Track 47 - A City Called Coma, Pt. 2
The fifteen minutes quickly passed, and Leinani and Ulani were both called back to their positions. Leinani had thought over her remaining four Pokémon and how to use them against Ulani's known team. She knew about Ribombee and her starter, but she wasn't aware if Ulani had evolved her Popplio into its final form or not.
"Begin!" the referee exclaimed.
"It's time for us to give this a try. Better now than later," Leinani said while she held out her Dive Ball. She threw it above one of the pools, and it exploded open. Her Wishiwashi in his solo form appeared before plopping into the pool. There was a sudden surge of light, and the stadium shook as Wishiwashi expanded.
Ulani closed her eyes. "I'm sorry to push you. Go, Ribombee!"
Ribombee emerged once more in the air. She took in a deep breath and then scowled at Leinani. She wasn't yet aware of the dangers in the pool.
"Start this with Quiver Dance!" Ulani ordered.
"Yo, let's just finish this one quickly!" Leinani exclaimed. "Mixtape, use Ice Beam!"
Ribombee started to move from side to side, managing to create afterimages of herself. A look of shock then came over her face as Wishiwashi emerged from one of the pools, slowly gaped open his mouth, and then launched a jagged beam of ice directly at her. Ribombee's natural instincts took in, and she descended, landing on the ground and narrowly avoiding the strike.
"This is our chance! Use Dazzling Gleam!"
Ribombee fluttered her wings once, throwing her forward on the ground. She opted to not take in the air, but instead use her wings and legs to run as fast as she could. She then leaped and held her limbs out, unleashing the violent bright light from her body.
"Retreat!"
Wishiwashi dove back into the water moments before the light connected. Water was blasted into the air, but it was unclear if Wishiwashi had taken any damage.
"And Ice Beam!"
Wishiwashi quickly came up from behind Ribombee. He unleashed the beam once again, but once the attack connected, it phased through Ribombee's body.
Leinani stood in silence while the afterimage of Ribombee slowly faded away. She looked around the field, but couldn't find any sign of Ribombee.
"Pollen Puff!" Ulani shouted.
From the sky, hidden by the glare of the sun, Ribombee unleashed a burst of dark green energy. The ball connected directly with Wishiwashi and exploded, causing smoke to fill the air.
"Don't let them get away!" Ulani yelled.
Leinani shook her head. "Oh, don't worry. We're coming right for you! Double-Edge!"
Ribombee shot downward while Wishiwashi jumped out of the water, propelled by a powerful white energy. Ribombee tried to slow down, but it was too late. Wishiwashi quickly connected, turned his massive body, and brought both of the Pokémon back to the ground. The crowd watched in shocked silence as the large Pokémon shifted and rolled off of Ribombee.
"Ribombee is unable to battle! Wishiwashi is the winner!" the referee exclaimed while raising their orange flag.
Ulani observed Wishiwashi as he rolled his massive body off of the land and into one of the pools of water. She slowly raised her arm and withdrew Ribombee. She held her Poké Ball tightly and paused. She stayed unmoving, and the crowd began to stir.
Leinani violently pointed her finger outward and angrily yelled, "Hey, Ulani!"
The trainer from Po Town was snapped out of her trance. She looked up, startled and unsure of what to do.
"You better get your mind out of the gutter! Whatever it is that has you battling like a loser needs to stop!" Leinani shouted.
"I-I just don't know if I can battle my friend," Ulani muttered.
"Yo, if this is how you're going to treat battling me, then we're not friends," Leinani yelled. "My true friends battle me with all we got! We don't regret the result when we walk out of the battle! If you're gonna be quiet and shy, that's fine, but not when we battle! When we battle, we do it out of respect!"
"I'm sorry."
"Don't say you're sorry! Stop disrespecting me and fight like the powerful trainer you are!" Leinani said before she pointed to the crowd. "Not only are you disrespecting me, but you're disrespecting the people who paid money to come and watch this battle. You're disrespecting your coach and all of Team Skull! Is that cool?"
"Nah! That's not cool, man!" a voice yelled from the crowd.
"Disrespect me, and it's whatever. I'll simply crush you then move on to the next round. But disrespect your family by battling like you've already lost? That's cold," Leinani exclaimed.
Ulani gripped her Poké Ball tighter and then tucked it behind her. "You're right. I won't say I'm sorry, or at least I'll try. I'll do my best to beat you! You're gonna regret that pep talk, Leinani!"
"Bring it on."
"Go, Oricorio!"
Ulani's next Pokémon materialized and did a spin. It was a small avian Pokémon with bright yellow feathers. With every movement, electricity sparked off of her wings.
Leinani sighed. She was hoping that after her speech, Ulani would have chosen a Pokémon that would have riled up the crowd. Instead, Ulani went with a small Pokémon only visible because of its bright colors.
"You're gonna win with this?" Leinani asked.
"Don't let our size fool you! Use Flatter!" Ulani ordered.
Oricorio rocked from side to side. She jutted out her wings, and her pompom-style feathers took on a red aura. She wafted the red aura out in front of her, sending it down the field.
"Into the water!" Leinani shouted.
Before the wafting red aura could reach Wishiwashi, he dove. The aura continued over his pool of water, but it couldn't do much other than dissipate in the air.
"Our turn! Hydro Pump!" Leinani ordered.
Wishiwashi suddenly emerged from a pool on the side. He opened his mouth as wide as he could and unleashed a mass stream of water. The water rocketed down the field, but Oricorio was much faster than anticipated. She spun forward, avoiding the potentially devastating attack.
"Before they can go back down, use Air Slash!" Ulani quickly instructed.
Oricorio continued her momentum down the field, and an aerial power surrounded her wings. She quickly reached Wishiwashi and then slashed, blasting the power off of her body. Wishiwashi reeled back before he eyed Leinani, asking for instructions.
"Oh, don't worry! No more running away!" Leinani yelled. "Double-Edge!"
Wishiwashi heaved his enormous body, erupting out of the pool. His body blocked out the sun, and Oricorio looked up in shock.
"Dodge!"
Oricorio spun and then dashed out from under Wishiwashi's shadow. She avoided the body slam, which shook the entirety of the field.
"You did it! Now, Air Slash!" Ulani ordered.
Oricorio then turned her body and raised her wings. She crossed her wings before she blasted the aerial energy from her body. The energy pelted into Wishiwashi, causing him to let out a deep groan.
"Don't give in! Keep it up! Use your Revelation Dance!" Ulani yelled.
"Revelation Dance?" Leinani wondered.
Oricorio lowered her wings, and her pompoms began to spark with electricity. She then swayed from side to side before she started to spin. She rocketed forward, ramming her electrified body into Wishiwashi. The gigantic Pokémon let out another groan as he tried to roll back to the pool.
"Mix, I know that you're not going down that easily! Use Ice Beam!" Leinani commanded.
Wishiwashi lugged himself over and pointed his mouth at Oricorio. Now, the speedy Pokémon was well within range. Wishiwashi unleashed the jagged beam of ice, sending Oricorio soaring backward.
"That's how we do it! Now, back into the water! Let's go!" Leinani instructed.
"Use Roost!" Ulani ordered.
Wishiwashi used his momentum to roll himself into the pool. Meanwhile, Oricorio slowly composed herself. She shook off the damage from the icy attack, and aerial energy began to surround her. Her wounds were quickly healed as energy in the shape of feathers ascended from her body.
Leinani put her finger to her temple and tapped it repeatedly. "I'm tellin' ya! I've studied these things! If you use Roost, that means that your little Oricorio can't fly for a bit! She won't be running away!"
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"Mixtape, hit her with Earthquake!" Leinani shouted.
Wishiwashi rammed his body into the underbelly of the field. Only the field shook, but the power centralized near Oricorio. With nowhere to escape, the ground erupted slightly, knocking Oricorio back for more damage.
"And finish this with Hydro Pump!"
"Oricorio, spin!"
Wishiwashi emerged and took aim. He launched a single blast of concentrated water from his mouth down the field, ripping up the ground below. However, Oricorio spun out of the way once again, allowing the water to connect with the stadium walls.
"Revelation Dance!" Ulani shouted while she clutched at her Team Skull necklace.
Oricorio continued to spin and build up electricity around her body. She rocketed down the field like a top, ramming her spinning body into Wishiwashi. The large Pokémon was pulled out from the pool, and he started to glow white. Slowly, he shrank until he became his smallest form. He hit the ground and flopped helplessly while looking at Leinani for instructions.
Leinani raised her hand. "I'd like to forfeit this battle! Wishiwashi is no longer able to continue!"
The referee nodded. "Wishiwashi forfeits this battle! Oricorio is the winner!"
"Ulani manages to crack some of the armor on Leinani's team! But, how much can she continue to scratch back?" the announcer said.
Leinani withdrew Wishiwashi and immediately grabbed her next Poké Ball. She threw it upward, and her Sandslash appeared on the field. He dug his icicle-like claws into the ground and eyed the dancing Oricorio.
"Shure, we have the lead. We can win this. Use Icicle Crash!"
"Blast back with Air Slash!"
Sandslash held his arms in the air, and his claws began to glow light blue. He launched ice upward, aiming directly above Oricorio. The ice then quickly descended, but the avian Pokémon was prepared. She slashed through some of the oncoming ice, managing to disturb its path of falling. However, some of it made through, and Oricorio was knocked back a few feet.
"Now, Roost!" Ulani ordered.
Oricorio breathed in deeply momentarily. She looked at Sandslash and then closed her eyes. Once again, feather-shaped energy emitted off her body as her wounds were slightly healed.
"If she uses Roost, we can't get the Ice-type advantage over her. We just have to out-muscle them," Leinani thought. "Shure, take this chance! Beat her down with Iron Head!"
Shure raced down the field as fast as his small legs could carry his heavy body. He lowered his head, and within thirty seconds, he rammed into Oricorio. She was knocked for a loop, but she quickly recovered and prepared for her next command.
"While he's close use Flatter!" Ulani ordered.
Oricorio stuck out her pompom feathers in front of her and swayed. She released the red aura from her pompoms, and this time, it managed to hit its target. The red aura quickly died down, and the crowd became quiet.
Leinani watched her Pokémon wobble back and forth. The maneuver seemingly did no damage. In fact, she could tell that Sandslash was energized. However, something was keeping him off balance.
"Night Slash!" Leinani shouted.
Sandslash held out his giant claw in front of him, and dark energy surrounded his body. He quickly swiped, but Oricorio ducked and danced away.
"Use Revelation Dance!" Ulani instructed.
Oricorio held out her wings, and just like before, electricity engulfed her body. She swang forward, crashing into Sandslash. However, the Steel-type didn't move a centimeter. Instead, he shrugged off the attack and started to chortle.
"Taking it like a tank!" Leinani exclaimed. "Now, Aqua Tail!"
Sandslash let out a battle cry and spun around. Aquatic energy engulfed him, and Leinani waited with a smile on her face. Usually, Sandslash would then form a giant tale out of the aquatic energy before he slammed into his opponent. But this time, no such thing happened. Instead, Sandslash continued to spin inside the water, and he began to panic, as he had forgotten how to control the attack.
"Wait, confusion?" Leinani said with a gasp.
"Air Slash!"
Oricorio got in close and charged up her attack. She crossed her wings and then struck, forcing Sandslash out of his aquatic prison. He started to wobble to the side, but he found balance with one foot.
"Grab her!" Leinani shouted.
Sandslash looked at Oricorio through one eye. He then lunged forward and snapped one of his massive claws around Oricorio, trapping her.
"And, Iron Head!"
Sandslash reeled back. With one simple but violent movement, he crashed his head into Oricorio's beak and face. The yellow Pokémon was thrown backward, landing weakly on her side of the field.
"That'll do it," Leinani muttered, but then her eyes widened as Oricorio pushed herself back up.
Ulani fumbled with her Z-Ring before she held out her hands. "Alright! You've made me do this!"
"What are you doing?" Leinani wondered. She knew what was coming but didn't know how to handle it immediately.
Ulani and Oricorio synchronized their movements and struck dance poses. Ulani moved slowly, trying to not force her Pokémon to move too fast. Although Oricorio was hurt, she still hit every pose with style. And when they finished, a powerful white light surrounded the both of them.
"Breakneck Blitz!" Ulani said as she fed all of the energy to Oricorio. "Go!"
Oricorio let out a battle cry and then rocketed forward, engulfed by the white light.
"Shure, use Night Slash!"
Oricorio crashed into Sandslash, engulfing both of them in the white light. What followed was an explosion that hid the two from the audience. Slowly, the smoke filtered out of the stadium, and both Pokémon remained standing.
Sandslash stood still. He stared at Oricorio with a blank expression on his face. Then, with one sudden movement, he bounded forward. Black energy engulfed his claws, and he slashed, hitting Oricorio once. The Electric-type soared across the field, landing in front of Ulani. Sandslash then let out a battle cry before he collapsed forward.
The referee eyed both of the Pokémon, prepared to make the call for a double knock-out. However, Oricorio began to stir, and once she stood up, the crowd erupted into cheers.
"Sandslash is unable to battle! Oricorio is the winner!"
"No way," Leinani muttered. She returned her Pokémon and then looked out at Oricorio. The Pokémon's fighting spirit slightly moved her. But, she knew that it wasn't only the Pokémon. Ulani had become inspired as well.
"Oricorio is putting in the work! Both trainers are now down to their last two Pokémon! I was ready to call this battle a few minutes ago, but it looks like we can't count out the girl from the Team Skull School!"
Ulani elicited cheers from a specific section of the crowd. A rambunctious group of kids and teenagers with different colored hair and dark clothes all bounced up and down. They waved the banner of their school while Guzma sat in the middle with a grin on his face.
"Alright, your comeback is done!" Leinani said while she held out her next Poké Ball. "Boombox, let's finish this battle!"
Vikavolt sent out sparks from her body as she emerged from the Poké Ball. Her wings rapidly fluttered, and she floated above the field, staring at the wobbly Oricorio.
"Let's fight until the end! Oricorio, use Flatter!" Ulani ordered.
"Vikavolt, charge 'em! Don't get caught in that mist!" Leinani instructed.
As Oricorio swayed from side to side, she slowly raised up her wings. Vikavolt rocketed down the field, the batting of her wings sounding like a helicopter.
"Use Bug Buzz!"
Oricorio released the red mist from her pompom-like wings, but Vikavolt responded by unleashing her own attack. She blasted forest green energy from his wings, which overtook the red mist. The energy exploded in front of Oricorio, but she managed to spin backward, taking as little damage as she could.
"Now, up with Fly!"
Vikavolt quickly redirected her body and shot into the air. She gathered aerial energy around herself before she slowly started to descend. With every inch that she fell, she gained speed and power.
"Fight back with Air Slash!" Ulani called.
Oricorio crossed her wings and then leaped into the air. She unleashed her energy back at Vikavolt, putting a sudden stop to the aerial assault.
"And one more for good measure! Use Revelation Dance!" Ulani instructed.
Oricorio's swaying and movements weren't as clean or smooth as they were before. She held out her wings and bobbed while she gained up electric energy. She then started a slow spin in the air. She connected with Vikavolt, but the Bug-type withstood the electric attack with ease. The two Pokémon looked at one another in the air, waiting for commands.
Leinani snapped her fingers. "I was hoping you'd do that! Zap Cannon!"
Using the electricity from Oricioro's attack, Vikavolt gathered up energy in the middle of her mandibles. She unleashed the usually erratic attack directly at Oricorio, forcing the Pokémon back to the field. The Flying-type crashed into the ground in front of Ulani, and this time, there was no chance that she'd be making a comeback.
The referee took their time, but eventually, they held up an orange flag and announced, "Oricorio is unable to battle! Vikavolt is the winner!"
"Oricorio goes down! The dancing Pokémon put up quite the effort though! Ulani is left with one more Pokémon! Will she manage to use this momentum and make a full comeback?" the announcer screamed into the microphone.
Ulani held her final Poké Ball tightly in her hand. She looked to the crowd, her coach, and then Leinani. "No holding back! Let's go, Primarina!"
Leinani had seen Ulani's Pokémon on television before. It was a large white Pokémon with a long, blue tail making up its lower half. It had long light blue hair that moved in the wind, and even though its eyes were beautiful, Leinani knew to be careful of its dangerous attacks.
"Boombox, the faster we finish this, the better! Use Zap Cannon!" Leinani instructed.
Vikavolt charged up electricity between her mandibles, creating a ball of lightning. She took aim and then launched the ball down the field. However, the attack's aim was never consistent, and Primarina was too fast. The Water-type dove out of the way, causing the electric ball to explode against the ground.
"Primarina, set up with Aqua Ring, and go into the water!"
Primarina howled, and a ring of aquatic energy quickly formed around her body. She then turned and dove into one of the pools that Wishiwashi had used before.
"What's happening?" Leinani muttered to herself. Now that she was on the other end of a water versus land battle, she hated it.
"Shadow Ball!" Ulani called.
Primarina quickly came up through one of the pools, and she let out a beautiful chant while a phantom ball of energy formed in her mouth. She released it forward, taking Vikavolt by surprise. The Bug-type tried to maneuver out of the way, but the ball grazed against her, making her spin out in the air.
"You think you got tricks?" Leinani shouted. "Energy Ball! Let's go!"
"Back into the water!" Ulani instructed.
Vikavolt stopped spinning and took aim. Her wings buzzed, and a green ball of energy materialized at the end of her mandibles. She launched it forward, but Primarina quickly submerged, allowing the water to take the attack for her.
"Primarina, Moonblast!"
"Boombox, I don't know where they're coming from, but get Bug Buzz ready! Let's fire back!" Leinani ordered.
Primarina emerged from another pool and immediately raised her hands. She created a massive ball of pink energy, and when she was ready, she tossed it forward. Vikavolt responded by fluttering his wings as hard as he could. He unleashed forest green energy from his body. The two attacks collided and their chemicals mixed, causing an explosion of black smoke.
"Energy Ball!" Leinani yelled.
Vikavolt came through the smoke and formed the ball of natural energy in her mandibles. She unleashed it, hitting Primarina directly. The Water-type was lifted out of the pool and forced onto the field, landing hard.
"Keep it up! Zap Cannon!"
"Fight back with Moon Blast!"
Vikavolt's mandibles let out a crackling sound as she formed another ball of electric energy. She quickly released it forward, but Primarina responded in kind. She tossed forward a massive ball of lunar power. The attacks connected, and while Moonblast did not stop Zap Cannon, it did manage to redirect the attack, sending it off of its already unpredictable course. The ball of lightning crashed into the ground, far away from Primarina.
"Show them your strongest attack! Use Sparkling Aria!" Ulani instructed.
Primarina began to chant. She held up her arms, and her voice gave power to a ball of aquatic energy. The ball expanded until it was roughly the same size as Primarina. She then let it float into the air, and once she reached the chorus of her song, the ball exploded, violently raining energy down onto the field. Vikavolt was fast, but she had nowhere to go. She took all of the energy that came her way, forcing her to the ground. It took a while, but once the rainfall ceased and the dust faded away, it was clear that Vikavolt would not be continuing the battle.
"Vikavolt is unable to battle!" the referee announced while holding up their purple flag. "Primarina is the winner!"
"We're down to one Pokémon each, folks!" the announcer said. "And if my memory serves me correctly, Leinani has already battled with her Rowlet once in this bout! It's anyone's game now!"
Leinani withdrew Vikavolt, tucked away her Poké Ball, and then looked down at Rowlet. "DJ, no pressure, but it's all on you. Can you do it?"
Rowlet trilled and then flew to the field. She stayed in the air while she cautiously eyed Primarina.
"Primarina, let's start off strong with a Sparkling Aria!"
"Quick! Use Steel Wing!"
As Primarina started to chant once again, Rowlet made her way down the field. Her wings expanded and took on silvery energy. She quickly reached Primarina and then swiped, knocking the Water-type backward. However, it did not stop Primarina's attack. The newly formed ball of aquatic energy floated into the air. Everything was silent for a second, but then, the ball exploded.
Lobs of water rained down above Rowlet. She squawked angrily and weaved through the rain, narrowly avoiding all of the strikes. But, it was beginning to be too much. Seeing no end in sight, Rowlet did the only thing that she could think of. She dove, and with a plop, she submerged herself in one of the pools.
"What is she doing?" Kaiko screamed.
"She's desperate," Charlotte muttered.
"What's this? I didn't know that Rowlet could swim!" the announcer exclaimed with a chuckle.
Leinani's eyes widened. "She can't! DJ, get out of there!"
"Chase her!" Ulani ordered.
Primarina dove into one of the pools and looked around. She quickly found Rowlet on the other side of the field, who was struggling to swim through the water with her wings. Primarina began her chase.
Above the field, Leinani could see Primarina quickly coming toward her. The pools were sparse, but every time she saw Primarina's form close the distance, her heartbeat raced.
"Rowlet, get out of the water! Brave Bird!"
Rowlet couldn't pick up speed by herself. Instead, she focused, and aerial energy surrounded her body. The energy propelled her. She rammed her body against the bottom of the field, desperate to find an opening. Primarina kept up her pace, and she reached out. But before she could grab ahold, Rowlet rocketed out of one of the pools and into the air. The Grass-type coughed, trying to catch her breath.
"Thank goodness," Leinani muttered.
"Primarina, use Moonblast!" Ulani ordered once Rowlet was well into the air.
Primarina came up from the pool and raised her arms. Leinani and Rowlet watched her, waiting for the ball of lunar energy to form above her head. But, it never did. Then suddenly, Rowlet noticed something block out the sun. She turned around, taking in the pink energy from above.
"Now!"
Primarina pulled the energy downward, and it crashed into the airborne Pokémon. What followed was an explosion, which cloaked Rowlet's body.
"Multi-fire Shadow Ball!" Ulani ordered.
"She's really not letting up," Leinani thought.
Primarina kept her mouth open, and she released a multitude of small balls of phantom energy. One by one, they shot into the smoke. And within a couple of minutes, Rowlet fell from the sky. She crashed into the ground in front of Leinani, leaving the crowd stunned.
"DJ?" Leinani muttered.
And then, Rowlet started to stir. She pushed herself up with her wings, took in a deep breath, angrily squawked, and then stood up.
"You alright?" Leinani asked. Rowlet simply nodded and then stepped forward, trying to stop herself from collapsing. "Then, let's do this!"
A green glow emitted from Leinani's wrist. She held her hand up, and the air around her started to shift. She and Rowlet struck synchronized poses, building up green energy around their bodies. When they finished, Leinani stuck out her arms, sending all of her energy to Rowlet.
"Bloom Doom!"
"Hide!" Ulani desperately yelled.
Rowlet flew forward, carried by the green energy. She began to swirl in the air, dropping seeds on the field. When she finished, she landed in the middle of her small plantation. She chirped, and the seeds suddenly came alive, bringing forth fresh plants and grass. It was all beautiful, but within a few seconds, it was all gone. The greenery exploded, shaking the entirety of the stadium. Primarina was blown out of her pool, and she landed in the middle of the field. Rowlet squawked angrily, thinking that she had won the battle, but Primarina began to move. She slowly stood up using her arms. She scowled, and both trainers groaned from exhaustion.
"Don't let up!" Leinani ordered. "End this with Leaf Blade!"
"Keep them back with Shadow Ball!"
Rowlet shot forward while Primarina charged up her attack. Moments before Rowlet could strike, Primarina released the ball, forcing Rowlet to stop her attack and dodge.
"One more Sparkling Aria!" Ulani instructed.
Primarina began to let out a pained chant. She couldn't hold her arms up, only allowing her voice to fuel the attack. She hit her high note, and the ball of energy flew into the air.
"Weave through it and get close!" Leinani shouted.
As the ball exploded, Rowlet raced forward. She ducked and dodged all of the violent pouring rain. And when she was close, Leinani gave her the next command.
"Now, Steel Wing!"
Rowlet put her wings together and let the silver energy form around them. She then batted, hitting Primarina in the chest. The larger Pokémon was thrown to the other side of the field, and Rowlet slowly landed.
Rowlet breathed with the entirety of her body. She rocked back and forth, finding it difficult to keep her eyes open. Meanwhile, Primarina struggled, but she pushed herself. The two Pokémon looked at one another. They knew the end was near.
"Primarina, we need one more attack!" Ulani exclaimed.
Leinani looked out to Rowlet, who tried to puff out her chest intimidatingly, but couldn't manage it.
"Moonblast!"
"DJ, Brave Bird!"
Primarina raised one arm and started to hum while Rowlet was overcome with aerial energy. He was lifted off the ground, and he raced forward. Primarina couldn't power her attack to its fullest, but when she was ready, she flung the pink ball of lunar energy in front of her. Rowlet and the ball both shot directly at one another.
"Wait up! That's not good!" Leinani exclaimed as she watched her Pokémon dive headfirst into what was sure to be defeat. "DJ! No!"
DJ stopped and looked back. The energy that she had built up around her flew off of her body and connected with the lunar energy, resulting in an explosion. DJ was absorbed by the smoke, and she let out a terrible squawk.
Now, all that anyone could do was wait.
"Is this the end?" the announcer wondered.
Ulani relaxed her shoulders and then looked at Guzma who nodded approvingly.
But then, Rowlet emerged from the top of the smoke, receiving gasps from the crowd. She twisted her body around and started to form green energy around her wings.
"One last strike! Leaf Blade!"
DJ turned her body and started to descend. She let herself fall naturally, as she had no more energy left. With gravity on her side, she drove her wings into Primarina's chest, throwing the Water-type backward. Primarina landed in front of Ulani, her body limp, and Rowlet hit the ground not too far.
The two Pokémon laid still momentarily, and the referee held both of their arms out, waiting for one or both Pokémon to get back up. One of the Pokémon started to stir, and the crowd came alive again. The referee held up their orange flag.
"Primarina is unable to battle! Rowlet is the winner! The victory goes to Leinani!"
"She did it!" Kaiko and Charlotte screamed at the top of their lungs. The small boy hugged the taller Kalosian girl and was lifted into the air once she stood up excitedly.
"Our little girl is actually a great trainer," Leinani's mother told her husband. "Who would have thought?"
"She's your daughter, after all. It's a good thing she doesn't take after me."
Leinani and Ulani met in the middle of the field. Leinani held Rowlet in her arms while Ulani simply withdrew her exhausted Pokémon.
"Thank you for the battle," Leinani said. "You were great! At times, I had doubts!"
"Doubts?" Ulani wondered.
"If I could win!"
The two made their way to the back and the locker room, but waiting in the hallway was the white-haired Guzma with his arms crossed. He scowled at Leinani and Ulani.
"I'm sorry," Ulani muttered.
"Hey, what's the first rule of Team Skull?" Guzma snapped.
"Don't apologize for nothin'," Ulani answered.
"Then, why are you apologizin'?"
"I'm sorry!"
"Stop it!" Guzma shouted. He turned his body. "Come up and watch the rest of the conference with us. You did good, kid. You made us proud. Chin up and smile, yeah?"
Ulani straightened out her posture. "Yeah!"
Leinani was left to go back to the locker room alone. There were three more battles to be had for the day. She watched all of them intently, hoping to get as much information as she could on all of the trainers.
The last battle was Enoka's. They were on the same side of the bracket, and if Enoka won, they would battle the next day.
And, Enoka was victorious.
Leinani stared at the television screen as it displayed the semi-finals bracket. She had to win two more battles before she was the champion. But first, she had to go through her first rival.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
This battle took me a long time to write. All said, it took me about four hours. I didn't realize it, but I guess that it is one of Leinani's most important battles, so it makes sense that it'd be that long. Next chapter, I'll start Leinani vs. Enoka! Maybe I can also dive into their history as friends and rivals.