Track 46 - I Still Feel Her, Pt. 1
Leinani slowly woke up. There were only going to be four battles on this day, as they were in the Top 8. Every battle was set to be full, six-on-six battles, something that neither she nor her friends had ever done.
She drank some black coffee, something that was strange for someone her age to enjoy, but it helped to keep her awake and happy. Kaiko would often make it for her every morning before saying a single word.
As she sipped on her coffee, she looked at her six Poké Balls. Her team had gone through so much over the one year that they were together. If it all ended in the Top 8, she'd be proud of them. But, she had no intention of losing, even if it was to one of her rivals.
"DJ, Boombox, Shure, Vinyl, Rex," she said before looking at her Dive Ball. "And, Mixtape." She paused.
Slowly, her eyes widened.
"Mixtape!"
"The field!" Leinani screamed at the attendant in white. She had quickly gotten dressed and then rushed to the stadium. The cute attendant in white was the only person that she saw, so she knew that she had to say something.
"Um, excuse me?" the attendant wondered.
"What are we doing about the field? I have a Pokémon who doesn't have legs!" Leinani shouted.
"Don't worry," a voice called from behind. Leinani turned to find a woman with waist-length long, blonde hair. It was Lusamine, and now that talked to Gladion a few times, she could see the resemblance.
"I assume that you have registered your Pokémon with our lovely staff," she said.
Leinani nodded.
"Then, it'll be fine. Our fields come ready and equipped to allow any Pokémon to battle. Your Wishiwashi will be able to compete," Lusamine said before smiling. "Don't fret."
Leinani sighed with relief. She was ecstatic that she could use all six of her Pokémon, but the fact that Lusamine knew that she was panicking about Wishiwashi without Leinani saying it specifically bothered her. She watched as the woman turned and walked away.
"Suspicious," she muttered.
"Welcome one and all to the opening battle in the Top 8! Today we're sure to see some intense battles between the best eight trainers in Alola! Don't look away for an instant and use your bathroom time wisely! These are going to be good!" the announcer yelled as Leinani and Ulani made their way onto the field.
The field mostly resembled the kind of standard field that Leinani had seen on television. It was mostly dirt with chalk lines drawn to create the borders. However, there were random sections throughout the field which were small pools of water. Under the field was a massive pool that connected all of them.
Ulani fiddled with her Team Skull pendant around her neck. She did her best to avoid eye contact with Leinani, who usually enjoyed intimidating people by mad-dogging them.
"The following battle will be a full, six-on-six battle between Leinani Koa from Malie City and Ulani Alo from Po Town! Substitutions will be allowed, and we will take a short intermission once one side has lost three Pokémon!" the referee announced. "Trainers, are you ready?"
"Let's do this!" Leinani exclaimed.
Ulani didn't reply. Instead, she stared off to the side.
"Excuse me, trainer. Are you ready?" the referee asked once again.
Ulani turned her attention to Leinani. She let her long braided hair fall in front of her face, so she would still avoid eye contact, but she nodded, giving the referee the signal.
"Begin!"
"We're not going to hold back," Leinani exclaimed. "Go for it, Rexillius!"
Tyrantrum appeared on the field and roared. He hadn't entirely recovered from the battle with Charlotte, but he could still fight. As it were, Leinani had no other option for the time being.
"You can do it, Rexillius!" Kaiko shouted.
Ulani pursed her lips and took a breath through her nose. "Lycanroc, go!"
Ulani's light brown and white Lycanroc emerged from her Pokémon. She stood on all fours and got low while she observed the terrifying Tyrantrum.
"Rex, let's start this one off strong!" Leinani shouted. "Use Dragon Claw!"
Ulani appeared stricken with fear. Her Lycanroc looked back and barked at her, snapping her out of her trance.
"Um, Iron Defense!" she ordered.
Tyrantrum stomped down the field and roared. He gathered arcane flames around his small arm, creating a giant purple claw. He swiped, but when he made contact, Lycanroc didn't budge.
Ulani took a deep breath. "Okay. Now, Thunder Fang!"
The metallic energy slowly withered away from Lycanroc's body. She then snapped forward and latched her jaws onto Tyrantrum's free hand. Sparks emitted from her mouth, but the Dragon-type Pokémon didn't react.
"Too weak!" Leinani exclaimed. "While you have 'em there, use Stone Edge!"
Tyrantrum lifted his leg and stomped. Five pillars erupted from around his body, pulling Lycanroc off of him. One after another, they bashed into Lycanroc, forcing him to the edge of the field. The final stone hit, and Lycanroc collapsed.
"I'm glad to see that Rexillius is so strong," Charlotte said. She sat together with Leinani's family. After her defeat, she could no longer go back to the locker room, but she wanted to stay till the end of the competition.
"But, the effects from yesterday's battle are intense," Kaiko commented. "You think he'll be okay?"
Charlotte simply nodded.
"Lycanroc, are you okay?" Ulani asked. Her Pokémon responded by pushing itself up and barking at Tyrantrum. "Let's keep going! Play Rough!"
Lycanroc leaped into the air and quickly jutted out her paw. She tossed a ball of pink energy at Tyrantrum, which exploded into a cloud of thick pink smoke. She then dove into the smoke and started to attack Tyrantrum from every possible angle. However, everything was hidden from the crowd. Eventually, Tyrantrum was forced out of the smoke, almost tripping and falling as he backed away.
"Follow that up with Accelerock!" Leinani instructed.
Lycanroc emerged from the smoke, and rocks collected around her body.
"Block it with Dragon Claw!" Leinani shouted.
Before Lycanroc could connect, Tyrantrum quickly gathered arcane energy. He held out his giant claw, blocking Lycanroc's attack.
"Now, Head Smash!"
"Lycanroc, use Iron Defense!"
Tyrantrum roared, lowered his claw, and then headbutted. However, Lycanroc was fast enough to get her defensive maneuver ready. She took the blow, but this time, she was forced backward.
Leinani folded her arms. "What happens when iron meets flame? Fire Fang!"
Tyrantrum continued to stalk Lycanroc. He opened his massive maw, and fire exploded from his throat. He then bit down, and Lycanroc howled from the pain. Tyrantrum then tossed the Pokémon to the side and roared yet again.
"Lycanroc!" Ulani shouted.
Lycanroc slowly stirred, and she stood back up. She lowered her body, took in a deep breath, and started to growl. But before she could continue her intimidation tactic, a red aura appeared around her body. Small bits of flames emerged, and she let out a whimper.
Ulani observed Lycanroc as she tried to walk forward with a limp. She quickly lifted her Poké Ball and withdrew the Rock-type.
"It looks like Ulani is going to make a substitution! But to what Pokémon?" the announcer asked.
"Even if she withdraws, she has to use Lycanroc eventually. She's just prolonging this battle," Leinani thought.
Ulani took a moment before pulling out her next Poké Ball. She looked at Leinani, but once they made eye contact, she quickly focused on the ground. She threw her Poké Ball forward, and Ulani's Ribombee materialized in the air.
Ulani put her hands together. "Ribombee, please heal our friend. Use Aromatherapy!"
Ribombee put her own hands together and then to her chest. She started to chant, and a green aura came off her body. The aura floated backward to Ulani, surrounding her.
Leinani pursed her lips. "I'm not sure what's happening. Rex, use Fire Fang and squash that bug!"
Tyrantrum grunted, roared, and started to stomp down the field. Flames exploded from his jaw, and he clamped down next to Ribombee. The flames exploded from his mouth, sending Ribombee spiraling backward.
"Ribombee, while they're close, use Dazzling Gleam!" Ulani instructed.
Ribombee flailed out her limbs and unleashed a bright light from the entirety of her body. The bright light overtook Tyrantrum and cloaked him from the rest of the field. When the bright lights died down, the crowd all simultaneously gasped, as the monstrous Pokémon had finally been defeated.
"Rexillius is unable to battle!" the referee exclaimed while holding up a purple flag. "Ribombee is the winner!"
"Ulani has taken the lead with her Ribombee, but she hasn't gotten out of it unscathed! Both Lycanroc and Ribombee have taken major damage! Can Ulani maintain this lead?" the announcer excitedly yelled into his microphone.
Leinani collected her Pokémon and then pulled out her Great Ball. She threw it at the ground, and her black Sandygast emerged. It wobbled like jelly while eyeing the Ribombee.
"You can do it, Vinyl!" Kaiko cheered from the crowd.
Ulani stuck out her arm. "Set up with Quiver Dance!"
Ribombee started to weave and bob from side to side, creating afterimages in the air. Leinani couldn't tell, but Ribombee was moving at a speed that was impossible for the naked eye to understand.
Leinani observed the dancing Pokémon and groaned. "No matter how much they dance, let's prevent them from finding us! Sandstorm!"
Sandygast started to howl, and sand swirled around her body. The sand kicked up and was picked up by a violent wind. Sandygast had created her own personal storm, which would have cloaked any normal Sandygast. However, Vinyl's black form was clear as day even through the sandstorm.
"It looks like Leinani's tactic isn't going to work out how she intended!" the announcer said with stifled laughter.
"Ribombee, use Pollen Puff!" Ulani ordered.
Ribombee put her hands together and formed a ball of dark green energy. She looked at Sandygast, grinned, and then threw the ball forward. Upon reaching the sandstorm, it exploded, and Sandygast was thrown into the air. She landed hard, but her loose body allowed her to quickly recover.
"Ah, that hit hard. But, we can hit harder! Fire back with Earth Power!" Leinani instructed.
Sandygast shook and screamed, tearing up the field below her. She launched chunks of earth forward, managing to land a few hits on Ribombee. But, the Bug-type Pokémon was fast, able to avoid most of the chunks of land being thrown her way.
"Give it everything that you can!" Ulani said. "Use Dazzling Gleam!"
Ribombee flailed out her limbs once again, firing off the blinding light from her body, but this time, it was met with Sandygast's sandstorm. The light barely made it through, frightening Sandgyast, but the damage was minimal.
"You okay?" Leinani asked her Pokémon.
Sandygast sunk her eyes low and then glared at Ribombee. She knew that she didn't have the power to win at the moment. She needed to change her strategy. She started to howl, and a blue light overtook her body. Slowly, she grew and morphed, and within a few seconds, the blue energy faded away. Sandygast was no more.
"What's this?" the announcer screamed. "Did Sandygast just evolve?"
Leinani put her hands together and grinned. "Oh yeah! Just in time, Palossand! I've been waiting for this moment for a while!" She looked directly at the camera with the intention of catching Kaiko's attention. "You're about to see how well-studied I am! Use Shore Up!"
Palossand shook and sand collected at the bottom of her body. She absorbed some of the sandstorm, and her size increased, but more importantly, she gained back most of her health.
Kaiko adjusted his glasses. "So, Leinai set up a sandstorm in hopes of being able to utilize Shore Up to its fullest potential?"
Charlotte folded her arms. "Vinyl has been ready to evolve for a while. Leinani knew this, but they were just waiting for the right opportunity. I'm not sure why she has to make such a big show of it, though. Sandstorm is going to fade soon."
Ulani lifted her Poké Ball and withdrew Ribombee. "You did well. Lycanroc, come on back!"
Lycanroc emerged on the field and started to growl at the black Ghost-type. She no longer carried the aura of the burn status.
"An interesting move," Leinani murmured. "Let's use Energy Ball!"
Palossand howled, and a ball of green energy formed in her mouth. With one high-pitched howl, she launched the green ball of energy forward, breaking through the sandstorm.
"Get around it and use Accelerock!" Ulani ordered.
Lycanroc leaped to the side, dragging her feet against the ground. The stones that had been scattered from the battle surrounded her and then she rocketed forward. She easily moved through the sand before she collided with Palossand, forcing the Ghost-type to move slightly.
"And Play Rough!"
"Block with Earth Power!"
Lycanroc raised her paw, but before she could generate the pink power, Palossand focused. The ground exploded from under Lycanroc, disrupting her attack.
"Finish this with Energy Ball!" Leinani ordered while punching the air.
Ulani was too slow to make a counter command. Lycanroc was blasted with the green ball of energy, and her body was thrown out of the small sandstorm. She landed against the field, her body limp.
The referee raised an orange flag. "Lycanroc is unable to battle! Palossand is the winner!"
Ulani quickly withdrew Lycanroc and then held her Poké Ball tightly. "I'm sorry."
"This has been a back-and-forth battle for Ulani! Her Lycanroc finally goes down, but how will she respond?"
Ulani switched her Poké Balls and then released her next Pokémon. It was a Pokémon that was bug-like in appearance, but Leinani knew otherwise. It was primarily light colors, like pink and white, and it stood on two legs. Its pink scythes were long and capable of defending her from most attacks. She looked out at Palossand and the sandstorm, not intimidated.
"Lurantis, use X-Scissor!" Ulani ordered.
Lurantis dragged one of her scythes against the field before she dashed forward. She fought through the sandstorm and then put her scythes together. When she was in range, she struck, causing Palossand to loudly groan.
Leinani looked into the air, noticing that the sandstorm was beginning to wind down. She wanted to immediately attack back, but she knew that she needed to battle smart and not aggressively.
"Shore Up!" she instructed. "Take all you need!"
Palossand started to wobble back and forth, absorbing all of the sand on the ground and in the air. Her body continued to expand until she was almost double her original size, her body now made up of black and white sand.
Ulani observed the giant Pokémon, and she frowned. "Well, at least there's no more sandstorm, right? Lurantis, let's use Solar Blade!"
"We need to hit them strong and fast!" Leinani shouted. "Shadow Ball!"
As Lurantis took in the energy from the now-visible sun, Palossand let out a terrible shriek. She launched a ball of ghostly energy down the field, which expanded as it continued on its path. It exploded once it reached Lurantis, who had no choice but to take the strike.
"Now!" Ulani yelled.
Lurantis lifted one of her scythes, which now shined with solar energy. The scythe grew, seemingly extending all the way to the sky. Then, she slashed downward, hitting Palossand and causing an explosion of sand and dirt. When the dust cleared, the Pokémon eyed one another. Lurantis breathed heavily while Palossand had lost some of her mass.
"Vinyl, let's use Shore Up!"
"If they're going to heal, then we will too! Synthesis!"
The two Pokémon took in their surroundings. Palossand collected some of the sand that she had lost while Lurantis basked in the sun.
"And while you're at it, use Solar Blade!" Ulani instructed.
Lurantis finished healing and focused all of her energy on her scythe. It started to expand with solar power.
"Another Shadow Ball!"
Palossand repeated her energy blast from before. The expanding ball of phantom power shot down the field and expanded. It then exploded upon contact. This time, Lurantis closed her eyes, and her large legs seemed to buckle. The attack did more than previously, and there appeared some sort of lasting effect.
Leinani grinned. "That's what we wanted!"
"Lurantis, we can't wait much longer! Let's attack now!" Ulani ordered.
Lurantis heaved and then raised her scythe once again.
"Blast back with Earth Power!"
As Lurantis brought down her attack, Palossand used her ghostly energy to rip up stones from the ground. She blasted the stone forward, which took most of Lurantis' strike. The solar energy cleaved through the stones, filling the air with dust and dirt.
"To the side and use Shadow Ball!" Leinani shouted.
Palossand slid to the side and howled. She launched a third ball of phantom power directly down the field.
"A distraction?" Ulani wondered. "Slice through it with Night Slash!"
Lurantis lowered her body and then dashed. Her scythes became engulfed in black energy, and she quickly struck, cutting the ever-expanding ball of ghostly energy in half.
"Keep it going!" Ulani yelled.
"Don't think so! Use Earth Power!"
Palossand's eyes started to glow. Usually, she would have uprooted the ground in front of her. But instead, the remains of her prior Earth Power started to stir. Palossand controlled them quickly, blasting Lurantis in the side. Lurantis fell to the ground, and the rest of the earth piled on top of her.
Ulani watched on helplessly while her Pokémon let out a whimper. Lurantis quickly went quiet though, and the referee raised their orange flag.
"Lurantis is unable to battle! Palossand is the winner!"
"It appears that Leinani's new Palossand is putting in quite the work!" the announcer said. "If Ulani wants to make a comeback, she has to do it now!"
Ulani withdrew Lurantis and then looked up at Leinani.
"What you got? Bring it on!" Leinani said with a grin.
Ulani glanced at the referee and the crowd. Her mentor, Guzma, sat with his arms crossed. He scowled at her, but she still understood that it was a positive facial expression. She tucked her Poké Ball back on her belt and then selected her next. With a weak toss, she threw the ball into the air, and a large Pokémon with black and white fur came onto the field. He stuck a long piece of straw grass in his mouth and then cracked his large knuckles while he looked at Palossand.
With every breath that Palossand took, she let out a soft whistle. This had been the most intense battle she was ever a part of. She never felt like she could pull her own weight in battle, but now that she was bigger and more powerful, she felt like she could take on all of Ulani's team. Leinani knew better though.
"You ready, Pangoro?" Ulani asked.
"Goro."
"Hammer Arm!"
Leinani furrowed her brow. "Hammer Arm? On my Ghost-type?"
Pangoro ran down the field while he collected chi around his forearm. Leinani didn't bother to make a counter-order, as she was curious to see what kind of mental state Ulani was in. She almost instantly regretted it, as Pangoro swung his arm and made actual contact. He lifted Palossand off the ground and threw her into the air. Palossand quickly came back down and sunk into herself.
"What?" Leinani shouted.
Ulani grinned and wagged her finger. "Looks like you're not that well-studied, Leinani!"
"Scrappy?" Kaiko asked Charlotte.
"I think so," Charlotte said. "Pangoro can hit Vinyl with anything."
"You're gonna regret that! Use Earth Power!" Leinani ordered.
Palossand closed her eyes and focused. She slowly moved the earthy remains of her previous attacks and then launched them forward. Pangoro couldn't dodge, and he was repeatedly battered by the small pieces of the field. He put up his arms to defend his face, but it only left his chest and stomach vulnerable.
"Now hit 'em with a Shadow Ball!" Leinani ordered while pointing to the field.
"Body Slam!"
As Palossand howled, Pangoro started to run. His large frame shook the field with every stomp. Palossand released the phantom energy ball, but Pangoro simply ran through it. It then leaped into the air, spread out his arms, and came down hard onto Palossand. Parts of her sandy body were flung about the field, and when Pangoro stood up, the referee made their call.
The referee raised a purple flag into the air. "Palossand is unable to battle! Pangoro is the winner!"
"Palossand puts up an amazing fight against Ulani! But, it does look like the girl from Po Town might be able to turn this battle around!"
Leinani quickly pulled her Poké Ball from her belt and recovered her squished Pokémon. She looked down at Rowlet and then nodded. Rowlet trilled and then flew out to the field. She landed where Palossand had been defeated and then puffed out her chest.
"DJ, use Leaf Blade!" Leinani ordered.
Rowlet rocketed down the field, and her wings began to glow with green energy. Once she was within range, she maneuvered her body and jabbed her wings outward. She slashed them against Pangoro's chest, making the larger Pokémon stumble backward.
"While they're close use Bullet Punch!"
Before Rowlet could react for Leinani could make a command, Pangoro slammed his iron-hard fist into the entirety of Rowlet. The Grass-type immediately crashed into the ground, leaving her body prone.
"Hammer Arm!"
Pangoro didn't have to move much. He simply raised both of his arms into the air and began to collect chi in his fists.
"Dodge it!"
As Pangoro brought down his arms, Rowlet kicked up her body and flew out of the way, narrowly avoiding the devastating blow.
"And Leaf Blade!"
Rowlet flapped her wings once, sending her back to Pangoro. She uppercut as soon as she reached the large Pokémon, forcing him to turn his body.
"Now, Steel Wing!" Leinani quickly instructed. She wasn't sure how many more tricks Ulani would have.
Rowlet crossed her wings and prepared to strike. Before she could lose air, dove into Pangoro's upper back, tossing the large Pokémon onto his face. Rowlet then turned and flew to her side of the field. She stay in the air and eyed the larger Pokémon as he slowly pushed himself back up.
Ulani balled her fist. "Alright, Bulk Up! No holding back!"
Pangoro let out a battle cry and began to pound his chest. He turned and glared at Rowlet before intimidating her with a deep growl.
"Show no fear!" Leinani cheered. "Leaf Blade!"
Rowlet extended her wings and then descended down the field. She reached Pangoro before he could react, and she drove her wing into his chest. However, the Dark-type Pokémon did not falter. Instead, he looked down at Rowlet and chuckled.
"Oh no."
"Bullet Punch!"
Pangoro jabbed, hitting Rowlet with all of the force he could muster. Luckily for Rowlet, she was returned to her side of the field, even if it wasn't by choice. Her body dragged against the ground until she was stopped by one of the many upturned stones.
Leinani looked up as Pangoro began to stomp down the field, his eyes set on Rowlet.
"We have to finish this now or we're screwed," Leinani said. She eyed Kaiko, hoping that he didn't hear her use any form of foul language, no matter how intense. "DJ, finish this with Brave Bird!"
Ulani put her hands together and grimaced. "One more Hammer Arm, please!"
Rowlet violently flapped her wings once and then ascended into the air. She was absorbed with white energy before she turned her body and started a violent descent. Meanwhile, Pangoro held up his arms and prepared to crush the smaller Pokémon. The two clashed, causing a small explosion of chi and aerial energy. The explosion was contained but intense. It shook the field, but as fast as it started, it was over.
Rowlet trilled as she landed on Pangoro's thick belly. She puffed out her chest once again, getting applause from the crowd.
"Pangoro is unable to battle! Rowlet is the winner!" the referee announced. "We will now take a fifteen-minute intermission!"
Ulani couldn't separate her hands, and she couldn't bring herself to look at her fallen Pokémon. She shook. The crowd was too excited by the battle to notice. But, Leinani saw it from across the field, Enoka saw it on the television in the back, and Guzma could see it from where he spectated.
"C'mon, Ulani," Leinani mumbled. "Give me all you got or give me nothing."
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
This battle has taken me quite a long time to write. I'm writing full battles for this story and Logan's current story, and it can be exhausting, but I really enjoy telling these characters' stories through battle. Next chapter, we'll see the end of this battle!