Chapter 3:
I look across the battlefield at Elin and his Palpitoad. I had underestimated them. Now my Gourgeist is constantly suffering at the hands of poison and is hindered further by a coating of mud over its eyes. I want to use the natural advantage Gourgeist has over Palpitoad while I still can. It's just a question of how. My attempt to prolong the battle with Leech Seed had backfired. I now have to act quickly.
"Flame Charge," I order.
The fire from inside Gourgeist erupts from its mouth and envelopes its body. Covered in flames, Gourgeist rushes towards Palpitoad. Palpitoad easily jumps to the side to avoid it. I don't care though. Hitting Palpitoad was never my intention. As the flames die down and retreat back into Gourgeist, it is revealed that my plan has worked. The mud covering Gourgeist has dried up and been burned away. My Pokémon is now moving more freely too.
"Palpitoad, Muddy Water," Elin commands.
"Seed Bomb barrage!" I respond.
Palpitoad takes in a deep breath. When it exhales, a torrent of filthy water pours out. Gourgeist stands its ground and launches its attack. The first seed reaches the dirty wave and explodes, halting the advance of the attack and spraying it wildly in all directions. More seeds proceed to rain down on Palpitoad, exploding on contact. Palpitoad topples over after several hits and the crowd applauds.
I check my Battle Gear. It isn't over just yet. Gourgeist is running out of time. I have to finish this quickly.
"Gourgeist, Phantom Force," I shout to my Pokémon. It nods back to me before shrouding itself in a shadowy aura and vanishing.
"Palpitoad, get up and watch out," Elin says.
Palpitoad jumps back to its feet and frantically looks around. There is no sign of Gourgeist anywhere. It didn't see Gourgeist vanish so is now looking rather confused. This is my opportunity.
"Now!" I shout.
Gourgeist suddenly reappears behind Palpitoad and slams into it. The shadowy aura adds to the impact and Palpitoad is tossed forwards where it lands on its face. I check my Battle Gear and it confirms that was all Palpitoad could take. The referee declares Palpitoad unable to battle as Elin returns it to his Poké Ball. The crowd erupts in cheers and applause. The spectacle of coming from behind is always something the crowd likes.
I now wait to see what Elin chooses to finish off Gourgeist with. It shouldn't take much at this point. He takes a moment to decide. He could be weighing up his options or just stalling for time and letting Gourgeist weaken.
"Go, Gliscor," he says, "use Ice Fang."
His second Pokémon appears and immediately launches itself into its attack. Gliscor flies toward Gourgeist with its teeth ready to clamp down. Gliscor's teeth sparkle an icy blue as it gets closer.
"Flame Charge," I order in response.
Gourgeist is consumed by flames again. This time it doesn't move. Gliscor simply continues its attack and collides with the wall of fire. I don't see a successful bite in the brief coming together as both Pokémon bundle over. The flames quickly extinguish themselves and the two Pokémon pick themselves up. I notice water dripping from Gliscor's mouth. As hoped, the icy layer created for the attack had melted.
"Will-o-Wisp!" I order, seeing an opening.
Gliscor is busy wiping its mouth dry and getting back into the air. Gourgeist's flame turns purple and multiplies. Soon Gliscor is surrounded by small purple fires and tries to escape as they converge on it. The attack hits and Gliscor's body is badly burnt. It is the final move Gourgeist can make though as it keels over, the poison proving too much for it to handle.
I return Gourgeist to its ball and make a note to thank it later. It went through a lot to put me in a commanding position in the battle. Palpitoad had been dealt with and Gliscor has taken damage that can't be ignored. I know how to exploit the burn too and intend to do so.
"Go, Milotic!"
"Alright Gliscor, Swords Dance," Elin says.
Gliscor begins to twirl in the air, performing an elaborate dance known to sharpen a Pokémon offensive skills. Elin's preparing to go all out on Milotic now. His final choice probably isn't a favourable matchup either. I have just the trick.
"Aqua Ring," I say calmly.
My calmness throws Elin off slightly. He is obviously worried that I have a plan. My calmness was a move more for Milotic's benefit. I want to reassure it that I know what I'm doing. The decision to make a defensive move in this situation, rather than capitalising on Gliscor's setting up, requires trust between a trainer and Pokémon.
Milotic nods and creates a circle of refreshing water that surrounds it and gradually rotates, constantly soothing it.
"Strike it down with X Scissor," Elin commands confidently.
Gliscor crosses its arms and flies over to Milotic, ready to strike. Milotic stands firm and lets Gliscor approach. I don't say a thing. Gliscor gets in close and swipes its claws in an X shape across Milotic. Both Pokémon cry out in desperate pain.
"What happened?" Elin asks.
"Gliscor collided with Aqua Ring, cold water on a burn like that," I say and flinch slightly at the thought.
The burn is visibly healing but Gliscor has taken a lot of damage from it. Meanwhile, Aqua Ring is gradually healing Milotic.
"Now, Scald," I say and Elin looks horrified as he realises what I'm doing.
Milotic twists and raises its head up to attack. It rears its head back and then launches a stream of boiling hot water. The water strikes Gliscor's burnt body and it falls to the floor writhing in pain. Elin is panic stricken and doesn't know how to act.
"Unless Gliscor can attack from range, Aqua Ring will finish him off next time you attack," I say confidently, "Milotic, Recover."
Milotic gladly obliges to heal itself. It glows with light and when the light fades, all signs of damage from Gliscor's attack are gone. Gliscor meanwhile, continues to suffer on the floor. The crowd has quietened down at the sight of it. I then realise how horrific the move I have made is. Gliscor is in immense pain and slowly reaching the end of what it can take. If it attacks, it will be in even more pain.
"Stop it!" Elin cries out and hold out his Poké Ball, "Gliscor concedes!"
Gliscor disappears into the ball where its torment will come to an end. Elin grips the ball in his hand and stares at it. The experience has seriously distressed him. I can tell that he feels very close to his Pokémon and he felt the pain I had put it through.
The crowd begins to boo. At first, I think it is because Elin returned his Pokémon defeated early. Then I realise that they are booing me. I lose my confident stance as the noise rings in my ears. I am now the villain. No one wants me to win anymore. I curse Shaw under my breath for convincing me to take this battle seriously. I've come too far now. I am not going to give up. If the crowd are to get the revenge they want, Elin is going to have to give it to them. There will be no surrender on moral grounds.
"Go, Tyrantrum!" Elin shouts with an air of determination about him.
Elin's third and final Pokémon towers over me and I am glad my position in the battle is as commanding as it is. The thing is enormous. It'll take a lot to take it down and it will likely do a lot of damage before I can.
"Milotic, Ice Beam!" I shout quickly.
Milotic can probably detect the panic in my voice, but doesn't falter. A blast of light blue strikes Tyrantrum and it staggers back slightly. It has taken some damage but shakes it off. Angered by the hit, Tyrantrum lowers itself down towards Milotic and lets out an ear-splitting roar. The resulting wind blows my hair and clothes about. The whole thing leaves me a bit disorientated. It feels like my body is trying to resist the outside influences that would wake me up and I'm getting sluggish.
"Tyrantrum, Crunch," Elin orders.
Tyrantrum charges. The pounding of its feet shake the ground. Tyrantrum opens its jaw and bears down on Milotic. Milotic is able to squirm away just in time and Tyrantrum comes crashing to the ground having bitten through thin air.
"Scald," I call out.
Milotic unleashes more boiling water, striking the vulnerable Tyrantrum in the face. Tyrantrum does not take it well and thrashes out. Milotic is struck as the dinosaur Pokémon flails about and is thrown across the battlefield, landing in a heap. The attack has finally disrupted Aqua Ring as well. Milotic is in a bad way.
"Earthquake," Elin roars triumphantly and the crowds cheers, knowing what's coming.
Tyrantrum throws itself to the ground with all its might. Dust is flung up from the battlefield and shock waves ripple through the stadium. I lose my balance almost immediately and land on my back.
The dust settles and I get a look at my Battle Gear. Milotic has been defeated. Slowly, I pull myself to my feet. Tyrantrum is getting up with considerably more ease than I am. Milotic is not moving at it. It simply lets out a soft whine. I return Milotic and reach for my final Poké Ball. My advantage has disappeared just like that. The tables are turning and Elin and the crowd may get the revenge on me they so desperately desire.
"Go, Crobat!"
I then proceed to yawn very loudly. That definitely won't help my image. It'll make me seem like this match is effortless for me when, in truth, I am actually just very tired. Crobat seems so small compared to Tyrantrum. Milotic has done a good amount of damage, it's just a question of if Crobat can finish the job. I worry that it can't.
"Stone Edge," Elin says. He is now the confident one.
Tyrantrum slams a foot into the ground and spiked stones erupt from the battlefield. Crobat flies away to avoid them. I then have to pay attention to where they fall. A sidestep allows me to avoid being hit by one that got too close. Avoiding Tyrantrum seems like the only thing I can do. I just need a way of damaging it. It seems poison will have to be my answer again.
"Toxic!"
Elin's lumbering giant can't easily avoid and is coated into toxic sludge. I check my Battle Gear. It might take a while to wear Tyrantrum down. Crobat is still in top condition so has a chance of being able to evade attacks for long enough.
"Dragon Claw," Elin says. He still sounds confident.
Tyrantrum swipes at the sky. Crobat dodges. Tyrantrum swipes again. Crobat is not so lucky this time and is clipped. I spot a tear in its wing. It's not going to be able to fly properly. I have no idea how it will handle the rest of the tournament either. This is no time to dwell on that prospect though, I have to win first.
"Use Toxic to blind it!" I shout.
Ordinarily, using Toxic after successfully poisoning something would be of little worth. However, if Crobat can hit its target then it could salvage its chance of winning. The sludge hits it mark. Tyrantrum's eyes are covered. Tyrantrum starts to thrash again. Elin tries to command it and direct where it needs to attack, but it doesn't listen. It flails wildly, both trying to attack and clear its vision. Both fail. Crobat's flight is slow and lopsided, but it is not difficult to stay out of danger.
I look at Tyrantrum's bar on my Battle Gear. I will it to keep dropping. It seems to be going down faster than I expected though. I look back to the rampaging monster to find it striking itself in attempts to knock away the sludge from its eyes. Then it happens. Tyrantrum trips over its own legs and crashes to the ground. There is nothing left for it to do but groan loudly and wait for the inevitable.
My Battle Gear flashes. It is over.
"And the winner is… Holly Wexler!" the announcer declares.
There is a lot of applause, recognising my victory, but very little cheering. After how I had battled, I was not who they wanted to win.
The battle is finally over. All of my worries fade and I can relax. I am so tired now. I want to celebrate, but I want to sleep even more. The last of my strength slips away and I collapse. I lie on the floor in the dust for a moment before I finally drift off.