I've decided to focus on the battles separately. So Blake vs. Kate chapters will be happening concurrently with the Cynthia vs. Austin chapters. Hopefully if I increase my update pace, I can get some more reviews going! Please?
Darkhammer: Hopefully this will help that!
ReallyRaichu: No worries. I'm glad you'll keep reading. : )
ZenoZen: Yup, time for the payoff coming!
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 31
"Rossa, go!" Kate tossed out a pokeball, which her Roselia emerged from.
"Ruru," Blake said, sending out his Joltik. The small spider chittered happily and scurried into the field of flowers, obstructed from view.
"I hate to use such an inelegant move," Kate said, shaking her head, "but it is necessary to secure my victory. Rossa! Toxic spikes!"
Poisonous spikes rained down on the field, limiting Ruru's movements. The small bug moved around the plummeting needles, managing to avoid the attack.
"Ruru, use spider web!" Blake ordered. From her hiding place the small spider fired a large blast of webbing at the grass pokemon to trip her up, but the Roselia was prepared. As the small pokemon jumped back, she held up a rose-covered hand, which began to glow. Shining leaves shot out from the flower and sliced through the webbing, the small tendrils falling harmlessly to the ground in front of her. Ruru attempted a few more attacks, but Rossa shredded through each of them, never once losing her cool.
"Kate's Roselia has skillfully managed to strike down all of the Joltik's attempts to trip her up!" Darla said.
"Of course a student of the Sixth Leader Alcea would fight so elegantly," Lila said, nodding. "But the Joltik's size makes it hard for her to be spotted!"
"We'll see about that," Kate smirked. "Rossa, use magical leaf!"
"Rose!" Rossa nodded, spinning on the grass and holding her flower hands out, creating a wave of shining leaves that spun across the field. The leaves were glowing with rainbow light and hovered in the air, before honing in on Ruru and flying towards her. The leaves sliced through the flowers Ruru was hiding under and one of them struck her hard, badly cutting her fuzzy body.
"Jolt!" Ruru cried, flailing on the ground. She quickly righted herself, though, and scurried away from the leaves.
"Ruru, use agility to get in close to the Roselia," Blake ordered. Ruru picked up speed and shot across the grassy field, skillfully evading the countless spikes that littered the garden.
"Hmph, you fool. You think that because Rossa specializes in long distance attacks that getting closer will do anything?" Kate laughed. "Rossa, use poison sting! Er, I mean, magical leaf!"
"R-rose!" Rossa sprung to attention and held her flower up, a blast of rainbow-colored leaves flying straight for the small bug pokemon.
"Ruru! Electro ball!" Blake ordered.
"Jolt!" Ruru nodded, holding her pincers up, a large sphere crackling with electricity appearing in front of her. She fired it at the grass pokemon, the orb vaporizing the leaves in its path as it shot towards Rossa.
"Rose!" Rossa cried out in pain, falling to the ground.
"A misspeaking on Kate's part seems to have caused her Roselia to act a bit too slowly," Darla observed.
"Blake capitalized on the hesitation expertly as well," Lila added.
As Rossa rose to her stemmed feet, Ruru leapt into the air, claws raised.
"Slash!" Blake said, Ruru slicing into the Roselia's chest with a powerful slash much longer than her pincer.
"Rose!" Rossa swung her hand, swatting Ruru up into the air. She raised her flower towards Ruru and it began glowing, firing a barrage of poison needles at Ruru.
"Ruru, dodge it with string shot," Blake ordered. A thick cord shot out from behind Ruru and hit the ground, sticking tight. Ruru retracted the string inside of her to pull herself out of the way of the needles, landing on the ground.
"No, not that one!" Kate said, shaking her head, glancing at the viewing box again. Yes, just like her. That's how she would win!
"This annoying bug… Rossa! We're ending this now!"
"Rose!" Rossa said, nodding.
"Petal blizzard!"
"Roselia!" Rossa shouted, holding her arms out. The wind picked up across the stadium, turning in a slow spin around Rossa's body. The flowers on the field began shaking, and petals lifted off of them, whipping across the field.
"Jolt…" Ruru looked around nervously as the tornado of petals picked up in speed, matching the spin of the Roselia in an impenetrable barrier of razor-sharp blades. Ruru tried to get closer to the rose pokemon, but the wind pressure kept the light pokemon well at bay.
Rossa pulled to a stop and the petals hung in air for a second, as she pointed her flower-hand at Ruru. In a flash the petals came to life again, crashing toward Ruru in a wave of petals, slamming into the small bug pokemon and rolling across the field. As the flower petals came to a rest, Ruru was buried in them, unconscious.
"A-and in a stunning display of grace and strength, Kate secures her first win over Blake's pokemon!" Darla exclaimed.
"What a lovely display!" Lila admitted. "I may have judged her too quickly."
"Milady!" Kate declared, holding her hands out, looking up at the Eight Leaders' viewing box. "Did you see my elegant victory?"
"Hey!" Blake snapped, returning Ruru to her pokeball. "What are you doing?"
His eyes were narrowed into a glare, catching Kate off guard for a second.
"W-what?" Kate asked, frowning.
"Where are you looking?" Blake demanded. "I'm your opponent."
"Is Blake… angry?" Sango asked, her eyes widening. She'd thought that Blake was more laidback, and she'd never seen him get really mad at anyone before, just frustrated. But now… He seemed pissed.
"Whatever," Kate said, frowning. "Send out your next pokemon so I can take care of that one too!"
"Weiss, let's show her what we've got!" Blake said, sending out his Scizor.
"Oh, good choice!" Lila said, smiling. "A steel type pokemon will be immune to the effects of the toxic spikes!"
"And not only that, but being part steel and part bug should give it some great resistance to Roselia's grass type moves!"
"That's the pokemon you used against our queen, right?" Kate said, smiling. "Then I'll defeat it just as she did, and show everyone that I'm just as elegant as she is!"
"You still have to win, though," Blake said, frowning.
"An easy task!" Kate smirked. "Rossa, use magical leaf!"
Rossa fired a blast of shining leaves at Weiss, the bug pokemon flapping his wings and shooting to the side.
"Weiss, double team," Blake ordered. Weiss nodded and created several clones of himself, flying towards Rossa.
"That won't save you," Kate smirked. "Magical leaf once more! Find the real one!"
Rossa fired another attack, the leaves spinning through the air momentarily before arcing toward one of the Scizors, the real one.
"Weiss, shred through them with metal claw," Blake ordered.
"Sci!" Weiss nodded, his pincer glowing with silver energy. He sliced through the rainbow leaves and shot towards Rossa, striking her in the chest.
"It seems that Blake has planned to blunt the torrent of grass types with a team of bug pokemon," Darla commented.
"And unlike his Joltik, that Scizor has enough brute strength to force his way through Roselia's graceful attacks," Lila noticed.
"Rossa! Focus!" Kate exclaimed. "If magical leaf won't work, we'll need brute force! Use petal blizzard again!"
"Rose!" Rossa said, nodding, holding her flowers up and beginning to spin. The petals on the ground lifted into the air and began to move around her body, forming another tornado of flower blades to slice through the Scizor.
"Weiss, use iron defense to tank the hit," Blake ordered.
"Sci!" Weiss said, nodding, his body glowing with energy.
"That won't be enough to stop us!" Kate exclaimed. "Strike him down! Petal blizzard!"
"Roselia!" Rossa shouted, flinging a wave of petals at Weiss, comparable in size to the one that had struck Ruru. The wave struck Weiss with a powerful force, burying him under a blanket of flower petals.
"Hah! That's how it goes!" Kate said, smiling. "Better luck next time, Blake!"
"Weiss!" Blake shouted.
"Scizor!" Weiss burst from the petals, barely scratched, flying towards Rossa.
"No… no way…" Kate blanched, shocked at the state of the Scizor. "R-Rossa! Use-"
"Slash!" Blake exclaimed. Weiss pulled his pincer back and sliced into Rossa's gut, sending her flying through the air. Rossa crashed onto the ground, unconscious.
"Scizor's fearsome barrage managed to overcome the Roselia! Could this be the turning point?!" Darla exclaimed.
"I wonder what Kate has to beat this powerful pokemon!" Lila asked.
"Rrr… you just go lucky!" Kate exclaimed. "Rossa, return! Lumia, take him down!"
Kate sent out her Vileplume, the large flower pokemon lowering her head towards the steel type.
"I guess one victory is to be expected from the trainer our queen acknowledged," Kate reluctantly admitted, calming down. "But Lumia and I aren't going to give in so easily."
"Then does that mean you're going to focus on our fight, now?" Blake asked.
"Whatever you say," Kate scoffed. "I'm not going easy on you anymore. The queen is watching, after all, and in front of her I can't afford to look weak or gross. Lumia! Solarbeam!"
Lumia began drawing in sunlight from the sky, charging up her power for a strong solarbeam attack.
"Kate's making a risky move by using a charge move like solarbeam," Darla said.
"True, giving a fast pokemon like Scizor the initiative like that can be risky!" Lila said.
As Lila noted, Weiss took advantage of the delay to charge at Lumia.
"Like we'd let you use an attack like that," Blake said. "Compared to that Venusaur, you might as well be standing still." Kate's eyes flashed with anger at that, glancing at Alcea's seat again.
"Metal claw," Blake ordered. Weiss struck Lumia in the face with a powerful steel attack, trying to knock her off balance.
"You think we'd be that fragile?" Kate asked. Lumia remained unmoved, much to Blake and Weiss's surprise, and grabbed onto his arm.
"Vile!" Lumia shouted, aiming her flower right at Weiss's face. She released the solar beam attack at point-blank range, the force wrenching Weiss from her grasp, sending him flying across the field. The mighty solar attack died down, leaving Weiss standing at the edge of the battlefield, panting, his body damaged but still holding strong.
"You good, Weiss?" Blake asked.
"Sci!" Weiss said, nodding, glaring at the Vileplume.
"How can he still be standing after an attack like that?" Kate growled. "Lumia, keep up the pressure! Use petal blizzard!"
"Plume!" Lumia shouted, holding her hands up, petals spinning around her body with much more intensity than they did with Rossa.
"Weiss, counter with razor wind!" Blake ordered. Weiss created a tornado of wind around him, as well. Lumia flung her arms forward, the petal wave shooting straight at the Scizor. Weiss swung his pincer, the tornado in front of him flying forward, slicing through the petals. Weiss shot after the tornado, plowing through the wave of petals and straight at Lumia.
Petal blizzard didn't work, Kate looked worriedly at the viewing box of the Eight Leaders. If Queen Alcea were here, she'd…
"Plume!" Lumia's shout drew Kate's attention, and she jerked her head back.
"S-sorry! Use sludge bomb!" Kate shouted automatically, realizing what she'd said a moment too late. "Wait, no-"
"Plume!" Lumia lowered her flowery head and fired a blast of sludge at Weiss. The poison attack did nothing to hinder Weiss's charge, and he pulled his claw back, striking Lumia with a powerful metal claw.
Lumia skidded across the field, rising shakily to her feet.
"No way…" Kate said, shaking her head. "Solar beam wasn't enough… petal blizzard didn't do anything…"
Alcea looked down from her viewing box at Kate, who was clearly beginning to fall apart with uncertainty.
Kate… you're a strong trainer. Alcea thought, a frown on her face. But Blake's right… you aren't paying attention to him. Your focus is elsewhere… You're trying to fight like me, is it?
"Hey!" Blake exclaimed, snapping Kate out of her panic. "What the heck is wrong with you?! Where the hell are you looking?! We're supposed to be fighting here!"
"I know that!" Kate exclaimed.
"Rrrg… You know what? That's it!" Blake exclaimed. "You really piss me off, you know that?!"
"Wh-what?" Kate asked, shocked.
"All of us are trying the best we can… and you're not even paying attention to your opponent! Someone like you, who can't even give the person you're fighting the respect of even acknowledging them… is that what Alcea teaches in her Gardening Club?!"
"What did you say?!" Kate growled, incensed that Blake would attack her idol like that. "How dare you insult the queen like that, you filthy plebian! Badmouthing her highness… I'm going to destroy you!"
"Darla… they're really mad…" Lila said worriedly, turning to her partner.
"What passion!" Darla said, her eyes brimming with excitement. "I can hardly stand it!"
"But it's so scary…" Lila whimpered.
"Lumia! No more mercy! Let's tear him apart with a petal dance, our strongest move!" Kate exclaimed.
"Vile!" Lumia lowered her flower head, a barrage of petals spinning straight at Weiss.
"Weiss! Flash cannon!" Blake ordered. Weiss held his pincers up, a beam of powerful light barreling through the petals, thoroughly destroying them and knocking Lumia backwards.
"No… no way…" Kate gasped, falling to her knees as her eyes widened. "But that… that was our strongest attack…"
What do I do now? Petal dance just failed… petal blizzard? No… sludge bomb? That won't have any effect… solarbeam? No, that would take too long! Kate rustled her hair in panic, turning her head to look at the viewing box of the Eight Leaders. What… what would the queen do?
"I said, where the hell are you looking?!" Blake exclaimed. Kate swung her attention back to the field, Lumia looking back at her desperately for orders as Weiss flew at top speed toward her.
"Scizor!" Weiss exclaimed, striking Lumia in the face with a powerful metal claw, knocking her off of her feet. Lumia crashed to the ground in front of Kate, who looked at her pokemon with a shaky gaze.
"Lumia… I…" Kate murmured, feeling tears welling up in her eyes.
"Vi… vile…" Lumia struggled to rise to her feet before succumbing to the pain, losing consciousness.
"What a turnaround!" Darla exclaimed. "Blake's Scizor has now taken out two of Kate's strongest pokemon!"
"Will he manage to win like this?!" Lila asked, smiling.
No way… could I… could I lose? Kate asked herself, returning Lumia to her pokeball. No… I refuse. I'm going to win, I have to win! I can't let her highness down… I need to show her… show everyone that I'm just as elegant as she is! I have to!
Kate took a deep breath, and rose to her feet.
"I'm going to win, my queen. I swear! Let me show you the true beauty of my elegant performance!" Kate exclaimed. "Bareru! Show them all… show them your beauty!"
Kate tossed out a pokeball, a large pokemon emerging from it. The pokemon was a large mushroom pokemon, with a face on the stem, and a red and white pokeball patter on the cap. It had two small arms that ended in similarly designed caps, and seemed to ooze spores around its body.
"Ew, what is that pokemon?" Lila exclaimed.
"It… it's an Amoongus!" Darla said incredulously. "That thing is a beauty?"
"Shut up! All of you just shut up!" Kate exclaimed, clutching her ears to block out the announcers' comments. "He is! Bareru… he's the coolest, most beautiful and elegant pokemon there is! He's not… he's not some ugly poison pokemon, he's a super-cool grass type!"
Her eyes… Blake thought, noticing Kate's intense gaze. He still wasn't the target, however, her attention was on something else. There's something different… what is she looking at now?
I'll show you, my queen. With Bareru at my side… I'll show you that we're just as elegant as you are! Kate smiled, staring at her Amoongus.
Interesting… I wonder how this battle will end!