Only a short time later, I found myself staring nervously at the diagram that demonstrated the way the battles were supposed to run for the entire competition. It was definitely a unique system, that was for sure. Competitor one would battle competitor two, and competitor three would battle competitor four, and the winner from the battle between competitors one and two would battle the winner from competitors three and four, and so on and so forth. This pattern would operate over two heats until the twenty competitors would be whittled down to the top five. At this point, the entire system would be changed. The top three battlers, as judged by an independent judging panel, that had been eliminated in the earlier heats, would be brought back, bringing the total number of competitors to eight. The next heat would halve that, giving four competitors, then again it would halve, revealing the top two. Then the top two would battle it out for the championships. It was a completely confusing and alien concept to me, and I struggled to get my head around it. I had never seen a system worked like this before…
"But that means…" Nikki was looking on in abject horror as she consulted the battling diagram, running her long fingers along the paper tacked to the wall. "That means they eliminate half the competition in one heat! Even with the three that get to come back, there are lots of trainers that are only gonna get one battle!"
I found myself wincing at just the thought of it. "Only one battle…" I murmured to myself, staring at the empty slots of the battle diagram, feeling my palms beginning to get sweaty. "I hope I manage a little more than that…" My shaky voice seemed to dissipate into the muffled silence, and I sort of wished I could disappear alongside with it…
"Talking to yourself again?"
The noise of a voice in my ear made me jump, and I whipped around straight away in search of its source. Upon turning around, I literally came nose-to-nose with someone. Someone with a familiar wicked smile, a mischievous look and a trademark blue cap.
"Crow!" I cried at once,
He tipped his hat to me with another cheeky smile. I returned the smile, but before I could engage him in conversation, I realised he wasn't alone. There was a girl standing by his side. She looked horribly nervous, hiding behind a curtain of wavy brown curls and a sweeping fringe, her large hazel eyes wide behind a pair of dark purple glasses. She had such an expression of fear and worry that it actually made me wince. She looked like this was the last place on earth she wanted to be, almost like she'd love to shrink into the folds of the purple fitted jacket she was wearing.
The purple fitted jacket caught my attention, sparking a memory I had buried somewhere at the back of my mind. I recognised this girl! I had seen her before. I'd seen Crow talking to her earlier on in the day, and this was the exact same girl I'd almost hit in the face with my fishing rod during the third preliminary! My mouth swung open, my first instinct to hastily apologise for my antics, but Crow was speaking before I could say anything.
"Good to see you made it, Sienna. And your friends too, I presume…?" he smiled, indicating with an almost lazy wave of his hand to the throng of people congregating behind me. I glanced back at them, but they were all too preoccupied with their own devices to notice I wasn't around.
Despite it, I still smiled. "Yeah, we all made it,"
It was then that he seemed to remember the presence of the highly nervous and uncomfortable looking girl standing by his side, and he laughed, his laugh surprisingly light and good-natured. "Ah, where are my manners. Sienna, meet Robyn. Robyn, this is Sienna," He said smoothly, immediately oozing charm and sophistication the second he opened his mouth.
I offered the nervous girl a smile. "Robyn, huh? Nice to meet you,"
"… y-you too," she stuttered.
At a loss for what to say to her, I replied with the only thing that came to my mind. "Uhh, s-sorry about almost hitting you with my fishing rod earlier…" I apologised meekly.
"Oh!" her eyes widened a little. "Oh, no, don't worry about it. It was an accident, after all…"
"What's this, Sienna?" Crow cocked an eyebrow at me in mock amusement. "You're going around trying to knock out the other competitors? Literally?"
"No!" I protested at once, but then I caught sight of the wicked grin on Crow's face. He was only teasing. I realised this with some degree of foolishness and couldn't help a slight blush spreading across my cheeks. I compensated by letting out a haughty sigh and folding my arms in the best imitation of anger that I could. This however, seemed to make Crow laugh even more.
"Gotcha," he said with a wink, before suddenly becoming official again. "Well, ladies." He said seriously. "What do you make of the competition?"
Robyn's eyes went wide behind her glasses. "S-some of these people scare me…"
"Me too," I admitted, wincing slightly
Crow seemed to find our hesitation and apprehension quite amusing, and chuckled to himself quite merrily. "Well I don't think—"
"Ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer suddenly bellowed out, cutting Crow completely off in his tracks. I noticed a lot of other people turning very irked faces in the announcer's direction. Looks like I wasn't the only one getting close to strangling him with my bare hands. "If you would all, yes, if you would all like to line up, you may take your number which will determine your opponents for the first heat!
On the announcer's instructions, all the competitors formed a haphazard line up to the desk. Somehow I ended up squashed in between Elliot and Crow. In the midst of the claustrophobic surroundings, Elliot reached behind him to squeeze my hand. I was incredibly thankful for this, as the nerves had set back in with a vengeance.
I had to crane my neck to see as the first person stepped up to draw their number. I recognised her immediately as the perpetually cheery and happy Hikaru. Who couldn't fail to remember her, after all? The explosion of colour she called an "outfit" almost guaranteed her a spot in your memory.
After a few tense moments, the announcer was crying out again. "And Hikaru Brown has drawn, yes, Hikaru Brown has drawn spot number 14!"
Things moved remarkably quickly and painlessly from that point on. Following Hikaru, competitor Zack Hennessy, now famous for catching a Magikarp with his bare hands, took his number. He drew number 4, and shuffled to his corresponding place, looking slightly dazed at the whole procedure. Luca was up next, drawing number 10. Sam followed, drawing number 7. The boy who had had the problems with the Rattata in the second preliminary, Chaison Coffman, took number 19. Melinda was next, drawing number 1. Then, one of our own, Scott, stepped up and drew number 6. Next was the tiny little girl with the red dress, who was named Alicia Nakamura. She drew number 20.
"So that Chaison guy and that Alicia are battling…" I heard Crow murmur from behind me. "Interesting…"
Nikki was up next after Alicia. She looked positively terrified as she drew number 17 and took her place. Following on from her, it was Elliot's turn, and I let out a little murmur of worry as his hand left mine. He drew number 12.
Then it was my turn. My legs felt like jelly and my hands were shaking as I went up and pulled out a number, hardly able to look anyone in the eyes. Number 16 stared back at me in thick black font. This meant my opponent hadn't been determined yet. I wasn't sure if I was glad of this or not. I was also conscious of the fact that although I had somehow managed to avoid battling someone like Elliot, Scott or Nikki, I wasn't out of danger yet. Bailey and Jasmine were still to draw numbers, and people like Jade Black and Natsuki Ikebana were also still waiting in the wings…
Crow was next, pulling out number 2 with a sort of effortless nonchalance. He'd be facing Melinda. He even stopped to shake her hand and tip his hat to her in his usual charming way, making her fluster and blush slightly.
I was too busy watching this exchange between Melinda and Crow that I didn't even notice as the next competitor came up to draw their number. My attention was immediately drawn however, when the announcer excitedly called out:
"And Robyn Collier has drawn number… 15!"
My heart gave an ominous twist and sunk to somewhere in my stomach. I whipped my head around, my mouth hanging open as I saw that shy girl that Crow had introduced me to now making her way towards the number 15 spot.
"Fifteen!" I thought in horror. "No… but number fifteen is my opponent! I have to fight Robyn!"
She took her place next to me, looking nervous again. "It… it looks like… we're battling each other, huh?" she murmured, her voice that soft and shy that I could barely pick up on what she was saying.
I could say nothing more than "L-looks like it…"
Despite my horror at discovering who my opponent was, I had no option but to stay quiet as the proceedings carried on. After Robyn, it was the turn of Natsuki Ikebana, the girl whose very presence made me feel nervous and uneasy. She drew number 3. Celeste, the girl who had clung onto second place throughout the entire of the preliminaries, looked perfectly calm as she drew number 9, but I saw Luca, whose opponent she was to be, look terrified as she stepped up next to him.
The room went completely silent as Jade Black pulled out a number. For a long, tense moment, everyone seemed to hold their breath as Jade studied the number he had been given, then held it up for the announcer to see. Number 8. I could practically feel the sigh of relief some of the other trainers exerted as they realised they wouldn't be battling him. I felt inherently sorry for that sweet girl, Sam, who had the misfortune of being Jade's opponent. However, while Sam certainly looked a little nervous, she also had a look of fierce determination on her face. I suddenly got the feeling she was going to give Jade a run for his money…
With the majority of people now with an opponent, the tension in the room rose once again as the final competitors stepped forward. Bailey was next, looking calm as ever, even when he pulled out unlucky number 13, giving him Hikaru Brown as an opponent.
Jasmine was next. I clenched my hands, wondering who she'd end up battling. There were still three of our own party still without opponents (Elliot, Nikki and Scott), and the only other options were Evan and Grey. None of the options looked particularly favourable…
But my worst fear and the worst possible outcome was confirmed. She pulled out number 18. Her opponent was going to be Nikki. As soon as both girls realised this, they both looked horrified. Nikki let out a cry of despair and sunk her head in her hands, and I had strong suspicion she had burst into tears. Jasmine's face dropped, then twisted in annoyance, before creasing in a rare glimpse of sadness. She made her way to stand beside Nikki, her head bowed, refusing to make eye contact.
With Jasmine now paired up, there were only two remaining trainers: Evan Garfunkel and Grey Thomas. Unfortunately for them, the only people left were Elliot and Scott. I almost didn't dare breathe as Grey pulled out Scott as an opponent, leaving Evan to battle against Elliot.
It was at that moment that someone swept in, pinning a large sheet of paper to the wall next to the announcer. The announcer consulted the sheet for a moment, before turning to all us competitors, a beaming smile spreading across his portly face. "So, ladies and gentlemen!" he cried, sounding like he was positively on top of the world. "We have, yes, we have our final heat results!"
Almost immediately, everyone descended on the sheet that had been pinned up. Out of curiosity, I too pushed my way straight to the sheet. It read:
Heat One Battles
Melinda Hughes v. Crow Arabesque
Natsuki Ikebana v. Zack Hennessey
Grey Thomas v. Scott Harper
Sam v. Jade Black
Celeste Archos v. Luca Hollingsworth
Evan Gerald Garfunkel v. Elliot Wood
Bailey Gray v. Hikaru Brown
Robyn Collier v. Sienna Volbeda
Nikki Harper v. Jasmine Moore
Chaison Coffman v. Alicia Nakamura
Seeing it all in black and white made things even more scary and unbelievable. As I scanned the sheet, the thoughts of some of the battles made me both quiver with a strange sort of fear, but at the same time feel a jolt of eager anticipation.
"There are some really, uh, interesting match-ups here, huh…?" I murmured aloud to no-one in particular.
There was silence. No-one responded to me. When I turned around to try and figure out why, I saw a near hysterical Nikki being comforted by Elliot and Bailey, and a stony-faced Jasmine arguing with the announcer, while Scott watched the whole procedure with a look of mild irritation. My heart sunk to somewhere in my stomach…
"They're not taking the news they're battling each other that well, are they…?" Grey suddenly appeared by my side, also looking a little nervous.
"They're best friends. We're best friends, the three of us…" I sighed sadly. "I had a feeling someone was going to end up battling someone they didn't like…"
"Hey, at least you're not battling Scott," Grey said with a nervous chuckle. "Word around here is that he's someone to watch…"
"That he is," I murmured.
We had no more time to talk however, as the announcer suddenly swept back into the room, giving us instructions to make our way to the Violet City Gym, where the battles would be held.
We made our way there in a strange, solemn silence. No-one from our group spoke. Not even the perpetually cheerful Bailey looked remotely interested in opening his mouth, choosing instead to alternate between casting concerned looks to a still upset Nikki and a still fuming Jasmine. I sighed in worry, clinging onto Elliot's hand like a little child, praying that things would somehow work out okay…
Upon reaching the intimidating and scarily tall building of the Gym, instead of being lead straight into the main battling arena like I assumed we would, the group was split. The competitors holding odd numbers were split from those holding the even numbers, in order to separate opponents. This of course didn't apply to Crow and Melinda who were ushered away into the depths of the gym as they were battling first. Myself, Zack, Scott, Jade, Luca, Elliot, Hikaru, Jasmine and Alicia were very quickly separated from the others, and led through a chain of corridors and up several very long flights of steps, before emerging in a balcony that looked down over the entire gym. The next thing I noticed was that there was no roof to this Gym! Everything was completely open to the skies. As an unexpected cold wind hit me, I breathed in sharply and let out an instinctive gasp. I glanced to the side and realised that I could see part of the city all set out and rolling into the horizon as far as the eye could see. We must have been so high up!
"Sienna, look at all the people…" I heard Jasmine say in an unusually hushed voice from next to me.
"Whoa…" I said in awe as I too caught sight of the bleachers and stands. A sea of faces and interlocking slabs of colours were reflected back at me, and the noises of a buzzing crowd reached my ears. It looked like every single seat in those stands were filled. There could easily have been hundreds of people there.
All here to watch the battles…
Suddenly, I felt physically sick.
I didn't get a chance to think about it any longer as all of a sudden, with a screech of the microphone, the announcer was back, silencing the excited crowd with one word.
"Welcome! Yes, welcome to the annual Violet City battling tournament! We have twenty, yes, twenty exciting competitors to showcase to you today! It promises, yes, it promises to be an exciting competition!"
Ecstatic cheers burst out. When the applause finally died down, the announcer continued with a beaming smile.
"So, without further ado, yes, without further ado, we shall begin the first heat! For our first battle, yes, the first battle, please welcome Melinda Hughes from Sunnyshore City!"
The crowd cheered and applauded as Melinda nervously appeared from the dugouts on the left side of the battlefield. As her face flashed up on the giant overhead screens, I couldn't help but notice she looked nervous, twisting a lock of her bronze hair around her long fingers. She took her place, still looking nervous. I applauded as loudly as I could, hoping to at least give her some manner of confidence.
"And she will be battling Crow Arabesque from Violet City!"
Crow strode confidently from the right hand side dug-outs, right underneath us, looking totally unfazed at the cheering crowds. He even stopped to wave, almost like a celebrity would wave at an adoring public. However, when he reached his spot opposite Melinda, he removed his hat and dropped into a small bow, before shooting her a dazzling smile.
"Now before the round begins, I have, yes, I have an announcement!" the announcer was shouting into the microphone, instantly silencing the crowd. "Due to time constraints, the first heat, yes, the first heat will be reduced to only two-on-two matches! So this means, yes, this means, that the first trainer to lose two Pokemon, yes, two Pokemon will be eliminated!"
"What?" I cried, as the balcony we were standing in also exploded in protests from the other trainers. "Only two-on-two?"
"They're testing us even more," Jasmine said, coming to stand by me as I leaned over the balcony. "You noticed they never asked us to tell them our Pokemon teams, so the opponents have no way of knowing what we have… and we have no way of knowing what they have. And then they expect us to pick what we consider to be our best two, without even seeing our opponent's Pokemon…"
I grimaced. "They really do like to torture us, huh?"
Our discussion was completely interrupted as at that point, the battle began. A strange, solemn quiet ran through the entire Gym as the two trainers faced off against each other. Melinda, looking nervous and slightly jittery, Crow, looking calm and sophisticated.
At that point, I didn't know who I was rooting for more…
Melinda moved first, nocking a Pokeball from her belt and throwing it high into the air, with a cry of "Tweety, let's go!"
Her Pokemon, Tweety, turned out to be a Togekiss. I let out an awed gasp as the Pokemon floating serenely into the middle of the battlefield, eyeing Crow. Crow's face betrayed no emotions as he too released a Pokemon.
"Gienah, you're up!"
Gienah turned out to be a Ninjask, that flitted around the battlefield energetically, moving at such a fast speed I could barely focus on it. Attempting to focus on it actually made me feel mildly dizzy…
"And the first match is Togekiss versus Ninjask, yes, Togekiss versus Ninjask! There will be no time limit, no substitutions, and no use of items!"
"No substitutions?" I gasped at the announcer's words. "And no items! Seriously!"
"You may begin!"
The battle wasted no time in getting started. No sooner had the word "begin" left the announcer's mouth, Crow jumped into action, immediately ordering a Double Team. Within seconds, the entire battlefield was flooded with copies of the Ninjask, leaving Melinda looking flustered and the Togekiss looking alarmed.
She bravely fought back, ordering her Togekiss to use a Sky Attack. But the Ninjask clones were too fast for even the Togekiss to hit, and the move proved completely ineffective. Crow, seeing his opportunity, ordered Gienah the Ninjask to use X-Scissor. The move was a direct hit, sending an injured Togekiss spiralling across the battlefield until it hit the ground.
Melinda gasped, looking horrified as her Pokemon struggled to get back up again. But there was a sense of renewed determination in her eyes, as she ordered another attack. This time, the Extremespeed she ordered was fast enough, and Tweety the Togekiss dashed across the battlefield, taking out every single Ninjask clone, before eventually finding the real one, and damaging it. Crow looked a little shocked, and ordered a Swords Dance in retaliation, giving his Pokemon a sharp boost in its attacking power. Subsequently, when the next ordered X-Scissor hit, the Togekiss was barely able to stand up to it. It was at this point that Melinda recalled her Togekiss, looking dejected.
With the score now standing at one win to Crow, the pressure was on Melinda now. If she lost the next battle, she would be eliminated from the competition completely. I saw her face twist in concern and worry on the overhead screen, as she reached for the Pokeball at the back of her belt.
Her voice rose loud and clear above the deathly silence. "Lucia! Let's go!"
Lucia turned out to be a Jolteon. A Jolteon that send a look of unmistakable worry over Crow's face as his Ninjask flitted around his head. Melinda wasted no time, ordering an Agility to bring her Jolteon up to maximum speed, allowing it to zoom up right in front of the Ninjask, delivering a close-range Thunderbolt that proved fatal for the Bug type. It didn't stand a chance. After barely a minute of battling, frazzled and completely burnt out, the Ninjask dropped to the ground, evening the score at one win apiece.
Lucia the Jolteon puffed up its spiky fur in pride as Crow recalled his Ninjask. At this point, I noticed here was soft conversation going on between the two trainers that I couldn't pick out, despite the deathly silence of the crowd, and no matter how hard I strained my ears. I desperately wanted to know what they were saying to each other…
After a short conversation, the battle resumed. Crow's hand slowly moved towards his belt and he plucked out a Pokeball, spun it on his finger and released it in one fluid movement. "Go, Deneb!"
Deneb turned out to be a Breloom, whose initial rather carefree look immediately melted away to be replaced with a look of steadfast determination as soon as it spotted the Jolteon standing across the battlefield. Crow ordered his Deneb to start straight away, bombarding the Jolteon with a barrage of powerful Seed Bombs. However, Melinda had Lucia the Jolteon use Agility once again, to speed straight up to the attacking Pokemon, nailing it with a close range Iron Tail. Deneb was wounded from the attack, but fought back, delivering a Focus Punch while the Jolteon was still close by.
The two Pokemon carried on like this for quite some time, exchanging blows whenever either opponent dared to get too close. I was hanging over the railings, my heart thudding, watching both trainer's expressions. Crow never seemed to lose his cool as he issued attack after attack, but Melinda was showing signs of stress. Her Jolteon's movements became erratic as she faltered, until eventually, she made a fatal error…
Crow called for a Spore attack, and Melinda called for Extremespeed at exactly the same time. The Jolteon couldn't even slow down, much less stop, and ran straight into the spores, instantly paralysed. The poor Jolteon was a sitting duck for a barrage of Focus Punches and Seed Bombs, and the Pokemon simply couldn't stand up to it, passing out after a few agonising minutes of complete bombardment.
I didn't know how to react or how I should feel when I saw a crushed Melinda recall her down-and-out Jolteon, accepting her loss with a handshake from Crow. I wasn't sure if I should be happy that Crow, just as much my friend as Melinda was, had won, or upset that Melinda had lost…
Before we knew it, it was time for the second battle.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, yes, now we begin the second battle! Please welcome Natsuki Ikebana from Lavender Town!"
My eyes automatically fell on Natsuki as she slowly glided onto the battleground. As she moved, an eerie hush fell over the entire gym. Even the announcer looked a little intimidated as she moved closer to him. The camera zoomed in on her face and I caught a look of almost steely resolve reflected in her scarily light eyes…
"And Zack Henessey from Cerulean City!"
It took a few moments for a dazed looking Zack to wander onto the battlefield. He didn't even look like he had completely registered where he was yet as he ambled slowly towards his starting point, his eyes ever-so-slightly glazed over…
Once the order was given for the battle to being, Natsuki Ikebana moved first. With an almost indecipherable movement, the merest flick of her skinny wrist, she released her first Pokemon, which was one I had never seen before! This Pokemon, which resembled a floating candle, had the nickname Angel, but that was all I could tell about it. I didn't know its type, much less its species name…
Zack looked just as flummoxed by his opponent's Pokemon as I felt, and he dithered for a long time before releasing a rather serious looking Golduck into the fray. I noticed Natsuki's expression change, only slightly, on the overhead screen. I tensed. I had the feeling this was going to be interesting.
Again, Natsuki claimed first movement. Her voice was piercing, rising effortlessly above the silence. "Angel, use Smog!"
The Smog attack took almost immediate effect on the Golduck, the effects of poison instantly hitting the duck Pokemon. But Zack wasn't one to be deterred, having his Golduck fight back with a Water Pulse, followed by particularly nasty Surf. This, to my complete shock, KO'd the strange Pokemon that Natsuki called Angel. Just like that. Over, within a few short minutes.
"No contest, really."
I almost jumped six feet in the air as the voice sounded next to me. As I turned, I caught sight of a mess of blonde hair and a billowing cloak, and my heart sunk. Jade Black was standing literally only feet away from me. I nervously glanced behind me, looking for my friends, but everyone was clustered at the other edge of the balcony, intently watching the battle. I swallowed a lump the size of a walnut. I had no choice but to speak to him
"What do you mean…?" I asked hoarsely.
"I don't know why she opened with such a weak Pokemon," he said, somewhat scathingly. "A Fire type didn't stand a chance against that Golduck anyway."
"That's a Fire type?"
Jade surveyed me, his piercing blue eyes seeming to stare straight through me. "Of course. Dual Fire and Ghost, if you want to be technical."
"A Ghost type, huh…?" I murmured, taking my attention off Jade for a moment and refocusing on Natsuki. I fought the urge to facepalm in embarrassment as the proverbial light bulb snapped on above my head. How had I not seen that before…? It was so obvious now. That girl and Ghost Pokemon just seemed to fit together.
My theory was proven right as Natsuki released a second Ghost type, this one a Misdreaveus to take on Zack's Golduck. I turned around, looking for Jade again, wondering what had prompted him to speak to me, but instead was faced with the comparably more smiley and unthreatening face of the young girl with the red dress and pigtails who I now knew to be named Alicia Nakamura.
"Good battles, huh?" she cried excitedly, as the clash of Misdreaveus and Golduck got underway down on the battleground.
I could only nod.
Zack's Golduck proved to be an unfortunate easy target for Natsuki's Misdreaveus. The maniacal looking Ghost type got straight in with a perfectly aimed Confuse Ray, stopping the Golduck completely in its tracks, leaving it a wide open target for a double whammy of Psywave and Shadow Ball.
Zack recalled his Golduck, sending out a wickedly fast Staraptor to take charge instead. My initial gut feeling told me that Zack would have the edge here, but I was proven completely wrong. Misdreaveus took out the bird Pokemon in almost exactly the same fashion it had taken out the Golduck, and in record time…
The funny thing was that Zack didn't even look remotely bothered in the face of his defeat. He merely shrugged, recalled his Staraptor, and ambled back into the dugout, not even pausing to shake hands with Natsuki. I don't even think he registered the fact she was even there. I blinked at his retreating back, a look of confusion no doubt spreading over my face.
"Well…" I murmured, at a complete loss. "He took that well,"
"Too well," Jasmine grumbled from nearby.
With the battle between Zack and Natsuki coming to an abrupt end, it was time for the third battle to begin. It marked the first time one of our own party would enter the battlefield. I was strangely a bundle of nerves as I watched Scott leave the balcony and disappear from sight down the stairs. After a few tense moments, he and his opponent Grey appeared at opposite ends of the battleground.
"For our next battle, yes, for our next battle, please welcome Scott Harper of Fuchsia City! And Grey Thomas from Blackthorn City!"
"This one is going to be interesting, huh?" I remarked to Elliot, who to my surprise, looked very nervous to be watching this particular battle.
He nodded in reply, his eyes never leaving the battlefield as the two young men squared off against each other. The announcer barely had time to issue the rules for the battle before Scott and Grey were both pulling out Pokeballs and had released their first Pokemon.
My jaw dropped as soon as the Pokemon were revealed. "You… can't be serious…?"
On Grey's side, a massive Snorlax stood rather unsteadily on its feet, its bleary tired eyes barely looking like they were focused. On Scott's side was a Rhydon, almost as big, fierce and intimidating looking as the Snorlax it was currently facing. Both Pokemon let out an almighty bellow, and as I scanned both trainers' faces, noticed almost scarily similar looks of cool sophistication and confidence encompassing them.
"Edison! Zen Headbutt, now!" Grey yelled out.
"Rhydon, counter it with Take Down!"
It was like a clash of giants as the two Pokemon collided, their giant feet digging into the ground, wrestling viciously with each other, attempting to knock the other off balance. While Grey shouted encouragement to his Snorlax, Scott remained stubbornly quiet, his dark eyes never shifting from the scene in front of him.
Scott's Rhydon, huge and intimidating as it was, simply couldn't stand up to the bulk of the Snorlax and eventually had to release the giant creature in order to ensure its own safety. However, it seemed to work in Scott and Rhydon's advantage, the Rhydon's sudden movement and release knocking the weighty Snorlax off balance. It teetered on its feet, ominously looking like it was about to crash to the ground. It didn't fall over, but it was enough. While the giant Snorlax wobbled ominously on its feet, the Rhydon rounded on it, executing a powerful, close-range Rock Blast.
However, while the attack seemed powerful of its own right, it didn't seem to affect the Snorlax's health negatively. In fact, it only seemed to enrage the giant creature and spur on Grey, who ordered an all out offence, with Fire Punch and Body Slam. But Rhydon took the hits well, fighting back with just as much steely determination as the Snorlax had.
This particular bout went on for a long time. Edison the Snorlax and Scott's Rhydon were equally matched in bulk and brute strength, and with attacks on either side proving to be almost ineffective against the other, the two Pokemon had no choice but to chip away at the other's defences until they wore each other down.
The first round finally ended a full and agonising fifteen minutes after it started, after Snorlax was knocked off balance by Scott's Rhydon as it used a vicious Earthquake to shake the whole arena. With the Snorlax grounded, Rhydon barraged it with a Stone Edge, completely knocking the Pokemon unconscious.
Grey didn't look overly concerned as he recalled his Snorlax. He didn't even hesitate in pulling out his second Pokeball, which he tossed into the arena almost carelessly. I wouldn't say it was arrogance that was reflected on his face and in his eyes, but a calm, quiet confidence.
I knew why as soon as the Pokemon he had chosen burst out into the field.
A Swampert.
I caught Elliot's eye at this point. "Even Scott is going to have a hard time winning against that Swampert with a Rock and Ground type," he remarked, looking strangely concerned.
I nodded, worry suddenly encompassing me. I had never doubted Scott's abilities as a Pokemon trainer before now, but seeing his already exhausted Rhydon now having to face off against a vicious Swampert made me far more scared that I dared to admit. So far as I remembered, Scott seemed to favour Rock and Ground types… Aside from his Quagsire and Pidgeot, who would be just as ineffective against the Swampert, all the rest of his team, to my knowledge, were Rock and Ground types. Up until now, I was convinced it was a given that Scott would make it through the first heat, possibly even sail straight through into the final. Now, I wasn't so sure. My hands clenched of their own accord as I studied Scott's face intently. He still looked cool, calm and collected. The very image of confidence despite the odds he was facing…
"Rhydon, use Earthquake."
But quick as anything, Grey was shouting an order. "Valentine, counter with Earthquake!"
My heart dropped somewhere to my stomach. "They're not serious!" I cried out in shock.
But they were. I fought the urge to scream, suddenly filled with a terrible fear that the use of two such equally strong attacks would completely tear apart the building. I grabbed Elliot in my panic and clung on to him instinctively.
I could barely watch as the two earthquakes ripped straight through the battleground, kicking up deep cracks, a horrible ominous rumbling reaching my ears. However, as the earthquakes collided, while I expected devastation and total carnage, the two attacks merely cancelled each other out, and everything became still.
Which left the field completely wide open for attack.
Scott got in quickly, ordering his Rhydon to send a Rock Blast in the Swampert's direction, but the Water Pokemon shot down each and every massive boulder that the Rock Pokemon sent in its direction with powerful jets of water. On the overhead screen I saw Scott's face crease in concern, only momentarily, but enough for the announcer to notice and report gleefully to the crowd. I swallowed hard. For Scott to look like that, even briefly, it was obvious that he was concerned…
It turned out, he was right to be. Within only a few minutes, despite the Rhydon's best efforts, Grey's Swampert dispatched the already fatigued and exhausted Pokemon with the lethal combination of an Ice Beam, followed immediately by a Water Pulse. The Pokemon simply could not stand up to it, and collapsed.
With Rhydon out, and the score tied at one win each, the pressure was on. Scott deliberated carefully over his choice before releasing his massive Pidgeot into the arena. The fight was continued almost immediately, Grey ordering his massive Swampert to use Water Pulse in an attempt to shoot the bird down from the air. Scott's giant Pidgeot once again proved it was deceptively fast and agile, sending a gasp issuing from the crowd as it soared above the attack, seemingly effortlessly.
Scott's next order surprised me. I always assumed Scott to be a trainer who focused on physical attacks and offensive moves and strategies, so when he called out for a Sand Attack, I was momentarily stunned. His Pidgeot responded instantly, taking advantage of the wide open space of the gym battleground to soar high in the air, out of range of any attacks. As soon as it slowed down, it kicked up a thick gust of sand and dust, sending a cloud of it straight towards the Water type. It surrounded the giant Swampert, the dust and sand particles stinging at its eyes, making it roar in irritation.
"Valentine!" I could just hear Grey shouting in concern as the Sand Attack eventually died down, and his blinded Pokemon tried desperately to remove the sandy grit from its eyes. "Are you okay, buddy?"
And then I heard Scott call out. "Pidgeot! Finish it! Twister, followed by Aerial Ace!"
Elliot tensed, his head whipping around to look at me. His eyes were wide. "Is he mad? Flying moves don't work well on Ground types!" he cried, running a hand frantically through his hair. "I admire his courage, but he'll never win if he just uses Flying type moves!"
"Have a little faith in him!" I replied. "He could—"
I was abruptly cut off when a vicious gale suddenly ripped through the entire gym, catching my hair and sending it billowing, the wind suddenly biting at my exposed skin. Peering through the fronds of my hair, I could just make out Scott's Pidgeot, high above the ground, flapping its huge wings, causing vicious gusts to sweep the battlefield. These gusts seemed to culminate in what I could only describe as a miniature tornado that quickly ensnared the Swampert, trapping it. As it got stronger and stronger, the winds increasing in power, I could barely even see what was going on. All I could take in were the noises of the wind rushing in my ear, the screech of the microphone and various people screaming and shouting in awe.
After what felt like several long hours, the winds eventually settled and died down. When everything calmed, I immediately dashed to the balcony again to look out on the field. My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Grey's Swampert was barely standing on its feet, a bloodied gash straight across its rough hide, Scott's Pidgeot circling the air above it, eyeing it closely.
I turned to Elliot, whose mouth was hanging wide open in shock. Knowing nothing I could say would accurately sum up either of what Elliot or I were no doubt feeling, I chose to remain silent.
"How… how is that possible…?" I thought in shock, barely able to register what I was seeing down there. "Pidgeot shouldn't win against Ground types! And not when he was using just Flying type moves! It… it can't be possible!"
"Uhh, well, yes," the announcer's voice cut through my thoughts, and I looked down to see him looking a little perplexed as he looked at the state of the gym grounds. Seats and debris had been totally ripped up and scattered along the battleground, complete with about an inch thick of sand and dust covering everything in sight. I found myself wincing. There was no way that people could battle there, not till it was cleared up.
After consulting with another proctor for a brief moment, the announcer hastily cleared his throat and spoke again. "Well, with Scott Harper proving the victor, we will take a short, yes, a short break to clean up! The next battle will begin in half an hour, yes, half an hour!"
The place was deathly silent as both Grey and Scott stoically left the battlefield. Scott showed no signs of glee or pride in his victory, and Grey showed no sense of bitterness or disappointment at his loss. Yes, I didn't know Grey that well, so I didn't know if this was typical of him, but he had seemed like such a cheerful, optimistic guy when I had met him… I didn't like seeing anyone like that, especially such a nice guy like Grey…
"It's such a shame he had to battle Scott…" I thought to myself sadly. "If that was anyone else but Scott, there's no way they would have even stood a chance. I know I would never have been able to win against him. Something… something about that just doesn't seem fair."
There was an uneasy silence, until all of a sudden, Elliot's voice permeated my hazy consciousness. "Well, we've got half an hour till the next battle," he ventured. Wanna go grab a drink or something?"
"Sure…" I replied, admittedly only half-listening to his request. I cast glances at the other competitors, Jasmine in particular, but she seemed distracted by something going on in the stands. I tried to catch Luca's eye, but before I could even open my mouth, let alone invite him along, Elliot had taken me by the hand and was leading me away.
Author's Note
Sorry for the wait, guys! I'm doing my best, honestly I am.
Couple of things. Yes, if anyone is wondering, the battles (and victors) of each heat were decided totally at random, through basically random number generators and picking names out of hats. So, your OC's opponents and if your OC is successful or not in their battles wholly depended on luck, basically... I felt it was the fairest way, to be honest. I didn't want to favour anyone or any OC in particular.
Secondly, I'm hoping to increase update speed, but please bear with cos this arc is so tough to write...
Thirdly, I'm so sorry if this chapter is terrible... I really did my best, but it's just so difficult...
Lastly, thanks so much to my reviewers: WarriorSwift, WildCroconaw, Shadow of Eckhart, WOWFan123, FindMe215, Hikaru-Pichu, TCoBlackRoses, GentleBlossom, ArchXDeath, Brave Soul RMS, TwewyReaperGirl, Aeorga, Sunbean and Alwayssearching2012 (sorry, but OC submissions are closed and I cannot accept your OC. I'm really sorry)
Until next time :D