Last chapter, the main protagonist was Keith. "Watch out for Keith!" If you get that reference, +1000 internetz for you.
Now on to chapter 27. Enjoy.
Jake was the first to awaken, as the sun's rays shone on his face through the little sliver of the window that wasn't covered by the curtains. He slowly got up, which awoke Eevee, who was still in his arms.
"Vui!" He said, mildly annoyed.
"Sorry bud. The sun was in my eyes, and it woke me up."
"Vui! Eevee eev."
"No, I'm not gonna wake May up. It's only..." Jake then looked at his watch. "8:00. That's way too early to be woken up."
Jake got up from sitting on the bed, and started his morning routine, which involved taking a shower. He went over to his bag, and got out a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, along with a towel. He then headed into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. Eevee was left alone, so he decided to hop onto May's bed. He then curled up next to her, and started to fall back asleep.
Fifteen minutes later, Jake was got of the shower, dried off, and got dressed. When he opened the bathroom door, he smiled when he saw Eevee sleeping right next to May. Instead of waking either of them up, he got out a piece of paper and a pen, and wrote a note.
May,
I went out to the buffet restaurant to get some breakfast. Eevee is here with you, so if I'm not back by the time you read this, can you bring him with you if you come down?
Thanks,
Jake
He placed the note on the bedside table right next to May's bed so she could see it when she woke up. He then put his new hat on and walked out the door.
May woke up, and felt something furry against her skin. When she opened her eyes, she saw Eevee laying against her, fast asleep. She smiled. "You're such a cutie, just like your trainer." Very carefully, she got up, making sure not to wake the sleeping normal type. Before she went anywhere, she noticed a piece of paper on the bedside table. When she picked it up, she realized that it was a note from Jake. She read it over, then put it down.
Time to get ready for the day.
May picked up a fresh change of clothes from her bag, as well as a towel. She then headed into the bathroom to shower.
Twenty minutes later, May had finished getting dressed, so she went to wake up Eevee.
She nudged him gently. "Hey Eevee, it's time to wake up." She said softly.
Eevee slowly opened his eyes, lifting his head up slowly.
"Vui." He yawned.
"Sorry to wake you, but I'm gonna head to the buffet to get some breakfast, and Jake wanted me to bring you with me." May said.
"Eevee!" Eevee slowly got up and stretched, then he hopped up onto May's shoulder, and rubbed against her affectionately.
"Alright, let's go."
Jake was eating a plate of pancakes while reading a guide on activities on the ship. Although it wasn't exactly a luxury cruise, there were still plenty of things to do. There was a swimming pool with a water slide, and also a training facility below deck for use by anyone who was entering the tournament, among other things.
Man, there's so much stuff to do! But I promised May that if she agreed to be my partner, then we would do what she wants to do tomorrow.
He was so into reading the guide, that he didn't notice a girl with an Eevee on her shoulder pull up a chair and sit across from him.
May noticed this, so she decided to play a little trick on him. She whispered into Eevee's ear, and hopped off quietly onto the table.
May got up and walked over to the distracted Jake. She leaned over, until her lips were right by his ears.
"Hey sexy!" She said in a seductive tone.
Jake jumped back, yelling, "I'm taken!" He fell out of his seat, hitting the back of his head against the ground.
He turned to see who it was who whispered in his ear, and blushed when he saw May. Seeing this, May couldn't help but laugh.
"That's not funny!"
"Yeah it is, your reaction was priceless!"
Jake glared at her as he slowly got back up, picking up his chair in the process.
"Although it was sweet when you yelled that you were taken. It's nice to know that you're loyal to me." May said.
Jake started rubbing the back of his head, both from nervousness and pain. "You're my girlfriend. I wouldn't dump you if even Jennifer Lopunny asked me out! (A/N I tried.)
May gave him a hug. "That's sweet of you to say, even if it is cliché," she giggled.
"I'm not lying! Well maybe..." Jake trailed off.
It was May's turn to glare at him.
"I'm kidding! At least about the dumping part..."
May gave him another death glare.
"What? She's hot!"
May continued her death stare.
"But not as good looking as you..?" Jake said with uncertainty.
"That's better."
"Anyways, how was your sleep bud?" Jake asked Eevee, ignoring the look May gave him when he changed the subject.
"Vui! Eevee!"
"Yeah, I saw you curl up against May. What's up with that?"
"Eevee!"
"Traitor."
May coughed, getting Jake's attention. She was seemingly over the previous conversational events that just took place. Once Jake look at her, she spoke. "So when's this tag battle tournament thing start?"
"Says it starts at ten, which gives us a little over an hour. First, we gotta sign up at the registration desk"
"Where's that?"
Jake looked at his guide. "Looks like it's right behind the buffet."
"Alright, let's eat, then go register."
"Name?"
"Jake Smith."
"Partner's name?"
"May Maple."
The lady behind a desk typed the info into her computer, and a few seconds later, two ID cards were ejected. The lady then handed them to Jake and May.
"Just hand those cards to the man standing by the entrance, and he'll tell you what to do."
"Thanks." Jake said.
He and May walked off to explore the ship a little before they had to be back.
"So, see anything that you might wanna do tomorrow?" Jake asked.
"I saw a pool earlier. I wouldn't mind going for a swim." May said.
"Anything else?"
"Nothing that I can think of off the top of my head."
Jake remembered something that he saw in the guide. Should I tell her now? Or just wait until then? he asked himself.
May noticed Jake zone out and stop walking, and wanted to know what he was thinking about. She nudged his shoulder with her free hand, and after no response, whispered something into Eevee's ear.
"Vui." He replied.
May let go of Jake's hand, of which he took no notice. She then backed up, making sure to be out of the line of fire. Eevee hopped down from Jake's shoulder, took a few steps back, then sent a Tackle at his chest. This sent Jake stumbling to the ground. May was trying to contain her laughter in the background. She found it funny that a Pokémon that weighed only fourteen pounds and was barely over a foot tall could take someone as big as Jake down.
Jake slowly got up, holding his left arm with his right. He looked at Eevee, pain evident in his eyes.
"Eevee?" He asked.
"I'm fine, I just landed on my arm, that's all." Jake said unconvincingly.
May noticed Jake holding his arm, and she immediately went up to him.
"Are you okay?" May asked in a concerned tone.
"I'm fine." Jake said through gritted teeth.
"Let me see." May tried to touch Jake's arm, but he winced in pain and pulled it back in a flash. Upon seeing this, May said firmly, "We're going to the doctor. No buts."
Jake complied, knowing when he was defeated. "Eevee, can you ride on May's shoulder for a while?" He asked.
"Vui." He said apologetically as he jumped into May's outstretched arms.
"Don't worry about it bud, it's not your fault. I should have paid attention."
May put Eevee on her shoulder closest to Jake, and they turned around, heading to the ER on board. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that this would happen," May said apologetically.
"Don't worry about it. Next time though, can you please just snap me out of it like a normal person? I'm not too fond of personal injuries."
May nodded. She wrapped one of her arms around his waist, careful not to touch his injured left arm. She rested her other arm on Jake's right, and continued to hold him like that as they walked.
They walked in silence, until they got to the doors of the emergency room. Luckily, there wasn't anyone else there, so after they checked in, they were seen almost immediately.
They walked into the small room. Jake took a seat on the patient's bed, while May sat on a chair next to wall with Eevee in her arms.
The nurse began by checking Jake's blood pressure, pulse, and temperature, followed by asking him a few questions.
"Can you move your arm?"
Jake tried moving it, but only winced in pain. "Not without a lot of pain." He said.
"On a scale from one to ten, one being very little, and ten being 'I just got ran over by a car,' what would you rate your pain as?" The nurse asked.
"Four when I'm not moving it, seven when I am."
"Last question. How exactly did this happen?"
It was May's turn to speak. "It's actually my fault. I saw Jake zoned out, and I thought it would be funny for Eevee here to snap him out of it with a Tackle attack. He knocked him over, and Jake landed on his arm." May said solemnly.
The nurse wrote something on her clipboard, and started walking out of the room. "The doctor will be right in."
"Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" May asked.
"Help me win this little competition, and go with what I have planned for tonight." Jake said with a grin.
"What would that be?"
"Now that would be telling, wouldn't it?"
At that moment, the doctor walked in. He was fairly tall, standing at around Jake's height at about 6'3. He was a bit on the chubby size, and he wore a standard doctor's outfit, complete with a stethoscope around his neck.
"Jake Smith." He said. His voice was deep, and a bit unnerving.
"Yep. That's me."
"Says you were tackled to the ground by an Eevee, and you landed on your left arm?"
"Yep."
The doctor walked over to Jake, and started examining the arm. "Does it hurt more in your forearm or back arm?"
"Forearm."
"Sorry, but this is gonna hurt." He grabbed Jake's arm, and straightened it out. Jake once again winced in pain.
"Please point to where it hurts the most."
Jake pointed to a spot in the middle of his forearm on the inner portion.
"Alright, tell me when it hurts." The doctor then began pressing gently down on Jake's skin, slowly moving closer to the spot he originally pointed to. Once he got close, Jake spoke up.
"There." He said.
The doctor then began felling around that area, making a back and forth pattern. Seeing Jake wince every time he applied pressure, he stopped.
"Well, there's good news and bad news."
"I'll take the good news first." Jake said.
"Good news is that your arm isn't broken. The bad is that it looks like you strained your muscle. I can't be for sure without an MRI, but that seems like the most likely option."
"So what are you gonna so about it?" May asked.
The doctor turned around to face her. "I suggest we put your boyfriend's arm in a sling." He said. He then turned back around. Keep it in there for two weeks. If it still hurts, then you're gonna have to see another doctor."
"Alright. Will I still be able to battle?"
"As long as you're right handed, you should be fine."
"Alright."
"I'll be back in a few minutes with a sling." The doctor said. He then left the room, leaving Jake and May behind.
Eevee jumped out from May's arms and landed on the bed where Jake was sitting. He then walked into his lap, gently rubbing against him.
"Hey bud," Jake said as he scratched Eevee behind the ears with his uninjured hand.
"Vui!" He cooed.
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. As for that Tackle, it's definitely gotten stronger. Maybe it had to do with you taking down that Nidoking yesterday..." Jake trailed off. He then started thinking about yesterday's events, which caused him to become angry upon remembering what Keith had done to Eevee.
"Vui!" He said, trying to get Jake to snap out of it. He got no response.
May noticed this, and started lightly shaking Jake's uninjured shoulder. When she got no response, she did the only thing that she could think of to snap him out of it. May pressed her lips against Jake's, and started kissing him. It seemed to work, as a few seconds in, Jake started kissing back.
The door opened, and the doctor walked back in. Upon seeing the young couple having an intimate moment, he coughed. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" He asked in his deep voice.
The two teens broke off at hearing his voice, both blushing as they turned to him.
The doctor pulled out the sling, and started to put it on Jake, showing him how to do it in the process.
"Alright, wear this as soon as you finish your morning routine, all the way until right before you go to sleep. I suggest you sleep on your right side, so you don't take any chances."
"Okay. Anything else?"
The doctor grinned. He whispered into Jake's ear, causing him to give the doctor a strange look, something May took notice of. She made a mental note to ask him about it once they left.
"You're free to go."
"Thanks." Jake said as he got up. Eevee hopped onto his shoulder, and May took Jake's hand. They then headed out the door. Once they were clear of the mini doctor's office, May spoke up.
"What did the doctor say to you?"
"He said that I should be good to you, since you're a keeper."
"That was...creepy."
"Yeah. It was. Now let's get over to the battlefield. I don't wanna be late."
Jake and May were standing on one side of the battlefield. Jake had his left arm in a sling, while his right hand held a Pokeball. May was next to him, and she had one of her hands on a Pokeball. Eevee was sitting on her shoulder, with an excited look on his face. On the other side, there was a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties. He wore blue jeans and a white shirt, and stood with his arms crossed. His hair was blonde and curly, and he stared down the young couple with piercing brown eyes. Next to him was a boy who looked to be in his early teens, similar in appearance. His hair was also blonde and had brown eyes. His shorts were khaki, and he wore a red shirt.
On the sidelines of the battlefield, stood spectators. They were other competitors in the competition, trainers entering the Pokémon World Tournament, or simple fans. On the other side on an elevated platform, stood an MC. He wore a white suite and had black hair, along with a mustache on his upper lip. He carried himself with confidence, evident by the way he stood.
"The last match of the first round of the Tag Battle Competition will soon be underway. On one side, we have Jake Smith, this year's Hoenn League Victor, along with his lovely girlfriend May Maple, who won the Grand Festival last year. On the other side, we have Benny Johnson, along with his son, Zack. For those of you who don't know me already, I am Adam Sage, the MC and referee for this competition." Adam said. "This will be a two on two tag battle. Each trainer will use one Pokémon, and the match is over when both of either side's Pokémon are unable to battle. In the event of a tie, the match will go into sudden death. Are both sides ready?"
Jake looked at May. "You know who to use, right?" He asked.
"Yep. Just like we planned."
"Good."
When all four trainers nodded, he yelled, "Begin!"
"Nightmare, engage!" Jake shouted as he threw his Pokeball. A purple ghost, known as Gengar, appeared with a menacing grin on his face.
"Ampharos, take the stage!" May yelled as she threw her Pokeball. The Light Pokémon appeared, ready for battle.
"Chesnaught, I choose you!" Zack shouted as he threw his Pokeball. The Spiny Armor Pokémon appeared and he roared his name, intimidating a few spectators.
"Greninja, let's roll!" Benny yelled. He threw his Pokeball, and the Ninja Pokémon appeared. His tongue scarf swayed in the wind as he struck a ninja like pose.
Jake looked at May. "Go for Greninja. I got Chesnaught."
"Got it." She said back. "Ampharos, use Thunderbolt on Greninja!" She shouted.
"Sludge Bomb on Chesnaught!" Jake commanded.
The two Pokémon sprung into action. Nightmare opened his mouth and shot globs of sludge at the grass type, while Ampharos's tail glowed as she shot a bolt of electricity at Greninja.
"Greninja, dodge and use Hydro Pump!"
"Chesnaught, Spiky Shield!"
Greninja moved out of the way of the electricity, and opened his mouth, shooting a torrent of water at Ampharos. It struck the electric type dead on, sending her skidding back. Chesnaught turned around, exposing his back. He then withdrew his head and limbs, leaving only the spikes on his back showing. The sludge struck its target, and some of it seeped in.
"Looks like Chesnaught had been poisoned! Zack has now been put on a timer!" Adam said into the microphone.
"Chesnaught, hit Ampharos with Hammer Arm!"
"Disable!"
Chesnaught reemerged with a look of rage on his face. He ran over to the recovering Electric type with a glowing fist, ready to smash it into Ampharos. Before he could, however, Gengar's eyes glowed blue, and Chesnaught became enveloped in a blue glow, stopping the attack.
"Agility into Fire Punch! Aim for Chesnaught!" May shouted.
"Nightmare, cover her!"
Ampharos glowed a white light, and ignited her fist into flames. She was then upon Chesnaught in a flash, and sent him flying back after striking him in the chest.
"Greninja, Dark Pulse on Gengar!"
"Sucker Punch!"
Just as Greninja was about to release his attack, Nightmare was seemingly teleported to him, and struck the water type in the gut, causing Greninja to lose focus.
"Now Thunderbolt!"
Gengar's body cackled with electricity, and he let loose thousands of volts of electricity into the Ninja Pokémon, knocking him out.
"Greninja is unable to battle!" Adam declared.
Benny recalled his fallen water type and turned to his son. "It's all up to you now." He said.
"Got it dad." Zack said. He looked at his Kalosian grass type, who was seething with anger, and a grin appeared on his face. "Chesnaught, use Frustration on Ampharos NOW!" He yelled.
His Pokémon happily complied, and he ran towards Ampharos. He then started senselessly beating her, venting out his anger.
"Ampharos, try a Fire Punch!" May shouted desperately. She was worried about her Pokémon, and Jake took notice.
"Sludge Bomb!" He commanded.
Gengar floated over to the attacking grass type and shot globs of sludge onto his back. The super effective hit took its toll, and Chesnaught staggered back in pain, panting heavily.
"Thanks." May said gratefully.
"Don't mention it. Now let's win this." Jake said with a smile.
May nodded.
"Thunderbolt!" They shouted together.
Both Ampharos and Gengar charged the electricity needed to perform the attack, then unleashed it at the tired grass type. Even through the resistance, it was too much. Chesnaught collapsed in a heap, unable to get up.
"Chesnaught is unable to battle, Jake and May move on to the second round!" Adam shouted. Clapping ensued from the crowd.
Jake and May recalled their Pokémon, and walked up to the father and son duo.
"Great match." Jake said as he held out his hand.
"It was." Benny replied as he shook Jake's hand.
"Now that we lost, I'm rooting for you two." Zack said as he held out his hand to May.
May took it, causing Zack to blush slightly. Jake took notice, and felt a pang of jealousy for some reason. He immediately dismissed it, however. Come on Jake, she loves you, not him he reasoned with himself.
After everyone had shook everyone's hand, the two parties went their separate ways.
"We make a pretty good team, huh." Jake said.
"Good? We a make an awesome team! We'll win this for sure!" May exclaimed.
Hearing her say this made Jake feel warm inside. "So we wait for the drawings, which are held in ten minutes. Who do you want to use next?"
"Like I said before, I'm saving Blaziken for the final round."
"Yeah. I'd assume Blazer wants to fight alongside her, so I won't use him yet." Jake said.
"Who's your fastest Pokémon?"
"I'm not sure, although Shadow and Maverick are the two that come to mind when it comes to speed."
"How about I use my Liligant?"
"Then I'll go with Shadow. Now that we have that figured out, let's see who we're up against."
The two headed over to the stage by the battlefield, where Adam was next to a large monitor, showing the final four pairs.
The competition was small, with only a few people entering, be it from not having a partner, or spending time doing other things on the ship. Out of the original sixteen people, only eight remained.
The computer showed the faces of the pairs then flipped them over as if they were cards. It them began mixing them up, two at a time. It gradually gained speed, before finally stopping fifteen seconds later. They flipped over, and Jake and May's pictures were in the top right. Next to their pictures, were their opponents. There was a picture of a boy and a girl.
"And there you have it folks! The matchups for the second round! The first battle will begin in ten minutes."
"That's us." Jake said.
"Vui!" Eevee said, hopping from May's shoulder to Jake's.
"Thanks bud. We'll win this for sure." Jake said as he scratched Eevee with his free hand. "It's gonna take some getting used to this sling." He muttered under his breath.
"You ready?" May asked happily.
"Hell yeah."
Jake stood next to May on one side of the battlefield. Eevee was on his shoulder this time, and like before, his free hand was holding a Pokeball. May stood next to him with a determined look on her face while holding a Pokeball. The two looked at each other and smiled.
"You ready?" Jake asked.
"As always." May replied with a smile.
On the other side of the field, stood two people. One was a boy who looked to be about Jake's age. He wore grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt, and his head was covered by a red and blue hat. Under his hat was short black hair. His stood tall, with one hand holding a Pokeball. Next to him was a girl about the same age. She wore short blue jean shorts and wore a white spaghetti strap shirt. She wore a blue grey head band in her brown hair. She stood there with her hands on her hips, staring at her opponents.
Like before, Adam, the MC, stood on a raised platform on one side of the field, while on the other were numerous spectators.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am your MC, Adam Sage, and this is the first match of the second round of the Tag Battle Competition. On one side, we have Jake Smith, this year's Hoenn League Victor, along with his girlfriend, The Princess of Hoenn, May Maple!"
Some cheers erupted from the crowd upon hearing May's name, mostly from guys.
He even said that she's my girlfriend. Jake thought to himself. This is gonna take some getting used to.
"And on the other side, we have Trevor Martin, last year's runner up in the Hoenn League, and his 'friend' Stacey Golding!" Adam shouted. There was less applause this time, mostly because some of the guys were still looking at May.
"One of the downsides of being somewhat famous is having to deal with guys drooling over me." May whispered to Jake.
"You'd think that they'd catch a clue when it's announced that you're taken." Jake muttered.
"You'd think."
"Don't worry about them, I'll make sure they don't bother you."
"The tag battle is about to begin! You all know the rules, so I won't bore you with the details. Trainers, release your Pokémon!"
"Shadow, engage!" Jake called as he threw his Pokeball. The evolved Kalos water type starter appeared, striking his ninja-like pose.
"Liligant, take the stage!" May yelled as she released her Pokémon. The Flowering Pokémon appeared, and curtsied to the crowd.
"Salamence, time to rock!" Trevor shouted as he threw the Pokeball that was in his hand. The massive dragon type appeared and roared loudly as he took to the air, scaring a few kids who were watching.
"Jolteon, you're up!" Stacey said as she threw her Pokeball. The electric type Eeveelution appeared and stretched her legs, before striking a battle ready pose.
Upon seeing one of his evolved forms, Eevee perked up.
"Begin!"
"Let me deal with Salamence. I know just how to take him out." Jake said to May.
"Got it. Liligant, Quiver Dance!"
"Salamence, hit Liligant with a Flamethrower!"
"Shadow, protect Liligant with Hydro Pump!"
Liligant started to do an elegant dance, getting faster in the process. Salamence spewed flames in her direction, but they were quickly overpowered by Shadow's Hydro Pump.
"Jolteon, Thunderbolt on Greninja!" Stacey commanded.
"Shadow, use Spikes!"
Shadow's body turned brown as he swung his tongue, producing spikes that flew to the other side of the field. Jolteon let loose a massive amount of electricity, aimed straight at Shadow. He made no move to dodge, and simply smiled when the attack struck him, dealing no damage.
"What happened!?" Stacey asked in shock.
Jake looked over at May, who nodded back at him.
"Petal Dance on Jolteon!"
Liligant summoned a storm of petals from the flower atop her head, and sent them flying at Jolteon while her trainer was distracted. The attack hit, dealing major damage.
"Salamence, Dragon Claw on Greninja!"
"Shadow, stop him with Ice Beam!"
Salamence flew towards Shadow with glowing claws, ready to strike. Shadow's body turned ice cold, and he shot a beam of ice at the charging dragon type, freezing over one of his wings, causing Salamence to stop the attack and land awkwardly on the ground.
Stacey finally figured out what had happened, and quickly regained her composure. "Jolteon, Pin Missile on Liligant!"
"Dodge it!" May shouted.
Jolteon's fur glowed, and tiny needles shot out from it. They flew at Liligant in streaks of light, many hitting their target. Liligant moaned in pain from the super effective attack.
"Finish Salamence off with another Ice Beam!" Jake commanded.
"Counter with Flamethrower!"
Perfect. Jake thought to himself.
Shadow complied, and shot another beam of ice at the grounded dragon, who shot flames from his mouth in retaliation. The two attacks met in the middle, causing steam to cover the field.
"And it looks like those two powerful attacks have made it so nobody can see anything!" Adam said into the microphone.
"Keep an eye out May, I'm gonna finish Salamence off." Jake said to his girlfriend. "Shadow, you know what to do!" He yelled.
A few seconds later, a roar of pain was heard, followed by a thud.
"I can't see anything, but I believe Salamence has just been taken out!" Adam said.
Half a minute later, the steam cleared enough to reveal a fainted Salamence. This time, half of his body was frozen, courtesy of an Ice Beam from Shadow.
"Salamence is unable to battle!" Adam declared.
Trevor recalled his Pokémon and looked at Stacey. "Win this for us!" He said.
"Got it. Jolteon, Discharge into the steam!" She yelled.
"Shadow use Earth Power!" Jake said quickly.
Jolteon expelled a massive amount of electricity. The electric current was carried by the steam, aimed straight at Shadow. He let loose a rogue Earth Power, giving him an immunity to the attack, but not before enough of it hit, paralyzing him on contact. Liligant was outside the steam, safe from harm.
"Shadow is paralyzed. His attacks are gonna be pretty easy to dodge from now on, so it's up to you. I'll distract her." Jake whispered to May.
"Gotcha."
"Shadow, use Hydro Pump!"
"Jolteon dodge it!"
Shadow opened his mouth and released a torrent of water at Jolteon, who dodged it with arrogant ease.
"Now Thunderbolt!"
"Liligant, Leaf Storm on Jolteon!"
Jolteon shot a bolt of electricity at Shadow, who was unable to move out of the way in time. He fainted when it struck him, collapsing onto the ground. Liligant then summoned thousands of leaves, and shot them at the distracted Jolteon. The attack hit dead on, sending her flying back. She fell on her side, and struggled to get up.
"Greninja is unable to battle!" Adam declared.
Jake recalled his fallen water type. "Here's your chance." he said.
May nodded. "Liligant, finish with Petal Dance!"
Pink petals were emitted from Liligant's flower, and they spun in a spiral at the struggling electric type. They hit their mark, causing Jolteon to faint.
"Jolteon is unable to battle, Jake and May are the winners!" Adam shouted.
Upon hearing this, applause erupted from the growing crowd.
May recalled Liligant, and she and Jake went to the middle of the field to shake hands with their opponents.
Once they were done, the pairs went their separate ways. Jake and May headed over to the sidelines to see the next match.
Once they got there, they found an open spot and sat down.
"This is fun." Jake remarked.
"Yeah, like I said before, we make an awesome team!"
"We do."
"Vui!" Eevee said as he hopped of Jake's shoulder and onto his lap.
"No, I didn't forget about you. Did you enjoy seeing one of your evolutions battling?"
"Vui. Eevee!"
"You know that could be you, right?" Jake asked as he started scratching Eevee behind the ears.
Eevee glared at him.
"I'm just saying. I'm not gonna force you to do anything you don't want to do, but your Tackle packs a punch. Just look at my arm."
"He's right, you know." May cut in.
"Eevee. Vee!"
"Fair enough."
"What did he say?"
"He said that he'd sleep on it, which basically means no."
"So, who do you think is gonna be our opponents for next round?" May asked as she turned her attention to the ongoing battle.
Jake looked up, and saw four Pokémon dueling it out. On one side, there was a young boy who looked no older than twelve standing next to another boy about the same age. One boy had a Charmeleon, while the other had a Sealeo.
On the other side of the field, a Garchomp was standing in front of an older woman, and next to her was another woman of around the same age, who owned a Dusknoir.
"I'm betting on the two women. They seem to have years of experience on the two boys."
"Yeah, me too. I just hope we can beat them.
"Don't worry. Like you said, we make an awesome team." Jake said with a smile.
May gave him a peck on the cheek. "With that kind of confidence, how can we lose?"
"And it's a double KO! Both Charmeleon and Sealeo have been taken out! Edna and Norma are the winners!" Adam yelled into the microphone. "Be back here in twenty minutes for the final match!"
"I'm just gonna stay here. I see no point in going anywhere." Jake said.
"Can we at least sit in that bench over there? Sitting on the ground hurts my back."
"Sure."
May got up, and was about to head over to the bench, when she saw Jake struggling to get up. "Here, I'll help you up." She said as she held out her hand.
"Thanks." Jake took her hand and allowed her to pull him up, and the two headed over to the bench. Eevee followed close behind, and once the two were seated, he jumped onto their laps, laying down halfway between them.
Jake put his arm around May, and she leaned into his shoulder. The two sat there in silence until it was time for the next match.
"For those of you who don't know, this is the final battle of the Tag Battle Competition. On one side, we have Jake Smith, this year's Hoenn League Champion, along with his girlfriend, last year's Grand Festival winner, May Maple! Please give them a round of applause!" Adam, the MC, said.
Jake and May smiled and waved at the crowd, and numerous applause erupted from it.
"Facing against them, we have Edna Jenkins. Battling alongside her is her sister, Norma Jenkins! Please give them a round of applause!" Adam shouted.
The two sisters waved at the crowd on their cue, receiving applause that rivaled Jake and May's.
"You all know the rules, so release your Pokémon!"
Jake looked at May, who gave him a quick peck on the lips. "For luck." She said.
"Let's do this!" Jake smiled. He reached for a Pokeball on his belt, and threw it. "Blazer, engage!"
Out came the shiny Blaziken, who appeared in a shower of sparkles.
"Blaziken, take the stage!" May shouted.
She threw her Pokeball, and her own Blaziken appeared. She seemed to smile at Blazer, who did the same.
"Infernape, battle stance!" Edna shouted.
The Flame Pokémon appeared in a flash of light, striking a battle ready pose.
"Hydreigon, to my side!" Norma said as she released her Pokémon.
The Brutal Pokémon appeared and roared loudly, causing everyone in the crowd to take a few steps back.
"And we have four powerful Pokémon put red against each other! The Sinnoh Fire Type starter alongside the Unova Pseudo-legendary, pitted against a team of Hoenn fire type starters, one of them being a shiny! This is sure to be an exciting match!" Adam shouted. "Begin!"
"Infernape, Flamethrower on the shiny Blaziken!"
"Hydreigon, Dragon Pulse on the other one!"
"Blazer, run through it with Blaze Rush, and strike with Acrobatics!"
"Blaziken, dispel it with Sky Uppercut!"
Infernape opened her mouth and spewed flames at Blazer. Blazer burst into flames, and ran straight into the attack, taking no damage. He then jumped right in front of Infernape, and started striking her while doing flips. The super effective attack caused Infernape to stop her attack, and instead defend against her opponent's. Meanwhile, Hydreigon shot a green orb out of his middle head at Blaziken. She in turn made her fist glow, and sent it flying up with a punch that went sky high.
"Wait for it, then return to sender with Blaze Kick!"
Blaziken waited until the orb came back down to earth, and sent it flying back at Hydreigon with a fiery kick. It struck him on the head, dealing major damage.
"And we see some of those coordinator skills in action with that clever move!"
Hydreigon roared in anger at being struck by his own attack. He eagerly awaited his trainer's next order.
His wish was granted when Norma called for an Earth Power attack.
Hydreigon's eyes glowed, and the ground began to split underneath him. The cracks continued to where Blaziken was, and a yellow light emerged, dealing damage.
"Blazer, go into Close Combat!"
"You too Infernape!" Edna shouted.
The two fire types started sparring with each other, trading blows in the process. Initially, Infernape had the advantage due to his greater speed, but Blazer quickly gained it thanks to Speed Boost. Finally, he saw an opening, and performed a Low Kick, tripping the simian Pokémon.
"Rock Tomb!" Jake yelled, pressing his advantage.
Blazer complied, and he backed off, stomping a foot into the ground. Rocks appeared around Infernape, trapping her in the process.
"Break out of there!"
"High Jump Kick!"
As Infernape was trying to break free, Blazer leaped into the air and angled his body towards the rocks. As soon as Infernape emerged, she was struck by Blazer's knee, sending her flying back.
She collapsed in a heap, and struggled to get up.
"Finish with Sky Uppercut!" May shouted, sensing a knockout.
Her Blaziken ran up to the fallen fire type, and sent her flying with a glowing fist. Unbeknownst to her, Hydreigon let loose a Dragon Pulse while her back was turned. Blazer noticed this, and ran in front of her, taking the attack dead on.
"Thanks for the save." May said gratefully.
"That was all him. He made that decision on his own." Jake replied.
Finally, Infernape crashed into the ground, defeated.
"Infernape is unable to battle!" Adam declared.
Edna recalled her Pokémon and turned to her sister. "Good luck. These two work really well together."
"Don't worry, I have a plan." Norma replied with a mischievous grin on her face. "Hydreigon, Water Pulse on the non-shiny Blaziken!"
Hydreigon complied, and he shot an orb of water at Blaziken. Blaziken dodged the attack by jumping over it.
"May, she's only going after you, because she saw Blazer take that attack for her. He's powerful, but he can't take that many attacks, especially from something as powerful as a Hydreigon."
"So what do we do?"
Jake whispered his plan to May, making sure Eevee heard, and she agreed.
"I hope this works."
"It will. You two, fall back!"
The two fire types looked at Jake in confusion, but did as Jake asked.
"Alright Eevee, tell them what I have planned."
Eevee started talking in Pokespeak, and the two Kung Fu chickens eagerly agreed.
Unfortunately for Norma, she couldn't understand what the normal type said, and she saw a look of worry on Hydreigon's face.
"Be prepared for anything!" She said.
"Blaziken, close Combat!"
"Counter with Superpower Hydreigon!"
May smiled.
Blaziken bounded towards the dragon type, and started landing punches and kicks on him. He fended her off the best he could by jabbing at her with two glowing heads on his arms. The two Pokémon traded blows, neither giving in an inch. Suddenly, Blazer jumped high into the air and started falling towards the two Pokémon.
"Hydreigon, above you! Look out!" Norma shouted.
Hydreigon looked up,, only to. See a knee slam into his face. Blaziken was standing a few feet away, having backed off when Hydreigon wasn't looking.
Hydreigon roared in pain, and collapsed to the ground.
"Hydreigon is unable to battle, Jake and May re the winners! Please give them a round of applause.
Cheers erupted from the crowd after Adam said this.
Norma recalled her Pokémon, as did Jake and May. The four went to the middle of the field to shake hands.
"Your teamwork is exceptional." Edna remarked.
"Indeed it is. It's been awhile since we've been put into a situation like that."
"Thanks." Both Jake and May said sheepishly.
"You two make a cute couple." Norma said.
Both Jake and May blushed slightly at the comment.
"I have to ask though, what did you do to your arm?"
"Long story short, May played a trick on me, and it backfired."
"Do you think any less of her for that?"
"Of course not. I know it was just an accident."
Edna leaned over to May's ear. "Be good to him, he's a keeper." She whispered.
May blushed at the comment.
Adam then walked up to them, holding two ribbon-like things.
"For winning, I am proud to present you two with your own Focus Sash!" He said, handing one to Jake and May.
"Thanks." They said.
"Have fun you two, enjoy the rest of the ride on this ship. And Jake, good luck in the tournament."
"Thanks."
The group split up, each party going their separate ways.
"So what now?" Jake asked.
"Now we eat."
"I'm with you on that one." Jake said.
"So, what do you want to do after this?" Jake asked as he finished swallowing a bite of his pizza.
"How about the pool?"
"As long as I don't have to 'swim' I should be fine. I just hope this thing is waterproof."
"You should be fine." May said as she took a bite of her Ramen.
"My swim suit is in my bag, so we need to head back to the room."
"Okay."
The two walked into the room, and Jake grabbed his bag from where he left it on the bed, and pulled out a pair of blue swim trunks that had a Pokeball on the right leg. He then headed into the bathroom to change. Fifteen minutes later, he reemerged wearing his swim trunks and nothing else.
"What took you so long?" May asked.
"This damn arm of mine is a pain in the ass to move. I basically have to do everything one handed." Jake replied.
"Sorry."
"Like I said before, don't worry about it. Now go ahead and get changed so we can get to the pool."
"Okay Mr. Bossy pants!" May said with a giggle as she went into the bathroom to change. Five minutes later, she reemerged wearing a red bikini. Jake couldn't help but stare. His hormones took over, and he noticed every curve of her body.
"Like what you see?" May asked with a giggle.
"Yeah. You look great." He said blankly.
"Thanks, you're not too bad looking yourself. Now come on, I wanna swim!" She said as she tugged on his right arm, snapping Jake out of his trance.
"Coming. Come on Eevee, let's go!"
Eevee hopped onto Jake's shoulder. He made sure to grab two towels on the way out.
Once they cleared the room, the couple held hands and headed to the pool. On the way, Jake saw guys stare at May, and he simply smiled.
They finally reached the pool, and Jake put the two towels on a nearby chair. Eevee hopped of Jake's shoulder.
"I'm not gonna be doing much swimming, so I'll stay by the edge of the pool." Jake said.
"Okay!" May then ran and jumped into the pool, splashing Jake in the process.
What has gotten into her? Jake thought as he gently slipped himself into the pool, making sure that his sling wasn't damaged by the water. When it seemed fine, he got in all the way. "Eevee, you coming?"
"Vui!"
"Fair enough. If you change your mind, I'll be right here." Jake said. He turned around to find May wading towards him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something. Turning his head, he saw a boy about the same age as him staring at May, making sure that the boy didn't notice. Jake then grinned. I'm going to hell for this.
"I know you said you wanted to swim, so what's up?" Jake asked.
"Swim, cool off in the water, it's all the same to me." May replied.
Jake put his arm around his girlfriend, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the same teen look shocked. Now I'm really going to hell for this.
May looked at him. "What were you just looking at?" She asked.
"Nothing. I was just thinking about how beautiful you are." Jake replied with a smile.
"Aww." May said as she leaned towards him. Their lips met, and soon they were kissing each other. When they finally broke off, Jake saw a look of anger on the teen's face out of the corner of his eye and smiled. That'll show you not to look at May like that.
"Do you think you'd be able to handle the water slide at least?" May asked.
"Only one way to find out."
The two got out of the pool, and headed over to where the water slide was. When they got there, they noticed that it was for two people at a time.
"Do you wanna go in front, or should I?" Jake asked.
"You go in front. That way you can break my fall!" May teased.
"Okay."
The two got in line, which wasn't very long. Before they knew it, it was their turn to go. Jake sat down, and May sat down behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. After receiving the all clear signal from the lifeguard, Jake pushed off, and they began to slide. Halfway down, May gripped Jake tighter, causing him to blush slightly. Before they knew it, they reached the exit.
Jake splashed down first, quickly followed by May.
Jake surfaced first, followed closely by May. Unfortunately for Jake, the force of his impact to the water hurt his arm, and he had to hold it to contain the pain. He started wading over to the side of the pool with May right next to him.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"Not really. I can tell you that I'm not doing that again." Jake answered.
The two reached the side, and Jake leaned back. "If you wanna swim, go ahead. I'll stay here and watch."
"You sure?"
"Go for it."
"If you say so."
Jake watched as his girlfriend swam off to do a few laps. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
I ended the chapter there for a reason, consider it as somewhat of a cliffhanger.
Shizuka Taiyou: I know it's 18 chapters later, but I finally wrote that double battle that you wanted to see with Jake and May's Blaziken. I hope you liked it.
As for everyone else, hope you enjoyed the chapter. I feel like I should say something about the injury. As much as I love writing Jake as a character, I feel like I had to do something sooner or later to make sure that I don't portray him as the perfect person (which, after reading through this, I can see why people might think that). He's not perfect, just better than a lot of other trainers out there. The injury is kind of inspired by one that I have of my own, as I have to wear a boot for the next week+. Different body parts, but both hinder in their own way.
Also, I kinda broke the one-battle-per-chapter rule that I set for myself earlier, but since I wrote each one on a different day, I don't think that they were lacking. Just don't expect 5 battles in one chapter again (chapter 9?), that was too much.
I'm still accepting FCs, so if you want to add mine, go to my profile and follow the instructions there. I haven't mentioned this recently, but the poll is still open, and will be for another few weeks.
If you get the reference to Nightmare the Gengar, you are awesome.
That's all I have for today, so as always, read and review everyone!