Pokemon: Way of Life Chapter 37, a pokémon fanfic

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak.

Hi all,

Here's the next chapter. The last match of the tournament between Lucas and Misty.

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Chapter 37

Lucas and Misty stepped up on the stage to the audience's cheers. After watching the runners-up battle for positions in the top ten, it was finally time for the main event. Ben had defeated Dudley to come in third place, and now all Lucas had to do was win to receive a substantial payout.

However, it didn't pay to focus on the wager, for the challenge ahead of him was going to be tough. Taking down Kabutops without sacrificing too much was his goal, as he still had to deal with her other Pokemon. There was only one way Lucas could think of to deal with Kabutops.

The match started. He won the toss, so Misty released her first Pokemon onto the stage. Kabutops was selected, which was not a surprise at all. Like her previous match, in which she got the first win and then held the advantage throughout, she wanted to repeat the same tactic.

There were two Pokemon that he could choose to use in this battle that he thought would be effective. There is no doubt that both Max and Dante would be suitable for the job, but he decided to proceed with the latter for one simple reason.

Lucas grabbed Dante's Pokeball and released him onto the stage.

'The opponent we are up against is going to be a tough one. His strength and speed exceed your own. It is imperative that we play it smart in this situation.'

'Good thing my opponent looks dumb as a rock.' Dante smirked.

The referee looked at the two of them before lowering his flag. "Match... start!"

'Copy his special ability.' Lucas ordered.

Dante has copied Kabutops' Swift Swim special ability.

The advantage Kabutops would have gained through using Rain Dance to boost his speed by fifty per cent had now been effectively eliminated by him. Despite this, Kabutops still had a slight advantage in terms of speed. Not to mention the fact that his other stats were far superior to those of Dante as well.

Kabutops rushed in, his wicked-looking blades raised in anticipation.

'Grass Knot.'

Kabutops had one critical weakness. It had a double weakness to grass-type moves. Grass Knot was a handy move to have in this situation as it could be used to bind the opponent and deal damage depending on the target's weight. He estimated that Grass Knot would have a power of sixty.

Several thick, twisting vines erupted from the area at Dante's feet and launched themselves at Kabutops with the aim of binding him.

Kabutops, who was at this point a couple of metres away, dodged to the side as the vines whipped the ground with a solid impact. Now, Kabutops advanced on Dante at an angle, and he raised one of his blades, which began to shine ominously.

'Double Team.'

Dante made a copy and retreated as Kabutops swung its sickle-like appendage down. The copy was destroyed, but Dante was already executing his next move.

Once more, the vines erupted and attempted to bind Kabutops. In response, the Pokemon swung his blades in rapid succession and sliced through every last one.

'Reflect.' Lucas decided to bolster Dantes' defence while he had the chance.

Dante has used Reflect. Defence has been raised by one stage.

Kabutops raised its two blades, and dark energy coalesced along their length. Night Slash.

Quickly get up close to avoid the attack.

Dante sprinted forward as Kabutops brought its blades down, releasing two airborne energy blades that gouged the stage where Dante had been standing.

'Grab onto Kabutops and execute Grass Knot again.'

Vines erupted from the state and immediately encircled the two like a cocoon, before they rose, revealing Dante raising the struggling Kabutops into the air. Dante slammed him down onto the stage with an explosion of grass-type energy.

Grass Knot was an odd move. He would have thought that it would be a physical attack due to the nature of its attack, slamming its target down onto the ground. However, upon impact, the vines dispersed, releasing grass-type energy that damaged the Pokemon. The amount of energy released depends on the Pokemon's weight.

It's doubly super effective! 91 damage dealt to Kabutops.

HP: 109/200

'Grass Knot.' Lucas ordered.

Kabutops was getting up when the vines came rushing towards him, but then he vanished and reappeared at Dante's side, crashing into him and sending the smaller Pokemon sprawling.

43 damage dealt to Dante.

HP: 112/155

Lucas winced but kept his focus on the fight. Kabutops pressed the advantage again and executed another Feint.

'Growl.' Lucas ordered urgently. It was a move that Dante hadn't used in a long time because he wasn't a close-range fighter. The move had a short range of only half a metre. However, in this situation, it may be enough to save him.

Still, on the ground, Dante used Growl. The air distorted with sound waves just as Kabutops appeared, and it struck the Pokemon directly. Kabutops took a few steps back, shaking its head at its sudden disorientation.

'Grass Knot.'

Dante rose to his feet and executed the move. Kabutops was helpless to resist and was grabbed by the vines, lifted and smashed onto the stage.

It's doubly super effective! 94 damage dealt to Kabutops.

HP: 15/200

'Again.' Lucas commanded.

Dante released more vines just as Kabutops propped itself up on its blades while he was still lying on the ground. In front of him, ice-type energy appeared as a mist before shooting forward. It covered the vines, and they slowly froze over, losing momentum and stopping a few inches from Kabutops' prone form.

Lucas gritted his teeth in frustration. He had almost had him.

He was further frustrated for the next couple of minutes. Kabutops continued to evade while Dante attacked. Then, Kabutops did something that had Lucas scratching his head in confusion. The Pokemon used Icy Wind not to attack Dante but to slowly freeze the entire stage. Why would Misty order him to do that? The level of control to get a smooth icy surface on the stage was incredible, but what was the purpose? Then he had a revelation.

Misty was setting the stage for her next Pokemon, Seel, by turning the stage into a skating rink. She had not used this tactic in the last match. The clever girl held onto another trump card for the finals. Since she planned it, Seel must be very effective on the ice.

The damage was already done. Most of the stage was covered in a fine layer of ice. He could have Dante break up the ice, but that would take up too much aura and time. As a result, he decided to change tactics and have Dante improve his stats instead.

'Stop chasing Kabutops and start using Calm Mind to boost your parameters. Kabutops is setting the stage for his next Pokemon.'

'Got it.'

Dante stopped on a clear bit of stage and executed Calm Mind.

Dante has used Calm Mind. Special Attack and Special Defence have risen by one stage.

Kabutops stopped icing the stage and executed Feint.

'Dive forward onto the ice.' Lucas said quickly.

Dante dived onto the ice and slid forward as Kabutops appeared before stumbling after not hitting anything.

'Psybeam.'

Dante turned on his back while still in motion, and he summoned a beam of psychic energy before it shot through the air. After recovering, Kabutops pursued Dante, skating on the ice with astonishing grace and agility. However, he was caught off guard by his opponent's move and was struck by the beam of energy.

33 damage dealt to Kabutops.

Kabutops has fainted.

Dante came to a stop as his opponent fainted on the ice.

The referee raised his flag. "Kabutops is unable to battle. Ralts is the winner of the battle."

Lucas almost shouted out loud in jubilation, but he managed to restrain himself. There was still one Pokemon left, so the match wasn't won.

Misty sent off her Kabutops and retrieved another Pokeball. "I didn't think I would have this much trouble with you. How are you going to handle my next Pokemon?"

Seel appeared on the stage. The Pokemon raised its flippers and clapped, excited to be back on stage again. Lucas examined the Pokemon.

Stage Two: Seel has entered its second growth period.

Description: The protruding horn on its head is sturdy. It is used for bashing through thick ice.

Stats

Level: 8 | Next: 59% | HP:180 | Aura: 200 |

Traits

Ice Skater - increases the user's speed and manoeuvrability when gliding on ice.

Special Ability

Thick Fat - It reduces the damage taken from Fire-type and Ice-type moves by 50%.

Lucas hummed. In terms of stats, Seel could not compare to Kabutops. However, upon inspecting her trait, Ice Skater, he found his suspicions confirmed. Seel now had home-field advantage on the ice. Perhaps he should have tried to destroy the ice before defeating Kabutops. However, that would have used up Dante's aura, and he wasn't a free-form fighter like Max and Imara. Therefore, he would have had no choice but to withdraw Dante, as he would have been a sitting duck.

The Pokemon got into position, and the match resumed.

'Copy her special ability.'

Dante has copied Seel's special ability, Thick Fat.

Seel immediately began skating around Dante with the use of her flippers and sleek body. Considering the fact that she appeared to glide across the ice, she was much faster than her speed stat suggested.

'Double team.' Lucas commanded.

Dante produced a copy, and it immediately separated from the original. Its movements weren't graceful as it awkwardly slid over the ice.

Seel rushed in, her tail illuminated with steel-type energy and smashed it down onto Dante. He was substituted with the copy at the last moment, which was subsequently destroyed. Seel continued pursuing Dante, who found adjusting to the slippery ice challenging.

Misty chose the right tactic in this situation by having Seel pursue Dante. Not only was he ineffective at close range, but he was weak to steel-type attacks.

When Seel was within striking distance, Lucas ordered Dante to use Double Team again. Unfortunately, it was one too many, and the substitution failed. Dante was walloped and sent sliding across the stage before hitting the barrier.

It's super effective! 98 damage dealt to Dante.

HP: 14/155

'Dante!'

Seel glided across the ice in hot pursuit, eager to finish off her opponent. Dante pushed his hands against the ground and partially lifted himself up, but he would be too late to avoid the next attack.

Lucas thought of a crazy plan.

'Dante, turn your head to the side and fire off Psybeam.'

Dante turned his head and fired a beam of psychic energy just as Seel's tail came crashing down. The power of the move and the slick ice made him shoot off in the opposite direction, barely avoiding the tail smashing onto the stage. Dante slid into the corner of the stage.

'Use Grass Knot, but use it to build a wall instead. Try and leave a gap in the side for you to slide through.'

Vines erupted from his feet and created a mini wall in the corner of the stage. Seel headbutted the wall soon after, and it shuddered. It probably wouldn't last very long.

'Use Double Team and send your copy through the gap as a diversion.'

Dante executed Double Team, and his copy slid through the gap. Another attack from Seel followed soon after, and the vines began falling apart. However, from Lucas' viewpoint, the ploy had worked as Seel chased after the copy that was fleeing. As the vines disappeared, Dante appeared before following Seel, sliding on his belly to increase his momentum.

Seel struck the copy at the same time but fell when the expected contact didn't register.

'Grass Knot.'

Dante fired off another set of vines and grabbed Seel as she got back on her feet. She was lifted into the air and slammed back to the ground, causing her to cry out as the vines exploded.

It's super effective. 52 damage dealt to Seel.

HP: 128/180

Dante stopped and got to his feet, breathing heavily. His HP and Aura were almost spent, so he couldn't finish off Seel. Nevertheless, he had already given Lucas the advantage in the match.

'I know what you're thinking, but don't you dare pull me from the match.'

Lucas smiled wryly. Who was in charge here?

Seel rose and rushed forward; however, Dante didn't try to escape. Instead, he rushed straight at her, and psychic energy began swirling above him. Seel lowered her head in preparation to attack.

'What are you doing?' Lucas shouted internally.

Both moves crashed together. Seel executed a Headbutt while Dante fired off a Psybeam. They both recoiled as they were struck by each other's attacks.

29 damage dealt to Seel.

HP: 99/180

44 damage dealt to Dante.

Dante has fainted.

Lucas stared agape at his crazy partner's actions. Later on, he would have a lengthy conversation with Dante about the needless sacrifice that he made. However, he couldn't deny that it looked cool.

"Ralts is unable to continue. Seel is the winner. Trainer from the blue platform, please release your next Pokemon."

Lucas retrieved Dante's Pokeball and sent him off to the treatment centre.

"Your Ralts certainly is not lacking courage. Did you order him to do that?" Misty asked.

"Not a chance. I wanted to withdraw him from the battle, but he refused my orders," Lucas shook his head in exasperation.

"Trainer, summon your next Pokemon or forfeit the match," the referee reminded him.

Lucas retrieved his next Pokeball and sent out his next Pokemon. Max appeared on the stage and almost fell over when his feet touched the ice. 'What is this on the stage?'

'The opponent covered the stage in ice, so it's going to be a bit of a challenge. However, Dante did a lot of the heavy lifting, and now you only have to defeat the Seel in front of you.'

'Why is it flapping its flippers? Is it mocking me? Destroy!'

'Right, she's mocking you. Show no mercy. Now, here's the game plan...'

The match resumed. Seel was at a disadvantage with her weakness in electricity, and if she used physical attacks, she may be paralysed by Static. So, she would most likely keep her distance and fire long-range attacks.

There was one thing that he had to keep in mind. Seel had the move, Encore. So, he wasn't planning to use any support moves like Charge unless she was already incapacitated or Max's actions were obscured.

Seel executed Ice Shard. A bombardment of ice projectiles the size of his hand discharged from the Pokemon, sending them flying straight at Max.

'Feint.'

Max disappeared and emerged at the side of Seel, but before he could slam into her, she slapped her flipper on the stage, sending her sliding sideways. Max landed on his belly and slid forward in the same direction.

'Thundershock.'

Max placed his hands on the ice as he slid forward to give him a bit of elevation before unleashing three lightning bolts that thundered through the air. Seel turned her head and released another bombardment of ice projectiles. The two attacks met in mid-air, and there was an explosion of white mist as the projectiles exploded, cancelling out the lightning strikes.

The mist temporarily blocked the line of sight of both Pokemon, and even Lucas had a hard time seeing anything. Lucas decided to take a chance and see if he could get lucky.

'Thunder Wave.'

One bolt of lightning pierced through the mist, and a moment later, Lucas got the outcome he had been looking for.

Seel has been paralysed.

'Max, use Feint, but use the method we discussed.'

Max reappeared above the stunned Seel, but immediately, he cancelled his attack and latched himself around Seel's neck. Instead of Feint sending her across the stage, Lucas wanted to ensure that Seel was not going anywhere and didn't have the chance to recover.

'Charge into Thundershock.'

Seel was shocked while in direct contact with Max and was helpless to do anything about it.

It's super effective! 35 damage dealt to Seel.

HP: 64/180

It was unfortunate that her Special Defence was so high. It didn't do as much damage as he was expecting. However, Max was still holding onto Seel, who had just fought off the paralysis and was climbing to her feet — er, flippers. Lucas didn't need to tell Max what to do next.

Max executed another Thunder Wave, and Seel was helpless to avoid it.

Seel has been paralysed.

The match was over. Max repeated the combination twice more to dwindle the Seel's HP down to zero.

Lucas raised his hands in the air in a fit of joy and screamed out loud.

"Seel is unable to continue. The winner and tournament champion is Lucas Walker of Pallet Town."

The audience rose to congratulate Lucas in one voice, and the noise was deafening. The fan club began playing their instruments vigorously at that moment, followed by his song blaring from the stadium's speakers. Lucas looked up in bewilderment, confused as to why they were playing his song.

Maximus ran over and tackled him to the ground, rubbing his head affectionately into his stomach. Lucas patted his head before releasing Imara as well, who joined Max in climbing atop him, causing Lucas to yell out in protest. Unfortunately, he did not know whether Dante was recovered yet, so he would have to join the celebrations later.

Misty walked over and waited until he was released from his Pokemon's entanglement. Lucas stood and reached out and shook her hand.

"Darn it, I thought I was going to win it for sure after I beat Benjamin," Misty said.

"It's likely that I would have lost if you had surprised me with Kabutops in our match," Lucas replied sincerely.

Misty made a funny face. "I didn't have the confidence to beat Benjamin without him."

"So, a quick question. The ice felt unusually slippery. It is no wonder Pokemon were sliding around the stage with such a small amount of force. How did you manage to make the ice more slippery than usual?"

"You don't know? Besides increasing your type affinity for learning new moves, you can also teach your Pokemon to add certain characteristics to them. Of course, you cannot simply add anything. They have to be relevant to the type affinity you are trying to change."

"Oh, I see." How had he not come across that information before?

"Well, it was a great battle, thanks."

"Ditto," Lucas grabbed her hand and raised it in the air, and the audience cheered even louder.

Mayor Stokes stepped onto the stage, clapping his hands with a beaming smile on his face. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Terracotta Road to Glory Tournament champion, Lucas Walker. Do not forget our runner-up, Misty Waterflower. Congratulations.

It is now time for the top ten contestants to make their way to stage three, where the champion will be crowned, and prizes will be given out. The stage here is unsuitable, as it is unsafe."

Lucas stepped off the stage with Misty and made their way to stage three. A table was being set up, with the tournament prizes being placed on it. Ben was already there and congratulated Lucas on the win.

Faith and Jason were escorted over by security, having convinced the man that they were friends of Lucas. She grabbed Lucas and kissed him thoroughly, and there were wolf whistles from the audience. Duke, who was carried in Faith's arms, protested when he was squished between the two. He leapt into Lucas' arms when they separated. He turned to Jason, who was holding the camera and waved at his followers who were watching.

"Hi, guys and girls. So, I managed to win in the end. I'm sorry that I don't have time to respond to your comments right now, but I will do another stream later tonight, so I will see you there. Oh, by the way. Say hello to Misty, who was an amazing competitor. Go check out her channel because she deserves recognition. Until later."

Endorsing Misty on his channel cost him nothing. She lost quite a few followers after she split with her family, and only her loyal fans stayed. Hopefully, she would get a surge of new followers from his words. Jason cut the stream from his phone and switched off the camera.

"There was no need for you to say that," Misty muttered, feeling embarrassed.

"Thank you," Faith said, taking Lucas' arm and looking at him with a soft smile.

"It was nothing," Lucas shrugged.

Within five minutes, the stage was ready, and the ten contestants took the stage. Since he got to choose from a collection of TM's, Lucas would receive his prizes first. The mayor handed over a small silver trophy with his name etched into it.

Lucas approached the table. First, they gave him ten thousand Pokedollars for coming in the top ten, and then the Jaw Fossil for first place. Finally, as a reward for being in the top five, he was allowed to select a TM from the mayor's extensive collection. As there were many worthwhile options, Lucas had difficulty making his choice. Ultimately, he opted for one of the most expensive TMs, Waterfall, to tweak the mayor's nose. It wouldn't be usable for a while, but that didn't matter.

Lucas waved at the crowd once more before stepping off the stage. The reporter was still lurking around, but Lucas hurried out of the stadium with Faith and Jason following him.

{0(((..)))0}

They returned to the hotel and decided to stay and order dinner. Luca treated himself to a prime piece of steak and baked potatoes with sour cream and chives. The three of them were sprawled out on the sofa, just relaxing as they flipped through the channels. Their Pokemon were all laid out on the floor in front of them. His Pokemon who had participated in the tournament were already asleep, exhausted from the long day. In spite of the fact that they were healed back to full strength, mental fatigue was something that could only be recovered by resting.

"Dude, I just earned forty thousand Pokedollars in a single day thanks to the wager I made," Jason said. He couldn't stop counting his money.

"Glad to oblige," Lucas yawned. It wasn't only the Pokemon that had been exhausted by the series of Pokemon battles. Looking over at Faith, he saw she was absorbed in reading a book.

"What are you reading?" Lucas asked, leaning his head on her shoulder and peeking at the words.

"It's an introduction to alchemy," Faith replied, not taking her eyes off the page.

"Oh? Is that something you are interested in doing?" Lucas had thought about pursuing the skill at some point, but it was a low priority. Who knew that his girlfriend would develop an interest in it?

"Hmm. I thought about spending some of the money I earned today to buy some equipment and materials."

"Well, we have space for it," Lucas said. "We have to pick up Shelly the Rhyhorn tomorrow and do some shopping for some more supplies anyway. We probably won't get started on the road to Viridian City until midday."

"I have to meet Misty tomorrow as well." Faith shifted and laid her head in his lap. "I think she wants to ask if she can join us on the trip to the city."

"I'm not against her joining us. You can have some female companionship." Lucas thought for a moment. "I would have to ask Simon to add another saddle to Rhyhorn, but that shouldn't take too long."

"Lucas, you're on the news!" Jason exclaimed.

"What!? Turn the volume up," Lucas said, focusing his attention on the television screen, where two news presenters were talking, and a picture of his face was shown on the screen. "Damn, I look handsome."

"...became the champion of the local tournament held in Terracotta Town. He beat out Misty Waterflower, the younger sister of Violet Waterflower, the Cerulean Gym leader, and one of the three Sensational Sisters."

"Dude," Jason yelled. "This is the Saffron City news. How did they know about the tournament?"

"Quiet," Faith sat up and listened closely.

"Lucas Walker is rapidly rising in prominence in Kanto, isn't he, Carmen? Not only is he a talented Pokemon trainer, but it just so happens that he is also a musician. In fact, the brand-new Kanto Pokemon League song was created by him. The music video for the instrumental version, featuring The Dragon Knights, was released online today. It has gone viral and could be trending at number one tomorrow."

"That's right, Shaun. However, that's not all. After doing further investigations into the talented young man, we have also discovered that he has invented a series of incense that assists Pokemon in increasing their type energy affinity. He has already licensed the patents to his mother's company, and they are debuting next month."

"Wow, I think we would need to devote an entire show to Mr Walker. We haven't even mentioned his amazing speech today..."

"Why do I feel like things are going to get even more troublesome from now on?" Lucas muttered to himself.

His phone rang, and Lucas looked at the number on the screen. It was his dad. "Hello, you have reached the answering machine of Lucas Walker. I cannot answer the phone right now as I am in an incredibly life-threatening situation..."

"It's a shame," David interrupted, "that you didn't inherit your dad's incredible sense of humour."

"But I am incredibly fortunate that I inherited my mother's brains," Lucas retorted. "What's up, Dad?"

"Your mum and I saw the news," David said. "I'm just calling to say congratulations."

"Thanks," Lucas said bashfully, rubbing his neck. "I'm just fortunate to have an incredible team on my side."

"Please, I know how hard you have worked. I'm proud of you."

Lucas took a few moments to respond, feeling a surge of emotion. It surprised him how much those words meant to him.

"Well, it's only the first step on a long road," Lucas said eventually. "But it feels good to get the win."

"I bet it did," David chuckled. "Your mother is staring me down, so I better hand it over. Take care, son."

Lucas spent the next ten minutes chatting with his mother and the same amount of time talking to Abigail before hanging up and looking around. Jason had disappeared, and Faith had gone back to reading her book.

Lucas accessed the Gamer App. He might as well check his notifications. He almost forgot that he had received a quest about competing in the tournament.

The first notification was just an overview of the experience he and his partners had received from the last two matches. The only interesting thing that he noticed was that Dante had increased his grass-type energy by a small amount. Lucas didn't know that he could increase Pokemon's affinities just by spamming their associated moves. Wait, was it because he used Grass Knot more creatively as a way to defend instead of attacking? Something to look into later.

The next part was about all the Pokedex entries he had received from observing the Pokemon in the tournament. Currently, he had accumulated a hundred Pokemon and only had a third left to complete the quest. However, it would get more challenging when he got closer to the goal, as he would have to find some rare Pokemon.

The next notification was exactly what he was looking for.

Quest Complete!

Place well in the tournament.

Rewards: 500 Exp for Lucas, Dante, Maximus, and Imara.

Bonus Objective Reward: 1000 Exp for Lucas, Dante, Maximus, and Imara.

Bonus Objective 2: Pokemon EXP Storage Patch x 6

Bonus Objective 3: Smart Candy x 10

The player's level has increased to 14!

Dante's level has increased two times to 9!

Imara's level has increased two times to 9!

Maximus's level has increased to 8!

His Pokemon had received a lot of experience points because of the tournament. It was a shame Duke couldn't participate since he was now lagging behind at level five. Maybe it was time to use the Exp Share he had received as a reward a while ago.

Lucas was confused by the next item he received before he examined it more closely.

Pokemon EXP Storage Patch

Description: The Pokemon EXP Storage Patch is an add-on for the team that allows them to store their experience instead of it automatically being applied to them after a battle or as the result of a reward. This allows the player to have more control over their growth. They are automatically applied to the current team and to any future team members.

Was Arceus trolling him? It didn't seem like much of a reward. It felt like something that could come with a system update or something. Lucas almost smacked himself for sounding ungrateful. In any case, it would be a useful tool in specific situations. For example, the Junior League only allows Pokemon that are level thirty or below to be eligible for participation, so he could prevent them from accidentally levelling up too much.

The Smart Candy was a very welcome bonus. It increased Special Attack by one point, and now he had to decide who to give it to. He eliminated Dante right away since he was now in a pre-evolution state. Though he didn't think the item would affect his potential gains, he decided to err on the side of caution. Imara was a viable candidate since he wanted to raise her Special Attack to learn Weather Ball.

Lucas yawned again. Although he wanted to sleep, he had promised his followers a live stream. Now, where did Jason disappear to?

So what do you think? Do you like the idea of Misty joining the team? The next chapter will have Lucas tying up a few loose ends, and then they are on the road to Viridian City.

Thanks for reading.