Alola, everyone! We've finally reached the Alola League as the first round has already gone by in the last chapter! Calvin and Erika both won their battles, but now it's a matter of who they'll be facing next.
Not to mention, their rivals are still going to be in some pretty crazy battles, too! So let's find out who's up against who in the upcoming second round!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
"Here you go," Leslie said, offering Erika's Jangmo-o a part of her vegetable stir fry she had gotten for dinner. He sniffed at what was on the spoon for a moment before opening his mouth, taking a big bite. He chewed and swallowed.
"Jah!" he exclaimed happily, causing the Unova Champion Master to giggle.
"Jangmo-o really seems to like you, Leslie!" Mirajane pointed out.
"That's no fair…" Erika mumbled from across the table, "He's my Pokémon after all…" she noted, glancing off to the side.
"Not my fault that he doesn't seem to like you as much," her older sister retorted, "And besides, you're the one who decided to leave him out of the tournament," she mentioned, causing her to flinch.
"Now, now…" Ash chimed in, sitting at the head of the table, "Let's just celebrate you two getting through the first round today," he insisted of his family. They were seated outside a small restaurant in Tapu Village as the sun was setting in the distance. Calvin was in the middle of enjoying his burger, contemplating over today's events. Seeing Ryuki's victory over Kiawe, he knew that whoever would have to battle him next would be in quite a match. But more importantly, he had to think about his next opponent.
"So you're going up against someone from the Aether Foundation?" Leslie asked of Erika, who was chewing her own food.
"Yeah, Selene…" she answered, swallowing afterwards, "I battled her back in the Aether Tournament," she recalled, "She was pretty strong…" she remembered on.
"I saw that Milo's here, too," Calvin chimed in, "Guess they both must've gotten badges or completed the island challenge," he concluded, "Either way, it's nice to see that they're doing well," he admitted, remembering how they confronted back at Aether Paradise, and how emotional Selene had been.
"That reminds me, who are you fighting next?" Erika questioned as she took another bite of her pasta.
"Let'zzz see…" Rotom buzzed, floating over as it pulled up an image of the tournament bracket upon its screen, zooming in onto Calvin's second round match. He blinked in surprise to see that it was the masked boy he had bumped into the day they arrived at Mount Lanakila.
"Who's that guy?" Leslie asked curiously.
"Oh, that must be Allister!" Ash concluded as he blinked in surprise, "He's one of the Galar gym leaders that're competing in the tournament," he realized.
"Galar?" the Ketchum twins repeated simultaneously out of confusion.
"Wait, Pyrrha introduced me to one of her friends from Galar!" Erika remembered, "Her name was uh… Bea, I think…" she mentioned, scratching at her cheek.
"If gym leaders are in this tournament, things just got more intense…" Leslie noted.
"Well, I'm sure you two can handle it," Mirajane affirmed to her twin children, who both smiled.
"Oh, hey!" a voice suddenly called out, getting their attentions as they looked to see Milo and Selene walking over, wearing more casual clothes, "Was hoping we'd run into you before tomorrow!" the former noted as they approached.
"Hey Milo!" Calvin greeted, "It's good to see you," he pointed out with a small smile.
"Yeah, we can't believe you wound up being in the tournament…" Erika added, chiming into the conversation.
"Ah, Selene and I split time off going to other regions for badges during our off-time from the foundation," Milo told them, wearing a black vest over a white shirt with jeans and a blue headband, "We actually already collected eight each before the league was announced," he mentioned on, "Though getting through registration was bit of a pain, especially with the wait…" he pointed out, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.
"Well, I'm sure you're gonna do great," Calvin affirmed, sharing a chuckle with him. Meanwhile, Selene lowered her head. She was now wearing a wool grey sweater over a dark blouse, with a long magenta skirt and brown slippers.
"Hey, Selene?" Erika chimed in, getting her attention, "Let's both do our best tomorrow," she insisted with a grin. The female Aether Foundation employee blinked in surprise, but then smiled a little.
"Yes," she replied graciously. Later that evening, the younger of the two Ketchum girls yawned as they were venturing back toward the mountain base for the competitors' lodgings.
"Leslie, are you gonna be able to get me those nectars before the matches start?" she asked of her older sister while tiredly rubbing her eyes.
"Of course I will," she assured in reply.
"Nectars?" Calvin repeated out of confusion, raising an eyebrow.
"For her Oricorio, sweetie," Mirajane told him, getting his attention, "When an Oricorio drinks the nectar from one of the other islands of Alola, their form changes," she explained.
"You changing up Oricorio's style might throw her off for tomorrow, you know…" Leslie mentioned to her little sister.
"Don't worry," she said as she clenched her fist determinedly, "She's already learned how to use all four of her styles, so she'll be fine!" she vowed.
"I'll hold you to that, Erika…" her older sister retorted, much to her chagrin as she puffed out her cheeks. Meanwhile, Calvin looked down in thought. He hadn't seen Allister's match, so he wasn't sure what kind of Pokémon he could expect in their battle tomorrow. All he could do was make a strategy like his twin sister was seemingly doing, hoping that it would work for the best.
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
Let's Do Round Two!
"Aura Sphere!" Gladion commanded, swinging his right arm out. Out on the grassy field of Tapu Arena, his Lucario prepped a blue energy sphere in between his palms, firing it forward. It struck the opposing Malamar, blowing him back.
Acting as the referee was Nanu, who huffed. He was impressed with the former enforcer's aptitude in battle, as his Pokémon were proving to be quite strong. His Zoroark jumped over, landing beside his teammate as they narrowed their eyes onto their foes, being Malamar and Tropius. The opposing trainer grimaced, balling his hands into fists.
"Tropius, use Leaf Storm!" he commanded, "Malamar, Foul Play!" he ordered on. Flying up, the Fruit Pokémon had green leaves swirl around his body before he flapped his wings, sending them out at his foes below. Meanwhile, a dark aura shrouded the Overturning Pokémon as he closed in on his opponents.
"Night Daze!" Gladion yelled. Dashing out in front of Lucario, Zoroark had his eyes glow light blue. His body became surrounded by a crimson aura. He then raised his arms above his head with the aura around its forearms growing thicker. He slammed them down into the ground, causing a pink and crimson glowing force-field of energy to erupt from it and grow larger, spreading all around it. The energy blasted away the incoming leaves while also striking Tropius and Malamar, sending them crashing into the ground in flurries of dust and dirt.
Once the dust settled, it revealed both Pokémon lying upon the ground in a daze with swirls in their eyes. Zoroark cracked a grin, while Lucario nodded. They looked back at their trainer, who smiled a little.
"And with that, Gladion takes a second round victory almost too easily!" the announcer on the TV in the locker room of Tapu Arena declared, as Calvin was watching on the whole time while seated on a bench.
'Guess Gladion's not having that much trouble…' the Ketchum boy noted to himself. He looked down at the pair of shrunken Poké Balls in his left hand. 'I still don't know if I have a solid strategy to take on Allister, but…' he admitted through his thoughts, 'we're still gonna do our best regardless,' he declared inwardly.
"Match Three will begin shortly," one of the officials in the locker room chimed in, getting his attention as he perked up, "Please report to your respective tunnels," he advised. Standing up from the bench, Calvin took a deep breath. He was ready to have his second round battle.
"Jahhh~…" Jangmo-o yawned, resting contently in Leslie's lap as he closed his eyes. She giggled.
"You know, I'm almost tempted to take care of him instead of Erika…" she confessed to her parents, who were sitting with her in the stands of Tapu Arena.
"She has mentioned how stubborn he is with her…" Mirajane pointed out. Ash let out a chuckle.
"I'm glad that Erika's match is gonna be a little while later," he admitted as he folded his arms over his chest, "That way, we'll get to see them both," he noted.
"She's fighting at Heahea Arena today, right?" Leslie inquired.
"Correct, zzt!" Rotom buzzed in reply, floating right next to her, "She wazzz spending last night trying to think up a good strategy for Mizzz Selene!" it recollected, "I'm sure that she'zzz going to use those nectarzzz you gave her!" it mentioned to the Unova Champion Master.
"Oh, there's Calvin!" Mirajane suddenly chimed in, standing up excitedly upon seeing her son walking out onto the field, "Good luck, sweetie!" she called out as she waved. Overhearing his mother, the Ketchum boy blushed a little, giving off a small smile as he lowered the brim of his cap over his eyes. As embarrassing as it was, he was happy to have the support from his family. He took his position on the grassy field as awaited the arrival of his opponent. But… he wasn't coming.
"Huh?" he uttered in confusion. The masked boy was lurking in the tunnel, peeking out at the crowd as they were murmuring with confusion. He seemed really intimidated by their presence, more so than yesterday. He started to back away, only to have someone tap his shoulder. He looked back to see a Gengar there, who gave him a big grin.
"Geng gah!" he affirmed to his trainer, who perked up a little.
"…Okay…" he responded, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He found his courage as he walked out onto the field with the Shadow Pokémon floating behind him. Calvin watched as he trudged up to his position on the field alongside his partner.
"Hey, kid," Nanu said, getting his attention, "Is that one gonna battle today?" he inquired, looking at the Gengar.
"Oh, n-no…" Allister stuttered, "Is it… okay if he watches?" he asked, fidgeting with his fingers a little.
"Huh…" the Ula'ula kahuna sighed, "Fine by me…" he grumbled out as he rolled his eyes. The masked boy looked to the Shadow Pokémon, who nodded.
"Compared to Calvin, that guy looks really nervous…" Leslie noted aloud.
"That reminds me…" Mirajane chimed in, "what kind of a gym leader is Allister?" she asked of her husband.
"He's a Ghost-type specialist," he answered, "I've never battled him myself, but I've seen just how promising he is in a match," he pointed out in remembrance.
"Wait, you didn't tell Calvin that he was a Ghost-type trainer," his eldest daughter remembered, "Wouldn't that be something you'd want him to know?" she inquired on.
"Hm, well…" Ash began, looking down to see his son pull out and enlarge a pair of Poké Balls in his hands, "I think it's better for Calvin to think on the fly," he stated, "That way, he'll be able to overcome any challenge sent his way," he affirmed on.
"Pika, peekah!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement.
"Okay, if you're both ready or whatever…" Nanu began as he rubbed the back of his neck, "you can go ahead and throw out your Pokémon already…" he told the two trainers.
"Let's go!" Calvin yelled out, "Toucannon! Marowak!" he exclaimed, flinging both of his Poké Balls forward. Meanwhile, Allister had a pair of Dusk Balls enlarged in his hands.
"D-Dusknoir… Cursola…" he stammered, lightly tossing them out onto the field. All the spherical containers burst open. The bluish lights that emerged from the Poké Balls spilled onto the field, shaping into form and dissipating to reveal both the Cannon Pokémon and the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon.
"Too kah!" the former squawked.
"MAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" the latter bellowed, causing his teammate to flinch out of surprise. On the other side of the field, dark purple lights came out of the Dusk Balls, with one forming and dissipating to reveal the Gripper Pokémon, who floated above the grass. The other dark light formed upon the ground, dissipating to reveal a creature that made Calvin blink in surprise.
It was a coral-like Pokémon. His lower body resembled that of a Corsola, albeit broken apart to reveal an ectoplasmic 'body' which had taken the shape of a ghost, being pale white in color. This ectoplasm surrounded his core, which is a white sphere with a face like that of a Coral Pokémon as well, and had an oval-shaped opening with three inward-facing notches where the core was. Two half-circle openings similar to eyes were located above his core. Together, the three openings resembled a screaming face with a sad or pained expression. Two small branches below the core served as his arms and one small branch on his forehead served a horn. He also had three long branches each on both sides of the head. He had three more branch spikes on his lower back.
"Kurrrr…" it uttered out eerily, causing both Calvin and his Pokémon to shudder a little.
"Whoa, what the heck is that?!" Leslie exclaimed in question.
"Looks like a Corsola, but…" her mother started to respond, quite surprised as well. Rotom tried to pull up an image of the Pokémon upon its screen, but only got a trio of question marks instead.
"I've got no data, zzt…" it noted.
"That's a Cursola," Ash told those near him as they looked to him in surprise, "In Galar, the Corsola there have a regional form, like some Pokémon in Alola," he explained, "Corsola there were apparently wiped out due to the climate and ocean temperature, turning them into Ghost-types," he mentioned on.
"Oh goodness…" his wife uttered out, while Leslie pulled out her phone, doing a quick search for the Galarian Coral Pokémon.
"Oh, this is what they look like, right?" she inquired, showing the image she had found on her device to her parents. The Corsola's body was a bleached white with half-closed pink eyes and a perpetual frown, and his arms and branches had a distinctly semitransparent appearance to them.
"Yep," Ash confirmed, "And they can evolve into Cursola like the one down there," he mentioned, folding his arms over his chest, "Calvin's going to have a tough match for sure…" he said, narrowing his eyes.
'Dusknoir and Cursola, huh?' his son noted inwardly from the grassy field, 'I'm guessing both of them are Ghost-types…' he added to himself, 'Okay then…' he said through his thoughts, setting the Ghostium Z onto his Z-Power Ring.
"Marowak, Shadow Bone!" he commanded. The Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon rubbed both ends of his bone against the marking at his forehead, igniting them with purple flames before charging forward, heading toward Dusknoir.
"Sh-Shadow Punch!" Allister stammered out. A dark aura shrouded the Gripper Pokémon's right arm as he closed his hand into a fist, with a purple outline surrounding it. He brought it forward, having it collide against his foe's bone in a fierce shockwave, causing sparks to fly wildly before they blew each other back.
"Norrr…" Dusknoir grumbled out, causing Marowak to give off an angered expression.
"Toucannon, Bullet Seed!" Calvin ordered. Opening his beak, the Cannon Pokémon unleashed a flurry of seeds surrounded in a greenish aura toward the Gripper Pokémon.
"Cursola, Psychic!" Allister called out. The Coral Pokémon's eyes flashed a bright pink before each of the incoming seeds were encased in the same light. They disintegrated instantaneously. Calvin grimaced.
"Marowak, use Flare Blitz on Cursola!" he commanded of the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon, "Toucannon, get ready to use Beak Blast on Dusknoir!" he instructed to the Cannon Pokémon. Both of his partners nodded, with the former having his bone ignite with light green flames that essentially engulfed him before he charged forward. In the meantime, his teammate had his beak start heating up as it glowed a bright orange.
"Ice Punch!" Allister ordered. An icy blue aura shrouded Dusknoir's right fist as he flew forward, passing Marowak. The Ketchum boy blinked in confusion, wondering what his opponent was up to.
At that moment, the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon crashed into Cursola in a fierce blast, while the Gripper Pokémon slammed his fist into Toucannon, resulting in a burst of steam. Clouds of white and black billowed about the field, slowly starting to subside.
"Tooo…" the Cannon Pokémon squawked out as he had slid back a few feet from the impact of his foe's punch, as the steam finally settled. Dusknoir was looming right in front of him. But all of a sudden, orange flames erupted around his body, making him wince in pain momentarily.
"Alright!" Calvin exclaimed as he pumped his left fist. What followed was Toucannon opening his beak to unleash a bright orange beam of light onto his opponent, resulting in a blast that blew him back.
"Dusknoir just got burned, zzt!" Rotom buzzed excitedly.
"But what happened with Cursola?" Leslie wondered aloud. Jumping out from the black smoke, Marowak landed down as sparks of fire wafted off of him, making him wince a little. He looked back toward the cloud and noticed a pair of red eyes flash from within it.
"Kurrr…" the Coral Pokémon hissed as the smoke started settling.
"Power Gem!" Allister commanded. A pale pink beam was unleashed from Cursola's mouth, striking the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon and sending him flying back.
"Marowak!" Calvin called out, seeing him crash onto the ground hard. Fortunately, he hopped back onto his feet, spinning his bone into a firm grip.
"I guess it's only a matter of time now…" the Galarian gym leader noted quietly, "Dusknoir, Trick Room!" he instructed. With his eye glowing a bright red, the Gripper Pokémon made a large light blue rectangle with light blue transparent walls and ceiling appear around the battlefield. The Ketchum boy blinked in surprise before the light blue glow faded, and the walls and ceiling became invisible.
'What was that…?' he wondered inwardly.
"Cursola, Shadow Ball!" Allister commanded. All of a sudden, the Coral Pokémon prepared a ball of purple-and-black energy with purple sparks in front of himself, firing it out in an instant. All Marowak could do was widen his eyes before he was struck squarely in the head by the ball, resulting in an explosion of black smoke as he was blown back.
"Marowak, no!" Calvin screamed, seeing the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon crash onto the ground in a flurry of dirt and dust. He grimaced in frustration.
'Where did that speed come from?!' he questioned through his thoughts, 'Was it because of Dusknoir's move?!' he wondered on.
"A Trick Room strategy, huh?" Leslie noted, folding her arms underneath her chest, "Guess Allister's a lot tougher than we thought he'd be…" she concluded.
"Yeah…" Ash agreed.
"Dusknoir, Thunder Punch! Cursola, Power Gem!" the Galarian gym leader commanded, sticking his right hand out. A yellow orb of electricity shrouded the Gripper Pokémon's right fist as he dashed forward instantaneously, catching Toucannon by surprise before he was fiercely struck back in an instant.
"Toucannon!" Calvin cried out. In the meantime, the Coral Pokémon fired off another pale pink beam of light toward Marowak, who was still trying to get back up onto his feet. Upon noticing the incoming beam, he pressed his bone against the ground and used it to push himself up over it in nick of time.
"Ah!" Allister gasped.
"Nice going, Marowak!" Calvin complimented, "Now use Shadow Bone!" he ordered. Having purple flames erupt on both ends of his weapon again, the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon dove at Cursola, striking his ectoplasmic body to make him slide back several feet.
"Kurrrr…" he hissed out afterward, taking on a serious expression.
"Use Psychic!" Allister called out. The Coral Pokémon's eyes flashed a bright pink before Marowak found himself outlined in the same light, unable to move.
"Toucannon, Bullet Seed!" Calvin commanded. Opening his beak, the Cannon Pokémon fired off another flurry of seeds shrouded by a greenish aura, heading towards Cursola.
"Dusknoir, block it!" the Galarian gym leader instructed. Immediately, the Gripper Pokémon sped out in front of his teammate, crossing his arms in front of himself to block off the seeds that were heading his way. Afterwards, the Coral Pokémon psychically flung Marowak around, slamming him against the ground a couple of times before throwing him away as he tumbled across the grass to a stop upon his stomach.
"Marowak, no!" the Ketchum boy cried out.
"Now Thunder Punch!" Allister commanded. A yellow orb of electricity shrouded Dusknoir's fists as he dashed forward, about to strike the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon. However, Toucannon suddenly came out in front of his teammate, taking the electrically charged punches as he winced.
"Toucannon!" his trainer screamed.
"Too kah!" he squawked back insistently to his surprise. He then looked over to see Marowak standing back up, taking on a ready stance as he crossed his arms over his face.
"Mahroh!" he bellowed to Calvin, who blinked in realization.
"Right!" he responded, quickly crossing his arms over his face, making the Ghostium Z upon his Z-Power Ring flash brightly.
"That's…!" Allister gasped. He watched as Calvin and Marowak mimicked their movements, swinging their arms around before placing their hands in front of their faces.
"Let's show just how strong of a Ghost-type you are, Marowak!" the Ketchum boy insisted, waving his body around like a wispy ghost as the purple aura building around him increased. He then moved his hands to their respective sides, causing the aura itself to shoot out in streaks to his partner, who absorbed it into his body as the Z-Move symbol flashed right in front of him.
"Rohh!" he exclaimed, holding his bone up.
"Give them the Never-Ending Nightmare!" his trainer called out. The Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon slammed his bone against the ground, suddenly engulfing the entire field in an illusory dark scenery. Allister stared in amazement under his mask.
"This is…" he uttered out. All of a sudden, a large shadow appeared at Marowak's feet. Several shadowy purple hands emerged from it, all aiming for Dusknoir, who flinched in surprise. "Quick, get away!" his trainer shouted.
The Gripper Pokémon tried to float away, but the hands chased after him. Eventually, he found himself cornered… and they all touched him. A huge blast of purple light erupted as the illusory scenery disappeared. As the light subsided, it revealed that Dusknoir was lying in a daze upon the ground, having a swirl in his eye.
"Dusknoir's out," Nanu said, slightly lifting his left arm.
"Alright!" Calvin exclaimed as the crowd starting cheering a little. Marowak breathed heavily with exhaustion. He looked back at Toucannon, who nodded to him in gratitude. He nodded back, flashing him a thumbs up. But all of a sudden, his eyes jolted wide open as he trembled.
"Tooh?" the Cannon Pokémon chirped in confusion.
"What's wrong, Marowak?" the Ketchum boy asked as he blinked. The Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon suddenly dropped his weapon… and fell onto his stomach. "Ah!" his trainer gasped. Nanu looked over in surprise, seeing the swirls in Marowak's eyes.
"He's out too, kid," he confirmed to Calvin, whose eyes widened.
"No way…" he uttered in disbelief, "How?" he wondered aloud.
"That was my Cursola's ability…" Allister said, getting his attention as he saw the Galarian gym leader return his fainted Dusknoir to his Dusk Ball in a beam of red light, "Whenever a Pokémon makes direct contact with him, they'll faint after a while," he explained, "That move you just did was amazing though…" he mentioned in a complimentary tone, "You overcame most of my strategy with sheer will and determination…" he pointed out, "I've… never met anyone like that…" he admitted on. As he talked, Calvin went ahead and returned Marowak to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"You did great out there, Marowak," he assured, "I promise we won't let your effort go to waste!" he vowed, placing the Poké Ball upon his belt. At that moment, the invisible walls suddenly reappeared and dissipated.
"Looks like the Trick Room ended," Leslie noted from the stands.
"But Calvin'zzz still gonna have to find a way to beat Cursola, who'zzz got moves like Power Gem and Psychic, zzt!" Rotom buzzed out.
"What would you think he could do?" Mirajane asked of her husband, who closed his eyes in thought for a moment.
"If I were him, I'd focus on doing as much damage as possible from a distance," he answered, "Attacking directly isn't a good idea, especially with what happened to Marowak," he mentioned on.
"Well, that might not be the best strategy for Calvin considering that he's only got Toucannon to work with…" his eldest daughter admitted.
"Pikah…" Pikachu squeaked worriedly.
"Toucannon, are you still good to go?" Calvin asked of the Cannon Pokémon, getting his attention.
"Kah!" he squawked with confirmation as a response, spreading his wings a little.
"Cursola…" Allister uttered, making the Coral Pokémon perk up, "let's keep doing our best…" he insisted of him.
"Kurrr…" he hissed kindly in response.
"Bullet Seed!" Calvin commanded. Toucannon quickly opened his beak and unleashed another flurry of seeds cloaked in a green light.
"Shadow Ball!" Allister ordered. Cursola formed a purple-and-black ball of energy in front of himself, firing it out to intercept the incoming seeds in a burst of smoke.
"Now use Beak Blast!" the Ketchum boy called out.
"Power Gem, Cursola!" the Galarian gym leader commanded. As Toucannon started heating up his beak, with it glowing a bright orange, the Coral Pokémon unleashed a pale pink beam of light that struck his target in an explosion of grey smoke.
"Ah!" Mirajane gasped from the stands, while the others around her grimaced. Jangmo-o had woken up, watching the battle unfold with shaking eyes. As the smoke slowly settled, it revealed that Toucannon was still standing as his beak burned brightly.
"Go!" his trainer yelled.
"Toooo… KAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the Cannon Pokémon squawked as he unleashed a powerful orange beam of light upon opening his beak, heading for Cursola. He widened his eyes before being struck directly, with Allister bracing himself from the impact as there was an explosion of black smoke. When it subsided, he saw that his partner had fallen over onto his side, having swirls in his eyes. Nanu wandered over to get a closer look, exhaling a relieved breath.
"Cursola's out," he announced, raising his left arm, "Win goes to you, kid," he noted to Calvin, who smiled widely.
"We did it, Toucannon!" he pointed out excitedly.
"Tookah…" the Cannon Pokémon responded in exhaustion, seating himself down. In the meantime, Allister returned the fainted Coral Pokémon to his Dusk Ball in a beam of red light. He looked at the container curiously before glancing over to Calvin. He started to approach, getting his attention.
"That… was ace…" he complimented, causing the Ketchum boy to blink in confusion, "Th-Thanks for the battle…" he stuttered with gratitude, holding his gloved right hand out to him.
"Oh, no problem!" Calvin replied, happily accepting his hand into his own with a smile, "You gave us a great battle!" he affirmed on. Allister seemed to perk up a little upon hearing that.
"You know…" he uttered, "you could probably take part in the Gym Challenge back in my region," he pointed out as his Gengar floated over, "We'd love to battle you again," he mentioned to the surprise of the Ketchum boy.
"Geng gah!" the Shadow Pokémon affirmed with a nod.
"We'll definitely think about it," Calvin assured in reply. Back in the stands, Mirajane sighed with relief.
"I guess now, we only have to worry about how Erika does in her battle," she pointed out.
"We've got plenty of time before then though," her husband noted, "So, why not go see some of the other matches?" he insisted in question.
"Yeah, that sounds great!" Leslie affirmed as a response. Down in the locker room, Gladion cracked a grin at the sight of Calvin winning. Now both of them were a step closer to the next big battle.
X
"And that's half of the second round taken care of, with many of the matches ending in two-to-nothing victories for some trainers!" a play-by-play commentator noted over the TV in the locker room of Heahea Arena, "I have to say, I'm very impressed with many of the trainers thus far in these matches, even the ones that have gotten knocked out," he admitted.
"With a hundred-twenty-eight left by the time we hit the third round, it's still hard to pick out favorites," a color commentator pointed out, "Any ones that catch your eye right now?" he asked of his partner.
"I'm looking at Gladion as a frontrunner at the moment," he answered, "Aside from how well he did in his match today, that Silvally we saw in the first round was exceptionally powerful," he mentioned. Hearing them talk while seated at her locker space was Erika, who looked at the scoreboard. She had already seen that Calvin had won his match earlier. Hers was still a while away from happening.
"Getting tired of waiting?" a familiar voice inquired, getting her attention as she looked up to see Paige standing there.
"Oh, Paige!" she exclaimed, "Uh, yeah, kinda…" she confessed in reply, scratching at her right cheek, "I was working out a plan for my team, but I'm sorta reconsidering it last minute…" she pointed out.
"Ugh, that's the worst, huh?" the silvery-haired girl assumed, seating herself down next to her rival.
"You don't know the half of it…" Erika remarked in agreement, "I guess… it's weird to be battling Selene after all that happened at Aether Paradise…" she admitted, lowering her head for a moment, "And I'm not sure how I can try to talk to her more…" she added.
"Hmm…" Paige hummed out, "You know, just give her a good battle," she advised to the Ketchum girl's surprise, "I think that's the best way for trainers to communicate over just… talking…" she noted, giving her a wink, "You'll be fine," she assured. Erika smiled.
"Thanks, Paige," she said with gratitude.
"Match Five will begin shortly!" a tournament official called out to those in the locker room, "Please report to your respective tunnels!" he instructed.
"Well, that's my cue," the silvery-haired girl noted as she stood up, "See you in the next round, Erika," she remarked with a salute to her rival, who giggled. She looked back at the TV, which was now displaying each of the current matches, including the one in Heahea Arena for the moment. Bea and Mallow were facing each other, with the former having Hawlucha and Machamp up against the latter's Trevenant and Tsareena.
The Grass-type trial captain grimaced. Her opponent had given her a lot more trouble than she initially anticipated. And both of her Pokémon were already worn down.
"Trevenant, Phantom Force on Hawlucha!" she commanded, "Tsareena, Zen Headbutt on Machamp!" she ordered on. The Elder Tree Pokémon sunk into a thin purple portal that appeared beneath him, while his teammate rushed forward. She lowered her head as a purple energy began to form in front of her forehead, growing larger before forming into a shining blue sphere. Bea didn't seem deterred.
"Cross Chop!" she yelled. The Superpower Pokémon made her lower arms shine a bright orange as she crossed them. Once Tsareena closed in, she swiped at her, blowing her back in an instant. She crashed onto the sand, grimacing all the while.
"Tsareena!" Mallow cried out. Meanwhile, Trevenant reappeared, coming out from another purple portal behind Hawlucha. He swiped at the Wrestling Pokémon, who lurched forward a few feet, wincing a little from the blow.
"Machamp, Fire Punch!" Bea commanded. Trevenant didn't even more a moment of reprieve before he found himself struck in the face by the enflamed fists of the Superpower Pokémon, sending him crashing onto the sandy ground. He tried to bring him back up, but ultimately as a swirl was in his lone eye. Kahili made sure to get a good look at the fainted Elder Tree Pokémon before coming to a decision.
"Trevenant is unable to battle!" she confirmed, raising her left arm. The crowd cheered. Grimacing, Mallow returned Trevenant to his Nest Ball in a beam of red light.
"Thanks for working so hard, Trevenant," she said with gratitude, pocketing the spherical container before turning her focus back onto the battlefield, "Tsareena, are you okay?" she asked of the Fruit Pokémon, who was slow to stand back up on the sand.
"Sahree…" she huffed determinedly, brushing her hair-like leaves back.
"Okay, then go for Trop Kick!" her trainer ordered. With both of her tapered legs glowing a bright green, Tsareena rushed forward again.
"Hawlucha, Poison Jab!" Bea commanded, thrusting her left fist forward. The Wrestling Pokémon had the claws of his hands glow purple as he rushed in. He threw his right one out to intercept the Fruit Pokémon's right leg, resulting in a flurry of sparks before they both blew each other back. Though as Tsareena landed, a purple glow with sparks and bubbles appeared upon her body, indicating that she had been poisoned.
"Tsareena!" Mallow cried out.
"Now Flying Press!" the Galarian gym leader ordered. Hawlucha leapt into the air as an orange outline surrounded his body. He spun around and dove toward the wincing Tsareena, who didn't even have a moment to react as she was struck in a flurry of dust. After a few moments, the dust settled to reveal the Fruit Pokémon lying in a daze as her eyes were in swirls.
"Tsareena is unable to battle!" Kahili announced, raising her left arm again, "Therefore, the victor is Bea!" she confirmed, gesturing towards the Galarian gym leader and her Pokémon, "She advances to the third round!" she mentioned on. The crowd in the stadium cheered wildly. The barefooted girl exhaled a deep breath, tightening the bow of her uniform before respectfully bowing to Mallow, who blinked in surprise.
"That's my girl!" Rumi called out from the stands, laughing heartily at her daughter's victory. Overhearing her, Bea let off a tiny smile. Other battles were raging across the tournament grounds. Guzma's Scizor and Masquerain were up against a woman who had a Camerupt and a Swellow out in Hau'oli Arena, struggling somewhat as Hala watched as the referee curiously.
In Malie Arena, Hapu officiated a match between Trent and another trainer who had a Gastrodon and a Pelipper, with the dark green-haired boy using his Alolan Ninetales and Skarmory to battle. Pyrrha was pitted up against a man who had a Magnezone and an Alolan Raticate, but she seemed confident in herself, having her Ariados and Typhlosion fighting for her. Sunset watched on from the stands of Hokulani Arena, having just as much faith in her daughter.
"Noivern, Dragon Pulse!" Hau commanded from Konikoni Arena. The Sound Wave Pokémon was up in the air above the field, opening his mouth to release a multicolored beam of light in the shape of a dragon's head down toward a Torkoal below. However, a Sylveon suddenly leapt out in front of him, taking the attack harmlessly before landing down on the ground. "Tch!" the ponytailed boy scoffed in frustration, "Not again…!" he muttered out. His opponent was a girl who wore a red tank top with jean shorts and sandals, having blonde hair in long twin-tails.
"That Sylveon sure is trouble…" Leslie commented from the stands, sitting with her family aside from Erika, along with Sawyer and Lisanna.
"On top of Fairy-types not being affected by Dragon-type moves, Sylveon has a lot of power against both Noivern and Raichu…" Ash mentioned, folding his arms over his chest, "I'll be honest, I'm a little worried for Hau…" he admitted.
"Well I'm not," Sawyer affirmed to his surprise, "And neither is your own kid," he added, glancing over to Calvin.
"Come on, Hau!" he cheered from his seat, pumping his fist into the air. Down on the rocky field, the ponytailed boy was quickly trying to weigh his options in his head. Because of the Intertwining Pokémon, his partners hadn't been able to get many solid hits off on Torkoal.
'What would Eri or Cal do?' he wondered through his thoughts. He then brought his hands up and smacked his cheeks to regain his focus. 'I can't worry about it right now!' he affirmed inwardly, 'We just have to go with the flow for now!' he decided to himself.
"Raichu, Quick Attack!" he commanded.
"Ryy!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon responded, dashing forward in an instant as his body was outlined in white. The opposing trainer smirked.
"Sylveon, used Dazzling Gleam!" she ordered. A field of rainbow-colored energy shrouded the Intertwining Pokémon, expanding outward toward her incoming foe. He veered up and over it though, practically surfing along the energy before it dissipated.
"Go!" Hau yelled. Instantaneously, Raichu dashed down and slammed into Sylveon's back, pressing her down against the ground.
"Sylveon!" her trainer cried out, now starting to grimace herself, "Torkoal, Flamethrower!" she ordered of the Coal Pokémon. Rearing his head back, he then unleashed a stream of flames that were aimed for Raichu.
"Block them with Air Slash!" the ponytailed boy instructed. Up in the air, Noivern had his wings shine a bright blue, folding them before swinging them out to unleash disc-shaped blades of air. They intercepted the stream of fire, resulting in an explosion of smoke. The twin-tailed girl gnashed her teeth together in frustration, while her opponent smirked.
"Sylveon, Calm Mind!" she called out to the downed Intertwining Pokémon, "Torkoal, Shell Smash!" she instructed on. Gritting her teeth, Sylveon calmed herself as she closed her eyes, having a pinkish light waft off of her body before a reddish aura flowed up it, causing Raichu to perk up in surprise.
In the meantime, the Coal Pokémon became outlined in a white glow. A faint red light shrouded it before bursting apart like shattering glass. A bluish aura flowed down his body, but a reddish aura fiercely shot up. He expelled puffs of smoke from his nostrils, prepared to continue battling.
"Noivern, Dragon Pulse!" Hau ordered. Still in the air, the Sound Wave Pokémon opened his mouth and unleashed yet another multicolored beam of light in the shape of a dragon's head, heading toward Torkoal.
"Dodge it!" his trainer called out. Surprisingly, the Coal Pokémon flipped aside to avoid the beam as it struck the ground in a flurry of dust, much to the ponytailed boy's surprise as he gasped. "Now Sylveon, use Dazzling Gleam!" the opposing trainer commanded. Smirking, the Intertwining Pokémon suddenly had a rainbow-colored field of energy appear around her body, expanding outward and knocking Raichu off of her.
"Raichu!" Hau screamed. Fortunately, the Alolan Mouse Pokémon was quick to regain his balance in midair, floating alongside Noivern, who flapped his wings.
"They both just increased their offensive power, zzt…" Rotom worriedly noted from the stands.
"Hau's gonna have to figure out a way to end this battle quickly before either Sylveon or Torkoal land some strong moves…" Leslie pointed out.
"Peekah…" Pikachu squeaked in agreement, while Jangmo-o watched the battle continue intently.
"Raichu, Thunderbolt!" Hau commanded. The Alolan Mouse Pokémon had his cheeks spark with yellow electricity before he himself became enveloped in it, unleashing a bolt of lightning down toward Sylveon below.
"Moonblast!" the opposing trainer ordered. A golden aura shrouded the Intertwining Pokémon before she formed a pink orb of energy in front of herself. She fired it upward, striking the bolt of lightning in a fierce blast that shrouded the area in grey smoke.
"Noivern, let's blow 'em both away with Boomburst!" Hau called out to the Sound Wave Pokémon, getting his attention.
"Verrrr!" he screeched in response. His speaker-like ears started glowing a bright white as he then fired off a powerful blast of sound downward.
"Counter it with Heat Wave!" the opposing trainer shouted. Her Torkoal opened his mouth, having a ball of fire form in front of it. He then released a powerful wind of flames, colliding with the sound waves as a shockwave rang out from the impact. Rocks on the field shattered apart as people in the stands held their hands over their ears to block out the strong sound. Eventually, the flaming wind was starting to get pushed back. The twin-tailed girl gasped. "Sylveon, quick!" she called out, "Use Light Screen!" she instructed.
"Vee!" the Intertwining Pokémon responded, making her eyes shine a bright pink before a pink curved force field formed around her and her teammate. The sound waves from through the flaming wind, crashing into their targets. The effects were lessened, but they still were wincing from the force.
Eventually, Torkoal found himself sliding back a few feet. He suddenly was blown back, crashing into the remainder of the rocks. Both his teammate and their trainer gasped. When the dust settled, it revealed that there were swirls in his eyes as he groaned.
"Torkoal is unable to battle!" Olivia declared as she raised her right arm, being the referee. The twin-tailed girl grimaced.
"Sylveon, Moonblast!" she ordered. As the sound waves subsided, along with the pink force field, the Intertwining Pokémon again had a golden light waft about her body before she formed another orb of pink energy in front of her open mouth, having gathered energy from the moon. She fired it upward, striking Noivern as he screeched in pain, falling towards the ground. He managed to catch himself with a flap of his wings, landing down safely, but still wincing with agony.
"Ryyy…" Raichu growled out angrily, gnashing his teeth together.
"Raichu, Thunderbolt!" his trainer commanded. Electricity sparked all around the Alolan Mouse Pokémon as he fired off another bolt of lightning down toward Sylveon.
"Dazzling Gleam!" the opposing trainer ordered, enticing the Intertwining Pokémon to unleash a rainbow-colored energy field from her body. It expanded to block off the incoming bolt as a powerful explosion rang out afterwards, veiling her in smoke. She coughed, unable to see what was happening around her.
"Now Quick Attack!" Hau yelled out. From outside of the smoke, Raichu became outlined in white as he dashed about the cloud. He then shot into it, slamming into Sylveon before she could react, sending her flying out.
"Sylveon!" her trainer screamed, seeing her crash into the ground beside Torkoal. When the dust settled, it revealed that she had swirls in her eyes as well, groaning lowly.
"Sylveon is unable to battle!" Olivia announced after a moment, "Therefore, the victory goes to Hau!" she declared, gesturing toward the ponytailed boy as he started to smile, "He advances to the third round!" she affirmed on.
"Alright!" he exclaimed with an excited skip, running over to his two Pokémon as they happily embraced. The crowd cheered from the stands.
"Way to go, Hau!" Calvin called out.
"Guess that's both of our boys moving on," Ash remarked to Sawyer, who chuckled.
"Now we've gotta go and see if Erika gets through," Lisanna mentioned, earning a nod from her older sister. A few minutes later, Hau met up with the group outside of the arena.
"Thanks for coming to watch my match!" he said with gratitude as he shared a high five with Calvin, "I gotta admit, it was looking a little dicey back there…" he admitted, sheepishly scratching at his right cheek.
"Your match went a lot better than mine did…" his fellow trial-goer noted, "Allister had me and my team on the ropes…" he confessed with a chuckle.
"But you two pulled through," Leslie commented as she approached, getting their attentions.
"Now we've gotta see just how well Erika does," Ash affirmed.
"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement. The group then headed off for Heahea Arena, where the Ketchum girl's match was soon to come…
X
"The victory goes to Paige!" Kahili announced from the sandy field, gesturing toward the silvery-haired girl, who was with her Mandibuzz and Mudsdale, "She advances to the third round!" the referee mentioned. The trial-goer pumped her fists with a grin. Having seen the result of the match from the locker room, Erika smiled. She took a deep breath before standing up, heading over to her designated tunnel. Watching her from afar was Selene, who was still seated at her locker. She balled her hands into fists over her knees, closing her eyes in thought for a moment.
She remembered what the Ketchum girl had told her back after their battle in the Aether Tournament. As much as she appreciated her kind offer to battle again, she was admittedly conflicted. She had been a part of something that was essentially evil that Erika despised. Did she hate her now?
It didn't seem like it, but… Deciding not to think too much about it, Selene got onto her feet and headed to her designated tunnel. Her match with the Ketchum girl was apparently the last one of the day in Heahea Arena. So she would be sure to give the crowd a good match.
"Hey, you're just in time!" Rumi called out to arriving group of Ash and the others, who perked up in surprise to see her and Bea there in the standing area, "Your kid's the one up next, right?" she guessed.
"Yeah," the Pokémon Master responded with a nod. In the meantime, the Galarian gym leader looked over curiously at Calvin and Hau.
"Uh… hi there…" the capped boy greeted with an awkward wave, "You must be Bea, right?" he assumed, earning a nod in reply from the barefooted girl.
"And you're the one who defeated Allister," she mentioned, "He's a gym leader in the same city where I host my matches," she added on.
"Oh, really?" Calvin said, blinking in surprise, "That's interesting…" he noted curiously.
"So Erika'zzz got the last match of the day at Heahea, zzt?" Rotom buzzed in question, floating over to the railing as Leslie walked up.
"Knowing her, she's really raring to go…" she pointed out.
"Jah, jangg!" Jangmo-o yipped, getting their attentions. They looked down to the field to see Erika herself walking out to her position.
"There she is!" Hau exclaimed as he grabbed onto the railing, "Good luck, Eri!" he called out to her. Overhearing, the Ketchum girl flashed a smile towards the group, waving to them. She then took her position, looking to see Selene step over on the other side. Kahili looked to both competitors and nodded.
"Trainers, this is a double battle with no substitutions at any time," she explained to them, "Please select your chosen Pokémon at the same time!" she instructed. Immediately, both girls readied a pair of Poké Balls in their hands, enlarging them with a press of their buttons. Erika noticed that the Aether Foundation had a Great Ball and a Dive Ball.
"Lurantis! Oricorio! Let's go!" the Ketchum girl exclaimed, firing her spherical containers forward.
"Primeape, Starmie!" Selene yelled before flinging her own Poké Balls out onto the sandy field. All of them burst open, with their lights spilling forth onto the ground, coming into form. Those on Erika's side dissipated to reveal the Bloom Sickle Pokémon and the Dancing Pokémon.
"Lurrraaahhh!" the former squeaked out.
"Koree~!" the latter sang, having assumed her Baile Style prior to the battle. On the other side of the field, the lights there dissipated to reveal the likes of the Mysterious Pokémon and the Pig Monkey Pokémon.
"Hahn!" the former exclaimed.
"Pryyyy!" the latter screeched out, having steam puff out from his nostrils.
"Starmie and Primeape?" Calvin listed off in confusion.
"Those aren't Pokémon I'd picture someone like Miss Selene with…" Hau admitted as he and his cousin shared a look. Erika was a little surprised herself. Not only did her opponent have different Pokémon than she imagined, but they were also not nicknamed like she expected. Something told her that this match was going to be a lot more difficult than she anticipated.
"And…" Kahili began as she raised her right arm, "BEGIN!" she exclaimed, swinging her arm down.
"Let's kick this off with Sunny Day, Lurantis!" Erika called out.
"Lurraahh~!" the Bloom Sickle Pokémon sang raising her head to the sky above. The sunlight suddenly harshened, causing many in the stands to reflexively shield their eyes.
"Her Lurantis learned Sunny Day?" Mirajane inquired as she squinted a little.
"That's a good start for her!" Leslie commented, "Not only is she boosting any Fire-type attacks Oricorio has, but she's also weakening any Water-type moves from Starmie!" she pointed out.
"I don't know if that'zzz for the best, zzt…" Rotom admitted, getting her attention. She saw it gesture down toward the sandy field. The Bloom Sickle Pokémon let out a long yawn as her eyelids started to droop a little.
"Hey! Lurantis!" Erika called out, causing her eyes to shoot open, "I know the sunlight's nice, but we're in middle of a battle!" she noted seriously.
"L-Luraahhh…" the Bloom Sickle Pokémon stuttered with embarrassment.
'Sunlight, hm?' Selene inwardly noted, 'I guess we'll have to do what we can until then…' she realized through her thoughts, taking on a determined expression.
"Starmie, Thunderbolt!" she commanded. The Mysterious Pokémon suddenly leapt up, having yellow electricity crackle around its body before unleashing a bolt of lightning down toward Oricorio.
"Revelation Dance!" Erika ordered. With flames flickering off of her feathers, the Dancing Pokémon spun around before unleashing a searing fireball. It collided with the incoming bolt of lightning, resulting in an explosion that veiled the air above with smoke.
"Primeape, use Close Combat on Lurantis!" Selene yelled.
"Pryyy!" the Pig Monkey Pokémon screeched in response, rushing forward.
"Oricorio, Air Slash!" the Ketchum girl commanded. The Dancing Pokémon was quick to make her wings shine a bright blue, folding them in and then swinging them out to unleash several disc-shaped blades of air towards her incoming foe. However, Primeape weaved past them all, closing in on Lurantis. Erika grimaced. "X-Scissor!" she shouted.
The Bloom Sickle Pokémon had her scythe-like arms shine a bright yellowish-green as she crossed them, using them to counter her foe's punch with his right fist. He then followed up with a barrage of punches of kicks, all of which she barely managed to parry before finding herself knocked down. She looked up to see her opponent ready to land a devastating punch onto her.
"Air Slash!" Erika ordered. Oricorio made only her right wing glow a bright blue before swinging it out again, unleashing another flurry of disc-shaped air blades. The unaware Primeape found himself bombarded by them, getting knocked away.
"Starmie, Psychic!" Selene called out. The jewel upon the Mysterious Pokémon shined a bright pink before the same energy outlined both Oricorio and Lurantis, who found themselves unable to move because of its psychic hold on them. "Now Primeape, Outrage!" the Aether Foundation employee commanded.
Getting back onto his feet, the Pig Monkey Pokémon's eyes flashed red before a reddish aura wafted off of his body. He then charged in and bombarded both of his opponents, attacking them relentlessly. Erika grimaced, sweating a little.
"That Primeape's pretty incredible…" Hau commented.
"Yeah…" Calvin agreed.
"What's Erika supposed to do here?" Leslie wondered aloud, while Jangmo-o watched on intently. The Pig Monkey Pokémon landed yet another furious punch to Oricorio's face, making her fall down hard onto the sound. Her trainer balled her hands into fists, trying to think of a solution.
"Lurantis, Petal Blizzard!" she commanded, pumping her right fist forward. Perking up, the Bloom Sickle Pokémon had a flurry of pink flower petals swirl around herself. She then swung her arms, making them fly out at Primeape, knocking him away as he tumbled back along the sand. "Nice!" the Ketchum girl exclaimed happily.
"Starmie, Ice Beam!" Selene suddenly commanded, causing Erika to gasp in shock. The Mysterious Pokémon formed a light blue ball of energy in front of its jewel, unleashing several zigzagging streaks of light from it. They all converged onto Lurantis, striking her squarely in the chest in a burst of steam.
"Lurantis!" Erika screamed out.
"Ice Beam and Thunderbolt…" Sawyer listed off, "That Starmie definitely covers for some of its big weaknesses…" he noted aloud.
"Come on, Erika!" his wife cheered.
"You've got this, sweetie!" Mirajane yelled on in tandem with her little sister. As the steam cleared, it revealed Lurantis wincing from the blow she had taken, looking at the steam wafting off of her chest. She growled as she glared toward Starmie.
"Lurantis, use Solar Blade!" her trainer commanded. Absorbing sunlight into herself, the Bloom Sickle Pokémon formed a yellow ball of light in front of herself. Thanks to the bright sun above, she was quickly able to raise her right arm to turn the ball of light into a blade, enveloping her appendage. Selene grimaced.
"Primeape, Rain Dance!" she called out. However, she saw the Pig Monkey Pokémon stumbling around, confused from fatigue as of using Outrage, unable to properly respond.
"GOOOOO!" Erika yelled. Lurantis swung the blade of light down, slamming it fiercely onto Starmie in a huge burst of sand, veiling the area momentarily. The Ketchum girl smirked, thinking that the Mysterious Pokémon had to have been defeated from such a powerful move. But to her shock, it was still standing as the sand settled. Along with that, Primeape had seemingly recovered from his confusion, having been awoken from the shockwave of the last attack.
"Primeape, Rain Dance! Starmie, Hydro Pump!" Selene instructed of her Pokémon.
"PRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" the Pig Monkey Pokémon screeched up into the air. All of a sudden, dark clouds gathered above before rain started to pour out onto the field. In that same moment, the Mysterious Pokémon leapt up and unleashed a powerful blast of water from its jewel, heading toward Oricorio. Lurantis quickly jumped out to take the attack, defending her teammate while also trying to endure the water. Unfortunately, she and the Dancing Pokémon found themselves blown back, tumbling along the wet sand.
"Lurraahhh…" the Bloom Sickle Pokémon grumbled out as she stood back up alongside Oricorio.
"That's it, you two!" their trainer called out to them reassuringly, "We can still do this!" she affirmed on. They both nodded in response, ready to continue.
"Primeape, Close Combat!" Selene ordered, enticing the Pig Monkey Pokémon to charge in on his foes again.
"Blow him away with Hurricane and Petal Blizzard!" Erika yelled. With her wings shining a bright blue again, Oricorio flapped them mightily, creating a twister that enveloped the incoming Primeape as he screeched in surprise, getting whisked into the wind.
"Primeape!" his trainer cried out. In the meantime, Lurantis had pink flower petals swirl about her body before swinging her arms to have them fly into the tornado. Now the Pig Monkey Pokémon was not only getting struck by the raging wind, but also the petals that raced by.
"Nice one, Eri!" Hau called out from the stands.
"That Rain Dance ended up working in her favor, huh?" Leslie noted, giving off an impressed grin. Meanwhile, Selene grimaced a little.
"Starmie, pull Primeape out with Psychic!" she instructed of the Mysterious Pokémon. It made its jewel shine a bright pink before psychically grasping its teammate, yanking him out from the torrent of wind and setting him gently onto the sand. He fell onto his hands and knees, evidently exhausted from the bombardment he just suffered.
"Oricorio, Air Slash!" Erika commanded. With her wings glowing a bright blue, the Dancing Pokémon flapped them to release another flurry of disc-shaped air blades towards her foes. Starmie leapt out of the way, but Primeape was left to take the blades head on in a burst of smoke. Once it subsided, it revealed him lying on his back with swirls in his eyes.
"Primeape is unable to battle!" Kahili announced, raising her left arm momentarily. Selene quickly returned the fainted Pig Monkey Pokémon to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light. She nodded to the spherical container before placing it back into her pocket.
"Hydro Pump!" she commanded to her Starmie, who leapt up and unleashed a powerful blast of water from its jewel, heading toward Oricorio again.
"Lurantis, block it!" Erika instructed. Like before, the Bloom Sickle Pokémon leapt out to defend her teammate from the gush of water, enduring it as best she could while sliding back along the wet sand.
"Lurrraaaahhh…!" she growled out. Her trainer grimaced, trying to think of a solution as she felt pelted by the raindrops coming from above. And then she blinked in realization.
"Sunny Day, quick!" she yelled. Lurantis' eyes shot open.
"Lurrraaaaahhh~!" she sang up into the air. All of a sudden, the sky parted as sunlight beamed down. The gushing water washing over the Bloom Sickle Pokémon lessened in strength, allowing for her to spread her arms to make it splash apart.
"Alright, Lurantis!" Calvin cheered.
"Huh," Rumi huffed, sounding impressed, "Not bad," she remarked with a grin.
"She could've used Sunny Day again sooner…" Lisanna noted.
"Better late than never," her older sister retorted in reply, sharing a giggle with her. Meanwhile, steam emitted from the field as the harsh sunlight continued to beam down.
"Ergh…" Selene growled in frustration as she shielded her eyes, "Starmie, Ice Beam!" she ordered. The Mysterious Pokémon had a light blue ball of energy form in front of its jewel, unleashing several zigzagging beams of light from it.
"Oricorio, Revelation Dance!" Erika commanded. With her feathers flickering with embers once more, the Dancing Pokémon formed a fireball upon their tips, firing it out instantly to counter the incoming beams in a burst of steam. "Lurantis, use Solar Blade!" the Ketchum girl ordered on, pumping both of her fists forward.
The Bloom Sickle Pokémon gathered energy from the harsh sunlight above into a yellow mass of light in front of herself. She then lifted her right arm as the luminosity formed into a blade, cloaking the appendage. Just as the steam cleared, Starmie saw the blade of light coming down to it. Without a moment to react, it was struck fiercely in a flurry of dust. Everyone looked on with bated breath, waiting for the dust to settle. When it finally did, it revealed the Mysterious Pokémon lying on its back in a daze. Kahili quickly went over to assess its condition before confirming the result.
"Starmie is unable to battle!" she confirmed, raising her left arm, "Therefore, the victory goes to Erika!" she declared as she gestured to the Ketchum girl and her Pokémon, "She advances to the third round!" she mentioned. The crowd broke out into a plethora of cheers.
"Way to go, Erika!" Calvin cheered from the stands.
"Yeah, that was awesome!" Hau complimented loudly.
"That Sunny Day strategy wazzz amazing, zzt!" Rotom buzzed. Back on the field, Selene returned her Starmie to its Dive Ball in a beam of red light, looking at it somewhat solemnly. It wasn't as if she wanted to win, but she felt like that she hadn't given Erika the battle she deserved after all. With a sigh, she put her spherical container away, about to walk off without another word.
"Hey, Selene!" the Ketchum girl called out, getting her attention as she turned to see her former opponent jog over, "Thanks for the great battle!" she exclaimed with gratitude, "I got caught pretty off guard when you pulled out that Rain Dance with Primeape…" she admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.
"You… enjoyed our battle?" the Aether Foundation employee inquired, sounding surprised. Erika blinked twice.
"Uh, yeah, why wouldn't I?" she questioned back in response with a smile. Selene gave off a surprised expression before lowering her gaze.
"I was… a part of horrible things that took place not too long ago…" she recalled solemnly, "I don't think there's more I can do to apologize for everything, but…" she admitted on, trembling a little, "but… I…" she tried to say, only for the Ketchum girl to put a hand onto her shoulder, giving her a reassuring grin.
"You're forgiven," she said, "And I'm sure everyone else will forgive you, too," she added assuredly to her shock, "You're a good person!" she affirmed with a giggle. Selene was admittedly stunned by all that Erika was saying to her. Tears pricked her eyes. But she smiled.
"Thank you, Erika," she responded with gratitude. The two then shook hands, happy for their continuing friendship.
X
"Huh…" Erika sighed later that evening as the sun was in the midst of setting, "I can't believe I ended up being the last match of the day at Heahea…" she grumbled out, trudging on alongside Calvin and Hau through the plaza, while their families walked after them.
"That was still a pretty amazing battle, Eri!" the ponytailed boy complimented.
"Yeah!" the capped boy agreed, "You sure showed your stuff out there," he remarked to his twin sister, who chuckled a little.
"Thanks," she said with gratitude.
"Hey!" Rotom buzzed, getting their attentions, "It lookzzz like they're about to announce the third round matchupzzz!" it confirmed, gesturing toward one of the big screens nearby. Everyone looked over to see the cards of the remaining 128 trainers in the tournament getting shuffled before pairs were set into 64 boxes spanning the screen. They flipped over to reveal the matches. Both Calvin and Erika blinked in shock upon seeing their matches. The former was up against Ilima, while the latter was going to face Plumeria. Already, the third round was looking to be very interesting…
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
And that ends the Double Battle round! Hope you guys are still enjoying the story thus far. I feel like I've been able to get a good amount done this week and beyond. Anyways, we'll be returning to "Reality" next week, but here's a summary for this story's next chapter to hold you over for the time being!
SUMMARY
The third round introduces triple battles to the Lanakila Conference! Calvin faces Ilima in what looks to be an intense battle, especially as Ilima has a secret weapon in store…!
Meanwhile, Erika faces Plumeria! Will she be able to overcome her foe's Poison-type Pokémon?!
END SUMMARY
See you guys next time!