Chapter 3 - Kaarina's First Ace
"Mr. Kokura, I'll introduce you to one of my most trustworthy Pokémon. He's the very first Pokémon that I ever caught on my own, and I consider that my first step into becoming the champion. Consider him your first hurdle to overcome," Kaarina said while holding out her first Poké Ball. "Let's go, Hariyama!"
A massive Pokémon emerged from the ball. He landed on the field, making it shake momentarily. The crowd cheered as the Pokémon slowly stood up straight, glaring daggers at Cyan.
Cyan took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. He thought about his choices before he slowly pulled a Poké Ball from his belt. "I don't have as dramatic of an entrance for my Pokémon. However, this Pokémon helped get me through the Orange Islands safely, and she's a gift to my mother. Butterfree, let's get this show on the road!" Cyan threw the ball as though he was throwing a baseball. It hit the ground and then opened, revealing his Butterfree with the orange wings. Golem and his gang started to cheer and clap, making the entire stadium shake.
"This battle starts with Butterfree vs. Hariyama! Butterfree is not known to be a strengthy Pokémon, but I'm sure that Cyan has a plan! And on the other side of the field, we have Kaarina's Hariyama, which would make any one of Cyan's Pokémon look like a questionable choice." the announcer yelled over the microphone for the audience in attendance.
"What's your move?" Kaarina asked.
"Quiver Dance!" Cyan replied with a smile.
Butterfree started to dance in the air, slowly rocking back and forth. Her image started to repeat in the air, making it look like she was multiplying.
"We'll end this one with one strike. Use Stone Edge!" Kaarina commanded while pointing to the other side of the field.
Hariyama flattened his hand and then smacked the ground as hard as he could. Five stone pillars erupted from the field before rocketing over to the other side. However, Butterfree had gained too much speed. She flew into the air, allowing a few of the pillars to collide with one another. Only one remained, and Butterfree outsped it. She circled downward and stopped before the ground. The pillar followed, but before it could connect, Butterfree dodged, allowing the pillar to collide with the ground.
"There we go!" Cyan cheered. "Now, Bug Buzz!"
Butterfree continued her momentum down the field. She fluttered her wings violently, creating dark green energy around her body. When she was close, she launched the energy, letting it crash into Hariyama without any struggle. Butterfree retreated to her side of the field, but a look of shock came over her face when she saw that Hariyama looked completely fine.
"That's not good," Cyan muttered. "Let's do another Quiver Dance!"
"Stop them with Stone Edge. Don't let them get away."
As Butterfree started to dance and leave her image in the air, Hariyama slapped his hands together. He axe handled the ground, sending a fissure to the other side of the field. This time, the pillars of stone erupted out from directly under Butterfree. They made immediate contact, and Butterfree stopped her Quiver Dance. Her image slowed down, and it became clear where she was.
"Now, Close Combat!" Kaarina commanded.
Hariyama started to run. He leaped forward to gain momentum, but he took a long time to get down the field. He swung with his massive arm, but Butterfree was still much faster. She flew into the air, avoiding the strike. But, Hariyama was not ready to give up easily. With one leap, he jumped up and tried to swing. Butterfree still had the advantage, and she flew as high as she could, safely getting out of striking distance. Hariyama came back to the ground, shaking the battlefield.
"Now it's our turn to try something! Use Psychic!"
As Butterfree came down from the sky, she released her kinetic attack, which gained range as it fell. A purple wave washed over Hariyama, making him cover his head with his massive palms.
"This is our chance! Bug Buzz!" Cyan ordered.
Butterfree flapped her wings as quickly as she could, creating dark green energy around her body. She descended toward Hariyama and then unleashed it all at once, causing an explosion over the Fighting-type. She quickly retreated and flew back to her side of the field while everyone waited for the smoke to clear. Eventually, it did, and for the first time in the battle, Hariyama appeared damaged. He held at his stomach while he slowly walked forward.
"You've hurt us, but that's not enough," Kaarina said. "Use Heavy Slam!"
Hariyama took in a deep breath and then rocketed into the air, propelled by metallic energy. He twisted his body and held his legs up high, preparing to slam down onto Butterfree.
"Stop it with Psychic!" Cyan ordered.
Butterfree's eyes lit up, and she controlled the energy around her. She blasted kinetic energy at Hariyama, but the Fighting-type had already gained too much momentum. He continued his downfall, slamming the entirety of his body down onto Butterfree. The Bug-type was knocked away, but she still managed to stay in the air.
"And now, Close Combat!"
As soon as Hariyama stood back up, he swung, smacking Butterfree in the face with his large palm. He then uppercut, hitting Butterfree into the air. But his onslaught wasn't finished yet. He jumped and raised both of his fists before hammering them down, sending Butterfree straight into the ground. Dust exploded from the field upon impact, and Hariyama landed a few feet away. He let his arms fall down to his side while he took in a few deep breaths after his attack.
The referee waited for the smoke to clear to make her call. But then, the smoke wafted away, and Butterfree came back up from the small crater. She was weak, but she managed to flap her wings steadily enough to get herself back into the air.
"Amazing! I'm not sure how she's done it, but Cyan's Butterfree is still in this fight!"
"Your Butterfree has put on a lot more of a fight than I thought she could. I'm genuinely impressed, and this excites me for the rest of our battle. However, you're going to have to play both smarter and stronger if really want to beat me," Kaarina exclaimed.
Cyan grinned while he raised his wrist, revealing his Dynamax Band. He held Butterfree's Poké Ball in his hand and then held it out.
"What's this? Is Cyan forfeiting?" the announcer asked.
"Time to show the people of Alola something amazing," Cyan said. The light from his Poké Ball shot forward and absorbed Butterfree. The energy from his Dynamax Band then triggered, surrounding the ball. It grew ten times its regular size before Cyan threw it directly into the air. The ball exploded, and Butterfree in her new gigantic form emerged. Her body was now rounded, and the base of her wings appeared fluffy. The wings were now roughly 90% of her body and colored pink and white.
The crowd was in shock. Even Golem and his gang stopped cheering momentarily. But as soon as they realized that they were quiet, they started to jeer and dance, rooting for their new giant comrade.
Kaarina crossed her arms and smirked. "You might be the only trainer in the entire world to Gigantamax an Orange Islands Butterfree. However, I was prepared for this kind of fight. Don't think that you have me surprised. You did special training in Galar. Honestly, I'm jealous. But, I have a champion's team, and your gimmicks aren't going to win this battle for you."
"We'll see!" Cyan shouted back with a grin. "G-Max Befuddle!"
Butterfree flapped her massive wings once, unleashing dark green powder into the air. The green powder swirled around Hariyama and engulfed him momentarily. Then, it exploded, leaving the crowd in awe. When the smoke from the attack faded, Hariyama held at his stomach. Electricity emitted from him while he struggled to walk forward.
Kaarina grinned. "Well, paralysis could definitely be a problem for my Hariyama. However, my Hariyama has guts, and your big Butterfree is in trouble. Stone Edge!"
Hariyama stuttered but grinned. He smashed his palm into the battlefield, and stones exploded into the air, battering Butterfree with much more force than before. With her size, there was no escaping, but she was able to withstand the attacks because of her increased energy, even if barely.
"One more! Finish this now!" Kaarina shouted.
"I don't think so! Butterfree, Max Airstream!"
Before Hariyama could move, Butterfree flapped her massive wings once, whipping up a violent storm in front of her. She blasted a stream of unimaginable energy directly onto Hariyama, tossing his large body backward. He crashed into the ground but quickly pushed himself back up with his massive palms.
Cyan gritted his teeth. "This thing just won't stay down. Butterfree, use Max Psychic! Finish this!"
Butterfree's eyes started to glow dark blue, and the entire field started to rumble. She unleashed kinetic waves from her massive antennae to the ground. The energy exploded around Hariyama, leaving Kaarina's side of the field cloaked in smoke.
"That'll do it!" Aoi cheered.
Butterfree's red energy swirled around her as she slowly shrunk back down to her regular size. She breathed heavily as she landed on the ground. Her wings could no longer carry her body. However, she knew that she got the job done.
Or, so she thought.
The smoke wafted away from Kaarina's field, and Hariyama remained standing, a red veil surrounding his body. He was weak and within an inch of fainting, but he still had enough energy and rage to fight.
"I can't believe it," Cyan muttered.
"Even though we thought she was down, Kaarina proved to us why she's the strongest trainer in Alola! Hariyama took many devastating blows and was sure to faint, but all it takes is an Endure to keep him standing!" the announcer screamed.
"This is a true champion's Pokémon!" Kaarina exclaimed. "Hariyama, finish this with Stone Edge!"
Hariyama balled his fist up and punched the ground one more time. The battlefield rumbled, and stones erupted out from under Butterfree. She was launched into the air and battered by two of the stones before she hit the ground, her body limp. The crowd started to cheer and clap for Hariyama's resilience.
"Butterfree is unable to continue! Hariyama is the winner!" the referee declared.
"And with that, we have our first Pokémon down! It was a close battle, but Hariyama gives Kaarina the edge, even if it's only by a sliver!" the announcer said.
Cyan withdrew Butterfree, put her ball back on his belt, and then drew out his next Poké Ball. He looked at Hariyama, and he could tell by the way the Pokémon slowly moved, the battle could be over with just one attack. However, he knew that Kaarina understood that, and she wasn't going to make it easy.
"Salazzle, let's go!"
Salazzle exploded from her ball and blasted purple fire from her spine. She slowly stood up on her hind legs and stuck out her tongue. All of the mother-like qualities that she had gained over the years at the ranch were suddenly thrown out the door. She wanted to make Hariyama her prey.
The crowd started to cheer, and Cyan was slightly taken aback. The crowd knew of his Salazzle, and some of them wanted to see her succeed in the battle.
"Salazzle, use Flamethrower!" Cyan ordered.
"Endure!"
Salazzle slithered forward slightly and then released the vicious stream of flames from her mouth. The flames engulfed Hariyama, but the red energy around his body kept him from falling once again.
Kaarina grinned once the flames died down. "Alright. I knew you could do it. Now, continue to impress me and use Heavy Slam!"
Cyan's heart sank as Hariyama started to move. Hariyama took one step forward and prepared to leap into the air. However, sparks emitted from his body, and his muscles were shocked. He was frozen in place, leaving himself vulnerable.
Cyan laughed off his anxiety and then clicked his tongue. "Well, looks like Butterfree's attack paid off. Flamethrower!"
Now without anything getting in the way, Salazzle unleashed her flames once again. They erupted around Hariyama, and in the blink of an eye, they disappeared. Hariyama's eyes slowly closed and he collapsed to the ground. The Fighting-type was finished.
"Hariyama is unable to continue! Salazzle is the winner!" the referee declared.
"And just like that, we're seeing how strong Cyan truly is! Salazzle is able to make it out of the fight with Hariyama without taking a scratch, which means that she should be healthy to battle whatever it is Kaarina chooses!"
Kaarina withdrew Hariyama and admired the Poké Ball for a moment. "You know, when I was younger, I specialized in Pokémon with strong fighting spirits. As I grew older, my confidence changed, and I felt like I could raise dragons. So, I did. I've been able to create a team of champion-tier Pokémon. My next Pokémon is even stronger than Hariyama. Are you ready?"
Cyan took in a deep breath.
"Let's go, Gyarados!"
Kaarina's next Pokémon emerged and roared, shaking the entirety of the stadium. The crowd awed, and some of the children in the audience were terrified. However, no one could look away out of fear of missing any of the action.
"Kaarina brings out the dreaded Gyarados! Will Cyan's Salazzle be able to handle the pressure?"
"Gyarados, show them your Dragon Dance!" Kaarina commanded.
Gyarados roared again, and arcane energy started to swirl around her body.
"Even if they have an advantage, we can win! Toxic!" Cyan yelled.
Salazzle got on all fours and then dashed forward. She leaped into the air, clapped her hands together, and then blasted toxic energy from her body. However, Gyarados was now much too fast, and she easily maneuvered out of the way, letting the energy fade away once it pelted into the ground.
Kaarina observed the airborn Salazzle and grinned. "Earthquake! Put an early end to Salazzle!"
Gyarados screeched and then slammed her tail into the ground. The battlefield started to shake, and it got the most intense under Salazzle. The ground crumbled and rose, preparing to devour the Fire-type once she came back from the air.
"Use a downward Dragon Pulse!" Cyan instructed.
Salazzle opened her mouth and pointed herself at the ground. She launched an orb of arcane energy downward, and it exploded before she could land. The explosion was intense, but it shielded her from taking too much damage from Earthquake. She then quickly escaped from the smoke, dashing to a side of the field where the shaking was weaker.
"Great! Now, Toxic!"
Salazzle took a different approach this time. She stayed on the ground and ran as quickly as she could. The toxic energy surrounded her body, and she tried to crash into Gyarados. However, without needing a command, Gyarados narrowly dodged, taking into the air and making the crowd cheer.
"If we can't hit this Toxic, then we're gonna be in a tough situation," Cyan thought.
"Gyarados, use Outrage!" Kaarina commanded.
Gyarados roared, and purple flames bellowed from her mouth. Her eyes became bloodshot and narrowed, and she focused in on Salazzle. Then, she rode the air and came back to the battlefield while arcane flames exploded from her body.
"Get out of the way!" Cyan yelled.
Seconds before Gyarados hit the ground, Salazzle leaped backward, narrowly dodging the onslaught.
"Sludge Wave!"
Salazzle hissed and waved her long fingers in front of her body. A poisonous mist floated through the air and connected with Gyarados. The infuriated Pokémon didn't show any sign of pain, but Cyan knew that the attack had to do some damage, even if small.
"Continue," Kaarina said calmly.
Gyarados slithered down the field and shook the stadium with her movements. She finally managed to crash into Salazzle, knocking the Fire-type down the field. Salazzle managed to quickly get back to her feet, but Gyarados was much faster than anticipated. She swung her tail, smacking it into the entirety of Salazzle's body. Cyan's Pokémon was lifted from the ground and tossed into the air. When she came back down, she hit the ground hard. This time, she struggled to get back up. But, Gyarados' rampage had finished, and she wasn't concerned with immediately getting hit again.
Kaarina crossed her arms and grinned. "Your Pokémon are well-trained, but they're no match for Gyarados."
Suddenly, Gyarados let out a pained groan, and she slumped ever so slightly. A purple aura emitted from her body while she felt poison seep through her body. She also struggled to look forward, as the effects of Outrage left her confused.
"What?!"
"Whoa! Are you seeing what I'm seeing? It looks like Salazzle might have intentionally taken those hits from Outrage! Gyarados is officially poisoned, and this match-up has gotten a lot more intense!" the announcer screamed.
"Being confused is to be expected when it comes to Outrage. However, your tactic of getting Toxic off has come as a surprise," Kaarina muttered.
Cyan shrugged. "We're full of surprises! Salazzle, Flamethrower!"
Salazzle hissed and then released the stream of fire from her mouth. It absorbed all of Gyarados, who let out a confused roar. The attack didn't do a lot, but the effects of poison had started to show, and Gyarados began to look weak.
"Now, let's finish this with Sludge Wave!"
Salazzle stood up on her hind legs and relaxed. She waved her fingers, releasing the deceivingly calm attack. The wave connected with Gyarados, who let out a sickening shriek. Then suddenly, her eyes shifted, and she glared at Salazzle.
"Oh no."
"Earthquake!"
Gyarados quickly snapped forward and smashed her tail into the ground. The battlefield shook, and the ground below Salazzle erupted and broke apart. The earth jutted out, and Salazzle had no way of dodging it. She was consumed by the battlefield, and when the shaking finally came to an end, she collapsed forward. Her body was still, and the referee waited momentarily before making their call.
"Salazzle is unable to continue! Gyarados is the winner!"
"Good effort, but it wasn't enough! It looks like Gyarados is going to be a little bit more trouble for Cyan than he would have hoped! How will he make his comeback?"
The red light from Cyan's Poké Ball absorbed Salazzle, and the crowd's energy started to die down slowly while they waited for Cyan's next Pokémon. He looked out at Gyarados who was inflicted with a little bit of poison. However, defeating Salazzle had seemingly invigorated her, and she now appeared even stronger than before.
Author's Notes: So, Kaarina is one up against Cyan! What do you think of Cyan Gigantamaxing Butterfree? I like the idea of a Gigantamax Orange Islands Butterfree. However, this does mean that Cyan can't use his Gigantamaxed Urshifu or Venusaur...