With Blake and Oscar's battle over, time to move on to the third round of the day! Who could it be?
ZenoZen: Well, I'm still happy to see them, because I want to use them in the future. I'm just not accepting them yet.
Superblal: Oscar's reasons for surrendering are more than just being out of energy, and will be more fully explored when we meet his final pokemon. And yes, although we've only met three Harmonia users, they all definitely use it too often. There's a reason for that (which will be explored when we meet a certain character) but hopefully the fact that only a few students actually possess it will make it seem slightly more special going forward. We've already met all the people with Harmonia you can expect to see for a very, very long time. At the same time, however, now that it is more widely known, you can be certain that people will be working on strategies to counter it. Blake has the advantage because he's known about it for years, but now that the whole school has heard the news, we'll be seeing more countermeasures. Later on in this tournament even, in fact. And infallible? Oscar just lost, man. Seems pretty fallible to me.
Duskzilla: I accept your passive-aggressive congratulations.
Jay Hayden: Indeed, Kanone's character arc is something that will be explored in depth. It's much more complicated than it appears, but I will say that his reasons for treating Blake the way he does can be tied back to their family circumstances.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 49
"So it might have been slightly… unorthodox, but Blake has won the battle!" Darla announced.
"Now, we'll move onto the next-"
"Like hell!" Blake interrupted Lila, the two girls turning to look at him. "I'm not accepting a result like this!"
Darla looked at him, her eyes filled with annoyance. She rubbed her temples, shaking her head.
"Look, it might not be ideal, but we have a tournament to finish," Darla sighed in frustration. "So just sit down and be quiet, okay? Geez."
Cynthia jumped down from the stage and walked over to Blake, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Look, Blake, I know this isn't the kind of win you wanted, but don't worry. At least you moved on, right?"
"Listen, Cynthia, I-" Cynthia placed a hand on her face and sighed, shaking her head. She moved her hand from his shoulder to the back of his neck, giving him a swift chop, Blake hitting the ground, unconscious.
"Oh no!" Cynthia cried in mock-surprise. "Blake! Are you okay?! That battle must have taken a lot out of you! You must be so exhausted! Worry not, I'll help you back to your seat!" Cynthia lifted Blake onto her shoulder and walked back toward the stage, the crowd staring in hushed surprise.
She knocked him out… Julia thought, shaking her head.
She totally knocked him out… Sango silently agreed.
Scary… Kitty thought, shivering.
I think I'm done messing with these crazy freshmen… Kate promised herself.
"Well, I think it's time to be going," Kanone said, rising from his seat, smiling. "Those battles were quite interesting, but now that the fighters with Harmonia are finished, I have other business that I must address."
"So now that you've been proven wrong to your assumptions on Blake, you're going to run in shame, huh?" Sango asked, staring at Kanone.
"Oh? Proven wrong about what?" Kanone asked, smiling.
"You said that there was no way Blake could win against Oscar because Blake doesn't have Harmonia," Sango replied.
"Did I say that? I believe I said 'do you think it is so easily defeated just by someone trying their best'. I don't believe I ever said anything about thinking Blake could not defeat him."
Sango gave him a sour look, Kanone simply smiling in response.
"I know full well how strong that boy is," Kanone replied to her.
"Then why don't you acknowledge him?!" Sango exclaimed, rising up to face him.
"That… is none of your business," Kanone said coldly. "Now then, if you'll excuse me ladies, I have something pressing to attend to, and I must be going." Without another word, he turned and walked down the aisle, leaving Sango to fume.
"So with that all out of the way," Darla said, trying to return the mood back to normal, "it's time to get to the third match!"
"So without further ado…" Lila gestured to the screen, where two faces pulled to a stop.
"The next matchup!" Darla announced. "Dakota Evans!"
"Vs. Akira Saroyan!" Lila finished.
Akira and Dakota gasped, and turned to look at each other, staring in disgust at the person sitting next to them.
"Well, it's about time I deal with you," Dakota said, smirking, standing up so she could look down at her opponent.
"You don't honestly think you can beat me, do you?" Akira asked, Dakota replying with a sharp glare. She turned on her foot and stormed off the stage, Akira following after her.
"Wow, those two have quite the luck, don't they?" Eli sighed, smiling sympathetically down at the two of them. She was seated next to Serefina and Lukas, the three of them watching from high up in the stands as Akira and Dakota took to the battlefield. "I'm really beginning to question the 'randomness' of this selection process."
"Those two are so stressful," Serefina sighed, shaking her head. "Why can't they get along so we can all go back to being friends again?"
"I, for one, enjoy the drama," Lukas chuckled, the two girls shooting him dirty looks. "What? It's enjoyable. Way more fun than when they were giving each other all those flirty, furtive looks back in the day, don't you guys think so?"
"…Good point," Eli said, nodding.
"…I still feel bad," Serefina said, shaking her head.
"I'll show you how a real trainer fights," Dakota said, smiling smugly. "You see, I've been paying special attention to all your battles. I know your pokemon, I know your strategies, and I'm ready to take advantage of all of it!"
"…Okay then," Akira said, rolling his eyes. "Starla! Go!"
Akira tossed out a pokeball, which a Starmie emerged from.
"One of your usual starts," Dakota said, smiling. "Trying to bait me, are you? Not gonna work! Come on, Pumpernickel~ let's go!"
Dakota tossed out a pokeball, which a Gourgeist emerged from. The pokemon was small with a slender cream-colored body, long orange hair-like pulp streaming down from his head into hands. His hips bulged out into a thin brown pumpkin shape, creating a body that resembled a gourd.
"So it's Gourgeist vs. Starmie!" Darla announced. "Both of them are well-known pokemon on their respective teams!"
"And not just any Gourgeist, but a small-sized Gourgeist," Lila added. "That means he's not only small, but fast!"
"Starla! Use ice beam," Akira ordered. Starla's jewel began sparkling, and a beam of icy energy shot from the tip of the top point of their body, shooting at Pumpernickel. The Gourgeist dodged to the side, avoiding the attack, holding up his hands, large leaves manifesting in the air around him. He flung his hands forward, the leaves shooting out in a barrage of razor-sharp blades.
"And you think I'm predictable?" Akira asked, rolling his eyes. "Starla, use rapid spin." Starla leapt into the air and began rotating their body, sharpening their edges and slicing through the leaves, protecting themself.
"Ooh, you always were faster than me," Dakota huffed. "But it won't end so easily! Pumpernickel, take that starfish down with your bullet seed!" Pumpernickel inhaled, puffing up his cheeks, before spitting a series of glowing seeds from his mouth like a gattling gun.
"Starla, counter with bubblebeam," Akira ordered. Starla's gem began shining, their body secreting shiny oil. The star on their back began spinning, the oil inflating from the rotation into a series of bubbles that shot forward in a swift line, bubble striking seed at each point, the two attacks exploding in a wave between the two pokemon.
"It seems that Starmie and Gourgeist are matched in power," Darla announced.
"Indeed, it makes sense! Those two have been rivals since their freshman year, after all," Lila explained.
Dakota frowned, and glanced at Pumpernickel, nodding.
"Pumpernickel, we're doing 'that', got it?" Dakota ordered. "Akira hasn't seen it yet!"
"Oh?" Akira's eyes sharpened in curiosity.
"Shadow sneak!" Dakota ordered. Pumpernickel bounced up and then back down, sinking into his shadow. The shadow shot forward at high speed, and Pumpernickel emerged, striking Starla in the gem with a ghostly fist. Starla stumbled backward, falling onto their back, Pumpernickel floating above them.
"Now, Pumpernickel! Finish it with bullet seed!" Pumpernickel inhaled, puffing up his cheeks even larger, preparing to strike Starla.
"Starla! Disappear!" Akira shouted. On cue, Starla's body began to fade away before disappearing entirely.
"What?!" Dakota exclaimed.
"The Starmie disappeared!" Darla gasped.
"No way! How is that possible?" Lila said, asked.
"You're not the only one with a few tricks up your sleeve," Akira said, grinning. "Starla's camouflaged themself!"
"Rrr…" Dakota growled. "Pumpernickel! They've gotta be around here somewhere! Launch bullet seeds across the entire battlefield!"
"Gour!" Pumpernickel said, nodding. He spun in the air, firing seeds in every direction, small explosions bursting out across the battlefield. But no matter how many explosions the attack created, Starla was nowhere to be seen.
"Where are they?!" Dakota exclaimed.
"Starla, ice beam!" Akira ordered. Starla reappeared, exactly where they had disappeared. Pumpernickel's eyes shot downward, but he wasn't able to dodge in time for Starla to fire a beam of ice, catching him from below, encasing Pumpernickel in ice. Pumpernickel plummeted to the ground, not moving due to being frozen solid as Starla leapt up onto their star points.
"Akira, you-" Dakota fumed, glaring at Akira, who smirked.
"Dakota, you always get ahead of yourself and make all these hotheaded assumptions," Akira said, shaking his head. "Whoever said Starla was going to move just because they were blending in with the background?"
"This is another reason why I can't stand you!" Dakota shouted. "You always think you're so smart and such a good trainer, and that you're so much better than me!"
"Yeah, well, you're not the only one here who can't stand having to fight each other!" Akira exclaimed. "You think I'm arrogant?! You're the most arrogant person I know! You think you're god's gift to reporting, but all you do is selfishly pursue crazy theories that hurt people, and you don't even care!"
Dakota took a step back, clenching her fist, narrowing her eyes into a glare.
"You want to talk about hurting others?!" Dakota exclaimed. "You… you! …Forget it! Pumpernickel! Don't let that ice get you down! Shadow force!"
"What?" Akira asked, surprised. Pumpernickel slowly disappeared from within the ice, leaving a simple cube where he'd been trapped.
"You're not the only one who can disappear," Dakota said. "But unlike you, we're not going to just sit there and not do anything! Pumpernickel is creeping up on that Starla of yours as we speak!"
"Starla, use bubblebeam to fill the battlefield," Akira ordered. Starla began spinning their star, bubbles surrounding their body and spreading out over the battlefield, creating a floating minefield of explosive bubbles that swirled in a net around their body.
"Copying me, I see?" Dakota asked, smirking. "Well it won't work for you, either! Pumpernickel, go!"
Pumpernickel emerged from the shadows beneath Starla, hitting them in the back with a blast of ghostly force, knocking Starla into the minefield, setting off a chain of explosions.
"Taking a play from Akira's book, the Gourgeist has dealt Starmie some massive damage by attacking from below!" Darla reported.
"As expected, it seems these two are pretty familiar with each other's fighting styles," Lila said, smiling, her comment being met with matching looks of disgust from Akira and Dakota.
"Starla, use rapid spin," Akira said. Starla leapt up and began spinning, creating a powerful wind that blew the remaining bubbles on the field toward Pumpernickel.
"Razor leaf to defend," Dakota said. Pumpernickel raised his arms and created a wave of swirling leaves in front of him to block the attacks, the bubbles exploding harmlessly in front of him.
"Their attacks are pretty even," Darla commented. "The two are well matched, definitely."
"Yes, but Gourgeist's type advantage is making the battle uneven," Lila replied. "Starmie has definitely taken some more damage than Gourgeist."
She was right. Starla's body was bruised in several places and their jewel was cracked, Starla breathing(?) heavily in fatigue.
"Starla, use recover to get some of your health back," Akira said. Starla began glowing as their bruises healed and their gem repaired itself, Starla restored to nearly full health. "Next, use ice beam!"
Starla fired a beam of ice from the tip of their upper point, shooting at Pumpernickel, who dodged to the side and sunk into the shadows, shooting toward Starla, striking at her from below. Before the attack could hit them, however, Starla leapt backwards, dodging the swing, and freezing Pumpernickel's fist solid with a swift ice beam.
"Gour!" Pumpernickel cried out in pain as his arm froze solid and Starla continued the attack.
"Darn it!" Dakota exclaimed as Pumpernickel fell forward, the ice traveling up his arm and freezing down his body, sealing him to the ground.
"Don't give him time to disappear, Starla. Finish him with another ice beam!" Akira ordered, Starla building up the energy for another ice beam to knock out the grass pokemon.
"Pumpernickel! Use explosion!" Dakota shouted.
"Gour!" Pumpernickel nodded, building energy up into his body.
"What?!" Akira shouted. "Starla! Dodg-"
"GEIST!" Pumpernickel exclaimed, releasing a powerful explosion from his body, sending a shockwave out across the battlefield, slamming into Starla, encompassing them in the blast.
"Holy-" Darla exclaimed.
"Duck in cover!" Lila cried, the two ducking under the table as the battlefield shook, Akira and Dakota shielding their eyes. When the explosion faded and the dust cleared, both pokemon were laying on the ground unconscious. The stadium was stunned in silence.
"What… what the hell?!" Akira exclaimed. "What was that?!"
"What do you mean?" Dakota asked, smiling innocently as she whistled.
"You know exactly what I mean," Akira growled.
"Both pokemon are unable to battle!" Darla announced, peaking out over the table.
"So it's a draw, huh?" Lila asked.
"Always playing dirty, huh? You knew I had that exchange, you're just a sore loser!" Akira said, frowning. Dakota stuck out her tongue in response.
"You're just a sore loser," Dakota smirked. "Always complaining when someone does something you don't see coming. I took out your Starmie fair and square!" Akira sulked but knew she was right, and so he remained silent, glaring at her instead. Both trainers returned their pokemon to their pokeballs, Dakota smiling triumphantly while Akira glowered.
"Time to go strong, then," Akira said, tossing out a pokeball. "Kumari! Go!" Akira's Beartic emerged, letting out a roar, Dakota smiling.
"There's your other favorite lead," Dakota chuckled. "Faux! Let's go!"
Dakota sent out her next pokemon, a Braixen. The yellow fox pokemon withdrew a stick from her tail, twirling it in her paws, flames dancing in front of her.
"Seeing Akira's choice, it seems Dakota decided to choose her Braixen due to its type advantage," Darla announced. "How pett-smart of her!"
"True, but in spite of the type advantage, Beartic is one of Akira's strongest pokemon! This might not be so easy!" Lila reminded her.
"Faux, this battle will be totally easy," Dakota chortled. "Soften him up with a psybeam!" Faux twirled her baton, waves of rainbow energy manifesting from the tip, shooting at Kumari in an oddly moving beam.
"Kumari, counter with ice beam," Akira ordered. Kumari opened his mouth and fired an icy beam to counter Faux's, the two beams colliding in an explosion.
"As expected!" Dakota said. "Faux! Use flame charge!" Faux spun her baton and flames appeared in a circle around her, coating her body in a veil of fire as she ran forward.
"Aqua jet!" Akira shouted. Kumari stepped forward and water swirled up around his body as he charged at Faux, the two pokemon colliding head on. The two attacks met at full power, Kumari swinging his arm, hitting Faux in the chest, knocking her back. Faux's flames were extinguished and she was flung into the air. She managed to right herself, however, and landed on her feet, swinging her baton and launching several fireballs at the ice pokemon. Kumari dodged to the side and used another aqua jet, surging toward Faux.
"It seems his success with aqua jet has encouraged Akira to attack with it again," Darla announced.
"Beartic may be an ice type, but his powerful water moves seem to be evening the matchup," Lila said.
"We'll see about that! Water has its own weaknesses as well," Dakota said, smiling. "Faux! Use psyshock!"
Faux held her wand up, psychic electricity crackling from the tip. She launched a psychic bolt from the wand, striking Kumari head on, electrocuting the water with the psychic attack, Kumari stumbling down, sliding across the ground as he groaned in pain, standing up.
"You think I didn't see your water attacks coming?" Dakota asked. "I've been planning for this battle since last year, Akira! I've trained my pokemon for the soul purpose of taking you down! Faux, use fire spin!"
Faux spun her baton to create a tornado of flames, and with a flick of the wrist she flung it toward Kumari, wrapping him in a veil of fire.
"Kumari, we won't let that get to us!" Akira shouted. "Use surf!"
Kumari raised his paws, water swirling up around him into a massive tidal wave. Kumari leapt up, riding atop it as the attack crashed down toward Faux, who ran back, trying to dodge the attack.
"Faux!" Dakota shouted. "Time for our backup plan!"
"Brai!" Faux said, glancing at her and nodding. She whirled on her paw and held out her baton, tracing it in front of her, multiple lights dancing at the tip as the water fell down upon her, consuming her in its tempestuous tides. The wave surged across the battlefield, rushing past Dakota's feet before crashing into the far wall, pulling back to reveal Faux lying unconscious on the ground.
"It seems that surf attack was just too powerful for Braixen to endure!" Darla announced.
"Braixen is unable to battle!" Lila shouted.
"See that, Dakota?" Akira asked. "You can scheme all the cute little schemes you want, but Kumari and I are experienced partners. You won't be able to beat us with tricks like that."
"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that," Dakota chuckled, turning back to Akira, a wicked smile on her face. "Take a look at your precious partner."
"Kumari?" Akira called out to his pokemon, who was standing motionless on the battlefield.
"Bear… tic…" Kumari yawned, falling to the ground, snoring peacefully.
"Beartic is…" Darla gasped.
"…Asleep?!" Lila finished.
"Before your surf attack hit, I had Faux put him to sleep with her hypnosis," Dakota explained, smirking. "Now that partner of yours is sleeping like a baby, completely useless to you!"
"You…" Akira growled.
"I told you, didn't I? I've been preparing for this. I knew that even with a type advantage, there was no way that Faux could beat your best pokemon in a straight up fight. I said it at the beginning, her job was to soften you up, and my next pokemon will finish him off!" Dakota let out a spiteful laugh. "You've always underestimated me, Akira! But I've been studying for weeks! Following you, watching you train, seeing your strategies, I've prepared for each and every one! I know all your pokemon, I know what they can do, and I've devised the perfect plan to beat each one of them!"
"You bitch," Akira cursed, shaking his head. "Of all the things you've done, this has got to be the most sick, creepy, stalking thing I've ever seen!"
"I prefer to call it 'good journalism'!" Dakota replied. "See, I'm going into the appeals course! Not the battle course! So did you ever stop to think about why I even entered this stupid tournament? Well I'll tell you!"
"Let me guess," Akira sighed, rolling his eyes. "To beat me."
"Yup," she said, nodding, giving him a thumbs up.
"Are you serious?!" Akira exclaimed.
"Wow, even for Dakota that's some petty shit right there," Eli said, actually surprised for once by Dakota's actions.
"Wow, that's low," Serefina said, frowning.
"This is great!" Lukas cackled. "I love it!"
"You placed 4th last year, remember?" Dakota asked. "Well, I'm here to make sure that that won't happen again!"
"What's the matter with you?!" Akira exclaimed. "Why are you trying to screw with me?!"
"…Because it's fun?" Dakota asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.
"Oh, you petty bitch…" Akira muttered, shaking his head. "I can't believe this! This is a new low for you, you know that?!"
"I consider it more of a new high, actually," Dakota said, smiling in self-satisfaction.
"I can't believe I ever had feelings for you!" Akira exclaimed. "God, you are such a scheming, petty little…"
"Wait, what?!" Sango exclaimed.
"Did he say what I think he said?" Kitty asked, blushing.
"Whoa." Was all Julia had to say on the matter.
Hearing what Akira had said, Dakota's expression turned sour, glaring at him.
"Oh please, don't you even start with me!" She exclaimed. "You know damn well what you did to me, don't even pull that 'feelings' bullcrap! You were just using me!"
"Oh you have gotta be-I was using YOU?!" Akira growled. "I was using you? That's how you remember it!"
"Yeah, because that's the truth!" Dakota shot back.
"Just because you print it in that toilet paper of a magazine you call a newspaper doesn't make it the truth!" Akira exclaimed. "In fact, even if it was the truth, you printing it would turn it into a lie!"
"Toilet paper?! Did you seriously just call my newspaper toilet paper?!" Dakota shouted. "The nerve-! I'll have you know, I-"
"This is supposed to be a POKEMON BATTLE!" Darla shouted into her microphone. "Your pokemon are the ones that are supposed to be fighting, not you two!"
"Fine with me," Akira said, turning back to Dakota with a glare. "I guess this will how we settle things, then."
"And whoever wins is the one who remembers correctly?" Dakota asked, nodding. "Sounds good to me!"
Damn, joining a tournament just on the chance you'll be able to beat a guy you don't like, for the sake of keeping him from winning? That's some top tier level pettiness.