CHAPTER SEVENTY TWO
Following Daniel's victory over Alexa, he had been moved to the top thirty two. Natalie's battle was scheduled for early morning the next day, while Amy's was later in the week. As Natalie had expected, Daniel was overjoyed with his victory and wouldn't stop telling anyone who'd listen about how harrowing his fight had been against Alexa's Venusaur, Magmar and Cloyster. But as other Trainers won and lost, their tales of close calls soon eclipsed his and he learned to keep his bragging to a minimum.
Everyone was on edge, including Natalie. Having gained entry to the tournament by defeating Bruno had been hard enough, but to lose outright in the preliminaries would be hard to suffer. Natalie spent the night in a fitful sleep, wondering if she should use all Water Pokemon as her strategy in case her opponent had all Fire-types. It had happened in the battle following Daniel's - two Trainers battling each other, and one of them had won using all-Psychic types. Then again, Psychic types were powerful.
Natalie's room mates kept to themselves. Both were quiet, studious girls who spent hours each night poring over Pokemon manuals and records of fights, trying to determine statistics and likelihood, analyzing probability ratios that were too complex for Natalie to handle. If there was a concise method to Pokemon battling, the nerds would've won by now. Pokemon were not programmable machines - they were living, breathing creatures. To raise them by careful scrutiny and experimentation seemed cruel.
The next day, Natalie showered and brushed her hair, tying it into a set of plaits with one down each shoulder. She was nervous as she approached the entrance examination battlefield, worried that Alesha would steal the mic and say something embarrassing. These preliminaries were televised, furthering her anxiety.
"What Pokemon will you place in reserve?" asked the attendant, after a brief welcome.
Natalie handed over the Pokeball containing Poliwhirl into the attendant's safekeeping.
"Thanks. Good luck," the attendant added, as Natalie walked through the double doors.
Natalie had never had so much attention focused on her in one place. The crowd watched Natalie step up to the battlefield and face her opponent, a guy not too older than her who smirked and consulted the three Pokeballs at his belt. Natalie glanced to the crowd where she saw Amy and Daniel, separated a seat apart by a large Pokefan waving a Pikachu flag. Daniel gave her a thumbs up and Amy smiled, while Natalie nodded grimly, turning to face her opponent.
"Welcome to the Indigo League preliminaries!" shouted the announcer through the intercom, speakers blaring loud. By now, they had all heard his monologue. "On the left, we have Trainer Jeremiah and on the right, we have Trainer Natalie!"
Jeremiah offered a sarcastic salute in greeting. He wore a preppy suit and tie, with polished shoes and looked like a graduate student banker, but for the Pokeballs on his belt.
"Each Trainer will use three Pokemon to battle! The winner will progress to the top thirty two in the tournament. May the best Trainer win!"
The platform slid apart to reveal a battlefield that was mostly ocean, but for ice platforms that floated in varying size and icebergs which were chiefly for show, sharp and hazardous and not worth climbing. The ocean was deep and cold, with vents underneath to provide constant waves that shook the ice platforms.
Jeremiah looked taken aback by the choice in field, but resumed his no-nonsense smirk. "I hope you brought your scuba gear! You'll be diving into the brink to save your fallen Pokemon!"
Natalie was glad the battlefield was one which she could use to her advantage. Still, it worried her that Jeremiah remained confident. Throwing her first of three Pokeballs into the ocean, it burst open with red light and returned to her hand, while a silhouette underneath the blue took shape and moved.
"Go, Seadra!" Natalie shouted. Seadra broke the water's surface, glad at last to be fighting upon a terrain she could easily traverse.
Jeremiah threw his first of three Pokeballs into the air, where the Pokemon materialised and took flight soon after.
"Go, Farfetchd!" he cried.
Farfetchd twittered and flew above the battlefield, a small brown bird holding a leek as a weapon. It didn't look dangerous, but its abilities were untested so far.
"Seadra, Smokescreen!"
"Farfetchd, Agility!"
Farfetchd disappeared, appearing at various points over Seadra's head as Seadra tried unsuccessfully to aim its spurt of black ink, coating ice platforms with the resultant spray but getting nowhere near Farfetchd who flew too fast to be a target.
"Farfetchd, Razor Wind!" Jeremiah shouted.
"Seadra, dive underwater!" Natalie warned.
Farfetchd flapped its wings hurriedly, conjuring sharp scythes of energy which whipped out against the water's surface as Seadra remained hidden, unaffected.
"Swift, Seadra!" Natalie shouted.
From within the blue, shining stars shot up and out at Farfetchd, who flew to avoid them but the stars curved and hit Farfetchd, sending the bird Pokemon plummeting below -
"Farfetchd, Double Team!"
"Seadra, Bubblebeam!"
Flapping madly just before hitting the water's surface, Farfetchd split into three copies which took off into flight. Seadra emerged from the ocean, directing a powerful stream of bubbles at one of the copies, dissipating as the other two flew away.
"Fury Attack, Farfetchd!"
"Seadra, Swift!"
Both Farfetchd copies flew towards Seadra with their leeks raised, as Seadra fired several shining stars towards the copy on the left. Crying in pain, the real Farfetchd had been hit as its identical copy nearby dissipated, and red light flashed from Jeremiah's Pokeball to return his badly injured Farfetchd inside.
"Great work, Seadra!" Natalie called, as the crowd cheered and clapped. Seadra basked in the attention, trilling happily.
Furious, Jeremiah selected his second of three Pokeballs, tossing it atop one of the icy glaciers.
"Go, Lickitung!"
Lickitung landed atop the slippery surface, steadying his rotund pink body with his long tongue, extended to fasten his grip.
"A Lickitung!" Natalie said, amazed. "You don't see one of those every day!"
"You sure don't," Jeremiah winked. "Lickitung, Wrap!"
"Seadra, Smokescreen!" Natalie shouted.
Lickitung's long tongue whipped out towards Seadra, who spat dark ink at Lickitung, much of the mixture landing in Lickitung's mouth. Screwing up his face in distaste, Lickitung bobbed around on the glacier, grossed out -
"Seadra, Hydro Pump!" Natalie cried.
Taking a deep breath, Seadra fired a powerful surge of water which knocked the dancing Lickitung's off its glacier and splashing into the water, flailing and long tongue thrashing about.
"Lickitung, return!" Jeremiah was pent up with rage, as the crowd cheered for Natalie and her Seadra. He reached for his third and final Pokemon. "You haven't bested me, brat! I choose Magneton!"
Magneton was the evolved form of Magnemite, its body consisting of three individual Magnemite linked together. Magneton was nuts and bolts, emitting mechanical sounds and crackling with electricity as Seadra looked on warily.
"Magneton, Thunder!" Jeremiah shouted.
Natalie gasped, remembering water conducted electricity and would zap Seadra no matter where she swam.
"Seadra!" Natalie called out to her Water Pokemon. "Jump upon a platform!"
Nodding, Seadra sped towards an icy platform, jumping aboard just as Magneton directed its bolt of thunder at Seadra, cracking against the ice platform and shattering it into shards. Seadra splashed back into the ocean again.
"Seadra, Smokescreen!" Natalie shrieked.
"Magneton, Sonicboom!" Jeremiah yelled.
Seadra shot black ink from her mouth towards Magneton, who released a shock wave which intercepted the stream of ink and toppled Seadra over to her surprise.
"Thunder Wave, Magneton!" Jeremiah cried.
"Seadra, return!" Natalie held out her Pokeball, red light flashing to return Seadra inside as the static electricity of Magneton's wave bounced against empty water.
"Your seahorse has finally given up, huh?" Jeremiah taunted.
Natalie selected another Pokeball from her belt. "Seadra, you performed excellent. It's time to bring you down, Jeremiah! Go, Butterfree!"
Butterfree twittered, the crowd going wild for its beauty as Magneton spoke in a robotic monotone filled with static.
"That Butterfree will fall to my Pokemon's shocking attacks!" Jeremiah yelled. "Magneton, Thunder!"
"Butterfree, Sleep Powder!" Natalie called, heart thudding.
Butterfree swooped low to avoid the bolt of thunder discharged by Magneton, flying high to disperse glittering powder which settled upon Magneton and caused it to fall asleep, drowsily sinking upon an icy platform. Cursing, Jeremiah retrieved a Full Heal on hand and began to administer it to his Electric-type Pokemon.
"Butterfree, Gust!" Natalie cried.
Whipping up a storm with her wings, Butterfree buffeted Jeremiah's Full Heal's effects and only slightly injured Magneton, who remained in slumber.
"Butterfree, Psychic!"
Jeremiah reached for another Full Heal, as Butterfree glowed brightly and sent a psychic blast towards Magneton, damaging it and knocking it to the edge of the glacier, almost falling off.
"Magneton!" Jeremiah screeched.
"Finish it! Swift!" Natalie was quick to order.
"No!" Jeremiah shouted, reaching for his Pokeball as Butterfree directed shining stars at Magneton's sleeping figure -
Levitating into the air, Magneton woke up just in time as the stars hit, further damaging but not enough to take it out. Jeremiah watched in awe as Magneton crackled with electricity, sending a Thunderbolt towards Butterfree which electrified her, plummeting towards the water.
"Great job, Magneton!" Jeremiah cheered, as the crowd clapped, somewhat stilted at this turn of events.
Butterfree managed to flap its wings and remain airborne just before reaching the water, as Magneton crackled with electricity.
"Magneton, use Thunder!"
"Butterfree, Psychic!"
Magneton directed another bolt of thunder at Butterfree, as Butterfree glowed and released a blast of psychic energy at Magneton. Butterfree was shocked to the core, fainted and plummeting to the sea, while Magneton suffered great damage and could not battle further, lying insensible upon the ice platform.
"Return!" Natalie held out her Pokeball, catching Butterfree in the red light just in time. She paused her hold on Squirtle's Pokeball, as Jeremiah called for Magneton to get up.
"No!" Jeremiah shouted, as Magneton succumbed to unconsciousness. "No way!"
"Trainer Natalie has won the match!" cried the announcer, to applause from the cheering stands.
Goosebumps covered her as Natalie glanced around at her admirers, who had clearly not expected a win against Electric, her main type disadvantage among her Pokemon party. She saw Daniel and Amy standing up and cheering; she smiled and waved, glad that she had made it into the top thirty two.