Hey there. And now, the first big battle of the story. The first Chieftain battle!
First, the disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon at all. Everything other than the story belongs to Nintendo, Game Freak, etc.
Second: I have a poll up that I request be answered soon: Which story would you like to see posted more of; Mermaid Melody or the Guardian and Maiden of the Sea? Submit your answers quickly.
And now, review and enjoy.
Guest Star: Gary Oak as Chieftain Akito
Rina dreamed of Sora. She dreamed that she was swimming in the deepest part of the ocean, with Sora right beside her. Various Pokémon greeted them as they swam over. Corsola waved cheerfully at the passerbys, Clamperl drowsily greeted the duo, and a school of Mantyke and Mantine glided around them. Rina felt like she was having so much fun, more fun than she ever had.
Then, Sora grabbed her hand to stop her. As she turned around, the Guardian laced his fingers with hers. Rina recognized this gesture, for she had once seen a human pair do it. Sora pulled Rina close to him, and their gazes locked. And they began to inch their faces forward.
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Uh, mistress? Mistress? came a dopey voice, interrupting Rina's sleep.
In response, Rina mumbled, "Let me be." But then, some nudging from a bill forced her to wake up, grouchy at being interrupted. When she looked up, she spotted her Psyduck staring at her blankly.
"Psyduck!" she growled, "Did you have to wake me up?!"
Psyduck's only response was a big quack, "Psy."
She let out an aggravated sigh at the response, then returned her gaze to her dopey Pokémon. "I swear Psyduck, why don't you just stay in my pearl like everyone else?" she asked it with a bit of anger in her voice. "No one else has this problem but you. Not to mention you seem to be the one Water Pokémon in the whole ocean that can't swim."
"Psy," Psyduck quacked, tilting its head. And Rina knew that was the end of that short conversation.
After returning Psyduck back to her pearl, Rina noticed her sisters, Sarah and Kari, surface not too far from the beach she was resting on. From the looks of their expressions, something big was happening.
"Rina, that boy Sora is being taken to face the Chieftain!" Sarah shared eagerly.
"What?! Already?" she wondered, surprised by the news. "Where is he being taken?"
"To the other side of the island," Kari answered. "If we hurry, we'll be there before him." Without another word, Rina dove back into the water, and made haste for where Sora would battle the Chieftain, quickly followed by her sisters.
After Sora met up with the two strange women at the Aura, they blindfolded him, Pikachu, Sparky, and Dedenne and began to lead him somewhere. Sora wasn't sure what was going on, nor could he understand why the first Chieftain would do this. But if needed, he could fight without his Pokémon. But with no sight to go off of, trying to fight back might be a bad idea. Plus, how could he protect Sparky?
Eventually, it didn't matter, as his blindfold was removed, and the rising sun blinded him. Pikachu still rested on his shoulder, but he wasn't sure where Sparky was. As his eyes adjusted to the bright light, Sora saw that he was on a cliff overlooking the ocean, standing on a battlefield. As far as he saw, he was the only one there. No one else was yet present. Not Sparky, or Tidus, not even the Chieftain. Just him and Pikachu.
That was, until Pikachu spotted a cloaked figure approaching the battlefield. The two could make barely make out his dark-brown hair that stood up in a crest over his head under his hood, his boots clomped on the gravel with each step he took, and a green and yellow pendant hung on his neck. The first Chieftain.
"So, you are Sora?" he spoke once he arrived at the battlefield.
"I am," Sora returned. "I am Guardian Sora, from Trinity Island. I hail from the kingdom of Aurora, and accept the challenge you're clan has made."
"Very well," The Chieftain replied. Then, pulling out a staff that was similar to Sora's, he called out, "To battle, Electivire!" And a light poured out a huge, Electric-type Pokémon with yellow hair, black stripes, and two tails. The Electivire looked menacing, but Sora was ready.
"I choose you! Heracross!" From his staff came a huge, blue-beetle Pokémon with a giant horn. It faced Electivire, understanding that it was time to battle. Sora felt ready to face his first challenge in a long time. The first Chieftain battle was about to begin.
But before the battle began, Sora heard Yolanda call out, "Sora!" Looking to the side, Sora spotted his friends standing behind some guards, barred by spears so they couldn't approach.
"It's fitting to have an audience for our battle," The Chieftain announced. "This will be a 3-on-3 Pokémon battle. Only you are allowed to substitute Pokémon. The match is over when all three Pokémon on either side are unable to continue. Is this understood, Guardian Sora?" Sora nodded.
"Good luck master." Tidus called out.
Then, one of the women stood to the side, acting as referee, and yelled, "BEGIN!"
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Rina and her sisters surfaced near the battlefield just as the match had begun. They watched at a distance that allowed them to see the action from the water, though they couldn't see Sora's crew on the other side and vice versa.
"Heracross, Megahorn!" they heard Sora call out. Heracross dashed across the field, its horn charged with power.
"Electivire, block it!" the hooded Chieftain commanded. The giant Electric Pokémon managed to block the attack using its hefty arms. It was pushed back a bit by the force, but it stood its ground in spite of it. "Now counter with Thunder!" Charged with a strong, electrical current, Electivire shot a bolt of lightning into some clouds, which came crashing towards Heracross. Rina instantly worried that Heracross wouldn't withstand the blast.
But Sora called out, "Use Megahorn, and channel that Thunder!" Standing firm, Heracross charged its massive horn, and took the blast. But the blast barely fazed it as the lightning gathered in its horn. Everyone was amazed by the technique, all except the Chieftain.
He merely chuckled and asked, "So, you'll use my own Thunder attack against me, right kid?"
"Nope. I'm just getting Heracross charged up," Sora replied confidently.
"Whatever. Electivire, hit it with Brick Break!" Electivire rushed over to Heracross, ready to smash into Heracross.
"Heracross, hit the ground with your horn!" Smashing its head down, Heracross released a charge of the absorbed Thunder attack, causing the ground in front of it to crumble. Part of the ground collapsed over Electivire's feet, trapping it mid-run.
Sensing his advantage, Sora ordered, "Now use Focus Punch!"
"Counter with Thunder Punch!" the Chieftain cried. The two Pokémon met in an electrified clash of fists, charging the air and sea.
"Those two are strong," Kari commented with her sisters.
"I've never felt such strength," Sarah spoke. "I always thought that only Rina could be that strong." But Rina knew that wasn't their full strength. Every battle she saw Sora in, he seemed to be holding back. Even against that creep Ragnar, Sora wasn't using his full power. But what Rina didn't understand is why? Why was Sora not going all out?
After the clash, Electivire and Heracross leaped back to their respective sides. Sora had never felt so challenged in a long time. This Chieftain was the real deal. And it made Sora even more anxious to beat him.
"Not bad Sora," The Chieftain remarked. "You're probably the first challenger in a long time to give me even remotely a challenge. Most warriors usually lose to my Electivire at this point."
"My thanks," Sora replied. "The same goes for you in giving me a challenge after all this time."
"Well thanks. But this battle ends now! Electivire, Iron Tail!"
As Electivire swung its tails, Sora called out, "Block it with Horn Attack!" Heracross took the blow by using its strong horn, sending powerful shockwaves radiating through the air. The Chieftain smirked, but it disappeared when Sora commanded, "Follow up with Focus Punch!" With its fist energized, Heracross threw a punch at Electivire's face before it had a chance to counter. And then, Electivire fainted.
"Electivire can no longer continue." The ref announced, "Heracross wins!"
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Sora's friends cheered at this major victory, and Rina's sisters shouted in glee that Sora beat an Electric-type. But Sora, Rina, and even Prince Pewter remained focused on the battle. For they knew that one win meant little if Sora lost to the Chieftain.
Returning Electivire to his staff, the Chieftain commented, "Not bad kid. I never expected you to beat my first Pokémon. But my second one won't be as easy." Then he summoned, "Umbreon, show him your true power!" And from his staff came a black Pokémon, with yellow rings dotting parts of its body.
Taking notice to his Pokémon, Sora called, "You did great Heracross. Now return and rest." And Heracross returned to Sora's staff.
"Why didn't he keep Heracross out?" Yolanda questioned. "It had a clear advantage over Umbreon, and it had that charge in its horn too."
"Heracross used a lot of energy battling that Electivire, and even more to absorb that Thunder attack," Prince Pewter told everyone. "Sora may need Heracross later on. And I've got a feeling he'll need it for if he faces this Chieftain's third Pokémon." Once he said that, Tidus and Yolanda grew worried. And some ways behind them, a trio of shadowy figures continued to observe the ensuing battle.
Looking to his faithful companion, Sora asked, "Are you ready, Pikachu?"
"Pi!" Pikachu spoke assuredly.
"Then, I choose you!" Leaping from his shoulder, Pikachu stood ready to face Umbreon, sparks escaping from its cheeks. For the first time in a long time, it was his turn to battle.
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Sora called out. Its body becoming limber and agile, Pikachu darted over to Umbreon in a blur of yellow.
"Umbreon, move out of the way using your Quick Attack!" the Chieftain barked. With speed like lightning, Umbreon leapt over Pikachu and dashed behind it.
"Now, Shadow Ball!" Umbreon launched an orb of dark energy at Pikachu. But the little lightning mouse was too quick, and jumped over the attack.
"Great work buddy," Sora cheered. "Now, use Thunderbolt!" As electricity gathered around it, Pikachu let loose arcs of the energy at Umbreon. The attack nailed its target dead-on, but Umbreon seemed unfazed by the attack. Sora took note of this, and readied himself for the next attack.
"Faint Attack!" Umbreon raced over to Pikachu, then disappeared all of a sudden. Pikachu looked around for it, but was hit from behind and sent flying towards the cliffside.
"Pikachu!" Sora cried, throwing down his staff and running after his partner. He leaped into the air, and caught his pal as he crashed down hard, narrowly missing the edge just hanging over the ocean.
Pikachu looked to him in concern, but Sora grimaced, "I'm alright. I'm just glad you're okay too." Pikachu assured him that he was. So they both got back onto the field, ready for the next round.
"I'm impressed," The Chieftain spoke. "Not too many people will pull that kind of a stunt to protect their Pokémon. You definitely are a worthy opponent."
"My Pokémon battle hard for me," Sora elaborated, "so I do my best for them too." Those words rang through Rina's head like a gong. Not only were the words strong, but she could feel the sincerity in Sora's voice as well. He was committed to his Pokémon, and did everything he could to ensure they performed at their best.
"Good words. Let's see you live them out," The Chieftain challenged. "Umbreon, Quick Attack!"
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" As Umbreon dashed over to Pikachu, the little mouse energized its tail with steel-energy. The two attacks met in a massive clash, but the Iron Tail overpowered Umbreon and knocked it down.
Keeping the momentum going, Sora cried out, "Great! Now, Volt Tackle!" Rushing towards Umbreon, Pikachu surrounded itself in electrical energy.
But the Chieftain called out, "Hidden Power!" Umbreon's eyes began to glow white, and mystical spheres appeared around it. But as they were launched by Umbreon, the Volt Tackle acted as a barrier and deflected them all, which stunned both Umbreon and the Chieftain. Before long, Pikachu tackled its opponent, discharging all its energy. Afterwards, Pikachu leaped back to Sora's side of the field. But Umbreon stood still, having taken the attack full force. All was still, both Pokémon as still as statues, everyone watching with bated breath. Then, Sora smiled, and Umbreon collapsed to the ground.
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"Umbreon can no longer continue the battle!" the ref proclaimed. "Pikachu is the victor!" Both Sora's friends on land and in the sea cheered greatly for the victory. Sora had bested two of the Chieftain's Pokémon, with great skill and tact. However, Sora settled himself for his next obstacle. Because this last Pokémon would be the toughest.
"Alright, Guardian Sora, playtime's over," The Chieftain said with a snarl, returning his exhausted Umbreon. "I see I have to go all out in this next battle. And with this, you will not be victorious." Raising his staff high into the air, the Chieftain roared, "Stand and fight, Blastoise!" And from his staff, a colossal turtle Pokémon with two turrets protruding from its back. The instant Blastoise pounded onto the field, a sense of familiarity washed over Sora.
"It couldn't be…" he muttered, unable to come to grips with the thought in his head. So he shouted, "Is that you, Akito?" Both Sora's group and the mermaids were puzzled by Sora's accusation. But the Chieftain merely chuckled, and threw off his cloak.
"Nothing gets by you, huh Sorey?" Akito jeered.
"Will you stop calling me that already?" Sora griped. "But, why are you here? And how did you become a Chieftain?"
"Simple. I just became the best there was. And I'll remain that way, forever." Akito said in a taunting manner.
"And I thought I saw the end of his face when he left Trinity Island," Drake grumbled aloud.
Stunned that the captain knew Akito, Tidus asked, "You guys know the first Chieftain?"
"We did," Kenneth explained. "But he wasn't a Chieftain then. Akito and Sora have had the longest rivalry of anyone we know. Sora had never beaten him before, and Akito kept holding it over his head. He left a month before Sora did for his own journey, and we never saw him since."
"But Sora's winning now," Yolanda pointed out. "So, Sora should win this time. Right?"
"Not quite," Drake refuted. "In every victory he had, Akito's Squirtle was his ace. I have no doubt his Blastoise will be too."
Rina and her sisters were stunned Sora knew this Chieftain, not to mention the apparent history between them. His cocky words also indicated to them his alleged superiority over the guardian in the past.
"I'm starting to think Sora is going to lose this time around," Kari voiced aloud.
"I think so too," Sarah added. "If this Chieftain is as good as he claims, I doubt even that guardian will prevail now. It's all wrapped up now."
Glaring at the two, Rina chided, "Have you two learned nothing from meeting Sora? This victory is far from assured for the Chieftain. Even if he had won before, this battle is different."
"Hate to break it to you Rina, but I think this Chieftain knows more about Sora than even you do," Sarah returned. "This is basically just a formality at this point." Rina grit her teeth at her sisters' lack of belief that Sora had any chance of winning. She knew herself that a battle was never decided with just one Pokémon. And she believed Sora would prove that very soon.
Back in the battle, sparks flew from Pikachu's cheeks. He remembered his previous battles with Blastoise when it was a Squirtle, and how he wasn't able to beat it. But this time, Pikachu would win. It had to, for Sora's sake.
But Sora saw how weary Pikachu was from the last battle, so he called, "Pikachu, you deserve a rest. Come on back."
But Pikachu shouted, "Pika Pikachu!" The action startled Sora, but he quickly understood why his buddy was behaving like this. It wanted to win, and it didn't want to be pulled aside even for a second.
Understanding its fighting spirit, Sora replied, "Then, let's win this!"
"Pika!" Pikachu cried out fiercely.
Amused, Akito scoffed, "You're as naïve as ever. Do you really think that wimp can beat my Blastoise?"
"Pikachu says it wants to battle. And I won't say no," Sora responded, then he called out, "Thunderbolt!" Letting out a mighty cry, Pikachu released a bolting Thunderbolt at Blastoise. But the titan stood its ground, and took the hit full on. Prince Pewter and the group thought that would do it, but Sora saw otherwise. Somehow, Blastoise was channeling the electricity into its twin cannons. When it was done, Pikahu was stunned to see its attack had been absorbed.
"Gotcha now," Akito grinned. Then he commanded, "Blastoise, Hydro Pump!" Then Blastoise released powerful streams of water from its cannons, now charged with Pikachu's Thunderbolt at the little lightning mouse.
But Sora called, "Jump over it! Then use Volt Tackle!" Dodging the attack with speedy precision, Pikachu landed between the jets, and electrically charged towards Blastoise.
Akito then called out, "Knock it away with Mega Punch!" Ending its first attack, Blastoise delivered a devastating blow to Pikachu, intercepting its attack. Pikachu soared into Sora, who got blasted back by the force. He skidded to a stop, just a hair from falling over, stopping himself by pounding his staff into the cliff side. As Sora pulled himself up, he saw that Pikachu had fainted.
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"Pikachu can no longer battle," The ref announced. "Blastoise is the winner!" Most everyone in the audience was dumbfounded. Sora's most trusted companion, lost! Yolanda gasped in disbelief, Tidus stood aghast, Teller and Opal were trying to comprehend what had just happened, and Rina was having a hard time coming to grips with the result. But Prince Pewter stayed firm, knowing that Sora had a chance to come back and win it.
Sora cradled Pikachu in his arms as he started coming around.
"You did amazing Pikachu. I couldn't be more proud of you," Sora comforted.
"Pika," Pikachu replied, disappointed in its defeat and ashamed to have let Sora down.
But Sora rested Pikachu on his shoulder, and requested, "Get some rest. We can still win." Turning back to the field, Sora sized up Akito's Blastoise. He definitely didn't anticipate its absorbing Pikachu's Thunderbolt. He had to come up with a new plan. But the force from its Mega Punch gave Sora an idea of what to do.
"Heracross, I choose you!" And Heracross appeared on the field, horn charged from Electivire's Thunder and a fierce determination on its face.
"Send all the Pokémon you want, they won't beat my Blastoise," Akito boasted. "With it, I am invincible!"
"Blast!" Blastoise roared. But Sora wasn't going to throw in the towel just yet.
So he commanded, "Heracross, use Focus Punch!" Heracross raced over to Blastoise, fist charging with energy.
Akito took it in stride, and called out, "Counter with Mega Punch!" Blastoise's fist met with Heracross's, sending immense shock waves that began blowing everyone back. The force of the clash stirred the waves, and shook the trees. Once it passed, Heracross backed up for its next attack.
"Alright, use Horn Attack!"
As Heracross charged at Blastoise, Akito yawned, "Use Hydro Pump." Blastoise hit its target dead on. Heracross tried using its horn to press forward, but the blast pushed back with more force.
Sensing the change, Sora cried out, "Quick, switch to Megahorn!" Amping up the power in its horn, Heracross cut through the Hydro Pump like a hot knife through butter. If this attack landed, Heracross would lose the charge in its horn, but it would deal tons of damage to Blastoise. Maybe even paralyze it.
But right at the moment of impact, Akito nonchalantly ordered, "Protect." And a barrier surrounded Blastoise and blocked the potential attack. The last of the horn's charge dissipated, and Sora growled at the turn around.
But once the Protect wore off, he called, "Heracross, Focus Punch!" and Heracross delivered a devastating Focus Punch to Blastoise's face. But Blastoise barely felt the attack.
"Mega Punch, then finish it with Hydro Pump." Akito said in a bored manner. Blastoise first dealt a strong uppercut, sending Heracross flying. Then it blasted it with two shots of a Hydro Pump. When Heracross collapsed to the ground, it had been defeated.
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"Heracross is unable to battle. Blastoise wins!" Things were really looking bad now. Sora had lost two Pokémon that had some distinct advantage over Akito's Blastoise. And each time, Blastoise stomped them out with relative ease. Everyone figured the Chieftains would be tough, but not this tough.
As Sora returned Heracross to his staff to rest, he tried to understand how Blastoise beat it and Pikachu. Even if Sora used another Pokémon with an advantage like Sceptile or Bayleef, they didn't have the attack power or defensive power to last against that kind of strength. To beat this powerhouse, Sora would need his own to win.
Staying firm in his idea, he called out, "Charizard, I choose you!" And out appeared the mighty fire dragon. Everyone was deeply perplexed by this choice. Why would Sora send out a Pokémon that was weak against its opponent?
Laughing hysterically, Akito called out, "Throwing in the towel already, huh Sorey? I never imagined you to be a quitter." Blastoise scoffed at the idea of its opponent being a Charizard, which made Charizard shoot a Flamethrower into the air to show its strength. He knew he was at a disadvantage, but he could still battle.
Catching his breath from laughing so hard, Akito proclaimed, "Since you have lasted this long, I'll show you a little special trick I learned in my travels. One that will cinch this win for me." Lifting his arm, he revealed a Mega Ring that he had hidden under his glove, much like the one Sora had. Once he tapped the odd stone in the center, a radiant glow blasted out of it. In response, a light jolted out from behind Blastoise's shell.
"Keystone, hear my heart and answer my call."
"Mega Evolution!"
The two lights connected, and a strange energy snaked over to Blastoise as it changed. Everyone watched in awe as its twin cannons merged into one large on on its back, two smaller shells fitted themselves onto its arm, and its large shell grew larger to accompany the new mega cannon. When it was finished, Blastoise looked like it had evolved into a completely new Pokémon.
"Say hello to Mega Blastoise, Sorey," Akito taunted. "The power that will end you for good." Everyone was in disbelief. A Mega Pokémon? Was that even possible? Now things had really taken a sour turn.
"Sora, stop!" Prince Pewter ordered. "Call off the match! There's no way you can beat that kind of power."
"Don't fight it Sora! It's too strong!" Yolanda pleaded.
"How can you say that to my master?!" Tidus exclaimed. "He can't surrender now! The Chieftain challenged him. My master won't turn away now."
"I honestly don't see how Sora can beat this kind of power," Cancer said, evaluating the scenario.
"I'll be fine," Sora told them all. "I've wanted a challenge like this for a long time. Now I have the chance to test my skills. I'm not backing down now."
Besides, Sora thought to himself, how can I face everyone if I back out now? What would my friends think? What about Rina?
Rina and her sisters were terrified by the sudden change. The sight of Mega Blastoise scared them quite a lot. Even Sarah and Kari, who wanted it to win, were frightened. When Rina heard Sora say he wouldn't back down, she was scared. She felt afraid of what would happen to him if he lost. She didn't understand the fear in her, but it made her whole body tremble.
In a whisper, she prayed, "Sora, please come back from this battle."
With both battlers ready, Sora called out, "Charizard, use Flamethrower!" With a mighty roar, Charizard belted out a stream of fire at Blastoise.
"Counter that with Hydro Pump!" Akito responded. With its massive cannon aimed, Blastoise launched a powerful torrent of water. The two attacks met, but the Hydro Pump pushed back against the Flamethrower. Charizard barely dodged the attack by flying into the air.
"Alright Charizard, Dragon Tail!" With energy imbued, Charizard flew down and smacked Blastoise in the face. The attack caused Blastoise to stagger, which in turn made it really ticked. Flying back into the air, Charizard awaited its next attack.
"Now use Steel Wing!" With its mighty wing becoming filled with steel energy, Charizard flew down towards Blastoise.
"Intercept with Mega Punch!" Just before its wing made contact, Charizard was hit with a super powered punch to the face. The force from the blow catapulted Charizard skyward. "Now use Dragon Pulse!" Aiming its main cannon, and the two mini cannons appearing on its arms, Blastoise launched pure energy that exploded upon impact. From the resulting cloud, fell the mighty Charizard. It's eyes were closed, and its wings were pulled back.
"Charizard!" Sora cried out.
"Now, finish it with Hydro Pump!"
As Blastoise prepped its attack, Akito explained, "With its new Mega Launcher ability, Blastoise's Dragon Pulse was far stronger than normal. When this next attack lands, it will all be over." As soon as they heard that, everyone began shouting to Sora to call off the match.
But Sora wasn't listening. Instead, he looked to the bracelet his mother gave him before he left home. He looked at the odd stone fitted in it, and pondered: what did Akito call his Blastoise? Mega Blastoise? Could Charizard have that kind of power too? Did he?
Right as Blastoise released its attack, both Yolanda and Rina cried out, "SORA!" Remembering the process Akito spoke, Sora called out,
"Keystone, hear my heart and answer my call!"
He tapped the keystone on his Mega Ring, and raised it high over his head. Tendrils of light shot out, and snaked towards Charizard. Then, tendrils of light came out from the stone Charizard had on itself, and linked with Sora's lights.
"Mega Evolution!"
The light encompassed Charizard, waking it up and deflecting the Hydro Pump. Akito, Sora's crew, and the mermaids all watched in amazement as Charizard righted itself, then began to change. Wing fins grew on its arms, its wings grew wider, the flame on its tail grew in size, and a single horn sprouted on the back of its head. As it transformed, the sun's rays brightened, blinding everyone but Sora. When Charizard became visible in the light, the light surrounding it vanished as it roared out. Now, it was Mega Charizard.
"Th-That's impossible!" Akito gasped. Everyone else was flabbergasted by Charizard's new form. Not only did it look stronger, it looked unhurt as well. Not only that, but Sora had a fierce expression plastered on his face. Somehow, this battle had completely changed.
Recovering from shock, Akito roared, "So you can Mega Evolve too?! Big deal! I'll still win! Blastoise, use Hydro Pump!" But as the Hydro Pump jetted up, the stream of water thinned and weakened. By the time it reached Charizard, it was merely a sprinkle.
"Charizard, use Flamethrower!" Sora shouted. This time, the flames became a blaze that consumed Blastoise.
"How is Charizard so much stronger than Blastoise now?" Tidus asked.
As it dawned on him, Prince Pewter elaborated, "It's Drought! Charizard's new ability is now Drought, which weakens Water-type attacks while strengthening Fire-type attacks. That's why the sun is stronger now, and why Blastoise is weaker."
Back in the battle, Sora roared, "Use Seismic Toss!" Racing through the flames, Charizard caught Blastoise and began carrying it upward.
Not wanting to back down now, Akito yelled, "Get away from it! Use Mega Punch!" But Blastoise had no room to use the attack. It was held too close to Charizard, and was having a hard time just struggling to get away. Charizard flew up super high, spun around a few times, then dove down and slammed Blastoise so hard that a huge shockwave resounded. Everyone but Sora staggered back from the force emitted.
As the dust cloud settled from the impact, both Blastoise and Charizard stood facing each other. Neither Pokémon looked injured, and they looked ready to continue battling.
With a smirk, Akito called out, "Take down that wimp with Dragon Pulse!" Blastoise held out its cannons, and Charizard stood ready for its next order. But Sora did not utter a word, nor did he make a move. Only Rina and Prince Pewter saw why.
"It's over," They said. At that moment, Blastoise's form reverted to how it normally was, and it collapsed.
"Blastoise!" Akito cried out. But Blastoise had fainted.
"Blastoise is unable to battle. Charizard wins!" the ref proclaimed. "And the victory goes to Guardian Sora!"
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A massive cheer arose from the sidelines, both on land and sea. For Sora had won against the first Chieftain. As Charizard returned to normal, Sora fell to his knees in exhaustion. Pikachu jumped down from his shoulder, and looked up to his master in concern.
But Sora assured it, "I'm alright." And as he stood up, Charizard and the crew came over to congratulate their guardian on a victory well earned. Yolanda even flung herself onto Sora, and kissed him on the cheek.
"For my future husband," She whispered lovingly.
When Rina saw Yolanda cling to Sora, her heart dropped into the pits. Would Sora love Yolanda more than her? Was it even worth trying to get close to Sora now? Rina felt unsure about what to feel now.
"That was awesome!" Kari exclaimed with excitement.
"So intense! Sora really knows how to pull out a win!" Sarah agreed, "Right Rina?" But Rina felt crestfallen. Suddenly, a tear came down her face.
"Rina?" Kari inquired. But Rina took off before her sisters could ask more, weeping greatly.
Suddenly, Sora felt a sadness in his heart. A strong sorrow he did not understand, nor knew where it came from. He looked beyond his friends, out towards sea, and began to wonder if Rina had been watching him. If that was true, then why was he feeling sad?
"No bad Sora," Akito spoke as he and Blastoise approached the victor. "You really surprised me there, having Charizard Mega Evolve like that."
"Mega Evolve?" Sora questioned. "I just did what you did, since we had the same thing."
With a quick laugh, Akito chuckled, "You call upon such power, yet you don't know what it is? You just mimic what you're opponent does?" He let out a loud laugh before calming down. Then remarked, "That is so like you Sora. But, it's something you'll need to discover on your own."
Clearing his throat, he continued, "As Chieftain of Topaz Island, and as your rival, I present to you your first badge. Each badge you earn demonstrates something you have learned upon your victory. Having all eight will make you a true guardian. Today, you earned the Warrior Badge." And he presented to Sora a badge that looked like a star. Taking it proudly, Sora cried out,
"Alright! We got the Warrior Badge!
"Pi Pikachu!"
Back at the Aura, Rina was weeping against the wooden hull. He heart felt torn, and her feelings crushed.
Why Sora? she thought, Why? Kari and Sarah were sad to see Rina this way. They wanted to comfort her in some way, but they were unsure as to how they would.
As they heard people begin to work up on the ship, Kari swam forward and spoke, "Let's go, Rina. Let's forget this ever happened." Wiping the tears away, Rina complied to the idea.
But before the three could take off, they heard someone call out, "Look out below!" Suddenly, a dingy splashed down into the water next to the mermaid trio. When they saw who was in it, they found Pikachu and Sora.
"Hope we didn't hurt anybody," Sora said with a grin on his face.
"And why would you care if we're hurt?" Rina grumbled, not even looking at the guardian. Sora was somewhat taken back by her response, and wondered what might have made her turn so cold.
"Rina, are you okay?" he asked in concern.
"Why do you care?" she snapped. "Don't you have some princess to attend to? Someone more important than a mermaid?"
"Rina, what is up with you?" Kari inquired of her sister.
"Yeah, what happened?" Sarah came in. It didn't take long for Sora to piece together what she was talking about.
"Yolanda does that a lot with me whenever I make a big win against an opponent, mostly with Ragnar," he explained to them. "I don't understand most of it yet, because she always catches me off-guard when she does it."
"Yeah right." Rina huffed.
"Rina, please, hear me out." Sora pleaded. "While Yolanda may think one thing, I don't think the same way she does. Remember what I said when we explored Topaz Island?" He paused as if waiting for an answer, before stating, "I want to see a dream of mine come true, in that everyone can be friends. And I wanted you, Kari, and Sarah to be a part of that dream. I meant it then, and I mean it now." With those words, Rina was reminded about how Sora treated her and her sisters. Again, she was reminded about how different Sora behaved around them, and how he was so friendly, understanding, and protective of them. He even enjoyed getting to know more about her after their last couple of meetings. Sure, he was betrothed to Princess Yolanda, but that was never on the forefront of his mindset. Rather, his focus seemed to be on them.
Her mood softening at last, Rina turned and swam up to Sora and told him, "Congratulations on your win."
"Yeah, congrats," Sarah chimed in. "And I was thinking you wouldn't win that one."
"Thanks," Sora replied sheepishly. "But, it's just one victory of eight. I've still got a long way to go." He looked to his staff, which now had the Warrior Badge on it, and seemed to remember something as he said, "Oh yeah! You guys can use this dingy to stay with us while we travel, if you want. I used to use this as a makeshift fort during my earlier travels. It's got tent supplies too, to keep you guys from being seen by everyone else." Kari and Sarah were about to refuse, until Rina pulled herself aboard. Seeing now way around it, the two were helped aboard as well.
And as the anchor was weighed, Rina asked, "Where to next, Guardian Sora?"
Facing out to sea, Sora told her, "Irk Island."
"I see." Said a man on the throne in Tyrannia to a crystal ball showing three shadowy figures, "So Sora has beaten the first Chieftain. Very well. Keep an eye on him and his crew, Jessica, Jameson, and Meowth."
"Yes boss," The figures replied. And the crystal ball went dark.
"What has happened father?" Ragnar spoke as he approached the man on the throne.
As the man stroked his Persian, he told him, "Your rival, the guardian, has won against the first Chieftain. Which makes it interesting to see how far he goes."
Sora: One win down, seven more to go.
Rina: Hey Sora, has Kari been acting funny lately?
Sora: Not sure. But Drake has been acting weird too.
Rina: Strange. I wonder.
Next time,
The Stormstress
Phew! What a challenge. Not only did Sora have to beat Akito, his rival from childhood, but he also had to try and convince Rina that he still wanted her and her sisters to travel with him. Not exactly easy, even for a guardian.
One badge down, seven more to go. And we get to see some more shadowy figures coming into play. Hmm. Curious.
Well, till next time. And please answer that poll. I need to understand reader opinion and see where people stand between my two stories. Thank you!