Track 42 - Bodies
The Manalo Conference was only a couple of days away. The trainers that would be participating in the competition could go to the Aether Paradise early to get registered. They could stay at the Aether Paradise's hotel for free. However, guests had to pay for everything.
Leinani, Enoka, and Ulani gathered together in Malie City so that they could ride the same boat to the Aether Paradise. Leinani and Enoka had mostly trained together at Uhuli's gym. However, Ulani would occasionally join them, and they decided that they wanted to step into the conference together.
Upon arriving to the artificial island, they were met with roughly two hundred other trainers. Leinani looked around the hundreds of faces, recognizing a few of them from her random battles on Poni Island. However, she couldn't find Charlotte. She was worried that the Kalosian girl would have misremembered the date of the conference.
The three got in line and waited for what seemed like an hour. The people at the desk had to varify that each trainer had either beaten all of the gyms or completed the Island Challenge.
"Alola!" the lady at the desk said to Leinani as she walked up. "Can I have your badges, please?"
Leinani still didn't trust the people at the Aether Foundation, and handing over to her badges to a stranger dressed in white from head to toe bothered her. It took every ounce of her willpower to not be snappy with the cute attendant as she handed over her six gym badges.
"Pest Badge, Arctic Badge, Kinetic Badge, Venom Badge, Titan Badge, and Haka Badge," the attendant said as her computer scanned all of them. "All confirmed. Here are your badges back."
"Thanks," Leinani said as she took the badges and quickly tucked them away.
"And your hotel key and ID. You'll need both of these to get around the village and access our facilities. Good luck, trainer!" the attendant said with a big smile.
Gross, Leinani thought. She looked to the side and watched Enoka and Ulani finish with their registration.
"What room are you in?" Enoka asked as he held up his hotel key.
"Why are you asking? Pervert!"
"I just want to make sure that I'm far enough to not smell you," Enoka retorted.
"This is exciting," Ulani said while looking at her ID. "I didn't know what to expect!"
"I do kind of feel like an all-star," Leinani exclaimed. "Free food? I can get used to this."
Enoka looked around. "To be honest, with over two hundred other trainers, I'm not sure how confident I feel anymore. Any one of these trainers could knock us out of the tournament."
Leinani laughed and then poked Enoka in the chest. "And there ya go. Showing weakness! Ulani, it looks like it's going to be me and you in the finals! Poor Enoka won't even make it past the first round."
Leinani then looked past Enoka, finding one more familiar face. He wore tattered black and red clothing, and his blonde hair was cut unevenly. He looked back at Leinani and simply nodded. They hadn't seen each other in months, but Leinani still remembered that Gladion was distrustful of the Aether Paradise. She didn't believe that he would be competing for the purpose of winning, but rather to investigate.
"Eyeliner," she muttered.
"Huh?" Enoka wondered.
But before Leinani could say anything, she was suddenly pulled backward. She spun around and then found herself in a tight embrace. Thick blonde hair fell in her face, preventing her from seeing anything that was going on.
"Fantastic! You made it! I knew you would!" Charlotte excitedly exclaimed while hugging and throwing her friend around. "I went to visit you on Melemele Island, but I couldn't find your house!"
Leinani pulled herself away from Charlotte and then held at her chest. "I live on Ula'ula Island, Charlotte. Enoka, Ulani, this is Charlotte. I showed her around Alola."
"Alola," Enoka said.
"Alola!" Charlotte happily retorted. "Are these your rivals, Leinani? They look so cute!"
"Thank you," Enoka exclaimed. He smiled at Leinani and then cutely tilted his head.
The four went to the hotel and got their rooms. Once they were all settled in, they met in the dining hall where they would be addressed by the commissioner and champion.
"Welcome," a small man with a long white beard said into a microphone. "My name is Mr. Goodshow. You should all be proud that you've made it this far. From now on, every battle will be essential. Every move that you make will be an important one. I wish you all luck. Let's put on a good show!"
Everyone lightly clapped as Mr. Goodshow held up his arms and then handed the microphone over to Kaarina.
"Trainers, congratulations. Your tough battles and trials have led you here. Every one of you has trained hard and honed your skills. Your insticts guided you through those tests. Trust your instincts to help guide you through the next few days. Use what you've learned over your journeys through Alola, and let's show the whole world Alola's fiersom battle spirit," she said. "For the one skilled trainer who gets through the entire tournament, the Elite Four and I are waiting for you."
The crowd of trainers clapped as Kaarina backed away and Goodshow took his spot on the podium. "Now, time for the breakdown of the tournament! There are over two hundred fifty competitors in this years conference. Our first round of battles will consist of fourway Battle Royales!"
Some of the trainers wooed, and Charlotte crossed her arms.
"What is this? I don't get it," she said.
"It's a battle with four trainers. You are all against each other. Whoever is standing at the end, wins," Leinani explained.
"That sounds chaotic," Charlotte muttered.
"This will cut down the number of competitors to the Top 64," Mr. Goodshow said. "The Top 64 and Top 32 battles will be single battles with only one Pokémon. You will have to choose your Pokémon wisely, as you can't make any changes in the middle of the battle."
Enoka sighed. "It'd be embarrassing if I couldn't show off my full team. I'll have to just do my best to not get eliminated so early."
"The Top 16 battles will be done in a three-on-three format. And from the Top 8 and on, every battle will be a full, six-on-six, battle. Trainers, I wish you the best of luck. It all begins tomorrow, so enjoy some food and get proper rest."
"Who are you gonna use for your Battle Royale?" Enoka asked as he shoved a forkful of malasada in his mouth.
"Why would I tell you? What if we get matched up? I don't want to risk you planning around it," Leinani snapped.
"I will be using my Copperajah!" Charlotte interjected. "A Steel-type has many resistances, so I'll be able to protect myself from strong attacks."
Enoka nodded. "Yeah. Uh. What was the name of that Pokémon again? How do you spell it?" He looked down into his lap at something.
"Are you taking notes?!" Leinani yelled.
"A Steel-type would be a smart choice," Ulani said quietly. "If you wanted to fight with something strong offensively, then maybe an Ice-type would be good."
Leinani sat up straight. "Sandslash?" she thought. "Or is Ulani trying to bait me? She'll use a Fire-type in that case. I have you figured out, little girl."
"There's so much to consider," Enoka. "I'm not looking to get eliminated in the first round, but I feel like if I choose the wrong Pokémon or the wrong attack, I could get knocked out in an instant. This pressure sucks."
Leinani shrugged. "None of my Pokémon are the wrong choice."
"Leinani, I think you should be the most worried," Ulani said quietly. She started to stumble along her sentence as she said it, regretting every word.
"Why do you say that?!"
"You have a bad reputation in Battle Royales," Enoka muttered. "Some people are going to remember how you cheated on Akala Island. I wasn't even there, but I heard about it. If you're up against people who know about you, then they're going to team up on you."
Leinani's eyes widened. "What?!" She had pulled a stunt by giving an item to one of her opponents during her Battle Royale, which ended up eliminating the opponent by disqualification. She wasn't aware that other trainers knew about it.
The next day, Leinani woke up early to get ready for her battle. She met with her family who tried to give her a pep talk before she would be shepherded back to the locker room. She was given a number, twenty-five, which would mean that she'd be in the twenty-fifth Battle Royale. Luckily for her, none of her friends were the same number.
However, Enoka got to battle before her, and to her displeasure, he easily defeated his opponents. She was happy that he was advancing, but she was upset that he made it look easy.
In almost no time, her battle came, and her name was called. This was it. She had trained so much in the past few months. If she couldn't make it past the first round, then maybe she wasn't cut out to be a trainer. She had music to fall back on.
She smacked herself on the forehead while she walked down the hallway. Now was not the time to think about a plan B. She could win. Music could wait.
"The following Battle Royale will now commence! In the red corner, from Malie City here in Alola, it's Leinani Koa!" the announcer said, getting a reaction from the crowd.
Some of the crowd recognized Leinani from what she did in her first ever Battle Royale, so they weren't eager to support her whereas others just knew that she was from Alola, and they wanted to cheer the local competitor.
Leinani entered on one of the corners of the small battlefield. It was a standard battlefield that had been raised up a few feet.
"In the blue corner, from Cherrygrove City in Johto, is Asahi Eto!"
Leinani's first opponent was a boy who looked about the same age as her. He had messy pitch black hair that stuck up in the air and a mischievous grin on his face.
"In the green corner, from Heahea City here in Alola, is Michael Kameha!"
A boy with long blonde hair but tanned skin walked onto the field. His hair hid his expression and his body was slightly slouched over. He appeared to be a couple years older than both Leinani and Asahi.
"And finally, the yellow corner! Coming all the way from Paldea and representing the Naranja Academy, please welcome Josefina González!" the announcer said, trying to get the crowd to support every competitor.
Leinani's final opponent was the most intimidating. Her long brown hair was pulled into a ponytail, and she wore gray shorts and a white polo shirt. She wore an orange glove with a black band around her wrist.
"The following battle will be held in the Battle Royale rules! Each trainer is granted one Pokémon! There are no substitutions allowed! The final Pokémon standing at the end of the battle will be declared the winner!" the referee informed them. The referee wasn't the usual gym-style referee that Leinani had become accustomed to. This person was professional, and they'd be watching for any trick that Leinani might try to pull. "Begin!"
Leinani gripped her Poké Ball tightly. "All or nothing! Let's go, Boombox!"
Her Poké Ball exploded, and Vikavolt appeared, sending shocks from her body.
Asahi then threw his Poké Ball forward, and three heads with long blonde hair cut into three distinct haircuts emerged from the ground. Next was Michael, who lazily rolled his Poké Ball against the ground. A Pokémon that shielded its small purple body with its large sky blue legs materialized onto the field. It lifted two of its legs, and its yellow eyes stared through the darkness. Last was Josefina who threw her Poké Ball into the air. A fluffy Pokémon with shaggy gray fur came to the field. He had broken shackles around his wrists and ankles, and his eyes were bloodshot red.
"Never seen that Pokémon before," Kaiko muttered. "You can do it, Leilei!"
Leinani eyed the other Pokémon, trying to figure out where she could attack first. She wasn't too familiar with Josefina's Pokémon, but she knew about Dugtrio and Toxapex.
"Boombox, use Energy Ball on Dugtrio!" she ordered.
"Dugtrio, defend with Iron Head!" Asahi instructed.
Vikavolt took into the air and fluttered her wings. A ball of natural energy formed in between her pincers. She let out a loud screech before she launched it down the battlefield. However, Dugtrio's golden hair began to glow silver. They directed their heads toward the ball, and took the attack directly. The green ball was deflected back into the air and exploded, effectively damaging none of the Pokémon.
"Toxapex, this is your chance! Hit that bug out of the sky with Liquidation!" Michael commanded, suddenly coming alive.
Toxapex chortled while it quickly slithered down the field. He leaped into the air and jabbed one of his legs out violently, smashing it into Vikavolt. The Bug-type crashed into the ground while Toxapex came back down safely.
Leinani clenched her fists. "Boombox, get out of there! Into the sky with Fly!"
Vikavolt's wings fluttered violently, and she took into the air, disappearing from all of the trainers' sight.
"Annihilape, don't let them ignore you! Use Stomping Tantrum!" Josefina shouted.
The grey Pokémon pounded his chest and then stomped against the ground. The small field began to shake, but the energy was directed toward Toxapex.
"Toxapex, Baneful Bunker!"
Toxapex quickly stomped his two front feet down, and he began to glow with poisonous energy. He took the entirety of Stomping Tantrum, but the powerful attack did nothing.
"Dugtrio, they're open! Night Slash!"
Dugtrio quickly dug his way forward. Black energy surrounded his body, and when he was close to Annihilape, he struck forward slashing at the Ghost-type. Annihilape was forced backward, and he roared from anger.
"Now, Boombox!" Leinani yelled.
Using the energy that she had built up while in the air, Vikavolt came crashing back down to the earth. She tackled into Dugtrio, but the three-headed creature didn't budge.
"You think that weak attack is going to do anything to my strong Steel-type? Sandstorm!" Asahi shouted.
Dugtrio began to spin, ripping up the ground around him. Wind whipped up, and created a storm that hid Dugtrio from the crowd.
"Toxapex, Poison Jab! Strike now!" Michael commanded, pointing at Vikavolt.
"Boombox, into the storm!"
Toxapex moved down the field and swung his leg, but Vikavolt was much too fast. Although she'd take damage from the sandstorm, she knew that she'd be safer there.
"Now, Bug Buzz!" Leinani instructed.
Vikavolt moved through the storm, trying to find a spot where she could surprise Toxapex. She waited momentarily, then began to create a violent buzz with her wings. She burst through the storm and descended quickly.
"Baneful Bunker!"
As the dark green energy emitted from Vikavolt, Toxapex stomped his legs down and the purple aura radiated off of his barrier once again. The dark green energy rebounded off of Toxapex and quickly dissipated.
Josefina looked at the field, examining each of the Pokémon. "Annihilape, focus on Dugtrio! Use Ice Punch!"
"Keep 'em back and make some noise! Use Earthquake!" Asahi instructed while smiling from ear to ear.
Annihilape roared and then started to run down the field. He waved his arm over his head, and his fist started to crystalize with ice. However, Dugtrio started to vibrate, and all of the field shook violently. Toxapex and Annihilape both took the damage, but Vikavolt managed to avoid it while in the air.
Josefina smiled and then clicked her tongue. "You've all been playing directly into my hands. Annihilape is fueled by pure anger now. He'll finish this battle with only three more strikes! One for each of you! Use Rage Fist!"
Dark energy surrounded Annihilape while he howled. He quickly snapped forward and plunged his fist into one of Toxapex's defensive legs. However, the Poison-type was lifted into the air and tossed backward. He crashed back into the ground, upside down, and all of his legs suddenly slumped.
"Toxapex has been eliminated!" the referee announced.
"No way! That thing is strong!" Leinani screeched. Leinani looked to the blue corner, finding that Asahi was looking right back at her, his eyes wide. They simultaneously nodded and then turned their attention to Annihilape.
"Night Slash!" Asahi yelled.
"Energy Ball! Make it count!"
Dugtrio surrounded himself with black energy while Vikavolt formed the natural green ball in the middle of her pinsers. While Dugtrio barreled down the field, Vikavolt launched her attack. Both attacks struck Annihilape at the same time, but they didn't finish off the Pokémon. Instead, Dugtrio was now left at close-range.
"Another Rage Fist!" Josefina ordered, knowing that Dugtrio couldn't escape.
Annihilape let out a screech while he shoved his fist downward. Ghostly energy exploded around him and Dugtrio. He then took a step forward, walking over the downed Ground-type.
"Dugtrio has been eliminated!" the referee declared.
"And it comes down to our last two contestants! It's the local trainer, Leinani, going up against the studious Josefina!" the announcer excitedly yelled.
Leinani glared at Josefina. "I came this far! We won't lose now! Boombox, use Zap Cannon!"
"Dodge it!"
Vikavolt's body crackled with electricity. She let out a battle cry and unleashed a straightforward electric attack. A ball of electricity was followed by lightning, but Annihilape was more than ready. He simply stepped to the side, easily avoiding the attack.
"Alright, we have to take a different approach. Fly!" Leinani ordered.
"What is she doing?!" Kaiko screamed. "You can't take him head-on! You'll get pummeled!"
Vikavolt turned her body around and then flew upward. She started to build energy around her body once again before she pointed at Annihilape and started her descent.
Josefina laughed and then shrugged. "Take your aim and use Rage Fist!"
"Stop! Use Zap Cannon!" Leinani suddenly instructed.
As Annihilape wildly swung his fist and missed, Vikavolt stopped and blasted forward a weak Zap Cannon. The ball of electrified energy hit Annihilape, but there was seemingly no damage. Instead, the Fighting-type was frozen in place. Electric sparks emitted from his fluffy body.
"What's this?! Annihilape has been stunned!" the announcer shouted.
"No way!" Josefina gasped.
Leinani crossed her arms and then nodded. "Now finish this with Fly!"
Vikavolt rocketed forward with the energy that she had built up. She smashed her body against the stunned Annihilape, sending him backward and landing in a heap. Vikavolt let electricity off of her body as she celebrated.
The referee raised their flag. "Annihilape is unable to battle! Vikavolt is the last Pokémon standing! Leinani is the winner!"
Leinani pumped her fist into the air, and Boombox gently landed on it.
"We're moving on! Here we go! It's time for the Top 64!" she exclaimed.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: If anyone is reading this and would like to submit an OC for Leinani's battle in the Top 64, please DM me! I'll ask you for some simple information. I only need one OC, so first come, first serve!
I've accidentally changed Boombox's gender once or twice throughout the course of this story. Boombox (Vikavolt) is a girl. Anyways, Leinani is moving onto the next round! How far will she get? As for the Magearna story, I'm not sure if I'll ever get around to writing it. It's not necessarily an important part of this story. I just wanted to write something with Magearna so that I could find a way to experience all of the Pokémon in Alola.
