Here's another chapter! The tournament is really starting to get going, who will make it to the next rounds? Remember to review!
Tambry96bj: That's a good analogy.
Superblal: Harmonia definitely seems infallible for now. But don't worry, its narrative purpose in the story will become clearer with time, and eventually things will even out. I can't say that the moment you're looking forward to will come soon, but rest assured I have no intention of maintaining a power dynamic with harmonia being undefeatable, nor will I keep power-creeping everything with the "next" new power-up to beat harmonia. Thanks for sharing your concerns, I hope I'll be able to handle things in a way that doesn't disappoint.
Darkhammer: Sadly that is not only true, but also most likely what will happen if no one interferes beforehand.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 70
"Will put up a fierce fight, but with that, it's over!" Darla said.
"Sylvia moves on to the next round!" Lila announced.
"Return," Will said, returning his final pokemon to its pokeball. He walked off the battlefield, Sylvia following after him, lightly tapping him on the shoulder.
"Welcome to our ranks," Sylvia purred, a smile crossing her face. Will nodded and remained silent, the two exiting the stadium.
"So now, let's break for lunch," Darla said.
"We'll be right back with the last two matches of the quarter-finals!" Lila announced.
"So this is gonna be it, huh?" Julia said, frowning.
"Blake vs. Cynthia…" Kitty said, clearly worried but wearing a small smile nonetheless.
"Want to go check up on them?" Sango asked.
"Ooh! Ooh! I do!" Ryoko said. "I would enjoy the opportunity to meet this Blake I have heard so much about!"
Julia and Sango both looked suspiciously at the girl, but nodded nonetheless.
"I'll watch the seats," Nick said volunteered. The other four headed off, leaving Nick relatively alone in the stadium.
Blake was sitting on one of the couches in his waiting room, unable to wipe the look of guilt off of his face.
"In the end… I couldn't help her either. I couldn't…"
"No. You couldn't."
Blake whirled around, trying to find the owner of the voice. But there was no one else in the room. He was beginning to think he imagined it. That voice… it had been so familiar. It had to have been…
"Mom…" he murmured, trembling. "I'm sorry, I couldn't, I…"
A knock on the door shook Blake free of his painful memories, and he raised his head in confusion.
"Come in," he muttered.
"Hey, Blake, it's us," Julia said, entering the room. "We just came to check up on you, see how you were doing."
"Are you nervous about the next round?" Sango asked.
"Yeah, a little," Blake said, nodding. "But still, I…"
"I cannot be…" Everyone's head turned to see Ryoko standing there, trembling, her hands over her mouth in shock. "It cannot be…"
"Uh… who is this?" Blake asked, turning to Julia in confusion.
"Kineshichiro-san!" Ryoko gushed, running and jumping onto Blake, hugging him tightly, tears falling from her eyes. "How… how can you be here? I thought that you would be dead… how…?"
"Hey! Let go of him!" Sango exclaimed, trying to pry Blake free from Ryoko's grasp.
"Hey, lady, I don't know who you think I am, but I'm not this Kine-whatever," Blake said, finally breaking away from her.
"…" Ryoko paused, wiping her eyes, taking a closer look at Blake. Her cheeks flushed, and she smiled kindly.
"Maybe not. But still… this must be fate."
"What do you mean?" Julia asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Look," Ryoko said, reaching into her pocket and withdrawing an old, folded black and white photo from it. "This is my beloved Kinishichiro-san…"
Julia took the photo, her eyes widening in surprise. She glanced at Blake, then back at the photo.
"It's quite a likeness," she said, shaking her head. "Look for yourself."
Blake took the photo from Julia's hands, studying it. She wasn't wrong. The man in the photograph looked like Blake, only aged up maybe ten or fifteen years. The same wave hair, the same brown eyes, and the same calm, passive expression.
"Sorry, sorry, I know that you could not be my Kinishichiro-san," Ryoko said, taking the photo back. "I first met him in 1932, after all."
"Th-the Shouwa era?" Kitty coughed. "But how…"
"It is… complicated," Ryoko said. "It is nice to meet you, Blake. Sango has told me a great deal about you."
"Um, hi, sorry, I don't know much about you at all," Blake admitted.
"There is no need to worry," Ryoko said, shaking her head, her purple hair shaking. "I am named Ryoko."
"And you're Sango's friend?" Blake asked, Sango shrugging.
"It is… complicated," Ryoko said again. "I still have some time left. If you would like, I could tell you about it after your match has concluded. Say… over dinner?"
"That's enough," Sango said, pulling the purple-haired girl away.
"No, Sango, you misunderstand me, I have no interest in stealing Blake away from you, I simply wanted to-"
Sango clamped her hand over the girl's mouth.
"Listen you, what do you mean 'steal away' huh?"
"Sorry, I cannot say anything about that," Ryoko said, shaking her head.
"Then could you just stop talking about it?" Sango begged, her embarrassment clear.
"Very well." Ryoko nodded.
"Guys… why are you here?" Blake asked. "I appreciate it, but…"
"To see how you were doing, of course," Sango said. "You're going to go up against Cynthia after all, right? We just came back from seeing her, and she's super pumped about your match, and we want to see if you're feeling the same."
"But clearly you aren't," Julia said, frowning. "What's wrong?"
"It's just… I was watching Elaina's match," Blake said, looking down, frowning. "Things are really, really bad for her, and I'm worrying about her. I just wish there was some way I could help her, and-"
Julia swatted Blake on the head, tilting his eyes to hers.
"Oi, stop whinging," she snapped. "You realize that your match is coming up, yeah? Like, any minute from now! And you're seriously here, worrying about someone else?"
"Well, I-"
"Cynthia is stoked right now, and nervous, but she wants to fight you! She wants to fight you at full strength, not mister worry-wuss with his head in the clouds dreaming about some other girl, got it?" Julia demanded. "So don't go around disrespecting your opponents, you need to treat her with the respect she deserves, and give her the fight she's looking for. Any other thoughts and worries can wait until after, you got it?"
Blake nodded meekly.
"Good!" Julia said, smiling. "Then what are you waiting for? Your match is starting any moment, so get going!"
"We need to return to our seats as well," Sango added. "But Blake, really, good luck out there."
"Cast!" Silver agreed, bobbing up encouragingly.
"Thanks, guys," Blake smiled. "I'll do my best."
"Good luck, Blake," Ryoko said, bowing respectfully to him. "I shall be cheering you on with all my might."
"Thanks," Blake said, smiling.
"Hey, what's with that face, huh?" Sango asked, frowning.
"What do you mean?" Blake asked, confused.
"You might be smiling right now, but you're still totally brooding!" Sango huffed. "Come on, aren't you happy that we came here to see you? Still bummed? Don't be! We'll be out there cheering for you, so you just show us the best battle you can!"
Blake nodded meekly, Sango smiling. The girls said their goodbyes and left Blake alone with his thoughts. The minute the door closed behind them, he collapsed back down onto the couch, his frown returning. Honestly, having his friends come over to wish him luck did make him feel better, but it was only a small comfort compared to the worry welling up in his chest. He inhaled, and let out a long sigh.
"There's nothing I can do about it right now. I have to focus on my own battle." He stood up from where he was seated and walked to the door, stepping out into the hallway.
Sango, Julia, Kitty, and Ryoko returned to their seats, looking out over the stadium eagerly.
"I-I'm feeling nervous," Kitty admitted, holding her hand over her chest. "I want both of them to win, but they can't…"
"We'll just have to cheer for both of them," Nick told her.
"That's right," Julia said, smiling. "Do your best, guys! Give it all you've got!"
"Come on, let's see a real fight!" Sango cheered.
Blake and Cynthia stepped out on the battlefield to a crowd of cheers.
"Hey, everybody!" Cynthia cheered back, skipping out into the stadium, waving with both hands to the audience and blowing them kisses. Blake, in comparison, was far more reserved, silently walking toward the battlefield.
"Cynthia's the same as usual," Julia smirked.
"Yeah, but Blake… he still seems to not have his head in the game," Sango said, frowning.
Sango wasn't the only one to notice this. Cynthia glanced back at her less than enthused opponent, and scowled. She rushed over to him, and grabbed his wrist.
"Hey! What are you getting all gloomy for?!" She demanded. "This is an important battle, you know! You should be wearing a big smile!"
"Er…"
"Aw, how sweet," Darla cackled. "Cynthia's cheering up her boyfriend!"
"Oh, really?" Lila asked, her cheeks tinging pink. "That's so adorable…"
"Hey!" Blake exclaimed, flushing. "Let go!"
He shook Cynthia free, the redhead sighing and leaning back on her heels, shrugging.
"Whatever. I don't know what's going on, but you better not spoil this, got it, Blake? This is the moment I've been waiting for! You remember our promise, don't you?"
"…Promise? To do our best, right?"
"Well, yeah! But not that one! The other promise!"
"…I don't know what you're talking about," Blake said, confused. Cynthia's expression shifted to a look of shock, and then frustration.
"I promised you that the next time we fought, I was going to beat you! Don't tell me you forgot! It was chapter 1! It was the day we met!"
"I mean but you said you'd beat me the next time we've met, and we've met a bunch of times since then, so I just kinda assumed…"
"Agh! Jerk!" Cynthia huffed. "And here I was looking forward to this all day yesterday while you were off having your little date!"
"Ooh," Lila gasped.
"Marital strife," Darla commented.
"Shut up!" Blake cried, embarrassed.
"Fine, whatever," Cynthia sighed, turning away from him and walking over to her side of the battlefield. "Let's just get this done already, since apparently it doesn't matter to you."
"Hey, that's not what I…"
"I guess in the end… you're just the kind of guy who breaks promises he makes to girls… even though… I had treasured that encounter… as our precious first time (battle)…"
"…Uwah, what scum," Lila noted.
"The enemy of women," Darla nodded in agreement.
"Ah, that's it!" Blake shouted. "I'll fight you if that's what you want!"
"Good!" Cynthia's smile returned. "Seems like your spirit's back!"
Huh… Blake thought, realizing what she was saying. Yeah, I guess with all her teasing and joking, all that stuff about Elaina and harmonia slipped my mind for a little while. I guess… I should focus on this, rather than anything else. Defeat the foe in front of you first… then worry about what comes after!
"Okay, guys! This battlefield will be…" Darla glanced at the spinning wheel.
"Dark Stage 2! Dark Crystal Field!" Lila announced. The battlefield began shaking and sunk into the stadium, replaced by a stone floor with several rocky outcroppings sticking out, massive dark crystals emerging from the stones, giving off a dark black and violet light.
"Ooh, what a nice mood," Cynthia grinned. "Okay! Let's get this going! Ruby! Come on out!"
Cynthia tossed out a pokeball, which her Mawile emerged from. Ruby spun and her fang hair opened wide, growling.
"Interesting, I'd have thought you'd start with Tristan," Blake said, smiling.
"Well, I'm keeping a few things in reserve," she smirked. " Come on now, I've shown you mine, now you show me yours!"
"Sure thing," Blake said, nodding. "Ruru, go!"
Blake sent out Ruru, the small spider pokemon landing on the rocky floor with a chitter.
"Both trainers have sent their pokemon out!" Darla declared.
"Let the match begin!" Lila called.
Ruby snarled and ran forward, Ruru clinging to the ground and scurrying toward her.
"Ruby, use faint attack," Cynthia ordered. As Ruru approached her, Ruby disappeared. Ruru froze in place, glancing around warily as she waited for Ruby to reappear.
"Ruru!" Blake called out. "Use spider web to coat the field in webbing!"
"Jol!" Ruru chittered, spraying webbing out from behind her, scurrying across the field and beginning to weave a web in order to trap Ruby.
"Maw!" Ruby appeared in front of Ruru and struck the small bug with her fist, flinging Ruru into the air.
"Ruru!" Blake called out. Ruru pointed her rear at Ruby, and sprayed a blast of webbing at the steel type.
"Jump back, Ruby," Cynthia shouted, realizing what Blake was aiming for. Ruby dodged the spider web, which began crackling with electricity when it struck the ground.
"Ruru, agility," Blake ordered. "And then avoid Ruby's attacks!"
"Jolt!" Ruru agreed, landing on the ground and scurrying forward, quickly shooting past Ruby and disappearing into the shadows cast by the glistening crystals.
"Blake is making good use of the terrain and his Joltik's small size to hide from Cynthia's Mawile," Darla declared.
"That's a very smart move on his part, especially with such a quick and strong pokemon!" Lila agreed.
"Oh, that's right," Cynthia grinned. "You caught Ruru in a cave! This location must be right at home for her!"
"But that won't be enough to beat us! Ruby, use sweet scent!"
"Maw!" Ruby said, nodding. She spread her arms out, and lovely aroma began wafting out across the battlefield. Ruby began sniffing the air, sifting through the air currents.
"With that nose of hers, Ruby will be able to smell your Joltik's scent now that the field smells so nice," Cynthia said. "After her, Ruby!"
"Mawile!" Ruby lunged forward, her fangs opening wide. The giant mouth bit down on a large rock, Ruru quickly scurrying out from under it as the stone was crushed in the powerful jaws on Ruby's head.
"Now, Ruru!" Blake ordered. Ruru spun and faced away from Ruby, lifting her rear end and spraying a quick string shot at the steel pokemon. The thread shot out and began winding itself around Ruby's jaws, wrapping them up tightly and sticking them together.
"Wha-?!" Cynthia gasped. "Ruby!"
"Mawile!" Ruby growled, desperately trying to pry her jaws open.
"Sorry, but Ruru's threads are strong," Blake said, smiling. "There's no way your Mawile will break them apart that easily!"
"Ooh, what a good move!" Lila gasped.
"With this, Mawile's primary means of attack has been disabled!" Darla declared. "It's Joltik's moment of opportunity!"
"Ruru! Electro ball!" Blake ordered. Ruru opened her fangs, creating a sphere of crackling electricity that she shot at Ruby.
"Rrgh! Ruby, we gotta dodge for now!" Cynthia ordered. "At least until you're freed!"
"Maw!" Ruby said, nodding, jumping back and avoiding the sphere of electricity.
"Don't let her get away, Ruru!" Blake ordered, Ruru firing a barrage of string shots and electrowebs to pin down Ruby's movements.
"No choice, then. Ruby, baton pass!" Cynthia ordered. Ruby began glowing and returned to her pokeball, the threads previously pinning her down falling harmlessly onto the ground.
"While Mawile might have been trapped by Joltik's webs, her baton pass allowed her to make a quick escape," Lila noted.
"Now Cynthia has the advantage!" Darla agreed.
"Leon, go!" Cynthia said, sending out her Gligar.
Gligar, huh? Blake thought, frowning. Ruru won't be much good against a ground type…
"Ruru, come back," Blake said, holding up his pokeball, returning Ruru to her pokeball.
"Blake's also made a smart move," Darla noted.
"They're both swapping their pokemon like crazy!" Lila cheered.
"They know each other well," Julia noted.
"I mean, isn't it obvious?" Kitty asked. "Just judging by their types?"
"In many cases yes, but in this case it comes down to more than just typing," Julia explained. "Yes, Leon is resistant to bugs and immune to electricity, but Ruru is still very fast, and she does have other move types. But Blake knows that Ruru will be useful later, against pokemon like Cynthia's Breloom and Tailow, and so he doesn't want to give up the advantage. Meanwhile, Cynthia knows that Ruby's steel typing will give her some good resistances against pokemon on Blake's team, and so swapped her back for a more favorable matchup."
"Oh!" Kitty said, nodding. "So it isn't just about their opponents!"
"Exactly," Julia nodded. "Because they don't just know the matchup right in front of them, but what pokemon the other has in reserve, they're playing cautiously, putting the pokemon that are not immediately useful out first, while holding the more vital pokemon back as trump cards to try and take an early lead."
"So pokemon that aren't very useful against Cynthia's team," Nick thought out loud. "I guess that means Blake is gonna use…"
"Cory, go," Blake said.
"Blake has swapped out his Joltik for a Corphish," Lila said.
"Corphish is a water pokemon, but it's also a physical attacker," Darla noted, "while Gligar is physically defensive. So this match might not necessarily come down to typing!"
"Cory, bubblebeam!" Blake ordered. Cory raised a pincer and shot a blast of bubbles at Leon.
"Leon, poison sting!" Cynthia shouted. Leon raised his stinger, and fired multiple needles out of it, piercing the bubbles. Leon glided toward Cory, raising his stinger, thrusting at the pokemon.
"Cory, use protect!"
"Corphish!" Cory created a barrier of blue energy around his body, Leon's stinger harmlessly glancing off the force field. As the protective shield fell, Cory lunged forward and grabbed Leon's tail in his pincers, flinging him to the ground.
"Leon! Quick, use agility!" Cynthia cried out. Cory thrust one of his pincers down at Leon's face, but Leon quickly shot out from under the crustacean, taking to the skies and increasing the distance between the two pokemon.
"Don't let him get away," Blake shouted. Cory coated his body in a veil of water and shot after Leon with a powerful aqua jet.
"Think we didn't see that one coming?" Cynthia asked. "Acrobatics, Leon!"
Leon danced out of the path of Cory's attack with the turn of his arm, raising his stinger and piercing Cory in between the gaps in his armor, Cory crying out in pain. Cory skidded across the ground, the water around him dispersing as the attack failed, Leon gliding back up into the air.
"Now, poison tail!" Cynthia ordered. Poisonous energy began coursing through Leon's tail and he swung it toward Cory.
"Cory, block it with metal claw!" Blake ordered. Cory swung his pincer up, the orange claw shimmering with metallic energy as it struck the throbbing stinger, deflecting the miasma-infused attack and throwing Leon off balance, knocking him backwards. Cory jumped up and struck Leon in the stomach, flinging him to the ground. But Leon's defenses proved to be stronger, allowing him to easily shrug off the damages from the attack, quickly standing back up and taking to the sky with a flap of his membrane-wings.
"Cory, use another bubblebeam!" Cory fired another barrage of bubbles. Leon easily avoided the explosive bubbles with his acrobatics, raising his pincers and stinger as he shot toward Cory at high speed.
"Leon, use slash!" Cynthia ordered. Leon raised his pincer and slashed at Cory, cutting into his shell.
"Crabhammer!" Blake shouted. Cory braced against the attack and infused his pincer with energy, hitting Leon in the jaw with a powerful uppercut, sending him tumbling through the air. Leon righted himself and spread his wings, letting the thermal energy coming off of the battlefield lift him up, gliding above Cory's head.
"Corphish is getting some good hits in," Lila said, nodding.
"True, but Gligar is getting good use out of staying out of range," Darla noted. "There's not much Corphish can do while staying on the ground like that."
"They're right, Blake," Cynthia grinned. "Can't you see I'm just playing with you?"
"Oh?" Blake asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Yup!" Cynthia chortled. "Because it's fun! Leon, go for swords' dance!"
"Gligar!" Leon nodded, spinning through the air and sharpening his claws, raising his attack power while remaining out of Cory's reach.
"Cory, don't let her start setting up," Blake said. "Use taunt!"
"Cor!" Cory said, bobbing his head up. He turned around and began shaking his tail at Leon mockingly, cackling in laughter at the pokemon.
"Gli!" Leon growled, narrowing his eyes as Cory mooned him, gritting his teeth.
"Leon, don't fall for it!" Cynthia cried. Leon ignored Cynthia and flew towards Cory, raising his pincer.
"Cory, waterfall!" Blake ordered. Cory whirled around and covered his body with water, lunging at Leon. He collided with the ground pokemon, the force of his waterfall attack sending Leon crashing backwards with a cry. Cory raised his pincer and fired a blast of bubbles, and this time Leon was too stunned to dodge in time. The bubbles collided with the pokemon's skin, exploding in a sequence of powerful blasts that caused Leon to yelp in pain.
Leon stumbled forward, panting, badly injured from the attacks. Cory leapt forward raised his claws, swinging at Leon.
"Poison tail!" Cynthia said. Leon swung his tail in a last-ditch effort, the two pokemon hitting each other with their attacks. Cory wincing in pain as the poison seeped into him. Leon grunted and collapsed, succumbing to the force of the attack.
"Gligar is unable to battle!" Darla said.
"Cynthia has taken the first loss of the match!" Lila declared.
"That's true, Lila! But Corphish has been badly poisoned, don't forget!" Darla reminded her.
"You're right, Darla! It really is still anyone's match!" Lila agreed.
The Blake vs. Cynthia rematch is really starting to get good! Two friends facing off against each other, who will win and make it to the semi-finals? We'll just have to find out!