Alola, everyone! We're back to more of the Lanakila Conference for this chapter! Last time we left off Erika managed to scrape by Plumeria to win her third round match! Now we're onto the fourth round! And if you all remembered, it's going to be Battle Royals!
So how will the Ketchum twins make their way there? Well, I think it's time for us to find out! Enjoy!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
"Honestly, that last match was such a nail-biter," a woman sitting at a desk alongside two men and one woman on a TV screen admitted, "You would've thought that Plumeria and her team had it in the bag once all of Erika's Pokémon were left poisoned," she pointed out. She was a slender woman with tan skin, blue eyes, and wild black hair with many yellow hair pins in it. She wore a midriff-baring yellow top with long sleeves and lacy white trim around her neck and cleavage, along with blue skinny jeans and yellow high heels. She also had trimmed, sparkling nails and a golden navel piercing.
"Statistically, it did seem rather impossible for Erika to overcome the odds of dealing with both the poison to her Pokémon and the fact that Plumeria's team took advantage of the circumstances in multiple ways," another man at the desk explained, "Toxapex, for example, was probably the biggest threat to Erika's entire team," he noted, "That was a very calculated choice on her part to have him go down first," he mentioned. He was a pale, teal-eyed man with black slick hair, with the top being green. Unlike most people, his eyes were half-shut. He wore a teal tie, which had a white button, over his black shirt with white sleeves. He also had a teal belt, green shorts and black shoes.
"I don't know if that completely absolves her from her mistakes during that match," the other woman at the table chimed in honestly, "Yes, Toxapex was a huge threat to her team," she pointed out, "but she made things more difficult for herself by not taking advantage of her Primarina's type advantage to take care of Salazzle," she told her colleagues, "If she had her defeated, then Sandslash wouldn't have been able to get poisoned at all…" she noted with her arms folded over her chest. She was a classy and fashionable old woman with fair skin, purple hair, and red eyes. She wore a white turtleneck, a red jacket with gray rings, and long red shorts with a black Poké Ball symbol, along with purple tights and long black boots with tall white heels. To complete her outfit, she donned black gloves, red-framed sunglasses, and circular blue earrings, pairing them all with purple lipstick.
"I'm still somewhat baffled as to why she brought Primarina into the battle in the first place…" the other man seated with them admitted, "Surely, Erika should have known going in that Plumeria would resort to Poison-type Pokémon, yes?" he assumed. He was an elegant man who had black hair with a blonde stripe on his middle part. He wore a white buttoned shirt with his black suit top, as well as purple pants and black shoes. He also donned white gloves, a pair of square glasses, a black bowtie and carried a golden watch. Watching the broadcast while seated at a table was none other than the Ketchum girl herself, who slouched tiredly in her seat and groaned.
"They're really tearing into me, huh…" she grumbled out.
"There, there, sweetie," Mirajane said reassuringly, patting her shoulder. After the exciting third round had ended, both the Ketchum and Hughes families gathered together for dinner down in Tapu Village. Erika was still a bit winded from her battle, but found her appetite as she ate away at the food on her plate.
"I would've guessed Mister Palmer would be on the analysis team since it's Sinnoh's Battle Frontier…" Leslie admitted, looking over at the TV screen.
"Pretty sure he's in the middle of trying to make a run for Cynthia's title…" her father noted, slurping down his noodles.
"Pika, peekah," Pikachu squeaked, eating away at Pokémon Food alongside Mimi and Jangmo-o.
"So we're down to sixty-four trainers as we hit the fourth round," Dahlia pointed out from the TV, "Any favorites from you guys?" she asked of her colleagues.
"I'm intrigued to see the rest of Gladion's team as we move onward," Darach admitted in response, "Silvally aside, others of the team are proving to be quite the force leading into the fourth round," he told them.
"I'm honestly liking both Guzma and Pyrrha thus far," Argenta admitted, "Yes, I know Guzma's one of those trainers that relies on generally Bug-types, but he has a good variety of them," she pointed out, "On top of that, his Golisopod has been very productive, having earned the three victories that's brought his trainer this far," she mentioned.
"And Pyrrha has excelled, I'd argue," Thorton chimed in, "She is one of the few trainers in this tournament to have not had a single Pokémon in battle faint thus far," he pointed out, "Now granted, that isn't an impressive feat through just three rounds, it's still a sign of her ability to maintain a strong team," he explained thoroughly.
"What about you, Dahlia?" Argenta asked of her fellow female Frontier Brain.
"Well, I like the underdogs!" she replied, "Obviously, the Ketchum twins have been super fun to watch, and I can see both of them making it to the quarterfinals," she told her colleagues, "That said, there's still a lot of competition with tomorrow's round going to end with just sixteen competitors left," she noted.
"Battle Royals seem to be especially tricky for those not native to Alola," Thorton added, "Like how triple battles are a Unovan staple, these types of matches can be unforgiving to those completely unaware of how they're conducted," he explained.
"I don't know if that'll be the challenge," Darach chimed in, raising his left hand, "This round will be featuring sixteen matches in Manalo Stadium for the first time," he pointed out, "There's going to be a lot more added pressure to the competitors up on that stage with all those fans cheering," he told his fellow Frontier Brains.
"But vice versa, it can also hype them up," Dahlia argued, giggling a little, "I think we're just about done for today," she confirmed, turning to the camera, "This is the Sinnoh Battle Frontier, wishing the trainers of Alola good luck the rest of the way!" she remarked in farewell, waving goodbye. The screen then changed to show the array of the remaining 64 trainers' cards.
"That reminds me, they haven't revealed the fourth round matchups, have they?" Lisanna asked.
"I think they're saving that for tomorrow since it's taking place in Manalo Stadium for the first time," her husband replied.
"So we won't know who we're up against until it's time…" Calvin realized as he stared at his food in deep thought. Hau was uncharacteristically quiet as well, looking just as hyper-focused.
"Uh… guys?" Leslie chimed in, trying to get their attentions. The two boys were completely oblivious to everything happening around them, trying to think of strategies for tomorrow's round.
"Heyyy!" a familiar voice called out, snapping them away from their thoughts as they perked up and looked over to see Pyrrha jogging over, with her mother, Rumi and Bea tailing behind, "Congrats on the big victory, Erika!" she complimented to the Ketchum girl, who was still stuffing her mouth full of food.
"Fanks…" she muffled out in gratitude, swallowing her food with a big gulp, "I'm just glad we got out of that battle in the end…" she admitted.
"It put Pyrrha on the edge of her seat for sure," Sunset chimed in, coming over and putting a hand onto her daughter's shoulder.
"M-Mom…" she stammered in embarrassment, blushing a little.
"So, does anyone wanna grab some ice cream at Malie Garden later to celebrate our Top Sixty-Four kids?" the Equestrian Magic user suggested to the group.
"Yeah, that'd be awesome!" Hau exclaimed, shooting up from his seat.
"Thank you, Miss Sunset!" Calvin added in gratitude as he stood up as well.
"Heh!" Rumi chuckled, "Bet somethin' sweet'll get ya to smile for once," she remarked to her daughter, who slightly widened her eyes and blushed.
"M-Mother…" she stuttered with embarrassment, turning her head away.
"You gonna come too, Erika?" Pyrrha inquired of her friend, who drank her glass of water quickly.
"Yeah, sure!" she confirmed in reply. As she got up, she suddenly felt something grab at her right shoe. She looked back in surprise to find Jangmo-o having bitten it, trying to pull her back. "What's wrong, Jangmo-o?" she inquired of the Scaly Pokémon, crouching down to his eye level as he let go of her.
"Jah, mo!" he responded, nodding furiously.
"Hm?" his trainer uttered in confusion. Leslie chuckled as she got up from her seat and approached.
"I get the feeling Jangmo-o wants to try and train with you," she noted to her little sister.
"Jahng!" the Scaly Pokémon confirmed, nodding again.
"Well… I don't know if I'll be able to get you ready for the rest of the tournament…" Erika admitted to him, "but yeah, I'll definitely help you practice a little," she promised. Jangmo-o's eyes sparkled with delight as he hopped up and down excitedly.
"Guess that means we'll see you tomorrow, Eri!" Hau concluded with a chuckle, "We're gonna all do our best!" he proclaimed, pumping his right fist up.
"Yeah," Calvin agreed as he nodded. They headed off to the Ride Pokémon station, ready to head over to Malie Garden for the evening.
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
Royal-ty!
"Ma, cut it out already!" Gordie insisted while seated at a picnic table in the Malie Garden, where several people were already gathered at the ice cream stand, "I get wanting to celebrate the fact I'm in the Top Sixty-Four, but I don't wanna go all-out with pics like Raihan would!" he complained. Seated across from him was a large, plump woman with fair skin, blue eyes, and lightly painted fingernails. She had voluminous light gray hair that fell to her hips, along with a grayish-blue streak and a single unruly bang. For clothing, she wore thick clothes suitable for cold weather. Her outfit consisted of a white turtleneck sweater with the Ice-type and Gym Challenge symbols on it, a puffy white scarf, and a large white wool hat. She also wore blue-gray tights with white patterns and white shorts with a black design, the number 361, and the Ice-type symbol on them. To complete her outfit, she had long white boots and a white and black glove on her right hand. She giggled as she held a blue smartphone in her hand.
"Now Gordie, you should be celebrating the fact that you're already so far ahead in this tournament," she insisted, "Who knows?" she mentioned, "You might end up getting the chance to make it all the way…" she noted.
"Ma, you're jinxing me!" he complained again. He then blinked in surprise as he spotted Calvin, Hau, Pyrrha and Bea walking towards the ice cream stand. "Oh, Bea!" he called out, getting the attention of his fellow gym leader and the others as they looked over to see him jog over to them, "Celebrating tonight?" he assumed, putting his hands onto his hips.
"In a way…" the barefooted girl responded as she glanced off to the side, "Everyone, this is Gordie," she introduced, gesturing toward him, "He's a gym leader like me back in Galar," she told the group.
"Galar?" Calvin and Hau both repeated in confusion.
"It's our region where we host the Gym Challenge for trainers there," Gordie explained, "Anyways, nice to meet ya!" he greeted, holding his right hand out. The Ketchum boy took it, shaking it firmly. "So you guys are all gonna be challengers for me pretty soon, huh?" he assumed with a grin.
"We shall see," Bea replied, "They've yet to announce the specific matchups for tomorrow," she pointed out, walking over to the ice cream stand.
'She really wants those sweets, huh?' Pyrrha noted inwardly, letting a small drop of sweat trickle down the side of her head.
"How do you think everyone's gonna get matched up?" Hau inquired of his cousin, getting his attention.
"No clue…" he admitted in response, folding his arms over his chest and putting his hand onto his chin, "It'll probably just be random like before," he assumed with a shrug.
"Guys, let's not worry so much about it!" Pyrrha insisted as she stepped out in front of them, getting their attentions, "We've got ice cream to fill our bellies with!" she pointed out, "Come on!" she beckoned, taking them by their arms and dragging them off. Back at the rest area of Mount Lanakila, Erika was out on the practice field with both Jangmo-o and Starbright.
"Jangmo-o, Dragon Tail!" she commanded.
"Jah!" the Scaly Pokémon responded as he charged forward. A green, scale-patterned aura shrouded his tail as he leapt out and swung it at the Clefable, who merely stood there to take the attack as it struck, not affecting her in the slightest. Her opponent leapt back, growling a little.
"Why are you making him uzzze a Dragon-type move on Starbright, zzt?" Rotom asked, floating beside its user.
"I don't wanna wear Starbright out before the next round," she answered, "And plus, it's still good practice for him to use his moves more often," she pointed out additionally, "What other moves does Jangmo-o have, actually?" she asked curiously.
"With Dragon Tail, he has Iron Defense and Headbutt," the Pokédex listed in response.
"No fourth move yet?" Erika inquired, arching an eyebrow, "Well, we'll get there someday…" she affirmed with a shrug as she walked over, "That's enough for now, Jangmo-o," she called out, getting the Scaly Pokémon's attention. He ran back over to her like an excited puppy, standing on his hind legs and putting his front ones onto his trainer's leg.
"He seemzzz a lot nicer than he wazzz before, zzt…" Rotom noted curiously.
"I guess it's because he's excited to try and battle someday," the Ketchum girl said, crouching down to pick up Jangmo-o and hold him in her arms, "Maybe not for this tournament, but definitely later down the line," she mentioned with a giggle.
"Cleh fay!" Starbright squeaked in agreement.
"Well, there's the star of today!" a familiar voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they saw Kukui approaching them.
"Professor!" Erika exclaimed in surprise.
"Alola, Erika," he greeted, "That was some battle you had against Plumeria!" he complimented, putting his hands onto his hips.
"Uh, I wouldn't say that…" the Ketchum girl admitted as a response, sheepishly scratching at her right cheek. The professor chuckled.
"Still, you really showed some fire and determination in that match," he noted to her, "It might've been tough, but you made it through," he affirmed, putting a hand onto her left shoulder, "You and your team," he added with a grin.
"Thanks, Professor Kukui," Erika said in gratitude.
"If it isn't one of the bright young stars of this competition!" another voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they turned to see Rose walking over alongside Oleana.
"Rose…" Kukui uttered, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"He'zzz the Pokémon League Federation'zzz Chairman…" Rotom noted quietly to Erika, who nodded as she recalled seeing the man at the opening ceremonies.
"I must say, that was a very compelling battle today!" he complimented, "As expected of one of Ash Ketchum's children!" he mentioned to the trial-goer's surprise.
"Hey, Rose…" Kukui said, getting the chairman's attention, "She's not just Ash's kid," he pointed out in somewhat of a reprimanding tone.
"Oh, I know, I know…" he repeated in understanding, "Still, it makes sense how she would get this far, wouldn't it?" he assumed as he approached the young girl, "Though I have to admit, your talents surprise me even more than your father's did," he confessed to her.
"Oh, uh… thanks…" she replied with gratitude.
"Hmm…" Rose hummed curiously, taking notice of both Jangmo-o and Starbright, "Perhaps there might be future for you in the Galar Region," he inferred, making her blink in surprise, "Though this year's Gym Challenge is well over, I'm sure you'd be a fierce competitor in the next one," he affirmed, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "I think you would be perfect to challenge our region's gyms!" he stated with a smile.
"Your gyms?" the Ketchum girl repeated as she blinked.
"Fayyy…" her Clefable hummed out of concern.
"I strongly suggest you think about it," the PLF chairman advised, "You can give me your answer after the tournament," he assured on with a smile, walking off. He noticed Kukui giving him a look, but paid no mind to it. However, Oleana did as she glared daggers into the professor, making him flinch in surprise as she walked past him.
"Sheesh…" he grumbled out.
"Professor?" Erika said, getting his attention as he saw her walk up to him, "Is something wrong?" she asked of him.
"Huh…" he sighed, "Honestly, I should've expected it with the PLF's help…" he started to say, "but I'm not a big fan of how extravagant Rose is making this…" he confessed, sounding frustrated, "I'm even less of a fan of how he's trying to draw kids like you to Galar…" he added.
"Have you been to that region, Profezzzor?" Rotom asked as it floated over.
"Yeah," he answered with a nod, "Galar really loves their gyms…" he recalled as he looked up to the stadium at the peak of Mount Lanakila, "Their stadiums are as big as ours," he pointed out.
"Whoa…" Erika uttered in amazement just from thinking about it. She then lowered her gaze in thought before turning back to the professor. "I'm not going to go to Galar," she stated firmly to his surprise, "At least… not when it's not my choice to go for whatever I want to do," she corrected in explanation.
"Erika…" Kukui said. He then let off a smile. "Good on you," he remarked, putting a hand onto her shoulder again, "Show off that passion that burns like a Blast Burn tomorrow!" he insisted of her.
"I will!" she promised in response.
X
"Come on, we're gonna miss the ceremony!" Leslie called out, hurrying down the tunnel into Manalo Stadium.
"Slow down, Leslie!" Ash yelled back, jogging after her alongside Mirajane, Pikachu, Rotom, and Jangmo-o, "We're all excited, too!" he pointed out. The Ketchum family and the Pokémon arrived at the end of the tunnel, marveling the sight ahead of them. The stadium was already packed with fans, who were waving banners and signs all around.
"Over here!" a voice called out to the family, getting their attentions as they saw Lisanna waving to them, being with Sawyer, Sunset, Rumi, and Melony in a row of seats.
"Thanks for saving us seats, Lisanna!" Mirajane exclaimed with gratitude as she sat down with her husband, "We got a little sidetracked on the way here…" she admitted sheepishly.
"It's no biggie!" her sister assured in response, "They haven't even started the opening ceremonies yet," she pointed out.
"Wonder if we're gonna get another performance from the Gabenas?" Leslie inquired curiously, causing Ash to blink in surprise.
"Hey, Leslie…" he said, sounding embarrassed. His wife and Pikachu giggled to his dismay.
"Jah, jang moh!" Jangmo-o squeaked excitedly, causing them to perk up as they saw that he was looking down at the arena below. Coming out of the tunnels were the 64 remaining challengers. Among Calvin and Erika, there were Hau, Pyrrha, Paige, Trent, Gladion, Lana, Mallow, Acerola, Mina, Guzma, Ryuki, Bea, and Gordie.
"Heh," Rumi chuckled, "I bet my kid's gonna get through to the next round, no sweat," she boasted to Melony, who blinked in surprise.
"Oh, so we're making bets now, hm?" she assumed with an ominous giggle.
"So we've got Melony joining us today, huh?" Sawyer noted quietly with a drop of sweat trickling down the side of his head.
"Well, her son is in the tournament…" his wife pointed out. Down on the field itself, the 64 trainers gathered together as at the center, Kukui stood with a microphone in his hand.
"Trainers, welcome to the fourth round of the Lanakila Conference!" he yelled out, causing the crowd to erupt into a flurry of cheers, "Today, you'll all be partaking in an Alolan tradition to bring the competition down to sixteen!" he told the competitors, "The Battle Royal!" he exclaimed. Fireworks went off around the stadium as a few people stared up at them in awe. Just then, the multiple big screens around the arena flashed on. "The rules of a Battle Royal are simple," the professor continued, "Four trainers will compete in a free-for-all match, where the last Pokémon standing wins," he explained, "Additionally, each of you only have access to one Pokémon in the Battle Royal," he mentioned, causing some in the crowd of trainers to tense up slightly.
"So only one Pokémon per trainer, huh?" Leslie said, putting her right hand onto her chin, "That makes it pretty difficult to decide on who's best to handle that kind of battle…" she noted.
"I get the feeling that Calvin and Erika'll be fine," her father affirmed confidently.
"Now then…" Kukui began as he held his right hand up, "let's announce today's matches!" he declared. The big screens then displayed the cards of each of the 64 trainers. They were flipped over so that no one could see who was who before being shuffled about. Then, they were placed into 16 groups of four. Everyone watched with bated breath to see what matches there would be. The cards flipped over.
Calvin lightly gasped as he saw that he would get to battle against both Milo and Acerola in his match. Erika took notice of Mina being her opponent for her battle. There was some nervous murmuring amidst the trainers in the crowd, but some remained completely confident.
"We'll begin the first match shortly!" Kukui announced to the crowd's delight as they cheered. The first battle was going to feature Bea and Lana, along with two other trainers.
"Alright!" Rumi exclaimed as she shot up to her feet, "My girl's gonna kick ass out there!" she declared proudly.
"R-Rumi…" Ash stammered. Overhearing her mother, the barefooted girl sighed with a tiny smile. She adjusted the bow beneath her bust before taking on a determined expression.
"Good luck, Bea!" Pyrrha called out as she and the other trainers returned to the locker rooms for the time being. Meanwhile, the first match competitors took their positions. Floating down toward the middle of the arena was a bright green drone that had a Rotom-shaped head with four propellers.
"The first match of the Lanakila Conference's fourth round between Bea, Lana, Markus, and Tyrese will now begin," it buzzed out, "Each trainer is allowed one Pokémon each," it continued, "The winner will be declared when three Pokémon have been defeated," it told the competitors, who each readied a Poké Ball in their hands respectively, "Please select your Pokémon at the same time," it requested, "Three… two… one…" it counted down, "GO!" it exclaimed.
"You're up, Octillery!" Lana called out.
"Go, Weezing!" Tyrese yelled.
"Yanmega, let's do this!" Markus shouted.
"Sirfetch'd!" Bea exclaimed. All four trainers fired out their Poké Balls, which popped open. Their lights spilled forth, shaping into form and dissipating. In front of the Water-type trial captain was the Jet Pokémon. Both the Poison Gas Pokémon and the Ogre Darner Pokémon appeared in front of their trainers as well.
The light dissipated around the Pokémon that Bea had called upon, revealing that it was an avian Pokémon that resembled a white duck, standing no taller than a Farfetch'd and having his yellow beak, brown eyes, and eyebrow-like marking. His legs and webbed feet were colored yellow, while the three-feather crest on his head and stubby tail were white. His wings served as humanoid hands, with the feathers at the end resembling fingers. He carried a massive leek in two parts, wielding the long, sharpened stalk as a lance and using the hard leaves as a shield.
"Sir," he chirped out, maintaining a composed noble posture.
"Looks like we've got quite the groups on the field for today's match, Tom!" Jim's voice echoed through the locker room TV as everyone inside was watching the battle about to begin.
"I'll say," the color commentator agreed, "But looking at this matchup from a first glance, Bea's Sirfetch'd seems to be at a huge disadvantage…" he pointed out. Back in the stands, Rotom pulled up an image of the Wild Duck Pokémon upon its screen.
"Sirfetch'd, the Wild Duck Pokémon, and the evolved form of Galarian Farfetch'd," it began, "After deflecting attacks with his hard leaf shield, Sirfetch'd strikes back with his sharp leek stalk. The leek stalk is both weapon and food. Only Farfetch'd that have survived many battles can attain this evolution. When this Pokémon's leek withers, he will retire from combat," it explained thoroughly.
"It's a good thing we got you updated to have Galarian Pokémon in your databanks, isn't it, Rotom?" Ash assumed of the Pokédex, getting its attention.
"Definitely, zzt!" it agreed.
"Still, Sirfetch'd is at a pretty big disadvantage," Leslie pointed out, "How's he going to beat Weezing or Yanmega?" she wondered aloud.
"You'll see," Rumi confidently responded with a smirk.
"Weezing, Smokescreen!" Tyrese called out. The Poison Gas Pokémon opened his mouths, expelling a cloud of black smoke onto the field.
"Blow it away with Air Slash!" Markus yelled, enticing Yanmega to make his wings shine a bright blue before unleashing a flurry of disc-shaped air blades. They tore through the smoke, clearing it completely while also striking Weezing.
"And already, the first match starts in a flourish with Markus' Yanmega clearing out Weezing's Smokescreen!" Jim exclaimed over the loudspeakers.
"Now Bug Buzz on Octillery!" Markus commanded. The Ogre Darner Pokémon turned its attention onto the Jet Pokémon, releasing red sound waves from his vibrating wings towards him.
"Dodge and use Ice Beam!" Lana instructed.
"What?!" Markus gasped. Octillery leapt back to avoid the sound waves. A ball of bright blue light formed in front of his mouth, unleashing several zigzagging beams that struck Yanmega, freezing him up in ice. "Yanmega!" his trainer cried out, seeing him crash onto the ground as the ice around him shattered.
"Wow!" Jim yelled, "Yanmega's caught completely off guard by a powerful Ice Beam from Octillery!" he noted excitedly.
"Octillery's one of the most diverse Pokémon out there when it comes to kind of moves he can use," Tom mentioned, "Lana made a very smart decision to pick him for this battle," he added over the broadcast. Meanwhile, Weezing was recovering from taking the earlier Air Slash, turning his attention onto Sirfetch'd.
"Weeee…" he echoed out to his trainer, who nodded.
"Sludge Bomb!" he ordered. The Poison Gas Pokémon spat out several brown globs of sludge from his mouths, all heading towards his target in the Wild Duck Pokémon, who seemed to be blissfully unaware.
"Detect," his trainer instructed.
"Sir," he responded as his eyes shined light orange for a moment. He easily slid away from the incoming globs, letting them harmlessly hit the ground. Tyrese and Weezing were both shocked as their eyes widened.
"Now Brutal Swing!" Bea commanded, thrusting her right fist forward.
"Sir!" the Wild Duck Pokémon squawked, rushing forward. His leek glowed pink as he closed in and swung it, striking Weezing and sending him flying back before he struck the turf ground behind his own trainer.
"Weezing!" he exclaimed.
"Weee…" the Poison Gas Pokémon groaned out, having swirls in his eyes. The Rotom Drone flew over to assess his condition.
"Weezing is unable to battle," it announced. The crowd erupted into cheers. Back in the locker room, both Calvin and Erika were completely shocked.
"No way…" the former of the two uttered.
"Sirfetch'd makes his mark as his Brutal Swing is brutal enough to take down Tyrese's Weezing!" Jim exclaimed through the broadcast, "Now we're down to three already in this first match!" he noted excitedly. In the meantime, Yanmega flew back up, shaking his head to regain himself as he stared down Octillery.
"Octazooka!" Lana commanded. The Jet Pokémon formed a ball of black ink in front of his mouth, firing it out at his foe.
"Double Team!" Markus called out. A flash of light emanated from Yanmega before several copies of it appeared. The one that took the ball of ink disappeared upon being struck.
"So that's your plan, hm?" Lana guessed with narrowed eyes, while Markus smirked.
"Brutal Swing!" Bea's voice yelled out, getting their attentions. All of a sudden, Sirfetch'd leapt into the fray as his leek glowed pink again, swiping at more of the copies of the Ogre Darner Pokémon, making them all disappear.
"Octillery, use Lock-On!" Lana instructed of the Jet Pokémon.
"Okkooh!" he responded, making his eyes shine red before releasing a red ring of light out onto one of the Yanmega clones in the vicinity. Markus gasped.
"Quick, Bug Buzz!" he ordered frantically.
"Octazooka!" Lana commanded. Just as the Ogre Darner Pokémon released red sound waves from his body, Octillery formed another ball of black ink in front of his mouth, firing it out. It tore through the sound waves and struck his target in a fierce blast.
"Yanmega!" Markus screamed. The Ogre Darner Pokémon fell onto the turf upon his back, groaning in pain. The Rotom Drone went over to assess him, having its camera point down.
"Yanmega is unable to battle," it announced, while Markus fell to his knees in defeat.
"And with that, we're brought down to the last two of this first match!" Jim declared through the microphone as the crowd cheered.
"Go get 'em, Bea!" Rumi cried out from the stands, while Sunset chuckled beside her. As both Markus and Tyrese returned their Pokémon to their Poké Balls, there was a standoff between Octillery and Sirfetch'd as they and their trainers stared at each other for a long while in anticipation.
"Psybeam!" Lana ordered first, pumping her left fist out. The Jet Pokémon reared his head back before unleashing a pink beam of energy forward.
"Detect!" Bea yelled. Sirfetch'd's eyes flashed orange again as he slid away from the beam, letting it fly by. "Now Leaf Blade!" his trainer commanded, enticing him to have his leek shine a bright green and sharpen as he charged in, aiming it forward.
"Octillery, Ice Beam!" Lana ordered.
"Okkooh!" the Jet Pokémon responded, forming another blue ball of energy in front of his mouth. His opponent thrusted his leek out to strike it though, resulting in a powerful blast that engulfed them both in a cloud of white smoke. They slid back from it, grimacing a little.
"Looks like they're evenly matched…" Trent noted with crossed arms back in the locker room.
"Uh, I wouldn't bet on that…" Pyrrha chimed in to his surprise.
"Octillery, let's do it!" Lana called out, holding up her Z-Ring as it featured a Waterium Z upon it.
"Okk!" the Jet Pokémon exclaimed, taking on a determined expression. His trainer crossed her arms over her face, making the Z-Crystal flash brightly.
"There it is!" Jim yelled through the loudspeakers, "Lana's going to go for a Z-Move on Sirfetch'd to hopefully finish him off!" he pointed out loudly. The Water-type trial captain swung her arms around, waving them like wave from her left to right as a blue aura built up upon her body. It shot out in streaks toward Octillery, merging with him before the Z-Move symbol flashed in front of his face.
"Sirfetch'd!" Bea called out.
"Sir," the Wild Duck Pokémon responded, taking on a firm and ready stance.
"Hydro Vortex!" Lana exclaimed, throwing her right hand forward. Octillery had a wave of water flood the field, coming from beneath him as it spread to his foe. He dashed forward, swimming in a circle around his opponent. A vortex formed, enveloping Sirfetch'd as it rose high into the air.
"The Hydro Vortex hits!" Jim exclaimed, "Will it be enough to do Sirfetch'd in?!" he questioned on. Lana grinned, thinking that the match was essentially hers and Octillery's. But then she noticed how Bea seemed undeterred, having her eyes closed in concentration. In fact, her partner was the same way. Simultaneously, their eyes jolted open.
"Meteor Assault!" the Galar gym leader commanded. The Wild Duck Pokémon's body became surrounded in a yellow aura, which shined through the vortex of water. A ball of energy traveled down to the tip of his leek, bursting into a powerful rush of aura that surrounded it and its wielder. All of a sudden, he burst out from the raging vortex, causing it to splash apart.
"Ah!" Lana gasped, while Octillery widened his eyes.
"SIRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" Sirfetch'd squawked loudly as he dove in and slammed his leek against the Jet Pokémon fiercely, resulting in a fierce blast. Everyone in the stands, aside from Rumi, was left stunned. As the smoke settled and was blown away, the Rotom Drone floated down to assess the result. Octillery was lying on his right side, having swirls in his eyes.
"Octillery is unable to battle," it announced, "Therefore, Sirfetch'd is the victor, and the winner of this match is Bea," it declared, floating over to the barefooted girl. The crowd erupted into cheers.
"That's my girl!" Rumi yelled, pumping her right fist up. Sunset chuckled beside her again. Back on the field, the Galar gym leader returned her Wild Duck Pokémon to his Ultra Ball in a beam of red light.
"Thank you," she said in gratitude, putting it away before turning to her former opponents, as Lana just recalled her Octillery to his Dive Ball. She watched as Bea placed her right fist against the palm of her left hand, bowing to her. "Thank you for the battle," she said before walking off toward one of the tunnels.
"Well, that's quite the way to start out the fourth round!" Jim remarked, "What'd you think, Tim?" he inquired of his color commentator.
"If anyone's underestimating the Galar gym leaders right now, I'd recommend against doing that when it comes time for the next round," Tom advised to their audience, "Both Bea and Gordie are showing us just why they're part of that region's elite," he mentioned. Back in the locker room, Erika balled her hands into fists. Facing a gym leader was something she had never done before. And it was looking likely that she would come to battle against one soon…
X
"Decidueye, Leaf Blade!" Hau commanded. The Arrow Quill Pokémon soared down, having the leaves at his tail shine a bright green and sharpen. He swung them around, slashing at a Carbink to send it flying back. It managed to recover though, floating back out toward the center of the field, where a Vespiquen and a Zebstrika were already battling.
"This fourth match is definitely setting some great things up to come!" Jim commented over the loudspeakers. It hadn't even been an hour, and already, three matches had gone by. Watching the fourth match from the locker room, Calvin intently stared at the TV while seated on a bench next to Gladion.
They watched as Hau commanded his Decidueye, having him ready an arrow quill on his left wing, using the vine as a string as he pulled the quill back before firing it. As it struck the ground at Zebstrika's feet, an explosion erupted, knocking him down onto the turf field with swirls in his eyes. The ponytailed boy pumped his fist as he and his partner shared a nod.
"He's gotten a lot better than I remember," Gladion admitted while drinking a bottle of water.
"You have, too," Calvin complimented, causing him to blink in surprise, "You and Silvally looked really in sync during that last match," he noted in remembrance. The former enforcer chuckled.
"Thanks," he said in gratitude, "You know, I got in touch with Lillie," he mentioned as the Ketchum boy perked up, "She said that our mom's awake, but still bedridden," he told him.
"Well, at least she's no longer sleeping…" he pointed out.
"Lillie's gonna try and catch some of the matches tomorrow," Gladion added, "Hopefully, she'll get to see both of us doing our best," he remarked to his rival, who blinked in surprise. But then he grinned.
"Yeah," he agreed.
"And there you have it!" Jim exclaimed from the TV. Decidueye was standing over a fainted Vespiquen who lied in front of him. "Decidueye cleans house without too much trouble, earning his trainer a spot in the fourth round as part of the Top Sixteen!" the play-by-play commentator declared as the ponytailed boy on the field waved excitedly to the crowd that cheered for him, "We'll be back after a brief commercial break as the stage gets set for the fifth match," Jim mentioned. Elsewhere in the locker room, Erika stood up from her seat, taking a deep breath.
'Alright… time to get to it!' she declared inwardly, taking on a confident grin. Moments later, she exited the tunnel alongside Mina and two others. One was a bespectacled, red-haired girl in a purple ribbon smock dress, while beside her was a boy with messy brown hair with a red vest and fingerless gloves. They took their positions on the turf field as the Rotom Drone floated down in front of them.
"The fifth match of the Lanakila Conference's fourth round between Mina, Edgar, Lauren, and Erika will now begin," it declared, "Each trainer is allowed one Pokémon each," it continued, "The winner will be declared when three Pokémon have been defeated," it told the competitors, who each readied a Poké Ball in their hands respectively, with Erika enlarging the Moon Ball she had by pressing its button, "Please select your Pokémon at the same time," it requested as all four trainers reared their arms back, "Three… two… one…" it counted down, "GO!" it exclaimed.
"Let's go, Starbright!" the Ketchum girl exclaimed.
"Aerodactyl, take off!" Edgar yelled.
"Florges!" Mina called out.
"You're up, Volcarona!" Lauren shouted. All four of them fired their respective Poké Balls, letting them pop open as their lights spilled forth onto the ground, shaping into form and dissipating. The Sun Pokémon flew up, as did the Fossil Pokémon. Down below were both Starbright and a red flower Florges.
"So Erika's going with her Clefable for this match, huh?" Leslie noted curiously, "Can't wait to see what she does!" she remarked with a grin.
"Crush 'em all with Rock Slide!" Edgar roared in command. Several lights flashed around Aerodactyl before they formed into small boulders with white outlines, all tumbling down towards his foes below him.
"Dodge with Quiver Dance!" Lauren instructed quickly. Volcarona flew up, having his body glow in a yellowish-green light as he weaved around the incoming boulders, closing in on his target as a reddish aura flowed up his body. Meanwhile, the boulders with still heading towards Starbright and Florges.
"Starbright, Magical Leaf!" Erika ordered.
"Florges, use Dazzling Gleam!" Mina commanded. The Clefable formed ball of green energy in between her hands, firing off a flurry of glowing leaves from it that struck a few of the incoming boulders, reducing them to rubble. Meanwhile, the Garden Pokémon had her body become surrounded by a rainbow-colored of energy, which expanded outward and bashed down the rest of the boulders as bits rained down harmlessly afterward.
"Things are really heating up right off the bat!" Jim remarked loudly into the microphone, "Already we've got trainers making the best moves they can to take the edge they can in this battle!" he pointed out emphatically.
"Volcarona, Heat Wave!" Lauren ordered as she pointed forward. The Sun Pokémon's wings glowed orange before he flapped them, unleashing an orange gust of superheated air that crashed into Aerodactyl, who winced.
"Shake it off!" Edgar yelled from below, "Use Wing Attack!" he commanded.
"Ahhh!" the Fossil Pokémon screeched in response, making his wings glow a bright white as he zipped toward Volcarona.
"Sunny Day!" Lauren called out.
"KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the Sun Pokémon screeched up into the air. As the sunlight above brightened, Aerodactyl swiped at his target, knocking him back a few feet. He smirked at his success… at least until a plume of fire erupted around his body.
"RRRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" he shrieked out of pain, while his trainer gasped.
"Oh, and Aerodactyl gets himself burned in spite of the successful Wing Attack!" Jim exclaimed over the loudspeakers.
"That's thanks to Volcarona's Flame Body," Tom chimed in, "When a Pokémon makes direct contact with him, they have a chance of ending up burned," he explained.
"Darn it…!" Edgar grumbled, while Lauren smirked. Below their Pokémon, Starbright and Florges turned to face each other.
"I still need to pay you back for beating me on Poni," Mina remarked to Erika, who chuckled.
"Well, we're not losing here, either!" she declared in response.
"In that case…" the Fairy-type trial captain began, "Florges, Grassy Terrain!" she instructed.
"Florrr!" the Garden Pokémon responded, releasing a ring of green energy from her body onto the turf field, causing the artificial grass to glow.
"What the…?" Erika uttered in confusion.
"Grassy Terrain, huh?" Ash noted from the stands, folding his arms over his chest, "That's not a move I've seen in a while…" he pointed out.
"It'zzz a move that usually boostzzz the power of Grazzz-type movezzz," Rotom noted, floating nearby.
"I wonder if there's more to it than that for Mina…" Leslie said, putting her left hand onto her chin.
"Starbright, Meteor Mash!" Erika commanded.
"Fay!" the Clefable responded, taking a lunging stance as her body glowed blue. She aimed her left fist forward at her opponent, launching herself full speed toward her. She struck squarely, sending her sliding back several feet. However, she shook her head and regained herself, taking on a determined expression.
"Florges tanks a super effective Meteor Mash from Clefable!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "She may prove to be a challenge for everyone, especially with Grassy Terrain up!" he mentioned.
"In that case… use Magical Leaf!" Erika ordered. The Fairy Pokémon prepared another green sphere of light upon her hands, firing off another flurry of glowing leaves from it.
"Counter it with Petal Dance!" Mina called out, causing the Ketchum girl to gasp in surprise. Spinning around, Florges had pink petals surround her body. They were then fired out in a spiral, countering the incoming leaves in a burst of smoke.
"Looks like the matchup between those two may stay pretty even for a bit…" Jim commented curiously on the TV in the locker room.
"With Grassy Terrain up, those two basically have the same advantage against each other when it comes to Grass-type moves…" Paige pointed out with crossed arms.
"Yeah, but I think Erika might have more of an edge," Trent chimed in, "That is if her Clefable can land another Meteor Mash…" he mentioned. The others watching looked on curiously. Calvin balled his fists, having faith in his twin sister. Meanwhile, the aerial battle between Volcarona and Aerodactyl continued.
"Silver Wind!" Lauren commanded. The Sun Pokémon flapped his wings, unleashing a wind with silvery crescents of energy. Her opponent was quick to weave around them, but winced as a plume of fire erupted around him again.
"Aerodactyl dodges, but his burn is steadily dealing him more damage as well!" Jim pointed out over the loudspeaker, causing Edgar to grimace in frustration.
"I don't see how Aerodactyl wins here against Volcarona like this, especially with him already having boosted his special attack, special defense, and speed with that Quiver Dance earlier…" Tom mentioned thoroughly.
"And with Sunny Day boosting his Fire-type moves, he's essentially looking to be the favorite of this match," Jim added.
"Quiver Dance!" Lauren called out. Volcarona's body glowed white as he flew around the weakened Aerodactyl, with a reddish aura flowing up his body afterwards.
"And Volcarona boosts up once again!" the play-by-play commentator pointed out from the booth, "What'll Edgar and Aerodactyl do?!" he wondered aloud.
"Tch…" the vested trainer below scoffed in frustration.
'There's no way we can beat that darn Volcarona like this…' he muttered to himself, turning his attention onto the two Fairy-type Pokémon battling on the turf below, 'So we'll switch things up…' he decided with a smirk.
"Aerodactyl, Iron Head on that Clefable!" he ordered. The Fossil Pokémon turned his attention onto those below him, diving down towards them.
"Hey!" Lauren yelled, "We weren't done yet!" she pointed out as her Volcarona flew after his opponent. He enveloped himself in a whitish light, making himself appear black and white as he was heading for Starbright. Erika took notice and gasped.
"Starbright, watch out!" she cried out. Her Clefable perked up to see the incoming Fossil Pokémon, who look as if he was about to crash down onto her.
"Solar Beam!" Mina suddenly ordered. Florges' body glowed a faint yellow. Numerous yellow balls of energy appeared and floated around her as a larger ball of energy formed in front of her head. She fired off a beam of the energy upwards. Aerodactyl had no chance to evade it as it struck him squarely on the head in a burst of smoke. Everyone gasped.
They watched as the Fossil Pokémon crashed down onto the turf field. The Rotom Drone flew over to assess his condition. There were swirls in his eyes.
"Aerodactyl is unable to battle," it announced. The crowd erupted into cheers.
"Wow!" Jim exclaimed, "A surprise Solar Beam from Mina's Florges just turned this match on its head, knocking out Aerodactyl!" he noted loudly into the microphone, while Edgar returned the Fossil Pokémon to his Poké Ball, dropping onto his knees in defeat.
"And with Sunny Day decreasing the charge time, along with the Grassy Terrain in effect…" Tom continued, "That was very smart on Mina's part," he complimented.
"Hm," the Fairy-type trial captain huffed, looking over to a shocked Erika. However, she quickly composed herself upon seeing Volcarona float down, looming between Florges and Starbright.
"Guess now it's time to take care of you two!" Lauren declared, thrusting her right arm forward, "Heat Wave!" she commanded. The Sun Pokémon had his wings glow a bright orange before flapping them mightily, unleashing a superheated air that crashed onto his two foes, who winced.
"An even more powerful Heat Wave lands as both Clefable and Florges are in a bit of a bind!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers, "How will they get out of this?!" he wondered aloud.
'None of Starbright's moves are that effective against Volcarona…!' Erika noted to herself as she grimaced from the heat, crossing her arms over her face, 'So in that case…' she continued inwardly.
"Starbright, Metronome!" she called out.
"Fayy!" the Fairy Pokémon squeaked, raising her fingers into the air and waving them back and forth slowly.
"She's going for Metronome?!" Leslie exclaimed out of shock.
"That could be a huge risk…" Sawyer noted in concern. The superheated air subsided as Volcarona stopped flapping his wings. Florges was breathing heavily, but was still standing otherwise. The same applied to Starbright, who kept waving her fingers as they glowed a bright white. She then held her hands out and formed a small grey stone upon them with a reddish aura shrouding it. The stone suddenly grew to a size as big as her, as she held it up.
"Oh my goodness!" Jim exclaimed from the booth.
"That's… Rock Wrecker!" Pyrrha realized back in the locker room.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Erika yelled.
"Kleh… fayyy!" Starbright exclaimed as she flung the large rock out toward Volcarona.
"Quick, Silver Wind!" Lauren cried out, knowing that her partner couldn't dodge the stone if he tried. He flapped his wings, creating another gust with energy crescents. Unfortunately, the large rock tore right through them with ease, crashing into him in a flurry of rubble. "Volcarona!" his trainer screamed. The Sun Pokémon fell onto the ground upon his back. Flying over, the Rotom Drone quickly assessed his condition.
"Volcarona is unable to battle," it confirmed, much to the bespectacled girl's dismay as she whimpered, lowering her head sadly.
"Thanks to that Rock Wrecker as a result of Metronome, now Volcarona's down, too!" Jim yelled over the loudspeakers, "Now this match is down to Clefable and Florges, who're already looking pretty worn out themselves!" he noted on.
"Alright!" Hau exclaimed excitedly from the locker room.
"Erika oughta' have this in the bag now…" Trent commented confidently.
"I dunno…" Gladion chimed in to their surprise, "She's going to have to deal with the fact that using Rock Wrecker means Clefable won't be able to attack for a few moments…" he explained to them, causing them to lightly gasp. Back on the field, the Fairy Pokémon grimaced. Meanwhile, Mina smirked.
"I'm impressed as ever, Erika," she complimented, "But I'm not the same person you remember on Poni Island!" she affirmed seriously, "Petal Dance!" she ordered. Pink petals started to float about Florges before she fired them out in a swirl. They struck Starbright, who could only stand and take them as she winced.
"With Rock Wrecker requiring some time to recharge from, things aren't looking good for Clefable!" Jim pointed out over the loudspeakers. Erika grimaced.
"Now Dazzling Gleam!" Mina commanded. A rainbow-colored energy shrouded the Garden Pokémon, expanding outward and blasting back Starbright as she fell onto the ground upon her back, wincing all the while.
"Fayyy…" she groaned, slowly bringing herself back up onto her feet.
"Finish her off with Solar Beam!" Mina ordered as she swung her left arm out. After her body started to glow a faint yellow, Florges had numerous yellow balls of energy appear and float around her as a larger ball of energy formed in front of her head. All of a sudden though, clouds above moved underneath the sun. The ball of energy shrunk and faded away. "What?!" the Fairy-type trial captain exclaimed out of shock. Meanwhile, Starbright took a step.
"Kleh fay!" she called out to her trainer, getting her attention.
"Okay, go for Meteor Mash!" she commanded, pumping her right fist forward. The Fairy Pokémon's body glowed blue as she took a lunging stance, aiming her right fist forward. She then launched herself forward, slamming her extremity into Florges' face while surrounded in a blue aura.
"What a turnaround!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "Clefable recovers just in time as the sun gets blocked!" he pointed out excitedly as Starbright leapt up into the air. However, the sunlight peeked out from the clouds.
"Florges, Solar Beam!" Mina yelled.
"Florr!" the Garden Pokémon responded, reforming the large ball of energy in front of her head. It unleashed a powerful beam of yellow light up toward her foe.
"Moonblast!" Erika ordered. Shrouding herself in a golden aura, her Clefable built up an orb of pink energy upon her hands. She aimed it down, using it to block off the incoming beam as she grimaced.
"We've got ourselves a deadlock, everyone!" Jim yelled, "Who'll break through first?!" he wondered loudly. It seemed like Clefable was steadily losing the stalemate as she felt herself get pushed back slightly. But all of a sudden, the turf field stopped glowing. The beam of yellow light shrunk, and both Mina and Florges gasped.
"Kleh… FAYYYYYYYYYY!" Starbright exclaimed, firing off her energy orb as it tore through the beam, making it dissipate entirely. The orb itself went ahead and struck the Garden Pokémon head on in a burst of smoke.
"Florges!" her trainer cried out, seeing her fall over onto the ground. The Rotom Drone flew over as the smoke settled. With its camera, it could see the swirls in the Garden Pokémon's eyes.
"Florges is unable to battle," it announced after a moment, "Therefore, Clefable is the victor, and the winner of this match is Erika," it declared. The crowd erupted into a frenzy of cheers.
"Huh…" the Ketchum girl sighed out, "That got really intense…" she admitted sheepishly.
"Fayy…" Starbright uttered as she fell onto her bottom tiredly. Her trainer jogged over to her.
"Way to go, Starbright," she complimented gratefully, giving her a big hug.
"Fay bell!" she squeaked happily in response, hugging her back. In the stands, Jangmo-o's eyes were sparkling in amazement.
"Peekah, pika?" Pikachu asked, waving his right hand in front of the Scaly Pokémon, but to no avail as he was fixated on his trainer and her Clefable.
"Man, I got really nervous from that…" Leslie admitted.
"There were definitely a couple times where it looked like Erika was in trouble…" her mother mentioned.
"But she pulled her way through," Ash pointed out with a smile, "That's just how she does it," he noted, letting out a chuckle. The rest of his family smiled in agreement.
"With that exciting fifth match concluded, we now have five of the Top Sixteen decided!" Jim noted over the loudspeakers, "Who will be the other eleven that end up joining them?!" he wondered loudly. Those in the locker room that had yet to battle all took on determined expressions. They all wanted to get that opportunity…
X
"Garchomp, Poison Jab!" Ryuki commanded. The Land Shark Pokémon out on the field made his claws shine a bright purple before thrusting them out at a Whimsicott, who frantically tried to get away from him.
"Stay calm, Whimsicott!" Mallow cried out. A couple of hours had passed since Erika's victory. Five more matches had gone by, some longer than others. Pyrrha, Paige, Trent and Gordie had all moved on ahead to the next round. Calvin watched intently as he saw Ryuki's Garchomp land his attack onto the Windveiled Pokémon, sending her crashing down onto the ground.
"Even against a Fairy-type, he's still doing great," a voice noted, getting his attention as he looked over to see Milo standing beside him.
"Milo…" he uttered out.
"Hey," the Aether Foundation employee greeted with a simple wave, "Excited for our match?" he inquired of his opponent.
"As I'll ever be," he replied honestly with a nod. They looked back at the TV screen to see that Whimsicott was revealed to have swirls in her eyes, indicating that she was no longer able to battle.
"And that finishes the eleventh match of the fourth round!" Jim declared, "We're almost three-quarters of the way done with these matchups," he noted, "Tom, any thoughts on how these trainers are doing right now?" he inquired of the color commentator.
"I'm still not sure if I can really call for a favorite just yet," he admitted in reply, "I'm loving the diverse teams of each trainer and their strategies in battle," he pointed out, "I think after the fourth round's done with, then I'll be sure to pick my favorites," he affirmed finally.
"Well, we'll be back with match twelve shortly!" Jim assured afterwards, "Stay tuned, everyone!" he insisted. The TV in the locker room changed to a commercial.
"Looks like we're up," Milo confirmed, walking toward his designated tunnel.
"Yeah," Calvin responded, standing up from the bench he was sitting at.
"Good luck!" his twin sister called out, getting his attention as he saw her approach him. He smiled, holding his hand up for a high-five, which she graciously returned with a chuckle. Back in the stands, Leslie fed Jangmo-o a piece of Pokémon food, watching as he chewed it contently.
"Jah!" he squeaked afterwards, making her giggle.
"It's finally Calvin's turn," Mirajane noted.
"He's up against a trial captain in this match, too…" Sawyer mentioned, folding his arms over his chest, "I don't know if he'll come out on top…" he admitted, putting his left hand onto his chin.
"Oh, have a little faith in your nephew at least…" his wife insisted. They looked down toward the field to see Calvin, Milo, Acerola, and a tan-skinned man with shaven black hair, wearing a black t-shirt with jeans. As they took their positions, the Rotom Drone floated down toward the center.
"The twelfth match of the Lanakila Conference's fourth round between Calvin, Adam, Milo, and Acerola will now begin," it buzzed out, "Each trainer is allowed one Pokémon each," it continued, "The winner will be declared when three Pokémon have been defeated," it told the competitors, who each readied a Poké Ball in their hands respectively, "Please select your Pokémon at the same time," it requested. Calvin enlarged the Net Ball in his right hand, rearing it back. "Three… two… one…" the Rotom Drone counted down, "GO!" it exclaimed.
"Araquanid, I choose you!" the Ketchum boy called out, throwing his Poké Ball.
"Come on out, Dhelmise!" Acerola exclaimed.
"Let's go, Drapion!" Adam yelled.
"Tyranitar, let's do this!" Milo shouted. Each of the trainers' spherical containers burst open, with their lights spilling forth onto the field, taking form before dissipating. They revealed Araquanid, Dhelmise, Drapion, and Tyranitar. The Armor Pokémon suddenly had sand swirl up from beneath its feet before bursting out, enveloping the field in a sandstorm.
"And already this battle starts with an automatic sandstorm coming into effect!" Jim pointed out over the loudspeakers.
"Tyranitar is one of the few Pokémon with the ability of Sand Stream, able to initiate a sandstorm right as he enters the battlefield," Tom explained, "We'll have to wait and see how the others in this match come to handle it," he noted on.
"Tyranitar, Stone Edge!" Milo commanded fiercely.
"BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the Armor Pokémon roared, slamming his arms down onto the turf field. Light blue rock pillars erected from the ground, trailing towards both Araquanid and Drapion.
"Dodge!" Adam yelled, enticing the Ogre Scorpion Pokémon to scurry away. However, the Water Bubble Pokémon stayed behind.
"Liquidation!" his trainer ordered. Water swirled out from the bubbles upon Araquanid's front legs, which he brought up to slam against the ground. Just as the rock pillars approached, water burst out from underneath them, shattering them apart.
"Araquanid's Liquidation takes care of that Stone Edge, saving him from taking him a really powerful attack!" Jim pointed out into the microphone.
"Now Aqua Ring!" Calvin instructed.
"Kwah!" the Water Bubble Pokémon responded, forming a ring of water around himself before a greenish, healing aura flowed up his body.
"And Calvin has Araquanid set up with an Aqua Ring to outlast any damage from that sandstorm," Jim commented.
"Very smart move, especially if he wants to stay in this battle long enough," Tom added, "There are some really fierce Pokémon on this field right now…" he pointed out.
"Tyranitar, Crunch on Araquanid!" Milo ordered. The Armor Pokémon had his teeth shine a bright white and sharpen before he charged forward, heading toward his foe. However, Acerola cracked a grin.
"Anchor Shot!" she commanded, causing Tyranitar to blink in surprise. All of a sudden, the anchor of Dhelmise shot out at him, striking him upside the head and sending him stumbling back. He regained his footing, watching as the anchor retracted to the Sea Creeper Pokémon via the chain it was attached to.
"Dellll…" it growled out.
"Dhelmise's signature Anchor Shot leaves its mark on Tyranitar!" Jim exclaimed over the loudspeakers.
"Drapion, X-Scissor!" Adam ordered as he pumped his right fist out. The Ogre Scorpion Pokémon skittered through the sandstorm, rearing his arms back as they glowed a bright yellowish-green.
"Counter with Shadow Claw!" Milo yelled. Tyranitar whipped around to meet his opponent, cloaking his left arm in a dark, claw-shaped aura outlined in purple. As Drapion slashed at him in an x-shaped pattern, he struck with his left arm, resulting in an implosion that blew the both of them back.
"Night Slash!" Adam commanded.
"Duraaahhh!" the Ogre Scorpion Pokémon bellowed, having his claws glow light purple and sharpen as he hurried forward.
"Dhelmise, Shadow Ball!" Acerola ordered. Without warning a purple-and-black ball of energy with electricity crackling around it shot out. Drapion noticed too late before he was struck by it, stumbling back.
"Now Stone Edge!" Milo roared in command.
"BRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Tyranitrar screeched, slamming his arms against the turf field again. Light blue stones erected from the earth, trailing up to the Ogre Scorpion Pokémon and striking him in a fierce blast.
"And Drapion takes a Shadow Ball and a Stone Edge back-to-back!" Jim noted loudly in the microphone, "Makes it look like he's the biggest threat on the field…" he mentioned. Back in the locker room, Erika watched on worriedly alongside Hau, Pyrrha, Trent, and Paige.
'Why isn't Calvin doing anything?' she wondered through her thoughts. On the field, the Ketchum boy was carefully looking around. He wanted to make sure that at least the biggest threat to Araquanid was defeated first. And then, he spotted Dhelmise in the sandstorm.
"Araquanid, Lunge!" he ordered. A yellowish-green aura shrouded the Water Bubble Pokémon before he lunged forward, heading toward his intended target. He collided with the Sea Creeper Pokémon, making it move back slightly. But it withstood the blow, staying right where it was.
"We gotcha', Calvin!" Acerola exclaimed as the Ketchum boy gasped, "Giga Drain!" she commanded.
"Dellll…" Dhelmise hissed, making the seaweed upon it glow a bright before energy tendrils of the same color shot out from the five points on its wheel. They wrapped around Araquanid's body, making it glow a bright green.
"Ahhh… kwaaaahhh…!" he gasped out.
"Not only does Dhelmise withstand that Lunge from Araquanid, but it counterattacks with Giga Drain!" Jim excitedly pointed out over the loudspeakers.
'That's the same thing Selene's Dhelmise did to me and Drifblim back at the Aether Tournament!' Erika recalled from back in the locker room, 'Come on, Calvin…!' she pleaded inwardly with a grimace upon her face.
"Araquanid, get out of there!" her twin brother yelled on the field.
"Ahh… kwaahhh…" the Water Bubble Pokémon groaned, struggling to break away from his foe's grasp. He could feel his health slowly get drained away by Dhelmise, unable to do anything. Meanwhile, Tyranitar hopped back from Drapion, who was breathing heavily in exhaustion. Milo then took notice of how Araquanid was in trouble.
"Tyranitar, Stone Edge on them!" he commanded of his partner, who turned around and saw his other foes. He swung his arms down again, slamming them against the turf field. Light blue stones erected from the earth once more, trailing towards the two deadlocked Pokémon. They were both struck, being separated from each other as they tumbled back along the field before coming to a stop.
"Araquanid, are you okay?!" Calvin asked of his partner.
"Ahh… kwaahhh…" he responded, shaking his head. His ring of water returned, floating around him as a greenish, healing aura flowed up his body, soothing him.
"Aw… no fair!" Acerola complained as she puffed out her cheeks.
"I still want my battle with you, Calvin!" Milo called out, getting the Ketchum boy's attention, "And nothing's gonna stop me from getting it!" he added in declaration.
"We'll see about that!" Adam chimed in, swinging his right arm out, "Poison Fang!" he ordered. Drapion made his bottom fangs glow purple as he closed in on Tyranitar. He turned around too late as the Ogre Scorpion Pokémon struck, biting his right shoulder. He stumbled back, grimacing as his body glowed a bright purple with bubbles and sparks.
"Uh oh!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "Looks like Drapion's Poison Fang has dealt a serious blow, poisoning Tyranitar!" he pointed out.
"Rrrrrrr…!" the Armor Pokémon growled.
"Now X-Scissor!" Adam commanded. Drapion's arms shined a bright yellowish purple as he crossed them, closing in on his opponent.
"Hyper Beam!" Milo bellowed. Opening his mouth, Tyranitar had an orange, fiery ball of energy form in front of it before firing off a powerful ray that struck the Ogre Scorpion Pokémon in a fierce explosion.
"OH MY GOODNESS!" Jim yelled loudly through the loudspeakers, "That was a point-blank Hyper Beam right into Drapion!" he noted out of shock. As the smoke settled and finally cleared, the Ogre Scorpion collapsed onto the ground upon his right side. The Rotom Drone flew over, using its camera to assess his condition.
"Drapion is unable to battle," it announced. The crowd broke out in a flurry of cheers.
"Whoa…" Paige uttered from the locker room.
"Yeah…" Hau agreed as he nodded, "That Tyranitar's scary…" he pointed out. Erika remembered when she had only seen the Armor Pokémon as a little Larvitar back when she first met Milo. He had gotten really strong. Back on the field itself, Adam disappointedly returned his Drapion to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Anchor Shot, Dhelmise!" Acerola commanded. The Sea Creeper Pokémon spun around, having its anchor shoot out while attached to the chain. It slammed into Tyranitar's back, causing him to falter forward onto a knee as he grimaced. The glow from the poison reappeared with sparks and bubbles, making him wince even more. But he steeled himself, turning around to face his foes.
"Use Crunch!" his trainer commanded. The Armor Pokémon charged toward Dhelmise, making his teeth shine a bright white and sharpen. As his foe retracted his anchor, he was about to lunge out at him.
"Lunge!" Calvin suddenly yelled. Without warning, Araquanid slammed into Tyranitar while shrouded in a yellowish-green aura. He knocked him away, causing him to shake his head before turning to growl at his opponent.
"So we're really doing this now, huh?!" Milo guessed excitedly, clenching his fists.
"Yeah!" Calvin confirmed in response, "Araquanid, Liquidation!" he commanded.
"Kwah!" the Water Bubble Pokémon responded, having water swirl about his front legs as he raised them up at his foe.
"Shadow Claw!" Milo ordered. Tyranitar made a dark, shadowy aura shroud his arms in the shape of claws, which were outlined in purple. He swung them out to counter his foe's legs, resulting in a shockwave erupting from the point of contact. They both grimaced, trying desperately to push back against each other. Ultimately though, Araquanid's water-covered legs broke through first, striking the Armor Pokémon squarely in the face.
He stumbled back, groaning in agony. It didn't help that the glow of the poison returned, with sparks and bubbles included. After a moment, Tyranitar dropped to his knees… and fell onto the ground in a heap. The Rotom Drone floated over to assess his condition.
"Tyranitar is unable to battle," it confirmed. The crowd cheered again.
"Way to go, Calvin!" Leslie exclaimed with a pump of her right fist.
"That looked like it was going to be a little closer than it should've…" Mirajane commented with a sigh of relief.
"But it's not over yet…" her husband pointed out seriously.
"Ah… kwaahhhh…" Araquanid breathed out, seeing the sandstorm finally clear as Milo returned Tyranitar to his Great Ball in a beam of red light.
"Thanks for your hard work, bud," he said with gratitude.
"With that impressive display of power, we're down to the final two of this battle!" Jim noted into the microphone, "Who'll come out on top?!" he wondered loudly.
"It'll be us for sure!" Acerola proclaimed.
"Delll myy!" Dhelmise bellowed in agreement.
"Not while we're still standing!" Calvin declared back, "Araquanid, Lunge!" he commanded with a swing of his right arm.
"Kwaah!" the Water Bubble Pokémon responded, cloaking his body in a yellowish-green aura before leaping out toward his foe.
"Phantom Force!" Acerola ordered. All of a sudden, a purple portal appeared beneath the Sea Creeper Pokémon, who sunk into it just before Araquanid could strike.
"Ah!" Calvin gasped.
"And Dhelmise uses Phantom Force to avoid Araquanid's Lunge!" Jim pointed out over the loudspeakers, "Where will it appear next?!" he inquired loudly. The Sea Creeper Pokémon emerged from another portal behind his opponent. Just as he took notice, it struck him with its anchor, sending him sliding back.
"Araquanid!" the Ketchum boy cried out, seeing him come to a stop as he faltered slightly.
"Phantom Force, again!" Acerola commanded on. Dhelmise disappeared into another purple portal that appeared beneath its body. Calvin grimaced, looking around carefully. Any more damage and the Water Bubble Pokémon would be likely to lose the battle. But then he realized something. At that moment, the Sea Creeper Pokémon emerged from another portal behind his target.
"Araquanid, fire off a Spider Web!" the Ketchum boy instructed. The Water Bubble Pokémon was confused for a moment, but did as told, firing off a strand of sticky thread from his spinneret. It split apart into a net that ensnared Dhelmise before it could attack, knocking it back as it was stuck to the ground.
"Dhelmise!" Acerola yelped.
"Oh my!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "A well-timed Spider Web gives Araquanid a second chance against Dhelmise!" he noted excitedly. Calvin went ahead and set the Buginium Z upon his Z-Power Ring.
"Let's do this, Araquanid!" he called out, crossing his arms over his face to make the Z-Crystal flash bright.
"Kwahh!" the Water Bubble Pokémon responded, taking on a ready stance. His trainer swung his arms around before raising them up like a mantis, followed a sweeping swing of his right arm as a yellowish-green aura built up around his body. It shot out in streaks to Araquanid, merging with his body before the Z-Move symbol flashed in front of him.
"Here goes!" Calvin exclaimed, thrusting his right hand out, "Savage Spin-Out!" he yelled. The Water Bubble Pokémon opened his mouth and unleashed a huge mass of silk toward Dhelmise, who was entrapped in the sticky thread. The silk wrapped around him, encasing him in a cocoon.
Araquanid, swung it over, slamming it against the ground. He then razed it through the turf field before flinging it up into the air. He lunged out and swiped at the cocoon with his left leg, causing it to explode.
"Araquanid gets off a Bug-type Z-Move that really seems to pack a punch!" Jim noted over the loudspeakers. Everyone watched as Dhelmise fell back onto the field in a heap from the cloud of smoke. The Rotom Drone floated over, assessing its condition.
"Dhelmise is unable to battle," it confirmed, "Therefore, the victor is Araquanid, and Calvin advances to the next round," it announced. The whole crowd cheered excitedly.
"Calvin takes the big victory to head to the fifth round!" Jim yelled through the loudspeakers, "That's twelve down, and four to go!" he mentioned on.
"Way to go, Calvin!" Leslie exclaimed from the stands.
"So both of them got to the fifth round…" Mirajane noted, wiping a happy tear away from her left eye.
"And I bet they'll go even further…" Ash assured confidently.
"Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Back in the locker room, Erika smiled as she watched her brother hug Araquanid, thanking him for a job well done.
"Way to go, Calvin," she said simply.
X
"Liquidation!" Guzma commanded fiercely. His Golisopod charged forward along the turf field, having water swirl around his large forearms, approaching a Bisharp.
"Quick, Iron Defense!" his trainer cried out desperately. The Sharp Blade Pokémon coated himself in a metal sheen, crossing his arms in front of himself. However, that didn't stop his foe from slamming his right arm against him fiercely. A few moments passed… and Bisharp collapsed onto the ground.
"Shaaa…" it groaned as the Rotom Drone floated above it.
"Bisharp is unable to battle," it confirmed after a moment, "Therefore, Golisopod is the victor, and Guzma will advance to the next round," it declared.
"Hm," the former Team Skull boss huffed, ignoring the cheering crowds as he returned his Hard Shell Pokémon to his Ultra Ball in a beam of red light.
"And that wraps up an exciting day of Battle Royals for the fourth round of the Lanakila Conference!" Jim noted into the microphone, "Tom, we saw some really good battles overall," he mentioned to his partner.
"Absolutely," he agreed, "But the real test comes tomorrow and whatever happens after," he added seriously.
"That's right," the play-by-play commentator agreed, "And we'll be revealing tomorrow's matches right now!" he announced. Up on the big screens around the stadiums, the cards for the 16 remaining trainers were shown, lined up in a 4x4 format. The cards were flipped over before being shuffled, while everyone watched on with bated breath. They then broke off into pairs, being placed into eight boxes. The cards were then flipped over.
"Whoa…" Erika uttered, seeing that her match would be first against Gordie of all people. Bea and Pyrrha lightly gasped upon seeing that they were matched up. While Trent and Paige managed to maintain their composure, Calvin was shocked to find that his opponent would be none other than Guzma. The former Team Skull boss narrowed his eyes. Tomorrow was going to be quite a day…
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 there you have it! The fourth round's all done with, giving you all quite the battles to look forward to next time! This story'll be back to work next year, but I'm gonna go ahead and focus on getting the second third of "Reality" done first. In the meantime, please enjoy the summary to hold you over until then!
SUMMARY
The fifth round of the Lanakila Conference consists of 3-on-3 matches! Erika's going up against the hard-rock crusher, Gordie! And Pyrrha's facing the Galar karate prodigy, Bea! How will they fare in their battles?!
And finally, Calvin gets to face off with Guzma one last time… Will their rivalry finally be settled here?!
END SUMMARY
See you guys next time! Thanks for reading and reviewing!