Alola, everyone! Reeling from all the craziness of "Omni Force: JUSTICE"? Well, you're in luck! It's time for us to get into some amazing battles and see some more awesome Pokémon as we draw closer to the end of this tournament!
That's right, the tournament's nearly over! In this chapter and the next, we'll finally be finishing up the Aether Tournament and moving on to the fun stuff with Ula'ula up next! So hold onto your Ponyta, 'cause we're gonna get right through these next couple of chapters!
Enjoy!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
"Way to go, Eri!" Hau complimented as his female cousin had returned from the battlefield. They quickly exchanged a high-five in greeting, followed by her bumping her left fist against Paige's. She turned to her twin brother, who gave a grin and a nod. She giggled happily, glad to be moving on to the semifinals thanks to Lycanroc's efforts.
"Great battle, Erika!" Rotom added as it floated over, "I'm estimating you have a zzzixty-three percent chance of winning the whole tournament after beating Trent!" it pointed out to her, showing the number upon its screen.
"That's a pretty rough estimate, don't ya think?" the dark green-haired boy inquired, catching the Pokédex's attention as it turned with the others to see Trent walk in.
"Close call back there, Trent," Paige noted as she stuffed her hands into her pockets, "But it looks like Erika and Lycanroc pulled a fast one on you," she mentioned with a shrug.
"Guess they did," Trent admitted in response, "I'm gonna go find Pyrrha in the stands and watch the rest of the battles today with her," he told the group of trial-goers, "Erika," he continued, catching the Ketchum girl's attention, "make sure you at least end up in the finals, even if you don't win it all," he insisted of her. She blinked in surprise at his request, but then cracked a grin.
"Oh, I'm gonna make it to the finals…" she declared firmly as she balled her right hand into a fist, "And I'm gonna win!" she added. The others chuckled at her bold statement, knowing that tournament wasn't yet over. From afar, the lone Team Skull member in the room narrowed his eyes onto them with disdain.
"If I may have your attention, please…" Faba's voice chimed in over the loudspeaker, catching the attentions of those in the locker room, "We've decided that the next match will be between Calvin and one of our esteemed employees, Milo!" he announced. The TV screen in the room displayed the matchup about to take place.
"Alright!" Milo exclaimed excitedly, catching his opponent's attention as he saw him jog over, "Finally time for us to show our stuff, Calvin!" he pointed out, "Whaddaya say we get on out there?" he offered.
"Uh, yeah!" the Ketchum boy stammered in response with a smile. As the two of them ventured out down the tunnel, the crowd's cheers were starting to grow louder with anticipation. They arrived onto the battlefield, which had been changed back into the standard dirt stage. Once they took their places in their respective boxes though, the field opened up into two halves, coming apart as grassy field rose up in its place.
"Trainers!" the referee called out, getting the attentions of the two competitors, "You may select your Pokémon!" he allowed. Reaching down and pulling off a shrunken Great Ball from his belt, Milo enlarged it by pressing its center button.
"Let's go, Oranguru!" he shouted, tossing the spherical container forward. It popped open, and the light that spilled forth from it formed upon the grass. It dissipated to reveal a simian Pokémon resembling an orangutan. While most of his body was covered in white fur, his hands, feet, and snout were bare, with his light gray skin visible. The fur around his head and under his chin was longer and created the impression of a long beard. He had a broad, flat nose and a black area around his eyes. Underneath each eye was a yellow ring marking, which was encircled by a light blue ring marking. In the center of his forehead was a yellow marking shaped like a four-pointed star. A cape of purple fur covers his back and was divided into many wavy clumps with strands of orange and light blue throughout. He also a fan created from green leaves woven together with the same purple fur.
"Orah," he said while seated on the grass.
"And Milo decides to go with Oranguru for this match!" the announcer noted through the loudspeakers. Watching from the TV screen in the locker room, Erika blinked in surprise.
"Oranguru, huh?" she repeated with a curious raise of her eyebrow. As if on cue, Rotom loaded up an image of the Sage Pokémon.
"Oranguru, the Sage Pokémon," it began, "Known for his extreme intelligence, this Pokémon will look down on inexperienced trainers, so he's best suited to veteran ones. He normally spends his time meditating in the treetops. He can throw Poké Balls and give other Pokémon orders as he pleases," it explained thoroughly.
"Whoa, so he's that smart?" Erika wondered aloud, blinking rapidly in shock.
"Mm-hmm!" Hau chimed in with a nod, getting her attention, "My dad learned a lot about Oranguru when he was traveling around Alola a while ago," he told her, "They've got a signature move called Instruct that lets them command a Pokémon to use the last move they used in a battle," he explained.
"Whoa…" his female cousin uttered out of surprise.
"Sounds like a move more useful for double battles or tag battles though," Paige pointed out with crossed arms, "Anyways, I wonder who Cal's gonna use…" she said curiously. On the field, the capped boy was readying the Net Ball in his hand as he enlarged it by pressing its center button.
"Araquanid, come on out!" he yelled, throwing the spherical container forward. As it opened up, its light came onto the ground and took shape, dissipating to reveal the Water Bubble Pokémon.
"Kwah!" he squeaked in greeting.
"So the second match of the quarterfinals will be between Milo's Oranguru and Calvin's Araquanid!" the announcer pointed out through the loudspeakers, "I don't know about everyone else, but I'm expecting a fantastic battle from these two!" he exclaimed excitedly. The crowd's cheers were raining over the two competitors.
"I've been looking forward to seeing what you've got, Calvin!" the Aether Foundation employee admitted to his opponent, "After seeing your sister fight, you should give me your all, too!" he insisted.
"Will do, Milo!" the Ketchum boy eagerly replied as he balled his fists.
OPENING
Insert "Everlasting Shine" by TOMORROW X TOGETHER
The sun rises over the Alolan ocean as we see various Pokémon swimming about, all around Aether Paradise in the background.
We see Calvin standing over a cliff together with all of his current six Pokémon: Torracat, Gumshoos, Trumbeak, Araquanid, Marowak, and Steenee, all smiling at the rising sun.
Cut to a beach, where standing there is Erika, also having six of her Pokémon out.
She and her Pokémon: Brionne, Lycanroc, Oricorio, Fomantis, Drifblim, and Magby, are also smiling towards the rising sun.
Camera next cuts to a rocky shore, showing Hau, and he too is joined by his six Pokémon: Dartrix, Pikachu, Noibat, Tauros, Eevee and Crabrawler, as they enjoy the sunrise.
Finally, we cut to a side view of Akala Island, before the screen was divided three ways, each show close-ups of Hau, Calvin and Erika's determined faces, colored green, red and blue respectively. The story's logo appears.
Ash and Mirajane share a sweet kiss as they watch their youngest kids and nephew training together on the Melemele Beach, along with the Kanto Champion's Pikachu, Lycanroc and Erika's Sandygast. The Ground/Ghost type is nervously peeking from behind the adults' legs to see the fierce training session below.
Calvin and Erika share glances with each other, reflecting on how far they've both come since they started the Island Challenge. They smile at each other before being brought into a hug by Hau.
Meanwhile, Lillie is walking on a dirt road. In her arms is her duffel bag, with Nebby poking its head out from it. She gives it a soft smile before clutching the duffel bag strap tightly with worry in her eyes.
Unknown to her, she's being closely watched by Gladion, who is seated on the back of Null with his Golbat and Zorua also watching on.
The scene cuts to the Lusamine, joined by Wicke, Faba, Professor Burnet, and several Aether Foundation employees outside of the former's mansion on Aether Paradise. Lusamine looks at a framed picture in her office before she sees a blue light shine overhead. It turns out to be an Ultra Wormhole, which makes her grin ominously.
Cuts to Team Skull, with Plumeria standing in front of them alongside her Crobat, Mareanie, and Salandit, with the latter of the trio crawling onto her trainer's shoulder. They both smirk deviously, while a certain pair of figures loom in the background within the shadows.
The Ketchum twins and their cousin take ready stances, each with a Poké Ball in hand before they toss them towards the camera, opening to release bursts of light.
Paige issues a command to her Medicham, with the Fighting/Psychic type dashing forward, coating her fist in blue energy and cocking it back before trying to punch Calvin's Steenee, who parries the attack with a Double Slap.
Trent's Greninja forms a Water Shuriken in his hands, and flings it at Gladion's Null, who slices it in half with Crush Claw before retaliating with X-Scissor, which is blocked by Erika's Lycanroc as he retaliates with Counter.
Hau's Eevee uses Swift, firing several stars at Pyrrha's Quilava, who responds by using Flame Wheel, with the fire acting as a shield to protect him from the energy stars.
Calvin, Erika, and Hau each perform a Z-Move with their respective starters, who are surrounded by glowing lights: Torracat's is red, Brionne is blue, and Dartrix is green. They unleash an Inferno Overdrive, a Hydro Vortex, and a Bloom Doom respectively.
The three starters charge at each other, their bodies leaving behind streaks of energy based on their colors, before they collide in the center of the battlefield.
Everyone covers their faces to block the smoke, before looking to see the center of the battlefield in shock. Standing amidst the smoke and fiery backdrop are three larger creatures. The others can't yet make out their features since they were silhouetted, but one looks like a muscular, bipedal tiger, One looks like mermaid-like seal with long hair, and the third appears to be a hooded avian.
We cut to Calvin, Erika and Hau looking out onto the ocean horizon from Aether Paradise, each standing alongside their Pokémon as the song winds down.
END OPENING
Surf On, Raichu!
"Araquanid, Spider Web!" Calvin called out. The Water Bubble Pokémon leapt up from the grass and fired off a thick strand of sticky thread from his spinneret. It broke apart into a net that ensnared his opponent. However, he didn't seem bothered.
"Orah," he said uncaringly.
"Huh?" Calvin uttered in confusion. Meanwhile, Milo cracked a wicked grin.
"Oranguru, use Nasty Plot!" he instructed quickly.
"Orah," his partner responded, closing his eyes a dark aura wafted off of his body, followed by a reddish light that flowed up upon him.
"What was that?" Erika asked from back in the locker room.
"Nasty Plot's a move that increases a Pokémon's special attack a lot…" Paige explained in response, folding her arms over her chest, "Guess this Milo guy's not taking any chances with Cal…" she realized.
"I wouldn't either," Hau chimed in, getting their attentions, "Cal's Araquanid is really strong from what I heard," he pointed out. Meanwhile, Erika looked back at the TV screen, wondering what her brother would do next.
"Use Bug Bite!" he commanded, thrusting his right hand forward. Making the teeth within his bubbled head glow a bright yellowish-green, the Water Bubble Pokémon skittered forward speedily towards his foe.
"Nasty Plot again!" Milo yelled. The dark aura that shrouded Oranguru returned once more before a reddish light flowed up his body again. At that moment, Araquanid approached and bit down onto his foe's left shoulder, engulfing it in his water bubble. The Sage Pokémon appeared to wince slightly.
"Nice job, Araquanid!" Calvin complimented from afar with a pump of his fist. However, the Aether Foundation employee chuckled, getting his attention as he blinked in surprise.
"Don't get too cocky, Calvin…" he advised with a grin, "Oranguru's just getting started!" he pointed out, "Stored Power!" he ordered. The Sage Pokémon's eyes shot open, glowing a bright pinkish-purple. The fan in his hand also shined in that same light before he unleashed a shockwave that blasted Araquanid off of him.
"Araquanid!" the Ketchum boy cried out in shock, seeing the Water Bubble Pokémon tumble to a stop, standing up and shaking his head.
"Ahkwaaahhh…" he groaned, glaring over at his foe. The shockwave had ripped off the webbing around him as well.
"And that was Stored Power…" Paige noted back in the locker room.
"What can that do?" Erika asked curiously.
"Whenever a Pokémon'zzz statzzz are raised, Stored Power is a lot zzztronger than it normally izzz," Rotom buzzed in explanation.
"Not to mention that it's even worse considering that Oranguru raised his special attack to charge that move up," Paige pointed out.
"Come on, Cal…" Hau pleaded nervously as he balled his trembling fists.
"You okay, Araquanid?" the Ketchum boy asked his teammate from back on the battlefield.
"Kwah!" he squeaked assuredly in response with a nod, much to his relief.
'Okay, so that Stored Power move isn't gonna be easy for us to get through…' he noted inwardly, 'But we can't really fight from a distance…' he added through his thoughts, 'Might as well just set up for now,' he decided.
"Use Aqua Ring!" he called out to the Water Bubble Pokémon.
"Ahkwah!" he replied, making several rings of water appear and orbit around his body, which glowed in a greenish light that flowed upwards.
"Looks like Calvin's having Araquanid take the time to heal from that damage he just took!" the announcer pointed out.
"That's not gonna work with us!" Milo declared, "Oranguru, Zen Headbutt!" he commanded as he pumped his right fist forward. The Sage Pokémon took a lunging stance, having a purple energy form in front of his forehead, growing larger and shaping into a ball of bright blue light. He lunged out towards his foe head first.
"Block it with Liquidation!" Calvin yelled. Araquanid enveloped his front right leg in swirling water before thrusting it forward to collide with his foe's glowing head. After a few of deadlock between the two, an implosion of white smoke engulfed them both before they blew each other back.
"Orahh…" Oranguru groaned out as he landed down on his feet.
"Kwahhh…" Araquanid growled in frustration. His trainer shared the feeling. What should've been a battle in their favor was quickly going out of control.
'Calm down, Cal…' the Ketchum boy told himself, 'Remember, this battle isn't over yet,' he noted inwardly, 'We just have to find a way to overcome Oranguru's attacks, especially since they're boosted…' he mentioned through his thoughts. He then recalled how Araquanid's Bug Bite was working earlier before he had gotten blasted off by his foe's Stored Power.
"Yeah, that should work…" he concluded quietly with a grin, "Araquanid!" he called out, catching the attention of the Water Bubble Pokémon as a greenish light was flowing up his body again thanks to the water rings orbiting around him, "Let's try something different this time!" he insisted.
"Kwah!" his teammate squeaked in response, willing to try whatever his trainer had in mind if it meant obtaining victory.
"Sounds like you've got a new plan in mind…" Milo realized as his eyes narrowed slightly, "Well, we're not gonna let you off that easy!" he pointed out in declaration, "Oranguru, Nasty Plot!" he instructed.
"Orah," the Sage Pokémon said, making a dark aura waft off of his body before a reddish light flowed up it once more.
"Oranguru's boosting his special attack for what might be a real finisher to this battle!" the announcer noted excitedly, "Now how will Calvin and Araquanid seek to stop it?" he wondered aloud.
"Araquanid, use Bug Bite!" the Ketchum boy commanded as he threw his right hand out. The mandibles of the Water Bubble Pokémon glowed a bright yellowish-green as he lunged forward and bit into Oranguru's right shoulder. He winced a little, but didn't seem deterred.
"Looks like you didn't learn your lesson from last time…" Milo noted, "Use Stored Power!" he commanded to the Sage Pokémon, whose eyes started to glow in a pinkish-purple light. However…
"Spin him around, Araquanid!" Calvin yelled quickly. Hoisting his foe off of the ground while he was still caught in his teeth, the Water Bubble Pokémon spun him around, breaking his concentration as his eyes stopped glowing.
"O-Oranguru!" Milo stuttered in shock.
"Whuh-oh!" the announcer yelped into the microphone, "Looks like Araquanid's taking Oranguru for a spin!" he pointed out curiously.
"Now toss him!" Calvin instructed.
"Ah… KWWAAAAHHH!" the Water Bubble Pokémon exclaimed as he threw his opponent across the field, having him tumble along the grass before coming to a stop upon his stomach.
"Orahhh…" he groaned as he pushed himself up.
"That's it, Oranguru!" his trainer complimented while pumping his fists, "Now finish him off with Stored Power!" he ordered.
"Use Liquidation!" Calvin suddenly commanded to his surprise. Just as the Sage Pokémon made his eyes glow a pinkish-purple in preparation for his move, a shadow suddenly came over him. He looked up and gasped to see that it was Araquanid, who enveloped all of his legs in swirling water before coming down and slamming them into his target fiercely in a blast of white smoke.
"Oranguru!" Milo exclaimed in fright. When the smoke subsided moments later, the Water Bubble Pokémon crawled back. Meanwhile, his foe was lying upon the ground in a daze with swirls in his eyes.
"Oranguru is unable to battle!" the referee declared after taking a moment to assess the result, "Araquanid wins! And therefore, the match goes to Calvin!" he announced, gesturing towards the capped boy.
"Yes!" he exclaimed excitedly with a pump of his fist. The Water Bubble Pokémon skittered over to nuzzle with him out of delight. "H-Hey, easy!" his trainer giggled, "You're gonna get me wet again!" he pointed out, feeling his head start to get enveloped in the bubble over his teammate's head. The crowd cheered excitedly, seeing Milo's card get erased from the big screen while Calvin's moved to the center with the 'WINNER' icon appearing underneath it.
"Way to go, Cal!" Hau cheered from back in the locker room with a bright smile on his face.
"Now we know who's gonna be in the semis with you, Erika," Paige pointed out with a smirk, causing the Ketchum girl to giggle.
"Huh…" Milo sighed, returning his Oranguru to the Great Ball in a beam of red light. He looked over to the VIP section of the stands, seeing Faba at the window of the lodge box. He didn't seem the least bit happy about the result. "Great match, Calvin," the Aether Foundation employee complimented as he walked over to his former opponent, getting his attention, "Good luck the rest of the way," he remarked, holding out his hand to him. The Ketchum boy blinked before taking his hand into a firm grasp with his own.
"Thanks," he replied in gratitude. And he was more confident that he'd be able to win the tournament going forward.
X
"So now Erika and Calvin are the first ones to get into the Final Four of the Aether Tournament!" the announcer exclaimed from TV in the Ketchum vacation home, "Now who'll be joining them, I wonder?" he said aloud. Aside from Ash, Mirajane, and Pikachu, Kukui, Burnet, Sawyer, and Lisanna were also gathered in the living room.
"Thanks for inviting us over for this watch party, Ash!" Sawyer said in gratitude, getting his rival's attention, "I didn't even know Hau was gonna be in this tournament!" he pointed out in admittance.
"It's great to see him so upbeat!" his wife mentioned happily.
"Yep," Ash agreed as he nodded, "And the twins are looking good, too," he added.
"Definitely," Kukui concurred, "Although, I heard Calvin had a bit of a rough time with his trials on Akala…" he noted, causing the Pokémon Master to blink in surprise, "He even lost to Olivia once," he mentioned.
"Oh, really?" Mirajane inquired, somewhat surprised.
"Seems like he's doing just fine now though," Burnet chimed in as she saw the capped boy walking towards the tunnel on the TV screen.
"Yeah, he'll be okay," Ash assured confidently, "He might get knocked down," he continued, "but he can find it in himself to keep getting back up," he told the group.
"Pikah!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement with a nod. Back at Manalo Stadium, a seemingly frustrated Faba paced about the lodge box with his arms crossed underneath his chest.
"Whatever seems to be the problem, Faba?" Wicke wondered curiously, getting his attention.
"That's Branch Chief Faba to you!" he corrected out of aggravation, much to her surprise, "And I'm… disappointed…" he confessed, "The only contender left in the tournament from our esteemed foundation is Jennifer, and she's been quite fortunate to make it this far…" he explained, "I have no doubts that she'll make it into the Final Four, but…" he attempted to say, humming in annoyance.
"Faba," Lusamine chimed in, causing him to perk up, "Need I remind that the purpose of this tournament is to garner more attention towards the foundation?" she inquired rhetorically, "It shouldn't matter who ends up winning in the end," she mentioned firmly as he blinked in surprise, "What matters is that this will finally bring us closer to getting the chance to research what I've longed to do for all my life as president…" she told him.
"Y-Yes, Madam President…" he stuttered in response, "In no way did I mean to speak out of turn…" he promised, holding his hands up in a placating manner.
"Wicke?" the Aether Foundation president said, catching the assistant's attention, "I'd like for you to announce Jennifer's match as the next one," she insisted.
"Oh, of course!" the spectacled woman replied, grabbing the microphone standing by the windows. Clearing her throat, she opened her mouth. "Attention, everyone!" she greeted through loudspeakers, catching the attentions of those in the locker room, "We've decided that the next match will be between Jennifer and Z!" she exclaimed. The matchup appeared upon the screen.
"M-Me?!" the lone Aether Foundation employee in the room stuttered. She was seemingly younger than most of her fellow employees, having dark brown hair in a ponytail under her cap. She nervously looked over to her opponent, who was a Team Skull member with dark skin and a rather bulky form. He stood up from his seat, uncrossing his arms before walking towards the tunnel. The group of trial-goers standing nearby watched as he departed.
"Boy, aside from Plumeria," Erika began, catching the attentions of the others, "I never thought a Team Skull guy would make it to the quarterfinals…" she admitted.
"Yeah, same…" Paige agreed, folding her arms over her chest and nodding.
"Wonder if he's the big bro of Team Skull…" Hau whispered to Calvin, who could only hum in thought.
"Ah, wait for me!" Jennifer cried out as she jogged down into the tunnel. Moments later, both she and Z were out on the battlefield, which stayed as a standard dirt one. The Aether Foundation employee gulped nervously as her foe stared her down.
"Trainers! You may select your Pokémon!" the referee called out to both of them.
"Okay… here goes!" Jennifer exclaimed as she threw a Great Ball forward that she enlarged in her right hand. It popped open, and its light spilled onto the ground, dissipating to reveal a Stoutland.
"Stowww!" he barked out.
"Oh, a Stoutland!" Erika yelped excitedly.
"Like the one we had help us during the Lush Jungle trial…" Calvin remembered. The Big Hearted Pokémon dug his front paws into the dirt, goading for the Team Skull member before to let out his Pokémon. Adjusting his neck with a crick, he readied what was a Dusk Ball in his right hand.
"Garbodor, go," he said, merely flipping the ball into the air. Once it popped open, its light came onto the ground and broke apart to reveal the Trash Heap Pokémon.
"Boh!" he exclaimed in greeting.
"So this battle's going to be between Jennifer of the Aether Foundation and Z of Team Skull!" the announcer informed the crowd through his microphone, "I'm excited to see what kind of match these two are going to bring to the table!" he added.
"You may begin!" the referee declared, swinging his right arm down.
"Stoutland, Take Down!" Jennifer quickly commanded. With his body shrouded by a bronze-colored energy, the Big Hearted Pokémon charged towards his opponent.
"Stockpile," Z instructed.
"Gar!" Garbodor responded, expanding his entire body before a reddish light flowed up it. Stoutland collided with him… and ended up bounced back.
"Staauuwww…" he growled angrily in frustration.
"O-One more time!" his trainer stammered out.
"Stauw!" he barked again, enveloping himself within the bronze-colored energy once more as he rushed forward.
"Stockpile," Z instructed again. Garbodor puffed himself out and letting a reddish light shine up his body, taking his foe's attack easier than the first time he tried as he bounced back once more.
"Looks like Stoutland's pure power isn't a match for Garbodor's constant Stockpiling!" the announcer pointed out emphatically through the loudspeakers, "Looks like we're gonna be in for a match of endurance here!" he added excitedly.
"Stockpile raisezzz a Pokémon'zzz physical and zzzpecial defense," Rotom noted, "That Team ZZZkull guy'zzz pretty smart to do that…" it mentioned while blinking in surprise.
"Yeah, but it's not gonna mean anything if he can't act on it," Paige pointed out with crossed arms, "I'm just hoping that Aether Foundation lady can get a grip on things…" she admitted worriedly. Upon the battlefield, sweat trickled down Jennifer's nervous face.
"Okay…" she began, "use Work Up!" she called out.
"Stauuw, lann!" the Big Hearted Pokémon yipped, making a reddish light shine upon his form before it flowed up his body.
"Now use Crunch!" his trainer commanded. Stoutland made his teeth glow a bright and sharpen underneath his furry face. He leapt out at Garbodor and bit into his right arm. He flinched in pain, but steeled himself as he glared at his foe.
"Huh," Z huffed, "Use Swallow," he instructed.
"Boh dor!" the Trash Heap Pokémon responded. He gulped audibly, causing his entire body to suddenly shrink back down.
"H-Huh?" Jennifer stuttered in confusion, while Stoutland blinked out of shock. A green, healing light flowed up upon Garbodor's body as he swung his arm to throw his foe off of him.
"And Garbodor uses Swallow to heal up any damage he might've taken!" the announcer noted through the loudspeakers, "Unfortunately, that means he's lost the Stockpile effect he'd been building!" he pointed out emphatically.
"Why'd he do something like that so soon?" Erika wondered from back in the locker room.
"Because he's probably trying to goad her into doing something reckless now that his defenses are down…" Paige replied with crossed arms.
"Stoutland, Take Down!" Jennifer ordered loudly. With his body shrouded by a bronze-colored aura once more, the Big Hearted Pokémon charged towards his foe furiously.
"Clear Smog!" Z commanded. Garbodor took a deep breath upon hearing his trainer, followed by exhaling a stream of white smog out in front of him. It engulfed the incoming Stoutland, causing him to flinch in surprise as he came to a stop, letting the light around him dissipate.
"Stoutland, be careful!" his trainer advised worriedly with a nervous shudder.
"Use Sludge Bomb!" the Team Skull member ordered. All of a sudden, the Big Hearted Pokémon noticed the trio of pipes upon Garbodor's right hand sticking out towards him. They launched several brown globs of sludge onto his target, blowing him back as he tumbled back out of the smoke.
"Stoutland!" his trainer screamed in fright. From the locker rooms, the trial-goers were shocked by how the match was unfolding. In the case of Team Skull members, they never expected any of them to be this strong. Especially at this point of the tournament. Lusamine was also curious.
"Finish things with Sludge Bomb!" Z commanded fiercely. Garbodor aimed the pipes upon his right hand and fired off three more globs of sludge that struck his foe fiercely, causing him to keel over.
"Staauuuwww…" he moaned in agony with swirls in his eyes. The referee ran over to assess the Big Hearted Pokémon's condition. He raised his hand upon coming to a result.
"Stoutland is unable to battle!" he exclaimed, raising up his left hand, "Garbodor wins! And the match goes to Z!" he announced while gesturing towards the Team Skull member.
"Hmph," he huffed, returning the Trash Heap Pokémon to his Nest Ball in a beam of red light.
"YEAH! Z!" a section of Team Skull members alongside Plumeria cheered.
"Stoutland…" Jennifer whimpered out sadly as she approached and knelt down beside the Big Hearted Pokémon, crying into his fur.
"And that ends a surprisingly quick third match of the quarterfinals!" the announcer exclaimed through the loudspeakers as the trial-goers in the locker room were left in shock from the result, "Looks like Team Skull's not out of the running just yet!" he pointed out.
"That guy… was really strong…" Calvin admitted aloud.
"Yeah…" Erika agreed. Both of them looked to see Z depart the tunnel into the locker room. He merely glanced over at the twins before walking off to grab a nearby towel to wipe the sweat off of his face.
"Well… I guess it's our turn now," Hau noted, catching his cousins' attentions as they saw him and Paige look over at each other, "Whatever happens, I hope we have a great battle!" he said with a wide grin.
"Same," the silvery-haired girl replied, "And in the end, we got a good chance of facing one of you two in the semis," she added over to the Ketchum twins, who blinked in surprise.
"Yeah, guess so…" Calvin admitted with a slight shrug.
"Good luck out there!" Erika called out. With that, both Hau and Paige departed down the tunnel, arriving at the field moments later.
"Before we move on to the semifinals, we have one last match between Hau and Paige!" the announcer exclaimed excitedly into the microphone as the crowd started cheering, "I hope you're looking forward to these two finishing off the quarterfinals!" he added. At that moment, the two trainers arrived at their respective boxes on the field. Once they did, the standard dirt field opened up into two halves that came apart, allowing for a field of sand to come up in its place.
"Trainers!" the referee called out, getting Hau and Paige's attentions, "You may select your Pokémon!" he instructed of them. The ponytailed boy quickly enlarged a Poké Ball he pulled off of his belt.
"Let's go, Raichu!" he exclaimed, throwing the ball high up into the air. It popped open, and its light shot out, dissipating to reveal the Alolan Mouse Pokémon.
"Ry, ryyy!" he squeaked in greeting, surfing about the wind upon his tail before floating down safely to the ground.
"You're using Raichu, huh?" Paige inquired while enlarging the Poké Ball in her hand by pressing its center button, "Well, we'll take that challenge!" she declared as she reeled her arm back, "Combusken, go!" she yelled, tossing the Poké Ball forward in a side-armed motion. As it opened up, its light spilled onto the sand. It dissipated seconds later to reveal the Young Fowl Pokémon.
"Buss ken!" she squawked out, standing upon her right foot as she readied her left.
"So it's gonna be Combusken against Raichu!" the announcer noted through the loudspeakers, "I think we're all about to be in for quite the battle!" he pointed out excitedly.
X
"You may begin the battle!" the referee declared while swinging his right arm down as a signal.
"Raichu, Thunderbolt!" Hau commanded immediately. Smacking his cheeks with his stubby hands, the Alolan Mouse Pokémon let them spark wildly before enveloping his entire body with electricity. He then unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity towards Combusken.
"Dodge it!" Paige yelled. Quickly jumping aside, the Young Fowl Pokémon ran out to evade the lightning bolt as she charged through the sand. "Now Flame Charge!" her trainer ordered with a pump of her right fist. Engulfing her body in fire, Combusken sped towards her foe.
"Quick Attack to dodge!" Hau instructed, swinging his left arm out.
"Ry!" Raichu squeaked in response, having a white outline glow about his body before he zipped by his foe, much to her surprise. She chased after him, gaining speed as she got closer and closer with each attempted swipe.
"That's it! Keep going!" Paige called out to her, "Keep picking up speed!" she insisted.
"Ken!" Combusken chirped in response, keeping the flames burning around herself before lunging out and managing to strike the Alolan Mouse Pokémon with her right arm.
"Ryyy…!" he groaned out, wincing from the strong blow.
"And Combusken lands the first hit!" the announcer excitedly noted, "Now let's see if Raichu can retaliate…" he wondered through the microphone.
"Use Psychic!" Hau ordered, causing Paige to blink in surprise. The Alolan Mouse Pokémon made his eyes glow a light purple. An aura of that same light outlined his foe's body. He then psychically threw her about, slamming her against the sand hard and twisting her form a little before tossing her aside.
"Kennn…" she growled through clenched teeth as she slowly stood back up.
"Hang in there, Combusken!" her trainer called out, "Use Bulk Up!" she instructed. An orange aura flared up around the Young Fowl Pokémon's body as her muscles grew. A reddish light flowed up her body afterwards.
"And Combusken uses Bulk Up to boost both her physical attack and defense!" the announcer pointed out excitedly through the loudspeakers, "Along with the added speed from Flame Charge, she's sure to be dangerous to Raichu now!" he mentioned.
"Thunderbolt!" Hau ordered. The Alolan Mouse Pokémon made his cheeks spark again before he unleashed another powerful bolt of electricity from his body towards his opponent. However, Paige cracked a smirk.
"Dodge and use Shadow Claw!" she instructed quickly. Combusken grinned before jumping back to evade the bolt as it struck the sandy ground in an explosion of dirt and dust. The Young Fowl Pokémon then had a black aura shroud both of her arms with a purple outline. They took the form of a pair of claws before she lunged up at her floating foe.
"Watch out!" Hau exclaimed in fright. Unfortunately, Raichu was slow to react as his opponent slashed him straight across the chest, sending him crashing into the ground hard to make a flurry of dust erupt. When it subsided, it revealed him lying upon his stomach with gritted teeth. He pushed himself up though, floating back into the air while standing on his tail.
"Raichu takes a big hit, but is ready to keep things going from the looks of it!" the announcer noted into the microphone, "Though that surprise Shadow Claw might just be what could do him in!" he added with vigor in his voice. Back in the locker room, the Ketchum twins looked on worriedly as the battle raged on.
"That's really smart of Paige to cover for that Psychic-type weakness her Combusken has…" Calvin pointed out with narrowed eyes.
"Yeah…" his twin sister agreed, "But Hau's Raichu isn't making it easy for her to land a solid hit," she mentioned, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Either way, they both could make it to the Final Four, zzt!" Rotom buzzed.
"Raichu, Quick Attack!" the ponytailed boy commanded as he pumped his right fist out.
"Ry!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon squeaked, outlining himself in a bright white light before zipping towards his foe.
"Use Flame Charge!" Paige ordered. Engulfing herself in flames again, Combusken charged out at her opponent. The two of them raced by each other, colliding lightly at several intersections as they sped about the field. Though Raichu was fast, the Young Fowl Pokémon's ever increasing speed was not only catching up to him, but also surpassing him. "Now Double Kick!" her trainer ordered fiercely.
"Kennn!" Combusken squawked, letting the flames break apart around her before she slammed her right foot into her target's stomach, making him wince. As he attempted to regain himself, the Young Fowl Pokémon struck him in the face with her left foot, sending him hurdling down and crashing into the sandy ground.
"Raichu!" Hau screamed. The dust settled slowly to reveal the Alolan Mouse Pokémon breathing heavily as he floated back up from the sand. Though he was still able to battle, he looked as if he was ready to fall at any given moment.
"Raichu takes quite a few heavy hits!" the announcer exclaimed, "Will he still be able to keep going?!" he wondered loudly through the microphone.
"Raichu…" Hau uttered out… followed by cracking a grin, "Your Combusken's really strong, Paige!" he complimented with a chuckle, much to her surprise, "That speed she's got from Flame Charge makes her faster than even Raichu!" he noted, "So sorry…" he apologized in advance, "but we're gonna take that speed!" he declared.
"Huh?" Paige uttered in confusion.
"Raichu, Speed Swap!" Hau instructed quickly.
"Ryy, chu!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon responded, making his eyes flash a bright pink. An aura of the same color suddenly shrouded Combusken before it appeared upon him. However, nothing appeared to change, much to the confusion of the Young Fowl Pokémon and her trainer.
"Now Quick Attack!" the ponytailed boy ordered as he pumped both of his fists forward. Raichu outlined himself in a white light… and instantaneously dashed forward, slamming his stubby left hand into his opponent's stomach.
"BUH…!" she gasped out, while everyone widened their eyes in shock.
"WHOA!" the announcer yelped loudly, "Raichu's sudden burst of speed slams into Combusken with all his might!" he pointed out emphatically, watching as the Young Fowl Pokémon was sent tumbling back along the sandy ground. She managed to bring herself to a stop as her claws dug into the sand, going down onto her right knee and breathing heavily.
"What the heck just happened?!" Erika exclaimed in disbelief, blinking rapidly back in the locker room as she looked at the TV screen.
"That wazzz ZZZpeed ZZZwap!" Rotom buzzed out, getting her attention along with Calvin's, "It'zzz a move that swapzzz the speedzzz between the user and the target," it explained, "Since Combusken'zzz zzzpeed was already getting boosted by Flame Charge, Hau had Raichu use ZZZpeed ZZZwap to take it!" it told the twins.
"Whoa…" the capped boy of the two uttered, "Hau really thought that far ahead…?" he wondered aloud as he blinked rapidly.
"Combusken, you okay?!" Paige asked worriedly as the Young Fowl Pokémon managed to bring herself back onto her feet.
"Kenn!" she squawked assuredly in response with a nod.
"Think it's time we really got going now!" Hau decided as he swung his left arm forward, "Raichu, Quick Attack again!" he ordered.
"Ryy!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon squeaked as he dashed forward while still cloaked in his white outline. He zipped around Combusken, who was struggling to determine from where he'd be attacking next.
"Shadow Claw!" her trainer commanded. Upon hearing her, the Young Fowl Pokémon made the claw-shaped aura appear over both of her arms again as she waited for the chance to strike. Raichu nicked her several times, causing her to stumble about as she struggled to try and find him. She then whipped around, about to strike him with her right arm. However, Hau cracked a smirk.
"Psychic!" he yelled. Just as the aura-covered claw was about to strike him, the Alolan Mouse Pokémon made both of his eyes glow a pinkish-purple. The same light outlined Combusken as she suddenly found herself stopped, grimacing as she saw the claw-shaped aura over her arms break apart and fade away.
"Er…!" Paige growled in frustration, realizing she was too late. With his psychic power, Raichu contorted his foe's body before sending her flying away until she landed in the middle of the field upon her back.
"Busss…" she groaned in agony, clenching her teeth together.
"Now let's finish it with Thunderbolt!" Hau commanded, pumping his fist up into the air. Raichu flew upwards, looming right over Combusken. He smacked his cheeks again, making them spark with yellow electricity before he enveloped himself in it.
"Quick, dodge it!" Paige called out desperately. But just as the Young Fowl Pokémon managed to sit back up, her opponent fired off another bolt of lightning that struck her fiercely, followed by an explosion of smoke enveloping her. "Combusken!" her trainer screamed. The smoke was slow to subside as Raichu floated back down to Hau, but once it finally did blow away, it revealed that the Young Fowl Pokémon was lying upon the ground in a daze with swirls in her eyes.
"Combusken is unable to battle!" the referee assessed after a moment, raising his right arm, "Raichu wins! And therefore the victor is Hau!" he announced, gesturing towards the ponytailed boy.
"Woo!" he exclaimed excitedly as he jumped up with a pump of his right fist.
"And there you have it!" the announcer exclaimed into the microphone amidst the cheering crowd, "The last trainer to make it into the Final Four is none other than Hau!" he pointed out as the ponytailed boy's screen showed up upon the big screen alongside Calvin, Erika, and Z's, "Now we'll get to see the randomly selected matchups are between our four semifinalists!" he added. The four cards were all flipped over, being shuffled about. As Paige returned her Combusken to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light, she looked up in anticipation. So many others in the stands and those in the locker room awaited the matchups as well. The cards finally separated into two pairs, flipping over. One match was Erika against Z, and the other was Calvin against Hau.
"I'm up against Hau next…" the capped boy noted, very surprised. However, his twin sister cracked a smile.
"You know what that means, right?" she inquired, getting his attention as he turned to face her in confusion, "We could face off in the finals tomorrow!" she pointed out excitedly.
"That'zzz true!" Rotom buzzed in agreement. Meanwhile, Hau stared up at the big screen from the battlefield with a look of astonishment on his face.
"So I'm up against Cal next…" he said before letting off a big grin, "This is great!" he exclaimed, "I was hoping we'd get to battle him in this tournament!" he admitted excitedly.
"Ry, ryyy!" Raichu squeaked, just as happy about the matchup.
"Trainer, you can head back to the locker room now," the referee told the ponytailed boy, catching his attention, "They'll announce the next match shortly," he assured.
"Why wait though?" Hau inquired back to his surprise, "I'm already here, so why not bring Cal out for our match now?" he insisted with a big grin still plastered on his face.
"Um… I guess that could work…" the referee admitted in response, wondering how those in charge of the tournament would react. From within her lodge box, Lusamine grinned.
"Announce the next match to be between Hau and Calvin, please…" she requested.
"Right away, Miss President!" Wicke responded with a bow, taking the microphone, "Attention, everyone!" she exclaimed through the loudspeakers, catching the attentions of those in the crowd, "We've already decided that the first of the two matches for the semifinals will be the one between Calvin and Hau!" she announced excitedly.
"Whoa, already?" Trent uttered in surprise as he blinked.
"Wow, that's great!" Pyrrha exclaimed, clapping her hands together.
"Heh," Paige chuckled.
"Well… they did say both the quarterfinals and semifinals were happening today…" Calvin noted as he glanced over at his twin sister.
"You're gonna do great," she assured, bumping her right fist against his arm, "Remember, we're not the same kids who didn't wanna come to Alola way back when…" she pointed out with a wink. Hearing that made her brother nod, now prepared to do what he could to win in the upcoming match. He trekked down through the tunnel and headed out onto the field.
X
"Of all the surprises we've had today, the last one I expected was to have our semifinals start so soon!" the announcer admitted through the loudspeakers, "Though with how these two have gotten this far, they might as well go out sooner than later!" he added as Calvin took his place on his box upon the field. He looked to see that Hau was spraying Raichu with a potion, healing up any damage he had from the previous battle.
'So he's going to use Raichu again…' the capped boy realized, taking a deep breath, 'In terms of who'd have an advantage against Raichu, speed's a real problem,' he noted inwardly, 'And I don't think anyone on my team has that kind of speed…' he admitted to himself, 'So we'll have to focus on power!' he declared through his thoughts.
"Trainers!" the referee called out, "You may both select your Pokémon!" he instructed to them.
"You're up again, Raichu!" Hau exclaimed as he pointed forward.
"Ryy!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon squeaked as he floated out over the field, which had changed into one of an icy field littered with blocks and stalagmites of ice.
"He's using Raichu again?" Pyrrha inquired curiously from the stands.
"Guess he figured that against Cal, he'd probably be the best match," Trent pointed out in response, crossing his arms over his chest, "I'd say with the team I've seen Cal use, Raichu's the one Pokémon that'd be a real problem for him," he admitted with narrowed eyes.
"Well, let's see how he tries to fight back…" a familiar voice insisted, catching their attentions as they glanced over to see Paige walk down towards where they were sitting. On the field itself, the Ketchum boy closed his eyes in thought.
'Even though Araquanid and Marowak both have type advantages against Raichu, Araquanid's weak to Electric-type attacks, and neither of them are fast enough to keep up with Raichu,' he noted to himself, pulling off a Poké Ball from his belt and enlarging it with the press of its center button, 'So we have to fight back with our power,' he inwardly decided, reeling his right arm back.
"Gumshoos, I choose you!" he exclaimed, tossing the Poké Ball into the air. It popped open, and its light spilled out onto the icy ground to reveal the Stakeout Pokémon once it dissipated.
"Guhh!" he shouted out.
"So Calvin's elected to use his Gumshoos against Hau's Raichu!" the announcer excitedly noted through the loudspeakers, "I think we're about to be in for one heck of a battle, folks!" he added in anticipation.
"You may… begin!" the referee declared as he swung his right arm down.
"Raichu, Quick Attack!" Hau immediately commanded as he pumped his right fist forward. A white outline glowed around the Alolan Mouse Pokémon as he lunged forward in an and slammed into Gumshoos hard.
"GAHHH…!" the Stakeout Pokémon gasped out.
"Bide!" his trainer yelled. Hearing that made Gumshoos regain his composure as he landed back onto the ground, letting a reddish aura glow around his body as he kept his stance firm.
"So that's what you're goin' for already, cuz…" Hau noted, letting off a wide grin, "Well, we're not gonna stop!" he declared fiercely, "Quick Attack!" he ordered. Raichu lunged out while cloaked in a white outline again, speeding towards his foe. He merely crossed his paws over his face to defend himself, taking the strike head on as he slid back along the icy ground, slamming into a nearby stalagmite.
"That's it, Gumshoos!" Calvin called out, "Just hang in there and release your Bide when you're ready!" he advised.
"Guh shoo!" the Stakeout Pokémon responded with a nod. His opponent dashed out and struck him once more. But with every blow he was taking the reddish aura shrouding his body grew larger. He then reeled his head back, opening his mouth. A ball of white light formed in front of it before he fired off a large beam that was heading for Raichu.
"Yeah!" Calvin exclaimed, knowing that damage from his teammate's Bide would deal solid amount of damage. However…
"Thunderbolt!" Hau commanded. Smacking his cheeks, the Alolan Mouse Pokémon made yellow electricity spark off of them before he enveloped himself within it. He then fired off a powerful bolt of lightning to intercept the incoming white beam, keeping it bay. It did break through, striking Raichu in a small blast. He flew out from the smoke with a cheeky grin on his face, while the Ketchum boy was left shocked.
"WOW!" the announcer exclaimed, "Even though Bide broke through his Thunderbolt, Raichu's still able to hang in there!" he pointed out excitedly into the microphone.
"Whoa…" Erika uttered in shock from back in the locker room, "Hau knew he was gonna go for Bide…" she realized as she blinked in surprise.
"So he used weaker attackzzz to build the charge before Gumshoozzz released it, zzt…" Rotom mentioned. The pigtailed girl nervously balled her fists. She wanted her cousin to have a good battle, but she also wanted her brother to have a good one as well. And if she was being honest, she wanted to see Calvin in the finals.
'Come on, Cal…' she pleaded inwardly. Back on the battlefield, the capped boy let out a deep exhale.
"So you knew we were gonna try that, huh?" he guessed, closing his hands into fists, "Well, there's more to us than just that!" he assured in a powerful tone, "Gumshoos, Take Down!" he commanded with a pump of his right fist.
"Guh!" the Stakeout Pokémon replied, covering himself in a bronze-colored shroud of light before he charged forwards towards the floating Raichu.
"Use Psychic!" Hau ordered. Making his eyes glow a bright pinkish-purple, the Alolan Mouse Pokémon entrapped his foe within his psychic hold before he could even reach him. His body was contorted and stretched painfully by the force of his opponent before he was slammed into an icy stalagmite hard.
"Guhhh…" he groaned in agony as he slowly slid down it.
"Gumshoos is taking some hard hits already!" the announcer pointed out through the loudspeakers, "Will he be able to keep going like this?!" he wondered aloud.
"Now Quick Attack!" Hau commanded.
"Ry!" Raichu responded, outlining himself in a bright white light before dashing forward in an instant, about to slam into his target.
"Quick, latch onto him with Crunch!" Calvin instructed. Gumshoos perked up, narrowly managing to just end up nicked by the Alolan Mouse Pokémon striking the left side of his body. Before he could speed away though, his foe made his teeth glow a bright white and sharpen, biting down onto his foe's left ear.
"RRRRYYYYYYYY!" he shrieked in agony.
"Shake him off!" Hau yelled upon noticing. Raichu flew about the air crazily, trying desperately to get Gumshoos to release himself from him. But he was holding firm.
"Knock him down with Take Down!" Calvin commanded. Still biting into his opponent's ear, the Stakeout Pokémon cloaked himself in a bronze-colored shroud of light. He let go of Raichu's ear, followed by slamming him head first down onto the ice hard in a flurry of mist.
"Gumshoos lands a powerful Crunch and Take Down combo on Raichu, giving him a bit of an edge!" the announcer exclaimed excitedly.
"Raichu, Psychic!" Hau commanded as he stuck his left hand out. All of a sudden, the mist was blasted away fiercely as the Alolan Mouse Pokémon had his eyes glowing in a pinkish-purple light again.
"Quick, use Bide again!" Calvin called out. Before Raichu could encase Gumshoos in his psychic hold again, he managed to make a reddish aura start shrouding his body. His opponent psychically got a grip on him, slamming him down twice against the icy ground before sending him crashing into an ice block as he fell onto his stomach.
"Guh…" he groaned out, pushing himself up back onto his feet.
"Stray strong, Gumshoos!" his trainer yelled reassuringly.
"Gumm, shoo!" he chattered back in response, keeping a firm stance.
"That's just like Cal not to give up…" Hau noted quietly to himself, "Thunderbolt!" he ordered. Raichu growled, smacking his cheeks to make them spark with yellow electricity. His body was then engulfed in it before he fired off a bolt that directly struck the Stakeout Pokémon.
"Oh my!" the announcer exclaimed through the microphone, "Gumshoos is hanging in there with all he's got to give Calvin a chance at victory in this stunning semifinal match!" he pointed out. The reddish aura was building around the Stakeout Pokémon's body, taking on an immense size.
"Free the Bide, Gumshoos!" Calvin screamed out. His teammate's eyes turned serious as the electricity broke apart around his body, followed by him launching another powerful beam of white light from his mouth.
"Ah!" Hau gasped.
"Ry!" Raichu yelped, getting struck by the beam in a fierce explosion.
"Yes!" Erika exclaimed with a pump of her fist from back in the locker room.
"Did that do enough, zzt?" Rotom wondered aloud. There was a cloud of smoke that resulted from the beam striking the Alolan Mouse Pokémon. However, he floated out from it, dirtied all over.
"Ryyy…" he groaned in pain.
"Guh…" Gumshoos growled, clenching his teeth together.
'So even a direct hit wasn't enough to end it…' Calvin realized, looking over to see the relieved expression on his cousin's face. He was glad that the battle hadn't ended then and there. But it looked like it was close to being over.
"Hey, Cal!" he called out, catching his male cousin's attention, "Looks like we're both on our last legs, huh?" he guessed, much to his surprise, "Might as well go out with a bang to wrap this up, right?" he suggested while pulling out his Normalium Z. Seeing it made Calvin blink in surprise before he cracked a grin.
"Yeah," he agreed, readying his own Z-Crystal as he put it onto his Z-Power Ring.
"Hold the phone here, folks!" the announcer suddenly yelped, "Are we about to see two Z-Moves collide?!" she wondered aloud excitedly.
"Here we go, Raichu!" Hau exclaimed, crossing his arms over his face to make the Normalium Z upon his Z-Ring flash brightly.
"Ry!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon squeaked, prepared to mimic his trainer's motions. Calvin and Gumshoos were doing the same. As both trainers and their Pokémon danced in sync, the crowd watched on in anticipation.
"Which Z-Move is going to be stronger?" Trent wondered from the stands. Erika nervously looked on with her fists clenched and trembling in front of her face as she looked at the TV screen. Her brother finished the dance with his arms held in the shape of a z, with the orange aura building around him shooting out in streaks to his teammate, merging with his body. The same thing happened with Hau and Raichu. Once the auras fully merged into their bodies, the Z-Move symbol flashed in front of their faces.
"Let's go!" both trainers exclaimed, pumping their right fists forward, "BREAKNECK BLITZ!" they bellowed simultaneously. Both Raichu and Gumshoos shot forward in an instant, charging for an ultra-fast tackle into each other. They collided fiercely, causing the ice to shatter beneath them as a burst of wind and mist blew out.
"Whoa!" Pyrrha yelped as she and several of the other people in the stands braced themselves from the resulting blast. Both Hau and Calvin looked on anxiously as the mist slowly started to settle and fade away. Once it did, it revealed that Gumshoos was still standing upon the shattered ice field, while Raichu was floating right in front of him. They breathed heavily in exhaustion, ready to pass out at any moment. And then all of a sudden, the Alolan Mouse Pokémon fell onto the ice upon his stomach.
"Ryyyy…" he groaned, having swirls in his eyes. The referee hurriedly ran over to assess what had happened. He then raised his left arm.
"Raichu is unable to battle! Gumshoos wins!" he declared, "Therefore…" he continued, gesturing towards Calvin, "the victory goes to Calvin!" he announced. The crowd burst into a rain of cheers.
"WOOHOO!" Erika screamed excitedly, suddenly grabbing Rotom and spinning around with him as it yelled frantically.
"He won! He won!" Mirajane exclaimed from back in the Ketchum vacation home, catching everyone by surprise with how enthusiastic she was. But Ash smiled, glad for his son as well.
"We won…" he realized, starting to smile a little.
"Guh… shoo…" Gumshoos exhaled in relief, seating himself down.
"Oh, Gumshoos!" his trainer called out, carefully going over to him and kneeling down to pet his head, "Thanks for hanging in there until the end, bud!" he said in gratitude. A toothy grin was upon the Stakeout Pokémon's face.
"Shoo!" he responded happily. Meanwhile, Hau returned Raichu to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light. He looked down at it with a smile before putting it back onto his belt. He then walked over to his male cousin.
"Great battle, Cal!" he complimented, catching his attention as he stood up, "You better give Eri a run for her money in the Finals!" he insisted while holding his right hand out to him. The capped boy blinked in surprise before taking his cousin's hand firmly into his own.
"I will," he assured with a nod, causing Hau to chuckle cheekily. And with that, one finalist had already been decided…
ENDING
Insert "Blowing" by NiL
Opens with a messy-haired Erika rising up groggily from her bed. She lets out a long, deep yawn and rubs her eyes before getting up. After heading over to the bathroom, she looks in the mirror to see her unkempt appearance. While once she wouldn't care about such things, this new look suddenly horrifies her. She quickly grabs a hairbrush and starts getting her hair straightened out.
Brionne wanders into the bathroom to see her trainer struggling to undo the locks in her hair, lowering her head in defeat. The Pop Star Pokémon calls over her teammates, catching Erika's attention as she glances back to see her Pokémon wander in curiously. She smiles softly at them as they offer their help to her.
We cut to Brionne using her colorful water balloons to wet her trainer's hair, followed by Fomantis carefully cutting away any misaligned locks. As the hair is cut, Sandygast below to collect the pieces in order to prevent there from being a mess. After that, Lycanroc helps comb Erika's hair as it flows down, followed by Drifblim using Gust with the help of Magby's heat to dry her hair.
As all this happens, Erika reflects on her journey, remembering her change from a stubborn and whiny girl into an admirable island challenger. She looks back in the mirror and smiles, quickly tying her hair up into a pair of braided pigtails. She puts on her hat and grabs her bag, smiling as she's excited to start the day, with her team following her out of the room.
A while passes before she meets up with her twin brother and their rivals. Pyrrha smiles upon seeing Erika, while Trent blushes a little and looks away cutely. Erika cracks a toothy grin, wondering where the day will take her and her many friends…
The song ends with the six trial-goers venturing off into the distance…
END ENDING
Another chapter comes to a dramatic close! With everything going on right now, I'm really glad that I can get chapters set up before work starts piling up on me in my internship. And all I wanted to make sure to do was to set up what's bound to be a very exciting final round for the Aether Tournament. In fact, here's a summary of what's to come!
SUMMARY
With Calvin's victory against Hau and Erika managing to prevail against Z, the Ketchum twins are matched up in the finals as they vowed to! Now it comes down to which one is stronger in this final round! Will it be Calvin?! Or Erika?!
END SUMMARY
Looking forward to getting that done, along with the next preview for "Omni Force: JUSTICE"! Until then, I'll see you later!