With this chapter we wrap up the round, and move on to the quarter-finals! Who will fight whom? Well, we'll just have to see!
Jay Hayden: Well, she is a pretty good trainer.
Superblal: Yup, Cynthia is much smarter than anyone gives her credit for. Probably because she acts like an idiot.
: Thanks, always happy for more ranger OCs.
LegacyReturns: Thanks. Battles are where Cynthia becomes more fleshed out as a character, since most of the time she acts as an idiot.
Duskzilla: Good, then I'm doing my job properly.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 62
"Chris, use water gun!" Cynthia ordered.
"Spheal!" Chris cried, opening his mouth, sending a high-pressured blast of water Tank's way.
"Tank, iron defense," Reiner ordered. Tank hunkered down and stuck his head forward, the large plate on his face shining and growing brighter. The water struck the plate and bounced off, sliding down like water against a steel wall.
"That's some impressive defense Bastiodon has," Darla commented.
"That water attack didn't even faze him!" Lila gasped.
"So a water move of that level won't be enough, huh?" Cynthia said, frowning. "That shield is annoying. Chris! We'll have to get around it! Use ice ball!"
"Spheal!" Chris said, clapping his flippers. He curled up into a ball and coated his body with a layer of ice, rolling toward Tank.
"Iron defense again!" Tank lifted his head and prepared to block, but Chris dodged to the side, maneuvering around Tank, leaping off the ground and slamming into his side. Tank winced, but didn't move, turning his head and slamming Chris out of the way as he repositioned himself. Chris bounced onto the ground and the ice covering his body shattered, the ice pokemon wincing as he landed back on the ground.
"Spheal tried to take down Bastiodon by making use of his agility, but Bastiodon's defensive power is just too great," Darla said.
"That Bastiodon is appropriately named," Lila agreed. "He's like an unmovable wall."
"So speed isn't enough," Cynthia said, biting her nail in frustration. "Chris's moves are too weak… Chris, use aurora beam!"
"Spheal!" Chris shouted, opening his mouth, rainbow energy growing in front of him. He fired a series of shimmering rainbow rings in a beam toward Tank, who took the brunt of his attack with his shield, not even being pushed back.
"Another unsuccessful move!" Darla cried.
"Maybe, but if I can't wear down your health, I can at least do this," Cynthia smiled. "Aurora beam is a rather weak move, but its blinding, confusing lights still have a chance of sapping your attack power!"
Reiner didn't seem to have any reaction to this, and Cynthia's smile grew wider as she clenched her hand into a fist. "What do you think of that, Reiner? If all you're gonna do is sit there and build up your defenses, then we'll just have to chip away at you with stat reductions!"
"You raise a good point," Reiner said. "Tank, we'll be switching to offense now. Earthquake!"
Tank lumbered forward, slowing raising himself up onto his hind legs.
"Chris, now's your chance! He's slow, so you gotta get out of his range!" Cynthia shouted.
"Spheal," Chris nodded, rolling backwards, fleeing to the other side of the stadium.
"Not far enough," Reiner said, Tank falling down onto all fours again, shooting out a tremor through the stadium. The shockwaves traveled across the entire battlefield, slamming into Chris, knocking him into the air.
"Chris!" Cynthia wailed as her Spheal fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Bastiodon finishes things in a single, powerful attack!" Darla said.
"With tough defenses and powerful offense, Bastiodon seems almost unbeatable," Lila said, frowning.
"That's right, Lila," Darla agreed. "This battle might be ending shortly."
"Sorry, Chris," Cynthia sighed, returning her Spheal. "I didn't expect such a slow pokemon's earthquake to have such a long range."
She glanced up at Reiner.
"You really are smart, Reiner." Cynthia said, smiling sheepishly. "Like, I can't even compete! Both my fast pokemon were taken out early, and now you send out this monster. I guess if I can't outmaneuver him, I really am kinda screwed."
"What now?" Reiner asked, frowning. "You only have three pokemon left. And none of them have the ability to defeat this Bastiodon."
"No way, really?" Kitty asked, frowning.
"Unfortunately, he might be right," Julia admitted. "Cynthia's Loudred is a normal type with no coverage, so he won't be able to get through Bastiodon's typing and defenses. And her Mawile and Ralts don't have the speed or power to get through, either."
"So… it's hopeless?" Kitty asked, Sango frowning sympathetically. Then, her eyes widened and she sat up.
"No… there is one pokemon she has that might stand a chance…" Sango said, a smile rising to her face.
"Leon, go!" Cynthia said, throwing her pokeball up into the air. From the pokeball, her Gligar emerged, fully healed and flying freely.
"What?" Reiner said, shocked. "That's…"
"When did she catch a Gligar?" Blake said, surprised.
"What's wrong, Reiner?" Cynthia said, smirking. "What, were you not expecting my secret weapon? I wonder, did you think you were the only one who came to fight today with a brand new pokemon?"
Reiner narrowed his eyes in frustration while Cynthia was busy congratulating herself.
"Okay, Leon! I know it's our first battle, but we've been practicing! You're fully healed, so you don't have to worry! Let's just do our best, okay?"
"Gli!" Leon nodded, flying over and hugging her.
"Okay, I got it, thanks, you don't have to cling to me!" Cynthia giggled, rubbing the scorpion pokemon's head lovingly. "We need to battle!"
"Gli!" Leon leapt off her and spread his wings wide, floating toward Tank.
"So Cynthia's choice is Gligar, huh?" Darla said. "That's an interesting strategy."
"What do you mean?" Lila asked, confused.
"Gligar is a ground and flying type," Darla said. "Which means it can dodge Bastiodon's earthquake, while also resisting its steel type moves, and only taking normal damage from rock type moves. Plus, Gligar is also a pokemon with good physical defenses, which helps even more."
"Oh, that's good!" Lila cheered.
"But Bastiodon has buffed up its defenses several times. Even if that Gligar knows earthquake, it won't be an easy win." Darla warned.
"Oh? Seeming a little uneasy, Reiner?" Cynthia said. "Well, don't worry! Leon doesn't know earthquake! In fact, he doesn't know any damaging ground moves at all!"
"Don't just volunteer that information, you idiot," Sango sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.
"I'm not going to beat you with something like that," Cynthia continued. "I've decided that I'm gonna win by showing you how big of a mistake you made!"
"…A mistake?" Reiner growled, frowning. "Me?"
"That Bastiodon…" Cynthia said, frowning. "This is the first battle you've used it in, isn't it?"
"…" Reiner remained silent, leering at Cynthia.
"I suppose I don't have much room to talk," Cynthia shrugged, "but unlike Leon and I, you and that Bastiodon have, like, zero harmony at all! I've been training with Leon since I caught him! Elise and I helped him get back on his feet and fly, and we've been practicing every night! So even though he's a brand new pokemon… he's still a precious new friend! So I've just gotta wonder, how much training have you and Tank done, huh?"
"…"
"That's what I thought. Which means you'll be easy to take down, just watch!" Cynthia said, smiling. "Leon! Agility!"
"Gli!" Leon nodded, flapping his wings as his speed increased, turning into a pink blur.
"We haven't learned swords dance yet, so our attack power can't get any stronger, but my initial assumption wasn't wrong! If I can't get through your defenses, then I'll take you down with a thousand tiny cuts! Leon, dodge around that Bastiodon's head and use slash on his back!"
"Gligar!" Leon shot down, skating on air behind Tank. As Tank tried to turn around, Leon sliced with his pincer onto the Bastiodon's exposed yellow flesh. Tank didn't even flinch at the move, but before he could make a counter attack, Leon had already returned to the sky, out of Tank's range.
"Leon, screech!" Cynthia ordered. Leon landed on the ground and opened his mouth, releasing a hypersonic screech that echoed across the battlefield, Tank wincing at the sound.
"Tank, use take down!" Reiner ordered. Tank barreled toward Leon, and the Gligar smirked.
"Leon, sand attack!"
Leon dug his claw into the stadium ground, and swung it up, smearing sand in Tank's eyes. He leapt to the side and took to the sky again, remaining out of Tank's reach as the pokemon shook sand from his eyes.
"This is what I'm talking about, Reiner," Cynthia said. "If you had done any training with Tank, you'd know that it doesn't have the speed to keep up with an agile pokemon like a Gligar. Working with your pokemon, you'd find ways to account for that, right? But you haven't had the chance. It's not just about using strong pokemon! If you don't get to know your pokemon, then you won't be able to win with them!"
"That's…"
"Now, we'll make our counterattack," Cynthia smiled. "Our strength might not be power, but when you can't fight back, it should be enough. We'll just keep getting more powerful! Leon, agility, and then start off the fury cutter!"
Leon flew down toward Tank, increasing his speed, and cut at Tank's back with his pincers. Tank tried to strike back, but the agile flying pokemon could easily keep out of the slow and bulky pokemon's reach.
"Interesting," Darla said, frowning. "Bastiodon was able to take out Cynthia's Spheal in one hit, but against Gligar, it can't even score that one hit!"
"Yeah, but Gligar isn't doing much better, right?" Lila asked. "I mean, he's scored a few hits on Bastiodon, but those have only done a sliver of damage. Can he really take down such a bulky, buffed pokemon before running out of energy?"
"Yes, he can," Cynthia answered. "Reiner, you know what fury cutter does, right? Your Armaldo knows it, after all."
"Fury cutter is a weak move, but it will continue to grow in power when used in succession," Reiner said.
"Like I said. If we can't get through your defenses, we'll take you down with a thousand tiny cuts," Cynthia grinned. "Just keep it up with those fury cutters, Leon!"
"Gli!" Leon nodded, landing another cut on Tank's backside, right above the neck, this cut actually leaving a red mark on the ruddy tanned flesh.
"Come on, Reiner!" Cynthia pressured him. "You know how this is gonna end! That Bastiodon can't beat my Leon! So switch him out. Let's have a real battle, come on!"
"…Fine," Reiner said, holding up the pokeball and returning Tank. "Specter, go."
Reiner sent out his Treeko, who ran in the direction of Leon, not removing his eyes from the flying pokemon.
"Use quick attack to increase your speed, and then hit him with a mega drain," Reiner ordered. Specter's speed increase and he rose up on his legs and held his arms out. His body began glowing green, and he began draining energy from Leon.
"Leon! Take him down!" Cynthia ordered. Leon tucked in his wings and shot toward Specter, raising his claw. He slashed Specter across the chest with another fury cutter, the grass pokemon clutching his wound and whimpering in pain. Specter collapsed to the ground as Leon flew overhead.
"It seems Reiner's strategy to switch to a faster pokemon didn't work out as he wanted," Darla said.
"His Treeko was taken out in one hit," Lila nodded sympathetically.
"Weaver, go!" Reiner was beginning to lose his cool, returning Specter to his pokeball and then sending out his Zangoose to replace him.
"Now, that looks like a tough one!" Cynthia said, smiling. "Leon, go!"
"Gligar!" Leon said, flying toward Weaver.
"Weaver, crush claw," Reiner ordered. Weaver raised his claw and struck Leon in the face, sending him spiraling backward through the air. Leon regained his balance, shaking his head frantically.
I could use agility to increase his speed again, but that would reset the fury cutter… Cynthia thought, frowning. And we can't withstand a protracted battle and still have the strength to take down that Bastiodon…
"Leon! Can you keep going?"
"Gli!" Leon nodded, smiling. He flew toward Weaver, raising his pincers.
"Weaver, dodge and use hone claws," Reiner said. Weaver jumped to the side, dodging Leon's swipe, and began sharpening his claws against each other. Weaver charged at Leon, his claws glowing as he readied another crush claw.
"Leon!" Cynthia cried out. "Don't dodge! Go forward!"
"Gli!" Leon said, narrowing his eyes. He turned in midair, and flung his body toward Weaver, Weaver's claws glancing off of the side of his face as Leon lunged forwards, piercing Weaver in the chest with his pincer, and then swinging down in a violent slash.
"Zan…" Weaver coughed, stumbling forward, badly injured from the blow.
"Finish it with another fury cutter!" Cynthia shouted. Leon swung around and flew toward Weaver, raising his pincer. Weaver whirled around, coughing, swinging his claw, the two attacks colliding. Leon flew backwards, panting, as Weaver coughed again, collapsing to the ground, unconscious.
"Leon!" Cynthia shouted. "Are you okay to keep going?"
"Gli!" Leon said, landing next to her, panting. "Gligar!" Leon nodded, Cynthia smiling in relief.
"Then let's keep going," Cynthia grinned. "Your fury cutter should finally be ready to do some major damage to that Bastiodon!"
"Cynthia's Gligar has taken out two of Reiner's pokemon, and still ready to keep going!" Darla said.
"And that fury cutter must have built up a lot," Lila said. "What will Reiner do now?"
Orion is my only pokemon left… and electricity won't work against a ground type. He may have the speed to keep up, but as for power… Reiner bit his lip. I can't believe I'm being pressed like this just because I was caught off guard… if I knew Cynthia had another pokemon, I would've…
Reiner shook his head. No, that doesn't matter now.
"I'll just have to keep fighting to the best of my ability," Reiner said. "Tank, come back out!"
"With two of his pokemon knocked out in succession, it seems Reiner is going back to relying on his previous strategy!" Darla said.
"Yes, but Bastiodon could barely do anything against Gligar before," Lila reminded her.
"Out of pokemon, huh?" Cynthia asked. "Well then, Leon, let's get things back in gear!"
Leon flew toward Tank, and raised his pincers. He scored more hits on Tank as the steel pokemon braced himself, trying to build up energy.
"Tank! You need to focus on defenses. Try to withstand the attacks," Reiner ordered.
Just a little more, Cynthia smiled. "Okay, Leon! Try to finish things with this last attack!"
"Gligar!" Leon nodded, panting, flying up into the sky and raising his claw again.
"Fury cutter!" Cynthia ordered.
"Tank! Metal burst!" Reiner shouted.
Leon swung his pincer down into Tank's back, as Tank began glowing with silvery energy. He released the energy stored up inside his body in a massive explosion, Leon flying through the air.
Tank collapsed into unconsciousness from the damage, while Leon crashed to the ground, knocked out from the blowback of Tank's metal burst, the damage inflicted redirected back to him.
"Both pokemon were knocked out!" Darla announced.
"Wow! So it seems that Reiner's Zangoose and Treeko were able to do enough damage to Gligar after all!" Lila said. "It took three pokemon, but Reiner managed to knock him out!"
"That was amazing, Leon," Cynthia grinned, kneeling down to pick up the injured Leon, cuddling him up to her chest. "You took out three pokemon in your first battle, ever! Way to go! You get a good, long rest, okay?"
Reiner silently returned Tank to his pokeball, down to his last pokemon.
"Orion, go," Reiner said, sending out his Electrike.
"One pokemon left, huh?" Cynthia said, smiling. "Well now! Let's get things back on track! Rose! Come out!"
Cynthia tossed out a pokeball, which her Ralts emerged from.
"Orion, howl," Reiner ordered. Orion let out a fierce howl, his attack power increasing. "Then, quick attack!"
As Orion charged at Rose, she glanced back at Cynthia, who nodded.
Before Orion attacked her, Rose disappeared.
"Teleport, huh?" Reiner said. "Orion, use odor sleuth to figure out where Rose is going to reappear."
"El," Orion nodded, charging at Rose, who had teleported to the other side of the battlefield. When she disappeared again, he began sniffing the ground, turning to run after her. This time, he was already on the move even before she had reappeared. As she did so, Orion was nearly on top of her.
"Magical leaf!" Cynthia shouted. Rose held up her hands, and a cloud of rainbow-colored leaves manifested between the two pokemon, shielding her from Orion's attack.
"Orion, use spark," Reiner ordered. Electricity began coursing through Orion's fur, and he leapt into the swirl of leaves, the static blasting them apart on contact. He tackled Rose and sent her flying back, but Rose landed on her feet, practically uninjured, her body sparking with electricity.
"Surprised, Reiner?" Cynthia grinned. "See, I don't just Rose much in battle, so this might be the first time you're seeing it. But my lovely girl has a special ability. It's called Trace. You've heard of it, yeah?"
Reiner had heard of it, and he knew what it meant.
"Orion, get back," Reiner ordered. "She's copied your lightningrod ability. Electric attacks are useless against her."
"You got that right!" Cynthia grinned. "Rose has taken your electricity, and used it to amplify her own special attacks! Now, Rose, use magical leaf!"
"Ralts!" Rose shouted, creating more leaves of energy that she sent flying at the electric pokemon.
"Orion! Light screen!" Reiner ordered. Orion lowered his head, and a barrier of light appeared around his body. The leaves struck the barrier, bouncing harmlessly off of it and shattering into light.
"What?" Cynthia gasped.
"Cynthia thought she'd turned the tables by copying Electrike's lightningrod ability, but now Electrike has turned it around with his barrier attack!" Darla gasped.
"He's completely insulated himself from Rose's attacks!" Lila said.
"I taught Orion how to use light screen," Reiner said. "While I wasn't expecting trace to happen, I have prepared to take Rose down. Now, Orion, use bite!"
Orion ran toward Rose and opened his mouth. He bit down on Rose's shoulder.
"Ralts!" Rose cried out, Orion tightening his jaws and biting down harder. She opened her mouth, and released a sonic shock, Orion wailing in pain and falling backwards.
"That was Ralts's disarming voice!" Lila said.
"Still, that Ralts has taken a significant blow," Darla said.
Rose clenched her shoulder, panting, Orion getting up onto his feet.
"Orion, quick attack. Move around Rose to distract her," Reiner ordered.
"Electrike," Orion nodded, disappearing, circling around Rose at high speed to disorient the psychic pokemon.
"Rose, use another disarming voice," Cynthia ordered. Rose opened her mouth, but as she did Orion broke from the circling and charged forward, tackling her and sending her skidding across the ground. Rose rolled to a stop, standing up shakily as Orion chased after her at top speed.
"Confusion," Cynthia ordered. Rose held her hands on her head as her horn began glowing, sending a pulse of psychic energy at Orion.
"Light screen," Reiner ordered. Orion erected a barrier around his body, protecting himself from the psychic attack.
"Now, Rose! Teleport inside and use magical leaf!"
"What?!" Reiner gasped.
Rose disappeared, reappearing within Orion's light screen barrier. She created dozens of razor-sharp magical leaves, and shot them at Orion. They cut into his fur and shot past him, bouncing off the light screen and back at him again. She teleported out of the light screen as Orion was caught up in the attack, and by the time the barrier had shattered, the Electrike was very badly injured, cut and bleeding all over and barely standing on his feet.
"Orion!" Reiner shouted. Orion charged at Rose, growling madly, and Rose created another wave of leaves. She sent them flying at the electric pokemon, and Orion no longer had the strength to dodge, the grass attack striking him head-on.
"Elec… trike…" Orion let out one last whimper before falling to the ground, unconscious.
"Reiner's last pokemon is unable to battle!" Darla announced.
"That means the winner of the final round is Cynthia Fafnir!" Lila followed.
"…I… I lost…" Reiner muttered, recalling Orion, staring out into the night sky numbly. "I lost… damn it! All that work… all my preparations, and I… I…"
"Hey, come on," Cynthia said, walking up to him, carrying Rose in her hands. There was a big smile on her face. "It was just one battle, after all! Didn't you have fun? Come on, there's always next time, right? Maybe you'll beat me again in our next battle!"
She held out her hand to him, but Reiner refused to take it. He turned and walked away without saying a word, Cynthia shrugging in exasperation.
"Oh well. I tried. I can't help it if that guy is all salty." Cynthia sighed, and recalled Rose to get a good rest.
"Now then, that's all for the matches today," Darla continued.
"Now, we would like to request our quarter-finalists to make their way out onto the battlefield to join Cynthia!" Lila added.
The other seven trainers got up from their seats and walked out onto the battlefield, which had been thoroughly wrecked by the day's events.
"Look, Blake!" Cynthia said, running over to him, grinning. "I won! Guess that means we both made it into the top 8, huh?"
"Yeah, I was pretty surprised," Blake said. "Congratulations."
Before they could continue their conversation, Darla's voice cut through, and all heads turned to see a screen light up behind the two announcers.
"Now, as you all know, tomorrow is a scheduled break for our competitors," Darla explained. "They'll have the full day off to relax, let their pokemon get nice and rested, and plan for the following rounds."
"But that's not all!" Lila said, smiling. "A day of preparation wouldn't be of much use if you don't know who you're going to be fighting!"
"That's right, Lila! Whereas before, the matches were determined randomly, starting now we'll arrange our final competitors into a bracket system of four blocks." On the screen, a large bracket for eight people appeared, with the faces at the bottom of the eight lines blocked out to build suspense.
"That way, when each day of fighting ends, you'll know who you'll be facing off with the following day," Lila added. "We want everyone to feel nice and prepared for their upcoming matches. That way, we can really see our competitors put out their best efforts!"
"Wow, I'm really getting excited now," Kitty said. "I'm surprised that both Blake and Cynthia managed to make it into the top 8!"
"I'm not," Sango said, smiling. "I knew that Blake was going to win! …And, Cynthia too, of course. Yeah, both of them! Definitely!"
Sango fell silent, studying her lap intensely while Kate rolled her eyes.
"I didn't expect Cynthia to be able to defeat Reiner," Julia said quietly. "Not after he defeated me. I just… didn't expect her to be that good."
"That redhead is nothing special," Claire interjected her way into the conversation to the chagrin of the others. "Her pokemon have no elegance, no flair."
"At least she made it into the top 8, unlike you," Julia said, frowning.
"And what ranking were you again?" Claire fired back.
"Well, I'm excited," Kitty said, smiling. "I believe that they're gonna do their best! If only both of them could win…"
"Yeah," Sango said, nodding in agreement.
"And now, without further ado…" Darla began.
"…Here are the pairings for the quarter-final matches!" Lila finished, the blocked out image removed to reveal the faces and names of the pairings for the next round.
Block A:
Elaina Bishop vs. Naya Nadeshiko
Block B:
Will Harmond vs. Sylvia Driscoll
Block C:
Blake Harker vs. Cynthia Fafnir
Block D:
Daryl Thorne vs. Akira Saroyan
The stadium burst out into a series of whispers as soon as the pairings were announced.
So the very first round… Naya thought, smiling behind her sleeve, her eyes turning to Elaina. Excellent…
So I need to beat her before I can fight Elaina, huh? Will thought, glancing at Sylvia, whose expression remained ambivalent.
"No way…" Kitty gasped.
"So they're fighting against each other already, huh?" Julia said, frowning.
Cynthia and Blake's heads jerked to meet the other's gaze, staring at each other tensely. They didn't say a word to one another, but they were both thinking the exact same thing.
So, the pairings for the quarter-finals have been decided! But what will be the results? Who will make it to the semi-finals? And what will our participants do in the meantime, with their day of preparations? We'll have to find out!