Last Chapter…
A cold grip of reality cascaded over Ghost, the feeling of dread drenching him head to toe. Tracey had written his will just three days before he had died. The more he thought, the more sense the situation was making. Tracey had been killed because he messaged the contacts that he himself was the source of the information. Because the message itself had came from Oak, Flare had no reason to suspect Oak was planning on keeping the information for himself. It also explained why Oak had no clue how Flare had found out, because the messages had been deleted.
Ghost also recalled the end of the September 24thlog… how Tracey supposedly spoke about the Yzerlock before he was killed. He must have been sending Oak in an opposite direction to throw off Flare. It also explained why Flare and Oak couldn't ever find the Yzerlock, and why the Professor had believed he was next to be eliminated.
As he approached the trainer's box, the stadium had began to chant his name.
'Ghost!'
'Ghost!'
'Ghost!'
'Ghost!'
'Ghost!'
As soon as he stepped in the rectangle, the crowd let out one last boisterous cheer before dying down as the referee announced the rules.
"The battle between Champion Cynthia Shirona of Sinnoh and Ghost of Alola is about to commence." The crowd exploded into cheers, their excitement hardly being contained. Neither Ash's nor Cynthia's face changed from the spectators.
"This battle is the final 3 on 3 battle of the tournament. The winner of this battle will face Max Maple for the right to go to the Championship. As deemed by a battle randomizer, there will be no stadium gimmicks. However, at no point may a Pokémon be swapped out. Therefore, moves such as Baton Pass, Volt Switch or U-Turn may not be used in battle. Is that clear?" the referee announced authoritatively.
"Yes." Cynthia spoke for the first time.
"Crystal." Ash nodded briskly.
"If a Pokémon is forced out with a move such as Dragon Tail, the swap will be allowed. Otherwise the Pokémon that switched out will be disqualified for the remainder of the battle. Are both trainer's ready?"
"Yes."
"I am."
The referee nodded. "Trainer's will release their Pokémon at the same time, on my mark. 3… 2… 1… throw!"
Ash found himself openly gawking at Mr. Cronwall. He must've looked quite hilarious, because the man chuckled and spoke directly to him. "Why the surprised look Mr. Ghost? Were you expecting the will from someone more famous?"
Within seconds, Ash found a suitable alibi. "I… I've heard of Tracey Sketchit before."
Abel looked rightfully surprised. "You know Tracey? How?"
Ash looked a bit uncertain for a moment before speaking. "Someone asked me to look into the disappearance of Ash Ketchum. I travelled to Pallet Town to speak to someone of great importance to the case. The man was I was speaking with was Professor Samuel Oak. He told me about the tragic passing's of both Ash and Tracey. The timing of this… well it feels uncanny. Perhaps I was indeed meant to be here at this very moment."
Abel looked nothing short of stunned at Ghost's words. "You were in Kanto? How recently?"
Ash shrugged. "Does it matter?"
Mr. Cronwall cleared his throat. "Ahem… I don't believe this conversation is one I should be here for… may I proceed with the will?"
Both of the other boys in the room exchanged glances before Abel spoke. "Go ahead then."
Mr. Cronwall nodded before looking down at the paper. "As I previously mentioned, this is the will of Tracey Sketchit. Mr. Sketchit unfortunately passed on a handful of years ago due to a Pokémon attack. It has not been confirmed and likely never will be, but foul play was suspected in Mr. Sketchit's death. According to his final will, the contents of the will could only be revealed to either of the benefactors upon their eighteenth birthday due to the contents of the will. With that, I shall begin the official opening statement."
"In attendance for the hearing to Mr. Tracey Sketchit; Mr. Abel Winchine, one of the two benefactors. Mr. Ghost of Alola is substituting in for the additional benefactor, Mr. Ash Ketchum, who could not be present at the hearing. Mr. Winchine has given his approval for Mr. Ghost to substitute in for Mr. Ketchum. I, Mr. Thomas Cronwall, have approved the conditions for the hearing and therefore, I will begin with the benefactor list and what they shall receive from the deceased."
The man continued. "With Ghost's approval, Mr. Abel Winchine will be given the numbers to Mr. Sketchit's private bank account, which will be provided separately. Here." Mr. Cronwall handed Abel a small piece of paper, to which Abel dumbly nodded, unsure of what else he could say or do in the situation. "Continuing, the Pokémon of the deceased shall also be given to Mr. Winchine, but as the Pokémon of Mr. Sketchit could not be recovered, there will be no Pokémon that are given out."
'Hm… that's weird. A lot like my own Pokémon who vanished under mysterious circumstances. No way Abel and his lawyer know that though… best to keep it to myself.' Ash's mind spun.
Meanwhile, the lawyer droned on about possessions that had been held in safe keeping that would be transferred over to Abel, and to the duo's surprise, there were quite a few items. Apparently, Oak hadn't taken any of them, even though they were in the laboratory at the time of Tracey's demise.
"Continuing, there is a letter from Mr. Sketchit to Mr. Winchine. I shall begin the reading of the letter now."
The older man cleared his throat before speaking in a softer tone.
"To Abel, my closest friend. How have you been buddy? If you're reading this, well, it means I kicked the can way earlier than I should've. Definitely not what either of us were hoping for huh? Well, I hope this finds you well. I don't know what will have happened or where you would be when you find out that I'm gone, but I know that whatever the reason may be, I know you'll be kicking yourself over something. I know you'll think that it all could've been avoiding had you just done something different, but you need to accept that some things just happen for a reason."
"Anyway, now that I've gotten my little rant out of the way, I'll ask you the same question I did before; how've you been? Have you become the best trainer in all the lands yet? I have little to no doubt you've at least taken a great stab at it. I'm sure one of the things you may be thinking is why I chose you as one of the two benefactors to this. Well, a day doesn't really go by when I'm not thinking about how many trainers you've whooped. Not a day goes by without me thinking about how much stronger you've gotten as a trainer and as a person. I have nothing but confidence and faith in you. You're bound for great things Abel."
"I still remember running into you in Hoenn. I was on business for Professor Oak. I remember just stumbling on you. You were so lost, so confused. When you told me you'd run away, I couldn't believe someone had so much confidence in themselves to take the rest of their lives in their own hands, with nothing but their guts and a Minun at your side. I was awed… you remind me of someone who I expect to be in the room with you right now. The fire in your eyes when you battle, it reminds me of Ash Ketchum. You're both special."
"You see, just before I met you, I finished travelling with Ash and his friends. I'm guessing this will be the first time you two have met, so let me say a few things about him, before he gets all humble and denies everything. Ash is one of the most devoted people I've ever met in my life. The passion for battling he has is second to none. I have no doubt he'll become a champion one day. His battling styles can change from reckless to calculating without him knowing it himself. He'll be a true test for someone like you, and I think a battle between you both will shake the earth's core. Unlike a lot of other trainers, Ash's bond with his Pokémon is something that he values above all. I've seen the bonds between him and his Pokémon up close. It's unbelievable. Those connections that he has with his Pokémon, it reminds me of the bonds you have with your Minun and Fletchling."
"I know this journey that you've been on will be a brutal one. I know that carrying the thoughts that your foster parents passed away so young must've shocked you, even if you hated them to the bone. I never knew my parents, I didn't know anything about them growing up, and I don't know anything about them as I write this today. By this point, you likely know everything I'm leaving you. Now though, I tell you my final piece of advice to you."
"Holding onto grudges will only hold you back. You need to forgive and forget in order to move on. Facing your anguish head on is how to truly live your life to it's fullest. It's a bit ironic, given as what I've written to Ash. Come to think of it, he's expected to be in the room with you anyway, so perhaps I didn't have to say some of those things to begin with. In any regard, Abel, my dear friend, live your life. Battle to the top. Forgive others who wronged you, and yourself for anything that may happen. Swallow your pride and find yourself in others. Get a girlfriend. Get married. Have kids. Make your legacy, and pass it onto them. You may not know much about your family's origins, but look to this as an opportunity; you can become the beginning of your family's line. How do you want your name to be remembered?"
With that, Mr. Cronwall stopped speaking and waited expectantly for the rush of emotions from Abel. Ghost was the first to speak. "Your parents died at a young age?"
Abel nodded slowly. "My biological parents apparently gave me up for adoption at a young age. They couldn't have given a Rattata's ass about me.I don't even know where I'm technically from. All I know was that I was adopted in by a bastard couple who treated me like I was cattle. I was abused and mocked by everyone in our town. Everyone thought so little of me. It became so bad that I didn't think twice about sneaking out the day I turned ten with nothing but a handful of pokeballs and some money I smuggled out. I'd spent years learned and studying battle styles from trainers, and once I had caught my first Pokémon… I decided that I'd go back and arrest my parents for abuse."
Abel looked up at Ghost determinedly. "When I became champion."
It didn't take long for the Alola champion to piece together the rest. "Your foster parents though?"
"Yeah… about a month after I snuck out, I came back. The whole village was ablaze. I was burnt to the ground within minutes of me arriving. I never figured out what caused the fire, only that I received a message from a carrier Pelipper a day later stating my foster parents had died in a village fire. They didn't have any Pokémon, so I ended up just carrying on like nothing happened. I think that's what Tracey was telling me about; I didn't go to their funerals. I didn't mourn them. I felt nothing… and I feel guilty for feeling like that."
Ghost nodded in sympathy. "My father was out of my life at an early age. I still don't know why he left my mom and I. It crushed me. Sometimes parents can be total blowhards, right?"
The 18-year-old looked surprised by the change of tone from Ghost. "Uh, yeah, you're right."
Mr. Cronwall looked at the duo expectantly. "Well then, are we ready to hear Ash Ketchum's letter?"
Ghost held his hand out briskly. "Proceed Mr. Cronwall."
The lawyer cleared his throat for the umpteenth time since the beginning of the conversation and began.
"Ash… Ashy boy. It sounds weird in person and in writing too. Guess Gary was wrong about something then. How've you been Ash? If you're reading this, then something has gone horribly, horribly wrong. This means I've unfortunately kicked the bucket ahead of your eighteenth birthday. I wish I could spend so much time with you, watching you mature into a young man, eventually marry May and start a family. Don't deny it, we all know you and Misty have been eyeing each other up like wild animals all these years. For how I know even though I never really 'travelled' with Misty, don't forget all the connections I've built over the years. I know a good deal about everything in this fair world."
"My fear is that I've learned too much. I fear that I may have found something horrible about this world we live in, and that by writing this, the illusion wrapped around our lives will come crashing down. If you're reading this, it likely means I didn't tell you what it is I suspect I've learned… what I've stumbled upon. I don't know who I can trust with the information I have, and that's why I had to be extremely secretive as well."
"Maybe it's best that I start from the beginning. You may want to buckle in, this is a doozy. As you know Ash, I've been working with Professor Oak for years now. In fact, when you turned 10, after some time, I started working for the Professor. Maybe it was a bit less than that…wait, was it more? Either way, that's a crazy thing to think about. It goes beyond time though. See, for the first two years or so, I was just settling into my role. I didn't see the bigger picture of what was happening. So, two years, I was just really starting to get the idea of my role with Professor Oak. Once I began to hone myself, I began to realize some things about the professor. He's… well, he only cares about himself. As my initial idolization of Oak blinded me for so long, I began to realize how egotistical the man was. He lusts for power. He lusts for control. As the weeks turned into months and his personality didn't change, I began to realize what the other Professors had warned me about had been true."
"I was in too deep. While in Kalos, a mysterious man met with Professor Oak. I didn't think too much on it at that exact moment, because Professor Sycamore was telling me about a new discovery called Ultra Beasts, and a device called a Rainbow Yzerlock. I was absolutely fascinated by it. I began to pour hours into the studying, to the point where everything and anything I had been doing was devoted to the Yzerlock. Normally, that wouldn't be anything wrong."
"The issue lied in Professor Oak. He'd been going to see Delia, muttering things about 'blackmail' or something of the sort. I have no clue what he was talking about. He was taking more absences. I wasn't always there to see how many times he left. But the more and more time I put into learning about Ultra Beasts and the Yzerlock, the more and more Professor Oak would press me and question me to my line of research. Each time, I'd have to make something up. I knew something was going to happen soon, and it did."
"Eventually, I broke down, admitting I learned about a strange device called the Rainbow Yzerlock from Professor Sycamore, and wanted to keep it private. When he asked why, I said it was because I didn't want him to waste his time with 'pointless shooting in the dark.' He seemed to buy the answer at first, but once more, left in a hurry. I became convinced something was wrong… horribly, horribly wrong."
"I admit, what I did next is against all morals. Some weeks later, I broke into Professor Oak's computer, and I copied over on his hard drive. I read some of his diary entries. I was sick to my stomach. I couldn't believe that he would stoop so low. I realized then that I was being played for a fool. I knew I had to stay away from the Professor as much as possible. I chose to leave the lab as much as I possibly could, knowing fully that the Professor was likely monitoring my progress. I decided to do everything I could to prevent someone other than someone I truly trusted to find the Yzerlock."
"By this point, I was certain the Professor was allied with Team Flare. I needed a test to prove my theory though. Using his computer again, I sent multiple messages out about the Yzerlock and Ultra Beasts to the multiple shady contacts on his computer and told them not to reply. I knew it was risky, to say the least. After I had confirmed that the messages had been delivered, I deleted the messages and cut the power to the building, using a complete power surge as a coverup to why things were different on the computer. To make sure he didn't suspect a thing, I admitted to him what I told the contacts."
"The catch? Most of the information I told Oak and the contacts were false. I gave them a fake location to search, and sure enough, grunts were there with enough scanning equipment to fund an army within twenty-four hours. I was crushed. I knew that I was in far over my head, but that the best chance I had to keep the Yzerlock out of Flare's hands was to keep feeding Oak bogus information until Flare could be defeated. I know this is risky. I know this can be absurdly dangerous, what I'm doing here."
"This all happened less than a week ago, by the way. I'm writing this on September 21st, 2014. I cannot trust anyone other than you Ash, or another close friend of mine… his name is Abel Winchine. I met him during some research travels of mine in Hoenn. He's a gifted battler, just like yourself. You're both going to get along great. There's another thing… I don't want to throw you or Abel into the fire until you've been given time to prove yourselves. That's why I've given specific instructions that, in the event of my death, the will cannot be opened until either one of you turns 18. I think the two of you are only a year or so apart in age, so if you're reading this Ash, Abel's definitely mature enough to be brought into the fold. I'd trust him with my life."
"Ash… I'm sorry I'm forcing this onto you. I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you about this ahead of time. You're a close friend… one of the only people I know who wouldn't dare stoop so low as to betray those that are close to them. If you only breezed through the whole thing, half-listening to me drone on and one… then please, listen to this."
"First… Do not trust Samuel Oak. He's bent on changing the world, and he's not afraid to put anyone down who stands in his way. Be careful Ash. Second… while I have never once stated this to anyone before, in writing or in person, I must reveal to you the location of the Yzerlock. Throughout all the countless hours of studying everything I had, I believe the Yzerlock is in the Sinnoh Region… somewhere in the area of Lake Valor."
"Trust your Pokémon, trust your instincts, never back down, never surrender. You may now be carrying the most dangerous knowledge in the world… what you choose to do with it is now up to you. Please forgive me for the burden I just placed upon your shoulders. Goodbye old friend… I'll see you in a much better place."
Mr. Cronwall stopped speaking for a moment to eye up Ghost, who looked nothing short of stunned. Abel next to him also looked absolutely rocked. "W-What…"
Ghost said nothing, his mind racing a thousand miles a minute and his heart feeling like it was on the verge of collapse. The only things he could truly think about now were Tracey's final words… but also him investigating Oak's logs. He felt his brain about to spiral out of control when a thought rushed back to his coherent memory.
The elites were utterly baffled and let totally slack-jawed. The foursome looked around the room and after a few minutes of simply looking at one another, they allowed the questions to flow as freely as they wanted.
"Abel's literally your half brother?"
"Tracey found the location of the most powerful item in the world?"
"Professor Oak's not the one who orchestrated the betrayal?"
"You learned all this in the past hour?"
The questions were halted when Ash put up his hand. "Yes, Abel is apparently my half brother. My mother said she kept this from me when I confronted her as Ghost, but I never expected it to be someone we actually know pretty well. Continuing, Tracey didn't find it; he just thought he did. Tracey's will lines up with Oak's logs that claimed Tracey updated his will around a week before he died. No, I don't think Oak could be the one who orchestrated the betrayal. He'd have no reason to want me gone if I was the only one who apparently knew where the Yzerlock was supposed to be located. And yes, I learned most of this in the past hour." Ash sat down and began to rub his temples in irritation.
Xavier whistled softly. "Damn."
Axel nodded solemnly. "That's a lot of curveballs to be thrown at you in one move."
"Tell me about it." Ash muttered softly.
Zandra seemed to be deep in thought for a few moments before she broke the silence that had been uncomfortably building. "I have something to think on, Ash."
Ash nodded. "Shoot."
"There's another something that doesn't line up to this whole scenario."
July cut in. "What's that?"
"The whole 'age eighteen' thing. Something's off about that." Ash and the other four looked at the pink-haired girl expectantly. She spoke as though she was a detective. "Alright, look at what we know. If either you or Abel were expected to get the message when you were eighteen, it would put you at a legal adult. Because you weren't eighteen when Tracey passed away, you both would have to wait until those years ran by before, theoretically, the Yzerlock could be discovered."
"You're not making sense Zandra."
The girl nodded rapidly. "Oak knew that Ash could access the will, but didn't when the professor believed Ash could. If Oak relayed that information to Flare, maybe they pieced together that Ash needed to be of age in order to access the will."
"Okay…" the group slowly spoke in unison.
"Ash is believed to be gone, but Oak finds out that there's another person who has access to the will. If that information is relayed, then Flare has realized they need to wait until that person turns eighteen in order to access the will. It wouldn't be public knowledge who the other person that the will could be talking about, it would only be someone who had knowledge of Tracey's friends, who was out of the region at the time of the funeral, who was below the age of eighteen and—"
"Had the information to connect all the dots together." Ash spoke slowly.
Axel blinked. "What am I missing here exactly?"
Ash began to see where Zandra was going. "Abel's attack."
"What about it?"
Ash nodded, and his eyes began to get wider by the second. "Abel was attacked by Team Flare. He told me he hadn't even told his lawyer who attacked him yet. That meant Mr. Cronwall was unaware that Flare was responsible, and it happened on the same night that Abel turned 18." Ash's head shot up. "Professor Oak would be one of the only people who could connect the dots from Abel being connected with Tracey."
Ash turned to the group this time. "That's why Abel was attacked. That's why Flare left without taking any of his Pokémon or taking him with them. They weren't after anything basic or any Pokémon."
"They were after the will."
Ash suddenly got up and sprinted out of the room, leaving a distraught group of elites in his wake. He sprinted down the stairs and out of the front door, nearly trampling a handful of people along the way. He let Pikachu run ahead of him as he navigated the streets to the nearest parking lot. He never took his eyes off the yellow rodent, who acted as his guide. Sure enough, within minutes, Ash found exactly what he didn't want to find; Mr. Cronwall, bloodied and bruised. He shook the man in an attempt to wake him.
Ash looked around wildly to see if the attackers may have just been leaving. It appeared he was out of luck. There was nothing around but cars. He cursed softly, knowing that the worst had just happened.
One call to the police and Mr. Cronwall was being helped into the very hospital that he just came out from, the irony. Ash shook his head as the man was carried inside on a stretcher. Despite the man revealing the most important information of the will to him, there was a far greater problem that the world faced.
Mr. Cronwall's suitcase was missing. And therefore…
The will of Tracey Sketchit was missing as well.
Ash burst back into the hospital room containing Xavier and snarled. "We're too late."
Zandra spoke. "What happened?"
"Flare has the will. They ambushed Mr. Cronwall in the parking deck and took the suitcase containing it. They know where the Yzerlock is, and they know that the league has the same information as they do." The four looked amongst one another, seemingly knowing what that meant, but July asked the question regardless.
"It means, we're on the clock. We have to find that damn Yzerlock before Flare does, or the world could fall into ruin. It's time to start executing some moves. Axel, July, I'm going to send you to Hotel Grand Lake to set up a full force stakeout. If they find the Yzerlock there, we're screwed, and I can't leave the region with my battle against Cynthia right around the corner, I'd be crucified by Goodshow."
Ash spoke again. "Xavier and Zandra, I have something else for the both of you. I'm going to ask you to follow the traitors and attempt to get any information you can on them. They must fit into the betrayal somehow, but if it's not Oak where they fit in, you need to figure out how."
"Got it."
"Will do."
He continued. "Meanwhile, I'm going to approve transfers for Abel to be moved to the league's private hospital ward. They could be targeted as easy picking for leverage here. Zandra, speak with the front desk on how to get that ball rolling."
Present… Enjoy everyone!
Ghost found himself completely battle-locked. He didn't think about anything he'd learned or anything he'd done in the past week. All he wanted to focus on was dispatching Cynthia and moving on to the—
Okay it was impossible to say it so simply. The fact of the matter was that Cynthia was far off from the rest of the people he'd battled. In other words, this would be his toughest battle tenfold. Cynthia, while incredibly stubborn, was a fierce battler who generally came into every fight with a plan. She knew the ins-and-outs of most battle scenarios. Ghost had little doubt she'd come prepared to face him.
Thus, Ghost needed a firm plan in place. Ghost knew that, in this battle more than all others, type coverage and situational readiness was paramount for Victory. He had come with a threesome that, if he was true with himself, was solid in most situations. Ghost knew that his team came with holes, but he had an idea of Cynthia's team thanks to some good data analytics work. He composed his team, taught them new moves, preparing a reserve Pokémon in case something went wrong with a starter.
He had little doubt Cynthia would do the same. He considered how different this battle would be in comparison to the one he had with Cynthia's niece Ariana. All those weeks ago, he'd severely overestimated Ariana and her battle-skills. She'd been a cakewalk, spending more time trying to flirt with him than defeat him in battle.
Ghost refused to underestimate Cynthia. She was not a champion for nothing, unlike Diantha. This woman would be a fierce opponent, one of the toughest he would likely ever face for the foreseeable future, other than Misty. He knew he could win, but would he lock up the battle? Ghost eyed up his first Pokémon on the battlefield and then took in Cynthia's. Something clicked in his head and he put two and two together.
The referee yelled. "Milotic versus Lyncanroc, battle begin!"
Ghost knew he would be at a major disadvantage here. Cynthia undoubtedly knew that his dusk-form Lyncanroc was built to be a physical attacker. He also knew that Cynthia's Milotic had a particular strategy that it banked on almost every fight. Ghost took control immediately.
"Lyncanroc, use Scary Face." As Milotic's speed fell from the Rock-type glaring at it, Cynthia ordered her first move as well. "Hit it with Ice Beam!"
"Evade!" As the beam of crystalized water rocketed towards Lyncanroc, the rock-type ended it's status move to dodge the move that would undoubtedly do some serious damage if it connected. As Ghost had firmly predicted, Milotic's strategy kicked in nearly an instant after it's move ended. The water-type cried out in agony as it abruptly caught on fire. Ghost saw the smile on Cynthia's face and knew he was facing an uphill battle for the rest of the way.
As the announcer had expressed his shock and surprise, claiming Ghost had an advantage now, Ghost mentally prepared his upcoming moves. He knew that this was undoubtedly the work of a flame orb, and that meant he could effectively confirm Milotic had the Marvel Scale ability. Ghost called out to Lyncanroc. "Use Scary Face again!"
The rock-type nodded, it's trust fully in Ghost. Milotic was once more subjected to a stare out of a horror film, it's speed once more beginning to crumble. Cynthia gave out her next orders. "Use Ice Beam again, aim for its legs."
This time, despite Ghost's yell to avoid the beam, Lyncanroc could do no such thing. The blast missed for the most part, but a part of Lyncanroc's leg was frozen to the ground. "Hit it with Surf!"
Ghost reacted swiftly. "Rock tomb! Create a barricade to protect yourself!"
Unfortunately, it seemed Cynthia had predicted this. She had a smile on her face, as though she was listening to his every thought. "Stop surf and use Ice Beam! Hit the rock that you think will be directly in front of Lyncanroc when the water hits!"
'Huh?'
A moment later, Ghost's momentary lapse of perplexation was ended. The Ice Beam formed from Milotic's mouth, and rather than aiming it at Lyncanroc, the rocks soaring downwards from the sky were targeted. One was completely frozen, and when it hit the ground, it shattered. Ghost felt his heart drop into his chest when the water had found a large gap to go through. The rock-type was swept away by the waves, leg no longer frozen.
The Pokémon was washed up next to the back wall of the stadium, bruised and battered. Ghost frowned when he looked at his Pokémon's condition. Because the rules of the battle stated no swaps unless a move from the opposition mandated a swap, he was forced to keep Lyncanroc out to face Milotic.
'Something that I didn't consider with that move either was that Cynthia effectively made surf more powerful because all the waves were directed into one spot. This is what I was afraid of. But now, it's our turn.' Ghost's mind turned.
The Alola champion turned to his faithful Pokémon. "You good Lyncanroc?"
"Roooccc!" The Pokémon roared in approval, bruises still evident.
"Then let's give em what-for. Lyncanroc, use Swift!"
Cynthia waved her hand downwards once she heard the command. "Ice Beam!"
Instead of the stars rushing towards Milotic however, the stars formed around Lyncanroc as though they were a protective shield. The ice beam connected with the star-shield, but Lyncanroc looked utterly unfazed as it charged towards the Sinnoh champion and her Pokémon. Cynthia now had an idea of what she believed Ghost was attempting.
"Get ready Milotic!"
Just as Lyncanroc was about to connect with Milotic, Ghost gave out a different command. "Stop and use Sandstorm!"
'Hm? What's he up to?'
Within a second, the stars had vanished around Lyncanroc, and just moments later a blistering sandstorm had appeared. By this point, Milotic had taken some decent damage. However, since none of Milotic's moves were physical, the damage of each of its moves wasn't going down due to the burn. It's health was a different story. That's why Cynthia came prepared for the battle and gave out her next command.
"Use recover!"
As the water-type regained all the health it had lost from the previous moves, Ghost prepared to set up what he called the gauntlet. "Use swift!"
Cynthia watched in decent surprise as the dark storm of sand was lit up by a flurry of bright yellow stars. Abruptly, before she could give out a command, she found herself mesmerized when the stars shot upwards and began to spiral around what she presumed to be Milotic. Before she knew it, hundreds of stars were creating a forcefield around Milotic, trapping it in the sand. Before long, Milotic was taking heavy damage as the swift closed around it effectively.
'Interesting… despite Lyncanroc being a physical attacker, he prepared it with special moves for a situation like this. He created an improvised Sand Tomb by combining Sandstorm and Swift. All the while, Milotic is taking increased damage for it simply being a sandstorm. Impressive, I can see why Ari had decent trouble with him. He's quite a tactician. Let's see if he predicted this move though.'
"Milotic? Use Surf, but aim it up as high as it can go!"
Cynthia's brilliant plan was nearly flawless. The wave went straight to the sky, blanketing the sandstorm and effectively wiping out the improvised-sand tomb in the process. The problem with that little strategy? Ghost's high-IQ move choice had a contingency plan. Cynthia had little time react as a wave of large boulders came rushing towards Milotic from the sky.
"Move out of the way!"
Alas, there was no chance of that. Lynanroc's two Scary Face attacks came back to haunt Milotic as it was smooshed by the boulders. "No! Milotic!" The crowd roared in approval for their homestanding champion. The water type emerged from the boulders similarly battered as Lyncanroc had a few moments prior.
Cynthia complimented her adversary. "That was some combination! I didn't see it coming, that's for certain. Let's keep putting on a show! Milotic, use recover!"
Ghost refused to let that happen. "Swift! Hit it quick!"
Lyncanroc obeyed far quicker than Milotic, once again being granted priority thanks to the Scary Face attacks. Before Milotic could focus and regain health, Lyncanroc's attack slammed into it, causing it to stumble. Ghost once more refused to let Milotic get a chance to move in. "Use improvised Sand tomb!"
Once more, the audience got a glimpse of Ghost's creativity as the battlefield was blanketed by a dark wave of sand, only for it to be relight from the inside by a wave of stars. However, unlike the last time it had been trapped, Milotic seemed calm and collected. This was much like the trainer she learned under, who seemed to expect the move. Even Ghost made mistakes, and this one would prove to be costly.
"Mirror Coat!"
Milotic's body began to glow, and an instant later the stars that connected with it's body flashed brightly. The sandstorm was also somehow repelled, and it created a burst large enough that sent Lyncanroc soaring into the wall behind Ghost. The champion whirled around, fearing the worst. The dust began to settle down and the crowd breathed a sigh of relief. Lyncanroc seemed quite beaten up, but conscious and moving nonetheless.
'That was a rookie move. I should've seen that one coming. I can't let Milotic use recover. If Milotic recovers health, that puts me down further. With that in mind… I need to get the next hit in.'
"Use Swift! Aim at the ground!"
This command startled Cynthia, who truly didn't know how to react. The stars vanished into the ground, and for a moment, all was silent. The champions looked at each other, one mimicking utter bewilderment and one radiating conviction. However, it appeared nothing would happened after a handful of seconds passed by uneventfully.
"Alright then, Milotic, use surf!"
Ghost paled.
The rush of water came straight at Lyncanroc, who could do nothing but look at the torrent of waves. In a desperation move, Ghost yelled. "Lyncanroc, use Rock Tomb! Protect yourself!" As the rocks began to fall from the sky, Cynthia once more prepared her counter. "You know the drill! Use Ice—"
She was cut off when the ground began to shake underneath Milotic rapidly. A moment later, Milotic exploded. The water-type was sent hurtling through the sky as an army of bright yellow stars swarmed it. Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Ghost watched as the boulders failed to contain the torrents and eventually got overwhelmed by the fierce waters. Lyncanroc cried out as it was swept away yet again. It slammed into the wall behind Ghost, creating another large dust storm. Milotic landed nearby Cynthia, a similar dust cloud forming from the Swift attack.
The crowd had no words, merely gawking at the two dust clouds. For a few moments, nothing happened from the official, who was peering at both Pokémon through their smoke shields. A moment passed before Milotic's dust cloud cleared and revealed Milotic out for the count, swirls in it's eyes. The official held up a flag. "Milotic is unable to battle, Lyncanroc is the winner!"
Said Pokémon was slowly standing up, somehow still conscious. The audience cheered wildly for an absolutely crazy opening battle between two of the fiercest trainers in the world. The referee looked to Cynthia and began to speak. "Champion Shirona, return Milotic and please send out your next—"
A sound cut him off. Lyncanroc had crumpled to the ground, it's legs able to keep the Pokémon upright no more. The crowd gasped in shock, not able to believe what they just witnessed. The referee raised a flag towards Ghost. "Lyncanroc is also unable to battle! By rule, Lyncanroc is considered the winner based on being the last Pokémon standing, but is still eliminated for the rest of the battle."
The stadium was silent. Words were not spoken by anyone outside the trainers on the field, thanking their Pokémon for the effort they put in. It had been considered law that Ghost couldn't lose a Pokémon in combat. It was the first time they'd seen Ghost lose a Pokémon, even if he hadn't really 'lost' the battle.
Cynthia, meanwhile, complimented Ghost once again. "The stories are true. You are a remarkable battler Ghost, I shall enjoy the rest of this battle thoroughly."
Ghost had no choice but to admit something he rarely admitted to anyone. "You are as strong as they say. I'm unsure if you knew this, but that was the first Pokémon of mine who's fainted this tournament. Lyncanroc is one of my fiercest. I applaud your strategies Cynthia."
The blonde bombshell smirked. "Shall we release our Pokémon once again on cue?"
"With pleasure."
The woman looked to the official. "May you do the countdown?"
"Of course. Release on my command. 3… 2… 1…. Release!"
Two more Pokémon materialized.
"Toge-Kiss!" The normal-flying announced proudly.
"Manaaa!" Ghost's Manectric roared.
Ghost took one look at his battered Pokémon and knew exactly how his attack would go. He had a great chance of pummeling Togekiss even without the type advantage. Cynthia wasn't going to know what hit her if all went well. Cynthia had a stoic look on her face, simply preparing for the upcoming battle. It was true what they said about Ghost, he was an absolutely fearless battler who had tons of contingency plans for every given scenario. In all her years as champion, she'd never once felt nervous about facing a particular battler. None had ever given her a tough time and she never felt as though she could be beaten.
Ghost was an entirely story. He was clever. He was cunning. He was resourceful. He was feared. For perhaps the only time in the past decades, Cynthia was truly worried about a battle. Ariana, her niece, was a tremendous fighter. She was young and inexperienced, sure. But she was still a great battler who was fairly headstrong. Ghost had flattened Ariana like she was nothing. And to be frank, that truly frightened her.
Then Ghost battled someone who he was so confident against that has willing to use a single Pokémon to defeat the man's entire team. He hadn't lost a Pokémon in combat yet. Granted, he hadn't faced an opponent of her caliber yet, and she fully intended to end his reign. Finishing off Lyncanroc was a sign that she was on his caliber… maybe even above it. She fully intended to do what many thought wasn't possible; defeat the most powerful trainer that defended the region of Alola.
"Battle continue!"
This time, it seemed as though Ghost wasn't waiting a second to begin the assault. "Charge Beam!"
The bright yellow blast formed from the electric type's mouth before it shot out like a cannon towards the flying-type. Cynthia didn't hesitate. "Air Slash!" The two moves immediately cancelled one another out, a ripple following the small explosion that connected in the middle of the field. The crowd cheered, more than ready for another thrilling bout between two of the finest fighters in the world.
"Manectric, Charge Beam again!"
"Togekiss, get in close, do a barrel roll to evade! Hit it with Aura Sphere!"
The white Pokémon flew straight at the blast before tucking in its wings and evading the yellow beam. As it did so, Togekiss launched a bright blue sphere towards Manectric. Ghost didn't hesitate to give an order, and it would prove to be a mistake. "Evade." Manectric rolled left on it's back to avoid the blast that it believed would be hitting the spot it had been in just a moment prior. Instead though, the ball of blue directly connected with Manectric, sending it hurtling backwards.
'Hm? How did that hit? Aura Sphere can't always hit, not when a Pokémon evades. What—' Ghost's mind turmoiled for a moment before he connected the dots. 'Ah… that's clever. I wonder if she hasn't changed her tactics from her previous battles. Only one way to find out though; let's have some fun.'
"Manectric, get on your back!" Manectric did so, though not without a look of perplexation towards its trainer. Cynthia frowned, not liking where this was going one bit. "Quick Togekiss, hit it with Air Slash!"
"Roll over and hit it with Charge Beam!" Just before the air slash could connect, Manectric moved out of the way, the move not connecting by a fraction of a foot. The yellow beam was already out of Manectric's mouth before Cynthia even knew what was happening. The blast struck Togekiss square on, launching it backwards and increasing Manectric's special attack in the process.
Cynthia raised an eyebrow. 'That was an… odd… tactic. He goes from an underground swift attack to telling Manectric to play dead? That makes no sense. He's got to have something else up his sleeve.'
It didn't take long to get an answer. "Manectric, get on your back again!" The blue and yellow dog-like creature did as it was commanded, a little less skepticism this time around. "Now then, spin!"
'Huh?'
The spikes on Manectric's back electrified and became firm. Then, by softening some and keeping others firm, Manectric was able to rotate it's body rapidly until it became a blur. It wasn't long before dust kicked up and formed a barricade around Manectric. Cynthia had a momentary flashback of the improvised Sand Tomb technique and knew she couldn't allow to have a repeat performance.
"Air Slash! Rapid fire!" A flurry of flaps from Togekiss' wings came first, and a torrent of attacks rushed towards the condensed sandstorm. Cynthia wasn't sure what happened next. Before the air slash's could connect, lighting began to fly in all directions out of the cloud of dust. The air slashes were destroyed instantly, and Togekiss began to get hit over and over as multiple charge beams struck it over and over from all sorts of different angles. Cynthia watched in mesmerized horror as her Pokémon was slowly picked apart by the super effective move.
'Incredible. This is… unbelievable.'
The attacks stopped coming and Togekiss plummeted to the ground, gravely injured from the attack. Manectric emerged from the dust unharmed and let out a battle cry.
"Mannaaa!" The crowd cheered for the electric type, eager to see more of what the two champions would throw at one another.
Cynthia knew Togekiss was beaten and battered and also knew that because of Charge Beam's secondary effect, there was little to no doubt Manectric's special attack was peaking at that very moment. This didn't look good for her.
"You gave me the idea."
Cynthia almost jumped in surprise by Ghost's words. "Excuse me?"
Ghost gestured calmly to Togekiss. "The curved Aura Sphere. When you instructed Togekiss to spin, the sphere only connected because you knew it would curve into Manectric. You knew I would evade the attack rather than meet it head on. So, I decided to give you a taste of your own medicine." Ghost pointed to the top of the stadium. "See the laser shielding?" Cynthia eyed up the top of the stadium and noticed it had a faint purple glow, making the sky appear eerily unnatural.
"The entire stadium is protected by this shielding. It's to protect us from attacks that could go out of control. Some attacks are simply vaporized by the shield, for example, attacks that are head on. Others though, can be reflected if they're curved. By getting Manectric to spin and launch its attacks at all sorts of angles, it was only a matter of seconds until the attacks began to bounce off the walls and strike Togekiss. You gave me that idea Cynthia, I owe you for it. Didn't think I'd be improvising mid-battle, but here we are."
'Damn… he's clever. Let's see him weasel out of this little strategy though…' Cynthia mused.
"Togekiss, use Double-Edge! Go low!"
"Manectric, meet it with Fire Fang!"
The two attacks collided in the heart of the battlefield, but it was Manectric who was launched backwards from the force of the attack. Digging it's hind paws into the dirt, it stopped itself from taking too much damage. Cynthia refused to let up the aggression now. "Again!"
"Manectric, try Charge Beam!"
This time, Charge Beam collided with Togekiss' double edge attack. Unlike the first attack, it was Manectric's attack that won out, pushing Togekiss back until it was swept away by the super-effective move. Once Togekiss was able to recover from the attack, it was clear that the Pokémon was struggling to stay focused, the sparks coming from Togekiss' body obvious. The Pokémon had been paralyzed previously upon colliding with Manectric. Cynthia gritted her teeth a bit but calmed considerably once she knew it was time to execute the plan that had never once failed her. "Togekiss, prepare yourself! Hover in the air!"
Ghost eyed up Togekiss carefully at that command, wondering where she was going with the odd command. The next command put a smile on Cynthia's face once she said the move. "Now use rest. Let's even the odds!"
Stunning everyone, Togekiss fell asleep while still hovering in the air and far away from Manectric's reach. Cynthia knew that every second that passed by was another lick of health Togekiss was gaining back. A smile that covered her face came next, she could see the tides of the battle beginning to shift. There was only one little problem with that. Upon looking across the battlefield to gauge her opponents reaction, it wasn't the reaction she thought she was going to see.
Ghost wasn't frowning.
He was smirking. No, he was grinning from ear to ear.
'Oh no. He has something up his sleeve. He's prepared for this.' Cynthia could feel her heart drop into her stomach from the look her opponent was giving.
Manectric looked back at his trainer and also noticed the look Ghost had. The Pokémon and trainer made eye contact before Ghost nodded at the electric-type.
"Manectric, it's time to begin. Let's wipe this Pokémon off the face of the map. Use Electric Terrain!" Letting out a mighty howl and allowing the spikes on its back to become stiff and electrified, the battlefield was suddenly contained by a radius that was crackling with electricity. Cynthia looked around in wonder, unsure of the current status of the battle. Her mind was still rolling.
'He had electric terrain this entire time? Why would he wait to use it until now?'
"Now, hit it with Charge Beam! Time for some amplified damage!" Ghost ordered, an unreadable expression on his face.
It became obvious that Togekiss would take a decent chunk of damage from the consistent attack all while Manectric's special attack stat was slowly being boosted from the attack. With the addition of Electric Terrain though, the attack's damage was also being boosted by a decent margin as well. Cynthia was unsure of her next step, she was at a drastic disadvantage with Togekiss' weakness to electric moves.
She was very fortunate Ghost had no clue Togekiss had leftovers handy and was gaining additional health every second along with rest's boost. Speaking of, Togekiss shot awake and was able to avoid the charge beam that was being launched at it yet again. Cynthia was unsure of her next move but knew she couldn't win the battle with electric terrain active. She had to make a decision, but it wasn't going to be an easy one.
She'd been counting how many times charge beam had been used by Manectric and by her rough estimate, Manectric had to be at the bottom of the barrel of it's move set. There was an issue that she hadn't been tracking; while she was counting how many times Manectric had used Charge Beam, she hadn't counted the other moves that Manectric hadn't used.
"Use Rest again!" Once more, Togekiss fell asleep in the air. One look to Ghost told her that she'd made a fatal mistake. The look on Ghost's face was the look of a predator who'd just scored the meal of a lifetime. He waved his arm downwards and gave a command that stunned the entire stadium to its core.
"Switcheroo!"
Cynthia gaped in disbelief, knowing there was nothing she could do but watch what happened as Manectric leapt up in the air towards the sleeping flying-type. In a flash Manectric was next to Togekiss. One moment the two hovered in the sky next to one another, one aware of what was happening and the other blissfully unaware. The next moment, Togekiss was plummeting to the ground at full speed. Cynthia let out a gasp of utter horror as she watched her Pokémon dive towards the ground, fast asleep the entire way.
Togekiss smashed into the ground with such velocity that the ground shook and left tremors in its wake. Meanwhile, Manectric landed on the ground next to its trainer, a serene smile on its face and food in its mouth. Cynthia now knew that Ghost had predicted she'd given Togekiss a leftovers since she had done so in other matches. But why had Togekiss plummeted to the ground? Especially when Togekiss was still asl—
A noise snapped the blonde champion back to reality. She let out a gasp when she saw Togekiss on the ground, injured and beaten up horribly. It was panting loudly, fully conscious and awake. She stared in utter shock as the Pokémon struggled to stay standing.
Before she could register what was happening, she found herself crying out another command before Ghost could deliver the death blow. "Q-Quick! Use rest!" Strangely, Ghost did not make a comment of any kind. Instead, he simply watched the show.
Togekiss was rapidly shaking its head, signaling something was terribly wrong. Cynthia knew very well what Switcheroo did and knew that every second that passed by Manectric was slowly getting its health back. After unsuccessfully falling asleep a third time, Electric Terrain wore off, the yellow walls slowly fading back to their default color. Ghost gave his first command in some time swiftly. "Use Electric Terrain again!"
Cynthia saw this as her opening. "Take to the skies Togekiss! Use Aura sphere!"
But Togekiss shook its head once more rapidly, signaling something was still amuck. The electric terrain attack once more took control, leaving Cynthia and Togekiss in hot water. Ghost decided that enough was enough and prepared himself to end the battle right then and there. "Use Charge Beam!"
"Aura Sphere!"
A steady beam of electricity emerged from Manectric's mouth while a ball of blue energy came from Togekiss' mouth. Cynthia was momentarily baffled and relieved by Togekiss' ability to suddenly attack again, but that relief was short-lived. The charge beam, powered up by countless successful attacks prior in the battle, easily overwhelmed the attack from Togekiss and struck Cynthia's Pokémon head on. Smoke came from Togekiss when the attack connected, and an explosion followed soon after.
"No! Togekiss!" She cried in terror.
Ghost refused to let the battle go on any further. "Finish this! Fire Fang!" And from the smoke emerged the blue and yellow Pokémon, jaws alight. One more explosion decimated the field and sent a figure from the smoke into the wall behind Cynthia. She whirled on her heel, knowing very well what the outcome of this round had become.
The referee rushed to the wall, expecting the same thing every being in the stadium was preparing themselves to hear. When the carnage was revealed, Togekiss had swirls in its eyes and its mouth slightly ajar. "Togekiss is unable to battle, Manectric wins!" The audience cheered as Manectric let out a mighty roar of dominance. This was the Ghost that the audience had expected to see coming into the battle, but while the round was over, the battle wasn't. Cynthia returned Togekiss with a small smile on her face. "Thank you, you did your best."
She eyed up Ghost curiously and spoke up. "Would you mind if I asked how you did that?"
Ghost sent a question right back. "Did what?"
"How did you defeat Togekiss with Switcheroo?"
The man chuckled softly. "It wasn't just Switcheroo that did the trick, it was electric terrain that did the most reps."
'Huh? What is he saying?'
Ghost continued. "Electric Terrain is a move whose primary motive is to increase the power of electric type attacks. Did you notice how I didn't put it up though until late in the battle? I did that for a reason. You see, while its well-known that Electric Terrain boosts electric moves, what's not well-known is that there's a secondary effect of Electric Terrain. It also forces certain Pokémon to stay awake… grounded Pokémon."
Cynthia's eyes widened at those words. Even she, a battle wiz, did not know that side effect of electric terrain.
"I've seen your battles with Togekiss before. I knew you'd use her here. I also knew that it's worked so flawlessly, I should come prepared for that strategy. A handful of your Pokémon are weak to electric types, so it was a contingency plan baked into one. When Togekiss was trying to heal, I used Switcheroo to make Togekiss hold an Iron Ball while Manectric stole its leftovers. That's why Togekiss couldn't heal, and it's also why it couldn't obey your orders to fly and use Aura Sphere. That was because, well, it couldn't fly if its grounded. With Electric Terrain up and leftovers gone, Togekiss lost both ways to heal. It was over the moment that happened."
'I-Incredible. He thought out everything that far ahead… just how strong is this trainer? I can't believe this… he may truly be more powerful than I am!'
The official held his hand in the air to give the next announcement. "Ms. Shirona, please send out your final Pokémon."
Ghost bit his lip silently, hoping beyond hope that her final Pokémon wasn't her strongest. A moment later though, the silent pleads appeared to have fallen on deaf ears as Garchomp materialized for the final battle. He looked at Manectric and knew there was little the electric type could do. Fire Fang was its only course of action; all of Manectric's moves were revealed. Two had no effect on Garchomp and one would be worthless. The blue and yellow Pokémon had already taken some damage, and it was clear the Pokémon was at too much of an advantage here. There was no option.
After another look towards the electric type, he sighed and spoke loudly. "Official, if I intend to swap Pokémon, that will disqualify Manectric or the Pokémon I intend to swap in?"
The official looked perplexed but spoke. "You cannot swap a Pokémon out whatsoever unless your opponent forces the swap by a move of some sort. If you swap Manectric out, you'll be disqualified from the battle and be eliminated from the tournament."
The official looked across the battlefield to see Garchomp eagerly awaiting its battle, Cynthia awaiting the next move of the Alola Champion. Ghost spoke calmly. "Alright then." The man nodded and prepared to walk away before Ghost spoke quickly, as though he suddenly came to a realization.
"What if I disqualify Manectric for keeping its health a priority?"
The man turned back; an eyebrow raised. "It's happened before in this tournament. I allowed Barry, one of my competitors, to retire their Pokémon from the battle to protect their health. Why should I be denied the right I gave my competition?"
The man was silent for a moment before nodding for a moment and then walking to Cynthia's side of the battlefield. Ghost could see they were engaged in deep conversation for a handful of minutes, but Cynthia's expression didn't change once. She seemed… resigned. Was that good? He didn't know, but he was about to find out sooner rather than later. The official walked back to the center of the battlefield and spoke in an authoritative voice for the entire stadium to hear.
"Champion Ghost has requested to retire Manectric from further battling under the pretenses of his Pokémon's overall health and therefore, it's protection from this battle, but as well, in future battles. Champion Shirona has approved of the request…" Ghost sent a thankful look to Cynthia, who nodded stoically at him. But the official wasn't done speaking yet.
"However, per the league, while Manectric will be permitted to be retired for this battle, another requirement has been put forth. Should Manectric be retired from the battle and should Ghost move on in the tournament, Manectric would be forfeiting its battle eligibility. Therefore, for the remainder of the tournament, Manectric will be prohibited to battle in any capacity." The stadium began to murmur loudly as the realization slammed into Ghost like a semi-truck. Even Cynthia looked surprised.
Ghost was caught in a dilemma. There was no chance Manectric could defeat Garchomp. It would only suffer, and possibly worse, give Garchomp all the chances in the worst to set up status moves to sweep the next Pokémon he brought in.
It could cost him his tournament life. This could truly decide the tournament's outcome. He had to make a decision.
Did he elect to keep Manectric in, undoubtedly causing it harm and possibly getting him eliminated from the tournament at the hands of Garchomp? Or did he forfeit Manectric from further competition, save it from harm but prohibit Manectric from the opportunity of getting revenge on Max in the next round? Ghost shook his head for a moment, gritting his teeth in anguish. Each action had pros and cons. Could he possibly decide that with a straight face?
"Manaa!" Ghost looked up to see the electric type approaching him slowly. After a moment, the Pokémon nodded slowly, as if settling on something. Ghost spoke softly. "You're… okay with giving up your battle eligibility? Are you certain?"
The Pokémon nodded, a small grin on its face. "Mana! Ec-Man!"
"You realize you won't be able to battle Max… you'll lose your chance at revenge. Are you sure this is what you want?" He spoke quietly.
The Pokémon nodded yet again, the smile not leaving its face. "Mana man- ec ec tricc!"
Ghost was silent before giving a small smile. "Alright then… Alright then." Ghost turned to the official. "I'll… I'll be forfeiting Manectric's eligibility. Looks like we've come to an understanding of sorts."
The official nodded. "Very well. Ghost has elected to forfeit Manectric's battle eligibility for the remainder of the tournament. Therefore, the final battle will commence with Champion Shirona's Garchomp against…" the referee looked to Ghost expectantly. Ghost returned his faithful electric-type before throwing up a ball with a blank expression on his face. The Pokémon materialized and the audience let out a small gasp of shock. The Pokémon eyed up its competition, snorting angrily.
"… Ghost's Garchomp! This battle will decide which trainer moves on to face Max Maple in the semi-finals. Battle commence!"
Meanwhile, the audience was gawking at the situation in shock. Cynthia's Garchomp was perhaps the most well-recognized Pokémon of the Sinnoh region. It was a Pokémon that had never outright lost a battle without taking down a Pokémon or two with it. Ghost's remaining tournament life fell on the shoulders of the same Pokémon that Cynthia had, only it was widely expected to struggle against such a formidable opponent.
There was one question running through the heads of everyone there; was this truly where Ghost's run to the greatest came to a screeching halt?
"I respect you for treating Manectric with care Ghost, but this is where your tournament life comes to an end. I shall finish this swiftly. Garchomp, prepare yourself! Spin once to kick up sand, then hit it with Dragon Claw!"
The small wave of sand that was kicked up did the trick, momentarily blinding Ghost's Garchomp before emerging and preparing to strike down the opposition. "Block it!" Ghost ordered swiftly. Garchomp blocked Cynthia's attack, arms crossed, and feet dug into the ground to stop sliding further back.
"Hit it with Metal Claw!"
"Match with Dragon Claw!" Cynthia ordered.
Ghost's Garchomp pushed off Cynthia's Garchomp swiftly before its claws turned a bright silver. It met Dragon Claw head on, but the power of Dragon Claw overwhelmed Metal Claw. Ghost's Garchomp was launched backwards from the force of the attack and landed, causing a pile of dust to be thrown up. Ghost growled softly. "Garchomp, you okay?"
Ghost's Garchomp seemed to mimic its trainer. "Rarr!"
"Good, let's do this! Rush in with Metal Claw, stutter-step your way in!" Ghost's Garchomp approved of the decision, and claws once more becoming silver, began to rush it's way towards Cynthia's Pokémon, intent on evening the score. Cynthia seemed to be expecting the move though. "Wait Garchomp, set the trap."
Moments passed slowly as Garchomp took awkward steps to get to Cynthia's most powerful Pokémon. Another handful of seconds passed by, until finally, Garchomp reacted and raised it's arms up to strike down on Cynthia's Garchomp. "Now! Vanish!"
Ghost's eyes widened in surprise when Cynthia's dragon-type abruptly vanished, leaving nothing in it's place. Ghost's Pokémon whirled around in bewilderment, anxiety at an all-time high. Ghost had no time to react as Cynthia yelled. "Sand Tomb!" As though it was from a movie, Ghost saw Garchomp appear behind his faithful Pokémon, head lowered and face darkened. A second later, his Pokémon was entrenched in sand.
'Uh-oh…'
"Flamethrower!"
Ghost cursed. Sure enough, a torrent of flames came from the sand to strike Garchomp. It cried out in pain as the attack scored a direct hit. Garchomp stopped itself in front of Ghost just before a nasty collision could occur. Before Ghost could even give a command to his Pokémon, Cynthia let out another command. "Hit with an Dragon Claw-uppercut!"
Another moment later and Garchomp was launched to the sky. Ghost knew this couldn't keep up or it would be the end of his tournament life. He had to turn the tide immediately, and it began right then and there. "Garchomp, listen to my voice. Dig into the wall, drive your claws to stabilize yourself!"
'Excuse me? What did he just say?'
Using the force of the attack, Garchomp locked itself in place on the ray shield itself, far off the ground from where Cynthia's Garchomp's stood looking up at it's competition. Cynthia spent a moment looking up where Garchomp was, in awe that her opponents Pokémon still had a decent reservoir of stamina on tap despite having been hit by four attacks already.
Another moment or two passed, and when it became abundantly clear that Ghost's Pokémon wasn't coming down any time soon, Cynthia decided to act. "Flamethrower!"
'She took the bait. Let's take this battle back.'
"Go straight at it! Then, use Whirlpool!"
The audience let another a gasp of collective surprise at the command. A massive swirl of water emerged from Garchomp's mouth, and it collided with the flamethrower head on. The result of the two attacks meeting in the middle was a blanket of steam cascading across the battlefield. The only problem with this was that Ghost knew to give out his next command before Cynthia could register why he did that particular strategy.
"Metal Claw!"
Before Cynthia's Garchomp could react, it was struck from behind and launched forcefully by the steel-type move. It landed flat on its face and appeared to be struggling to get back up. "Hit it again!" Ghost yelled.
"Get out of there Garchomp!"
Alas, it could not. Fueled by adrenaline and the cover of the steam, Cynthia's Garchomp was subjected to multiple Metal Claw attacks from Ghost's Garchomp. This commenced for a handful of minutes until finally, one Metal Claw sent it flying head-over-heels into the wall behind Cynthia. A thunderous crash followed soon after, with Cynthia's Garchomp emerging beaten up but still able to fight on.
Cynthia was impressed by Ghost's Garchomp; it had serious dedication and grit. It was curious that Ghost knew how to adapt to a situation so well… she'd only seen a handful of people do this kind of thing.
The two dragon types looked at one another angrily before the two trainers gave out separate commands.
"Metal Claw!"
"Dragon Claw!"
The two Pokémon rushed one another simultaneously and raised their arms as the two attacks met in the middle of the battlefield. The duo met and a sonic boom resulted from the two claw-attacks meeting. The force from both moves shook the battlefield in a clash of two powerhouse pseudo legendries, and the crowd roared in approval from the two moves. In a matter of seconds, the duo was exchanging blows back and forth between one another.
The two dragon types were snarling at one another, the rage of the battle building by the second. Cynthia's Garchomp swung its tail at Ghost's Garchomp, who snatched it and delivered a powerful Metal Claw to the side of Cynthia's Garchomp's head. The crowd roared yet again at another strike from Ghost's Pokémon to Cynthia's.
More moves were exchanged, but neither Ghost nor Cynthia were calling out any moves. They seemed content with allowing the two powerful dragons do their worst to one another. Meanwhile on the battlefield, the dragons were proving to be evenly matched. It stunned the crowd that despite all the damage both of the dragon's had taken, the both of them were still fighting and clawing at one another to take the battlefield.
Slowly but surely, the crowd had begun to consistently cheer at the top of their lungs, knowing that what they were witnessing was a true one-of-a-kind battle. Seconds of constant blows turned into minutes as the two dragons took shot after shot at one another. By this point in time, the anxiety from both Ghost and Cynthia had risen to the point of no return. Each one was daring the other to make the first move, to break to trend and to break the current fight. As the two dragons fought, Ghost and Cynthia were engaged in a silent battle of their own. It was a battle of conviction, who trusted their Pokémon to finish the job without their commands.
As for the Garchomps, they appeared to be truly evenly matched. Cynthia's Garchomp, who was expected to be impenetrable, was showing cracks in its form. In reality, if the battle had been strictly Metal Claw against Dragon Claw, Dragon Claw would usually prevail. This battle was slightly different though. As both Pokémon were so resilient and so powerful, the side-effect of Metal Claw was kicking in and raising Ghost's Garchomp's attack. Meanwhile, Cynthia's Garchomp was holding its own despite the raise of stats from its opposition.
But then, finally, they fell into a deadlock. Metal Claw connected with Dragon Claw and the duo became pushing furiously against one another. Fangs were showing and growls from both Pokémon came little by little. Their heads were nearly touching, the eyes of each Pokémon never leaving the other. Muscles were flexing, feet dug firmly into the dirt. The stalemate seemed to be one that would never end. Except that it did.
Cynthia lost the battle of conviction.
"Garchomp, Flamethrower!"
Ghost's eyes widened.
A moment later, Cynthia's Garchomp fired a blast of fire towards Ghost's Garchomp, who could do nothing except be engulfed by the flames. Cynthia had a stunned smile on her face, she had done it. She had to have done it. That was the end of the battle. It was over, it was undoubtedly over. However, the audience wasn't cheering. And to Cynthia's confusion, she could see Ghost with a smile on his face.
'What? Why is he…'
Ghost interrupted. "Ms. Shirona, this battle has been a pleasure. You've been the toughest competition I've faced thus far in the tournament." He was silent for a moment before the smirk took over his smile. "But this is as far as you go."
The entire time, Cynthia's Garchomp had never stopped using its dragon claw. To its horror, it had never been able to stop. Why? Because throughout the entire flamethrower attack, Ghost's Garchomp had never broken metal claw. Through the heat and flames, Garchomp's eyes lit up as though it was possessed. Cynthia's eyes widened in horror.
'I-It's not possible. N-No…' She felt her heart drop in the depths of her stomach.
"Dragon Breath!"
Through the heat, a purple ball formed. A moment later, Cynthia's Garchomp was throttled backwards by a purple and yellow beam. Cynthia could only gasp in horror as her Pokémon was engulfed by the move and shuddered as her Garchomp cried in agony.
"No! Garchomp!"
Ghost let out a bellow. "Finish it! Use Shadow Claw!"
"Quick, defend yourself with Dragon Claw!"
Cynthia's Garchomp rolled to its feet, intent on blocking the move. But it was too late. Its eyes bulged nearly out of their sockets when Ghost's Garchomp slipped underneath the move and delivered a critical blow to Cynthia's Garchomp directly in the chest. Cynthia stared at her Pokémon, who appeared frozen. A moment or two passed by with no action. Ghost stared at his own Pokémon, who had undoubtedly avoided the move from Cynthia's Pokémon.
What happened next appeared to be in slow motion. Ghost's Garchomp stood up from its position and looked at Cynthia's Garchomp. Then, it began to walk towards Ghost slowly, eyes never once looking back to its opponent. A small smirk came over its face. Then, Cynthia's Garchomp fell to its knees with a thunderous boom. A second later, it fell flat on its face. The official took one look and knew what had just happened could decide the tournament.
"Champion Shirona's Garchomp is unable to battle, Champion Ghost's Garchomp wins! Champion Shirona is out of usable Pokémon! Therefore, with a three to two victory, the trainer moving on to the semi-finals and the six-on-six battles is Ghost, Champion of Alola!" The crowd exploded into encores and whoops for their home champion. Ghost let out a relived laugh and wiped the sweat that had been forming on his brow.
He'd done it.
Cynthia, meanwhile, was kneeling next to her Garchomp, consoling it for a hard-fought battle. "You did a spectacular job my dear friend. I couldn't have asked for anything more."
Garchomp, who was now conscious, growled softly. "Rar…"
"Everyone needs a first loss sometime Garchomp. I'm so proud of you, and now it's time for a fresh beginning. Get a good rest, hold your head high." The Pokémon smiled weakly at its trainer before being sucked into its pokeball.
Ghost was patting his own Garchomp on the nose with a huge grin. "Congrats buddy, you just defeated the most powerful Garchomp on the planet by yourself." The Pokémon let out a mighty bellow, one that appeared to sound like it had never once been hit in the battle despite being bruised and battered.
A new voice cut in. "You're truly remarkable."
Ghost turned to Cynthia, who was smiling at the duo. "Thank you."
She nodded slowly. "I've never seen a person on this planet who combines strength and strategy as much as you do. This region has prospered under your rule, and I have no doubt that your reputation is well earned." She held out her hand to Ghost, who shook it firmly.
As the audience cheered at the exchange, Ghost spoke. "You too have all the rights to hold your position, Cynthia. You're an incredible trainer, and the bond you have with Garchomp is one all trainers can only wish to have with their closest Pokémon. It's been an honor to battle you, and I hope we can battle again sometime."
The blonde woman smiled. "I would enjoy that. Until next time." She turned on her heel and walked out of the stadium, cheers still raining down. Ghost watched her walk away for a few moments before he gestured to Garchomp to follow him. They went to the middle of the battlefield, and as the crowd fully expected, he slowly got down on one knee. Garchomp followed suit, going to the crowd with a solid crashing noise. Ghost was quiet for a moment, head held low and a shadow covering his eyes.
"For those that have passed… and for those yet to come." He spoke softly.
His Pokémon said nothing, only holding its head low. Ghost stood up and Garchomp did the same. It seemed like Garchomp expected Ghost to return it right away, but instead, Ghost gestured towards the crowd. A moment later, Garchomp let out a mighty roar that shook the stadium to the core. Ghost raised a fist slowly in victory as the crowd exploded into cheers. With that, he returned Garchomp to its pokeball and put his hands in his pockets.
The smallest curl of his lips could be seen as he walked away. The thunderous roars and cheers from the audience began to morph into cries he knew all too well as he approached the main tunnel.
"Ghost!"
"Ghost!"
"Ghost!"
Ghost looked back to the stadium one last time before he entered the tunnel and gave a two-fingered salute to the crowd before turning around and walking in, the roars still echoing off the concrete walls and words still echoing in his ears as he made his way back.
The smile that graced his face once he was back in the locker room was contagious as he swiftly packed his things to return home.
Max Maple was currently eating like a king in one of the restaurants in ALT City's private rooms. He knew he wouldn't have to pay for the meal thanks to being a tournament finalist. He finished his drink and slammed it to the countertop with a crash that sent shockwaves through the entire room. "Waiter! Another drink here!"
The man nodded and handed Max yet another soft drink. "Leave me!"
Once more, the man nodded before exiting the room entirely. He downed half the drink in an instant, beyond pleased with his life at the current moment. These past few years had been nothing short of great and he fully intended to keep up the streak he was on. Ghost was the next on his hit list. At first, the boy had been downright terrified of the Alola champion, but it seemed as though Ghost had bigger fish to fry and forgot to keep Max in check.
The boy chuckled, he'd show Ghost you always had to keep your eye on Max Maple, or else he'd make you pay. Another few minutes of scarfing down food and guzzling down his drink left Max thirsty and wanting more to drink. "Waiter! Another one!"
However, as the waiter was outside, there was no chance the man could hear. "Hey! Waiter? Get in here and get me another drink!" Once more, Max Maple was met with silence. The teenager growled and pushed himself up. "I've gotta do everything around here…"
But he never did get to his drink. Abruptly, the lights of the room cut off, leaving Max in darkness. "H-Hey! What gives? I'm still here you know! Hey! Turn the lights on!" When nothing changed, Max yelled louder. "Hey! Anyone? Turn on the damn lights!"
Someone did respond this time though. The lights were flicked back on and revealed none other than Ghost in his all-black cloak mere feet away from Max. The teenager let out a yelp of utter horror before he stumbled back and landed on his backside with a smash. He scrambled backwards as Ghost slowly walked forward. "W-What do you want? The battle isn't for another few days!"
"I know what you did."
Max blinked rapidly. "W-What? What are you talking about?"
Ghost spoke darkly. "I know about the murder."
Max's eyes bugged out. "W-What?"
"Ash Ketchum. On May 11th, 2014, you and your group of friends killed Ash Ketchum. You condemned an innocent boy to his demise for what? Pride? Ego? Why would you do it? Why would you do it? WHY!?" Ghost was roaring by the end of his little rant.
To say Max looked shaken would be an understatement. "H-Huh? What are you talking about? H-How could you know that?"
Ghost leaned closer to Max under he was crouching on his toes and eye-level with the still grounded Max Maple. It was there that Ghost uttered three words that shook Max to his very core.
"I was there."
Max let out a strangled gasp, the boy looked as though he was about to meet his maker. "N-No… y-you couldn't have been!"
"Oh, but I was… I watched as you and May Maple, Serena Yvonne, Dawn Berlitz, Cilan—" Ghost spoke softly, tension still rising in the room little by little before Max cut him off.
"How could you know all that? How!?" Max cried in utter astonishment. Ghost made a swift move and before Max could react from the ground, he found himself being squashed down by Ghost's boot. The boy cried out again, clearly not expecting Ghost to act so boldly. The man who was feared by all who would oppose him spoke in a whisper. "Because there's nobody like me in the world… nobody."
Once more, the lights cut off. The feeling of Ghost's boot on his chest vanished, giving Max the opportunity to stand up. His vision was still completely gone, but his hearing was perfectly fine. A voice echoed throughout the room.
"Confess, or suffer my wrath."
The lights abruptly flicked on from there, leaving Max sweating and in a blind panic. A waiter walked into the room and was promptly trampled by a fleeing Max Maple, who rushed to tell his friends about a near-death encounter he had with Ghost, who knew their darkest secret.
The game was officially on.