Theme Song
The dark has lost and peace has won (Owen and Charizard look out at Lumiose City from the top of Prism Tower)
Push ahead, go on and run (Owen hops on Charizard's back and Charizard uses Flamethrower on the camera)
Your family's gone, you must stand tall (Ariel and Catherine look like ghosts and put their hands on Owen's shoulders, and he's smiling while tears come to his eyes)
The love's still there, so you won't fall (Brooklyn and the others stand by Owen's sides, and they start running towards the championship stadium at the Kalos League/Grand Festival)
Make them proud and don't look back (A short mantage of Owen battling his rivals with Chesnaught, Greninja, and Tyrantrum celebrating)
Stay strong, go ahead and attack! (All ten of Owen's Pokemon jump in front of him)
When it's lost your bond grows strong (Gengar slowly gets off the ground and Mega Evolves)
Don't second-guess you aren't in wrong (Owen's six strongest Pokemon stare across a battlefield with grins)
And when it's done, you'll move on... Pokemon! (Owen vanishes and a girl with gray eyes and brown hair replaces him)
Alright! It's time for the full battles to begin, and Owen is in for one hell of a fight. Last chapter, after defeating Maria, Owen found out he was matched up against Moe. Will Owen be able to win? Let's get going!
Defender31415: Thank you, and haha. You'll see just how strong Clauncher is in this battle, so that should explain it
Trentavious Phoenix: Oh god, I'd hate battling you XD One of my friends would start with Talonflame and use Toxic every single time, so I'd always get pissed. I stopped battling him, lol
SomeGuy: To be honest, I don't ever try to make battles close or a blowout (save for some cases), it was more a product of me wanting to make Tyrantrum look powerful and have Owen be experienced as opposed to Maria. And what do you mean by meeting in regards to the chapters? I'm too dumb to understand that, so please forgive me if it's really obvious XD
ShadowDragon9000: True, but you'll see why Clauncher is considered to be mighty. As for your prediction, anything's possible ;)
guest: There we go, someone brought up Nuzzle! Assuming he does battle Tyler, I will make them equal in terms of strategy because he is in another story (that's currently on hiatus) "Pokemon XY: Kalos" by monfernofreak. I highly recommend it, and it shows Tyler in every way that I didn't
Guest: (Assuming this is a serious review) I disagree with your first statement, XY sucked. I understand your second statement, but I might do something with that story and change up my outline for it. And your third was the best! Why not Zoidberg?
Guest: You actually are the first to ask, lol. Uhm... there won't be a Mega Fusion Mewtwo chapter because that would mean it would have to bond with Owen, and I don't plan on having Mewtwo show up until my new story. It's a really interesting idea and I love it, but I don't think Owen's a good enough trainer to have that kind of bond with a legendary
Breana (guest): Haha, if he didn't make it to the quarters, I would've let all of you punch me in the face ;)
Emboar-Man: Greninja (and all of the other Pokemon) will only learn moves in their movelists, which can be found on bulbapedia, so Grass Knot and Ice Beam are out of the question. Sadly, Wartortle won't be brought back, nor will any of the other mentioned Pokemon, except Sceptile who might come back for an epilogue chapter battle
Shion Rasenka: Yeah, I really think this will end up being arguably the best battle of the story. And thanks for the compliments!
Owen's team for battle
Greninja, (m), level 42, Water Shuriken, Smack Down, Round, Quick Attack, Water Pulse*, Smokescreen*
Gengar, (f), level 47, Shadow Punch, Mean Look, Dark Pulse, Confuse Ray, Sucker Punch*, Shadow Ball*
Butterfree, (f), level 40, Tackle, Silver Wind, Psybeam, Gust, Poison Powder*, Sleep Powder*
Pikachu, (m), level 45, Iron Tail, Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Nuzzle, Electro Ball*, Double Team*
Hawlucha, (m), level 43, Wing Attack, Karate Chop, Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Bounce*, High Jump Kick*
Lickitung, (m), level 44, Body Slam, Earthquake, Dig, Swords Dance, Hammer Arm*, Giga Impact*
"Everyone, come on out!" Owen shouted while tossing four Pokeballs in the air. Lickitung, Gyarados, Skarmory, and Absol appeared in front of their trainer, and they all tackled their trainer. "It's great to see you guys again!" the fifteen year old exclaimed as Charizard and Blaziken helped him to his feet. "Hey, everyone, I want you to meet some of my old Pokemon," Owen called to his Kalosian Pokemon. The group of eight walked onto their trainer's balcony and introduced themselves to the four new Pokemon standing around Owen.
Lickitung seemed to be the most excited of the veteran Pokemon, as he licked nearly everyone, while Gyarados, Skarmory, and Absol introduced themselves through words.
"Wow, those are cool Pokemon!" Eddy exclaimed as he ran over to Absol and began petting the dark type. "I knew you had all these Pokemon, but it's so cool to see them in person!"
"Yeah, since when did you have a red Gyarados?" Cindy quizzed, to which Owen simply grinned while putting his hand on the water type's head. "Whatever. So are you going to use any of them in your battle today?"
"Definitely," Owen replied without hesitation. "Lickitung, are you up for battling today?" The normal type slammed his stubby hands on his stomach confidently, making Owen and the others laugh. "Gyarados, Skarmory, Absol, if we make to the semis, you three will be battling." The three other Pokemon nodded excitedly before Owen withdrew five of his Kalosian Pokemon and Lickitung to their Pokeballs.
After leaving the apartment, Owen, Brooklyn, Daniel, Cindy, and Eddy walked towards the middle stadium. The Kantonian smiled wildly as he and his friends entered the trainer lounge, and they all sat down while waiting for Owen to be called to battle. Moe, meanwhile, walked into the room with a confident look on his face, and he grinned when he saw Owen.
"What's up, dude?" he asked while he and his Clauncher walked over to the group. "You ready for our battle?"
"You bet!" Owen exclaimed while Greninja hopped up and extended his hand to Clauncher, who shook the fully evolved starter's hand lightly, not wanting to snap his claw. "Good luck, Moe!" Owen yelled to his rival as he and his Clauncher began to walk towards the other end of the stadium while waving. Once they disappeared, Owen sat back down in his seat and looked over at his friends confidently.
"You seem excited, unlike the other rounds," Daniel pointed out, to which Owen nodded. "Why? What's so different now?"
"This is where the battles start getting intense," Owen replied quickly. "The further you get into the league, the more exciting it gets. Not only because of the fact that you could win it all, but because every battle's close."
"It also doesn't hurt that you're closer to the Championship," Brooklyn said while laughing. Owen smirked and nodded at the statement, but he stopped when a man with a clipboard walked into the room.
"Would Owen Plateau please report to the battlefield? Anyone with you may sit on the sidelines on the battlefield." As soon as the man finished his sentence, Eddy and Cindy bolted towards him and made their way to the sidelines while Daniel and Brooklyn laughed. The former of the two quickly followed the younger kids while Brooklyn stayed and looked at her boyfriend.
"You're going to do great," she said before pecking him on the cheek. Owen nodded confidently along with Greninja, and they watched as Brooklyn, Charizard, and Blaziken made their ways to the battlefield.
"Let's do this thing, Greninja."
"Ja!" Greninja exclaimed excitedly before following Owen down a hallway. The teen slowly moved his legs forward along with his starter while his heart began to race, and he took a deep breath before stopping and waiting for his name to be called.
"Welcome, everyone, to the quarterfinals of the Kalos League! We have four incredible match-ups slated for today, and things will only continue to heat up as we advance to the semifinals! Now, please welcome Owen and Moe to the battlefield!" the announcer screamed into his microphone. The crowd exploded with cheers while Owen, Moe, and their starters walked into their trainer boxes. The two teens looked around at the enormous stadium that had four scoreboards - each of which were hung on the four different sections of the square stadium.
Owen's picture was on the left while Moe's was on the right, and the referee stepped forward.
"This will be a full battle between Owen and Moe where both trainers may substitute Pokemon once! Furthermore, once all Pokemon on one side are unable to battle, the battle will be over! Trainers, choose your first Pokemon!"
"Hawlucha, let's do this!" Owen shouted while tossing his first Pokeball in the air. In a blast of light, Hawlucha landed on the ground in front of his trainer and flexed confidently as his picture appeared in the first spot next to Owen's.
"Marowak, you're first!" Moe yelled. After throwing his first Pokeball, the ground type Pokemon materialized from the light and slammed his club against the ground as his picture appeared in the first spot next to Moe's.
"This battle will be between Hawlucha and Marowak! Begin!"
"Marowak, use Stone Edge!" Moe shouted, wanting to deal massive damage to Hawlucha right off the bat. Marowak quickly threw its arms forward and several sharp stones circled around his body before flying across the battlefield and striking Hawlucha, who didn't show any signs of pain.
"Strike back with Aerial Ace!" Owen yelled, throwing his right arm to his side. Once the wave of rocks ceased, Hawlucha ran across the battlefield and jumped in the air. As he did, he tucked his wings in and white streaks of light flew off his face. Before Moe or Marowak could react Hawlucha crashed into the ground type before hopping back up and running to Owen's side.
"Quickly, throw your club and hit Hawlucha's wing!" As Hawlucha began to turn around so he could face Marowak, he was hit by the Kantonian Pokemon's club, which made him cry out in pain before gripping his left wing, which had been struck. "Now get in close!"
"If they want close combat, that's what we'll give 'em! Hawlucha, use Karate Chop repeatedly!" Hawlucha's eyes shot open as both of his hands began to glow white and he started swinging at Marowak, who wasn't nearly as quick as his fighting type opponent. Hawlucha continued his onslaught before finishing the barrage with one final punch to Marowak's stomach, sending the ground type rolling back to Moe's half of the battlefield.
"Use Stone Edge again, Marowak!" Marowak nodded at his trainer's words and threw his arms forward. Several sharp stones flew around his body before being sent at Hawlucha, who grinned and took a battle stance before punching through each of the rocks with little effort. The crowd applauded Hawlucha's strength as bits of the rocks fell to his feet, and then he charged forward.
"Take to the sky with Bounce!" Hawlucha smirked as he shot into the air like a spring and everyone stared in awe as the flying type soared to the third level of seats, and his ascent continued. Moe, meanwhile, didn't focus on the incredible vertical, and instead remained determined to win the battle.
"Hit Hawlucha with Hyper Beam!" Marowak reared his head back before firing a blast of orange energy towards Hawlucha, who was flying in a predictable pattern. The fighting and flying type gasped as the attack made its way towards him, but he was calmed when he heard Owen's voice reach his ears.
"Spin to dodge and then finish this with Flying Press!" Without hesitation Hawlucha began to spin like a drill while he was covered in white energy. Somehow he managed to dodge the Hyper Beam attack and he extended his arms straight out before crushing Marowak, which caused a cloud of dirt to shoot into the air. Once the dust settled, the referee raised his arms in the air while Hawlucha rose to his feet and walked back to Owen and Greninja.
"Marowak is unable to battle! Moe, choose your next Pokemon!" the referee shouted, making the crowd explode while Marowak's picture on the scoreboard turned black. Moe nodded and withdrew his first Pokemon with a slight smile while looking at the Pokeball while Owen patted Hawlucha on the back and began talking to the victorious Pokemon.
"Thanks for the effort, Marowak. Ampharos, I choose you!" Owen, Hawlucha, and Greninja watched as an Ampharos appeared in front of Moe
"This battle will be between Hawlucha and Ampharos! Begin!"
"Hawlucha, get in close and use Karate Chop!"
"Block it with Thunder Punch!" Moe shouted right after Owen. Hawlucha and Ampharos both charged towards the middle of the battlefield while they reared their fists back, and the attacks collided. After several seconds of battling back and forth, Ampharos prevailed and punched Hawlucha in the beak, knocking the flying type on his back.
"Hop up and land a High Jump Kick!" In the blink of an eye, Hawlucha used his hands to push himself off the ground and he landed a ferocious High Jump Kick that sent Ampharos rolling back to Moe. Despite the power of the attack, Ampharos quickly got back up and glared at Hawlucha, who was panting from fatigue. Owen noticed his Pokemon's exhaustion and thought about withdrawing him, but he didn't have enough time to do so.
"Ampharos, use Thunder!" Ampharos quickly slammed his feet on the ground before unleashing a wicked bolt of electricity that shot straight into the air. Hawlucha and Owen stared at the attack in awe before it crashed down on the bipedal eagle, who screamed in pain before falling on his face with his eyes shut.
"No, Hawlucha!" Owen cried as he ran to his Pokemon's side.
"Hawlucha is unable to battle! Owen, choose your next Pokemon!" Owen bit his lip as Hawlucha's picture turned black, and eh withdrew the fainted fighting type back to his Pokeball with a thankful smile.
"Great job out there, Hawlucha. Pikachu, show 'em your speed!" Owen yelled while throwing his second Pokeball. In a flash of light, Pikachu jumped out of his Pokeball and landed on all fours. He then glared at Ampharos, and vice versa before the referee raised his arms in the air.
"That's a weird choice," Daniel muttered as Pikachu's picture appeared beneath Hawlucha's.
"Why?" Cindy asked in confusion. "Pikachu's a lot faster than Ampharos, so it's not like he's at a disadvantage or anything."
"Well, Pikachu's only semi-effective attack is Quick Attack. It just seems weird that Owen wouldn't go with someone that had a type advantage, or a move that could do some serious damage."
"This battle will be between Pikachu and Ampharos! Begin!"
"Unveil Hidden Power, Ampharos!" Moe shouted while pointing at Pikachu, who prepared to run away from the attack. Ampharos nodded and stomped on the ground before his stomach started glowing white. Then, a blast of energy was fired out of Ampharos' mouth, and it was purple. The energy struck Pikachu head-on, but the rodent refused to back down.
"Stand strong, Pikachu! Charge with Quick Attack and then use Double Team!" Owen yelled. Pikachu darted across the battlefield while a streak of white light trailed his body, and then he copied himself. Ampharos looked around in confusion as ten Pikachu charged at him, but Moe was more than ready to counter the swarm. "Now jump and use Iron Tail!"
"Protect!" Ampharos smirked and stuck his arms out as all of the Pikachu jumped in the air and began doing flips while their tails were covered in metal. A green sphere surrounded Ampharos' body and all of the Iron Tail attacks bounced off the forcefield, presenting the perfect opportunity to counterattack. "Now use Thunder on the ground!" Within seconds, all of the Pikachu clones were destroyed by bolts of electricity that shot out of the battlefield, and chunks of the battlefield pelted the real Pikachu, making him cry out in pain.
"Hang in there, buddy! Get in close and use Nuzzle!" After landing on his face, Pikachu got back up and sprinted over to Ampharos, who was panting because he used so much energy in his Thunder attack. The smaller electric type then leaped forward and rubbed his face against Ampharos' arm before running away with a smirk. Ampharos, however, wasn't paralyzed by the attack, confusing Owen and Pikachu.
"Hidden Power!"
"Pikachu dodge it!" As soon as Ampharos unleashed a purple orb of energy, Pikachu jumped in the air in order to evade the attack. Much to his and Owen's surprise, Ampharos was waiting in the air for Pikachu, who was completely defenseless.
"Now use Thunder Punch!" Owen could only watch as Pikachu was punched into the ground by Ampharos' electrical fist, and the rodent fainted instantly, making his picture on the scoreboard turn black.
"Pikachu is unable to battle! Owen, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Awesome job, Pikachu. It's time to make a comeback. Lickitung, I choose you!" Owen shouted, tossing his third Pokeball in the air. Lickitung appeared in front of his trainer and a stupid smile was plastered on his face as usual, making the crowd laugh before cheering for the normal type.
"So we finally get to see Lickitung," Brooklyn said to the others with an anxious grin. "I wonder how strong Owen's other Pokemon are?" the girl asked herself before looking up and seeing the referee throw his arms downwards.
"This battle will be between Lickitung and Ampharos! Begin!"
"Ampharos, use Thunder Punch!" The electric type from Johto ran across the battlefield while his right fist was surging with electricity, and he leaped in the air while rearing his arm back. Owen and Lickitung, however, were more than ready to counter the powerful electric attack.
"Grab Ampharos with your tongue and throw him against the ground!" Lickitung whipped his head to his left and his tongue shot towards Ampharos. Everyone in the crowd gasped in shock as Lickitung's tongue wrapped around Ampharos' body, and then the pink Pokemon slammed his opponent against the ground, making Moe curse under his breath while Ampharos slowly tried to get back on his feet.
"Hang in there, Ampharos! Use Thunder on the ground!" Moe commanded. Ampharos' body was suddenly covered in electricity before he slammed his hands on the ground and released a wave of yellow energy. Pieces of the battlefield shot into the air and the electricity zipped towards Lickitung, but Owen knew just how to respond.
"Jump and use Earthquake!" Just before he could be hit by the Thunder attack, Lickitung leaped into the air before slamming his feet on the ground. Suddenly, the arena began to shake and a pillar of dirt shot out of the ground and struck Ampharos in the chin, sending the electric type flying into the air. Once he hit the ground, Ampharos struggled to get up, but succeeded. Moe, however, withdrew the injured electric type.
"Ampharos, return!" the older trainer called while zapping his Pokemon back into its Pokeball. Ampharos' picture on the scoreboard turned blue as Moe took out his third Pokeball, and he looked across the battlefield at Owen and Lickitung. "Darmanitan, go!" With a flick of his wrist, Moe's third Pokeball flew into the air and cracked open. A large, red Pokemon with orangoutang arms appeared in front of him with large yellow eyebrows of fire, and it smirked at Lickitung, who maintained his stupid smile.
"This battle will be between Lickitung and Darmanitan! Begin!"
"Unleash a Flamethrower, Darmanitan!" Darmanitan quickly hopped in the air, spun like a top, and then shot a blast of fire at Lickitung, who waited for Owen to speak up.
"Dodge it and use Swords Dance!" Owen countered. Lickitung nodded and rolled to his left before two swords appeared in front of his body and clinked. After they vanished, a red ring of energy spiraled around Lickitung's body and he looked even more powerful than before, but that didn't impress Moe or his fire type.
"If that's how you want to battle, then let's do it! Darmanitan, use Flare Blitz!" Moe shouted while pointing at Lickitung, as if he were aiming for his Pokemon. Darmanitan grinned at the command and began stomping on the ground while a coat of blue fire formed around his circular body. While the fire type did that, Owen and Lickitung exchanged nods, and the teen punched his arm forwards.
"Lickitung, match it with Giga Impact!" Lickitung whipped his tongue around in response, and a wave of purple aura surrounded his body. The two Pokemon then flew towards the middle of the battlefield and collided, causing an explosion. As smoke filled the stadium, Lickitung and Darmanitan bounced against the ground before landing on their feet, making their trainers breathe sighs of relief. Once the smoke dissipated, Moe cleared his throat and issued another command.
"Darmanitan, get in close and use Fire Punch!"
"Keep him away with Earthquake!" Owen countered immediately. As Darmanitan began running towards Lickitung, the normal type slammed his foot on the ground, causing the ground to shake violently. As Darmanitan prepared to leap forward, a column of dirt shot up and hit him in the face, sending him flying through the air before he smacked against the ground, making Moe bite his lip worriedly. The fire type slowly rose to his feet and wiped the dirt from his face and glared at Lickitung, who was dancing like an idiot, completely unaware of the crowd laughing at him while Owen sweat dropped at his Pokemon's stupidity.
"Darmanitan, finish this with Hammer Arm!" Moe yelled loud enough for Owen and Lickitung to hear, which snapped the normal type out of his goofy antics. Darmanitan's arm quickly began to glow white and he trudged across the battlefield.
"Show 'em a really Hammer Arm, Lickitung!" Owen commanded confidently. Lickitung grinned while his arm extended and began to glow white, just like Darmanitan's, and the two Pokemon met in the middle of the battlefield. They then swung at each other, but Lickitung smacked Darmanitan's arm away with his tongue. After that, Lickitung unleashed a wicked punch to his fire type opponent's face, knocking him out cold.
"Darmanitan is unable to battle! Moe, choose your next Pokemon!" the referee shouted, making the crowd cheer as the score was tied. Moe nodded and withdrew his fainted Pokemon, but noticed Lickitung was panting slightly and there were bruises on his body from Darmanitan's Flare Blitz.
"Sorry, Darmanitan, I set you up for failure. Bulbasaur, I need your help!" Moe yelled as Darmanitan's picture turned black. As soon as Bulbasaur appeared, Greninja shuddered and hid behind Owen, making the fifteen year old laugh while patting his starter on the head.
"This battle will be between Lickitung and Bulbasaur! Begin!" Solarbeam, Power Whip, Take Down, Leech Seed
"Lickitung, start this off with Swords Dance!" Owen shouted. Lickitung nodded and two swords appeared in front of him and clinked. Once they disappeared, a red ring of energy spiraled around the fat Pokemon and disappeared.
"Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed and then Take Down!" Bulbasaur quickly fired a large seed out of the bulb on his back and it hit Lickitung. Suddenly, several vines appeared around the normal type's body and red static appeared around his body while he cried out in pain. Bulbasaur then slammed into the bigger Pokemon while he was enveloped in white light, and Lickitung fell on his back.
"Hang in there, Lickitung! Use Dig!" In the blink of an eye, Lickitung burrowed a hole underneath the battlefield and disappeared from eyesight. Moe and his Bulbasaur looked around frantically until Lickitung shot out of the ground and delivered a wicked uppercut that sent the grass starter flying in the air.
"Recover with Power Whip!" Owen watched as dark green vines shot out of Bulbasaur's back and slapped Lickitung viciously, making him cry bloody-murder before Leech Seed kicked in and zapped away some of his health, giving it to Bulbasaur in the process.
"Damnit. Lickitung, hit 'em with Body Slam!" Owen yelled, seeing Bulbasaur was falling towards the ground. Lickitung attempted to jump, but his legs were far too weak to allow him to, making him a lame duck.
"Take Down!" Moe cried while throwing his arm towards the ground. Bulbasaur descended like a missile and collided with Lickitung headfirst, knocking the normal type out cold shortly afterwards.
"Lickitung is unable to battle! Owen, choose your next Pokemon!"
"You were incredible, Lickitung, thank you so much," Owen said while withdrawing Lickitung to his Pokeball. The trainer then looked up at the scoreboard and cursed under his breath when he saw he was losing once again. He then looked over at Greninja and the water type nodded confidently as Owen grabbed his fourth Pokeball.
"Oh man, that Bulbasaur's tough. Who else can Owen use against it?" Eddy asked while looking at the others. Daniel and Cindy shrugged in response, but Brooklyn giggled at the question, knowing exactly who Owen was going to choose.
"Gengar, let's make a comeback!" Owen screamed while throwing his fourth Pokeball in the air. As soon as the Pokeball opened, Gengar flew through the air and landed in front of Owen. As her picture appeared on the scoreboard, Moe muttered something under his breath, not recognizing the supremely confident ghost he had battled a few months prior.
"Here we go! Gengar's gonna win this right here," Cindy proclaimed, confident Owen's powerhouse would obliterate anything in her path.
"We've still got a long way to go, you might want to take it easy," Daniel instructed, making Cindy sit down while crossing her arms over her chest.
"This battle will be between Gengar and Bulbasaur! Begin!"
"Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed!" Moe yelled, wanting to start the battle with a health sapping move. As Bulbasaur prepared to fire a sapling at Gengar, he was shocked to see the bipedal ghost shoot into the air at light speed, making the Leech Seed attack miss.
"Gengar, Shadow Punch!" Owen yelled. Gengar quickly punched her fist forward, and a shadowy hand flew through the air. It then struck Bulbasaur and launched him behind Moe, who stared in shock. The power behind the Shadow Punch attack was unlike anything he had ever seen before, but he wasn't going to let his opponent know how impressed he was.
"Fire a Solarbeam, Bulbasaur!" Moe yelled. The tiny grass and poison type aimed his bulb at Gengar, but he had a difficult time targeting her, as Gengar flew in unpredictable patterns. After a few seconds of charging, Bulbasaur grew angry with his annoying opponent, so he fired the Solarbeam, which Gengar dodged effortlessly.
"Now use Shadow Ball, Gengar!" Gengar quickly placed her hands together and formed a large ball of purple and black energy before throwing it at Bulbasaur, who was shocked by the speed of the attack. Due to said speed, Bulbasaur was crushed by the Shadow Ball attack, and he landed on his back while Gengar continued to fly around at a breakneck pace.
"Bulbasaur, Leech Seed!"
"Dodge it and wrap this up with Dark Pulse!" Owen countered. As Bulbasaur fired a large sapling out of his back, Gengar flew around it and thrusted her arms forward. A spiraling ray of black and purple energy then struck Bulbasaur and exploded on contact with the grass type and sent him flying through the air. Once he hit the ground, Bulbasaur's eyes were revealed to be shut, and the referee raised his arms in the air while Bulbasaur's picture turned black.
"Bulbasaur is unable to battle! Moe, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Well done, buddy." Moe sighed after withdrawing Bulbasaur and looked up at the scoreboard. He still had three Pokemon left - one of which had already battled - while Owen also had three, including Gengar. After going back and forth on who he would use to combat Gengar, Moe blindly picked a Pokeball and tossed it in the air. "Ampharos, come back out!" Owen groaned when the electric type reappeared, as it was responsible for taking out Hawlucha and Pikachu, but he was confident Gengar could defeat it.
"This battle will be between Gengar and Ampharos! Begin!"
"Shadow Punch!" Owen shouted, wanting to land the first hit of the match. Gengar quickly launched her arm forward and sent a shadowy fist at Ampharos, who was clobbered by the attack. Despite this, Ampharos looked to be fine, as he refused to show any signs of fatigue.
"Retaliate with Hidden Power, Ampharos!" Ampharos cried out as his stomach began to glow white, and then he fired a purple ball at Gengar. Despite her quickness, Gengar was unable to evade the attack and she was knocked onto her back while grimacing in pain, which confused Owen. Even though he wasn't sure why Hidden Power had hit Gengar, his attention snapped back to the battle as Gengar took to the air and was looking at him, waiting for an order.
"Use Confuse Ray, Gengar!" Within seconds, Gengar had fired orange rings of energy at Ampharos, who was hit, and the electric type began to sway from side to side. Moe stomped on the ground in frustration because he knew there was a chance his Pokemon would hurt itself in confusion, but he wasn't able to withdraw Ampharos again. "Mean Look!" Moe turned his attention back to the battle at hand and watched as Gengar's eyes flashed red. A thin line of red light appeared around Ampharos' body shortly afterwards, and Moe's misfortune continued.
"Ampharos, please land a Thunder attack!" Moe begged his confused Pokemon, who continued to saw side to side. Surprisingly, Ampharos did as he was told and unleashed a wicked bolt of electricity at his ghost type opponent, who was struck by the powerful rush of electricity. Before Owen could say anything, he realized a bit of static danced around Gengar's body, and the powerful Pokemon's speed was decreased drastically.
"Let's wrap this up as soon as possible, Gengar!" Owen called to his Pokemon, who nodded back at her trainer's words and prepared to end the battle.
"No way! We're not going down yet! Thunder Punch, Ampharos!"
"Shadow Punch!" Owen screamed for the second time. Before Ampharos could do anything, Gengar unleashed another Shadow Punch, which hit its target. Moe could only watch as Ampharos slowly fell on his back limply.
"Ampharos is unable to battle! Moe, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Thank you very much, Ampharos, you did just what I needed you to do," Moe said while static continued to dance around Gengar's body. "Clauncher, it's time to battle!" Owen smirked as Moe released his starter, who snapped his claws at Greninja, who looked ready to jump into battle, despite Gengar still being on the battlefield.
"Gengar, can you keep going?" Owen quizzed worriedly.
"Geng," the ghost type replied confidently, which made Owen smile and nod. Meanwhile, his traveling companions looked on worriedly as Gengar didn't look to be in battling shape while Clauncher was fully rested and had all of his energy.
"This battle will be between Gengar and Clauncher! Begin!"
"Clauncher, use Aqua Jet!"
"Sucker Punch!" Owen countered immediately, knowing he could steal the first attack. Despite his knowledge of Gengar's attack, Owen was disappointed when Gengar was stopped by her paralysis, which led to her being crushed by Clauncher's Aqua Jet. Even though Clauncher hadn't evolved, his attack packed quite the punch, as evidenced by Gengar being launched into the wall behind Owen, who looked on in concern.
"Now use Crabhammer!" Within nanoseconds, Clauncher had zipped over to Gengar and unleashed a devastating Crabhammer that cracked the wall Gengar was leaning against, and Owen could only wince at the sight as Clauncher floated back to the middle of the battlefield while Gengar struggled to get up.
"Gengar, use Dark Pulse!"
"Dodge it and use Aqua Jet again!" Gengar slowly fired a spiraling ray of dark energy at Clauncher, but the unevolved water type was encapsulated in water and zipped through the air like a bullet. Once he dodged the dark type attack, Clauncher slammed into Gengar and her instantly, making Owen curse under his breath while the referee raised his arms in the air.
"Gengar is unable to battle! Owen, choose your next Pokemon!"
"You were incredible, Gengar," Owen said while withdrawing the fainted ghost type, whose picture turned black, leaving Owen with two Pokemon. "Greninja, I want you to go last I know Butterfree can do some damage." The water and dark type nodded at his trainer and watched as Owen grabbed his fifth Pokeball and tossed it. "Butterfree, come on out!"
"Clauncher, return. Heracross, you're up!" Moe shouted, tossing his sixth and final Pokeball in the air. A Heracross slammed on the ground and he glared at Greninja, remembering their last battle, which Greninja won with ease. The water frog glared right back, but he stopped when the referee raised his arms.
"Well, at least he's got the type advantage here," Daniel said aloud.
"Yeah, but Heracross is so strong, I don't know how Butterfree will do," Brooklyn replied.
"This battle will be between Butterfree and Heracross! Begin!"
"Butterfree, strike with Psybeam!" Owen shouted, wanting to dish out major damage. Butterfree's antennae began glowing with multicolored energy before firing a beam of psychic energy at Heracross, who dodged the attack effortlessly.
"Strike with Power-Up Punch!" Before Butterfree could react, Heracross struck her in the face while his fist was covered in red aura. Even though the attack wasn't very effective, Heracross' strength made up for it as a ring of red energy spiraled around his body. After being hit, Butterfree shook her head to regain her vision, and she swooped down towards Heracross.
"Use Gust!" Owen demanded. Butterfree stopped on a dime and began flapping her wings violently, causing a gale force wind that created cuts all over Heracross' body, making the bug cry out in pain as he flipped through the air before landing on his face.
"Heracross, use Pin Missile to take Butterfree out of the sky!" Moe commanded. Heracross quickly looked up into the sky before firing dozens of white arrows into the air. They then crashed towards the ground before striking Butterfree, who was instantly brought to the ground.
"Butterfree, use Poison Powder!" Butterfree quickly flapped her wings and a purple cloud surrounded Heracross, who inhaled the poisonous air. As soon as he did that, purple static flashed around Heracross' body and he dropped to one knee in pain.
"Megahorn, Heracross!" In seconds, Heracross flew across the battlefield while his horn was glowing white, and he spiked Butterfree into the ground, causing a cloud of dust to shoot in the air. Owen and Greninja waited anxiously as the dust settled, and they were crushed when they saw the result of the Megahorn attack.
"Butterfree is unable to battle! Owen, choose your final Pokemon!" With that, Owen watched as Butterfree's picture turned black and the teen took a deep breath while withdrawing the powerful bug.
"Thank you, Butterfree, you did everything you could've."
"Greninja's definitely going to win this," Eddy said to Charizard, who remained silent along with Blaziken. The two fire types looked at each other and then at the scoreboard before glancing at their trainer.
"Yeah! There's no way Owen's going to lose," Cindy exclaimed in agreement before cheering alongside Eddy. Daniel and Brooklyn, meanwhile, had the same reaction as Charizard and Blaziken.
"Greninja, get out there and give it your all!" Owen cheered while his starter slowly walked onto the battlefield, glaring at Heracross. The two Pokemon locked eyes and the crowd continued to scream at a deafening pitch as Greninja's picture occupied the sixth and final spot on the scoreboard.
"This battle will be between Greninja and Heracross! Begin!"
"Start with Quick Attack, Greninja!" Owen commanded. Greninja bolted across the battlefield as a ray of white light trailed his body, and he slammed into Heracross. The bug and fighting type was knocked onto his back as a result of the force of impact, but he bounced back up and flew towards Greninja.
"Crush him with Megahorn, Heracross!" Without a moment to waste, Heracross slammed his glowing white horn over Greninja's head, dealing massive damage to the bipedal ninja frog. Despite the immense amount of pain, Greninja hopped back onto his feet and he smirked at Heracross out of respect.
"Now use Smokescreen to blind Heracross!" Greninja quickly opened his mouth and released black smoke from his mouth, and it covered Heracross and Moe's half of the battlefield.
"Damnit, now we can't see!" Moe cursed while trying to think of a way to keep Heracross from leaving himself defenseless. The crowd continued to cheer as the battle waged on, and Owen smirked as Greninja turned to him and nodded confidently.
"Slide across the ground and use Round!" Greninja quickly ran into the smoke and released water from his mouth, and then he slid on his stomach. The water frog the opened his mouth and shrieked an explosive tune, sending the smoke flying in every direction while Heracross was launched into the wall behind Moe.
"Stay strong, Heracross! Use Close Combat!" Heracross quickly put his feet on the wall and sprung towards Greninja. Before Greninja could attempt to dodge, Heracross unleashed a barrage of punches that made Greninja cry out in pain, and the onslaught was finished with a powerful punch to Greninja's face.
"Do a backflip and use Water Pulse!" As Greninja began tumbling backwards he placed his hands on the ground and launched himself into the air. Then, he formed a ball of water in his hands and he threw it at Heracross, who was swept away by the attack.
"Heracross, get up and use Megahorn to finish this!"
"Take him out with Water Shuriken!" Owen screamed while throwing his hand to his side. Greninja quickly recovered from his fall and he formed a shuriken of water in his right hand, and he sprinted towards Heracross, whose horn was glowing white. Just as Heracross attempted to swing at Greninja, the dark type jumped in the air and chucked the shuriken at his opponent. As soon as the attack struck Heracross, the bug was slammed against the ground and fainted while Greninja landed on his feet with his arms out to his sides.
"Heracross is unable to battle! Moe, choose your last Pokemon!" the referee shouted while Heracross' picture turned black. Clauncher's picture automatically returned to its normal color.
"That's how you do it!" Eddy screamed excitedly. "Way to go, Greninja!"
"Now all he has to do is beat Clauncher, and Owen's in the semifinals!" Brooklyn cheered with a smile.
"Clauncher, this is what we've been waiting for!" Moe shouted to his starter as Clauncher floated onto the battlefield and snapped his claws energetically. The two water types bowed at the same time before taking battle stances, and the referee raised his arms in the air.
"This battle will be between Greninja and Clauncher! Begin!"
"Start with Aqua Jet, Clauncher!" Moe shouted while pointing at Greninja. Owen and Greninja watched as Clauncher was encapsulated in water and he sped through the air like a bullet. The water type then attempted to crash into Greninja, but Owen spoke up too quickly.
"Catch Clauncher and then use Smack Down!" Owen countered. Greninja quickly threw his arms forward and he stopped Clauncher. The crowd gasped in shock as Greninja managed to stand his ground, and he opened his mouth. Suddenly, a large rock shot out of his mouth and struck Clauncher, who grunted in pain as he rolled across the battlefield.
"Use Aura Sphere, and fast!" Moe shouted. As Clauncher continued to roll, he fired a ball of aura at Greninja. Due to the lack of time to react, Greninja was crushed by the super effective attack, and he started skidding back to Owen's trainer box. The two water types locked eyes once again and charged at each other without their trainers' orders, and they hopped in the air.
"Greninja, Water Pulse!"
"Aura Sphere!" The two Pokemon fired their respective attacks at each other and they collided. An explosion occurred instantly and the two water types were sent spiraling into the ground, causing clouds of dust to shoot into the air. The crowd continued to cheer as the two water types got off the ground and glared at each other.
"Get in close with Quick Attack and then spin and use Smokescreen!" Owen commanded. Greninja quickly ran towards Clauncher, but he stopped and jumped in the air. He then opened his mouth, jumped in the air, and began spinning while releasing thick, black smoke.
"Clauncher, fly towards Greninja and use Cut!" Moe yelled, eager to end the battle. Clauncher took to the sky while his claw extended and looked like the blade of a sword. Much to Moe's surprise, Clauncher's attack missed and he was caught in the middle of the smoke. Meanwhile, Greninja landed on the ground and smirked while turning to Owen, who gave a pleased nod before pointing at the smoke.
"Use a max power Water Shuriken!" Greninja grind as he created the largest shuriken he could, and he threw the sharp body of water at his opponent. The shrunken quickly slashed through the smoke and struck Clauncher, knocking the water type out of the air, and he slammed against the ground.
"Owen, this is it," Moe said to his rival as both of their Pokemon were panting in exhaustion. "It's been fun battling you, but we're going to win this! Clauncher, use Aqua Jet!"
"No way, we're going to win it!" Owen shouted in response. "Greninja, use Quick Attack and form a Water Pulse in your hand!" Greninja nodded and bolted towards his opponent while a spiraling ball of water formed in his hand. Clauncher quickly descended, still covered in water, and Greninja threw his arm forward. The two attacks collided and drops of water flew everywhere, even hitting people in the audience. After several seconds of battling back and forth, the two attacks exploded and both Pokemon were sent flying into the walls behind their trainers, and the crowd waited for one to rise.
"Come on, Greninja!" Eddy screamed as the water type slowly rose to his feet along with Clauncher.
"Stand tall, Greninja! You've got this!" Brooklyn yelled to the frog, whose legs were shaking wildly. Suddenly, they gave out and Greninja fell on the ground, and everyone on the sidelines gasped in shock.
"Greninja is unable to battle! That means Moe is the winner!" Greninja's picture on the scoreboard quickly turned black and the entire stadium began to roar with applause, but they stopped when a coat of light blue water began covering Greninja's body. The water frog then rose to his feet, and he smirked at Clauncher, who stared in disbelief.
"That's the fighting spirit!" Owen screamed enthusiastically as Greninja turned and smirked at his trainer. "Finish this with Water Shuriken!"
"Aura Sphere, Clauncher!" As Greninja began forming the sharp body of water, it grew exponentially larger than normal, and her hurled it at Clauncher, who had fired an Aura Sphere. The crowd then gasped when the shuriken sliced through the Aura Sphere and slammed Clauncher into Moe. When the older teen rose to his feet, he saw Clauncher had fainted, and the scoreboard quickly made Greninja's picture return to its color while Clauncher's turned black.
"Clauncher is unable to battle! That means Owen will be advancing to the semifinals!"
"Way to go, Greninja!" Owen cried as he ran over to his starter and hugged him. Greninja hugged his trainer back, but he stopped when he went unconscious due to exhaustion. "Thanks, buddy. I'll get you healed up as soon as possible."
"That was a hell of a battle," Charizard opined as he and Blaziken walked over to their trainer. Blaziken nodded in agreement while Owen smiled at the brothers. He stopped, however, when Moe walked over and extended his hand.
"Congrats on the win, Owen. You better win this whole thing," he said with a grin, making Owen laugh to himself while shaking Moe's hand.
"Thanks, Moe. I'll do my best!"
Well, Owen has made it to the semifinals, and the full battles will continue! Now how about Gengar and Greninja? Anyways, till next time, peace out.
Next Chapter: "The End of a Journey": Now facing Tyler in the semifinals, Owen is tasked with a daunting challenge, despite his opponent's inexperience, and his returning Pokemon. Having already lost to Tyler once, will Owen fall again?
Final Competition Arc (More to Come!)
Chapter 76: Reflecting on Failure