Alola again, everyone! I hope I didn't take you guys out of the moment after last chapter, where we left off with Erika and Pyrrha halfway through their quarterfinal match! Gotta say, it's still a pleasure to be writing full battles again, especially of this magnitude.
And we're going to be seeing a lot more after this chapter! So let's not delay things any further! Welcome back to "The Challenge of a Lifetime"!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
"Clefable against Minior, huh?" Leslie noted from the stands, looking down at the pair of Pokémon faced off with each other on the field, "I don't know who'd win this one…" she admitted with narrowed eyes.
"Minior has a lot of strong moves to help it in battle, especially Shell Smash…" Ash remembered.
"Peekah…" Pikachu squeaked in agreement.
"We're now down to three Pokémon each for Erika and Pyrrha!" Jim noted over the broadcast.
"Pyrrha has the advantage with two Pokémon yet to be revealed and having Stealth Rock still in play," Tom pointed out, "The only way I can Erika turning this around is if can somehow work around that Stealth Rock while also making sure to save her last Pokémon for when she really needs it," he told the audience.
"Starbright, you ready to get going?" the Ketchum girl asked of her Clefable.
"Fayy bell!" she responded, taking a ready stance.
"Starlight, Shell Smash!" Pyrrha instructed quickly. Her shiny Minior had its body become outlined in a white glow, followed by a faint red one that disappeared in a burst. Lines of blue aura shot down its form before an orange blaze flowed up.
"And Minior preps itself for battle with a Shell Smash!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers, "I think we're about to be in for a great battle, folks!" he inferred, making the crowd cheer with excitement.
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
Star-Struck!
"Acrobatics!" Pyrrha commanded.
"Cosmic Power, quick!" Erika yelled. As a blue glow shrouded Starlight before it zipped rapidly toward its foe, Starbright cloaked her body in a starry aura, followed by an orange light flowing up her form. The shiny Minior slammed into her, sending her sliding back a dozen feet as she winced.
"Minior starts off with a strong Acrobatics that even Cosmic Power can't seem to really handle!" Jim yelled into the microphone.
"Starbright, you okay?" the Ketchum girl asked of her partner.
"Fay!" she replied with a nod.
"Then use Meteor Mash!" her trainer ordered, swinging her right hand out. The Fairy Pokémon became shrouded by a blue aura, sticking her hands out and closing them into fists before launching forward at her opponent.
"Dodge!" Pyrrha cried out. Starlight was quick to evade its foe, who skidded to a stop upon the ground. "Now Acrobatics!" the red-and-yellow-haired girl yelled. A bluish glow enveloped the shiny Minior as it zipped down rapidly toward its target.
"Moonblast!" Erika commanded.
"Fayyy…!" Starbright exclaimed, having a wavy, golden aura outline her form as she formed a pink orb of energy upon her hands. She collided it with the Meteor Pokémon, enveloping both of them in an explosion of pink smoke. They blew each other back, with Starlight's rocky shell starting to crack.
"Starlight, Power Gem!" Pyrrha ordered. An orb of pale pink energy outlined by a sparkling white light appeared in front of her shiny Minior, who fired it off in the form of a beam toward his opponent.
"Dodge and use Metronome!" Erika called out. Her Clefable was quick to leap over the beam as it struck the ground in a strong blast, making her pointer fingers glow a bright white. She landed down and started waving them back and forth.
"Quick, Acrobatics!" the red-and-yellow-haired girl commanded. A bluish glow enveloped the Meteor Pokémon again as it zipped out at its foe. The moment it collided with her though, yellow electricity was sparking all around her body.
"FAAAYYYYYYYYYY!" she exclaimed, unleashing several bolts of electricity onto her opponent, zapping him fiercely.
"Ah!" Pyrrha gasped out.
"Oh, and Clefable's Metronome gives her a Discharge!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast.
"That's a huge blow to Minior!" Tom added. Electricity crackled around Starlight's body as it floated back, trembling a little.
"Looks like that Discharge paralyzed it, too!" Leslie excitedly noted, "Way to go, Starbright!" she cheered as she pumped her fist up.
"Pika, peekah!" Pikachu squeaked happily.
"Jaahhh…" Jangmo-o uttered out of awe at how amazing the Fairy Pokémon was.
"Okay, Metronome again!" Erika instructed as she pointed forward with her left index finger. Her Clefable raised her arms again, making her fingers glow white as she waved them. Pyrrha grimaced.
"Acrobatics!" she ordered. A bluish glow enveloped Starlight, but the electricity crackling around its body ceased it from moving. At that moment, Starbright finished waving her fingers. She started spinning around rapidly about her side of the field.
"Huh?" her trainer uttered in confusion.
"Looks to me like Clefable's now using Rapid Spin…" Jim noted through the loudspeakers, "Not sure how that helps her…" he admitted sheepishly.
"That's a one in a million huge move for her to get now," Tom pointed out. The Fairy Pokémon spun about towards the rocks embedded in the ground. As she hit them, they flew up from the ground and burst apart.
"What?!" Pyrrha exclaimed, while Erika widened her eyes and smiled.
"Unreal!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "By some chance, Clefable using Rapid Spin as a result of Metronome allows her to completely do away with that Stealth Rock!" he noted loudly as the crowd was cheering wildly.
"Heh," Sunset chuckled out, "Now that's Ketchum luck if I've ever seen it…" she remarked with her arms folded over her chest.
"Tsk…" Laura scoffed.
"Nice going, Starbright!" Erika complimented as the Fairy Pokémon brought herself to a stop, "Now Moonblast!" she commanded. Her Clefable became shrouded by a golden aura again as she created an orb of pink energy upon her hands. She threw it out at her foe, striking it in a fierce blast. More of its rocky shell was starting to peel away, revealing its body underneath. Pyrrha grimaced.
"Use Power Gem!" she ordered.
"Meee… ORRRRRRR!" the Meteor Pokémon screeched, forming an orb of pale pink energy outlined by sparkling white light. It fired it off as a beam, heading toward its opponent.
"Dodge and use Meteor Mash!" the Ketchum girl instructed. Starbright leapt back to avoid the beam as it struck the ground. Once she landed, she clenched her fists and held them out, letting a bluish aura encase her body. She launched forward, aimed to strike her foe fiercely. Seeing the sparking electricity around her partner's body, the red-and-yellow-haired girl balled her fists in frustration, knowing what she had to do.
"Starlight, Explosion!" she commanded.
"What?!" Erika exclaimed. The shiny Minior's body started to glow a bright white just as its foe closed in. Once she reached it, a huge blast enveloped them both, causing black smoke to spew out everywhere.
Everyone watched on with bated breath and widened eyes, having not expected such a tactic. The smoke started to settle as Dan ran onto the field. When it cleared, he saw that both Starlight and Starbright were lying down on the ground upon their backs, groaning with pain.
"Clefable and Minior are both unable to battle!" the referee declared as he raised both of his arms. The crowd roared.
"In a last-ditch effort to make sure that the score remains even, Pyrrha's Minior explodes, taking Clefable down with it!" Jim noted over the broadcast.
"Holy crap…" Trent uttered in disbelief from the locker room as he and the others were admittedly shocked by the sudden move. Back on the field, Erika returned the Fairy Pokémon to her Moon Ball in a beam of red light.
"Thanks for all your hard work out there, Starbright," she said with gratitude, "I promise, we're gonna win this," she vowed, putting the spherical container away. Pyrrha also returned her Minior to its Poké Ball.
"Great job, Starlight," she complimented, "Take a nice long rest," she advised, shrinking the spherical container and placing it upon her belt before pulling out a Dusk Ball, enlarging it with a press of its button, "Let's go, Kimiko!" she called out, backhanding the special Poké Ball out onto the field. It popped open, with its light forming upon the ground and dissipating to reveal her Mawile.
"Mah!" she squeaked out.
"And Pyrrha selects her Mawile as her fifth Pokémon!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers. Erika looked over to the big screen at her right, seeing the eight greyed out Pokémon between her and her opponent. Both of them still had a slot left each.
'We have to try and push forward, even with the odds against us!' the Ketchum girl inwardly concluded as she readied a Poké Ball in her right hand, enlarging it with a press of its center button.
"Lycanroc, you're up!" she exclaimed, throwing the spherical container forward. It opened up, with its light spilling out and forming upon the ground, dissipating to reveal the Wolf Pokémon.
"Rahk!" he barked, breathing somewhat heavily afterwards.
"So Erika's decided to save her last Pokémon for later, vouching to go for Lycanroc!" Jim pointed out into the microphone.
"We'll have to see if that call pays off, Jim," Tom chimed in.
"I wonder who Erika's saving for the end…" Mirajane said from the stands, narrowing her eyes a little.
"Probably someone she trustzzz to be a last resort, zzt…" Rotom responded.
"Let's put on some pressure!" the Ketchum girl on the field yelled, "Lycanroc, Stone Edge!" she commanded.
"RRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" the Wolf Pokémon roared, clenching his right forepaw and slamming it against the ground. Light blue stone pillars erected from the earth, trailing towards Kimiko.
"Dodge and use Iron Head!" Pyrrha instructed. Her Mawile managed to jump away from the incoming stone pillars, followed by cloaking herself in a whitish light as she dove out at her foe.
"Reversal!" Erika ordered. An orange aura burst to life around Lycanroc, who had the energy swirl around his right forepaw as he clenched it tightly. He threw it out, countering his opponent's attack in the nick of time before they blew each other back, wincing all the while.
"Use Crunch!" the two trainers commanded simultaneously. The Wolf Pokémon made his teeth shine a bright white as they sharpened. Those in the jaws of the Deceiver Pokémon did the same. They charged towards each other, opening their mouths wide.
Lycanroc chomped the Mawile's left shoulder, while her jaws ensnared his stomach. They both winced in agony, trying to endure. Their respective trainers grimaced all the while.
"It's a battle of bites as Lycanroc and Mawile chomp down onto each other!" Jim noted excitedly over the broadcast, "But whose is stronger?!" he wondered aloud. At that moment, Pyrrha smirked.
"Kimiko, Attract!" she instructed, causing Erika to gasp. The Deceiver Pokémon giggled, getting her foe's attention. She then winked at him, causing several pink hearts of energy to fly out and swirl around the Wolf Pokémon. They struck him, causing him to glow pink for a moment. Hearts formed in his eyes as he became enamored with his opponent, releasing his hold on her.
"Lycanroc, no!" the Ketchum girl cried out.
"Oh, and Lycanroc ends up hit by Attract!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers, "That could leave him as easy pickings for Mawile!" he added.
"Now Iron Head!" Pyrrha ordered. Throwing the Wolf Pokémon away, Kimiko cloaked herself in a whitish light before lunging out and slamming into her foe head on to his chest, making him crash against the ground hard. As the dust settled, he sat up with an enamored look still on his face.
"Oh man…" his trainer muttered, clenching her trembling fists.
"Kimiko, use Play Rough!" the red-and-yellow-haired girl ordered.
"Mah!" her Mawile responded, making her eyes shine a bright pink as she became outlined in a pink light. She charged out and bombarded her foe with strikes from her arms, legs, and jaws. All the while, he still looked enamored with her.
"Lycanroc!" Erika screamed, hoping that he would snap out of it. He then took a sharp smack to the face from his foe's jaws, making him recoil as he winced. In that moment, there were no longer hearts in his eyes as he blinked. The Deceiver Pokémon tried to strike again, but her opponent held up his left forepaw to block her jaws, gritting his teeth together.
"What?!" Pyrrha yelped.
"Oh my!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "It seems like that last blow was enough to snap Lycanroc out of it!" he noted loudly.
"Quick, use Reversal!" Erika ordered.
"RRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHKKKKKKKKKKK!" the Wolf Pokémon roared, clenching his right forepaw tightly as an orange aura flared up around him. The light then cloaked his forepaw, which he thrusted out to strike Kimiko in the chest, blowing her back in an instant.
"Kimiko!" Pyrrha cried out. Fortunately, her Mawile was able to land on her feet and slide to a stop, grimacing a little.
"Lycanroc lands a stronger Reversal to bring Mawile down just a little more!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast. However, the Wolf Pokémon keeled over slightly as he winced, falling to a knee.
"Hang in there, Lycanroc!" his trainer cried out, "Use Stone Edge!" she commanded. Steeling himself, the Wolf Pokémon clenched his right forepaw and slammed it against the ground. Light blue stone pillars erected from the earth, trailing towards his opponent.
"Dodge and use Iron Head!" the red-and-yellow-haired girl instructed. The Deceiver Pokémon rushed forward, running aside from the incoming stone pillars. She cloaked her body in a whitish light, lunging out at her foe. He tried to step away, but was wincing upon his attempt to move. That left him wide open as Kimiko slammed into his chest hard, sending him flying back.
"Lycanroc!" Erika screamed, seeing her partner land upon his back. Swirls were in his eyes as he groaned.
"Lycanroc is unable to battle!" Dan announced upon assessing the Wolf Pokémon's condition, raising his left arm, "Mawile wins!" he confirmed, gesturing to the Deceiver Pokémon.
"Mah!" she squeaked proudly with her hands upon her hips. The crowd cheered.
"And with that, Mawile obtains a key victory for Pyrrha, taking down that tough Lycanroc!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers, while the Wolf Pokémon's image on the big screens was greyed out. Erika grimaced, lowering her head with shame as she aimed her Poké Ball forward, returning her partner to it in a beam of red light.
"Eri…" Hau uttered worriedly from the locker room, while Calvin clenched his fists tightly.
"Thanks for all your hard work, Lycanroc," his twin sister said with gratitude back on the field as she looked at the Poké Ball in her right hand, "You deserve a good long rest," she affirmed, putting the spherical container away.
"Now down to just one Pokémon in this full battle, what will Erika do?" Jim questioned curiously into the microphone.
"Who's her last Pokémon even going to be?" Leslie wondered aloud.
"I don't know, zzt…" Rotom buzzed in admittance.
"She's going to really have to pull off a big play…" Mirajane noted.
"Yeah…" Ash agreed with a nod of his head. Their youngest daughter let her fists tremble before she took a deep breath to calm herself down. She looked out at her opponent, seeing her confident grin.
'Pyrrha… I'm sorry…' she apologized inwardly, 'Truth is, you've always been someone I looked up to, ever since I even started this journey,' she admitted to herself, 'And when you were up when I was down, I thought that you were probably stronger than I ever was…' she added through her thoughts, 'Even now, I think you're probably a better trainer than me,' she confessed, 'But that doesn't matter right now,' she confirmed inwardly, bringing her hands up and smacking her cheeks hard to regain her composure, 'We have to at least give her and her team the battle she deserves!' she declared through her thoughts, readying another Poké Ball as she enlarged it with a press of its button in her right hand.
"Primarina, I choose you!" she exclaimed, tossing the spherical container forward. It popped open, with its light spilling out onto the field before dissipating to reveal the Soloist Pokémon.
"Pree mah!" she yipped. Her image appeared in the lone section left on the big screens underneath her trainer.
"And the last Pokémon Erika calls upon is Primarina!" Jim noted over the broadcast, "Can she bring her trainer to victory?!" he wondered loudly.
X
"Primarina's part Water-type, so she has a bit of an edge against Mawile…" Paige pointed out in the locker room as she and the others were still watching the match unfold on the TV.
"Yeah, but Pyrrha's still got one other Pokémon waiting in the wings," Trent mentioned, getting her attention, "Whoever that is might be the perfect counter for Primarina," he added seriously.
"I wouldn't underestimate Erika," Gladion advised, causing the pair to look over at him in surprise, "I've seen just what she can do when the chips are down," he remarked with a confident grin. Back on the field, Primarina and Kimiko stared each down, as did their trainers. The tension was thick as the cool night air breezed by.
"Start off with Aqua Jet!" Erika ordered. The Soloist Pokémon enveloped herself within a torrent of water, rocketing forward toward her foe.
"Counter with Iron Head!" Pyrrha instructed. A whitish light cloaked her Mawile before she lunged out, colliding with her target before they both blew each other back, sliding along the ground. They came to a stop in front of their respective trainers. "Now Play Rough!" the red-and-yellow-haired girl commanded. The Deceiver Pokémon had her eyes shine a bright pink before her body became outlined in pink as well. She charged forward, heading toward her opponent.
"Primarina, Icy Wind!" the Ketchum girl yelled.
"Mah!" the Soloist Pokémon barked in response, taking a deep inhale before expelling a cold rush of air with blue sparkles from her mouth. It washed over the incoming Mawile, who grimaced as she felt frost start to form upon her body.
"Now dodge!" Erika called out, enticing Primarina to hop back to avoid her foe's attempted swipes as she was too slow to get to her in time.
"And Primarina makes use of Icy Wind's added effect of slowing opponents down to keep Mawile at bay!" Jim pointed out into the microphone.
"A cautious call on Erika's part, but a good one," Tom added.
"Now Moonblast!" the Ketchum girl commanded. A golden glow shrouded the Soloist Pokémon before she formed an orb of pink energy in front of her mouth. She fired it out as her foe tried to close in again, striking her directly in the face.
"Mahhh…!" she gasped out as she flew back.
"Kimiko, no!" Pyrrha screamed. Her partner tumbled across the ground, tumbling to a stop upon her stomach. She was slow to push herself back up onto her feet.
"Primarina, Aqua Jet!" Erika ordered. Another torrent of water enveloped the Soloist Pokémon as she rocketed forward.
"Quick, use Crunch!" the red-and-yellow-haired girl cried out. As Kimiko attempted to make her jaws shine a bright white, she was too late to swing them around as her foe collided with her. She carried her high up into the air before enveloping her in a burst of smoke. She fell down from it onto the ground hard, lying on her back with swirls in her eyes.
"Mawile is unable to battle!" Dan confirmed as he raised his right arm, "Primarina wins!" he declared, gesturing toward the Soloist Pokémon, who landed down in front of her trainer as they water around her splashed apart.
"Mah!" she yipped, giving off a confident grin.
"That sure was fast!" Jim remarked over the broadcast, "Primarina comes and quickly downs Mawile, barely taking any damage!" he noted excitedly, "It's still anyone's game, folks!" he added as the crowd cheered.
"Way to go, Eri!" Hau cheered from the locker room.
"But who does the Pyrrha have to use last?" Calvin wondered aloud.
"Probably someone that she knows she can count on at a time like this," Gladion answered with his arms crossed.
"Thanks for all your hard work, Kimiko," the red-and-yellow-haired girl on the field said with gratitude as she returned the Deceiver Pokémon to her Dusk Ball in a beam of red light, "You take a good rest," she advised, putting the spherical container away.
"Now we're down to the last battle of this match…" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers, "Who will Pyrrha choose as her final Pokémon?" he wondered. As the red-and-yellow-haired girl readied a new Poké Ball in her right hand, pressing its center button to enlarge it, she looked out to her rival. A small smile came across her face.
She was enjoying this battle far more than she expected. It was fun to face off with someone who grew to really love being with Pokémon. And Erika was also someone who inspired her. She reared her arm back.
"Cinder, you're up!" she yelled, throwing the Poké Ball forward. It burst open, with its light pouring onto the field and dissipating to reveal her Typhlosion.
"Ty frah!" he exclaimed, igniting the flames upon his back as they burned brightly.
"Pyrrha calls upon her Typhlosion as the last of her six Pokémon!" Jim noted into the microphone, "Might not be the best of matchups, but we'll see how it goes!" he added excitedly.
"Come on, Pyrrha!" Sunset cheered from the stands.
"Yeah, you've got this!" Sting yelled out. Laura didn't say a word, but did smile with confidence.
"You can do it, Erika!" Leslie exclaimed.
"Peekah, pika!" Pikachu squeaked.
"Jahng, jah moh!" Jangmo-o yipped. The sounds of the audience cheering their names felt eerily surreal to the two girls on the field. But in that moment, they were only focused on one thing.
"Aqua Jet!" Erika commanded.
"Thunder Punch!" Pyrrha ordered. Primarina enveloped herself within another torrent of water, rocketing forward. In the meantime, Cinder closed his right hand into a fist as an orb of yellow electricity formed over it. He threw it out, colliding with his opponent in a powerful blast of white smoke. They both slid back afterwards, coming to a stop in front of their respective trainers.
"Now Icy Wind!" the Ketchum girl yelled. Taking a deep inhale, the Soloist Pokémon released a chilling air with blue sparkles from her mouth.
"Flamethrower!" the red-and-yellow-haired girl commanded, enticing her Typhlosion to plant himself on all-fours and release a powerful stream of fire from his mouth. It broke through the freezing wind with ease, closing in on his target.
"Dodge it!" Erika cried out. Quickly, Primarina hopped back, letting the flames hit the ground instead. However, Pyrrha smirked.
"Now Thunder Punch!" she roared. Closing his hands into fists, Cinder had orbs of yellow electricity surround them. He rushed forward, lunging out and striking his opponent in the face as she was still in midair, unable to dodge.
"Ah!" Erika gasped.
"Ooh!" Jim winced over the broadcast, "And Primarina takes a hard Thunder Punch from Typhlosion!" he noted loudly.
"That Typhlosion has a very good type coverage from what I remember," Tom mentioned, "Water-types shouldn't underestimate him," he advised seriously.
"Mahh…" the Soloist Pokémon groaned out, shaking her head.
"Cinder, Flamethrower!" Pyrrha ordered. The Volcano Pokémon unleashed another stream of fire from his mouth, heading toward his target.
"Dodge with Aqua Jet!" Erika instructed.
"Pree!" Primarina yipped, enveloping herself in another torrent of water. She rocketed herself over the flames, closing in on her foe.
"Solar Beam!" the red-and-yellow-haired girl commanded.
"Frah!" her Typhlosion responded. Numerous balls of yellow energy started to form around him. His foe closed him and struck him across his stomach, making him grimace as he slid back. However, the balls of energy came together in the form of one large orb in front of his mouth. Rearing his head back, he fired off a powerful beam of yellow light.
"Dodge it!" the Ketchum girl screamed. Noticing the incoming beam, Primarina tried to weave her way around it. However, her foe moved it around until it struck, enveloping her in a blast of grey smoke.
"A super effective Solar Beam makes its mark as Primarina takes heavy damage!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers.
"Now Thunder Punch, Cinder!" Pyrrha ordered. Her Typhlosion had orbs of yellow electricity crackle around his fists again before he rushed forward. Meanwhile, Primarina was falling down from above, seemingly disoriented from taking so many blows.
"Primarina!" her trainer cried out, causing her to jolt her eyes open.
"Mah!" she responded, much to Erika's relief as she smiled.
"Okay, use Sparkling Aria!" she commanded. Spinning herself around, the Soloist Pokémon let her ponytail come undone as she formed a ball of shining blue water over the tip of her nose. Singing the highest note she could just as her opponent lunged toward her, she made the ball burst into several watery streaks that closed in and struck him over and over, knocking him down onto the ground.
"Cinder!" Pyrrha exclaimed.
"Now Aqua Jet!" Erika ordered as she pointed forward. With her ponytail reforming, Primarina enveloped herself in another torrent of water, diving toward her opponent.
"Flamethrower!" the red-and-yellow-haired girl commanded quickly. Getting up on all-fours, her Typhlosion made the flames at his back burn even brighter before he unleashed another stream of fire from his mouth up at his foe. The flames collided with her as she winced, but she pushed through them, striking in another burst of steam.
"Primarina's offensive proves be a lot for Typhlosion to handle!" Jim noted excitedly into the microphone as both Pokémon on the field slid to a stop in front of their respective trainers again.
"Looks like she's found a second wind after earlier," Tom chimed in.
"Primarina, Moonblast!" Erika commanded as she pumped her right fist out. A golden aura wafted off of the Soloist Pokémon's body before she formed a pink orb of energy in front of her open mouth.
"Cinder, use Blast Burn!" Pyrrha ordered, clenching her fists tightly.
"FRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" her Typhlosion bellowed, enveloping himself in a blazing, fiery orange aura. He slammed his fists against the earth, causing it to crack up and swell as orange lights of heat shot up from the ground. They trailed towards Primarina, who fired off the energy orb she had prepared. However, it was instantaneously eviscerated by the orange lights, as the ground started cracking beneath her.
"Quick, Sparkling Aria on the ground!" her trainer instructed with a swing of her left arm.
"Mah!" the Soloist Pokémon responded, letting her ponytail came undone as she formed a sparkling ball of water over the tip of her pink nose as she stood up on her tail fins. At that moment though, the ground burst beneath her in a fiery blaze.
"And Blast Burn makes its mark!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast as the crowd watched on with shock and awe upon their faces, "Will that be enough?!" he wondered loudly. Smoke was coming out of the holes upon Cinder's back as he breathed heavily. His trainer narrowed her eyes, wondering if his last attack did in fact give them the win. However…
"Aqua Jet!" Erika yelled, causing her to gasp in surprise. All of a sudden, Primarina rocketed out from the smoke, enveloped in a torrent of water. Her opponent widened his eyes before getting struck directly in the stomach, getting blown back several feet as he tumbled across the field.
"Cinder!" Pyrrha cried out, seeing him come to a stop upon his stomach.
"Oh, and Primarina withstands the Blast Burn to land a powerful Aqua Jet!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers, still sounding very excited, "You gotta admire that tenacity and grit, folks!" he remarked. The Soloist Pokémon landed in front of her trainer, breathing heavily as she grimaced.
"You're doing great, Erika!" Leslie called out from the stands.
"Come on, Pyrrha!" Sting yelled, "You can do this!" he proclaimed loudly. The crowd was in a frenzy as Cinder got back onto his feet, breathing heavily himself as he glared at his foe. Their respective trainers still had the determined looks in their eyes, tuning out the cheers from all around them.
"Guess no time like the present for this…" the red-and-yellow-haired girl concluded, reaching into her pocket to pull out something to place upon her Z-Ring. Her rival looked to see that it was an Electrium Z. "It's time to show you our full power, Erika!" she declared, crossing her arms over her face. Her Z-Crystal flashed brightly as her Typhlosion took a ready stance.
"Looks like Pyrrha's going for a Z-Move to possibly end this first quarterfinal match!" Jim noted into the microphone.
"And it seems like from the dance she's doing, it's the Electric-type Z-Move," Tom added, "It's doubtful that Primarina can take that…" he pointed out bluntly. Erika grimaced, looking to see how weakened her partner was. The Soloist Pokémon looked back at her, evidently determined. Seeing that made her trainer grin.
"Use Sparkling Aria!" she commanded.
"Pree!" Primarina yipped, standing up on her tail fins and preparing another shining ball of water over her pink nose. At that moment, Pyrrha had finished posing as her arms were in the shape of a lightning bolt. The yellow aura that had built up around her body shot out in streaks towards Cinder, merging with his body before the Z-Move symbol flashed in front of him.
"Let's go, Cinder!" his trainer cried out, "Gigavolt Havoc!" she exclaimed.
"FRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the Volcano Pokémon roared as yellow electricity crackled around his body, shaping into the form of a ball. He thrusted his right fist onto it, punching it forward. In that same moment, the ball of water over Primarina's nose burst apart into several watery streaks that flew out into its path. They struck the mass of electricity, but it easily tore through them, making its way toward its foe. Primarina crossed her flippers over her face before the ball collided with her in a powerful blast of yellow light. Everyone flinched from the brightness before it subsided, with clouds of dirt and dust covering Erika's side of the field.
"Well… that was something…" Jim said simply over the broadcast, somewhat speechless, "Question is, was that Z-Move enough to finish off Primarina?" he wondered aloud. All those watching waited with bated breath. Even Pyrrha and Cinder were patiently awaiting the result. And then, they blinked in surprise to find the blue glow emanating from the cloud of dust. The red-and-yellow-haired girl widened her eyes at the sight of Primarina still standing as dust cleared, with her trainer having crossed her arms in preparation for her own Z-Move. On her Z-Power Ring was the Primarium Z.
"It's time for us to give it all we've got!" she declared with a fierce grin, crossed her arms over her face as the Z-Crystal flashed a bright blue, "You ready, Primarina?!" she called out to her partner.
"Mah!" she responded.
"And here comes Primarina's Z-Move!" Jim yelled through the loudspeakers, "She withstood that Gigavolt Havoc, ready to fire back!" he exclaimed on as the Soloist Pokémon mimicked her trainer's movements, waving her front fins like wavy water from left to right. A bluish aura shot out in streaks from the Ketchum girl's body, merging with her partner before the Z-Move symbol flashed in front of her. Pyrrha grimaced.
"Cinder, use Blast Burn!" she commanded quickly.
"FRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" her Typhlosion bellowed out as a blazing orange aura erupted around his body. Meanwhile, Primarina stood up on her tail fins as she sang, forming a gigantic ball of water over her head.
"Time for an Oceanic Operetta!" her trainer exclaimed. The Soloist Pokémon had the ball of water slowly move forward, heading over her foe. He slammed both of his fists against the ground, making it surge as orange lights started to spew out from it, heading towards his target.
"Maaaaaahhhh~!" she sang, causing the ball of water to burst as a powerful explosion erupted underneath her. White and black smoke enveloped the field. Everyone watched in complete shock.
"That was an astounding collision of two incredibly powerful moves!" Jim noted into the microphone, "Just who managed to pull through after all that?!" he wondered loudly. The smoke finally cleared, revealing that both Primarina and Cinder were wincing from the hits they had taken up to now. The former keeled over slightly, but steeled herself as she pushed herself upright. Meanwhile, the Typhlosion grimaced and finally fell over onto his stomach. He groaned in pain as Dan ran over to assess his condition. After a moment, he raised his right arm.
"Typhlosion is unable to battle!" he confirmed, "Primarina wins!" he announced as he gestured toward the Soloist Pokémon, "And therefore, the victory goes to Erika!" he declared, "She advances to the semifinals!" he added. The crowd cheered wildly.
"And there you have it!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast, "Primarina's Oceanic Operetta scores her trainer the victory as she becomes the first to move onto the semifinals!" he pointed out excitedly.
"That was an incredible match, Jim," Tom mentioned.
"Mahhh…" Primarina exhaled with relief.
"Primarina!" Erika cried out, getting her attention as she saw her trainer run up to her and embrace her warmly, "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed with gratitude, "You were amazing!" she complimented happily.
"Mah!" the Soloist Pokémon squeaked in response, nuzzling against the Ketchum girl's head. In the meantime, Pyrrha returned Cinder to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Thanks for all your hard work," she said with gratitude, "Now take a good rest," she advised, putting the spherical container after she shrunk it. She then walked out to her rival, getting her attention. "Congrats, Erika," she complimented.
"Thanks, Pyrrha," she said with gratitude, "I had a lot of fun battling you," she admitted.
"Mah!" Primarina yipped in agreement. The red-and-yellow-haired girl giggled.
"I had fun, too," she confirmed, holding her right hand out, "When the time comes, I'd like to do it again," she said.
"Same," Erika responded, accepting her hand into her own. The two of them then embraced as the crowd applauded.
"And we have a great show of sportsmanship to cap off an exciting first match of the quarterfinals!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers. Looking down at the two of them, Sunset saw herself and Ash in place of their respective daughters. She cracked a small smile.
"You're not upset she lost?" Sting asked of her.
"It's fine," she assured in response, "After all, she and Erika got the match me and Ash never did," she pointed out, "And I'm happy for them," she added. Those of the Ketchum family and many others cheered excitedly. Calvin and Hau were especially boisterous with joy in the locker room. However, the latter calmed down upon realizing that his match was next. He looked over to Gladion, who glanced back.
Unconsciously, the ponytailed boy balled his hands into fists. He wanted to win. And if that meant having to beat the former enforcer, then he'd do his best to try…
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 Erika moves on to the next round! Writing this full battle was a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to doing all of the others. That reminds me, I wonder if I should do a rewrite of Ash and Alain's battle from the Kalos League. I did get requested to redo one battle in that match and enjoyed it quite a bit. So if anyone wants, I'd be happy to try something like that. At least at a later juncture when I don't feel as overwhelmed.
So next up, we'll see Hau and Gladion face off! A battle that I wish could've happened in the anime will happen here, and I hope you enjoy it! Here's a quick summary!
SUMMARY
The second match of the quarterfinals begins between Hau and Gladion! Almost immediately, Hau's overwhelmed by just how strong Gladion's team is! Can he overcome the wall ahead to advance to the semifinals?!
END SUMMARY
See you all next time, guys!