Alola, everyone! We're back with more of "The Challenge of a Lifetime" as the Alola League is heating up! The Top 8 have been determined, with Erika, Hau, Trent, Pyrrha, Ryuki, Paige, Gladion and Calvin all managing to make their way up to the quarterfinals!
Honestly, I've never written a full battle in a Pokémon story, except for that one time in "The Mega Protocol" with Sunset against Alain. Speaking of, this is essentially my way of giving you guys an Ash/Sunset battle! One of my biggest plans going into the Alola League was to give everyone time in full battle rounds. And now that we're finally here, I can't wait to get into it.
So let's dive right in and make sure we've got everything squared away before the big battles begin!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
Rumi was evidently grumpy as she chewed on a carrot stick. She, Sunset, Pyrrha and Bea were at one of the local restaurants in Malie City for the evening, enjoying dinner. Or at least trying to.
"Mother, could you please lighten up?" the barefooted girl requested with a tint of pink on her cheeks, "Pyrrha beat me, that's that," she confirmed, taking a sip of her water.
"I still think it's cheap…" the Rabbit Quirk user grumbled before chomping off another piece of her carrot stick, "Winning with something like that damn Attract?" she muttered in question, glancing over at the red-and-yellow-haired girl with narrowed eyes.
"Same thing could be said for your daughter using Grapploct's Octolock to stop my daughter's Mawile," Sunset chimed in.
"No, it's not!" Rumi argued. Their daughters sighed.
"I'm glad that we got to battle at least," Bea admitted to her friend, giving her a small smile.
"Yeah!" she agreed with a nod, "It was a lot of fun!" she pointed out happily.
"Hm," the Rabbit Hero huffed as she finished her carrot, "So squirt," she began to Pyrrha, getting her attention, "what's the plan for tomorrow night?" she asked of her.
"Not sure just yet…" she responded honestly, "But I've got a lot of time to think of a strategy," she pointed out reassuringly.
"For now, we should just enjoy some dinner as is," her mother insisted, going ahead and eating some of her pasta.
"Fine, fine…" Rumi grumbled, going ahead and enjoying her soup, "After this, we'll get a nice little carrot cake for dessert," she decided.
"Cake?" her daughter repeated as her eyes lit up. Pyrrha giggled. She was excited about getting into the quarterfinals. And even more than that, she was excited to be facing Erika. It felt truly humbling to her. As she was about to reminisce though, she spotted her future opponent walking by with her family.
"Huh…" she sighed tiredly, "How come the battles don't start until it's nighttime tomorrow?" she inquired, "Isn't it gonna get really cold?" she wondered on.
"For one, I think it's for ambiance," her older sister replied, "which yeah, is pretty weird…" she admitted, "But the stadium's superheated for the weather up on the mountain, so you'll be fine," she assured, petting Erika's head to her chagrin.
"Still, it's gonna be pretty crazy…" Calvin pointed out, "Neither of us have ever had full battles before…" he mentioned as he folded his arms over his chest.
"It does sound daunting," Mirajane confessed, "Still, I'm sure you'll be able to manage just fine," she assured.
"Yeah," Ash agreed with a nod, "Just gotta go in there with guts and spirit!" he advised.
"That doesn't really sound like a plan, Dad…" Erika pointed out upon overhearing.
"So which Pokémon are you planning to use, Erika?" Rotom asked curiously as it floated beside her.
"Hmmm…" she hummed with closed eyes, "Not sure just yet…" she admitted, "Pyrrha uses a lot of different Pokémon and—"
"Hey!" the red-and-yellow-haired girl's voice called out, causing her to perk up in surprise before she turned to see her future opponent jogging up to her.
"Pyrrha!" she exclaimed, suddenly being hugged by her friend as she yelped.
"You stoked for tomorrow?" she inquired as she pulled herself back.
"Uh, yeah, definitely!" the Ketchum girl stuttered out, "It feels weird getting to battle you of all people after all this time…" she confessed, sheepishly scratching at her right cheek.
"Same!" Pyrrha agreed with a giggle, "Oh, can you come with me to the coast for a bit?" she requested of her future opponent, who blinked twice.
"Why?" she asked back, arching an eyebrow.
"I wanted to catch up!" the red-and-yellow-haired girl insisted, grabbing her by her right hand and pulling her after her as they ran off, "Excuse us, Mister and Missus Ketchum!" she called out while passing by the rest of the family. Mirajane giggled.
"Don't be gone too long!" she yelled with a wave.
"Sure is weird…" Leslie admitted, "It feels like only yesterday that Erika didn't even wanna train a Pokémon…" she recalled, putting her hands onto her hips.
"She's grown up," her mother pointed out, "I'm proud of her," she said happily.
"I wouldn't say she's 'grown up'…" her eldest daughter retorted with an air quotes gesture, "She still calls me… balloon boobs after all…" she muttered with a blush appearing across her cheeks.
"Jah, jahng!" the Jangmo-o beside her chimed in, rubbing his head against her ankle affectionately. She smiled, picking him up in her arms.
"Well, we better go and get ourselves some dinner," she insisted, "Don't want Calvin or Erika to worry about tomorrow on empty stomachs," she remarked.
"Hey, Les…" her brother grumbled out as he continued onward down the street alongside his father and Rotom.
"Ash?" a voice chimed in, getting their attentions. They looked ahead to see Serena with Lisia standing ahead of them. The former of the couple was wearing a gray felt hat, a black turtleneck tank top, a red and white plaid skirt and red bow earrings. She also had a pink bracelet on her right wrist, black stockings, and brown long boots.
"S-Serena!" the Pokémon Master stammered out, blushing a little. Pikachu snickered to his dismay. Tonight was looking to be a long night.
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
A Full Battle Flourish!
"Why are we out here, Pyrrha?" Erika asked after being brought to the coast just north of Malie, feeling the sea breeze rush through her hair as she flinched for a moment.
"Figured it'd be nice if we had a chance to talk after all the stuff we went through in order to get here," the red-and-yellow-haired girl replied as she sat down on the grass, "This was the island where I almost gave up on my island challenge altogether…" she recalled. Hearing that made the Ketchum girl blink in surprise. She vividly remembered her friend crying about how frustrated she was with how she had been doing as a trial-goer. "But I'm really glad you were there for me," she said, causing Erika to perk up, "If it weren't for you, I'd probably back home with my mom and dad, and my older sister," she admitted.
"Pyrrha…" her friend uttered out.
"My mom told me a story about my name," she remembered, "She said I was named after a person who fought as hard as she could… and tried her best in spite of how weak she was in comparison to others," she explained, "I thought if I could be just a little like that, I'd be an awesome trainer…" she confessed, lowering her head a little, "But… I wasn't…" she said, "I kept making stupid mistakes with my team, I felt totally lost…" she listed off in recollection, "I almost did give up…" she finished as Erika sat down beside her.
"But you didn't," the Ketchum girl affirmed, putting a hand onto her friend's shoulder, "And that makes you strong, just like that person you were named after," she added assuredly. Pyrrha giggled.
"Thanks, Erika," she said with gratitude, "I'm going to try my best for our battle tomorrow," she promised, standing up.
"And I will, too," the Ketchum girl declared in response. They shared a giggle before hugging, excited to face each other. In the meantime, the rest of the Ketchum family had gone into one of the nearby restaurants, with Calvin and Leslie enjoying their dinner alongside Pikachu and Jangmo-o at a table as they gorged on croquettes and soup, along with some sushi. Watching them from afar were Ash and Serena, who were sitting at the bar.
"Looks like they're having a good time," the performer noted with a giggle.
"Yeah," the Pokémon Master agreed, "So, uh…" he uttered, clearing his throat to compose himself, "what are you still doing here?" he asked somewhat nervously.
"We're scheduled to have a performance to open up the quarterfinals tomorrow night," Serena replied, looking over to see her wife talking excitedly outside with Mirajane, "In fact, they booked us for the finals, too," she mentioned, "Though I'm not sure who's doing the semifinal performance…" she admitted as she glanced up in thought.
"I know you're gonna do great," Ash affirmed, causing his old traveling companion to giggle.
"Thanks, Ash," she said gratefully. Leslie looked over to them and smirked.
"To think that Dad was so clueless for so long…" she mumbled out.
"What do you mean?" Calvin asked, arching an eyebrow.
"So how are things on your end?" Serena asked of the Pokémon Master, "More crazy Omni Force stuff going on?" she inquired.
"Yeah," he answered, "A lot's gone on, especially with all this Infinity Stones' stuff…" he recalled, "Leslie got involved in one of their missions not too long ago," he mentioned, glancing over at his daughter.
"Oh gosh…" the performer seated beside him uttered in shock.
"It went well, thankfully," he assured, "But yeah, things have gotten really serious," he pointed out, "Only time's gonna tell when everyone's gonna need to be involved," he mentioned with narrowed eyes of thought.
"Well, you should enjoy the time you have with your family all together like this," Serena advised, getting his attention as he looked over to see her sip her glass of beer, "I know I would," she remarked with a grin. Ash smiled back.
"Thanks, Serena," he said in gratitude. The rest of the evening came and went uneventfully. Calvin and Erika weren't toiling over team plans, but they did make sure to have the Pokémon they wanted all together for tomorrow night.
The next day was going by quickly. The Ketchum twins worked on their strategies with their respective teams, as did their fellow competitors. By the time the sun was setting over Manalo Stadium, the quarterfinalists all ventured into the locker room in preparation.
Ash, Mirajane, Leslie, Pikachu, Rotom and Jangmo-o made their way into the stands, finding their row of seats to sit in. Sawyer and Lisanna were seated elsewhere in the stadium, as were Sunset, Rumi, and Bea. With the latter group were both Sting Eucliffe and Laura Kinney.
The turf on the stage below had been changed into a standard dirt field, though it was surrounded by the fake grass. Kukui was there, walking out to the center with a microphone in his hand. He looked to the massive crowd and smiled.
"Alola! Welcome to the quarterfinals of the Lanakila Conference!" he greeted into the microphone, causing everyone to cheer excitedly, "We're about to experience battles hotter than even a Blast Burn!" he proclaimed, pumping his left fist up, "The eight trainers scheduled to battle are among the best of the best!" he affirmed on as those in the locker room were preparing themselves for the challenge ahead. Hau was doing some stretches with his legs, Gladion was sitting at his locker as he tried to focus, Ryuki was strumming an electric guitar, Trent was rolling a Poké Ball back and forth between his hands, Paige was punching a boxing bag, and Pyrrha was taking deep breaths.
Meanwhile, the Ketchum twins were looking up at the TV screen. This was it. Their challenge had culminated to these next few battles that that they were about to have.
"Before we start things off with the first match of the quarterfinals, I'd like to present another amazing performance from the Gabenas!" Kukui declared, stepping aside. The dirt field opened up, splitting in half as its sides retracted. A stage came up, docking into place. Standing upon it were Serena and Lisia, both in their sparkling performance dresses. They each held a single microphone in their hands, taking deep breaths.
"Electric~!" they sang out, making the crowd burst into an excited cheer.
"In the dark when you feel lost~…" Serena echoed out, "Wanna be the best but at what cost~?" she continued, "If you're gonna stay here~… Nothing's ever changing, no~…" she sang.
"Big world, gotta see it all~…" Lisia kept going, "Gotta get up even when you fall~…" she voiced out, "There's no point in waiting, no~…" she sang.
"Oh, ohh~… They'll try to bring you down~…" they both echoed, each readying a Poké Ball in their free hands, "But you've got the power now~…" they sang together, "I know you feel it~… Feel it~…" they continued, "If you believe it then you can, there's no reason that this life can't be… electric~!" they exclaimed, tossing their spherical containers up into the air. They burst open, with the lights spilling out from them onto the stage beside the performers, dissipating to reveal Delphox and Altaria respectively. "Oh, I can see it, see it~!" their trainers sang on, "If you believe it then you can, there's no reason that this life can't be… electric~!" they echoed together beautifully.
Pulling out her wand-like stick from the fur of her left arm, the Fox Pokémon ignited it before forming several rings of fire, which the Humming Pokémon flew through as he twirled. The crowd cheered excitedly at the sight. Some were quite enthusiastic.
As for the Ketchum twins, they were amazed by the sheer volume of the performance to open up the last three rounds of the Alola League. At that moment, one of the tournament officials came in to inform Erika and Pyrrha that they needed to get ready to enter the field. The two girls looked to each other and nodded, heading down their respective tunnels.
Back in the stadium itself, the performance continued as Lisia went ahead and Mega Evolved her Altaria in a beautiful display, looking like a phoenix thanks to the flames from Delphox. Serena danced and sang happily with her wife as their Pokémon were putting on quite the spectacle. It was electric, just like the song.
"You've got the power now~…" they both sang, finishing up their performance as the Mega Evolved Humming Pokémon unleashed a pink orb of energy up into the air from his mouth, which burst in a spray of beautiful sparkles. Everyone stood up and applauded from their seats. The two performers bowed to the crowd, followed by sharing a loving kiss to end things off.
"I'm so glad Serena found someone like Lisia," Mirajane admitted from her seat.
"Yeah, me too," her husband agreed.
"That was quite the stunning performance to kick off what'll surely be an amazing quarterfinals tonight!" Jim's voice echoed through the loudspeakers, "This is Jim Beck from ONBS Network, bringing you the play-by-play for tonight's quarterfinals of the Lanakila Conference, also known as the first-ever Alola League!" he told the audience. Down in the tunnel she was walking down, Erika took a deep breath as she calmed herself. The air was definitely different than in her previous matches. But she was determined to be a winner. "Joining me as our color commentator is Tom McAllister," Jim introduced over the broadcast, "Tom, what are your thoughts on the Top Eight here in Alola?" he inquired of him.
"Well let me say, these kids are the real deal," he responded, "They've taken on trainers from around the globe, some even beating well-known gym leaders from other regions," he noted thoroughly, "I'm excited to see how each of them performs tonight," he admitted.
"And we're starting with two trainers who just ended up beating two of Galar's esteemed gym leaders in the last round," the play-by-play commentator mentioned, while Erika and Pyrrha were making their out onto the field from their respective tunnels, "First, we have Erika Ketchum, a trainer who's battled her way through tough challenges, especially in the third round against Plumeria!" he introduced as the crowd started cheering, "Her opponent is Pyrrha Eucliffe, a trainer who's shown a lot of fight with her team!" he mentioned in introduction as the red-and-yellow-haired girl below waved to the cheering spectators, "Both of them have used a variety of Pokémon thus far, well beyond the normal six that trainers usually have aside from reserves," he explained.
"That's going to be a huge advantage, since trainers won't be able to predict what kind of teams their opponents will be bringing," Tom added, chiming into the conversation. Both competitors took their positions on the field. Dan stepped out onto the center of the field.
"Trainers, congratulations on making it this far in the tournament!" he complimented to the pair, "From this moment on, your battles will be six-on-six matches," he informed them, "You're both allowed to make substitutions at any time," he mentioned, "Additionally, when three of one side's Pokémon are no longer able to continue, there will be a brief intermission," he confirmed on. The big screens displayed the images of the two trial-goers, with six Poké Balls each underneath them to signify their Pokémon.
"Good luck, Erika!" Rotom buzzed out.
"You've got this!" Leslie cheered on.
"Show 'em what you've got, Pyrrha!" Sting cried out.
"Huh…" the red-and-yellow-haired girl exhaled with a smile, "I honestly didn't think it'd be this daunting…" she admitted.
"Yeah, same…" the Ketchum girl agreed, readying a Poké Ball in her right hand as she enlarged it with a press of its button, "But I'm ready to do this!" she declared.
"So am I!" her opponent responded as she prepared her own spherical container.
"Trainers, select your Pokémon at the same time!" Dan advised of them. Both girls reared their arms back.
"Oricorio, let's go!" Erika called out.
"Come on out, Spinner!" Pyrrha exclaimed. Both Poké Balls were flung out, popping open as their lights spilled forth onto the ground. They shaped into form, dissipating to reveal both the Dancing Pokémon in her Baile Style and the Long Leg Pokémon.
"Koreee~!" Oricorio sang as she waved her wings.
"Aree!" the Ariados screeched.
"Looks like things are starting off with Oricorio against Ariados!" Jim noted over the broadcast, as the images of the Pokémon appeared in place of the Poké Ball icons under their respective trainers.
"Start off with Air Slash!" Erika commanded as she threw her right hand out. With her wings glowing a bright blue, the Dancing Pokémon swung them out to unleash a flurry of disc-shaped blades of air, heading towards her opponent.
"Spinner, Psychic!" Pyrrha called out.
"Ahree!" her Ariados responded, making his eyes flash a bright pink. The incoming discs were suddenly stopped in midair, outlined in a pinkish light. The Ketchum girl gasped in surprise, seeing them burst like balloons.
"Now Pin Missile!" her rival ordered. The structures on Spinner's back shined a bright green before unleashing several orbs of white light with a greenish energy trailing from them.
"Dodge it!" Erika yelled. Oricorio was quick to hop about and avoid the barrage of energy orbs, but found herself unable to evade them all as she was bombarded, becoming enveloped in a cloud of white smoke.
"Ariados doesn't seem to mind the type disadvantage, especially with such a strong start to this match!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers.
"Oricorio, you okay?!" the Ketchum girl called out in question to her partner as the smoke dissipated, revealing that she was fine, shaking her head to regain herself.
"Ree!" she chirped out.
"Okay, Revelation Dance!" her trainer ordered. Embers flickered off of the Dancing Pokémon's wings as she twirled about. She then brought them together, forming a searing fireball that was shot toward her opponent.
"Dodge and use Cross Poison!" Pyrrha instructed, enticing Spinner to leap up to avoid the incoming fireball as it struck the ground in a fierce blast. He then made his front legs shine a bright purple before crossing them, coming down toward his foe. However, Erika smirked.
"Teeter Dance!" she called out, causing the red-and-yellow-haired girl on the other side of the field to gasp in surprise. Oricorio started to dance as she waved her wings. A pink mist wafted off from her body, spreading outwards. It washed over the incoming Ariados, causing him to blink before he ceased his attack, falling onto the ground.
"Ah… Areee…" he slurred out, stumbling around dizzily.
"Oricorio lands a Teeter Dance before Ariados can strike again!" Jim noted into the microphone excitedly.
"Now Revelation Dance!" Erika commanded. With embers flickering upon her feathers again, the Dancing Pokémon brought her wings together to form another fireball. Twirling around, she fired it out, striking her dizzied foe in a fierce blast.
"Spinner!" Pyrrha cried out. The Long Leg Pokémon landed down, shaking his head to regain his composure as he turned to his opponent.
"Oricorio, Air Slash!" Erika ordered on, swinging her right arm out.
"Pin Missile!" Pyrrha commanded. The Dancing Pokémon had her wings glow a bright blue, flapping them to release several more disc-shaped blades of air that flew towards her foe. He countered by making the structures atop his abdomen glow green, unleashing several white orbs with green energy trailing from them. Both attacks collided with each other in several bursts, enveloping the field in smoke.
"I can't believe they're evenly matched…" Leslie admitted from the stands.
"Goes to show just how well-trained that Ariados of Pyrrha's is…" her father pointed out.
"Pikah…" Pikachu squeaked in agreement as he nodded.
"Spinner, use Psychic!" the red-and-yellow-haired girl on the field ordered. The Long Leg Pokémon made his eyes shine a bright pink, making the smoke separate so that he could see his foe. His eyes glowed brighter as he entrapped the Dancing Pokémon in his psychic hold, having her outlined in a pink light.
"Reee…!" she squawked out, trying to break herself free. She felt her body get contorted before being flung about onto the ground hard.
"Oricorio!" her trainer screamed.
"Now Toxic Thread!" Pyrrha instructed. Her Ariados unleashed a spray of glowing purple thread from his mouth, wrapping around his opponent. She winced as a purple glow appeared upon her body, followed by bubbles and sparks. Erika gasped.
"And Ariados uses his signature Toxic Thread to poison Oricorio!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast, "A clever move on Pyrrha's part!" he mentioned in a complimentary tone.
"Never seen that move before…" Hau admitted from inside the locker room, sitting next to Calvin.
"Yeah, me either…" he responded.
"It's Ariados' signature move," Gladion chimed in, getting their attentions, "It's like String Shot, but with the effect of getting poisoned added onto it," he explained.
"Whoa…" the ponytailed boy uttered, "Pyrrha really isn't holding anything back this time, huh?" he assumed with a nervous grin. His cousin balled his fists over his knees, hoping that his twin sister would prevail.
"Reee…" Oricorio groaned out as she struggled to stand back up. Her trainer grimaced.
'Should I switch to someone else?' she wondered inwardly, "If I do, I could just be getting another of my Pokémon poisoned…' she noted to herself.
"Spinner, Pin Missile!" Pyrrha commanded. The Long Leg Pokémon had the structures upon his back glow green again, releasing more orbs of white light with green energy trailing them as they headed towards his target.
"Dodge and use Hurricane!" Erika instructed. Regaining her composure, the Dancing Pokémon made her wings shine a bright white. She jumped back to avoid the incoming orbs, unfolding her wings to snap the purple thread around her. The glow of the poison returned, making her wince. But she withstood it, flapping her wings mightily to create a torrent of air that enveloped the Ariados.
"Ahrreeee…!" he screeched out, unable to break free of the vortex before ending up blown back in an instant.
"Spinner!" his trainer screamed, seeing him crash down in front of her, struggling to push himself back up.
"Now Air Slash!" the Ketchum girl commanded. With her wings glowing a bright blue, Oricorio flapped them to release several disc-shaped blades of air. They crashed into the Long Leg Pokémon, enveloping him in a flurry of dirt and dust. When it cleared moments later, it revealed that he lied groaning upon the ground with swirls in his eyes. Dan ran over to assess his condition.
"Ariados is unable to battle!" he announced, "Oricorio wins!" he confirmed. The crowd cheered. Spinner's image on the big screens was greyed out.
"An exciting start to the quarterfinals with Oricorio taking the victory over Ariados!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers.
"Yes, but Ariados did a good job all the same," Tom chimed in, "especially with poisoning Oricorio before fainting," he added.
"Koree…" the Dancing Pokémon chirped weakly as the glow of the poison still appeared upon her body. Meanwhile, Pyrrha returned her Ariados to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Thanks for all your hard work," she said with gratitude, putting the spherical container away. Erika had also taken out her own Poké Ball, aiming it toward Oricorio.
"Oricorio, you should take a—"
"Kor, koree!" her partner chirped out, shaking her head to her surprise. She seemed to be reluctant to come out of the battle just yet. And seeing that made the Ketchum girl hesitate.
"Okay," she said, putting the Poké Ball away.
"So Erika's opted not to switch Oricorio out, despite her being poisoned," Jim noted into the microphone.
"That's a risky call, even if this is only the start of the match," Tom pointed out. Down on the field, Pyrrha readied a Dive Ball in her right hand, enlarging it with a press of its button.
"Let's go, Sona!" she called out, throwing the spherical container forward. It popped open, with its light spilling out onto the ground, taking shape and dissipating to reveal her Lapras.
"Arroooohhh~!" she sang out.
"And Pyrrha selects Lapras to counter Oricorio!" Jim yelled over the broadcast. The image of the Transport Pokémon appeared on the big screen next to where the greyed out Spinner was.
"Lapras, huh?" Leslie said, putting a hand onto her chin, "That's definitely not a good matchup for Oricorio…" she pointed out.
"Why didn't Erika switch, zzt?" Rotom wondered aloud.
"I think I might have an idea…" Ash responded as he folded his arms over his chest.
"Let's start with Revelation Dance!" the Ketchum girl on the field shouted. Embers flickered off of the Dancing Pokémon's feathers as she twirled, preparing a fireball upon her wings.
"Hydro Pump!" Pyrrha ordered, much to her rival's surprise. Rearing her head back, Sona unleashed a powerful stream of water from her mouth. Oricorio launched her fireball, but was immediately washed out upon contact with the incoming water, which struck her in a splash.
"Oricorio!" Erika cried out, seeing her partner fall onto the ground. She struggled to push herself up, as the glow of the poison reappeared upon her form as she winced from the bubbles and sparks.
"Now Thunderbolt!" the red-and-yellow-haired girl commanded. Yellow electricity crackled around the horn at her Lapras' head. She unleashed a bolt of lightning that zipped toward her foe.
"Dodge it!" Erika yelled. Perking up in the nick of time, Oricorio leapt away from the bolt as it ended up striking the ground. "Now use Hurricane!" her trainer ordered as she pointed forward. The Dancing Pokémon made her wings glow a bright white as she landed down, flapping them mightily to create a powerful gust of air that washed over her opponent.
"Oricorio isn't going to go down without a fight, it seems!" Jim pointed out excitedly into the microphone.
"Sona, Sheer Cold!" Pyrrha commanded. A blue aura surrounded her Lapras as the inside of her mouth shined white. The ground around her started to freeze up in ice, trailing toward Oricorio. She failed to take notice in time as she suddenly found herself encased. The ice around her shattered, with her flying back.
"Oricorio, no!" Erika screamed, seeing her land upon the ground on her back.
"Reeee…" she chirped weakly with swirls in her eyes. Dan ran over to assess her condition. He raised his left arm.
"Oricorio is unable to battle!" he announced, "Lapras wins!" he confirmed, gesturing over to the Transport Pokémon.
"Roooo~!" she sang happily as the crowd cheered.
"Just like that the match is evened back up thanks to Lapras' Sheer Cold!" Jim noted over the broadcast.
"Even without that, I don't think Oricorio was going to last long against her," Tom mentioned, "That decision could come back to haunt Erika later," he added as down on the field, the Ketchum girl returned the Dancing Pokémon to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Sorry about that, Oricorio…" she apologized, "But thanks for all your hard work," she said with gratitude, putting the spherical container away. She knew that this battle against Pyrrha wasn't to be easy. So she'd have to figure out a different plan…
X
Oricorio's icon on the big screens greyed out to indicate her defeat. Those of the Ketchum family grimaced, while Sunset and Sting grinned. Laura watched on indifferently, seeing her sister smile.
"Now that both trainers are down to five Pokémon each, we'll see how Erika looks to counter Pyrrha's Lapras!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers.
"Since Lapras is a Water-and-Ice-type, Erika doesn't really have many options to battle her," Leslie pointed out, "At least not without having a weakness in exchange for an advantage…" she corrected.
"She'll have to really think about thizzz, zzt!" Rotom buzzed out.
"What do you think she'll do, Ash?" Mirajane asked of her husband.
"We'll see," he responded simply with a little smile.
"Jah, jahng moh!" Jangmo-o chirped out for this trainer on the field below. She prepared another Poké Ball in her right hand, enlarging it with a press of its center button.
"Lurantis, you're up!" she yelled, throwing it forward. It popped open, and its light spilled onto the ground, shaping into form before dissipating to reveal the Bloom Sickle Pokémon.
"Lurraaahh!" she exclaimed.
"Erika opts to use Lurantis to battle Lapras!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "How will Pyrrha respond?" he wondered aloud. To the Ketchum girl's surprise, she saw her rival take out her Dive Ball and aim it at Sona.
"Take a break, Sona," she advised, returning her to the spherical container in a beam of red light. She then put it back onto her belt before taking out a Heavy Ball, pressing its button to enlarge. "Go, Gigas!" she called out, flinging it onto the field. As the spherical container opened up, its light streaked onto the dirt, shaping into form and dissipating to reveal her Gigalith.
"Geegahh!" he bellowed out.
"And Pyrrha is the first to make a substitution, opting to bring in Gigalith to face Lurantis!" Jim noted over the broadcast, "Though I'm struggling to understand why…" he admitted.
"I'm sure that whatever happens next will show us in spite of the type disadvantage," Tom affirmed. The image of the Compressed Pokémon appeared in the larger section of the big screen underneath his trainer, while Lapras' was moved away, colored to indicate that she was still able to battle.
"Gigas, Stealth Rock!" Pyrrha called out. Multiple glowing rocks rose up in front of the Compressed Pokémon, who threw them out. The landed upon the ground around his foe, who blinked in surprise as she looked at the rocks.
"Stealth Rock…" Erika uttered, letting off a grimace upon remembering how Gordie's strategy yesterday had hindered her team's performance almost completely, starting with that very move.
"It's even worse now that Stealth Rock's up so early in the match…" Leslie noted from the stands, "I doubt her Pokémon will take too much damage, but…" she continued.
"If she'zzz forced to switch over and over…" Rotom kept going.
"Then she's in trouble…" Ash finished for them.
"Lurantis, Petal Blizzard!" Erika commanded, swinging her left arm. The Bloom Sickle Pokémon had pink flower petals swirl up around her. She then swung her arms out, unleashing the petals towards her foe.
"Iron Defense!" Pyrrha called out. A shine of light flowed up Gigas' body before he became coated by a metal sheen. He endured the petals that breezed by him, seemingly unaffected.
"Talk about going up against an iron wall!" Jim remarked over the broadcast, "Even being hit by super effective Grass-type attacks, Gigalith is hardly fazed!" he noted loudly.
"In that case…" Erika began as she clenched her fists, "Sunny Day!" she yelled.
"LURRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Lurantis screeched up into the sky. The night sky suddenly brightened as if there was sunlight, causing a few people in the stands to flinch from the brightness.
"So that's your plan…" Pyrrha realized as she grinned, "Gigas, Bulldoze!" she commanded.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" the Compressed Pokémon bellowed, lifting his front legs up and slamming them down to create a shockwave that headed toward his foe. It crashed into her, sending her flying back in a yelp. However, she managed to land safely upon her feet.
"Lurantis, Solar Blade!" her trainer ordered. The Bloom Sickle Pokémon quickly formed a yellow ball of energy above her head, having it grow before she brought her right arm up to it. Taking shape in the form of a blade, the light rose high into the sky.
"Gigas, Iron Defense!" Pyrrha instructed. Once again, another shine of white light came across her Gigalith's body, coating him in a metallic sheen.
"LURAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Lurantis screeched as she swung the blade of light down onto him fiercely, resulting in a powerful blast that enveloped the field in dirt and dust. It was slow to subside. But once it did, Erika gasped in surprise to see the Compressed Pokémon still standing firm.
"Geegah!" he exclaimed.
"Wowza!" Jim yelled into the microphone, "Gigalith tanks even Lurantis' signature Solar Blade!" he pointed out excitedly.
"Rock-type Pokémon generally have really good defenses," Tom noted, "With that Iron Defense added, Gigalith's essentially become an unbreakable wall," he mentioned in explanation.
"We'll see how Erika decides to counter this now," the play-by-play commentator noted, "Will she switch, or will she continue with who she has?" he wondered aloud. On the field, the Ketchum girl grimaced.
'Even if his defenses are crazy tough now, we're still dealing damage…' she noted to herself, 'We just have to hammer away and eventually get a finishing blow!' she concluded through her thoughts.
"Lurantis, Petal Blizzard!" she commanded. The Bloom Sickle Pokémon had more pink flower petals start to swirl around her. She swung her arms out, firing them out at her foe.
"Stone Edge!" Pyrrha ordered, slamming her right fist against the ground. Raising his front legs up again, Gigas brought them down hard onto the surface. Light blue rock pillars erected from the ground, trailing towards Lurantis. They tore through the incoming petals before crashing into her, knocking her down onto her back.
"Lurantis!" Erika cried out.
"Lurrr… aahhh…" the Bloom Sickle Pokémon groaned as she tried to sit up.
"Now Bulldoze!" the red-and-yellow-haired girl commanded. Her Gigalith slammed his front legs down onto the ground again, causing a shockwave to reverberate and crash against his opponent as she flew back. She tumbled along the ground, coming to a stop upon her stomach in front of her trainer.
"Lurantis, no!" she exclaimed.
"Ooh, a barrage of strong attacks from Gigalith really leaves its mark on Lurantis!" Jim shouted through the loudspeakers, "Can she still battle?!" he questioned loudly. The Bloom Sickle Pokémon was able to pick herself up, getting onto her feet as she breathed heavily.
"Time to settle this one!" Pyrrha declared, "Gigas, Stone Edge!" she ordered, pumping her left fist out. The Compressed Pokémon brought his front legs down again, making several light blue rock pillars erupt from the ground, trailing towards his target. Erika grimaced.
"Solar Blade!" she commanded. With her eyes shooting open upon hearing her trainer's voice, Lurantis managed to quickly form a ball of yellow light over her head. She lifted her right arm into the luminosity, causing it to shape into a blade that rose high up to the sky above. Just as the rock pillars were about to crash against her, she was able to bring the blade of light down onto her foe. Both attacks struck, resulting in powerful explosions from where they occurred.
"Whoa!" Hau yelped from the locker room as he and the others saw the smoke engulf the battlefield. It was slow to dissipate, with both Erika and Pyrrha grimacing. They didn't know what happened. As the veil finally cleared, it revealed that Gigas was still standing, though he was breathing heavily. Meanwhile, Lurantis lied upon the ground in daze with swirls in her eyes. Dan raised his left arm.
"Lurantis is unable to battle!" he announced, "Gigalith wins!" he confirmed, gesturing to the Compressed Pokémon.
"GAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" he bellowed victoriously as the crowd cheered.
"And Gigalith puts Pyrrha in the lead with a victory over Lurantis!" Jim noted over the broadcast, while the image of Lurantis underneath her trainer on the big screen greyed out, "We could be reaching that intermission sooner than later from the look of things!" he remarked on excitedly. Erika returned the fainted Bloom Sickle Pokémon to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Thanks for your hard work out there, Lurantis," she said gratefully, "I promise that we won't let it go to waste," she declared, putting the spherical container away after shrinking it. She looked out at Pyrrha and Gigas, along with the rocks scattered about on her team's side of the field.
"Is she okay, zzt?" Rotom inquired out of concern.
"She's probably trying to think of a way to deal with the Stealth Rock and how she's up against Gigalith…" Leslie answered, folding her arms underneath her chest. They watched as the Ketchum girl readied another Poké Ball in her right hand, enlarging it with a press of its center button.
"Palossand, you're up!" she called out, backhanding the spherical container onto the field. It burst open, with its light spilling onto the ground and forming, dissipating to reveal the Sand Castle Pokémon.
"Pah loh!" he exclaimed. All of a sudden, the rocks scattered around him exploded, enveloping him in smoke.
"Oh, and Palossand comes in to a rude awakening from that Stealth Rock!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast.
"Unless Erika has a Pokémon that can remove that entry hazard, I think she's in a lot of trouble," Tom mentioned. The smoke settled, revealing that the Sand Castle Pokémon was fine. Though he looked relatively annoyed.
"Lohh…" he huffed out. His image appeared in the large icon beneath his trainer on the big screen.
"Let's get this match back in our favor, Palossand!" the Ketchum girl insisted, "Start off with Shadow Ball!" she commanded. The Sand Castle Pokémon formed a ball of purple-and-black energy with sparks crackling around it in front of his mouth. He fired it out, striking Gigas in a strong blast as he was pushed back a few feet.
"Geegahh…" he groaned out, shaking his head.
"We're not going down that easy!" Pyrrha proclaimed, "Use Bulldoze!" she ordered, pumping her left fist out. Her Gigalith lifted his front legs up, slamming them against the earth to make a shockwave erupt, heading toward his opponent.
"Counter it with Earth Power!" Erika called out. Palossand's eyes flashed a golden orange as his whole body glowed gold. As the shockwave approached him, The ground in front of him suddenly burst, making the surge completely come undone.
"And Palossand proves he's got bite as he nullifies that Bulldoze with a strong Earth Power!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers.
"Now Shadow Ball!" the Ketchum girl yelled as she pumped her left fist. The Sand Castle Pokémon formed another purple-and-black ball of energy in front of his mouth. He fired it out, again striking his opponent in another blast of grey smoke, pushing him back. He appeared to wince from taking the blow, while his trainer seemed to grimace.
"I think Palossand's got this!" Leslie exclaimed excitedly from the stands as she stood up. Her parents giggled at her excitement.
"Gigas Stone Edge!" Pyrrha commanded. The Compressed Pokémon lifted his front legs up yet again, bringing them down hard to make several light blue rock pillars erect from the earth, trailing towards his target.
"Sandstorm!" Erika called out.
"Pah… LOHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Palossand exclaimed, unleashing a gust of sand from his body to envelop the field before he wound up struck by the rock pillars, becoming enveloped in a cloud of dust.
"Ergh…" Pyrrha grunted, enduring the sudden sandstorm as she braced herself with her left arm over her face.
"Palossand's able to set up a Sandstorm before taking that Stone Edge!" Jim yelled into the microphone, "Is he alright?!" he wondered loudly. The dust settled to reveal that the Sand Castle Pokémon was just fine, with just a few scrapes upon his sandy body. Erika cracked a smirk.
"Use Shore Up!" she instructed.
"Loh!" Palossand responded, drawing in sand toward his body. A greenish, healing aura flowed up his body, making his scrapes disappear.
"And thanks to his signature Shore Up, Palossand shakes off any damage he had already taken!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast. Pyrrha grimaced.
"Not bad, Erika…" she remarked, "Gigas, Stone Edge!" she commanded again.
"Use Earth Power!" the Ketchum girl ordered. As the Compressed Pokémon lifted his front legs, his opponent had his whole body glow gold while having his eyes shine a golden orange. Just as the Gigalith was about to bring his legs down, he saw the golden cracks forming beneath him. He realized too late as the ground burst underneath him, making him cry out in pain.
"Gigas!" his trainer screamed.
"Now Shadow Ball!" Erika commanded. Forming yet another purple-and-black ball of energy in front of his mouth, Palossand fired it out. His foe had no way to counter as he was struck upside the head in a powerful blast, toppling over onto his side.
"Gahhhh…" he groaned, having swirls in his eyes. Dan ran over, making sure to thoroughly assess his condition before raising his right arm.
"Gigalith is unable to battle!" he announced, gesturing towards the Sand Castle Pokémon and his trainer, "Palossand wins!" he confirmed. The crowd cheered as the image of the Compressed Pokémon on the big screens greyed out.
"That's a huge win for Palossand, giving Erika some breathing room!" Jim remarked through the loudspeakers.
"Nice one, Eri!" Hau cheered from the locker room with a pump of his right fist.
"She's definitely going to have an easier time with that Sandstorm in effect for Palossand," Gladion noted, folding his arms over his chest. Calvin nodded in agreement. Back on the field, Pyrrha returned Gigas to his Heavy Ball in a beam of red light.
"Thanks for your hard work, Gigas," she said with gratitude, putting the spherical container away after shrinking it. She then pulled out another Poké Ball, enlarging it with a press of its button. "You're up, Starlight!" she exclaimed, tossing it out onto the field. It opened up as its light zipped into the air, shaping into form and dissipating to reveal her Minior.
"Meee!" it squeaked as sparkles came off of its body, which was shelled in rock. Its image appeared on the big screen underneath its trainer.
"Starlight, huh?" Erika noted as she narrowed her eyes slightly. She watched the Meteor Pokémon spin around slowly, staring off with Palossand. The sandstorm raged on between them as they were ready to battle.
X
"Pyrrha decides to go for her Minior to counter Palossand!" Jim noted over the broadcast, "Curious to see where this leads…" he added with a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Why not go back to Lapras?" Trent wondered aloud from in the locker room, "She seems like the better match for Palossand here…" he pointed out.
"Maybe Pyrrha has another plan in mind," Hau suggested, shrugging his shoulders.
"It probably has to do with the sandstorm still in play," Gladion chimed in, getting their attentions, "My guess is that Minior is going to stall until the sandstorm goes away," he assumed as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Maybe…" Calvin concurred. He remembered how well the shiny Meteor Pokémon had done in its battle yesterday against Bea's Falinks. Back on the field, the sandstorm sounded silent to the likes of Pyrrha and Erika as they each awaited the first command to be issued.
"Shell Smash!" the former of the two trainers called out.
"Meeeorrrr!" Starlight exclaimed, becoming outlined in a white glow. A faint red glow then surrounded it before disappearing in a burst. Lines of blue energy flowed down its body, followed by an orange aura shooting up.
'They're going for the same strategy they went against Bea with…' Erika realized.
"Palossand, Shadow Ball!" she commanded. The Sand Castle Pokémon formed a purple-and-black ball of energy in front of its mouth, firing it off toward his foe.
"Dodge with Acrobatics!" Pyrrha instructed. Starlight become shrouded in a blue glow, zipping away from the incoming energy ball. It then zoomed over and struck its opponent, making him wince as it flew away.
"Minior's added speed and power from that Shell Smash lets it avoid that Shadow Ball and strike back with Acrobatics!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers.
"Now Power Gem!" the red-and-yellow-haired girl ordered, thrusting her right hand out. The shiny Minior had a pale pink energy form in front of its body, firing off a ray with a sparkling white outline. It struck Palossand in a blast of grey smoke. After a moment, it cleared to reveal that he was shaking his head, appearing to have withstood it.
"Way to hang tough, Palossand!" Erika complimented as she pumped her right fist, "Now Shore Up!" she called out.
"Lohh!" the Sand Castle Pokémon responded, having the sand swirl and gather around him. A greenish, healing aura flowed up his body.
"Starlight, Acrobatics!" Pyrrha commanded. The Meteor Pokémon cloaked itself in a blue light yet again, zipping over to strike its foe head on to make him slide back a little.
"Shadow Ball!" the Ketchum girl ordered. Taking on a determined expression, Palossand formed another purple-and-black ball of energy that he fired immediately. It struck the shiny Minior, blowing it back. In that same moment though, the sandstorm subsided.
"Palossand retaliates with a Shadow Ball just before the sandstorm comes to an end!" Jim pointed out into the microphone. On the field, Pyrrha saw the cracks forming on Starlight's rocky shell. She pulled out its Poké Ball.
"Starlight, take a break!" she insisted, returning the shiny Minior to its spherical container in a beam of red light.
"Huh?" Erika uttered in surprise.
"She's switching now?" Paige inquired from back in the locker room.
"Pyrrha decides to give Minior a rest for the moment, likely opting to use someone with a better advantage against Palossand," Jim noted over the broadcast. Taking out her Dive Ball and enlarging it with a press of its button, the red-and-yellow-haired girl reared her arm back.
"Let's go, Sona!" she exclaimed, flinging it up into the air. It burst open, with its light spilling onto the ground and dissipating to reveal her Lapras.
"Aroooohhh~!" she sang.
"And Lapras returns to the battlefield!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone excitedly. Erika tensed up a little.
'I don't know why Pyrrha waited until now to bring in Lapras again…' she noted inwardly.
"Palossand, you ready to keep this going?" she called out in question to the Sand Castle Pokémon.
"Loh!" he responded with a simple nod, making the Ketchum girl smile.
"Then start off with Sandstorm!" she instructed, pointing forward. Sand erupted from Palossand's body, swirling about the field again. However, Pyrrha smirked.
"Hydro Pump!" she commanded. Sona reared her head back, unleashing a powerful stream of water from her mouth. It struck the waving sand before it could reach her, breaking it apart entirely.
"Ah!" Erika gasped in disbelief.
"Unreal!" Jim yelled through the loudspeakers as many in the audience were shocked, "Using Hydro Pump, Lapras just nullified Palossand's attempting at setting up another Sandstorm!" he noted loudly.
"That's probably why she didn't switch back to her right away," Tom assumed, chiming in, "She wanted to make sure that the sandstorm already on the field subsided before bringing her out," he explained.
"Crazy…" Leslie uttered in disbelief, "Dad, didn't you have a strategy like that?" she inquired of her father, getting his attention.
"Yeah…" he replied with a nod, "Pyrrha's really got a lot to counter Erika's team…" he noted, narrowing his eyes a little.
"Now Ice Beam!" the red-and-yellow-haired girl commanded. Opening her mouth, Sona formed a light blue ball of energy in front of it.
"Quick, Shadow Ball!" Erika ordered as she stuck her right hand out. Palossand had another purple-and-black ball of energy appear in front of his mouth with sparks crackling off of it. He fired it out just as his foe unleashed zigzagging beams of light from the ball of blue light. They collided, resulting in an implosion that engulfed the field in smoke.
"Lapras and Palossand continue to duke it out as it seems like Erika's put in a tight spot!" Jim noted into the microphone.
"Keep in mind, making a switch now risks triggering that Stealth Rock again," Tom mentioned, "She really can't afford to send someone in to take damage at this point…" he added thoroughly.
"Hydro Pump!" Pyrrha ordered, pumping her right fist forward. Rearing her head back, Sona unleashed a powerful stream of water from her mouth. It tore through the smoke, crashing into the Sand Castle Pokémon in a splash.
"Pahhh…" he groaned as water dripped down his body. However, an orange aura shot up his form.
"It'zzz Palossand'zzz Water Compaction!" Rotom buzzed, "Now hizzz defenzzze izzz a lot stronger!" it pointed out.
"Yeah, but is that gonna change anything now?" Leslie wondered aloud to the Pokédex's surprise.
"Sona, Ice Beam!" Pyrrha commanded. Another light blue ball of energy was formed in front her Lapras' mouth. Erika grimaced.
"Palossand, Earth Power!" she ordered quickly. The Sand Castle Pokémon's body glowed a bright gold as cracks spread from the ground underneath him. As they trailed towards his opponent, she unleashed several zigzagging beams of light from the energy ball in front of her mouth. They struck, causing him to bellow with pain. However, the cracks in the ground managed to make their way underneath his target, with the earth bursting underneath her.
"Oooo…" she groaned out, wincing a little as she moved back. Meanwhile, the beams subsided around Palossand, who slumped as his eyes were in swirls. Dan rushed over to assess his condition.
"Palossand is unable to battle!" he announced, raising his left hand, "Lapras wins!" he confirmed, gesturing to the Transport Pokémon.
"Arrooo~!" she sang happily, though she still winced a little. The crowd cheered.
"Lapras pulls out another huge victory for Pyrrha, earning her a third win first in this round!" Jim remarked over the broadcast, while Erika returned Palossand to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Thanks for your hard work, Palossand," she said gratefully, "Take a good rest," she advised, putting the spherical container away. She looked out at her rival, seeing her with a confident grin on her face.
"Atta' girl!" Sting cheered from the stands.
"Hmph…" Laura huffed, though she did smile a little. Her mother seemed very proud.
"We'll be taking a brief intermission for the moment, everyone," Jim noted through the loudspeakers, "Stay tuned for more exciting action!" he insisted.
X
"Already, this first match is showing just how skilled these trainers are," Darach pointed out, sitting alongside Dahlia, Argenta, and Thorton in an analyst booth.
"True as that may be, I believe that Erika's chances of winning this battle have dwindled to at least thirty-four percent," the Factory Head told his colleagues.
"Just thirty-four?!" the Arcade Star repeated in shock, letting off a laugh, "Come on, we haven't even seen her other three Pokémon yet…" she argued.
"Keep in mind, she can't really switch with Stealth Rock in play," the Hall Matron added, chiming into the conversation, "That is, unless she wants to risk damage to the rest of her team," she mentioned.
"Can Stealth Rock be removed?" Dahlia wondered curiously.
"It is possible…" Thorton replied, "But it's very unlikely given the Pokémon we've seen from Erika," he concluded as he folded his arms over his chest.
"Either way, I see a fascinating second half to this battle on the horizon," Darach admitted.
"As do all of us," Argenta agreed.
"Looks like we're about to head back onto the field, folks!" Dahlia noted as she waved, "Let's see who comes out on top!" she exclaimed. The TV went to commercial break as Calvin stared at it.
"What can remove Stealth Rock?" Hau wondered aloud.
"From what I know, only a few things," Gladion answered, getting his attention, "First, if the opponent uses Defog on the side of the field where Stealth Rock's placed," he explained, "And second, if Rapid Spin is used there by the Pokémon surrounded by Stealth Rock," he mentioned on thoroughly.
"I don't know if Pyrrha has any Pokémon with Defog…" the ponytailed boy said.
"And I doubt Erika's got one with Rapid Spin…" Calvin mentioned with a grimace. Back on the field, the Ketchum girl looked at the big screen to her right, seeing the greyed out images of Oricorio, Lurantis, and Palossand. Each of their defeats had come after she had taken far too many risks with them. She smacked her cheeks, regaining her focus.
"The second half of the match will now begin!" Dan declared, "When all of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle, the match will be decided!" he informed the two trainers, "Now select your Pokémon!" he requested.
"Sona, you're back in!" Pyrrha called out, enticing her Lapras to move onto the field.
"Arrroooo~!" she sang. Meanwhile, Erika enlarged a Poké Ball in her right hand.
'First things first…' she began inwardly, 'We gotta take down that Lapras!" she decided through her thoughts, rearing her arm back.
"Lycanroc, let's go!" she exclaimed, firing the spherical container up into the air. It burst open, with its light spilling forth onto the ground and shaping into form. When it dissipated, it revealed the Wolf Pokémon.
"Rahk!" he barked out. The stones scattered about the field around him glowed a bright orange, causing him to perk up in surprise. They exploded, making him yelp.
"Erika sends in Lycanroc, who's immediately met with the effects of that Stealth Rock set up earlier!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast. The smoke settled, revealing that the Wolf Pokémon was fine, growling angrily. His image appeared underneath his trainer on the big screens.
"This is Lycanroc's first battle in the league, isn't it?" Leslie inquired from the stands.
"I heard he was one of Erika's aces during the island challenge," Mirajane pointed out with a nod of confirmation, "I'm sure he'll be a big help to Erika!" she affirmed confidently.
"Time to turn this around, Lycanroc!" her youngest daughter called out from down below on the field, "Howl!" she instructed.
"RAAAHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" the Wolf Pokémon howled up into the night sky. An orange aura shot up his body.
"Sona, Hydro Pump!" Pyrrha ordered. Her Lapras reared her head back again before releasing a powerful stream of water. Quickly, Lycanroc crossed his arms over his face to block it, being pushed back several feet as he dug his claws into the ground. He managed to withstand the stream before it broke apart.
"Lycanroc holds on, tanking a super effective Hydro Pump!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers.
"Now Stone Edge!" Erika commanded, punching her left hand.
"Raahhhkk!" the Wolf Pokémon bellowed, clenching his forepaws and slamming them against the ground. Light blue stone pillars erupted from the ground, trailing towards his target.
"Sheer Cold!" Pyrrha ordered.
"Arrrooooohhh!" Sona exclaimed, having her body glow a light blue before freezing everything around her. The incoming stone pillars crashed through the ice though, protecting Lycanroc as he narrowed his eyes.
"In that case…" his trainer began, "Use Crunch!" she yelled. Making his teeth shine a bright white and sharpen, the Wolf Pokémon leapt up and traversed the stone pillars before they disappeared, diving out toward his foe. He chomped onto her neck, making her scream in pain.
"Sona!" Pyrrha cried out.
"Lycanroc gets the jump on Lapras, managing to avoid her Sheer Cold and strike back with Crunch!" Jim pointed out into the microphone, "Is this match about to turn around?!" he wondered loudly.
"Use Thunderbolt!" the red-and-yellow-haired girl commanded. Perking up, the Transport Pokémon had the horn at her head spark with yellow electricity. Her opponent took notice too late as he was suddenly zapped by a lightning bolt she shot at him, knocking him off of her.
"Rrrrr…" he growled out afterwards.
"Now Ice Beam!" Pyrrha commanded. A light blue ball of energy formed in front of Sona's open mouth, followed by releasing a series of zigzagging beams towards her target. He hopped back to evade the first few, but wound up getting struck by the others, starting to freeze up in ice.
"Lycanroc!" his trainer cried out.
"Oh, and Lycanroc winds up getting hit with some serious attacks!" Jim noted over the broadcast, "I don't know if he can take much more…" he added as half of the Wolf Pokémon's body had gotten frozen.
"Come on, Erika…" Calvin pleaded from the locker room.
"Lycanroc, Reversal!" his twin sister commanded on the field. With his eyes shooting open, the Wolf Pokémon had an orange wave of energy burst out from the ground around him, shattering the ice encasing his body. He clenched his right forepaw as it became cloaked in the orange energy, followed by lunging out and striking Sona at her head, knocking her back.
"Sona!" Pyrrha exclaimed.
"Arrr…" her Lapras moaned in pain.
"Now Stone Edge!" Erika ordered.
"RYKAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Lycanroc bellowed, slamming his forepaws against the earth. Light blue stone pillars erected, trailing towards and striking the Transport Pokémon before she could do anything. She fell onto her side with swirls in her eyes as Dan came over to assess her condition.
"Lapras is unable to battle!" he announced with his right arm raised, "Lycanroc wins!" he confirmed as he gestured to the Wolf Pokémon. The crowd cheered.
"Just like that, this match gets turned on its head with Lycanroc's big victory over Lapras!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers as Sona's image on the big screens greyed out, "Now Erika and Pyrrha have three Pokémon left each!" he pointed out.
"And they both have two each that have yet to come out," Tom mentioned. The red-and-yellow-haired girl returned the Transport Pokémon to her Dive Ball in a beam of red light.
"Great work out there, Sona," she complimented, "We'll handle the rest from here," she affirmed confidently, putting the spherical container away.
"Rah… rah…" Lycanroc breathed heavily. His trainer grimaced a little. Though he won, he did take a significant amount of damage. And she wanted to save him for later.
"Lycanroc, take a rest for now," she insisted to his surprise as he saw her aim his Poké Ball at him. However, he nodded in realization, allowing her to recall him to the spherical container in a beam of red light.
"Well, there's a little surprise," Jim remarked into the microphone, "Looks like Erika's going to be switching in this battle after all, even with Stealth Rock in play," he noted to the crowd.
"Guess we'll have to wait and see what comes of that call," Tom added curiously.
"What's she planning now?" Leslie wondered aloud from the stands, seeing her little sister ready a Moon Ball in her right hand, enlarging it with a press of its center button.
"Starbright, let's go!" she exclaimed, firing it out onto the field. It popped open, with its light spilling out in midair and dissipating to reveal her Clefable.
"Fayyy!" she squeaked, landing upon the ground. She was caught by surprise as the rocks around her glowed orange and exploded, enveloping her in a cloud of smoke. It quickly cleared, revealing that she was fine as she took on a determined expression.
"Erika switches to Clefable, hoping to keep the momentum going!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast, "How will Pyrrha decide to counter?" he asked curiously. Seeing the Fairy Pokémon, the red-and-yellow-haired girl smiled.
"I guess we oughta' give these two a rematch!" she decided, readying a Poké Ball in her right hand, "Starlight, come on out!" she yelled, throwing the spherical container out onto the field. It popped open, with its light forming in midair before dissipating to reveal her shiny Minior, who had sparkles come off of its shelled body.
"Heh," Erika chuckled, "You ready, Starbright?" she asked of her Clefable.
"Fay!" she responded with a nod. Her image had appeared on the big screen underneath her trainer. With three Pokémon left each, both girls were ready to settle this match…
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
Oh, how I missed writing full battles! They're so much fun to do, especially in two-parters! Based on my outlines, the quarterfinals will probably be over in about five or six more chapters. I'm really excited to get through the rest of the Lanakila Conference this year, and I can't wait for what's ahead!
Here's a summary to hold you over until next time!
SUMMARY
Erika and Pyrrha's intense battle continues! Down to three Pokémon each, it's a battle of strategy and strength! Who'll come out on top and be the first to make it to the semifinals?!
END SUMMARY
Until next time, I'll see you later!