Chapter 18: Club Battle Begins

"So this is Nimbasa Town?" Shelly said as she and the others started for the Pokemon Center. "It doesn't look like much."

"This is one of the oldest towns in Unova," Gary said, a guide book in his hands. "It's in honor of the history here that they hold the Club Battle Tournament."

"It seems like a great place for a tournament," Dani said. "Let's register right after we check in at the Pokemon Center!"

Gary smiled and nodded. "That sounds like a plan."

As they reached the Pokemon Center, they noticed two familiar people exiting the center. Max brightened when he saw his friends. "Hey, guys!" he called.

Gabri smiled slightly. "Hi, Max."

"Hi, May!" Dani jogged over to meet her. "Are you here for the tournament as well?"

May nodded. "It sounds like a great way to train."

"That's why we're all entering," Shelly said.

"Are you entering, Gary?" May looked at the older boy curiously.

Gary nodded. "I thought I might as well. It sounds like fun."

Max looked up at him in awe. "I can't believe I will be in the same tournament as the famous Professor Oak's grandson."

Gary smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not that good."

"Are you going to go register?" Shelly asked.

"We're headed there right now," May said.

"We'll be there in a little bit," Dani said. "You can on ahead."

"Alright. See you later!"

"Bye!" Max said as he followed his sister down the road.

"I wonder if anyone else we know will be here," Gabri said.

"As long as Paul is nowhere to be seen," Shelly mumbled.

Gary nodded. "Agreed."

Dani and Gabri exchanged a look and then shook their heads. They knew by now it was useless to argue with them.


Gabri walked through a tunnel with her sisters and friends, astonished that this was such a big deal. She could see the light, and she soon found herself in a huge stadium. The stands were filled with cheering people, and there was a big screen TV so everyone could see the action. It was like they were players at a soccer match!

"Hey, it's Paul," Dani said. She pointed at the purple-haired boy with their backs to them several yards away.

Shelly frowned. "Great."

"Who's Paul?" May said curiously.

"You don't want to know."

Max glanced at her and blinked. "Ok..."

"Oh, and that's Trip." She smiled as she recognized the boy she had met not too long ago. He too had his back to them.

"He doesn't look too happy," Gary said. "You should just stick with us."

Gabri frowned at him but did not say anything.

The MC then began the tournament by introducing Don Georges, the sponsor of the tournament. Don Georges showed the prize for the winner of the tournament on the big screen – a set of feathers that would boost the stats of the users Pokemon. After a lot of cheering, the matchups for the first round of the tournament were shown one by one.

Shelly, May, Paul, Dani, Trip, and Gary were all up against strangers, but the last battle consisted of Gabri and Max. The two of them looked at each other in shock. Gabri knew she would probably end up going against a friend eventually, but she had not anticipated it would be so soon.

"This will be fun," May said with a smile. "Good luck, you two."

Max grinned. "Yeah! Let's do our best, Gabri."

Gabri smiled back at him and nodded. "Yes." What was she worrying about? Everything was going to be fine.

Gabri watched from the stands as her sisters and friends beat their first opponent using their starter Pokemon. They were allowed three Pokemon that they had put on their signup sheet. Gabri had chosen Dragon, Cashew, and Grace. She had her Tepig's Pokeball in her hand as she stepped onto the battlefield.

"Let's have fun, alright?" Max said from the other side. He tossed a Pokeball in the air, and a Sewaddle appeared before her.

"Right," Gabri said. She was surprised that he was not using his Ralts. His bug and grass type must be strong. "Dragon, you're up!" She opened his Pokeball, and the fire type vaporized before her.

"Ladies first," Max said.

Isn't he a gentleman? Gabri pushed the thoughts away so that she could focus on the battle. "Dragon, use Ember!"

"Sewaddle, dodge that and use String Shot!"

Dragon took a deep breath and released a barrage of fire balls. The Sewaddle darted to the side. Then he shot out a sticky string that stuck to the Tepig. The pig's eyes widened as he struggled with the string.

"Now Bug Bite!" Max shouted.

Sewaddle sprang forward and latched onto Dragon. The Tepig grunted when he felt tiny teeth sink into his skin.

Gabri knew she had to get that bug away from her Pokemon, but Tackle would not work as long as Dragon still had String Shot around him. "Dragon, use Ember!" She hoped this worked.

"Dodge that!" said Max. "And then use Razor Leaf!"

Sewaddle hopped backwards to avoid the oncoming fireballs. He released a series of sharp leaves that hit Dragon, but they also freed him from the String Shot. "Thanks!" Gabri said with a smile while Max rolled his eyes. "Now Tackle!"

Dragon grinned as he ran straight at the grass and bug type. Sewaddle's eyes widened before he was struck.

"Sewaddle, String Shot!"

"Ember!"

Sewaddle shot out his string again, but Dragon's fire balls incinerated them. The fire kept going until a few of the balls struck the smaller Pokemon.

Max gritted his teeth. "Alright, use Tackle!"

Gabri smirked. This was perfect. "Flame Charge!"

Both Pokemon ran at each other. However, as Dragon ran, flames began to take over is body. By the time they collided, the Tepig was aflame, and he sent the Sewaddle flying across the field. When he landed, the bug type fainted.

"Sewaddle is unable to battle," said the referee. "Dragon wins the battle and Gabri wins the match!" The crowd erupted in cheers.

Dragon turned and ran to his trainer. "We did it!" Gabri said happily as she embraced her Pokemon. That had won an important battle together, and it felt great. Maybe she wasn't bad at this trainer thing after all!

"Good match," Max said with a small smile as he strode across the field to meet her. He held out his hand. "We'll battle again."

Gabri smiled and shook his hand. "Yeah."

The two of them walked back to their seats where there friends were waiting. As soon as she approached, Dani shot her sister a grin. "Congratulations!"

"That was good strategy," Gary said.

Shelly nodded. "Good job."

Gabri smiled, feeling good. "Thanks, guys."

"You have to train harder, Max," May teased.

Max shrugged. "Yeah, I know."

"That as the last battle of this round," Gary said. "I wonder who we'll be paired up against next." They all turned to look at the big screen.

"These are the eight moving onto the second round, which will take place tomorrow," said the MC. "Get plenty of rest and be ready for another exciting round!"

"I guess we'll have to find out tomorrow," said May.

"Let's go back to the Pokemon Center," Gary said.

Gabri spotted someone out of the corner of her eye. "I'll meet you there."

"Where are you going?" Shelly called after her, but she was always gone.

Dani saw her youngest sister headed towards a guy with dirty blond hair and smiled. "I think she'll be fine."

Max glanced at her uncertainly. "If you say so."

Gabri met up with Trip just as he was exiting the arena. "Hi!" she greeted him, offering him a small smile.

Trip looked at her, his face expressionless. "Hello. Do you want something?"

"It's nice running into you here," she said. "My sisters are in the tournament too. Maybe you'll end up battling one of us." And then she could make up losing against him before.

"I hope they have better battling skills than you."

Gabri frowned. "We all made it to the second round."

"Could have been a fluke. We'll see tomorrow if any of you have what it takes." With a small smirk, he disappeared from her sight.

Gabri bit her lip as she watched him leave. He was not as mean as Paul, but he still would not talk to her. She wondered if it was worth it to try to get to know her. She would have to talk to her oldest sister later. She was much better at this stuff than her.


Everyone was up bright and early the next day. The excitement was still in the air as the group of friends entered the arena. It did not take long for the second round matchups to be announced: Paul vs. a boy, Dani vs. May, Gary vs. Gabri, and Shelly, vs. Trip.

"This is going to be interesting," Shelly said as she stared at the screen.

Dani watched Paul make his way to the battlefield and release his Pokemon. "He's using that Zorua again. He must have recently caught her."

"She seems like a tough Pokemon," Gary mused. "I wonder how she'll fare against that Snivy."

Sure enough, Paul and his Zorua made quick work of the boy and his Snivy. They did not even seem fazed by the challenge. Then it was time for Dani and May.

"Good luck," Dani said to her friend.

May nodded. "You too."

"Go May!" Max called as the two of them left for the battlefield.

Dani knew exactly which Pokemon she would choose. "Freddie, you're up!" She wanted to use the Cubone in her next gym battle, so she thought this would be a great opportunity to prepare him.

"I've never seen that Pokemon before," May said. She took out her Pokedex to check on Cubone's information. Then she pulled out a Pokeball of her own. "I'll choose Glaceon!" The ice type appeared before her, ready to fight.

Dani knew she had to be careful because ice types had an advantage over ground types. It was best to start off strong. "Freddie, use Bone Club!"

"Glaceon, Ice Shard!"

Dani watched as pieces of ice flew at her Pokemon. Seeing Freddie ready for his own attack, she got an idea. "Use your bone to deflect the ice!"

Freddie gave her a curt nod. Then, as the ice fell towards him, he hit the pieces back skillfully with his bone club. Then he started to move forward while he struck the ice like baseballs. Glaceon's eyes widened when he closed in on her and attacked her with the bone.

"Hang on, Glaceon!" May called. "Use Shadow Ball!"

"Dodge that and use Focus Energy!"

A dark ball of energy formed in Glaceon's mouth. As she shot the ball at Freddie, the Cubone darted to the side, barely missing the attack. He then took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Now Headbutt," said Dani.

May gritted her teeth when Freddie slammed into Glaceon with his bone-covered head. "Secret Power!"

"Growl."

The Cubone let out a low growl as he braced himself. Glaceon's body glowed a sparkling pink. She slammed into Freddie, causing his body to glow as well.

"Now Bone Club!" called Dani.

May narrowed her eyes as Freddie struck her ice type with his club. "We have to get rid of that bone... Glaceon, use Shadow Ball on the bone!"

Freddie glanced at the trainer in confusion. Then Glaceon's Shadow Balls truck his hand. He cried out as he lost his grip on his bone club, sending it flying across the field.

"Go get it!" Dani exclaimed.

May smirked. "Now Ice Shard."

Freddie raced across the field as shards of ice rained down on him. He winced when some of them struck him, but he did not slow down.

"Now use Shadow Ball!" said May.

"Deflect it!" Dani cried.

Freddie dove for his bone club while Glaceon prepared her attack. The Eevee evolution aimed and sent the ball of energy flying just as Freddie grasped his bone. The Cubone spun around and struck the Shadow Ball, sending it flying harmlessly to the side.

May widened her eyes. "No way!"

Dani smirked. "Now Bone Club!"

"Secret Power!"

The Pokemon ran at each other. Freddie leapt at the last second, coming crashing down on the ice type. He then hopped back to his feet as Glaceon struggled to stand.

"Glaceon, you need to use Ice Shard again!"

This time, the attack was too close range for Freddie to deflect. He was sent flying onto his back as the ice slashed his body.

"Hang in there!" Dani said. "Bone Club once more!"

"Finish it with another Ice Shard!"

"Use that Ice!"

Freddie panted as he stood with his club in his hand. He reacted slowly, but he was still able to hit back most of the ice shards as they flew at him. Glancing down, he noticed some ice on the ground. He jumped on two pieces of ice and used them to glide forward. Glaceon appeared surprised as he gained speed, his bone club swinging. By the time she turned to run, it was too late. Freddie came down on her with his club, and this time, she did not get up again.

"Glaceon is unable to battle," said the referee. "Freddie wins, and that means Dani will be moving onto the semifinals!"

"Great job, Freddie," Dani said, smiling at her Cubone.

"Thanks for trying, Glaceon," May said as she returned her Pokemon to her Pokeball. Then she strode over to Dani and held out her hand. "That was a good battle. Good luck in the semifinals."

Dani smiled and shook her hand. "Thank you."

Don Georges then announced a break. The remaining trainers rested and let their Pokemon have a small snack. Soon enough, the tournament resumed, and Gary and Gabri made their way to the battlefield.

Gabri took a deep breath as she pulled out a Pokeball. She knew her friend was an experienced trainer, and beating him was not going to be easy. Still, she had to try her hardest for her Pokemon's sake. "Go, Grace!" She hoped her Deerling was ready for her first battle.

"Umbreon!" Gary said loudly, tossing a Pokeball in the air. "Help me out!" He then nodded at his opponent. "You may have the first move."

Gabri smiled slightly. "Thanks." It was another Eevee evolution, and this one looked tough. Hmm... What should she start off with? "Grace, Tackle!"

"Dodge that and use Sand Attack."

Grace raced forward. Umbreon watched her and did not move. At the last second, he skid out of the way, sweeping up dirt and sand, which struck Grace and momentarily blinded her.

"Now Hidden Power!" said Gary.

Umbreon's eyes glowed white, and then he unleashed black radiating waves of energy. The Deerling cried out as she was struck and flung back across the battlefield until she lay near Gabri's feet.

The female trainer winced when she saw how little strength her Pokemon had left after only one hit. She really was up against a strong trainer! She strained her mind to think of a strategy to win. "Get up, Grace! Use Sand Attack too!"

Grace struggled to her feet. She took a deep breath before chasing after the Umbreon. The dark type darted to the side, but he was still struck by some sand when the Deerling attacked.

"Ok, now Double Kick!" Gabri said.

Grace jumped over to Umbreon, who was trying to paw the sand out of his eyes. She turned and kicked him twice with her hind legs.

"Umbreon, Psychic."

Umbreon dug his heels in the dirt and focused on the Deerling. Grace suddenly started to glow and rose in the air. Gabri watched in horror as she was thrown across the field. She rolled to a stop near her feet, fainted.

"Grace is unable to battle," said the referee. "Umbreon is the winner, and the trainer moving on is Gary!"

"No, Grace!" Gabri cried. She bent down next to the Deerling and stroked her fur. "I'm sorry."

"Good job, Umbreon," Gary said. He strode across the field and offered Gabri his hand. "You just need more experience. You'll be a great trainer someday."

Gabri smiled slightly as she took his hand and let him pull her up. "Thanks." She hoped he was right. She did not have much time to think about it now. She had to cheer on Shelly!

The pink-haired girl had a determined look on her face as she took her sister's place on the field. "I'll beat this guy for you," she whispered to her. She knew Trip was the guy who had beat Gabri awhile back. She glared at the blond boy who stood opposite of her. "You'll pay for what you did to her!"

Trip raised his eyebrows at her. "The girl with the weak Tepig is your sister? I hope you're a more adequate trainer."

Shelly pushed down her anger, knowing it wouldn't help her battle. "I'll show you! Go, Fluffy!" The Flaafy that appeared looked tough and ready to battle.

Trip smirked. "Lampent." A weird floating purple Pokemon appeared in front of him.

"Cool, a lamp!" Gabri called from the stands.

Shelly shot her a look. "Who's side are you on?"

Gabri bit her lip and grew silent.

"This will be easy," Trip said. "Lampent, Flamethrower!"

"Fluffy, dodge that and use Confuse Ray!"

The Flaafy dashed out of the way of the oncoming fire. By doing so, she got within several yards of the Lampent. She then shot out rays from her eyes in an attempt to confuse him.

"Use Flamethrower," Trip said. However, the Lampent looked around in confusion and ended up harming himself.

Shelly saw her chance. "Thunder Shock!"

Fluffy took a deep breath and then let out an electrical charge. The Lampent cried out as he was struck.

Trip narrowed his eyes. "Lampent, Shadow Ball, now."

"Electro Ball!"

Lampent and Fluffy formed their attacks at the same time. Lampent let a dark orb loose while the Flaafy sent an electric ball hurling after him. The Shadow Ball struck the electric type, but the Lampent moved out of the way of the Electro Ball.

"Alright, Take Down!" Shelly said. She hoped this move would be strong enough.

"Wait and then use Flame Burst," said Trip.

Fluffy charged at her opponent. Just as she closed in on him, Lampent shot out a huge fire ball. The fire struck Fluffy and sent her hurtling back.

Shelly gritted her teeth. "Thunder Shock!"

"Flamethrower!"

The electric and fire attacks struck each other and held for several moments. Then the Flamethrower grew in strength and pushed the Thunder Shock back. Fluffy was soon engulfed in fire. When the embers faded, it could be seen that she had fainted.

"Fluffy is unable to battle," the referee said. "Lampent is the winner, and Trip will be moving onto the semifinals!"

Trip smirked. "As expected."

Shelly felt dejected as she stared at her defeated Flaafy. "Thanks for trying, Fluffy." She returned her to her Pokeball and sighed. Then she trudged back to her group of sisters and friends.

"I told you he was tough," Gabri said.

"It was a good effort," May said with a sympathetic smile.

Shelly smiled slightly and nodded. "Thanks, guys." She turned to her older sister. "Good luck in the semifinals."

Dani grinned. "Thanks."

Everyone looked at the screen when the semifinal matchups were shown. It would be Dani vs. Trip and Paul vs. Gary. Dani and Gary exchanged glanced, knowing they were up against strong opponents.