood triumphant with no incoming trainers. The points were adding up as she began to pass others in the leaderboard.
Pinsir tumbled across the ring after a direct hit from Riolu's Reversal. A floatzel that was added into the fray so late used Aqua Jet to propel himself towards Riolu. Riolu used Shadow Claw to knock him to the ground. Floatzel was then struck by a gloom's Razor Leaf, rendering him down and out.
Gloom faced Riolu. Just as Gloom's trainer issued another barrage of leaves, Gloom floated into the air before being slammed back to the ground against his will. Gloom was out for the count due to Mr. Mime's Confusion.
"Mime mine!" Mr. Mime faced Riolu.
"Shadow Claw!" Jason called.
"Rio!" Riolu ran towards Mr. Mime and began to project a spectral claw.
"Mr. Mime! Use Protect!" the trainer yelled.
Mr. Mime used Protect to shield himself from Riolu's Shadow Claw.
"Now!" Jason yelled.
Riolu knew what Jason meant. He continued charging at Mr. Mime before he could react. Riolu closed in, using his palm as a forceful weapon to strike Mr. Mime. Being both a psychic and fairy type, Mr. Mime didn't feel the impact other opponents had before him. Still, this caught him off balance.
"Shadow Claw!" Jason followed up.
Riolu managed to gather the strength to unleash one more Shadow Claw. It struck Mr. Mime, knocking him down once and for all.
And thank goodness for that. Jason knew that was essentially all Riolu had left in the tank.
"Rio…" Riolu fell on one knee. The AI still rendered him active as Jason accumulated the points.
A moment later, a foghorn sounded. It came from the nearby Team Valor attendant. Everyone began to applaud Jason and Riolu, commending their efforts.
"It's over?" Jason seemed confused. "Man, I can't believe we did it!"
"Rio!" Riolu tried to catch his breath.
The digital scoreboard began to tally everyone's scores. For the dramatic effect, it gave a countdown from five seconds, making the announcement that much more suspenseful.
Jason looked at the scoreboard as it counted down. He knew he had to be number one. But if it wasn't him, it had to be Kristine, or even Liz.
Kristine and Machoke looked at the scoreboard as it counted down. The onlookers counted it down loudly, all convinced she had won the contest. It certainly felt like she did.
Suddenly, Machoke collapsed to the floor, unable to take any more of the poison inflicted on him. Kristine immediately recalled him. "You did great out there. I'm proud of you. Get some rest.
The final score was revealed. A delayed reaction to process the information ensued. And, at great disappointment, her name came second on the list.
The audience groaned at the results.
"Second…" Kristine seemed disappointed. But she had a mix of feelings considering who came first. Her brother had won the competition. Still, she couldn't help but feel snubbed. She and Machoke had given everything they got, and they prevailed. Yet, in her view, they had nothing to show for it.
"Yeah!" Jason threw both his fists in the air. Everyone who was defeated didn't quite feel so bad after all, knowing they lost to the winner of the entire competition.
Jason glanced further down the leaderboard to see if any familiar faces appeared. Liz finished in fifth place, while Bran and Julian tied in ninth. He wondered how that was possible. Amanda was still nowhere to be seen on the list.
It came down to whoever held a single ring the longest. As Jason noticed Kristine was behind him by not very much, he knew if Riolu didn't hold out as long as he did, his sister would have won instead. It seemed her strategy of traveling further for fewer trainers would have paid off if only it weren't for her brother.
He glanced over to the Team Valor representative, who simply nodded at him in acknowledgement. He knew what to do; he had to prepare for tomorrow's match with Scarlet. And he knew she was going to be no pushover.
Update on Jason and Kristine's teams:
Jason's team:
Jolteon: Thunder Shock, Wild Charge, Pin Missile, Agility. Special Ability: Volt Absorb
Kirlia: Future Sight, Protect, Heal Pulse, Confusion. Special Ability: Synchronize
Riolu: Brick Break, Endure, Reversal, Shadow Claw. Special Ability: Inner Focus
Magikarp: Splash, Tackle, Flail, Bounce. Special Ability: Swift Swim
Growlithe: Fire Fang, Takedown, Flame Burst, Protect. Special Ability: Flash Fire
Rowlet: Leafage, Peck, Ominous Wind, Synthesis. Special Ability: Overgrow
Kristine's team:
Espeon: Psybeam, Calm Mind, Reflect, Swift. Special Ability: Magic Bounce
Fletchinder: Flame Charge, Razor Wind, Aerial Ace, Agility. Special Ability: Gale Wings
Pikachu: Spark, Light Screen, Electro Ball, Double Team. Special Ability: Static
Machoke: Foresight, Thunder Punch, Vital Throw, Brick Break. Special Ability: Guts
Snorunt: Protect, Double Team, Icy Wind, Bite. Special Ability: Ice Body
Dratini: Flamethrower, Thunder Wave, Dragon Rage, Agility. Special Ability: Shed Skin
