Well, it's time to start the second round of the S.S Anne Tournament, which will be between Owen and Dante or Astral. Last chapter, Owen managed to beat a random trainer named Rebecca despite her Deerling nearly completing a 2-0 comeback. Thankfully for Owen, Snivy stepped up big and managed to defeat Deerling after learning Leaf Tornado. Now, Owen will square off with one of his two new rivals, which will surely be a tough task. So… let's get to it!
*I've decided to expand the move pools from four to six in order to add some diversity to the battles
Owen's team
Snivy, (f), level 13, Tackle, Leer, Absorb, Vine Whip, Leaf Tornado
Tranquill, (f), level 23, Detect, Air Cutter, Gust, Quick Attack
Blitzle, (m), level 21, Quick Attack, Shock Wave, Thunder Wave, Flame Charge
Heatmor, (m), level 21, Flame Burst, Tackle, Hone Claws, Flame Wheel
Prinplup, (m), level 21, Bubblebeam, Peck, Metal Claw, Whirlpool
Puff, (f), level 20, Dynamic Punch, Sing, Rollout, Pound
"Tranquill, Prinplup, Heatmor, come on out," Owen said lowly. He was sitting at a table in the dining hall of the S.S Anne, waiting for his battle to start. The three Pokemon appeared from their Pokeballs and took their seats at the table. After settling in and ordering food, Owen began speaking to the three Pokemon.
"Guys, you're going to be battling in the semifinals today. I know it's going to be a really tough battle, but I expect us to come out on top and make it to the championship," Owen told the flying, water, and fire types. The competing Pokemon nodded in agreement with Owen's expectations, causing the trainer to smile.
"Owen, are you ready?" Dante asked as he walked over to the table. Owen nodded and withdrew his three competing Pokemon, and Snivy took her normal spot on Owen's shoulder.
"Let's do this."
000
"Welcome to the semifinals of our inaugural tournament!" Joseph yelled to the crowd in attendance. "The tournament will conclude later tonight, but first, we have to get through these next two battles!" The man looked over at the four remaining trainers before clearing his throat. "In our first battle of the evening, we have Owen and Astral!"
"You ready for this?" Astral asked with a confident grin. He certainly had reason for being confident in winning. After his 3-1 victory over Dante, who beat Owen, he appeared to be a lock for the championship.
"Of course. I've got some tricks up my sleeve that you haven't seen yet," Owen replied with an equally confident look. The two trainers the looked back at Joseph, who was still speaking.
"And our second match will be between Colman and Rose!" Owen and Astral looked over to see Colman and a girl he appeared to be familiar with waving at the crowd excitedly. "Owen and Astral, report to the battlefield!"
"Good luck," Owen and Astral said in unison after they both rose from their seats and headed for the trainer box they had each been assigned to. Owen stood in the same trainer box as his first battle, while Astral stood where Rebecca had been. Owen then turned to his left and waved at Fate, CJ, his parents, and Professor Oak before the referee spoke up.
"This will be a three versus three battle between Owen and Astral! Neither trainer may substitute his Pokemon! Now, trainers, send out your first Pokemon!"
Owen looked down at the Pokeball he held in his right hand before taking a deep breath. "Tranquill, you're up first!"
"Zangoose, here we go!"
"This battle will be between Tranquill and Zangoose! Begin!"
"Tranquill, use Air Cutter!" Owen ordered, hoping to land a big hit on the first attack. Tranquill flew up into the air before powerfully flapping her wings once. A blade made of wind sliced through the air and made its way towards. Zangoose eyed the incoming flying attack and began judging the most effective away to dodge or counter.
"Zangoose, dodge it by doing a front flip and then use Aerial Ace!" Astral countered. The normal type Pokemon from Hoenn effortlessly hopped over the attack while rolling in the air and landed gracefully. Then, Zangoose sprung into the air while extending his right claw, which had white streaks of light trail behind it. Owen watched as Zangoose powerfully slashed Tranquill across the chest, causing the flying type to lose altitude before recovering ten feet above the ground.
"Tranquill, use Quick Attack and spin!" Owen commanded. As Zangoose landed on the ground, he was hit by Tranquill, who had white light swirling around her body like a double helix. Despite the direct hit, Zangoose was only pushed back slightly and in range to land another devastating attack.
"Fight back with Poison Jab!" Astral told his Pokemon while pointing forward with his right index finger. Zangoose leaped forward while his fist began to glow purple.
"Escape to the sky!" Owen yelled. Tranquill began to fly back to the altitude she was at during the start of the battle, but Zangoose managed to land a powerful blow and punched Tranquill in the chest. The normal and flying type was thrown towards Owen after rolling across the battlefield. Before Owen could ask if she was okay, Tranquill pushed herself back up, but remained on the ground.
"Zangoose, use Slash!" Zangoose dropped to all fours before bolting towards his flying type opponent. Tranquill, however, managed to dodge the powerful normal type attack, and then she kicked Zangoose away.
"Way to fight back, Tranquill! Keep it up with Gust!" Owen shouted. Tranquill threw her wings forward and caused a wild burst of wind that swept Zangoose off his feet. The normal type countered by digging his claws into the battlefield while crawling towards Tranquill and powering through the wild winds.
"Zangoose, use Slash once Gust lets up!" Astral told his Pokemon, who continued crawling through the Gust attack. Zangoose grunted loudly in response, and he began to feel the winds dying down. As soon as the wind became weaker, Zangoose lunged at Tranquill and threw his arms at the flying type.
"Air Cutter!" Owen commanded. Before Tranquill could get the attack off, she was slashed across the chest by Zangoose, which knocked her on her back.
"Finish this with Poison Jab!" Without hesitation Zangoose's fist turned purple, and he jumped towards Tranquill before dealing the final blow of the battle. Owen cringed after witnessing the wicked attack and hearing Tranquill release a weak squawk before her eyes closed and she lost consciousness.
"Tranquill is unable to battle! Owen, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Thanks, Tranquill. You were awesome. Prinplup, come on out!" Owen shouted after withdrawing Tranquill and throwing his second Pokeball. Prinplup blasted out of the device and took a battle stance as soon as he saw Astral's Zangoose standing on all four legs.
"This battle will be between Prinplup and Zangoose! Begin!"
"Prinplup, use Bubblebeam!" Owen commanded. Prinplup opened his beak and released a stream of high speed bubbles, which began pelting Zangoose. The normal type Pokemon began slashing at the bubbles in an attempt to stop them, but it was futile.
"Get up close and use Close Combat, Zangoose!" Astral yelled. Zangoose ran out of the cloud of bubbles and darted towards the water type Sinnoh starter. Before Zangoose could begin throwing punches and kicks, Owen countered aggressively.
"Block it with Metal Claw!" Prinplup's flippers turned bright white, and he began swing them at the same time as Zangoose and his assault. The two Pokemon traded blows before Zangoose prevailed and kicked Prinplup in the face.
"Now use Poison Jab!" Zangoose lunged towards Prinplup while he was stumbling backwards, but the water penguin slapped the attack away, creating an opening for Owen.
"Prinplup, use Peck!" Prinplup dove into Zangoose while his beak grew and began to glow white, stabbing his normal type opponent in the chest. Zangoose fell to the ground in pain while rubbing his chest before getting back up and glaring at Prinplup.
"Zangoose, use Close Combat and get even with Prinplup!" Astral ordered. Zangoose rushed towards Prinplup, who prepared to counter the wicked fighting type attack.
"Use Whirlpool to stop Zangoose, Prinplup!" Owen ordered. Prinplup nodded and his body began to glow the colors of the rainbow. After putting his hands over his head, a vortex of water grew rapidly. Once it reached its max size, Prinplup's body returned to its normal color. The water type then threw his arms forward, and the water vortex flew towards Zangoose.
"Zangoose, dodge it!" Astral shouted desperately. Zangoose tried jumping over the enormous attack, but it was no use. The normal type was sucked into the water and began to helplessly spin around inside it.
"Prinplup, jump in and finish this with Metal Claw!" Owen commanded while throwing his left fist forward. Prinplup sprung into the air before diving into the whirlpool with glowing white claws on his flippers. Suddenly, the Whirlpool attack was destroyed, and Zangoose was sent flying through the air like a rag doll. Once he hit the ground, the ref noted he was unconscious. Prinplup, however, landed perfectly on his feet while receiving a round of applause from the audience.
"Zangoose is unable to battle! Astral, choose your next Pokemon!"
"You fought well, Zangoose. Loudred, let's do this!" Astral shouted after withdrawing his first Pokemon. A Loudred occupied the battlefield shortly after, and it let out a deafening roar.
"This battle will be between Prinplup and Loudred! Begin!"
"Prinplup, let's start this off with Peck!" Owen told the water type. Prinplup nodded before running towards his large purple opponent with his beak glowing a bright white.
"Loudred, wait." Everyone in the audience watched in confusion as Prinplup jumped in the air before diving towards Loudred in an attempt to stab the Hoenn Pokemon with his beak. "Now!" Before Prinplup could reach Loudred the larger Pokemon grabbed Prinplup by the head and held him there. "Now hit 'em with Thunder Fang!"
"Prinplup, use Bubblebeam to escape!" Owen ordered. Prinplup unleashed a wave of bubbles against Loudred's hands, causing the normal type to drop his opponent while waving his hands around in pain. Despite this, Loudred shot forward while his mouth was surging with electricity, and he bit Prinplup's neck. The water type dropped to the ground right after the attack, leaving him completely defenseless.
"Now use Uproar!" Loudred's jaw suddenly unhinged like a snake before he let out a deafening shriek, which made everyone near the battle cover their ears. Waves of energy then flew from Loudred's mouth and pelted Prinplup, sending the Sinnoh starter flying across the battlefield. After the attack ended, Prinplup got back on his feet and began running towards his foe.
"Prinplup, use Whirlpool to immobilize Loudred!" Prinplup put his arms over his head while generating the enormous wave of water. After three seconds, Prinplup threw the vortex of water towards Loudred. Owen thought the attack would have the same effect on Loudred that it did on Zangoose, but he couldn't have been more wrong.
"Loudred, blow it up with Uproar!" Owen watched helplessly as the water type attack was destroyed completely, and Loudred began sprinting towards Prinplup.
"Prinplup, use Metal Claw to hold Loudred off!" Owen ordered. Prinplup nodded before swinging at Loudred with his metallic claws. Somehow, Loudred managed to stand up to the several slashes his opponent was dealing, making Owen extremely worried. As Prinplup reared back to strike Loudred again, the larger Pokemon grabbed both of Prinplup's flippers.
"Use Thunder Fang, Loudred!" Astral called. As Prinplup struggled to break free of Loudred's grip, the normal type's mouth began to produce electricity. Then, Loudred bit Prinplup's neck for a second time. The Sinnoh Pokemon dropped to the ground right after the attack landed, but he still tried getting back on his feet.
"Prinplup, you have to get up!" Owen cried to the downed Pokemon. Prinplup continued to push himself off the ground at a sluggish pace, which was hard for everyone to watch.
"Loudred, Brick Break!" Owen's attention shifted from his struggling Prinplup to the incoming Loudred, whose fists were glowing white. Loudred swung his fists straight down on Prinplup, which slammed the normal type against the ground. Owen remained speechless as Loudred walked back to Astral, albeit with a hobble, while Prinplup was on the ground with no signs of moving.
"Prinplup is unable to battle! Owen, choose your final Pokemon!"
"You were great out there, Prinplup. Return." Owen zapped the water type back into his Pokeball before taking a deep breath. He reached for his third and final Pokeball and held it to his face. "Heatmor, it's all up to you!" he shouted before throwing the Pokeball onto the battlefield. Heatmor appeared from the Pokeball and looked around at the audience nervously.
"Sawk, come on out," Fate whispered as she released Owen's former Pokemon from his Pokeball. The fighting type looked around curiously before waving to Owen's parents and Professor Oak with a smile on his face. "Sawk, Heatmor's about to battle. Check it out," Fate told the fighting type. Sawk turned around and made eye contact with Heatmor, so he gave his fire type friend a thumbs up. Heatmor nodded confidently before turning his attention to Loudred while shooting fire out of his tail.
"This battle will be between Heatmor and Loudred! Begin!"
"Heatmor, use Flame Burst!" Owen yelled. Heatmor reared his head back after taking a large breath before shooting a speeding bullet of fire towards Loudred.
"Blow it up with Uproar!" Astral shouted. As soon as Loudred began to scream, Owen smirked. As soon as the Flame Burst was destroyed, Owen issued another command that was guaranteed to work.
"Follow it up with Flame Wheel!" Heatmor began to spin head over heels while covering himself in fire. Taking on the shape of a wheel, Heatmor rolled towards and into Loudred violently. The large Hoenn Pokemon was launched back by the strong fire type attack before hitting the ground and skidding back to his trainer. Astral looked up at Heatmor worriedly until he saw Loudred get back on his feet, albeit slowly.
"Hang in there, Loudred! Use Surf!" Loudred nodded at Astral's words before jumping in the air while letting out a deafening roar. All of a sudden, Loudred threw his arms forward and a tidal wave appeared. The ridiculous amount of water crashed against the battlefield before hitting into Heatmor. The fire type was swept away by the super effective water type attack. Once the wave subsided, Heatmor hopped back up while Snivy cheered for him.
"That's the spirit, Heatmor! Use Hone Claws and then Flame Wheel again!" Heatmor's yellow claws began to flash white, and a red ring of energy spiraled around his body before disappearing into thin air. The fire type then began to spin rapidly while covering his body in flames, and he made his way towards Loudred.
"Grab Heatmor and throw him against the ground!" Astral ordered just as Heatmor was about to land a devastating blow. Loudred stuck his humongous hands out and grabbed the wheel of fire. The intense heat of the fire forced Loudred to drop Heatmor, but the Flame Wheel attack had been stopped, which was what Astral wanted. The skilled trainer, however, didn't think about Heatmor's other attacks.
"Let out another Flame Burst!" Owen called. Heatmor shot a pointblank Flame Burst that hit Loudred in the chest, which caused the Hoenn Pokemon to fall over while grabbing his burnt body in agony.
"Loudred!" Astral called to the Pokemon that was rolling on the ground in an attempt to dull the horrible pain he was suffering through while Owen and Heatmor prepared to unleash another attack.
"Use Hone Claws!" Owen commanded, much to Heatmor's disappointment. The fire type did as he was told despite seeing the opportunity to end the battle, and his claws flashed white again. A much more vibrant ring of red energy surrounded Heatmor before disappearing for a second time.
"Owen's playing this really strategically," Fate noted while sitting on the edge of her seat. "Why would he have done that, Professor Oak?"
"It's a really good idea, actually. If Heatmor beats Loudred, then his increased attack and accuracy carry over into the battle with Astral's last Pokemon," CJ explained while looking over at the younger girl.
"Exactly. Hone Claws ups the attack and accuracy stats of the user, so Owen is being very smart by using it again," Professor Oak told Fate.
"Loudred, finish this with Surf!" Astral shouted. Loudred prepared to spring into the air, but the burn mark on his chest prevented him from doing so immediately, giving Owen and Heatmor a chance to attack.
"Not on my watch! Heatmor, Flame Wheel!" Heatmor began sprinting towards Loudred before covering himself in fire and rolling towards his target at a rapid pace. Loudred jumped in an attempt to dodge Heatmor, but the anteater Pokemon sprung into the air while maintaining Flame Wheel. The blistering wheel of fire Heatmor was in crashed into Loudred, which prevented him from using Surf successfully. Loudred and Heatmor then fell from the air, with Loudred landing on the ground face first, and Heatmor on his feet.
"Loudred is unable to battle! Astral, choose your last Pokemon!"
"Thank you, Loudred." Astral zapped the Pokemon back into his Pokeball with a confident smile on his face as he grabbed his third Pokeball. "Owen, it's time I introduce my strongest Pokemon, and my best friend. Tyrouge, it's time to shine!" Once Astral's Pokeball opened, a Tyrouge appeared in front of him. The fighting type had a blue waist and feet which were usually brown, indicating it was a shiny.
"This is it, Heatmor. Astral's throwing everything at us, so we've gotta be at our best!" Owen told his fire type. Heatmor nodded energetically while keeping his eyes locked with Tyrouge's.
"This is it," Heatmor thought to himself. "This is what Charizard talked to me about."
(Flashback)
"So, I've heard you're new to the group," Charizard started while leaning up against the wall of the Pokemon Center. "That's always tough, but you'll get through it in a couple of weeks." The winged lizard looked up at the bright afternoon sky filled with small, fluffy clouds.
"I don't mean to be rude or disrespect you in any way, but why are you talking to me right now?" Heatmor asked. Charizard looked down at the pure fire type and chuckled like Owen would, and he stopped leaning against the wall.
"Your teammates think pretty high of you."
"That's just Sawk. And we're best friends, so he's supposed to say stuff like that," Heatmor countered. He watched as Charizard's threatening eyes pierced through his soul, unnerving the anteater Pokemon.
"That's not true."
Heatmor flinched. The only times he had really talked to the others were during the contest and when he joined them. In fact, the only two team members that saw him battle were Snivy and Sawk.
"You don't read others well, do you?" Charizard asked rhetorically. "I don't need to talk to the others to know what they think of you. I've been around a long time, and I live with about forty other Pokemon that are Owen's," Charizard told Heatmor plainly while pacing back and forth. "I can read people and Pokemon like books. Sawk, he works because he wants to continue being better than others. He doesn't talk to anyone other than you because he sees you as his equal. Blitzle's carefree because he's really young. He's going to love battling, and he'll be the most improved member."
Heatmor watched Charizard as he pointed at the other two Pokemon on Owen's Unova team.
"Tranquill was a soldier for her flock and she couldn't fly. She loves helping you guys with your problems, and she's someone that'll have your back no matter what. Snivy… I can tell she's gone through a lot in her life. She's the bravest out of all of you, and she knows what it's like being an outsider, just like your entire team," Charizard stated emphatically as he punched his left fist into his open right hand. "And they all want to get to know you better. From what they said, you keep to yourself a lot and don't try to get to know them.
"Really? They like me and want to get to know me?" Heatmor quizzed with a sparkle of hope flashing in his eyes. "I thought they didn't like me."
"One thing you're going to learn these next few months, Heatmor, is that you're family. No matter how much you guys fight, if you get on each others' nerves, you're family."
"Wow. Ya know, Charizard, you're really helping me. I feel like you and me are already friends!" Heatmor exclaimed with a smile. Charizard smiled warmly and nodded, and Heatmor continued speaking. "Thanks for the help, Charizard. I really appreciate it," Heatmor told the winged lizard as he turned to walk away.
"Hold on."
Heatmor turned.
"I know what kind of Pokemon you are," Charizard stated dryly, causing Heatmor's heart to start racing. "Your past is much harsher than Snivy's, and that's why you're shutting them out. But you can't do that. Owen's going to lean on you to battle his opponent's toughest Pokemon, and all the others will expect you to win."
Heatmor felt as if his personality was being attacked and his blood began to boil, prompting him to turn and start walking away, but he stopped when Charizard spoke again.
"I heard about the contest, Heatmor. I can sense that anger right now."
"That's why I'm walking away. I don't want to feel like that ever again," Heatmor told Charizard with his back facing the giant lizard.
"You shouldn't. But you need to learn how to harness that power. Use it to your advantage, and learn how to unlock it when you need to." Heatmor turned to face Charizard once again, intrigued by what he was saying.
"Are you gonna help me with that?"
"No."
Heatmor frowned.
"You need to do that on your own with no help from anyone else. You could be the strongest on this team, maybe even the strongest Owen's ever had if you can control that rage."
Heatmor beamed. Receiving such praise from someone as strong as Charizard was the best feeling one could have. The Unova Pokemon bowed to his fellow fire type in respect and made his way towards his teammates with a bright smile on his face.
"Where are you going?" Charizard quizzed.
"I'm gonna start training! When we get back from Unova, I'm going to be challenge you to a battle and win!" Heatmor proclaimed before running off to the empty training area.
"And that's what's going to make you special." Charizard watched as Heatmor was getting along with the others, and couldn't help but grin. His drive to become stronger was unmatched. It was like nothing Charizard had ever seen before. He had never met a Pokemon like Heatmor. And their would never be one like him again.
(End Flashback)
Sawk looked up at the fire type, seeing a spark in his eyes that signaled his determination to win. Snivy could sense Heatmor's confidence without even seeing his face, and so could everyone else on the boat. Astral and his Tyrouge, however, were just as confident in themselves.
"This battle will be between Heatmor and Tyrouge! The winner will move on to the championship round, where they will face either Colman or Rose! Begin!"
"Heatmor, use Flame Burst!" Heatmor reared back and shot a bullet of fire at Tyrouge, which hit the fighting type hard. Tyrouge was shoved back by the force of the speeding fire type attack, but he only had a slight mark on his chest that didn't appear to bother him in the slightest.
"Hit him right back with Thunder Punch!" Tyrouge bolted towards Heatmor and stopped a foot in front of the underweight fire type in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, his fist was covered in electricity that was dancing through the air, and Tyrouge punched Heatmor in the gut. The brown Pokemon flew into Owen, but got back up as fast as he could before running at his fighting type opponent.
"Knock 'em down with Flame Wheel!" Heatmor spun head over heels while encapsulating himself in flames that were omitted from his mouth, and he begin to fly towards the much skinnier Pokemon.
"Hold your ground, Tyrouge! Use Ice Punch to protect your hands" Astral ordered while placing his hands straight out. Tyrouge copied Astral's motions without even looking at him while his fists were shrouded in ice, which allowed the tiny fighting type to catch the incoming Flame Wheel attack. "Now use Sky Uppercut!" Once the flames around Heatmor disappeared because of the ice on Tyrouge's hands, he was punched in the chin, which sent him flying straight in the air.
"Use the height to your advantage! Engulf the field in flames!" Owen shouted excitedly while jumping up and down. Heatmor turned his body so that his face was pointing towards the ground, and he unleashed a wave of fire that covered the battlefield. Everyone gasped at the height and heat of the fire Heatmor had produced, while Tyrouge let out a deafening cry of pain.
"Tyrouge, get rid of the fire by using Ice Punch on the ground!" Astral ordered quickly. The crowd watched the small black figure in the fire, and it punched the ground as hard as it could with both of its fists.
"While he's getting rid of the fire use Hone Claws!" Owen demanded. Heatmor's claws flashed a blinding white, and a crimson ring of energy circulated around his body before fading away. Heatmor looked energized by the Hone Claws, giving Owen a sense of relief. Snivy cheered for her fire type teammate excitedly, so Heatmor turned to her and flashed a smile while flexing confidently. A sudden chill filled the air, and the flames dissipated while a snowy wind blew across the battlefield. Owen and Heatmor spotted Tyrouge, who was panting heavily while his body was covered in burn marks. "Now use Flame Wheel!"
"Knock Heatmor back with Sky Uppercut!" As Heatmor turned into a wheel of fire, the audience took notice of the insane waves of heat, which had become stronger as result of the three Hone Claws, while the size of the attack also increased. Tyrouge began to run towards the ball of fire while his fist was covered in light blue energy before he lowered himself as close to the ground as he could. Then, he threw his fist straight up and it connected with Heatmor's chin, sending the fire type flying into the air. He then hit the ground so hard that a hard smack could be heard from the Pokemon Center in Vermillion City, causing everyone to cringe.
"Are you okay, Heatmor?" Owen asked. Heatmor waved Owen off while pushing himself up with his shaking arms. The fire type managed to stand up, but had bruises all over his body, which worried Owen. Heatmor's weight was unhealthy enough, so combining that with the Castelia Contest incident and the beating he was taking seemed like a formula for disaster. The teen knew he had to finish the battle soon, and he knew just how to do it. "Use Flame Wheel again!"
"That's alright with us. Tyrouge, use Sky Uppercut again!" Tyrouge lowered his body slowly while his fist was covered in light blue energy, and he waited for the incoming wheel of fire. Once Heatmor was close enough, Tyrouge threw his fist upwards, which was what Owen had been waiting for.
"Jump over Tyrouge and use Lick!" The spinning fire type leapt over Tyrouge and managed to avoid the powerful fighting type attack in the process. Heatmor broke out of the flames surrounding his body before Tyrouge could turn, which allowed Heatmor to lick the fighting type. Tyrouge shivered and fell to his knees in disgust while Heatmor ran back to Owen as fast as he could.
"Wh-What!? Tyrouge, use Thunder Punch!" Tyrouge tried getting up to strike Heatmor again, but his body refused to move, causing Astral and his Pokemon to look at Owen and Heatmor in confusion.
"It's no use," Owen started. "Tyrouge's paralyzed. Heatmor, wrap this up with Flame Wheel!" Astral could only watch as his immobile Pokemon waited to be crushed by the wicked flames. When Heatmor collided with Tyrouge, the fighting type was instantly thrown behind Astral, and his eyes were shut tight.
"Tyrouge is unable to battle! That means Owen will be moving on to the championship round!" the referee shouted.
"Heatmor, get over here!" Owen shouted excitedly while dropping to his knees and opening his arms. Heatmor darted over to his trainer and tackled him excitedly, knocking Owen over and on his back. The fire type beamed as he helped Owen onto his feet, and he began to cheer with Snivy before hugging the grass type and spinning around violently.
"Congratulations, Owen," Astral told the younger teen as he walked over to Owen's side and off the battlefield. Owen nodded and the two shook hands before Astral spoke again. "You've got some really strong Pokemon."
"Thanks. You raised your's really well, too," Owen complimented in return. Astral bowed thankfully before bowing to Heatmor, who bowed back to Astral.
"Good luck with the championship tonight. I'll be cheering you on with Dante."
"That sounds like a plan. We should have another battle soon," Owen proposed.
"I'd love that. Next time, I'll make sure to be stronger and whoop you," Astral told Owen while laughing. The older boy punched Owen's shoulder before heading off to a different part of the boat, leaving Owen with his friends and family.
"You were great out there, honey," Owen's mother told her son.
"That was such a great battle. Heatmor, you were awesome!" Owen's father exclaimed while petting the fire type's head. Heatmor cheered happily before turning to see Sawk. The fighting type stood with his arms crossed and he was shaking his head while laughing. The two Pokemon then fist bumped before laughing and talking to one another in Poke-speak.
"We should probably get some dinner and have your Pokemon healed up before the big battle," CJ suggested wisely.
"Right. Heatmor, Snivy, we're heading over to the Pokemon Center," Owen told the two Pokemon. The fire and grass types ran to Owen's side and began conversing while the humans talked about Owen's strategy for the battle later that night.
"So who do you plan on using first?" Fate quizzed. Owen shrugged nonchalantly before looking back at the boat to see Colman and the girl named Rose battling each other. It was pretty obvious they were uncomfortable battling each other for whatever reason, but Owen didn't think much of it.
"It wouldn't hurt if you thought over your lineup," Professor Oak told the teen. "I'd recommend thinking of who to choose last, and then work your way forward."
"That sounds like a good idea, Professor Oak," Owen replied. He looked over at the two Pokemon by his side and pondered where they'd end in the lineup. Sighing, Owen decided to not think about the decision too much. Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in his head. He knew his lineup for the championship.
That's the end to the semifinals! Owen managed to beat Astral thanks to Heatmor's heroics, and he will now be heading to the championship round of the S.S Anne Tournament! In what will be his first full battle of the Unova region, can Owen win and capture first place? Till next time, peace out.
Next Chapter: A Fight for the Title: Fire vs Water!