Alola, everyone! Welcome to the second part of the final round of the Lanakila Conference! When it comes to writing Pokémon battles, I don't stop with getting them to be as good as they are. This is one of the biggest battles I've written thus far in my time on FanFiction, so I hope you enjoy it in full.
Another thing I'd like to mention is that I really hope you're excited for what's ahead with this story after the next chapter. From there, we'll have a preview into the arc that'll follow the league, along with what other stories I'm going to be working on to close things out for what's been quite the period.
But without further delay, it's time to get into the action! Welcome back to "The Challenge of a Lifetime"!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
"MORRRRRRR!" Magmortar bellowed out upon the turf field.
"Sehh… rawrrr…" Incineroar uttered out, smirking nervously.
"Mmm, there he is!" Nemona exclaimed, shooting up from her seat with her fists clenched, "Erika's going for her newly evolved Magmortar!" she noted excitedly.
"I didn't think she'd have evolved him so soon after the semifinals…" Trent admitted in surprise.
"Me either…" Gladion concurred.
"With Calvin sending in Incineroar, Erika decides to retaliate by bringing out Magmortar!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast, "He's likely the same Magmar we saw in the semifinals against Gladion!" he mentioned on.
"Is he here for a chance at redemption?" Tom wondered aloud, "We'll have to wait and see…" he remarked.
"Magmortar, huh?" Calvin noted, grinning nervously himself, "Guess I shouldn't be all that surprised…" he admitted, causing his twin sister to snicker.
"The two of us were working really hard to find a way to take you on," she told him, clenching her right fist tightly, "We knew we needed more than just a strategy against your Pokémon, we needed all the strength we can possibly muster," she explained further, "That's why Magmortar's here today!" she declared.
"Morr!" the Blast Pokémon exclaimed, taking a strong step forward.
"Hm," Calvin huffed as he smiled, "Don't think we're gonna let you win that easily," he remarked confidently, "We've been training our hearts out, too!" he pointed out, "Incineroar and everyone else want nothing more than to beat you!" he mentioned.
"RAWWWWWRRRR!" the Heel Pokémon roared in agreement.
"Looks like the twins are exchanging some banter before letting their Pokémon take action!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers. From the V.I.P. section, Leslie smiled. Her twin siblings were happy, battling their hearts out against each other.
"Now let's get things going, Magmortar!" Erika insisted of the Blast Pokémon, "Use Fire Punch!" she commanded.
"Magg!" her partner responded, engulfing his right arm in red-orange flames as he charged forward.
"Incineroar, Flare Blitz!" Calvin ordered.
"ROOOOAAAWWWRRRRR!" the Heel Pokémon bellowed, engulfed her body in a mass of red flames with orange streaks surrounding it. She lunged toward her foe, whose enflamed arm collided with her in a fierce blast. Amidst it all, the Ketchum twins smiled, ready to keep the energy of their battle going…
OPENING
Insert "Rise Above" by Rainych
Opens with the sun dawning over Mount Lanakila. In spite of its freezing air, Calvin and Erika stand firm alongside their full teams of Pokémon as the wind rushes by. Near the base of the mountain is the site of what will be Alola's first ever Pokémon League, where Kukui stands with an excited grin on his face.
A rainbow of flower petals washes over the logo as we cut to Calvin lamenting on the boardwalk of the Seafolk Village, sitting alone and wondering if he can really take on the rest of the island challenge. At the same time, Erika is lying on her bed upon her side, thinking about the exact same thing. They both clench their fists determinedly, ready to see things through.
We cut to Calvin flying aboard a Charizard, while Erika's aboard a Pelipper. They fly throughout each of Alola's islands, smiling all the while. They see Ilima, Lana, Kiawe, Mallow, Sophocles, Acerola, Mina, Hala, Olivia, Nanu, and Hapu along the way as they arrive at the Pokémon League.
There, they're greeted by their parents and their big sister, who encourage them as they enter through the doors into the stadium. Inside, they find Hau, Pyrrha, Paige, Trent, and Gladion there. Others like Ryuki, Plumeria, and even Guzma are present. The Ketchum twins both grin excitedly, prepared to engage in some amazing battles.
The scene changes to Calvin commanding his Toucannon to use Beak Blast to take down a Machoke, while Erika has her Lurantis use X-Scissor to down an opponent's Bisharp. Hau's Decidueye goes up against Gladion and Silvally. The Synthetic Pokémon evades his foe's arrow quills before landing a powerful Fire-type Multi-Attack. Decidueye endures it, while Hau prepares a green Z-Crystal with a symbol similar to his partner, cracking a smirk.
We cut to Paige revealing a Key Stone around her neck as she uses it to Mega Evolve her Blaziken, who speeds out to attack Pyrrha's Typhlosion with a Blaze Kick. He counters by using Flamethrower. In the meantime, Trent commands his Alolan Ninetales to use Blizzard on Ryuki's Turtonator. The Blast Turtle Pokémon endures the freezing winds, unleashing a Flamethrower that appears to engulf his foe.
Calvin and Erika are then facing off, with Incineroar and Primarina battling for them. The two collide via a Flare Blitz/Aqua Jet, resulting in a powerful blast. As it clears, we witness Lycanroc slamming his clenched paws against the ground for a Stone Edge aimed to take down Araquanid. However, the Water Bubble Pokémon blasts the incoming stone pillars apart with Liquidation. Oricorio in her Baile Style comes out to unleash the searing fireball of a Revelation Dance toward Toucannon, who endures the attack and retaliates with Hyper Voice.
As the dust settles, we see Lurantis enduring Trop Kicks from Tsareena, gathering sunlight to unleash a Solar Blade onto the Fruit Pokémon. Mimi comes out from the dust, unleashing Shadow Claws onto Starbright, who endures them. She then strikes back with a Meteor Mash, merely busting the costume of the Disguise Pokémon as she chases after her opponent. Finally, we have Marowak using Shadow Bone to bash the incoming icicles of Sandslash, who dives down at him with an Iron Head.
The dust clears again, revealing the Ketchum twins staring at each other confidently with their teams. They're prepared for whatever else is ahead for them as they stand outside the stadium as the sun sets…
END OPENING
One Flame to Another!
"A fierce collision between Fire Punch and Flare Blitz kicks off another exciting matchup in this final round!" Jim yelled into the microphone excitedly. As the smoke settled, Incineroar hopped back from it, waiting for her opponent to make another move.
"Magmortar, Flamethrower!" Erika ordered. The Heel Pokémon was quick to notice a building orange glow from within the smoke.
"Dodge it!" her trainer advised quickly. Leaping up, Incineroar avoided the torrent of flames that would've struck, clearing the smoke away to reveal her foe below with his right arm aimed forward. "Now Cross Chop!" Calvin commanded. Making her arms shine a bright orange, his partner crossed them before diving down at her opponent.
"Block it!" Erika yelled. Magmortar was quick to cross his arms over his head just before his foe could strike, enduring her attack as he slid back a few feet. She then swiped, blowing him back as he tumbled along the ground.
"Magg…" he groaned out as he came to a stop, getting up onto his feet.
"Now Flare Blitz!" the Ketchum boy ordered. Red flames with orange streaks shrouded Incineroar again as she lunged forward at her foe.
"Clear Smog!" Erika commanded with a swing of her left arm. Magmortar puffed his chest before expelling a greyish smoke from his mouth, enveloping his opponent's path as she gasped in surprise, wincing a little. She found herself unable to reach her target, landing on the ground within the smog as the flames around her dissipated.
"Rrrr…" she growled in frustration, trying to find her foe.
"Stay calm, Incineroar!" her trainer insisted, "Use Darkest Lariat to clear the smog!" he instructed of her.
"Rawr!" the Heel Pokémon responded, making dark reddish flames erupt upon her hands before spinning around rapidly. The smog was blown away from the force of her momentum, clearing completely.
"Incineroar's Darkest Lariat does its work as the Clear Smog is taken care of!" Jim remarked over the broadcast as the Heel Pokémon stopped spinning, letting off a grin, "But where's Magmortar?!" he asked, much to her surprise as she found that the Blast Pokémon was seemingly out of sight.
"Now Focus Blast!" Erika commanded, pumping her right fist out.
"What?!" her brother exclaimed in shock. With his left arm aimed at his foe from the side, Magmortar prepped an orange orb of energy over it as he retracted his claws, opening the ports as well. Incineroar turned too late as her opponent fired the orb, striking her squarely in her left hip.
"RAHHH…!" she gasped out in agony, keeling over onto her right knee.
"Incineroar!" Calvin cried out.
"Oh, and Incineroar takes a direct hit from Magmortar's Focus Blast, a super effective blow!" Jim pointed out emphatically through the loudspeakers.
"Nice one, Magmortar!" Pyrrha cheered from the stands.
"Rrrr…" the Heel Pokémon growled, toppling over onto her side and wincing all the while. Her trainer grimaced, taking out her Poké Ball.
"Take a break for now, Incineroar," he insisted, recalling her to the spherical container in a beam of red light.
"Oh, and now Calvin's decided to switch things up like Erika did with her Clefable at the start of the battle," Tom noted into the microphone, "What'll come of this?" he wondered on.
"Does Cal have anything else that can deal with a Fire-type like Magmortar?" Hau wondered from the stands.
"Only one I remember is his Araquanid…" Trent answered, folding his arms over his chest.
"So in other words, he's in trouble?" Paige assumed.
"We'll see," Mirajane responded, getting their attentions, "From what I can tell, this battle's far from over," she affirmed confidently.
"Jah, jahng moh!" Jangmo-o chirped from her lap. Back on the field, Calvin prepared another Poké Ball in his right hand, enlarging it with a press of its button.
"Mimi, you're back up!" he called out, tossing the spherical container back onto the field. It burst open, with its light forming upon the turf to reveal the shiny Disguise Pokémon, whose body sparkled upon appearing.
"Mee!" she squeaked out, adjusting the head of her costume and popping it back into place.
"Mimikyu makes an early return as Calvin looks to take the edge back from how powerful Magmortar is!" Jim pointed out excitedly over the broadcast.
"Mimi's back in so soon?" Hau inquired, arching an eyebrow.
"Hmm…" Paige hummed out, "I wonder if that might mean Calvin doesn't have a good counter for Magmortar…" she inferred, narrowing her eyes as she put a hand onto her chin.
"He did have Poliwrath earlier…" Trent noted in remembrance, "But he lost to Palossand, even when he had a clear type advantage…" he recalled on. Back upon the field, the Ketchum boy was sweating a little.
'Between who I have left and who I wanna save for later, I need Mimi to pull through with a big win here…' he noted to himself, 'But that's way easier said than done, especially with the Sunny Day still up…' he mentioned inwardly, noticing the brightness in the sky gleaming over the turf.
"Mimi, Shadow Claw!" he commanded.
"Mee!" the shiny Disguise Pokémon squeaked, dashing forward as she drew one of her appendages from beneath her cloak.
"Clear Smog!" Erika ordered. Puffing his chest, Magmortar expelled a greyish smoke from his lips, having it spread across the field. It engulfed the incoming Mimikyu, who winced. However, she leapt through the smog, closing in on her target.
"Meee… KEEEOOOHHH!" she exclaimed, swiping at him fiercely with her appendage and making him stumble back as his eyes widened.
"Mimikyu breaks through Clear Smog and lands a powerful Shadow Claw to Magmortar!" Jim yelled through the loudspeakers, "She's starting things off strong from the look of it, folks!" he remarked. However, flames suddenly engulfed the shiny Disguise Pokémon as she shrieked in pain.
"Mimi!" her trainer gasped out as the fire subsided, with only embers flickering off of her body.
"Keeooohhh…" she growled out in agony.
"Whoa, what was that?!" Hau yelped with widened eyes.
"It must've been Magmortar'zzz Flame Body, zzt!" Rotom answered, getting his attention, "When a Pokémon makezzz direct physical contact with Magmortar, they could end up getting burned!" it explained.
"Heh," Erika chuckled out, "Now Flamethrower!" she commanded, thrusting her left arm forward. Aiming both of his cannon-like arms while retracting their claws, the Blast Pokémon spewed out powerful blasts of fire from them. Calvin grimaced.
"Dodge and use Mimic!" he instructed of Mimi. She hopped up to evade the incoming flames, having a glint appear in her eyes as she studied the fire being spewed from her foe's arms. "Now use Flamethrower, too!" her trainer ordered. A small ball of orange fire appeared in front of the shiny Disguise Pokémon, who unleashed a stream out toward her opponent.
"Block it!" Erika yelled. Magmortar crossed his arms over his head, enduring the incoming flames with ease.
"Magmortar can dish out some serious firepower as well as being able to take it!" Jim noted into the microphone, "I'm not sure if Mimikyu can even do much against him at this point!" he mentioned on.
"Getting burned means that Mimi's attack power's cut in half…" Leslie pointed out from the V.I.P. section, standing beside Ash, "All Calvin can really do right now is have Mimi whittle Magmortar down as much as she can before she faints…" she concluded thoroughly.
"We'll see…" her father responded, letting off a small grin.
"Mee… meeee…" the shiny Mimikyu breathed out exhaustedly from the battlefield as embers flickered off of her body.
"Hang in there, Mimi!" her trainer yelled insistently, causing her to perk up, "Shadow Claw!" he commanded.
"Keeoohh!" the Disguise Pokémon responded, lunging out at her foe again while readying both of her shadowy appendages again, cloaking them in a dark aura outlined by a purple light.
"Magmortar, Fire Punch!" Erika ordered. Flames billowed around the right arm of the Blast Pokémon, who charged forward as he reared it back. He met Mimi in a powerful collision, bringing them to a deadlock. Ultimately though, he managed to knock her back down onto the ground in a powerful thrust, making her tumble along the turf.
"Mimi!" Calvin cried out, seeing her slowly get back up and wince from the embers flickering around her body.
"Now Flamethrower!" the Ketchum girl commanded, thrusting her fists out. Readying both of his arms, Magmortar aimed them forward, unleashing a powerful stream of fire. His foe widened her eyes too late before she was engulfed by the flames, followed by a fiery explosion.
"MIMI!" her trainer screamed. The smoke from the blast was slow to clear. But as it did, it revealed the shiny Disguise Pokémon lying upon the ground in a daze with ash marks all over her costume. Dan ran over to assess her condition. He then raised his left arm.
"Mimikyu is unable to battle!" he confirmed, causing the crowd to break out into cheers. The shiny Disguise Pokémon's image upon the video boards was greyed.
"And with that, the score's evened up at two!" Jim pointed out excitedly over the broadcast.
"ALRIGHT!" Pyrrha and Nemona cheered, pumping their fists.
"Jah moh!" Jangmo-o chirped out happily.
"Tough break for Cal…" Trent noted, folding his arms over his chest, "His Mimikyu's been a tough contender for sure," he added.
"Yeah…" Paige agreed. On the field, Mimi got back up as her trainer approached. He crouched down, fixing the head of her costume and brushing off some of the ash from her body.
"You did great out there, Mimi," he assured, making her perk up a little, "And I promise, we're gonna do our best in your stead," he vowed on, clenching his right fist tightly.
"Mee!" the Mimikyu squeaked with a nod. Her trainer chuckled, returning her to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light. At the same time, Erika readied her own spherical container, aiming it at Magmortar.
"Nice going out there, Magmortar," she complimented, "Take a break for now, okay?" she advised of him.
"Mor," he responded with a nod, allowing his trainer to return him to the Poké Ball in a red ray of light.
"Erika decides to call Magmortar back for now after a key victory over Mimikyu!" Jim noted over the broadcast, "So who'll she call upon next?" he wondered aloud. The Ketchum girl put her spherical container away before readying her Moon Ball in her right hand.
"You're back in, Starbright!" she exclaimed, flinging the special Poké Ball out onto the field. It burst open, and its light formed upon the turf field, dissipating to reveal her Clefable.
"Kleh fay!" she squeaked out determinedly.
"Clefable makes her return as the score's been evened!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers, "How will Calvin decide to respond?!" he questioned loudly as the Ketchum boy made his way back to his side of the field, readying a new Poké Ball by pressing its center button to enlarge it.
"Tsareena, let's go!" he called out, backhanding the spherical container onto the field. Popping open, it let out a ray of bluish light that formed upon the fake grass, dissipating after a moment to reveal the Fruit Pokémon.
"Sahh…" she huffed, brushing her hair-like leaves back. Her image appeared on the video boards underneath her trainer.
"Tsareena, huh?" Erika noted, "This oughta' be fun!" she proclaimed determinedly with clenched fists.
X
"Clefable against Tsareena, hm?" Geeta noted from the V.I.P. section with her left hand upon her chin, "While neither have a clear type advantage against each other, Clefable's already battled against Poliwrath…" she pointed out.
"Quite right," Diantha confirmed, "Even so, I doubt Erika would call upon her without a plan," she mentioned confidently, "She still has one Pokémon yet to be revealed…" she added.
"Those two are already giving us quite a Champion Time!" Leon affirmed with a laugh, "Now let's wait and see what else they can do!" he insisted of his fellow Champion Masters. Ash and Leslie watched on intently, smiling all the while.
"The battle's now shifted to a match between Clefable and Tsareena with a third of each side already down!" Jim noted into the microphone, "It's time to see just who'll get the edge going into the second half!" he declared excitedly.
"Starbright, Meteor Mash!" Erika commanded.
"FAYYYYY!" the Fairy Pokémon exclaimed, enveloping herself in a bright blue aura as she clenched her right fist tightly, aiming it forward as she was prepared to lunge at her foe.
"Counter with Trop Kick!" Calvin instructed. Tsareena's tapered legs glowed a bright green as she dashed forward. In that very moment, her foe lunged out at her mightily, colliding against her target's left leg with her fist. The two of them growled, desperately trying to push each other back. Ultimately, a small shockwave erupted between the two as they wound up landing upon the ground and sliding back from each other, coming to a stop. A reddish aura then flowed up the Clefable's body.
"Sah?" Tsareena uttered in confusion upon noticing.
"What was that?" her trainer asked, while Erika smirked.
"Hey, did something happen?" Pyrrha asked from the stands.
"Yep!" Rotom buzzed, "Meteor Mash has a chance of increasing the user'zzz attack after it'zzz used!" it explained.
"And now Clefable's even more pumped up!" Nemona added excitedly, "You got this, Clefable!" she cheered, pumping her right fist up.
"She's so supportive, even though she and Erika just met…" Sunset pointed out quietly to Rumi.
"Heh," she chuckled, "I think she's just stoked about the fight," she noted to the Equestrian Magic user's surprise, "Only so many things can get a girl so passionate," she mentioned with a grin.
"Indeed," her daughter agreed. Sunset smiled at the pair.
"Now Meteor Mash again!" Erika ordered from the field. The blue aura erupted around Starbright again as she lunged out at her opponent, having both of her fists aimed forward.
"Power Whip!" Calvin commanded. Tsareena's hair-like leaves shined a bright green. She swung them around, attempting to counter her opponent's attack. But to her shock, she easily broke through, striking her squarely in the back.
"SAAAAHHHH…!" she gasped out of agony, while her foe leapt away.
"Now Moonblast!" the Ketchum girl commanded, closing her right hand into a fist. A golden aura shrouded her Clefable as she formed a pink orb of energy upon her hands. She fired it down at her opponent, hitting her in a fierce blast that sent her tumbling.
"Tsareena!" her trainer cried out, seeing her roll to a stop upon her stomach, groaning as she tried to push herself back up.
"What a start!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast, "Clefable gets an attack boost to make her second Meteor Mash really count before landing a powerful Moonblast!" he explained emphatically, "Can Tsareena recover from such a rough entry?!" he wondered aloud.
"Sah… reee…" the Fruit Pokémon grunted, getting to her feet.
"That's it, Tsareena!" her trainer cried out, "Use Dazzling Gleam!" he commanded, swinging his left arm out. A rainbow-colored energy field then appeared around the Fruit Pokémon, who made it expand outward.
"Moonblast!" Erika ordered. Starbright prepared another pink energy orb upon her hands as a golden aura shrouded her body. She fired it at the incoming energy field, holding it off before a bright explosion of light enveloped the field.
"Now Trop Kick!" Calvin commanded fiercely. The second Starbright opened her eyes, she gasped as Tsareena closed in and struck her with a powerful kick to the face with her green-glowing right leg, sending her sliding back as she winced.
"And now Tsareena retaliates with a strong Trop Kick!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers, "She's not making this easy for Clefable, folks!" he confirmed excitedly.
"Heh…" Erika chuckled out, "I'd expect no less from you, Calvin…" she confirmed, causing her brother to smirk.
"Trop Kick again!" he ordered. The Fruit Pokémon dashed forward again, making her tapered legs glow a bright green.
"Starbright, Metronome!" the Ketchum girl instructed.
"Fay!" her Clefable responded, throwing her pointer fingers up and waving them back and forth. As Tsareena closed in, her foe's fingers started glowing a bright white. The Fairy Pokémon then expelled a chilling wind with blue sparkles from her mouth, washing over her opponent as she winced. However, she still managed to land a strong kick onto Starbright, making her tumble back as she slid to a stop upon her stomach.
"Clefable's Metronome lets her land an Icy Wind onto Tsareena!" Jim noted into the microphone, "But her Trop Kick still makes the mark!" he mentioned as Starbright slowly got back up onto her feet.
"Now Power Whip!" Calvin ordered. The hair-like leaves of the Fruit Pokémon shined green as she rushed at her foe again.
"Moonblast!" Erika commanded. Her Clefable was quick to prepare another pink orb of energy upon her hands while being shrouded by a golden aura. As Tsareena lunged at her, she stuck the orb out, meeting her target's hair-like leaves in another blast. Both trainers on the field braced themselves from the impact's force.
"Fierce blows continue to be exchanged as it seems like this battle's only just heating up!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast.
"Come on, Starbright!" Pyrrha cheered from the stands. The smoke on the field cleared, revealing that both Pokémon were still standing.
"Tsareena, Trop Kick!" Calvin commanded, sticking his right hand out.
"Starbright, Meteor Mash!" Erika ordered, clenching her fists and pumping them forward. The Fruit Pokémon made both of her tapered legs shine a bright green as she rushed in once again. Her foe, on the other hand, held her fists out in front of herself, becoming encased in a blue aura. She took a lunging stance before shooting herself forward.
"SAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH…!" Tsareena started to echo.
"FAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYY…!" Starbright began bellowing. The two collided fiercely, resulting in another shockwave. Ultimately though, their attacks broke through simultaneously, allowing them to strike each other. They both went flying back, falling onto their backs in heaps. Their trainers blinked in surprise, while Dan ran out to assess their conditions. Both had swirls in their eyes as they groaned.
"Tsareena and Clefable are both unable to battle!" the referee announced, raising both of his arms. The images of the Fruit Pokémon and the Fairy Pokémon upon the video boards were greyed out, while the crowd murmured with shock.
"In a surprise turn of events, we have a double knockout between Tsareena and Clefable!" Jim confirmed loudly through the loudspeakers, "Now Calvin and Erika each have three Pokémon left, with one left to be revealed each!" he mentioned on.
"It's still anyone's game…" Tom remarked.
"Oh man…" Hau uttered in shock.
"This certainly gets intense…" Lisanna admitted, quite astonished.
"That's what battles are supposed to be like," her husband confirmed, "And they're just halfway through it all…" he mentioned, looking toward the nearest video board. Nemona was trembling with excitement as her fists were clenched.
"Now this is exactly what Pokémon battling's about!" she noted excitedly, "The thrills of winning and losing matches, the moves you use to try and get an edge, the bonds you share with your Pokémon…" she listed off, "It really is the best!" she exclaimed. Mirajane giggled upon overhearing.
"It's hard not to agree," she responded.
"Jah, moh!" Jangmo-o chirped from her lap. Back on the field, the twins returned their respective fainted partners to their Poké Balls in beams of red light.
"Nice work out there, Starbright," Erika complimented, shrinking the Moon Ball with a press of its button, "We'll keep that energy going for sure," she promised, putting the spherical container away before readying another one. Her brother did the same with his.
"Thanks, Tsareena," he said with gratitude, "Just leave the rest to us!" he affirmed, preparing a new Poké Ball as he enlarged it with a press of its button, "Incineroar, I choose you!" he called out, firing the spherical container onto the field.
"You're back up, Palossand!" his twin sister yelled, tossing up her own Poké Ball. Both of them popped open, with their respective lights forming upon the ground. They dissipated after a moment, revealing the Heel Pokémon and the Sand Castle Pokémon.
"Sehh rawwwrrr!" the former roared out, taking a ready stance as she grinned.
"Pahlohhhh!" the latter bellowed.
"To kick off the second half of this final round without any delays, we have Incineroar against Palossand!" Jim noted into the microphone, "Just how will this match turn out?!" he wondered aloud.
X
"Quite the match so far, isn't it?" Rose assumed, walking into the V.I.P. section alongside Oleana and Bede, getting the attentions of those inside.
"Oh, definitely!" Leon agreed, "I can't wait to get a glimpse of those Z-Moves that Alola's so famous for…" he pointed out, looking back toward the field below, "It's like this region's version of Dynamaxing…" he mentioned. The P.L.F. chairman chuckled.
"You make a good point, Leon," he noted, "Now, since we've gotten ourselves into the second half, it wouldn't be prudent of me to suggest that someone grant the victor the trophy in the end, would it?" he inquired of the Champion Masters, much to their surprise, "Since Alola doesn't have a Champion Master of their own yet, there definitely needs to be someone to take on that role," he explained, "Might I suggest one of the Ketchums?" he inferred, turning to Ash and Leslie.
"Oh, uh…" the latter stuttered out, holding her hands up, "Thanks, but…" she began gratefully, "I'd rather not draw attention away from my brother and sister," she pointed out.
"Same here," her father concluded with a nod, "In fact, shouldn't it be someone from Alola to hand out the trophy?" he inquired of Rose.
"Hmmm…" he hummed out, "I suppose you have an astute point…" he admitted, "Then who would you suggest to take on the role?" he questioned. Ash and Leslie turned to each other for a moment in thought, but then smiled. Back on the field, Incineroar and Palossand squared off, glaring at each other. Their respective trainers cracked grins.
"Incineroar, Flare Blitz!" Calvin commanded. Red fired erupted around the Heel Pokémon as orange streaks swirled about it. She lunged out toward her opponent.
"Use Sandstorm!" Erika instructed of her partner.
"Pahhh… LOHHHHHH!" Palossand bellowed, making sand swirl about with the wind, creating a torrent that enveloped the whole field. It made her foe flinch a little, but didn't completely deter her as she closed in and collided with her foe in a fierce blast.
"Incineroar's Flare Blitz blazes through the sandstorm to land a strong blow onto Palossand to start things off!" Jim noted excitedly over the broadcast. As the Heel Pokémon jumped back from the smoke, it settled to reveal that her foe was seemingly fine with a few ash marks along his body. Calvin grimaced a little.
'If Palossand starts using Shore Up while this sandstorm's still in play, it's gonna be a real problem for us…' he told himself, 'We've gotta settle this quickly!' he affirmed inwardly, clenching his fists.
"Incineroar, Darkest Lariat!" he ordered, swinging his left hand out.
"Rawh!" the Heel Pokémon responded, making dark red flames erupt upon her hands before spinning forward toward her foe.
"Palossand, use Earth Power!" Erika commanded. The Sand Castle Pokémon's eyes shined a bright orange. Parts of the ground that Incineroar was spinning over started cracking. An orange energy emitted from them before bursting out and striking her, making her yelp in pain. However, that didn't stop her from continuing, swiping by her opponent.
"Nice going, Incineroar!" her trainer complimented as she stopped spinning, letting off a grin.
"Shore Up!" Erika called out.
"Loh!" Palossand responded, making granules of sand trail towards his body, merging with it as a greenish, healing aura appeared around him.
"And just like that, Palossand's signature Shore Up negates most if not all of the damage he just took!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers emphatically, while Calvin grimaced.
"That's gonna be really tricky for Cal to counter against…" Hau noted from the stands.
"Incineroar doesn't have a move that can help heal herself," Paige mentioned with her arms folded over her chest, "She's gonna have to find a way to attack without hurting herself in the process…" she pointed out.
"And the only move she's got for that is Darkest Lariat…" Trent added, "Calvin's in a really tight spot…" he said.
"Yeah…" Gladion agreed. Lillie tensed up a little, wanting for the Ketchum boy and his sister to do their best. She wanted to see them both win, even though that wasn't possible.
"Incineroar, Darkest Lariat!" Calvin commanded. The Heel Pokémon made dark red flames erupt over her hands once again, spinning forward and swiping by Palossand, who winced.
"Pah loh…" he grunted out.
"Earth Power!" his trainer ordered. The Sand Castle Pokémon's eyes flashed a bright orange before made the ground swell beneath Incineroar's feet.
"Jump!" Calvin yelled. Just before the orange energy from the turf could burst underneath the Heel Pokémon, she leapt into the air, being propelled up by its force.
"No way!" Erika yelped out.
"Incredible!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "Incineroar not only avoids taking another Earth Power, but also uses its force to get high in the air, right above the sandstorm!" he pointed out excitedly.
"Now Outrage!" Calvin commanded. Above the sandstorm, the Heel Pokémon made a reddish aura flare up around her body as her eyes flashed red. Erika grimaced.
'I can't tell where she's gonna be coming from!' she noted to herself.
"Stay on guard, Palossand!" she called out.
"Lohh!" the Sand Castle Pokémon responded. Incineroar dove into the sandstorm, landing behind her opponent. He gasped before he found himself swiped at over and over by the Heel Pokémon, forcing him to fall back as he grimaced.
"And Incineroar begins her counterattack with an angered Outrage!" Jim noted over the broadcast, "Can Palossand endure it?!" he wondered.
"Lohhh…!" the Sand Castle Pokémon grunted as he slid back a few feet. Fortunately, his foe suddenly stopped, staggering about with fatigue.
"Okay, there's our opening!" the Ketchum girl proclaimed, "Shadow Ball!" she commanded. In front of his open mouth, Palossand formed a purple-and-black ball of energy. He fired it onto the fatigued Heel Pokémon, striking her in a burst of grey smoke. Erika smirked, but then blinked in surprise. Incineroar was standing up tall. The sandstorm was finally subsiding.
"Sehhh…" she huffed, letting off a smirk.
"Incineroar withstands that Shadow Ball, standing with quite the grin on her face!" Jim pointed out excitedly through the loudspeakers.
"And it looks as if the sandstorm's about to go away, too," Tom mentioned.
"Alright, use Darkest Lariat!" Calvin commanded, pumping his right fist out. Dark red flames emitted from the hands of the Heel Pokémon as she spun forward, heading for her opponent.
"Quick, use Earth Power!" Erika ordered in panic. Palossand made his eyes shine a bright orange. But before the earth could even swell, Incineroar swiped past him. His eyes stopped glowing as his body slumped over after a moment. "Palossand!" his trainer cried out. Dan ran over to assess the Sand Castle Pokémon's condition. Swirls were in his eyes as he moaned with pain.
"Palossand is unable to battle!" the referee declared, raising his right arm up. The crowd cheered as the Sand Castle Pokémon's image was greyed out upon the big screens.
"And Palossand goes down, even after managing to deal some significant damage to Incineroar!" Jim noted into the microphone as on the field, the Heel Pokémon flexed her arms proudly, "Now Calvin has the lead of four-to-three as we reach the final stretch!" he added excitedly.
"Nice going, Cal!" Hau cheered from the stands.
"You were great out there too, Incineroar!" Lillie mentioned as she clapped. Back on the field, Erika held out her fainted partner's Poké Ball.
"Thanks for all your hard work, Palossand," she said gratefully, returning the Sand Castle Pokémon to the spherical container in a beam of red light.
"Incineroar, you take another break, okay?" Calvin advised of the Heel Pokémon, who nodded in response, allowing herself to be recalled to her own Poké Ball as well.
"Calvin decides to withdraw Incineroar again, likely looking to save her for a later matchup," Jim pointed out over the broadcast, "So who'll he bring in next?" he wondered aloud. Both trainers readied new Poké Balls in their hands, enlarging them with a press of their respective buttons.
"Let's go, Lycanroc!" Erika called out, firing her spherical container forward.
"You're up, Togedemaru!" Calvin yelled, launching his Poké Ball onto the field. Both burst open, with their lights forming upon the turf. They dissipated moments later, revealing the Wolf Pokémon and the Roly-Poly Pokémon respectively.
"Rahk!" the former barked out.
"Toh geh!" the latter squeaked, taking on a serious expression as his yellow cheeks sparked. His trainer blinked in surprise upon spotting Lycanroc.
"And now we're down to Lycanroc and Togedemaru as the last Pokémon of each trainer's party!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers, "What's going to come of this?!" he wondered loudly.
"Hold on, Erika doesn't have Primarina on her team…" Paige realized from the stands.
"Yeah, you're right…" Trent confirmed as he blinked in surprise, "I thought she was a key part of Erika's team…" he mentioned, sounding concerned.
"Maybe he wanted to give her some off-time?" Hau inferred with a raised eyebrow.
"For the finals?" the dark green-haired boy questioned back rhetorically, "No way…" he refused, folding his arms over his chest.
"No, Hau's right," Pyrrha suddenly chimed in, getting their attentions as they looked over at her, "Erika wanted Primarina to take a break, saying there was something else she needed to get ready for after the tournament…" she told her fellow trial-goers.
"Ready for what exactly?" Trent inquired, arching an eyebrow.
"Beats me," the red-and-yellow-haired girl responded, looking toward the field, "But I don't think not having Primarina's gonna bring her down," she affirmed confidently. Calvin sweated a little.
'So she didn't bring Primarina today…' he noted to himself, 'That's another surprise, especially since I had plenty of counters in place to deal with her,' he mentioned inwardly, 'Still, I was expecting Lycanroc for this battle,' he added through his thoughts, 'We'll take him down here!' he declared fiercely, clenching his fists.
"Togedemaru, Discharge!" he commanded.
"Toh!" the Roly-Poly Pokémon responded, hopping into the air. His spikes stuck up as yellow electricity built up around his body. Lycanroc took a defensive stance, seeing the bolts of electricity randomly being sent his way.
"Dodge!" Erika called out. Quickly, the Wolf Pokémon jumped about, evading the incoming bolts as he ran toward his opponent.
"We're already starting this matchup with a flurry as Togedemaru unleashes a powerful Discharge in hopes of hindering Lycanroc to give him and his team even more of an edge!" Jim told the audience excitedly over the broadcast.
"Now shoot yourself into the air with Stone Edge!" the Ketchum girl instructed. Smirking as he closed in, Lycanroc slammed his clenched front paws against the ground. A light blue stone pillar erected beneath him, allowing him to shoot right up into the air.
"What?!" Calvin exclaimed in shock, while Togedemaru yelped upon seeing his opponent reaching his height in midair, giving him a wicked grin.
"Lycanroc, Crunch!" Erika ordered. With his teeth glowing a bright white and sharpening, the Wolf Pokémon opened his mouth and bit his foe at his tail-like needle, causing him to squeak with agony as the electricity around him ceased.
"Togedemaru!" his trainer cried out.
"Unreal!" Jim yelled into the microphone, "Lycanroc launches up and nabs Togedemaru before he can even think to counter!" he pointed out emphatically.
"Now throw him!" Erika advised.
"Rahk!" the Wolf Pokémon responded, spinning around began letting go and chucking his opponent down onto the ground in a flurry of dust.
"Toh… mah…" he groaned out, standing up and retaining his determined expression.
"That's it, Togedemaru!" his trainer affirmed, clenching his fists, "Now Zing Zap!" he ordered. With his spikes sticking up again, the Roly-Poly Pokémon enveloped his body in yellow electricity, spinning forward. Lycanroc landed upon the turf, seeing his foe approach.
"Use Howl!" Erika instructed.
"RAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" her partner howled up into the air. A reddish aura flowed up his body before he was struck squarely in the chest by Togedemaru.
"Well, this is a surprise…!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast, "Rather than try to counterattack, Erika has Lycanroc boost his attack power instead!" he pointed out.
"Rrrrr…" the Wolf Pokémon growled, doing his best to withstand the force of his foe's blow.
"Now Reversal, Lycanroc!" his trainer commanded, much to Calvin's shock. An orange aura burst to life around the Wolf Pokémon as he clenched his front right paw and reared it back, encasing it in the same orange energy. He fiercely punched Togedemaru, sending him flying.
"Togedemaru, no!" Calvin yelped, seeing his partner tumble along the turf before coming to a stop, breathing somewhat heavily from taking such a strong blow.
"Oh man, that Lycanroc's amazing!" Nemona commented excitedly from the stands, "And he's got such a great trainer leading him!" she added with sparkling eyes as she stood up, "Mmmm…!" she hummed out while trembling, "I wanna see even more!" she yelled out.
"Lycanroc, use Crunch!" Erika ordered, sticking her right hand out. Charging forward, the Wolf Pokémon had his teeth glow a bright white and sharpen again.
"Spiky Shield!" Calvin yelled quickly. Shutting his eyes, Togedemaru made his spikes stick up again. They glowed green, followed by a green energy barrier with spikes appearing around his body. His foe attempted to chomp him, only to wind up hitting the barrier instead.
"Rahh…!" he yelped with pain, stumbling back.
"Lycanroc, no!" his trainer cried out.
"Now Iron Tail!" the Ketchum boy commanded. With the tail-like needle atop his head glowing a silvery-white, the Roly-Poly Pokémon leapt forward and struck his opponent upside his head, making him stumble back further.
"Lycanroc endures having to bite into that Spiky Shield, followed by taking a direct hit from Togedemaru's Iron Tail!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast excitedly, "Is this match about to turn on its head?!" he wondered loudly.
"Now Zing Zap!" Calvin ordered. With his spikes sticking up, the Roly-Poly Pokémon coated his body in crackling yellow electricity, spinning forward.
"Reversal!" Erika yelled quickly. An orange aura burst to life around Lycanroc, who gritted his teeth as he clenched his front right paw. He threw it out to meet his opponent in a collision, with a shockwave ringing out from the impact. Both of them growled, trying desperately to push each other back.
"Oh man, oh man!" Nemona repeated excitedly from the stands as she got onto her feet, "This is so great!" she exclaimed, "Give it your all down there!" she cheered loudly.
"Jah, jahng moh!" Jangmo-o chirped out, making Mirajane giggle. Ultimately, both Pokémon blew each other back, sliding back along the ground.
"Togedemaru, Discharge!" Calvin ordered. Once the Roly-Poly Pokémon came to a stop, he had his spikes stick up again as yellow electricity crackled around his body. Bolts of lightning shot out randomly around the field, heading for his foe.
"Lycanroc, use Stone Edge!" Erika commanded, clenching her right fist and slamming it against the turf. The Wolf Pokémon readied both of his front paws, striking the ground with them. Light blue rock pillars erected, not only blocking off the incoming bolts, but also trailing towards Togedemaru. He took notice too late before winding up struck in a powerful blast.
"Mahroooo!" he squeaked as he was sent flying into the air, grimacing all the while.
"Togedemaru!" his trainer cried out.
"Now Reversal!" Erika ordered, causing him to gasp in surprise.
"Quick, Iron Tail!" he commanded. Another orange aura burst to life around Lycanroc, as he channeled that energy around his front right paw before leaping out toward his airborne opponent. Meanwhile, Togedemaru readied his tail-like needle, making it glow a silvery-white. The two of them met each other, their attacks colliding in another burst of wind. They gritted their teeth, desperately trying to break through.
"RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHKKKKKKKKKKKK!" the Wolf Pokémon roared, forcing his foe down to the ground in an instant, as a flurry of dust erupted upon impact. Everyone in the crowd gasped in surprise. Lycanroc came down, wincing a little as he shook his front right paw. Dan ran out as the dust settled, seeing Togedemaru lying upon the ground with swirls in his eyes, groaning all the while.
"Togedemaru is unable to battle!" he confirmed, raising his left arm up. The Roly-Poly Pokémon's image on the video boards was greyed out. The crowd cheered.
"Lycanroc comes through and deals a huge blow to potentially give Erika a chance to pull off a big victory!" Jim noted excitedly through the loudspeakers, "The score's evened up again as both trainers are down to their last two Pokémon each!" he pointed out.
"Way to go, Erika!" Pyrrha cheered.
"So it'll be Magmortar and Lycanroc against Toucannon and Incineroar…" Sunset noted, putting her left hand onto her chin, "Can't really tell who's got the advantage there…" she admitted.
"Heh!" Rumi chuckled, "It'll be quite the fight in the end at least!" she affirmed confidently. Up in the V.I.P. section, Ash and Leslie smiled. Calvin returned the fainted Togedemaru to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light back on the field.
"Thanks for your hard work, Togedemaru," he said gratefully, putting the spherical container away.
"Rahh…" Lycanroc groaned, shaking his front right paw still. Noticing, his trainer took out his own Poké Ball, aiming it at him.
"Lycanroc, great job," she complimented, getting his attention, "Take a break for now," she advised, recalling him to the spherical container in a beam of red light.
"Seems Erika's deciding to save Lycanroc for later," Tom pointed out into the microphone.
"We'll have to wait and see how her Magmortar fares against the remainder of Calvin's team!" Jim mentioned in anticipation. Both trainers upon the field readied new Poké Balls in their hands, rearing their arms back.
"Go!" the exclaimed simultaneously, tossing their respective spherical containers forward. They burst open, with their lights forming upon the ground, dissipating to reveal Magmortar and Toucannon respectively.
"Morrr!" the former bellowed.
"Too kah," the latter squawked, narrowing his eyes onto his opponent. The final round was reaching its climax. And soon, Alola's first champion would officially be crowned…
ENDING
Insert "Who Are You?" by PELICAN FANCLUB
Opens at Aether Paradise as Lillie is with her bedridden mother, sleeping by her side. In her dreams, she's imagining becoming a Pokémon Trainer herself, journeying through regions with her Pokémon by her side. She starts running along the pathway, excitedly smiling all the while.
Throughout her journey in her dream, she comes across many great things. She encounters amazing Pokémon, strong trainers to battle, and memorable sights. Her Pokémon of choice is a Clefairy which she happily lifts in her hands.
All of a sudden, the area around them darkens as a shadow looms over them. Lillie looks up in horror to see a giant version of Lusamine engulfed by Nihilego overhead. She cowers in fright momentarily, but then notices a bright light shining up above.
It turns out to be Solgaleo, who comes down with Calvin and Erika aboard. They both offer their hands to Lillie, who happily accepts them as she climbs onto the Sunne Pokémon. They hurry off, avoiding the giant rocks Lusamine chucks their way. One is about to strike, but it's destroyed as Gladion appears aboard Silvally, slashing it apart.
Together, they lunge up to attack the Aether Foundation president, engulfing her in a shining, golden light. Lillie opens her eyes, lifting her head. She finds her mother awake in bed, giving her a weak, yet thankful smile.
Lillie smiles back, gripping her hand tightly. As Wicke wanders in to check on them, they turn on the TV as the Alola League is starting. Lillie giggles at the sight of the Ketchum twins in battle once again, happy that they're seeing their dreams through…
END ENDING
We're in the final stretch! Unfortunately, it'll be a minute before we get there. Gotta get back to the third act of "Power" before finishing up this arc. But don't worry, it won't be too long before we get a proper conclusion.
So anyway, here's a summary to hold you over!
SUMMARY
Calvin and Erika's battle reaches a fever pitch! Between the Pokémon they have left to use, either of them could end up winning! Who'll be victorious in the end and claim the prize of Alola's first-ever champion?!
END SUMMARY
See you all next time, everyone!