After all this time, I finally decided to update this story. I know it's not the most popular or serious of my stories, but it's a nice one to update once in a while. A couple readers do like this and periodically ask for me to update. I like this crossover combination, but my other stories just have so much more going for them right now. I will keep my promise and update this once in a while for people. Most people have figured out who the member of Team Guts will be, but not as many of you figured out his Pokémon. Yes, he has a Machamp for sure, but the Pokémon I chose I felt really represented the trainer, even without the Guts ability. I wonder if Mikoto and Touma will be able to win this tournament. This chapter was delayed a couple days because my main reviewer SilverFang doesn't check this story over because he doesn't know Pokémon at all. Had to find some random people to look at it.
mauday97: So close, man. So close.
Animan10: Pokémon is more than just battles, but I can't lie and say that isn't an important aspect. Balancing all the parts of both stories takes a little thought. Ah… Touma's special skills won't be revealed for a bit. There's a reason his Pokémon are so strong. Mikoto has to learn it though.
Radio9: You know, after you mentioned this, I thought about it and it does seem that way, doesn't it? That would explain why it could keep fighting the way it did this chapter. Hmm. Different battles require different strategies.
Acpeters: Another person that was so close, yet so far in his guess.
Sesshoru: Good guess and it wasn't like the others. I did also use that one.
vietnamese guy: That was an interesting choice. Can you tell me why you chose that one? I might have that as one of his in a later chapter if he comes back.
Ultrag: Heh, all of those are good guesses, but I went a slightly different direction.
Salishious: I had to resist your idea. I really was tempted. He doesn't have the IB, so his luck can't be THAT bad. I do make a little bit more unfortunate stuff happen. There was a couple big things, remember? He did get dragged into a tournament he didn't want to participate in. I like having Absol appear instead. That is a good scenario though.
Guest: It's a pretty popular guess.
Guest: Kakine will return to face Accelerator, but only when Mikoto is nearby. This story revolves around her. Doesn't matter if the Pokémon has the guts ability or not, Gunha's Pokémon will have it. I do not have enough time in the week to write a new fic now. Otherwise, all my story updates will suffer.
Oriongamer: Kind of? Each Pokémon is a little different.
Chen: You caught on. All the level 7s will have one of the Eevee forms.
Phoenix 7.49: I understand that thought process, but I wanted someone else to have to mutated Eevee. That manga was pretty good years ago. It was a lot darker than most kids' comics. Mikoto has a Touma. She will be fine.
Agent Nine: All good guesses, but I finally settled on what I wanted him to have.
WiliamZ0: I couldn't figure who his partner should be, so I used an OC. I scanned the wiki, novels, and manga to find someone with no luck. I was confused when people first chose Heracross, but I kind of understand why they suggested it. Nah, I have an entire section for Ultra Beasts and that requires Mikoto to leave Academy City. You're the second one saying Touma is holding back. I had to reread the story to figure out how you guys came to that conclusion. Ditto is a great teacher.
Formboy1: Heh, you're in for a surprise. Kazari Uiharu is going to have some major roles eventually. Touma and Mikoto will meet Hamazura eventually. Teitoku is going to be a reoccurring villain. Top tier trainers will be shown a lot worldwide. Accelerator is a good guy, just very prideful here. Only Accelerator should be able to beat Touma. Obviously, Gunha was going to get a fighting-type. That really wasn't up for debate. Poor sweet child. Red was one of the first trainers to beat the Elite Four, so yeah, he's probably the most powerful. If the games didn't set him at the end of gold and silver, realistically, no one would beat him. I have a better idea for Chameleon to evolve.
Wiliamsusanto: That battle will have to happen way down the road.
elmauricio1324: Well, Accelerator has the masterball, so they would have to be mass produced.
Western: Close.
FrodoFighter: Speed form is the one form that can beat Mewtwo, we have to wait for the right time to see it. Spoons are the ultimate utensil. You're puns make me groan. You're better than this. Darkrai belongs to a certain someone, so the others can't have it. Yes, Pokémon deserve to be free. #NoPokeballs. Lucario would hate the noise. Uiharu doesn't let Tropius out most of the time. He comes out when he wants. That was the point of the Furret. I love writing Mikoto and Touma's little love quarrels. Touma will get the Zapdos. Shush, baseline speed is ONLY in games, not real life. The strongest Rattata obviously. We all KNOW who has the pants in the relationship, even if she only wears shorts. Isn't Kuroko one of them, though? Quick, what fetish would Accelerator like? Accelerator has the max, 99 of each.
Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or Pokémon. I wish I did so I could retire rich.
"It's almost time," Ruiko informed the others unnecessarily. "You ready?"
"Not really," Mikoto muttered from her seat with Shinx on her lap. "Not a huge fan of standing out in front of all those people."
"But you seemed so confident during your last match," Kazari pointed out.
"When the match actually starts," Mikoto explained. "I can tune out the spectators and focus on my opponent. It's the walking up to the starting area while everyone is staring at me that I hate." Her grip around Shinx tightened. Not enough to hurt it, but the movement was noticeable.
"Shinx, Shinx!" Shinx said encouragingly and licked Mikoto's face.
"Aww!" Kazari cooed.
"Jolt, Jolteon!" Jolteon bounced up and down next to Mikoto and was obviously saying something encouragingly too.
"Come on, onee-sama!" Kuroko cried. "There's nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it. You're a great trainer and now everyone's going to notice. It's practice for when you take on the champion!" Mikoto suddenly had the mental image of herself standing over a defeated Accelerator flash through her mind. She couldn't deny it would feel amazing. "And… while I still don't like the ape, he's not holding you back."
"That's a compliment coming from Shirai-san," Kazari explained to Ruiko, causing Kuroko to grab her cheek. "Ow! That hurts!" Chikorita tilted its head in confusion while Popplio clapped its hands together.
"They are having fun," Ruiko agreed with her Pokémon.
"I got to get going," Mikoto told the others and Shinx jumped off her lap. She still had to use one hand to keep Kuroko back, as Kuroko was trying to give her a 'good luck kiss' or something. "Pay attention, Shinx. When this tournament is over, I'm hoping we can have you participate in a real battle."
"Shinx! Shinx!" Shinx was bounding around childishly and full of excitement.
"Let's go, Pikachu."
Waving goodbye to her friends, Mikoto made her way through the stands and back down to the waiting area. When she left the noise behind, her nervousness began to intensify. She hadn't been lying when she told her friends she didn't like the large audience. Classmates, friends, occasional onlookers, all were fine. But thousands of people she didn't know? That was nerve wracking. Excitement overpowered her fear at the beginning and she had no doubt once the battle started, her focus would be entirely on her opponents. The walk down was just terrible. It was like going to the dentist knowing you have a cavity and will be put under, but the waiting always caused the mind to make things worse than it really was.
"Biribiri! Over here!"
The familiar voice broke through her thoughts and she briefly forgot her nervousness. She turned around and saw Touma waving at her from the far side of the room. He didn't appear to exude confidence or fear, like so many of the other contestants mulling around. Instead, Mikoto was under the impression was still just acting like himself, regardless of the pressure. The sight of him caused her to smile ever so briefly, as she remembered it was thanks to him she was even able to participate. He didn't even want to, but he did it to help her out.
Then it sunk in what he called her.
"What did you call me!?" She shouted back.
"The previous matches ended faster than planned," Touma explained, ignoring her reddening face at that stupid nickname he gave her. "So they are pushing up our match."
"Huh?" Mikoto blinked and her anger faded away to be replaced by confusion. "We're up already? But… I wanted a minute to talk to you…"
"I do apologize for the scheduling change," a woman suddenly said, approaching them once she realized who they were. "We allocate a certain amount of time for each match, but due to the hectic nature of them, some end sooner while others take longer. We planned for them to balance out in the long run, but several of the recent matches ended in only a few minutes."
"Sounds like there are a few strong teams," Mikoto muttered dryly.
"I'm sure you two will do fine," the woman reassured her and then gestured for them to follow.
Much faster than she would have liked, Mikoto found themselves standing in the hallway leading to the ring waiting for the announcer to introduce them. They didn't even give her a chance to mentally prepare herself and now she was taking deep breaths to calm down. She could imagine Kuroko, Ruiko, and Kazari waiting anxiously for her to enter the ring.
"You know?" Touma tried to strike up a conversation. "Aogami and Tsuchimikado lost their first round."
"Really?" Mikoto asked.
"I heard they got stomped by someone with a Dragonair."
"Dragon-types do boast some of the highest raw attack power," Mikoto admitted. "They were in another bracket, right?"
"Yep, so we won't see it unless we beat our bracket and them theirs."
"What about Fukiyose-san and her teammate?"
"Himegami? I heard they passed the first round too."
"Really? That's cool. She seems serious enough to really concentrate on her match."
"You have no idea…"
"The next round is about to begin!" The announcer's voice burst through the intercom around the stadium. "Both teams, please enter the field!" Mikoto gulped and forced her feet forward and Touma did the same, though he seemed a lot less nervous than her. "Let's hear it for our first group: Team Zapdos! Consisting of Touma Kamijou and Mikoto Misaka!" The crowd cheered and Mikoto raised a hand to give a halfhearted wave. "For our second team, this is their first round in the tournament, so let's give a round of applause to Team Guts!" Mikoto focused on the team approaching from the other side over the sound of the crowd around her. "Consisting of Gunha Sogiita and Usko Turunen!"
The other team consisted of two guys, both around Touma's age. Gunha stood out much more than his teammate. His modified white uniform consisted of a Rising Sun shirt, jacket over his shoulders like a makeshift cape, and a white headband. His hair was black and is somewhat windswept and spiky. Mikoto was reminded so much of Touma's. Gunha walked forward confidently and used both hands to wave to the crowd. Usko was a lot more reserved. His blond hair was longer and more kempt. Consisting of a simple long sleeve white shirt and brown pants, he walked silently behind his partner. There was only a small wave of one hand to the crowd as acknowledgement.
"Hello!" Gunha greeted them from across the field. His voice was loud and strong. "Let's have a great match and show off our skill and guts!"
"I agree," Mikoto responded. "So is that's why you're called Team Guts?"
"Naturally!" Gunha nodded. "Whenever you do something, you should always give it 110%. Even when you're exhausted, you can always reach down and give a little bit more. Nothing is impossible if you keep going forward with determination!"
"Sounds good to me," Mikoto agreed and she felt herself smile. It was nice to meet someone so straight forward.
"You don't seem to be as excited to be here," Touma said to Usko.
"He dragged me here," Usko replied with a shrug.
"Usko here is an exchange student from overseas," Gunha explained. "This tournament would be a great chance for him to make some memories before he has to leave us at the end of the mouth."
"Having one partner force the other to join seems to be a reoccurring trend," Touma pointed out with a quick laugh. Mikoto elbowed him in the side inconspicuously.
"Both teams!" The referee declared. He had just arrived. "Release your Pokémon!"
"Pikachu!" Mikoto called out. "Let's win round two!"
"Charmeleon, you're up!" Touma yelled.
In a flash of red light, both of their Pokémon emerged. Electricity flickered on Pikachu's cheeks and Charmeleon let a burst of fire into the air.
"Both of your Pokémon look strong," Gunha complimented. "But now you face mine. Let's show them our power, Hawlucha!"
A small, bipedal bird-like Pokémon emerged from his pokeball. It had red, cape-like wings that were connected to its tail with green undersides and small clawed hands. The chest feathers were red, its abdominal area was white and its legs had small yellow feet. It had a green, mask-like face with an orange stripe down the middle, as well as orange rings around its eyes. Hawlucha also had a small, red beak, with a white patch underneath it. Three orange tassel-like appendages jutted out of the back of its head. The eyes had black sclera and large yellow irises.
When it appeared, Hawlucha flexed out its arms dramatically and Mikoto saw the immediate resemblance to its trainer.
"Sweet," Mikoto couldn't help grinning. "Hawlucha is a fighting-type, but it's also flying. Pikachu has an advantage."
"Don't count it out yet," Touma warned. "You know better than anyone type advantages don't always decide the outcome of a match."
"True," Mikoto agreed reluctantly, but she knew he had a point. Don't let down my guard.
"And Usko has a ghost-type," Touma added and Mikoto blinked. She hadn't even realized he released his Pokémon. Mikoto turned to see who their other opponent was.
It was a Duskull.
Duskull was virtually a stylized personification of the Grim Reaper. Its body was a black robe with two bones on its back. Its mask resembled a skull and it had a single eye that floated between the eye sockets. As Touma stated, it was a ghost-type. This could be a little tricky. Normal attacks, like Quick Attack, would just go right through it and ghost-types tended to be tricky.
"Are both teams ready?" The referee asked. Everyone made an OK sign. "Then let the match…begin!"
"Charmeleon!" Touma ordered. "Flamethrower at Duskull!"
"Pikachu!" Mikoto mimicked. "Thunder Shock at Hawlucha!"
"Jump into the air!" Gunha countered.
"Duskull!" Usko commanded. "Dodge, then Disable on Pikachu!"
Blue light emitted from Duskull as it flew up into the air to dodge Charmeleon's Flamethrower. Blue light surrounded Pikachu's body and the electricity that had been shot out ended prematurely. Hawlucha bent its knees and jumped up into the air before spreading its wings to glide. While it was a flying type, it couldn't actually fly. However, they didn't take into account Charmeleon could direct the flamethrower mid attack. While Duskull was occupied aiming at Pikachu, Chameleon moved its head to cause the Flamethrower to engulf the ghost. Duskull stagger in midair, before floating back down closer to the ground.
"What happened?" Touma asked Mikoto.
"They purposely disabled Thunder Shock to protect Hawlucha," Mikoto hissed, her eyes focused on the battle. "It's going to limit my moves."
"Don't you still have Electro Ball?" Touma asked.
"Yeah, but I want to save it for when the time is right or I risk getting it disabled too."
"Those attacks had guts behind it and that flamethrower burned hot!" Gunha called over to them. "Since you showed me yours, let me show you mine! Flamethrower!"
Hawlucha opened its mouth and a jet of fire flew down at them.
"Scatter!" Mikoto yelled frantically. Pikachu was much faster and bolted out of the way as the fire hit the ground and scattered. Charmeleon wasn't so lucky and got hit by some of the ricochet. The flames disappeared and Charmeleon appeared unhurt, though a little annoyed.
"Fire attacks won't do much to Charmeleon," Touma reassured her. He must have noticed the look on her face. "Don't worry."
"I wasn't," Mikoto lied. "Ranged attacks aren't working."
"Then let's get in close?"
Mikoto smiled.
"I was thinking the same thing."
"Dragon Claw!" Touma called out.
"Use Quick Attack to get in close," Mikoto ordered to Pikachu. "And be ready to switch!"
Charmeleon's claws glowed green as it charged forward. Pikachu, while faster, deliberately ran in a zigzag pattern to remain relatively close while leaving behind a glowing white trail.
"A full frontal assault?" Gunha asked. "I love it! Hawlucha take them head on with Dragon Rush!"
"Nightshade and keep that Pikachu from interfering!" Usko commanded. That didn't sound like the best strategy to Mikoto, especially after Gunha was so excited about a direct confrontation. Thinking about it, Usko probably was used to Gunha doing whatever he wanted. From what she saw, they had distinctively different personalities. This gave her an idea.
"Aim at Duskull!" She called out at Pikachu.
"Pika!"
Even though Mikoto couldn't understand Pikachu's exact words, that quick response was all that was needed. Duskull had started firing black beam streaked with dark red lines from its eyes. Pikachu had to focus on weaving in and out of the attacks as they collided into the arena floor. When Pikachu grew close, one last attack missed it by inches before Pikachu jumped up and head butted Duskull.
Or it would have, if Quick Attack wasn't a normal-type attack.
The force of Pikachu's jump caused it to move right through Duskull. Ghost-types were immune to normal and most fighting-type moves. This was elementary and something Mikoto should know. Everyone assumed that, even Touma. She could feel his disbelieving gaze on her, but that wasn't important. Shoot, she could feet her friends' disbelief all the way out on the field and Misaki's laughter. None of this was important though. What was important was the fight in front of her.
She had a plan.
"Iron Tail!" Mikoto shouted triumphantly.
Pikachu was now above and behind Duskull due to passing through its body. While spinning around in midair, Pikachu's tail began to glow white. Usko tried to call out a warning and Duskull was in the process of turning around, when the Iron Tail made direct contact with the back of Duskull's head. The blow sent Duskull plummeting toward the ground. If it had been solid, an explosion would have occurred when the body hit the ground. Instead, it passed into the ground before floating up into the air. The floating was erratic and it was obvious Duskull had taken a lot of damage. Pikachu fell to the ground and landed on all fours, looking proud of itself.
"Pikachu!"
"Great job!" Mikoto called out.
While this was going on, Charmeleon and Hawlucha collided. Both of them were using high attack powered dragon-type moves. A blue, dragon-shaped energy covered Hawlucha's body as it rushed forward, while a green aura covered Charmeleon's claws. Claws were brought down against the dragon aura and a burst of light formed followed by a shockwave. When the light faded, Charmeleon had been knocked back around six feet. Grooves on the ground from the claws on its feet showed it didn't do this willingly. Hawlucha had simply stopped where it had collided with its opponent. It then stood up straight and cross its arms.
"Impressive," Gunha yelled out to them. "That was the first time Hawlucha's Dragon Rush was stopped! And Misaka-san faking out Usko with a normal attack was top rate." Mikoto felt a hint of pride at his compliment, but quickly pushed it down. Overconfidence led to losing.
"I can't believe Charmeleon lost in raw power," Mikoto whispered to Touma. "Is he okay?"
"Looks more annoyed than anything," Touma replied. "Sogiita-san was right though. Duskull is probably on its last legs after that attack. One more well placed hit should defeat him."
"They will be expecting that," Mikoto pointed out. "Hawlucha's power is no joke. Being able to use that move… I didn't think Hawlucha could use dragon-type moves."
"I heard the announcers mention something like that about Flamethrower," Touma admitted. "But I heard a lot of Pokémon can use weird moves. I've seen a Gyarados use Flamethrower before." Mikoto frowned and focused on the background noise.
"…can't use Dragon Rush. How do you think Gunha Sogiita taught Hawlucha that ability?"
"Probably the same way he taught it Flamethrower," another announcer replied. "Either a lot of training or maybe an evolutionary trait of this particular Hawlucha…" Mikoto tuned them out after that.
"Hawlucha should still have two moves we haven't seen yet," Mikoto warned. "So be on guard. Let's wait for an opening to take out Duskull and focus on Hawlucha."
"A good of plan as any." Touma caught Charmeleon's eye and nodded. Charmeleon returned the gesture and turned back to the fight. "Smokescreen!" Charmeleon spun around and swiped its tail in an arc. A cloud of thick black smoke rose from the flame and began to obscure the field between the two teams. "Get ready, Biribiri."
"Idiot!" She snapped. "I told you not to call me that." Even though she said that, a grin couldn't be stopped from forming on her face. "And I'm always ready."
"Flamethrower!" Gunha yelled and a jet of flame swept through the smoke. The attack didn't reach Pikachu or Charmeleon, but it was being used to clear the smoke while also preventing them from getting close.
"Thunder Shock!" Mikoto directed Pikachu. "Where the Flamethrower is coming from!"
"Piikkaachuu!" A bolt of electricity flew through the smoke and the outline of Hawlucha appeared. She couldn't tell if it was a direct hit or not, but as a flying type, even a glancing blow could do a significant amount of damage.
Perfect, Mikoto thought and silently fist pumped. We got this.
"Look out!"
Touma's shouting brought her back to her senses and she looked around in alarm. She was too focused on Hawlucha that she missed the shadow extending across the ground from under the smoke.
"Shadow Sneak!" Usko commanded.
The shadow rose from behind Pikachu and an arm extended. Mikoto never had a chance to cry out in warning as Pikachu was struck from behind and sent flying. It was so fast, only Touma noticed but couldn't react.
"Pikachu!" She cried out. To her relief, Pikachu rolled over from its back and leapt up to its feet. "Let's watch out for that attack. It's too fast to dodge if we don't notice it coming. By now, the smoke was almost completely gone.
"Will-O-Wisp!" Usko's voice rang out again and a dozen bluish flames appeared in the air. A moment later, they flew at Pikachu.
"Intercept it, Charmeleon!" Touma yelled and Charmeleon rushed forward to stand between Pikachu and the fire. When the flames hit Charmeleon, there was no sign of any damage.
"Good call," Mikoto thanked Touma. "Will-O-Wisp inflicts burns, but doesn't affect fire-types."
"Oh… that's good?"
"You didn't know?!" Mikoto turned toward him incredulously.
"I thought it was some kind of fire attack," he replied sheepishly. "Charmeleon wouldn't take much damage compared to Pikachu." Mikoto really wanted to facepalm there. From the looks of it, Charmeleon wanted to too.
"High Jump Kick!"
Both of them were forced to divert their attention back to the battle. Having someone to talk to while battling could be really distracting, something they both were discovering first hand. Hawlucha emerged from the remaining smoke and flew directly at Charmeleon.
"Dodge to the side!" Mikoto yelled at Pikachu, whose speed would allow it to dodge the attack with ease from this distance. High Jump Kick was a powerful damaging move, but would damage the user if it missed. It was a true double-edged sword. She glanced over at Touma. Surely he knows this. Curiously, he didn't seem to be panicking.
"Take it, Charmeleon!" Touma yelled and Charmeleon put its clawed hands out.
"What?!" Mikoto yelled in bewilderment.
"I'll leave it to you," Touma replied and Mikoto's mouth fell open when she realized what was about to happen.
Hawlucha slammed its glowing leg into Charmeleon's chest.
From the pained look in Charmeleon's eyes, the attack hit for massive damage. The force knocked Charmeleon back several feet, but somehow it remained standing. Charmeleon then wrapped its claws around Hawlucha and held it in a great bear hug. Hawlucha struggled, but was unable to escape.
"Do it now!" Touma told Mikoto.
"Why…? Argh! Idiot!" Mikoto turned to Pikachu. "Electro Ball Hawlucha, hurry!"
"Pika?"
"They gave us this chance!"
Determination showed in Pikachu's eyes as it jumped into the air. As it spun around, the ball of electricity appeared at the tip of its tail. Mikoto gritted her teeth as the ball flew at Hawlucha and Charmeleon. A direct attack against a flying type would be devastating. This was a gamble though. Hawlucha might pull through and Charmeleon might take too much damage to continue fighting. If that was the case, Mikoto would be fighting two on one. Touma appeared to believe in her and she wasn't going to let their team down.
"Intercept!"
Mikoto and Touma spun around as one to see a dark blur as Duskull moved in front of the Electro Ball. An explosion of light and sound went off when they collided. Duskull flew through the air, and landed on the ground, its eyes spinning.
"Duskull is unable to battle!" The referee announced and the crowd went wild. During the brief moment of confusion, as Mikoto processed what happened, Hawlucha kneed Charmeleon in the stomach and finally broke out of the hold. It jumped back and crossed his arm. The expression on its face was hard to read, but its eyes kept darting to Duskull. Mikoto believed it was impressed by the sacrifice.
"You used Duskull to save Hawlucha?" Touma asked, as if he couldn't believe it.
"Gunha is a much better fighter than I am," Usko explained as he recalled Duskull. "I wouldn't be able to take you two one, or even one of you, by myself. This way, we still have a chance to win." He grinned. "I may be a realist, but I still like winning."
"That was perhaps one of the most Gutsy moves I have ever seen," Gunha declared and slapped his friend on the back. "I won't let it go to waste. I'll finish this with Hawlucha's most powerful attack."
"Brace yourself," Touma warned.
"You don't have to tell me that," Mikoto hissed back. "After everything that's happened so far, we can't afford to let our guard down."
"Pika!" Pikachu agreed.
"Charmeleon," Charmeleon muttered angrily. One of its hands was pressed against its stomach.
"Hawlucha!" Hawlucha declared, as it pumped out its chest.
"Hawlucha!" Gunha shouted out, his voice booming across the field. "Use Draco Meteor!"
"What?!" Mikoto and Touma shouted out at the same time and they weren't the only ones. A good number of the audience had similar reactions. At least, the ones who knew what Draco Meteor was.
It was one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, dragon-type moves.
NO! Mikoto screamed internally. There is NO way Hawlucha should be able to use that move! What the hell did he do!?
Hawlucha brought its hands together and an orb of orange energy appeared. Bringing its hands down first, Hawlucha threw the orb up into the sky. Mikoto watched as the orb flew high above them. It eventually stopped and twinkled like a star in the sky, until the light grew larger. An explosion range out and the single light became dozens. Each one of those lights started to fall down in a fiery fury.
"You have to dodge!" Mikoto yelled at Pikachu. "A single one of those could mark our loss! You have the speed to do it!"
"Pika!" Pikachu nodded and then glanced at Charmeleon. "Pikachu?" Charmeleon waved a hand dismissively.
"We'll be fine," Touma reassured them. "We've been through worse."
"You have?" Mikoto asked, though an answer never came.
The rain of destruction reached the battlefield. Explosions erupted everywhere, sending clouds of smoke and dust into the air. Shockwaves rippled through the ground and Mikoto staggered. Touma reached out and grabbed her arm to help her stabilize. The crowd was cheering, gasping, and everything in between. Nothing could be seen of the field as at last, the meteors stopped and the wind began to blow the dust away.
"Pikachu!" Mikoto screamed out. "Answer me! Are you okay!" Silence lengthened. "Pikachu!"
"Pika…" A weak cry came through the dust and Mikoto nearly collapsed from relief.
"You made it," Mikoto whispered. "Thank Arceus."
The dust cleared and the carnage was even worse than she imagined. Craters pockmarked with craters and piles of rubbles. From one of the piles, Mikoto saw a little yellow, as Pikachu crawled out from under a couple rocks. Hawlucha stood on the only undamaged arena spot. Smoke still rose from a few places that were burned from the heat of the direct attacks, but it was cleared enough for her to see across the field to Gunha. However, there was no sign of Charmeleon on the field.
"Where is he?" Mikoto asked, seeing Touma looking around too.
"Come on," he muttered, not appearing to hear her. "You wouldn't get taken down by something like this."
"I was hoping to end the battle after that attack," Gunha declared. "This is a testament of your strength and guts that you are still standing. Now, Misaka-san. Let us finish this battle with everything we-…"
An enormous jet of flames erupted from a pile of rubble, interrupting him.
"About time!" Touma called out. "You had me worried there."
"He survived that…" Mikoto trailed off as Charmeleon emerged. He definitely looked bruised up by the attack, but something in its expression changed. The normal annoyed or bored expression was replaced by one of determination and anger. Its eyes seemed to glow red and the flame on its tail was twice the size of normal. "Is that the same Charmeleon?"
"Blaze," Touma told her. "It's his special ability. When his health gets low, fire attacks get a huge boost."
"Handy," Mikoto replied impressed.
"Wow!" Gunha called out. "That Charmeleon has more guts than I've seen in ages!"
"We aren't out of the woods yet," Touma warned Mikoto. "They aren't going to survive another attack like that. Does Draco Meteor have a drawback, like the recharge timer with Hyper Beam?"
"His special attack power will be reduced by a bit," Mikoto recalled. "So another Draco Meteor won't do nearly as much damage… Don't want to try to survive that though."
"Have Pikachu catch her breath," Touma advised. "Let Charmeleon take the stage for a bit. He's fired up."
There was silence.
"I'm sorry."
"You better be," Mikoto growled.
"Charmeleon!" Touma called out. "Flamethrower! Keep Hawlucha on the defensive!"
"Show him your guts and counter with your own!" Gunha yelled.
The jets of fire from both Pokémon collided in the middle of the ruined arena. There was no explosion or scattering of flames when the attacks met, instead the difference in power was obvious. With Charmeleon's Flamethrower empowered by Blaze and Hawlucha's weakened after using Draco Meteor, one stream of fire was quickly engulfed by the others. A torrent of flames rushed over Hawlucha and, when it cleared, left it down on one knee and propping itself up with one of its hands.
"Incredible power!" Gunha complimented. "But it's not going to stop Hawlucha from reaching you. Dragon Rush!" Hawlucha was engulfed by the blue dragon shaped energy again and blasted forward at incredible speeds. Touma watched as the distance closed without blinking.
"Jump!" He ordered instantly. "And smack it down with Dragon Claw!"
At the last minute, Charmeleon leaped into the air right when Hawlucha reached him, dodging by a hairsbreadth. As Hawlucha passed under it, Charmeleon brought down a glowing green claw into its back. The force smashed it into the ground.
"High Jump Kick!" Hawlucha spun on the ground and leaped up to deliver a powerful blow into Charmeleon's gut before it could land, sending the reptile flying. "Gotcha!"
"Electro Ball!"
Distracted by the fierce, if brief, exchange of blows, neither Gunha nor Hawlucha were able to react in time to Mikoto's sudden attack. Pikachu fired the ball directly into the side of Hawlucha. Ripples of electricity flowed through its body as it was sent flying back too. A direct hit with a super effective attack had an obvious affect. However, it still wasn't enough to bring it down. Hawlucha rolled on the ground a few times before springing back up to its feet.
"How high of a level is that Hawlucha!" Mikoto demanded. "It takes blows like Rampardos!"
"Worry about that later!" Touma countered. "Worry about what's happening now!"
"Finish this battle with another round of Draco Meteor!" Gunha declared sticking a finger high into the sky.
What do we do? Mikoto though desperately. Charmeleon was picking itself up from the pile of debris it had been knocked into. Pikachu was panting heavily. As the orange energy collected in Hawlucha's hand, she really didn't have much choice. "Pikachu!" She yelled desperately. "You have to intercept the blow before he can fire it off!"
"Pika!"
Pikachu darted forward as if using Quick Attack. Both of them knew if Hawlucha got the attack off, they would lose. A ranged attack would be slightly faster, but there was a chance it wouldn't be enough to stop the attack. By using a melee attack, even if it wasn't enough to interrupt the Draco Meteor, there was a chance Pikachu could use its body to cause a premature explosion. Sort of like a suicide bomb. Mikoto seriously hoped it wouldn't come to that. If it did, they would still win because Charmeleon wasn't incapacitated. As Pikachu charged, Mikoto rubbed her eye to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.
"What the…" She whispered to herself.
Pikachu was picking up speed, which wasn't unusual. What wasn't normal was the fact golden electricity was cloaking its entire body. When the electricity completely covered Pikachu's body, the normal yellow rodent appeared to have turned black and white.
"No way… Volt Tackle!"
Volt Tackle was a powerful electric-type move that also damaged the user in exchange for the power. Pikachu had learned a new move in the middle of the battle. Gunha and Touma were equally surprised as both forgot their own Pokémon as they watched. Hawlucha couldn't dodge, as it was gathering the energy needed to use its own attack and was forced to accept the head on charge.
A small explosion engulfed the two Pokémon as Hawlucha lost control.
Hawlucha went flying one way with Pikachu flying the other.
"Hawlucha!" Gunha yelled.
"Pikachu!" Mikoto cried. Both Pokémon landed with a thud and the referee was looking back and forth between the two. After a moment, Pikachu started to shakily push itself to its feet. The electricity covering its body might have protected it from some of the damage. Hawlucha, on the other hand, after taking a direct Volt Tackle and a premature Draco Meteor, did not.
"Hawlucha is unable to battle!" The referee declared and the crowd started cheering wildly. "The winner is Team Zapdos!"
"Pikachu!" Ignoring the crowd and the referee, Mikoto rushed out onto the field and picked up Pikachu. "Are you okay?"
"Pika…" Pikachu replied exhausted.
"You did amazing," Mikoto whispered. "We won thanks to you. Now let's go get you to the Pokémon Center to get you rested up." She turned to beam at Touma, who was recalling Charmeleon. He looked up and their eyes met, before he nodded with a smile of his own. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kuroko and the others cheering and waving excitedly. Gunha called back Hawlucha, but didn't seem that upset. Instead, he gave her a thumbs up as congratulations.
The day was going well and it was time for a well-deserved break.
"You're going to win the entire tournament!" Kuroko declared at their table. The morning rounds had ended and there was a two hour break before the afternoon ones started. 'I can feel it."
"She shouldn't get overconfident," Kazari reprimanded seriously. "The tournament just started and they have two rounds this afternoon."
"Not to say you don't have a good shot," Ruiko added quickly to Mikoto. Popplio looked up from its bowl.
"Huh?" Mikoto was leaning over the side of her chair to check on her Pokémon. Pikachu was resting at the Pokémon center, but the rest were eating from bowls around them. Magnemite had finished early and was buzzing around her head. After finishing giving Jolteon and Shinx a quick scratch behind the ears, she turned to Magnemite. "I know you want to see your friend and play, but you have to wait until after the tournament." Magnemite's expression grew somber and Mikoto patted its head gently. "Sorry." She said as she turned toward her friends. "What were you talking about?"
"Your chances at winning the tournament," Kuroko explained and briefly took a look at Kadabra and Beedrill sitting in the corner of the restaurant. There wasn't enough room by the tables for larger Pokémon. Kazari's Gloom was sleeping over there too. Tropius was safe in its pokeball due to the disturbance it was bound to cause.
"You seem distracted," Ruiko commented carefully.
"Ah, maybe a little," Mikoto admitted. "The last battle was tough and it's only round two. The new few are going to be even harder. Just wondering if we have a chance at winning."
"Well," Kazari started to say and everyone turned towards her. "Not every team is going to be the same level at these tournaments. The team that ends up winning could knock out a strong team in the first round. For all you know, a bunch of newer trainers were facing each other and round three might be easier for you and Kamijou-san."
"Didn't we see some strong teams though?" Ruiko asked and yelped as Kuroko kicked her under the table.
"A couple strong teams will just help you become better," Kuroko explained. "You already showed everyone that you and Pikachu are strong. Plus, Pikachu also just learned a new move."
"Volt Tackle," Mikoto repeated, more to herself. "It's powerful, but Pikachu had to forget Electro Ball to use it. I kind of liked it since it was effective against slower Pokémon. Can't argue it was needed in that last match though."
"It's always exciting to see Pokémon evolve or use a new move in the middle of a battle," Ruiko reminisced. "We watched several matches where a trainer was cornered and pulled out a surprising upset."
"Happened a couple weeks ago, actually," Kazari added.
"Pikachu can only evolve with a Thunder Stone," Kuroko told them. "So unless the ape's Charmeleon evolves…"
"…It's going to be one of the other teams," Mikoto finished. "Honestly, I don't want that to happen. Anyone catch the next team we are up against? I missed it after the excitement."
"Eh…" Kuroko trailed off and looked at the other two, who also looked worried. Mikoto raised an eyebrow and then grew worried.
Are we facing someone I know or is the team strong? She sighed and looked at her friends. "Tell me. It's better I prepare myself now."
"It's a pair of sisters," Kazari explained. "They are the ones who use the Solrock and Lunatone."
"Ah... not good." Mikoto sunk in her chair. "Those two were amazing and their teamwork perfect."
"You'll do great, onee-sama," Kuroko reassured her with a pat on the back. "They are rock-types, but not ground. Electric-type moves will work fine on them."
"Suppose we were bound to come across a team like them eventually," Mikoto sighed. "I'm going to take a walk to clear my head."
"I'll come," Kuroko said quickly, rising out of her chair.
"Rather have some time to myself," Mikoto clarified and Kuroko froze. She rubbed her temples. "It's not you, Kuroko. I just want some quiet while we have downtime. All the noise is getting to me." Kazari nodded sympathetically.
"We understand," Ruiko said to Mikoto. "When I showed my Unown to my class, everyone freaked out over it."
"Then the classes next door found out," Kazari added. "She was barraged with people asking about it."
"Point is," Ruiko interrupted. "Too many people paying attention to you tires you out. We will make sure Shirai-san doesn't get tempted to follow."
"Hey!" Kuroko protested indignantly.
"Thanks." Mikoto recalled her Pokémon and left the restaurant. It's going to be a long day.
There was quite a difference between an arena full of people and an empty one. Well, there were a few people scattered around, but it wasn't nearly as noisy as it was during the matches. Mikoto was just mulling around, waiting for Pikachu to finish resting, and thinking about the matches ahead. Being alone with her thoughts turned out to be a mistake, as she kept dreading the worst.
Everyone's going to see if I mess up, Mikoto thought anxiously. This isn't some class match in front of a few people. It's being televised. What if I make a fool out of myself? Kuroko will stick with me, but will my classmates be so nice? Shokuhou-san would never let me forget it, that's for sure. Would Kamijou drop me as a failure? She blinked as that thought rushed through her head.
Both of her hands slapped her cheeks.
"What am I thinking?" Mikoto muttered out loud. "I always do this. I get nervous and blow everything out of proportion. If I do my best, no one can think badly of me. Even if they do, who cares what they think? I can get better." She smiled, though her cheeks still hurt. "And that idiot doesn't seem like he could hate anyone." She laughed. "If Shokuhou-san tries anything, I'll just have to make sure Shinx beats her Feebas. Maybe have Magnemite help out with his training. They both got sidelined while training for this tournament."
A ringing sound interrupted her alone time.
That better not be Kuroko asking where I am, Mikoto thought and then immediately felt guilty. She knew her best friend was just worried and probably wanted to wish her luck. Mikoto pulled out her phone and looked at the caller ID. It wasn't Kuroko and Mikoto's eyes widened a little in surprise.
"Hi, honey!"
"Hello, mom," Mikoto replied. "What's up?"
"Oh, your sisters and I just saw your match," her mother replied from the other end. "We're so proud of you. That was a wonderful performance."
"Thanks."
"Is something wrong, dear?"
"Huh?" Mikoto was surprised. "W-why do you say that?"
"You don't sound nearly as excited as I expected you to be," her mother explained simply. "I expected you to tell me all about the fight."
"You said you saw it." Mikoto lamely tried to dismiss her accusations.
"You can't fool me."
"Fine." Mikoto sighed. Her mother was very perceptive in these matters and nothing could be hidden from her for very long. "That last match was great. Pikachu learned a brand new move in the middle of it too! I haven't had that much fun in ages. It's just, it was a tough battle. It's just going to get harder from here on out and what happens if I mess up?"
"Then you learn from your mistake and be better prepared for the next one," her mother answered simply. "Mikoto, you're a smart and talented girl. There's nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it, but there are many talented people in the world. You have to work hard, experience setbacks, and grow to be the best you can be. Regardless what happens, I'm proud of how far you've come."
"Thanks, mom."
"Feel better?"
"I do."
"Good, now that that is settled." Her mother sounded amused. "Tell me a little about that boy you've partnered with."
"Kamijou?" Mikoto asked confused.
"Yes," her mother prodded. "How did you meet? I can't see you randomly finding an older boy as a partner."
"We ran into each other outside of the city," Mikoto explained. "Ran into some trouble with an Ursaring but worked together to escape. He's really strong and doesn't look down at my love for electric-types. After that, we randomly met up again and I asked him to join the mentorship program Academy City offers. You know, where an older student teaches a younger one. I learned a lot working with him." She laughed. "He has the weirdest Pokémon besides Charmeleon. They rarely listen to him except for his Lucario."
"Wow, a Lucario? That's a pretty rare Pokémon."
"I know, right? It was a Riolu originally. It evolved in a battle with one of my classmates." Mikoto laughed again. "That was a site to behold. He never wanted to participate in the tournament, you know? I wanted to but normally a middle schooler can't participate. I could with an older student."
"So he joined in order to let you?" Mikoto frowned at the tone of her mother's voice. There was a trace of amusement, but also something more she couldn't identify.
"His classmate helped a little," Mikoto continued. "But, yeah. He did. We practiced quite a bit to get where we are now."
"Did you practice with just the two of you?" Her voice was obviously gleeful now.
"Some of my friends helped," Mikoto explained. "We could hardly practice a two on two match being on opposite teams."
"True." Her mother paused for a moment, thinking about something. "I'm glad you found someone. Your earlier calls about not finding anyone who understands you enough to participate in that program was worrying. I received an email from your school asking me for recommendations, but I told them to leave it up to you."
"That… thank you?" Mikoto was surprised her mother did that. Normally, she loved to pry into her personal life.
"From the way you talk about this boy, he seems nice."
"Heh, he is. The only downside I've seen is he complains about his luck quite a bit." Mikoto couldn't help herself and laughed.
"As a mother, I have to ask… what is this boy to you?"
"Huh?" Mikoto didn't expect that. "Well… he's more than just a mentor, I suppose? I definitely consider him a friend."
"You don't have many male friends," her mother pointed out.
"I go to an all-girls' school," Mikoto replied dryly and rolled her eyes. "The ones I normally meet either want to battle or are creeps trying to hit on Kuroko and me."
"I kind of wish you went to a coed school, but I could hardly say no when you got into Tokiwadai."
"I'm glad I went," Mikoto told her. "Kuroko's like my best friend and I'm learning a lot."
"Oh, before I forget, there is one other thing I called you about besides congratulations." Her mother paused. "We are thinking about enrolling your younger sister into Tokiwadai next year."
"Really?" Mikoto's mouth fell open.
"Thanks to you being enrolled, we get a big discount. We are going to be in town for a few days to fill out some paperwork and discuss about a scholarship. I know she would love to see you again, and so would I. Maybe you could show her around after school?"
"Of course!" Mikoto loved her sister and it would be great to see her again. Ever since she enrolled at Tokiwadai, she lived in the dorms and didn't get to see her family much. "I'll make time. Let me know when you're about to arrive, I'll meet you wherever!"
"No skipping school," her mother scolded lightly.
"Haha. I won't!" Mikoto looked at the time. "Sorry to cut this short, but I have to get going. Love you!"
"Love you too, sweetheart. Say hi to your boyfriend for me too."
"He's not my-…!" it was too late, as she heard the heard the clicking of the phone disconnecting. "Honestly, she's as bad as Kuroko!" She pocketed her phone and headed toward the Pokémon center. "Sheesh. Why can't people just be happy I have a friend who's a boy? Sure, he's great and I like spending time… with… him." She froze and shook her head.
Bad thoughts. You're not into him like that. Mom and Kuroko just keep putting those stupid thoughts in your head. Ignore them and worry about it later. For now, let's go get Pikachu!
"Pikachu!"
As soon as Mikoto walked into the Pokémon center, she was greeted by her favorite fuzzy yellow rodent. Pikachu jumped into her arms and started nuzzling her cheek with its own.
"Aww, I missed you too!" Mikoto could feel the slight tingling of electricity from Pikachu. It wasn't enough to hurt and just strong enough to feel nice. "You ready for the next round? After that last battle, you're ready for anything, aren't you?"
"Pika pi!" Pikachu saluted and Mikoto laughed.
"Kuroko's waiting outside," Mikoto said. "She's been worried about you too." She opened her arms and Pikachu jumped down to the ground. They walked outside and the second they stepped out, Kuroko appeared like magic.
"Everything okay?" she asked nervously.
"More than you know." Mikoto put her arm around her shoulders. "Thanks for worrying about us. It means a lot. Pikachu's at full health and I worked through my stage fright. Well, enough to go out there again."
"We will be cheering from the front row," Kuroko replied. "So give it your all and we will celebrate regardless of the outcome!"
"That sounds nice," Mikoto agreed. "Oh, my mom called today."
"Oh?"
"She's coming to visit with my little sister to get her enrolled in Tokiwadai."
"Really? A younger version of you? I bet she's adorable!"
"That reminds me." Mikoto foresaw a problem and decided to immediately put a stop to it. "You will not, under any circumstances, harass her like me. No stealing underwear, surprise attacks in the bathroom, anything. Understand?!"
"Y-yes."
"Good." Mikoto relaxed and smiled. "Yes, she's cute and she likes hugs. So you can do that." That brightened up Kuroko's expression instantly. "Just hugs. Nothing else." Kuroko nodded quickly. "Great, let's go find Uiharu-san and Saten-san. I want to see them before I find the idiot."
"You promise next tournament I can be your teammate, right?"
"I promise."
The two of them made their way through the crowd toward the area. Kuroko trying to keep Mikoto's spirits up with compliments and reassurement, while Mikoto was thinking about her family coming to visit.
I wonder if dad will come. He's always traveling due to work. Please don't let her come though. She's the worst.
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish I ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.
This chapter is a little shorter than the last few, but this spot was a good place to end before the third round. There is some foreshadowing of the events to transpire after the tournament arc ends.
Magnemite: So, what's it like to learn a new move in the middle of a battle?
Pikachu: It's kind of like when we learn a new one. You just sort of know how to use it. The weirdest part is going with the flow without a full understanding of what's going to happen.
Jolteon: I remember that feeling when I evolved and learned Thunder Shock, but I wasn't fighting, so the transition was easier.
Magnemite: Ah, that makes sense. Do you think our trainer's friend's Ditto experiences that when it transforms?
Pikachu: I don't know.
Shinx: Can… can we not talk about Ditto right now?
Chinchou: Still remembering that little talk? Hehe.
Shinx: I want to forget!
