Hey all, Captain here with another update that I managed to sneak in between my winterim that's been kicking my ass with homework. This will most likely be the last update for the story for a while since school is starting up next week so I decided to get out one last update quick. We've finally reached the end of the battle tournament this chapter (thank God!) so don't expect seeing another one like that for a long time, it really drained me writing and I know some of you said you were getting bored with it, but I told you it would get redundant and that I was trying to wrap it up fast which is why I neglected doing anything with the group until just the last chapter. Stay tuned for the author's note at the end. Alright, let's get to the chapter guys be sure do drop a review to say what you liked and didn't like, yadda, yadda.
Warning: Minor language in this chapter, but it's rated T for a reason people.
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon. I own the OCs (Tom, Sparks, Sully, Eric, Roy, Alice, Langdon, Pierce, Clint), this story, and the idea of the story.
Chapter Summary: The Nacrene City Battle Tournament finishes up the final round with a heated battle. Tom and Eric gather together the trainers that were on the list to give them the details about their possible opportunity with PCTU and tell them what their objective is. Elliott and Trent also have a small run in which is anything but pleasant.
Bold- Message Bulletins/PA System/Plaques
Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks
Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions/Xtransreceiver Messages/ Xtransreceiver Conversations
Kenta stood up after bowing to Elliott and gave a smirk. Elliott rolled her eyes and crossed her arms at Kenta's behavior. The annoyance left her as she remembered she would now face Kenta for the first time in a battle. From what she had witnessed in his previous battles, he was not a weak trainer. Granted he may act like a jackass, he definitely knew how to battle well. She wouldn't admit it to him, but Elliott was very excited to test her skills against Kenta since she viewed him as a worthy rival.
"Don't hold back, Kenta." Elliott said.
"I won't, Elliott. If you want a tough fight, I'll give you one." Kenta answered.
Music echoed around the arena again and received cheers from the audience. Kenta and Elliott sent each other one final nod before turning to go to their respective ends of the field. Their friends gave each of them a bunch of encouragement and applause as they prepared for their match. They both selected their Pokémon for the round and ascended the staircase to the field. Elliott stood on the right side while Kenta was on the left. They made eye contact with each other and their grips tightened on their Pokeballs. The audience continued their cheering and increased the level of excitement to come. Kenta pointed his Pokeball towards Elliott and she mimicked his gesture.
"Alright, I can do this. I've come this far and I plan to win this tournament." Elliott thought.
"Can't quit now. I've got two more matches to win." Kenta muttered.
The referee looked at Kenta and Elliott to confirm that they were ready to battle. Once he concluded that they were, he gave the signal to start.
"Let the battle between Kenta Hammer and Elliott Kane begin!" The referee said.
"Stronghold, let's go!" Elliott hollered.
"Stan, let's do this!" Kenta declared.
Kenta and Elliott sent their Pokeballs towards the center of the battlefield. The two balls opened with a loud crack and two shapes began to materialize on the field. In front of Elliott was her Timburr and in front of Kenta was his Cubone. The two Pokémon stared each other down as they waited for the first move. Elliott was the first to make a move in hopes to get the jump on Kenta.
"Stronghold, use Bulk Up!" Elliott ordered.
Stronghold stabbed his wooden beam into the ground and jumped to stand on top of it. As he kept his balance on the wooden post, he began to flex his muscles to power up. While Stronghold was warming up, Kenta made his move.
"Stan, use Bonemerang!" Kenta said.
Stan twirled the bone in his hand and reeled his arm back. With a strong heave, he released the heavy bone towards Stronghold. The bone was spinning violently and was getting closer to Stronghold each passing second. Elliott forgot about the long ranged attack that Stan had and knew she would have to be careful. The only way she would win the fight is if she had Stronghold get inside Stan's guard to prevent him from getting an attack in.
"Stronghold, dodge and use Force Palm!" Elliott barked.
Stronghold stopped flexing his muscles and back flipped just in time to avoid the flying bone. As he was descending, the bone made a quick turn and soared back towards him. He didn't have time to dodge the attack and it hit him on the shoulder. Stronghold gave a wince in pain from the hit as it bounced off of his shoulder. He landed on the ground and rolled his shoulder a little bit to lessen the pain. The bone returned to Stan and he caught it in his outstretched hand.
"Nice job, Stan! Now intercept Stronghold with Headbutt!" Kenta said.
Stan dashed at Stronghold after catching the bone in his hand to follow through with Kenta's command. Stronghold was standing behind his beam as a defense again the attack. Stan jumped in the air and dove headfirst at Stronghold. Stronghold grabbed the beam after recovering from the previous attack and raised it to block Stan. The beam shook violently as Stan smashed into it. Stan stumbled back as he tried to regain his senses after becoming dizzy from the hit. While Stan was still dazed, Elliott made her next move.
"Stronghold, use Force Palm!" Elliott shouted.
Stronghold's hand began to glow white as he jumped at Stan. He landed beside Stan and thrust his palm into Stan's side. Stan's face scrunched up in pain and he gave a loud grunt as the wind left his body. The hit sent Stan staggering away from Stronghold, allowing Stronghold to attack again. He jumped at Stan and delivered another strike with Force Palm. This time the hit landed on Stan's mask and sent him to the ground. Stan's mask cracked from the hit and would eventually break if it took more damage.
"Stan, use Bone Club!" Kenta yelled.
Stan clutched his bone tightly and gave a hard swing at Stronghold. The bone smashed into Stronghold's thigh. Stronghold gave a grunt as he sunk to his knees from the numbing attack. Stan used the chance to get to his feet and swing his bone again. This time the bone hit Stronghold across the cheek and forced him back. Stronghold stumbled away and gripped his wooden beam with the intent to block the next strike. As Stan brought down his bone again, Stronghold parried the bone with the beam.
"Stronghold, use Chip Away!" Elliott ordered.
After Stronghold parried Stan's Bone Club attack, he gave a hard shove and forced the smaller Pokémon back. Stan was overpowered by Stronghold's push and lost his balance. He dropped his guard and that was all it took for Stronghold to jump in and attack. Stronghold swung once, twice, three times with the beam and each strike hit Stan with brutal force. Stan's body was aching in pain as each hit left a welt or bruise. Stronghold swung upward with his beam and it collided with Stan's jaw, sending him into the air. Stan's eyes screwed shut in pain as he tried not to lose consciousness.
"Stan, you need to hang in there! You can do it!" Kenta encouraged.
"I don't think so, Kenta! I'm not letting you win this fight!" Elliott shot back. "Stronghold, jump up and use Force Palm!"
Stronghold stabbed his beam into the ground again and jumped on top of it. He sprung high into the air and soared over Stan. His hand began to glow white with power as he readied the attack. When Stand got within range, Stronghold thrust his palm forward. His hand smashed into Stan's chest, sending him to the ground. Stan plummeted into the ground and created a small crater from the impact, kicking up dust and chunks of rock from the landing. Stronghold landed on top of his beam and stared at the hollow in the arena as he waited for Stan to clamber out. Cheers were echoing around the stadium from the crowd as they watched the battle unfold between Elliott and Kenta. Elliott seemed to have the most support at the moment because of her dominance in the fight. Kenta clenched his fists and was beginning to think that he would lose the fight. He was confident in his abilities, but Stan had taken a lot of damage.
"No, it's not over yet. There's still time to turn this fight around," Kenta thought, looking up at Elliott and Stronghold.
Kenta saw some movement in the hole where Stan fell. Stan crawled out of the hole and swayed a little bit as he tried to keep his balance. The landing left him disoriented and he needed to shake it off before continuing the fight. Across the arena, Elliott observed Stan's posture and could tell he was on his last legs and that made her grin. She had the opportunity to win the match and that's what she intended to do. She snapped her fingers and pointed at Stan.
"Stronghold, use Rock Slide!" Elliott shouted.
Stronghold flipped off of his beam and landed gracefully on the ground. He smashed his fists into the field and it kicked up large chunks of concrete. Stronghold scooped up the concrete rocks in his arms and gave a mighty heave. He sent the rocks hurtling towards Stan and that increased the danger for Stan since he now had little time to evade the projectiles. Stan managed to shake off his dazed state and clutched his bone tightly as he watched the rocks draw nearer. Kenta now had to make a move fast or the match was over.
"Stan, use Bonemerang on the rocks and dodge the others!" Kenta ordered.
Stan brought the bone back and his eyes narrowed in concentration as he watched the rocks. He threw his arm forward and released the bone and sent it towards the large chunks of earth. Everyone looked on in wonder which soon turned to astonishment at what happened next. Stan's Bonemerang attack had churned up so much power from the throw that it created a small whirlwind in the process. The bone was rotating so fast that it managed to intercept some of the rocks in the vortex that it created. The rocks changed direction and began to soar back at Stronghold. Elliott's eyes widened in surprise at the turn of events and she growled since she didn't think that was possible.
"Damn-it, how did he pull that off? That shouldn't be possible!" Elliott hissed.
Although Stan managed to counter part of the attack, he still needed to move in order to avoid getting crushed by the remaining rocks. Using whatever energy he could conjure up, he weaved in between the rocks as they slammed into the ground. While Stan was busy dodging, Stronghold found himself getting ready to do the same thing. When the rocks were upon him, he jumped back to escape harm. He jumped forward when Elliott snapped her finger and his hand glowed white as it coursed with power. He gave a strong thrust and his palm hit the rock, making it disintegrate into pebbles. Stronghold dove to the ground to avoid Stan's bone when it turned around to return to him. The bone grazed the back of his head and made him wince in pain.
"Stronghold, use Chip Away!" Elliott shouted.
Stronghold shook his head to clear his vision from its blurred state and picked his beam up again. He shot at Stan who had jumped in the air to catch his bone. Bringing the beam back, he gave a swing in an attempt to hit Stan. Stan swung his bone and blocked the hit, but that wasn't enough to stop Stronghold. Stronghold waited for Stan to land to continue his assault. When Stan's feet hit the ground, he began to force him around the arena by swinging his beam to try and tire Stan out. Stan was losing energy and his blocks and parries were becoming sloppy with each passing second. Not being able to hold out against Stronghold any longer, Stan fell to his knees in exhaustion and dropped his guard. Stronghold's beam hit Stan on the side of his mask and sent him into the ground from the force.
Stan dropped his bone and his face was scrunched up in pain. His vision was blurred and his hearing was almost obsolete from the skull bashing attack. He dropped his bone when he hit the ground and his hand was desperately searching for it in an attempt to try and continue the fight. Stronghold stepped on Stan's hand to prevent him from grabbing his bone to attack. He brought back his beam to finish Stan off, but Kenta wouldn't let him have the chance.
"Stan, use False Swipe!" Kenta barked.
Stan's free hand swung up at Stronghold and made him step back to dodge the hit. When that happened, Stan's hand snatched his bone and he slashed at Stronghold with the sharp end. The slash connected with Stronghold's stomach and made him fall to his knees in surprise. Stronghold deflected another attack from Stan and countered back with Chip Away once again. Stan's sluggish movements were unable to keep up with Stronghold and he was sent airborne from the hit. He hit the ground with a hard thud and trembled in pain as he struggled to stand up. His ambition to win was the only thing to keep him in the fight right now. While Stan was attempting to stand up, Elliott and Stronghold kept their gaze on him to see if he would be able to continue.
Stan managed to push himself up to his knees. His mask had taken a lot of damage from the hits that Stronghold managed to deal to him and it had shattered a little bit. The front of the mask was now gone, leaving a visible muzzle under the mask. Suddenly, Stan began to glow a dark blue and the stadium fell silent with awe. Eyes were wide and mouths were agape as the crowd began to witness a surprise evolution take place. Stan's body began to shift in shape and started to grow. The blue glow vanished and revealed a new Pokémon where Stan was.
The Pokémon now had a mask similar to Stan's but it now seemed to cover the whole head instead of just the top. It had red eyes with slits where the eyeholes of the mask were located and it was currently holding a new bone that was larger than the one Stan was holding earlier. Kenta's jaw was dropped in awe as he witnessed the evolution of one of his oldest Pokémon. He began to wonder if Stan's willpower had something to do with it.
"Stan, is that you buddy?" Kenta asked, as if he was unsure.
Stan turned back at Kenta and locked eyes with him. He gave a nod in confirmation and a grin made its way across Kenta's face. With Stan's evolution, he may have just secured his position in the final round against Hayley. Barely able to contain the excitement in his voice, Kenta pointed at Stronghold so Stan could deliver some payback.
"Stan, we're going to wrap this up now! Use Bone Club!" Kenta declared.
Stan was already dashing at Stronghold to attack him. Elliott had recovered from her shocked state and ordered Stronghold to fend off Stan's upcoming onslaught. Stronghold raised his beam in order to block and give a surprise strike against Stan. Stan gave a strong strike and his bone smashed into Stronghold's beam with a startling amount of strength. Stronghold managed to deflect the hit and gave a swing with his beam to hit Stan. Stan sidestepped the attack and Kenta saw the opening that he needed.
"Bone Club, now!" Kenta hollered.
Stan flipped over Stronghold and smashed his bone on top of his cranium. Stronghold's body swayed from the dazzling hit and his grip slackened on his beam. Stan landed and turned on his heel to continue his attack. He turned on his heel and slashed with his bone, once, twice, thrice, with the final hit knocking Stronghold off of his feet. Stronghold hit the ground and his beam fell right beside him. Once he showed no signs of movement, the referee called the match.
"Stronghold is unable to battle! The winner is Kenta Hammer of Azalea Town!" The referee announced.
"Yes!" Kenta cheered, punching the air in victory.
Stan walked back over to Kenta twirling the bone in his hand. Kenta knelt down and gave him a hug. Stan wrapped his free arm around Kenta's shoulder as they shared the moment of triumph together. While Kenta and Stan were celebrating, Elliott recalled Stronghold back to his Pokeball and looked down at the ground. Doubt was crawling back into her mind as she reflected on her goal of becoming an Elite Four member that specialized in fighting-types. She lost another battle and she couldn't understand why.
"How does this keep happening?" Elliott muttered.
"Hey, Elliott, great match!" Kenta said, walking to the center of the arena.
Elliott snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Kenta walking towards her. Swallowing her pride and disappointment, she walked to the center of the field to shake Kenta's hand. Both of them gripped each other's hands tight and shook. The two of them walked off of the field and back to their friends where they were welcomed with tumultuous cheers and grins. Tom, Corey and Eric went over to Kenta and gave him a series of slaps on the back, noogies and fist bumps. Elliott was greeted in a similar fashion by Vanessa, Hayley and Eri which involved supportive shoulder claps and hugs.
"Hey, you did your best," Vanessa said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Remember what I said about taking your losses and learning from them? Reflect on this fight and just prepare yourself for future encounters. The way I saw it is if Stan didn't evolve, the fight was yours."
"I still lost though," Elliott muttered. "I'm tired of losing, Vanessa. How can I be an Elite Four member if I keep on failing in these battles?"
"Well first off if you don't stop being a negative Nancy, that's going to keep happening."
Elliott's face turned pink in embarrassment from the nickname Vanessa gave her. She knew that Vanessa was right, but coming to the realization of losing was something that Elliott hated to do. As a trainer, that was one of her biggest fears aside from not being able to achieve her dream as being an Elite Four member. She knew her Pokémon needed some extra training and that's what she was going to do. The only new approach to her method of training was to train alongside Tom, Corey and Vanessa since they were the strongest in the group.
Hayley turned to glance at Kenta. It was just them now in the tournament and it would be one of them to win it. She had seen Kenta's earlier fights and found that he was quite the exceptional battler. He would be a tough opponent but she had confidence in herself. She would be the one to win the tournament and it would bring her one step closer to her goal of becoming Champion of the Unova League.
Her fingertips grazed the Pokeball containing her last Pokémon that she was using in the tournament. She pulled the Pokeball from her waist and began to toss it up and down, thinking of a strategy to start off the match. The only thing that she was aware of was Kenta's lineup and now she was beginning to wonder who he would use next. She concluded that it would either be his Ponyta or his Jolteon since they had energy after sitting out the past round.
Music echoed around the stadium once again and the crowd's thunderous applause filled the stadium. The final round was about to start and it would be between two strong trainers. While the crowd enjoyed the fights they had seen so far, they now had to choose the trainer they wanted to win to cheer them on. Kenta and Hayley locked eyes and gave each other a nod, bidding each other good luck. Kenta went to the left side and Hayley went to the right side of the battlefield as they waited to be called on by Bob and John.
"Welcome back to the Nacrene City Battle Tournament here on the Pokémon Battle Network! I'm Bob Houser," Bob greeted, turning to John.
"And I'm John Pederson!" John announced. "Well folks, here we are! We've been through four rounds of intense battles and now it's time to wrap this up with our final round!"
"The crowd is going wild here, John. I can't blame them either after what we've seen today."
"Right you are, Bob. Now I'm curious as to what Pokémon will be used. We've seen all of Kenta's selected Pokémon for the tournament, but Hayley has yet to reveal one of hers."
"You're right, John. Either way, this match will still be interesting, so let's get to it!"
The crowd fell silent as Bob finished up his last sentence. They would now introduce Hayley and Kenta separately to acknowledge them for making it to the final round. The stadium lights dimmed, allowing the darkening night sky to enshroud the arena in darkness. Once the coliseum was dark, John broke the silence.
"In the right corner we have our young contestant that's proven her worth by displaying knowledge and skill in her battles today. Here's our first finalist, Hayley White!"
A spotlight beamed down on the right end of the stadium and revealed Hayley as she walked up the stairs to take her position on the field. The crowd burst into cheers and whistles as she continued tossing her Pokeball up and down. She had a large smile on her face and she waved to the audience to show her gratitude for their support. The crowd fell silent again and the lights shut down again. Now it was Kenta's turn to be introduced.
"In the left corner we have a trainer that's had a great run all day and has pulled off some impressive victories! Give it up for our second finalist, Kenta Hammer!" John introduced.
A loud click echoed around the stadium as a second spotlight shone on Kenta as he made his way up the stairs to the field. The crowd was cheering his name and giving multiple whistles as well. Kenta beamed and waved at the audience giving winks at various girls that he could make out in the darkness. This action of course caused his friends to roll their eyes at his antics. Kenta came to a stop and pulled out a Pokeball containing his Pokémon for the final match. The audience was now so loud that their cheers sent vibrations through the ground and it was almost impossible to hear the referee start the match.
"Let the final round between Hayley White and Kenta Hammer begin!" The referee announced.
"Ponyta, here we go!" Kenta said, throwing out his Pokeball.
"Drilbur, come on out!" Hayley yelled, tossing her Pokeball to the center.
The Pokeballs opened and two Pokémon materialized onto the field. In front of Kenta stood Ponyta that he used in the first round and in front of Hayley stood a mole like Pokémon. Kenta decided to make the first move in attempts to take an early lead.
"Ponyta, use Flame Wheel!" Kenta barked.
Ponyta stomped her hooves and started dashing towards Drilbur. As Ponyta advanced, her body became coated in searing flames. She lowered her head to do as she prepared to tackle Drilbur into the ground. Hayley waited for Ponyta to get closer before making her move.
"Drilbur, use Dig!" Hayley said.
Drilbur dove to the ground and burrowed underneath, kicking up rock and dirt. Ponyta shot over the hole and came to a grinding halt as she tried to search for any sign of movement in the ground. Kenta cursed under his breath and knew he would have to be extra careful now. With Drilbur deep underground, he wouldn't be able to locate his position until it was too late. His eyes searched wildly for Drilbur and his anxiety grew in anticipation. Finally, Drilbur burst from the ground and smashed into Ponyta's stomach, lifting her into the air a little bit. Ponyta hit the ground hard and trembled in pain as she stood back up.
"Ponyta, use Ember!" Kenta shouted.
"Drilbur, deflect it with Fury Swipes!" Hayley countered.
Ponyta let loose a small burst of fire towards Drilbur. The small flaming balls dispersed with each slash from Drilbur's claws as they got within range. As Kenta analyzed the situation before him, he knew he would have to come up with some form of combo in order to get a hit on Drilbur. His mind raced and the next move finally came to him.
"Ponyta, use Ember again!" Kenta hollered.
"Drilbur, use Fury Swipes!" Hayley barked back.
Once again, Ponyta unleashed multiple balls of fire at Drilbur to force him to defend. As the flames shot at Drilbur, Kenta made his next move.
"Now use Flame Wheel!" Kenta ordered.
Ponyta bolted at Drilbur again and covered her body in blistering flames. As Drilbur was busy breaking apart the Ember attack, he wasn't fast enough to avoid the Flame Wheel. Drilbur attempted to sidestep the attack, but Ponyta was too quick for him. The searing attack hit Drilbur spot on and sent him airborne from the power. Drilbur's eyes scrunched shut in pain as he tried to block out the burns. He landed on the ground face first, dazing him in the process. Ponyta turned around and scuffed her hoof against the ground as she waited for Drilbur to stand up. Drilbur bared his teeth and pushed himself up gingerly.
"Hang in there, Drilbur!" Hayley encouraged. "Use Hone Claws!"
Drilbur turned around to face Ponyta and presented his razor sharp claws. He began dragging the claws against each other, making a screeching noise that made everyone wince at the cruel sound. Sparks flew off the claws with each pass and they started to look more defined. Kenta decided to change up the field to gain the upper hand against Hayley and Drilbur.
"Ponyta, use Smokescreen!" Kenta shouted.
"Drilbur, standby!" Hayley called out.
Ponyta took a deep breath and exhaled a thick steam of black smoke. The smoke spread across the arena quickly and took away all visibility. Neither Kenta nor Hayley could see their Pokémon, but they each had confidence in them to continue fighting effectively. Hayley knew that she had the advantage at this time with Drilbur being a ground-type. Even though Drilbur wouldn't be able to see Ponyta visually, he would be able to find her through vibrations in the ground.
"Ponyta, use Flame Wheel!" Kenta yelled.
"Drilbur, use Slash!" Hayley shouted.
Ponyta was covered in flames once again and started galloping in the direction Drilbur was. Drilbur could feel the ground pulse with each step Ponyta took and was able to get a clear picture of where she was coming from. He closed his eyes in preparation to attack and waited just for the right moment. Just as Ponyta was upon Drilbur, he jumped to the side and gave a vicious slash with his claws. Drilbur's claws raked across Ponyta's side and Ponyta let out a surprised cry of pain. A large scar took shape on Ponyta's side from the attack. Drilbur tapped his talons together in a taunting manner. Ponyta charged at Drilbur again to try and get revenge.
"Drilbur, use Dig!" Hayley hollered.
Drilbur dove into the ground again and began to tunnel his way around the arena. By this time, the smoke cleared up and a fresh new hole could be seen. Kenta had come up with a way to counter this and had Ponyta go over to the hole.
"Ponyta, weed him out with Smokescreen!" Kenta ordered.
Ponyta sent another blast of thick smoke into the hole that Drilbur created. The smoke coursed through the passageways that Drilbur created and began to exit through the other holes that were in the ground. Hayley's fists clenched at Kenta's strategy and she had to give him credit for the clever trick. The smoke would cut off Drilbur's oxygen and force him to surface for air. Ponyta's head looked down and she knew that Drilbur was going to come up right under her. Kenta picked up on his partner's hunch and went with it.
"Ponyta, use Stomp when Drilbur comes up!" Kenta shouted.
Drilbur burst out of the ground with his claws pointing up. Ponyta's hooves came up and came crashing down on top of Drilbur's head. Drilbur's body seized up from the hard hit and left him open for punishment. Ponyta didn't get away from the brunt of Drilbur's attack and was in some severe pain. Kenta took his chance to hit Drilbur again while he was stunned from Ponyta's Stomp attack.
"Ponyta, use Flame Wheel!" Kenta barked.
Ponyta lowered her head and covered her body in flames. She dashed at Drilbur with impressive speed, smashing into him hard. Drilbur recuperated from the previous attack after getting hit by the Flame Wheel. His feet dug into the ground in attempt to hold his ground against Ponyta. Ponyta proved to be stronger as she forced Drilbur back and sent him into the air from the power. Drilbur hit the ground and rolled back towards Hayley. He flexed his claws as he pushed himself to his feet again. The fight was winding down and would come to an end shortly with the damaging blows that Drilbur and Ponyta were dealing each other.
"Drilbur, get ready. We're going to end this fight with one more blow!" Hayley said.
"Ponyta, let's end this!" Kenta stated.
Drilbur's eyes narrowed at Ponyta as he waited for her to move. Ponyta's stance sank as she prepared to charge at Drilbur for the last time. Kenta snapped his fingers and pointed at Drilbur. Ponyta's body was covered in flames again and she began sprinting at Drilbur with the intent to take him down. Drilbur's stance became one of defense as he pressed his claws together and awaited Hayley's command. Ponyta was gaining ground quickly and then Hayley finally made her move when Ponyta was within ten feet.
"Drilbur, dive and use Slash!" Hayley ordered.
Drilbur did a diving lunge at Ponyta with his talons outstretched. He was upon Ponyta and did a corkscrew maneuver. Both sets of claws slashed Ponyta on the side, causing her attack to stop. Drilbur landed gracefully and took a knee. Both Pokémon stood back to back and the silence in the stadium added to the tension. Seconds went by and finally, Ponyta collapsed to the ground, entering blissful unconsciousness. The referee made the call once Ponyta didn't move.
"Ponyta is unable to battle! The winner of the match and the Nacrene City Battle Tournament is Hayley White!" The referee announced.
The crowd roared with cheers and applause at the end of the spectacular battle between Kenta and Hayley. Hayley blinked as her mind processed the words of her being the winner. A full blown grin appeared on her face and she gave a triumphant whoop. She ran onto the field and wrapped her arms around Drilbur who happily returned the gesture. Kenta made his way over to Hayley and Drilbur, pulling out Ponyta's Pokeball to return her to it. Ponyta was withdrawn from the arena and secured safely inside the ball. Kenta held out his hand Hayley stood up and shook it.
"Good match, Hayley. You really are a good trainer." Kenta said.
"Thanks, you're an awesome trainer too, Kenta." Hayley replied.
The referee walked up to Kenta and Hayley. He grabbed each of them by the wrist and raised their arms into the air. The crowd was sent into another wave of cheers.
"I would like to present the Nacrene City Battle Tournament winner, Hayley White!" The referee said. "As a prize for her victory, Hayley will receive this complimentary gift containing Pokémon enhancement supplements courtesy of the Poké Mart!"
The referee handed Hayley a large basket filled with battle boosting drugs. She took it and presented it to the audience proudly. Kenta stepped out of the way to allow Hayley's photo to be taken. Hayley gave a wide smile as the photo was taken. Her picture would be hung in the commemoration hall alongside the past winners of the tournament. Once Hayley was done with the photos she followed Kenta down the stairs and over to their friends.
"Nice battle you two!" Eric beamed.
"Thanks, Eric!" Kenta replied.
"Regardless of how far any of us got in the tournament, we all did well," Hayley said, setting down the basket. "So since I won, I want to share this prize with all of you."
"Hayley, you don't need to do that." Tom assured.
"I don't, but I want to. I'm not going to use all of these, so I think it'll be more beneficial for us to split it."
"Whatever floats your boat," Elliott shrugged, taking a handful of supplements.
"Alright, thanks Hayley!" Eri said, reaching for some of the enhancement drugs.
After all of the drugs were distributed, Hayley discarded the basket and slung her bag on her shoulders. She was bidding farewell to each of them and thanking them for allowing her to hang around them for the day. While she was doing that, Tom and Eric were looking at the list that Tom had been adding to throughout the day. They had finished making the final alterations to the list and were doing one final scroll of the names on it. Each name on the list carried the potential that they were looking for. The names on the roster were, Corey Spina, Vanessa Blake, Indigo Galaxia, Raven Castiel, Itzal Fuji, Alondra Hanson, Nova Colvin, Luna Fragula, Trent Phoenix, Dwayne Renbu, Kenta Hammer and Hayley White.
"Tom, Eric, thanks for letting me tag along with you today," Hayley said shaking their hands. "I guess we'll have to hold off on our battle for now, Tommy."
"Yeah, I guess the battle will have to wait. But before you go, would you be willing to stick around for a little bit? Eric and I want to discuss something with a couple of the trainers and you were one of them." Tom replied.
"Sure thing, what is it about?"
"I'll tell you everything when we've got everybody rounded up."
Hayley nodded and stood beside Tom and was shortly accompanied by Corey, Vanessa and Kenta. Eric climbed up to the booth where John and Bob were sitting to make speed up the process. He entered the booth and they greeted him in a jolly manner.
"Hey, Eric! Fantastic battling today!" John greeted.
"Thanks John, I appreciate it. Do you think I can use your microphone for a second? I'm trying to find some people quick." Eric requested.
"Go ahead."
Eric thanked John and picked up the microphone. Clearing his throat, he brought the list up to say each name.
"Excuse the interruption, but would the following trainers please report to the southern entrance of the stadium. Indigo Galaxia, Raven Castiel, Itzal Fuji, Alondra Hanson, Nova Colvin, Luna Fragula, Dwayne Renbu and Trent Phoenix, please come to the southern entrance of the stadium." Eric said.
Eric set the microphone down and departed the booth, but not before getting autographs from John and Bob. He tucked his autograph book in his bag and made his way back down towards the field. Tom, Kenta, Hayley, Vanessa and Corey were waiting for his return to go to the designated area. The six of them made their way down the tunnel with Elliott and Eri following close behind. After weaving through crowds in the tunnel, they finally reached their chosen spot. Tom turned to Elliott and Eri.
"Hey, I'm sorry about this guys but I'm going to have to ask you two to leave. This information is only for a select few to hear." Tom said.
"What the hell do you mean? Why can't we stay and listen?" Elliott demanded.
"I agree with Elliott, Tom. Why can't we listen to this?" Eri asked, crossing her arms.
"Look, it's not that I don't want to tell you, but my dad said that this was only to be heard for those that I chose as strong trainers."
"And what the hell are you saying? That I'm not strong enough?"
"To put it blatantly, yes. I'm sorry that this sounds harsh, but you and Eri aren't exactly what we're looking for," Eric said, answering for Tom.
Elliott's face was red with anger. She hated to be told she couldn't do something and that comment alone made her eager to prove Eric and Tom wrong. Eri had an affronted look as well when she heard that. She was a new trainer and was still learning the ropes so she knew she wasn't the strongest. It was just the way that Eric informed her of her inexperience.
"Now that's not fair! Why can't you give us a chance?" Elliott demanded.
"Because I was tasked to find the strongest trainers and I say you're not ready," Tom said, adapting a stern tone.
"Jerk!"
Elliott stomped off muttering angry curses under her breath. Tom glanced at Eri out of the corner of his eye and could see she was glaring at him too. He sighed and turned his back on her. He was in no mood to fight and what he did was something that he would have to do in the military later. Just because Eri and Elliott were his friends didn't mean he would select them. He had to do his job and this time he had to be the bad guy. Eri wasn't ready, even though she may have had some training from her brother, Tom didn't see her battle enough to get a feel. Tom believed Elliott was a decent battler, but she was still making a lot of small mistakes that would result in her loss. He glanced over his shoulder and could see Eri walking away and Pino was shooting him a harsh glare.
"Hey Sandman, we're ready to go." Eric whispered.
"Do we have full accountability?" Tom asked.
"Yeah, we're all accounted for."
Tom nodded and turned to the trainers that he chose. After confirming Eric's headcount, he motioned for them to take a seat. Eric stood beside Tom with his arms crossed.
"So why did you call us here, Tommy?" Hayley asked.
"Well I did promise to tell you all what this is about, so let's get down to it." Tom replied. "I believe some introductions are in order here, so my friend and I here will introduce ourselves and we'll go around to get a feel for each other quick."
"To break the ice here, I'll go first." Eric said. "My name is Eric Stone, I'm seventeen and I'm here in Unova to try and become Champion before I start my career in the Kanto Navy."
The group all gave some form of response to Eric's introduction. Eric turned to Tom who decided to go next.
"I'm Tom Sandbourne, I'm seventeen and I'm here in Unova to become Champion and search for my older brother. I am here on one last journey before I start my career in the Kanto Army." Tom said.
One by one they introduced themselves. First was Luna who said she was in Unova to compete in the Pokémon League. Next was Indigo who was aiming to be Champion alongside Tom and Eric. Raven went next, and even though he was still in a sour mood after losing to Eric, he did say he was in Unova to become Champion of the Unova League. Up next was Itzal, who proved to be socially awkward, said he was planning on competing in the Unova League after taking on the Battle Subway in Nimbasa City. Alondra was planning on competing in the Pokémon League and she entered the tournament to test her strength. Nova and Dwayne had the same goal of becoming Champion of Unova with Tom, Eric, Raven and Indigo.
Trent was up next and he had a glare fixated on Tom the entire time he gave his introduction. He was in Unova to compete in the Pokémon League and to further strengthen himself as a trainer. Hayley went after Trent and added her goal of becoming the Unova Champion into her introduction as well. Then finally it was down to Kenta, Vanessa and Corey who were both in Unova to continue their journeys and compete in the Unova League, with Corey adding he wanted to become an Elite Four member.
"Well now that we got introductions out of the way, let's get this show on the road." Eric said.
"So what exactly is this about?" Luna asked.
"The reason Eric and I gathered all of you here is because it regards an offer I have for you." Tom answered.
"What's the offer?" Nova asked.
"Basically before this tournament started, my dad contacted me and told me he was looking for strong trainers. He is affiliated with an organization known as PCTU and their job is to track down and capture any criminal organizations like Team Rocket, Team Magma, Team Aqua, you get the idea. He says that they're in need of strong trainers to help track some of these guys down because he believes there is an organization here in Unova known as Team Plasma."
Murmurs broke out in the group. Some of the trainers felt a wave of pride hit them when they were informed that they were the strong trainers that PCTU was looking for. Other members looked passive about the information that was given to them and decided to hear what else had to be said.
"I think I've seen those Team Plasma guys before," Hayley said, cupping her chin in thought. "Did they wear funky uniforms that had a medieval fashion?"
"Yup, that's them." Eric nodded.
"So why is PCTU hunting them down? What have they done so far to cause problems?" Indigo asked.
"PCTU has guys observing them from afar and they've recorded a few instances of them stealing Pokémon from people and releasing them into the wild." Tom replied.
"That's low! What kind of jerks would do that?" Luna said, clenching her fists.
"Well, apparently Team Plasma are those jerks that you're thinking of." Alondra answered.
The talking began to get out of control and Tom and Eric decided to calm the group down. Once the group settled down, Tom and Eric continued their brief.
"Now the reason I gathered you here was to present you with an invitation to meet up with the head members of PCTU in Castelia City. Should you choose to come, we'll let you know when we'll meet up so we can discuss this matter further." Tom said.
"So does this mean we're automatically in to help?" Dwayne asked, looking eager.
"No, you're not in. If you wish to help PCTU out with this, you need to meet up with them in Castelia City. They'll test you personally to see if you are a go or no go for helping them with Team Plasma."
"So that means not all of us will be chosen?" Nova questioned, crossing his arms.
"That's right, so you need to be really good if you want in. That's why they're holding the selection phase to choose from the group of trainers we found to find out who's truly the best." Eric nodded.
"What if we don't want to do this?" Trent challenged.
"Then don't come, Trent. I could care less!" Tom said.
Trent's face began to turn red with anger at Tom's response but he held back his retort.
"That's all we wanted to present you with. If you wish to try the selection phase, write your name and contact number on his paper here." Eric said.
Eric set a notebook on the ground with a pen on top of it. One by one, each of the trainers that were chosen by Tom made signed the paper. To Tom's surprise, Trent even did it. He thought Trent would've declined the invitation in spite of him. Dwayne was the last to sign the paper and Eric took it from him once he finished. Eric tucked the notebook under his arm and looked back up at the group.
"Alright, you're free to go now. We'll send a message to your Xtransreceiver when we've chosen a date to host the selection phase in Castelia City." Tom said.
The trainers all went their separate ways while Kenta, Hayley, Corey and Vanessa stayed behind with Eric and Tom. The six of them were worn out from the long day and were eager to go and get some sleep. If Hayley was right, then Lenora would be back tomorrow and they would be able to challenge her to try and earn their next badge for the Unova League.
"Alright, I'm going to get some dinner and hit the sack, I'm shot," Eric said, giving a stretch as he yawned.
"No kidding," Hayley nodded in agreement.
"Well, I'll see you guys later. Tom, I'll hold on to the contact roster here and we can meet up later so I can give you a copy."
"Sounds good, Stoner. I'll see you later!" Tom said, waving goodbye.
Eric gave a two fingered wave as he trudged off into the night. Once he vanished from sight, Tom turned back to his friends. He began walking towards the hotel that Eri had found for them with Kenta, Vanessa, Corey and Hayley close behind. Tomorrow was a big day and they needed to be well rested to be on top of their game for the upcoming gym battle.
Elliott was walking back into Nacrene City after going into the woods to blow off some of her frustration. She was still angry with Tom and Eric saying that she wasn't strong enough to help them. She knew she was a strong trainer and her battle record proved it. Sure it wasn't as great as theirs, but she was holding strong with an even win and loss total. Elliott gave another frustrated growl and kicked a can that was lying in the street. The can soared into the air and was swallowed by the darkness of an alley.
"They want a strong trainer? I'll give them a strong trainer!" Elliott muttered, clenching her fists.
Elliott felt Shade's hand pat her on the back. She glanced at her partner and gave him a small smile. Shade smiled back and snuggled back into her bag. Elliott sighed and rubbed her tired eyes. She decided to go get her Pokémon rested up for tomorrow and get some sleep. She gave them a rough burn out training session after being denied access to the meeting Tom and Eric were having with the other trainers of the tournament. As Elliott neared the Pokémon Center, she saw someone standing near the entrance of an alley. Elliott focused her eyes and was able to identify the young man as Trent. By the looks of it, he was talking with someone else.
Curious, Elliott decided to eavesdrop on the conversation he was having. As she got closer to Trent, she was able to hear the tone of his voice. He had a cold and sharp tone to it and it sounded as though he was lecturing someone or something. She stopped near the alley and turned her back towards it so she wouldn't draw Trent's attention.
"You call that battle you had today a fight? That was nothing but pathetic!" Trent sneered.
Elliott's brow furrowed in anger. She was able to confirm that Trent was talking to one of his Pokémon and she could picture the hurt look the Pokémon had on its face.
"Mar…" Magmar replied back.
"I mean you had a type advantage over Sandbourne's Lucario and you couldn't even take it out! We should've won that match and that bet, but you were weak!" Trent spat.
Magmar seemed to mutter another apology but was silenced when Trent slammed his fist on top of a garbage can. The violent action made Elliott flinch in surprise and her fists began to tremble with anger. How could a trainer be that harsh to his own Pokémon when it tried its best?
"To make matters worse, we lost the bet to Sandbourne! We could've beaten him, won the bet and his strongest Pokémon!" Trent growled. "But the thing that makes me so angry is that you made me look like a fool because you're so weak!"
Elliott was now resisting every urge to go and confront Trent and his behavior. She knew it probably wouldn't end well for either of them if she did that. She continued listening to Trent's verbal assault on Magmar.
"I'm warning you right now, Magmar. You either shape up or you're gone! The only way that you'll become stronger than you are now is if you evolve! I have little tolerance for weak Pokémon." Trent said.
By this point, Elliott had enough. Trent was being completely unreasonable and if she had to interfere to stop him from hurting Magmar's feelings any further, then she would do it. Turning around, Elliott swiftly made her way over to the alley and could see Trent's eyes bearing down into Magmar. Magmar's head was hanging dejectedly and he was quivering a little bit.
"Oye!" Elliott shouted.
Trent turned to look at Elliott and Magmar spared a glance up at her as well. Magmar seemed to calm down a little bit now that there was someone else to occupy Trent's attention. Trent glared back at Elliott with his arms crossed.
"What do you want?" Trent asked.
"Well you can start by pulling that stick out of your ass!" Elliott shot back.
"What'd you say?"
"You heard me, jerk! What gives you the right to talk down to your Pokémon like that, huh?"
"Why don't you train your Pokémon your way and I'll train mine my way? Now get out of here."
Elliott glared at Trent and Shade hopped out of her bag. He landed beside Elliott and glared up at Trent. Shade wasn't taking kindly to Trent's behavior either and was hoping that Elliott would let him headbutt him.
"There's a difference in training when you actually care about your Pokémon instead of tearing them apart for trying their best, you selfish insufferable dick!" Elliott shouted.
"There's no difference. My being tough is the way my Pokémon learn and become strong. If you nurture them too much like you and your friends do, they become greedy and lazy and lose sight of what truly matters!" Trent retorted.
Elliott's teeth were bared as her anger was taken to a new level. All Elliott wanted to do now was get under Trent's skin with any comments she could think of. She knew just the ones to say to achieve success in doing so.
"Trent, do you want to know why you failed to defeat Tom and lost that bet you taunted him into doing?" Elliott asked.
"He got lucky with that! That fight was in my favor!" Trent sneered.
"I could say the same for you with your battle against Vanessa."
"Shut-up."
"Oh, it seems I've struck a nerve with you, Trent. Now, to continue with what I was saying. The reason why Tom succeeded in that match against you was because unlike you, he fights for his Pokémon and shows them love and compassion. That's what makes Tom stronger than you and until you can do the same with your Pokémon, you will never win against him."
"Shut-up!"
Trent was now seething with rage. He was already angry with losing to Tom and he was now furious with the way Elliott was saying he would never beat him. Trent's knuckles cracked as his hands formed fists.
"That's a lot of talk coming from the weakest brat of his friends!" Trent spat.
"At least I have friends!" Elliott shot back.
Trent's eyes widened briefly and he fell silent. Elliott swore for a fleeting moment that she saw a hurt look in Trent's eyes. It was as if the thought of friends made him reflect on some past memories. Elliott decided to use Trent's distraction as her cue to leave the premises. She was about to leave, but Trent's voice stopped her again.
"Hold on a minute," Trent said. "I'll tell you what. If you help me evolve Magmar, I'll apologize to him and I think this will help you in return as well."
"What are you talking about? And what makes you think I'll help you? After witnessing what you said to Magmar just a second ago, I really don't want to help you progress in any matter." Elliott replied.
"That Pokémon of yours that you used in your battle against Kenta is what I'm referring to. He evolves into a powerful fighting-type that will no doubt be a key Pokémon for you down the road."
"I know this, but what are you trying to get at?"
"I'm saying that to speed up the process we should do a double trade. The Pokémon we have can only evolve via trade. I have the item I need to make Magmar's evolution happen and I just need someone to trade with to do it. Your Timburr will evolve into Conkeldurr if you do it."
"It would only benefit you at this time since Stronghold hasn't reached his second evolutionary stage yet. So you're out of luck."
Trent's mouth twitched in annoyance at Elliott's attitude. He thought that after her frequent losses that she'd jump up at the first shot of being able to win a lot. He crossed his arms and sighed.
"I'm aware of that. I'm just saying for future reference that if you want to do that I'll be willing to do it because it'll work out in both of our best interests." Trent said.
"Well you'll be waiting for a long time. I wouldn't trade with you to power up your Magmar because you're not satisfied with him. Why don't you take a leaf Tom's book and treat your Pokémon better? Maybe then you'd see a difference in performance from Magmar." Elliott said.
Elliott finished with her statement and was about to leave. She felt a strong wrist close around hers and she turned back to stare into Trent's eyes. His eyes held nothing but rage towards Elliott. She continued looking up at Trent as she waited for him to do something. Her free hand began to tighten into a fist as she prepared to break free from the significantly taller teen.
"Power is all you need, Elliott. I'm telling you to reconsider the option. Don't you want to prove to Sandbourne that you're a strong trainer?" Trent asked.
"What does it matter?" Elliott sneered.
"I'd say it does matter to you. I saw how angry you got when Sandbourne denied you access to our meeting because he didn't believe you were strong."
"He did it because he knows I'm not ready. When I saw all of you I knew I was out of my league because I'm nowhere near your level."
"Why do you defend that kid?"
"Because he's my friend and the advice that he's given me about my Pokémon has helped me improve!"
With that, Elliott stepped into Trent and smashed her fist across his cheek. The surprise attack made Trent stagger to the wall after he released his grip. He nursed his cheek as he glared at Elliott. She gave a satisfied nod and departed the alley with Shade watching Trent until he was out of sight. Trent leaned against the wall and continued staring at the spot where Elliott was moments ago. Her words sunk into his head and he frowned at them. Magmar cautiously made his way over to Trent who returned him to his Pokeball.
"Friends? What a joke." Trent thought.
Alright guys, that's the chapter and I hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to drop a review and I'll continue to pump out quality chapters. Now like I said, this may be the last update for a while so I hope the update streak these past weeks have been acceptable. So now before I say later, don't forget to read the info under the note here as it partains to some bits with the story. Till next time guys, stay gold. -Captain
1.) Character popularity poll. I still have to poll up on my profile page. Be sure to vote if you haven't since I'm closing it after the next chapter.
2.) Eric's going to be a secondary character, so I'm going to take some of the characters and make his own group. So far I'm thinking Eric, Dwayne, Nova and Alondra, but we'll see where it goes.
Battle Record: W:L:D (Wins, losses, draws)
Tom: 5:1:2
Corey: 2:1:1
Kenta: 5:2:0
Elliott: 3:3:0
Vanessa: 3:1:0
Story Shoutouts: (Contains stories that I recommend my readers to read since they're good. So it's the title of the story and the summary.)
"Unova Eclipse: Bringer of Change" by bluemagesfairytail
Fey didn't want this to happen. Not again. Now they're seventeen, and brought together again. But this time, instead of Galactic, Plasma lurks, and a traitor surfaces. New faces, new chances, new possibilities. But it's hard to believe one of them has the intent to sabotage them all.
"Crossroads" by Cyclone20
After losing in the Sinnoh League to Tobias, Ash has returned home to realize that he has come to a crossroads in his life; continue to Unova or stop and get stronger so he doesn't have to feel the pain of defeat again and he can finally become the master that he has been destined to become; AshXAnabel.
"Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule:
When there's nowhere left to run, where do you go? When the government is after you and everyone appears to be your enemy, who do you turn to? Not your friends and not your family. After all is said and done, you only have each other and your Pokemon. It's time to step up and steel your courage if you want to survive.
"Thieves of Ordia" by FallingSunset
Steampunk AU. Ordia: a region full of marvelous inventions and booming with all sorts of Pokemon. Erin begins her journey in the industrious city of Ironstead. Soon she finds out that all is not right in Ordia as thieves have been showing up everywhere, stealing Legendary Pokemon and causing chaos to the world. Can Erin and defeat the league and the thieves?