This is scary…people I don't know are recommending that I write non-fanfiction and be a best-selling authoress (while my friends and family have been saying it for years, but that's because they're my friends and family…they don't really count) Plus the fact that when J.K Rowling was asked the question 'Why do you write?' it was almost exactly what I keep saying to anyone who asks me…I'm suitably scared…
I don't own Pokèmon. Or Legend of Zelda. Or Tales of Symphonia, for that matter…
In the centre of the clearing, stood a blue skinned figure with a smirk."So, we will be battling Haru after all…"
The half-Zora turned at the sound of his own name.
"So you lot are the weaklings I have to beat?" he scoffed. "This is just too easy. So, ready to battle? "
"Not quite so fast," Mr. Reese's voice rang out across the battlefield. "We have to admit that the odds are stacked in Haru's favour, so he is forced to announce his Pokèmon now to allow you to form a strategy before the fight."
Haru glared at the teacher before turning to the group. "First, I'll be using my Grovyle. Then, I'll use Staravia, then Riolu, then Floatzel and Monferno. Last, I'll use Luxio. Happy?"
The group bunched together into a circular huddle, dropping their voices to a whisper so that Haru couldn't hear them.
"Draigas will take on anything except that Floatzel," Aria whispered frantically.
"I can take the Grovyle on," Ebony promised.
"Oh, oh – Dashita wants the Riolu!" Pasqua said excitedly.
"Hmm…Rolo would be best against the Luxio…" Seig told Fossil. "Which leaves the Staravia, Floatzel and Monferno…"
"Then we'll take the Staravia," Aria pledged, remembering her and Draigas' only training session.
"Sirius? Does the Floatzel sound good to you?" Wraith asked – although everyone forgot the question with the event that followed.
A bright flash of light lit up Seig's arms, and Willow glowed brightly. Her ears lengthened, her body became sleeker and stream-lined and her tail became long and elegant. When the glow died down, Willow was a delicate shade of lilac – she had evolved into an Espeon.
"H…how?…" Mr Reese, more than anyone, was stunned.
"Wow, Seig! Willow must really like you to evolve this quickly!" Aria said.
Pasqua jumped up and down with excitement. "I've never seen a Pokèmon evolve before! That was so cool!"
And yet, the teacher was speechless. Numbly, he pulled out a small computer and tapped at its screen with a stylus. Then, after a few long minutes, turning to Seig, he said, "No one has ever had a Pokèmon evolve so soon after obtaining it…congratulations."
Aria frowned. She'd only just realised then, that if she were in Seig's place, she'd be really happy and proud…but more than anything, Seig just seemed nervous. Willow was closer to him than ever, gazing mistrustfully at Mr. Reese. She had the feeling that there was more than meets the eye here – and she should know, with all the secrets her family kept from her. Mr. Reese, for his part, was looking at the newly evolved Espeon with a deeply thoughtful look.
"Shouldn't we get on with this battle?" Haru asked in a bored tone.
"But, Seig's…"
"So the runt's Pokèmon evolved? Big deal. It won't change a thing."
"He's right – we came here to battle," Seig agreed, not at all stung by the 'runt' comment, despite it being somewhat true - he was fairly short compared to the other boys.
Haru smirked. "Finally. Go, Grovyle!"
He threw a ball into the air, and in a flash of red, the green lizard-like Pokèmon appeared.
"Phoenix? We're counting on you," Ebony smiled as her Vulpix bounded into the battle area.
"Grovyle, give it a Razor Leaf," Haru commanded lazily.
"Dodge and use Will'o'Wisp!"
A multitude of tiny, needle-sharp leaves flew at the fox, yet she nimbly skirted around the attack, the leaves embedding themselves harmlessly into the soil. Then, with a short puff of deep violet flame, the Grovyle was badly burnt.
"Grovyle, fight through it. Use Substitute!"
After a moment of intense concentration from Haru's Pokèmon, it disappeared, to be replaced by a large wooden doll – at least twice the Vulpix's height.
"What the-?"
"Substitute is a move where a Pokèmon can create a shield of sorts to hide behind by sacrificing a portion of their health. You won't be able to attack the Grovyle until his substitute is destroyed," Seig explained.
Ebony was about to give a command, when they heard a pained cry from the Grovyle, and his substitute disappeared.
"Phoenix, Ember!"
The Grovyle gave a small screech, but it was clear the battle was far from over.
"Why did his substitute just disappear though?" Wraith wondered.
"I know, I know!" Pasqua shouted. "It was because of his burn, right?"
"Yeah – he was still burnt even with the substitute, and the pain from the burn must have broken his concentration, I think," Aria hypothesised.
"Exactly. Substitute is a clever move, but it needs an intelligent trainer to carry it off," Mr Reese explained.
"What? You're saying I'm dumb?!" Haru shouted, turning his head from the match.
Ebony, seizing the distraction, shouted, "Phoenix, now!"
No one was quite sure what attack came from the small, crimson fox – all they knew is that it contained a lot of fire and it warmed every corner of the battlefield. Even the children – standing a good distance away – felt the intense heat of the flames.
The Grovyle reeled from the attack and fell to the ground. He tried feebly to push himself to his feet, but he flinched with pain – the burn kicked in again – and didn't try to move anymore.
"Grovyle, come back!" Haru commanded. "Humph. Don't think you've won. I could've beaten you at any time. Now, I know not to underestimate you… Go, Staravia!"
Haru's second Pokèmon appeared with a fierce cry.
"Our chance then, Draigas!" Aria said, sounding far more confident than she felt.
The dragon swiftly left her trainer's side, to be instantly swooped upon by the large bird.
"Thunder wave!"
Draigas created a field of electricity half a meter from her face, shocking the Staravia. It practically fell from the sky, having gained a paralysis in its right wing. Angrily, it tried to peck Draigas in retaliation, but the dragon easily dodged the attack by soaring a little way into the air - something the bird could no longer do.
"Staravia, Aerial Ace!"
With it's remaining wing, it sliced through the air, creating a powerful yet, thin gust of air that hit Draigas square – it was impossible to dodge.
Aria thought frantically – Draigas had survived the hit, but a couple more like that and they'd be in serious trouble. They needed to end the battle, and quick.
"Shock Wave!"
Yet another move that the dragon had never used before, but she knew, unlike the last time that she couldn't afford any mistakes or delays. She covered the arena in crackling electricity, to which the bird shrieked – it was enraged – yet stood its ground, unleashing a powerful flap of its wings. As the wing came perilously close to Draigas, her trainer noticed it had glinted menacingly in the sunlight – the Staravia had used Steel Wing without being commanded to.
Draigas unleashed another Shock Wave, this time directing it to the bird; in particular its metallic wing. This time, the full force of the attack made it cry out in agonising pain, and Haru – wincing – withdrew the battered and electrocuted bird.
"So far, you lot have had it easy! Riolu, go!"
"Oh, oh! It's my turn, right?" Pasqua exclaimed. "Yay! Come on, Dashita!"
Her considerably calmer Tropius rolled his eyes and slowly moved into the arena. Aria bit her lower lip – so far, the first year trainers had only had the advantage by their Pokèmon being faster and smaller than their opponents. And even then, it had been a close thing – under Aria's meticulous scrutiny, Draigas was completely exhausted. She'd misjudged Draigas' stamina when she'd thought a few more attacks might finish her off – if the Staravia had had another chance to attack, she would have definitely lost.
"Dashita! Super secret combination, number three!"
All the humans blinked. What was 'super secret combination, number three'? They were about to find out.
First, a ring of foul purple appeared beneath the Riolu, making it gag – it seemed the ring was giving off some poisonous gases. Then, while it was still reeling from the toxins, two vines shot from Dashita's neck, holding the small blue warrior Pokèmon down by its small black arms. A flurry of needle sharp leaves left the Tropius, zooming towards the Riolu, who was now effectively tied down and couldn't move. Finally, a few seeds latched themselves to Riolu, growing at an intense speed.
"Wow…smart move…" Aria whispered under her breath.
"So, Dashita used Toxic first, to poison the Riolu. Then, Vine Whip to hold it down so it couldn't dodge, Razor Leaf to inflict damage and Leech Seed to sap it's health even more…even Haru's Pokèmon should have a job dealing with this," Seig predicted.
"Dashita. Keep it still! Vine Whip!"
The Tropius obeyed, using his vines for a second time to hold down the fighter. Although Riolu fought his bonds tooth and claw, it was clear his strength was dwindling rapidly due to both the strong poison and Leech Seed. Eventually, he went limp, and Haru was forced to recall him.
"Well…that was embarrassing…Floatzel – your turn!"
"We'll stay out for this match, it that's okay," Pasqua said. "His Pokèmon are complete pushovers!"
With a derisive snort, the Floatzel shot a weak beam of ice at the Tropius – far weaker than the one she'd shot at Draigas – yet the grass Pokèmon roared in pain.
"D…Dashita!" Pasqua wailed in fear. "Attack back!"
The Tropius charged wildly at the Floatzel, who nimbly dodged the large Pokèmon, who fell down with a crash. As a final vehement gesture, the Floatzel bit it hard on its tail.
"Dashita! Come back!"
As the Tropius was withdrawn, Wraith stepped forward with her Eevee, Sirius, by her side.
"It's our turn, Sirius!"
The Eevee picked his way onto the battlefield slowly, giving the Floatzel an analytical look. He spat at the water Pokèmon, his fur on end.
"Floatzel, Brick Break!" Haru commanded coldly.
The Floatzel threw a powerful blow in the Eevee's direction, which Sirius barely dodged. Everyone watching knew that if the attack had hit, this part of the battle would have been over in one hit.
"Sirius, nice work! Dig!"
The Eevee burrowed his way underground, however, Haru didn't seem too impressed.
"You think you're the only one who can dig? Floatzel, underground, now!"
The water Pokèmon also burrowed underground. Now, the battlefield seemed deserted, but for two mounds of earth, contrasting harshly with their thick, grassy surroundings. Everyone scanned the field desperately – the Pokèmon who emerged first would be disorientated and confused…yet if they stayed in the earth too long, they could end up suffocating.
The seconds slowly passed by…a tiny tremor made them all jump as another mound of earth pushed its way out of the ground. But the question was: was it the Eevee, or the Floatzel? A small nose pushed its way out of the ground causing a ripple of excitement – it was orange! The Floatzel had emerged! Two seconds later, it was knocked into the air by Sirius' unseen attack.
"Follow it up with Swift!"
An army of tiny golden stars shot from the Eevee, buffeting his opponent endlessly, but when the Floatzel dropped to the ground, it showed no indication of the attacks inflicted on it. It merely snarled at Sirius, showing its teeth.
Sirius whined endearingly at the otter-like creature, stunning it for a second, before it retaliated with a series of growls.
Somehow, Aria realised, "They're talking to each other…instead of battling…"
From the lack of reply, it seemed that everyone else had already reached that conclusion, and Aria was merely pointing out the obvious. As the two Pokèmon continued to talk, Aria would've given anything to be able to understand them.
Seig, after listening intently to Willow, repeated, "Sirius is…explaining to the Floatzel. He's saying why, even though they're so young, they can still beat some of Haru's Pokèmon. It's because…"
Aria gave a soft smile. "Our Pokèmon have a strong bond with us. They trust us, not for our knowledge. They know we're going to make mistakes, and they may make their own, too. They follow us because they know we'll respect them. We won't ever abandon them. We aren't their trainers…we're their friends."
"How sappy," Haru said, applauding sarcastically. "Where on earth do you get this rubbish from? I think I'm going to be sick."
"But it's true! Even after the fight yesterday, Draigas still trusted me, and I didn't understand why until now. But no matter how hard the fight is…no matter how many times we lose…we'll keep coming back, stronger than ever. And, we will win someday. What's more, we'll have fun getting there, too!"
Aria turned to see her classmates staring at her. "W…what?" she wondered, suddenly self-conscious.
"Nice speech," Seig commented.
"You wouldn't happen to know Lloyd Aurion, would you?" Wraith asked with a smirk. "Because you sounded a lot like him just then…"
"Aurion?.. My Dad's name…he must be my half-brother. I've never actually met him…"
"Enough time chatting! Floatzel, Ice Beam!" Haru commanded.
The Floatzel winced, but otherwise did nothing.
"Floatzel!" the half-Zora shouted.
His Pokèmon turned slowly around to stare him in the eyes. Then, disappearing in a flash of red light…
"He withdrew himself," Mr Reese explained. "Well, Haru, I haven't seen you lose a match since…"
"Shut up! This isn't a real battle anyway – it's six on one. And they know all my Pokèmon…"
In Aria's mind, Haru seemed to be unnerved – not as confident as he was before. Nevertheless, he threw his next Pokèball into the arena, unleashing an ape-like Monferno.
Seig looked at Willow with a deep, searching look. "Are you ready for the battle?"
The Espeon gave a happy cry, and ran onto the battleground.
"Willow, Confusion."
A split second of concentration was all Willow needed to create a powerful, yet unseen force which crushed down on the Monferno, rendering it useless in one attack. It was knocked out cold.
"You useless…" Haru eyed the fainted Pokèmon with disgust. "If I didn't know any better, you probably asked that Espeon to knock you out. Doesn't matter now. You can go free, seeing as you hate me that much. Go, and never come back to me."
"Haru, you can't set a Pokèmon free during a battle," Mr Reese said mock-delicately – if you listened carefully, it was almost a singsong voice he used.
"Fine, I forfeit the match. I would have lost anyway – they knocked out all my Pokèmon up until now."
Haru stormed off without another word.
"He's not a good loser, is he?" Fossil asked simply.
"He's probably a Mister Arrogant when he wins, too!" Pasqua pointed out.
"Well, we won…" Aria said numbly.
Draigas trilled happily.
On the battlefeild, the Monferno staggered to his feet and looked around. With a small dispondent cry that his trainer had left him, he disappered into the forest, unseen by everyone.
"It'll soon be time for lunch, so if you want to go to the main building…" Mr Reese suggested, but he got no further than that before a stampede of children – resembling nothing less scary than a stampeding herd of Taurus – made it's swift way past him and into the forest.
After all, there was nothing better than a battle to build up an appetite!
Okay, this should probably be dedicated to Ross (whose character is Seig), who pestered until I got this chapter written. Also for giving me ideas, helping me with move sets…he's really helped this along!
Also, I've been craving to write an argument for ages! Haru letting out his frustration was not enough…I may need a shouting match soon…but that's for another chapter…
Anyway, please review; I was so pleased with the amount of reviews – especially from new reviewers – that I got last time, I needed surgical assistance to remove myself from the ceiling! Okay, so not really…but you get the message!