Track 48 - Worldwide Choppers
Five Years Prior
"Kids, I'd like to introduce to you our newest student! He's a little bit shy, so everyone, please be nice to him!" the homeroom teacher of Malie City elementary school said. She looked at Leinani, who was busy playing with a tambourine. "Leilei, our new friend is also going to join the Malie City trainer's school next year! Make sure you try to be good friends with him! Everyone, say good morning to Enoka!"
The teacher stepped out of the way, revealing a boy with messy black hair and dark skin. He wore a pink polo shirt and thigh-high blue shorts. He held his fingers in front of his face, trying to hide away from the other kids.
"Good morning, Enoka!" the kids all called. Enoka's eyes widened, and he immediately tried to hide behind the teacher once again. She maneuvered around him and grabbed his hand. Slowly, she walked him to the girl that played with the tambourine.
"Be nice and share, Leilei," the teacher said before walking away from the two.
The boy nervously looked down at the girl. She had naturally wavy hair, and all of her clothes were baggy, much too big for a girl her size.
"Is that your tambourine?" the boy shyly asked.
The girl didn't answer. She instead repeatedly hit the tambourine against her palm.
"Can I try?" Enoka asked.
Still no answer.
The boy waited momentarily. He looked back at the teacher, who was now helping the other students with arts and crafts. He turned to Leilei and knelt.
"Hello?" he said. She looked at him but said nothing. "Can I play with the tambourine?"
The girl slowly shook her head. She then returned to focusing on hitting her palm with no sense of rhythm.
"Teacher! Leilei won't share!" Enoka shouted.
"Please share!" the teacher called back without looking towards the two.
"Ha!" Enoka exclaimed. He quickly reached out and grabbed the tambourine.
The girl's eyes widened, and she snapped forward. She ripped the tambourine from Enoka's hands before she started to bang it against his head. She beat him down, slowly finding a rhythm to do so with.
"Leinani!" the teacher shouted while grabbing the girl and pulling her away. "What did I tell you about hitting other kids? You're never going to make friends like this!"
"I don't want any friends!" the girl screamed back.
"The following battle will be between Enoka Wahilani and Leinani Koa to decide who will be moving on to the finals!" the referee announced as the two trainers made their way to the field. "It will be a full, six-on-six battle! Substitutions will be allowed, and we will take a short intermission once one side has lost three Pokémon!"
The first semi-final battle had already finished, resulting in a girl named Naomi Morgan taking the victory. The crowd was hot. They cheered for Enoka and Leinani. If someone born in Alola could win the entire tournament, it'd be the talk of the region for a very long time. They wanted neither trainer to lose, but more importantly, they wanted the strongest trainer to win.
"Trainers, are you ready?"
Enoka and Leinani nodded.
"Begin!"
"Forretress, let's go!" Enoka yelled while tossing his Poké Ball into the air. His round Pokémon with the metallic shell materialized on the field and spun around.
Leinani eyed the Pokémon before she selected her Poké Ball. She had studied Enoka very closely, so she knew what he was trying to do.
"Go, Shure!"
Sandslash emerged and dug his claws into the ground. He scratched nervously, waiting for a command.
Enoka held out his hand. "Alright! Use Spikes!"
"I knew it," Leinani thought.
Forretress started to spin, and his body began to glow silvery. He unleashed dozens of small spines from his body, launching them to Leinani's half of the field.
"Take this chance! Use Icicle Crash!" Leinani ordered.
Sandslash pointed his claws into the air at a ninety-degree angle. He aimed and launched ice upward. The ice collected in the air before it violently came back down, pelting Forretress repeatedly. The Steel-type groaned, but he didn't appear too bothered by the attack.
"Forretress, use Gyro Ball!" Enoka commanded.
"Fight back with Iron Head!"
Forretress started to spin while Sandslash ran forward. The two met in the middle of the field, and their resulting collision caused a loud clang to reverberate throughout the stadium. The two Pokémon held out momentarily. Neither had taken too much damage from the other's attack, and they wanted to show off their power. But they weren't getting anywhere.
Enoka observed the two Pokémon. He knew that neither of them could win the fight in a timely manner, and Leinani wasn't the type to back down. He held out his Poké Ball, allowing the red light to gather Forretress.
"It looks like Enoka is making a quick substitution! How will this affect the battle?" the announcer wondered.
"Too scared?" Leinani said with a cocksure grin.
"Too stubborn?" Enoka snapped back while he selected his next Poké Ball. He threw it into the air, and an avian Pokémon with a massive beak emerged. It squawked angrily at Sandslash, who didn't know how to respond.
"Toucannon," Kaiko muttered. "Be careful, Leilei!"
"Use Flame Charge!" Enoka commanded.
"A Fire-type?" Leinani questioned. "Aqua Tail!"
Toucannon was engulfed in flames, and he quickly descended from the air. Sandslash covered himself in aquatic energy, and he spun around. Once Toucannon connected, his flames were instantly extinguished. The Flying-type realized that he couldn't attack, and he started to turn around to retreat.
"We don't run away! Iron Head!" Leinani ordered.
Sandslash used both of his legs to give him enough momentum to propel forward. He crashed his large head into Toucannon's side. The Flying-type tried to escape, but he suddenly couldn't get the energy to fly. He stumbled and then held at his wing.
"He flinched?" Enoka said with a surprised look on his face.
"Oh yeah! Icicle Crash!"
"Dodge it!"
Sandslash put his massive claws together and then pointed them straight forward. He took aim directly for Toucannon, but as soon as he launched his icicle attack, the Flying-type regained his composure, and he managed to escape to the side. Sandslash's icicle's hit the field without grace.
"Toucannon, let's use Feather Dance!" Enoka ordered.
Toucannon took into the air with his wings out. He started to weave about in the air, and some of his feathers rained down from the sky. They gently came down onto Sandslash, who relaxed his shoulders. He looked up at the Flying-type curiously.
"Now's not the time for dancing," Leinani muttered. Although, she couldn't do anything about it with Toucannon being so far up high.
"Don't worry! We're coming back down! Use Boomburst!"
Toucannon quickly changed from his peaceful attitude into a serious one. He glared down at Sandslash and then started a quick descent. He opened his mouth and unleashed a terrible noise complete with a visible soundwave. Sandslash raised his claws to protect himself, but the soundwaves engulfed him with ease.
"Knock them out of the air! Use Icicle Crash!" Leinani instructed loudly, hoping to be heard from outside of the sound-based attack.
Sandslash kept his eyes closed, but he lifted his claws. He fired off his icicles haphazardly. And while not all of them connected, a few did, causing Toucannon to lose a little bit of altitude.
"There we go! Now, Iron Head! Give it everything you got!" Leinani ordered.
Sandslash started his bound down the field as fast as his small legs would carry him. He leaped into the air, ramming his head into Toucannon. The Flying-type was sent reeling backward, seemingly unable to get back into the air.
"Easy! Easy! Easy! Finish with Icicle Crash!"
Sandslash stopped running and then pointed his claws forward.
"Fight back with Boomburst!" Enoka shouted.
Toucannon used her wings to send her into the air. She then opened her beak and unleashed another burst of soundwaves. The soundwaves and icicles connected, but to everyone but Enoka's surprise, the icicles were destroyed on impact.
"Why are Shure's attacks so weak?" Leinani thought.
"End this with Flame Charge!" Enoka commanded.
"This is it," Leinani muttered. "Shure, you did great! Use Rapid Spin!"
As Toucannon was engulfed in flames, Sandslash began to spin. Wind blasted from his body, and the spines that Forretress had planted before were all blown into the air and out of existence. Toucannon then came crashing down, blasting Sandslash away. The Steel-type landed on his back, and his arms slowly fell to the ground. He didn't bother to get back up.
"Sandslash is unable to battle! Toucannon is the winner!" the referee announced while raising a purple flag.
"Toucannon and Enoka get the lead! It was quite the hard-fought battle, and we've only just gotten started!" the announcer yelled into his microphone.
"We're playing the long game. This isn't a sprint," Leinani muttered to herself while withdrawing Sandslash. She quickly drew out a Great Ball and tossed it to the field. Her black-sanded Palossand emerged and let out a high-pitched growl.
"There's not much that you can do with your Palossand," Enoka said. "What are you trying to do?"
"Don't question me! I know exactly what we're doing!" Leinani snapped. "Shadow Ball!"
Palossand howled and formed a ball of phantom energy in her wide gaping mouth. She then screeched and unleashed it forward. As it continued down the field, it grew in size, and once it reached Toucannon, it exploded. But nothing happened.
Leinani put her fingers to her lips. "Oops."
"Idiot," Kaiko grumbled.
Charlotte cocked her head. "I don't think so."
Enoka chuckled and folded his arms. "You're still so foolish. Use Beak Blast!"
Leinani couldn't help but smile.
Toucannon's long beak began to heat up and glow orange. He then raced down the field, and his beak changed from orange to red.
"Earth Power!" Leinani called moments before Toucannon could reach Palossand.
Palossand maneuvered the field behind her large body and then chucked it into the air. It quickly came back down, connecting with Toucannon and causing an explosion of flames.
"Now, Rapid-fire Energy Ball!" Leinani instructed.
Palossand began to bob the top half of her body up and down while she generated a multitude of green orbs. She launched them forward at the Flying-type, who took every hit. Every ball was minimal damage, but it was enough to knock him backward and agitate him.
"Use Flame Charge!" Enoka shouted.
"All we need is one strong Energy Ball! Put all your power into it!" Leinani ordered.
Now Palossand focused all of her energy into one massive orb. She howled as loudly as she could and then launched it into the air. Toucannon exploded with fiery energy, and he raced down the field. He rammed his body into the orb, hoping to destroy it upon impact. Instead, it exploded, and Toucannon was stopped. He fell from the air and crashed into the ground, his body unmoving.
The referee raised his orange flag. "Toucannon is unable to battle! Palossand is the winner!"
Enoka ran his tongue across the inside of his cheeks. "You lured me in with that Shadow Ball. You actually tricked me." He withdrew Toucannon and then decided on his next Pokémon. "We won't make any more mistakes like that. Go, Crabominable!"
A Pokémon with white fur and a blue face emerged on the field. It raised up his large arms, which had the appearance of fists. Its eyes were black and blue, and it stuck out its tongue and thrashed about at Palossand.
Leinani recoiled at the sight of the Pokémon. "Not a pretty sight. Palossand, use Earth Power!"
"Defend with Iron Defense!" Enoka instructed.
Palossand cooed and lifted the earth that she had thrown before. It was now in a multitude of pieces, which she launched at Crabominable. The white-furred Pokémon wrapped his large arms around his body, and he started to glow with a metallic aura. The pieces of earth bounced off of him, seemingly doing nothing.
"Now it's our turn! Ice Punch!" Enoka yelled.
"Keep it back with Shadow Ball!"
Crabominable raised one arm and then scuttled down the field. His arm became surrounded with crystalized energy cold as ice. Palossand howled and then released a ball of phantom energy down the field. Crabominable swung his fist, destroying the ball on impact. He then continued his path, jabbing Palossand in the side of the head.
"Palossand, quick! Use Shore Up!"
"I don't think so! Rock Slide!" Enoka quickly interjected.
Palossand started to shake her body, but before she could get any of the healing benefits of her technique, Crabominable let out a terrible roar. He held up both of his arms, and rocks generated around his fists. He blasted dozens of rocks directly into Palossand, forcing the large Pokémon back a few feet. The rocks crumbled to the ground around the two Pokémon, creating a dangerous path for Crabominable to try to walk around.
Leinani scowled at Enoka and then at his ugly Pokémon. "Get some more distance! Energy Ball! Go!"
Palossand howled and then waved her body from side to side. She launched the orb of energy from her mouth, striking Crabominable directly. The large Pokémon was blasted backward a few feet, giving them more distance.
"Earth Power! Keep it back!"
Enoka grinned and held out his hand. "Destroy their attack with Close Combat!"
Palossand's howl turned into a high-pitched screech. She ripped up some of the field and then blasted it forward. However, Crabominable responded with dozens of sudden strikes. He tore through the ripped-up pieces of the field before he started to chortle to himself.
"And an Ice Punch!"
"Use Earth Power! Focus your energy below Crabominable!" Leinani ordered.
Crambominable raised his large fist and then scuttled forward. He began to collect the crystalized energy, but before he could get too close, Palossand heaved, and the ground below Crabominable was disturbed and lifted. She then tossed the torn-up pieces of field backward, taking Crabominable with it. The Ice-type quickly leaped off, regaining his balance on stable ground.
"Now, Shore Up!" Leinani shouted.
Palossand used the broken-up stones and field around her. She absorbed them into her body, which then started to slightly expand. Within a matter of moments, she regained some of the health that she had lost during the battle.
"Yes!" Leinani exclaimed while she punched the air. "It worked! Awesome!"
"Crabominable, they're healing because they're scared! Rock Slide!" Enoka commanded.
Crabominable kept his distance, and he put his arms together. He charged up energy, forming rocks out of the air. With a battle cry, he launched the dozens of stones forward in a straight line. The stones pelted against Palossand repeatedly who tried to block with one of her large arms.
"And hit 'em with Ice Punch!" Enoka ordered while punching the air.
Crabominable swiftly moved down the field. He reeled back his arm and then swung wide, connecting with Palossand's large body. Crabominable held out the jab, and ice began to crystalize over Palossand's body. The Ground-type let out a high-pitched howl which was soon silenced as she became completely engulfed in ice.
"Oh no! Palossand has been completely frozen! This is one of the worst situations you can find yourself in! How is Leinani going to handle it?" the announcer yelled.
Enoka sneered and then relaxed his shoulders. "You're not gonna do anything. Finish this battle with Rock Slide!"
Now at close-range, Crabominable did not have to charge up his attack for very long. He blasted dozens of stones from around his body and down his arms into Palossand. She couldn't react, but with every blow, Leinani knew that she was taking damage. The rocks chipped away at the ice, and when the top half had been destroyed, Palossand screeched. She then slumped, and everything went quiet.
"Palossand is unable to battle!" the referee declared. "Crabominable is the winner!"
Leinani rolled her eyes before she withdrew Palossand. She tucked away the Great Ball and then thought over her other options. She didn't particularly have any Pokémon that would be strong against Crabominable, and she wanted to save DJ for the end. She made her choice and threw a Poké Ball into the air. Vikavolt emerged and snapped her mandibles together, generating electricity.
"Crabominable, be careful. That thing is fast," Enoka warned.
"Boombox, let's show them how fast we are! Use Bug Buzz!" Leinani ordered.
Vikavolt fluttered her wings violently, generating dark green energy around her body. She zoomed forward and then shot the energy downward, connecting with Crabominable. The Ice-type was forced backward, and he stumbled. Before he could strike back, Vikavolt turned and flew the other way.
Crabominable stood still. His body started to bob up and down, and then he suddenly let out a terrible screech. He roared and then pounded his chest with his large arms.
Enoka smiled from ear to ear. "Whoa! It looks like you got a critical hit! That's amazing!"
"You okay? There's no way that's a good thing for you," Leinani said with a concerned frown.
"Yeah! You just triggered Crabominable's Anger Point! My boy's power is maxed out now!"
"Oh no."
"Oh yeah! Close Combat!"
Crabominable was furious. He scuttled forward while he focused his chi into his fists.
"Into the air!" Leinani shouted.
Crabominable swung, but Vikavolt was much too fast. She maneuvered upward, narrowly avoiding the strike.
"Boombox, use Fly! Finish this before it's too late!" Leinani ordered.
Fire-like white energy formed around Vikavolt as she gained speed and elevation. When she felt it was appropriate, she turned her body around and began a quick descent. In a matter of seconds, she threw herself into Crabominable, but the Ice-type was not phased.
"Now! Ice Punch!"
"Get out of there!"
Vikavolt tried to escape, but Crabominable hammered his arm down. He managed to hit the Bug-type on the wing, and ice crystalized over a part of her body. She couldn't stay in the air, only managing to get a few feet away from Crabominable before she hit the ground.
"This is terrible luck for Leinani! Crabominable is supercharged, and it looks like we have yet another frozen status condition! Part of battling is left to chance, but you still have to feel sorry for her!" the announcer said excitedly.
"They won't be running away anymore! Close Combat!" Enoka commanded.
Crabominable roared.
"He's right. We can't run away! Use Zap Cannon! Put all you got into your aim!" Leinani ordered.
Vikavolt slowly turned her body around and looked at Crabominable. The Ice-type began his headlong charge while the Electric-type charged up a ball of energy between her mandibles. Crabominable raised his arm and prepared to strike, but before he could, Vikavolt launched her powerful attack. The ball of electricity hit Crabominable in the chest. It lifted him off the ground and launched him into the air. When he came back down, it was not graceful. Crabominable hit the ground, and his legs curled into his stomach.
The referee raised his orange flag. "Crabominable is unable to battle! Vikavolt is the winner!"
"Both trainers have lost two Pokémon at this point. With one more Pokémon to go before we go into our intermission, who is going to take the lead?" the announcer exclaimed.
Enoka withdrew Crabominable and tucked away his Poké Ball. He spun his next Poké Ball on his finger before catching it and throwing it into the air. Forretress emerged once again and started to spin.
"Without Shure, I have no guaranteed way of getting rid of Spikes. I can't let him get them on the ground," Leinani thought.
"Forretress, use Gyro Ball!" Enoka ordered.
Forretress started to spin. Metallic energy surrounded his body, and he propelled himself forward. He crashed into Vikavolt, sending her backward. However, upon the collision, the ice that had built up around Vikavolt's wing was shattered.
"Boombox, we have to work quickly! Use Fly!" Leinani instructed.
Vikavolt wasted no time. Before she could hit the ground again, she rocketed into the air. The white energy from before surrounded her, and she immediately descended.
"Iron Defense!"
Forretress remained still, and a silver aura came over his body. Vikavolt crashed into him with a sickening thud. She then rebounded, trying to create some distance. Her attack had been effectively ineffective.
Enoka extended his arm and pointed his finger outward at Leinani. "Now, what are you gonna do? Set up Spikes!"
"Get them out of here with Bug Buzz! Don't let a single one touch the ground!" Leinani yelled desperately.
Forretress began to spin yet again, launching a dozen iron spines into the air. Vikavolt was quick. She fluttered her wings and created dark green energy. She flew upward and got under the spikes. Before they started to fall, she unleashed all of her energy, blasting most of the spikes out of the stadium. For the few that made it past her, she chased them down, sending out small spouts of green energy to throw them off their course.
It was a fast process that the television crew had to play on slow-motion repeat for the crowd to understand.
"Yes! Great job! That should have done it! Now, Zap Cannon!"
"Dodge it! Get in close with Bug Bite!"
Vikavolt breathed in heavily while she tried to retain her elevation. Her mandibles started to spark, and she began to form her electric ball. Meanwhile, Forretress quickly floated down the field. A terrifying jaw made of dark green energy formed around him.
Vikavolt launched her hectic attack, but Forretress had gained enough speed to get around it. He then clamped down his artificial jaws, making Vikavolt cry out from the pain. However, Forretress' attacking capabilities were already weak, and Vikavolt wasn't going to be affected too much by a Bug-type attack. She looked at the Forretress, who's round eyes suddenly got wide.
"Maybe you shouldn't have gotten close?" Leinani said with a shrug. "Zap Cannon! Go!"
Vikavolt unleashed one more electrified attack. It blasted into Forretress, forcing the Steel-type backward. Vikavolt then flew in circles around him.
"Forretress, no!" Enoka shouted once he noticed the sparks coming off of his Pokémon's body.
"These trainers are firing back at one another relentlessly! I haven't seen action this fast-paced in a while!" the announcer said. "But, it looks like it might slow down, as Forretress is now on the bad end of a status condition!"
"Boombox, into the air! Use Fly, and hit 'em hard!" Leinani instructed.
Vikavolt used her spinning momentum to take her into the air. She was carried by the white flames. She suddenly stopped in the air, redirected her body, and came soaring down. She crashed into the unmoving Forretress, forcing him into the ground.
"Forretress!" Enoka shouted, but his words were useless.
"Now, Energy Ball!"
"Bug Bite!" Enoka commanded. "Devour it!"
Vikavolt created a green ball of energy at the end of her mandibles. She looked at the crater that she had planted Forretress in, and she shot the ball downward. Forretress groaned, and the set of dark green jaws materialized around his body. When the ball got close, he clamped the jaws down, destroying Vikavolt's attack.
"That's how we do it! Now use Gyro Ball!" Enoka ordered.
Forretress started to spin, ripping up the ground around him. He then lifted himself into the air and shot directly for Vikavolt. He connected with the Electric-type Pokémon, nearly knocking her out of the air. Vikavolt was knocked off balance, but then Forretress came to a sudden stop. The electric sparks from before emerged, now much more intense.
Leinani snapped her fingers and then put her hands on her hips. "They won't be moving. Finish this with Zap Cannon!"
Vikavolt slowly floated toward her opponent. She weakly lifted her mandibles and took direct aim, only a few inches away from Forretress. With one more blast, she shot Forretress. The Steel-type was rocketed back to his side of the field, no longer able to stay afloat. He crashed into the ground, and his round eyes closed. He remained still.
"Forretress is unable to battle! Vikavolt is the winner!" the referee exclaimed.
"And the nearly unbreakable Forretress goes down! This means that Enoka has lost three Pokémon! Time for a fifteen-minute intermission! Get in your bathroom breaks, folks! You don't want to miss any of the second half of this battle!"
Enoka withdrew Forretress and then turned away. He slowly walked to his bench, sat down, and looked toward Leinani's side of the field. She still stood in her trainer's box. She glared at Enoka, and her fists were balled. She put her head down and then turned away.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
I originally had the idea to have this battle be very fast-paced but still long. The trainers are making their commands quickly. That is why the title for this chapter is what it is.
Next chapter will see the conclusion to this battle! We have roughly five more chapters to go for Ascending Alola! Thank you to anyone who is still reading this story!