Alola! We're back with more of "The Challenge of a Lifetime"! With Erika and Gladion having officially advanced to the semifinals, we've got two more matches to go, one of which will be taking up this whole chapter.
I do have to apologize in advance though. The plan in my outline was to have Calvin and Paige's match be the last of the quarterfinals, and I totally forgot about it when announcing the matches themselves. But there'll be an explanation in this chapter that I'm sure you'll find quite accurate.
Regardless, I hope you guys are excited for one heck of a battle from Trent and Ryuki. With the basic information out of the way, let's get to it!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
"It's Dragonite against Ninetales to start what'll probably be a heart-pounding match!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast as both Pokémon on the field stared each other down.
"We'll have to see if Ryuki makes the call to switch, since Dragonite's not exactly the best matchup against Ninetales…" Tom chimed in.
"Switch?" Ryuki repeated as he let off a wicked grin, "Nah, that ain't my style!" he declared, "We rock on with our full dragon power!" he declared, raising his fist up to the sky.
"Brrf!" his Dragonite huffed in agreement.
"Ninetales, stay on guard," Trent advised, "We might have the advantage, but that Dragonite could have some nasty tricks," he pointed out seriously.
"Nyy," she responded.
"Let's kick off this concert!" Ryuki declared, "Fire Punch!" he commanded. The Dragon Pokémon flapped his wings, taking off into the sky. He then engulfed his fists in flames, diving toward his foe below.
"Dodge and use Hail!" Trent called out, enticing Ninetales to hop back as Dragonite struck the ground hard with his enflamed right fist.
"ARRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she howled into the air. The night sky darkened with grey clouds, as snow and hail came down. As it hit the Dragon Pokémon, he winced.
"Ninetales easily dodges that Fire Punch and sets up Hail, giving her an early edge in this matchup," Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers.
"That's just like when that Totem Ninetales I fought did the same thing…" Erika recalled from the stands.
"That Ninetales probably hazzz Snow Cloak, too, zzt," Rotom buzzed additionally beside her.
"Time to switch it up!" Ryuki yelled, "Thunder Punch!" he ordered as he pointed forward. Dragonite encased his arms in orbs of yellow electricity, flying forward. However, a fog settled in as he approached the Alolan Fox Pokémon, followed by watching her suddenly disappear.
"Brah?!" he yelped, coming to a stop as he looked in around in search of his opponent.
"Now Blizzard!" Trent commanded with a pump of his right fist. The Dragon Pokémon was completely caught off guard as he was struck by a freezing rush of air with snow included, coming from the mouth of Ninetales as she was right next to him.
"Oh, and Ninetales lands a strong Blizzard on a completely unaware Dragonite!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone.
"In Hail, a Blizzard is certain to hit its mark," Tom mentioned.
"Grrr…" Ryuki growled, "Get outta there with Dragon Rush!" he instructed. Grimacing, the Dragon Pokémon managed to engulf himself in a blue, dragon-shaped aura, shooting up out of the blizzard into the snowy air. He winced as more hail nicked his body.
"Nice one, Ninetales!" Trent complimented.
"Tay," the Alolan Fox Pokémon responded.
"Dragonite, Fire Punch!" Ryuki commanded, thrusting both of his fists forward. Orange flames ignited around the Dragon Pokémon's arms as he dove at his opponent again.
"Dazzling Gleam!" Trent ordered with a swing of his right arm. Ninetales had a multicolored field of energy surround her body, expanding outwards. As her foe came down, he struck the field, trying to break through it. After a couple of moments, an implosion of black smoke ensued, with both Pokémon getting blown back a few yards. "Ninetales, use Blizzard!" the dark green-haired boy yelled out. The Alolan Fox Pokémon reared her head back, unleashing a powerful rush of freezing wind with snow from her mouth. This time though, the guitarist on the other side of the field smirked.
"Rock 'em with a Hurricane!" he called out. Dragonite's wings glowed a bright blue before he flapped them mightily, creating a torrent of air that blew out the incoming blizzard. It also struck Ninetales, who grimaced as she found herself flung back by its force.
"And Dragonite's Hurricane blows that Blizzard away before it can strike!" Jim cried out over the broadcast, "This battle doesn't seem to be over yet, folks!" he noted excitedly.
"Now charge in with Dragon Rush and then use Fire Punch!" Ryuki instructed. A blue aura in the shape of a dragon engulfed the Dragon Pokémon again before he dashed forward, heading right up to Ninetales. As it dissipated, he engulfed his arms in orange flames again, rearing his left one back.
"Confuse Ray!" Trent yelled quickly. The Alolan Fox Pokémon's eyes flashed purple before an orb of purple energy appeared in front of her, with it multiplying around her body before they were fired out at her opponent. They all struck him as his eyes widened, followed by him flailing about, waving his arms as he flew around crazily.
"H-Hey!" his trainer stammered out.
"Uh oh!" Jim yelped through the loudspeakers, "Looks like that Confuse Ray's really done a number on Dragonite!" he noted loudly. The Dragon Pokémon flailed about, accidentally striking himself in the process. Ryuki grimaced
"Now Dazzling Gleam!" Trent commanded. A multicolored field of energy expanded from Ninetales, striking the confused Dragonite before he could react, knocking him down onto the ground. His trainer gasped as Dan ran over to assess his condition, while the hail subsided. Swirls were in his eyes.
"Dragonite is unable to battle!" he announced, raising his right arm into the air, "Ninetales wins!" he confirmed. The crowd cheered as the Dragon Pokémon's image on the big screens was completely greyed out.
"And Ninetales takes a solid first win in this quarterfinal battle!" Jim noted into the microphone.
"Very good start for Trent, too," Tom chimed in, "That Dragonite could've been a heavy hitter for Ryuki," he pointed out. The guitarist sighed, returning his fainted Dragon Pokémon to his Ultra Ball in a beam of red light.
"Sorry 'bout that…" he apologized, shrinking the spherical container with a press of its button and putting it away.
"Ninetales, you take a break," Trent insisted, returning the Alolan Fox Pokémon to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Trent decides to make the switch already after Ninetales' first win of the battle," Jim said over the broadcast, "We'll have to wait and see what he's planning next…" he noted on. Up in the V.I.P. section, Rose looked on with a grin alongside Oleana. However, he heard a door open, turning to find none other than Kukui entering. He had a frown upon his face, which the P.L.F. chairman scoffed at.
"Is there something you'd like to say, Kukui?" he inquired.
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
Rock 'N' Roll for the Soul!
"Why'd you switch the matches?" Kukui asked, approaching Rose.
"What does it matter?" the chairman asked back, twirling a free strand of his hair, "It's not like I changed the matchups themselves…" he pointed out. The professor narrowed his eyes, turning to Oleana for an explanation.
"The presence of the Ketchum children has brought in a significant amount of viewership," she told him, "As such, it's only natural that we would want to keep people invested with their matches at the start and the end of the quarterfinals," she mentioned on.
"Those two aren't Ash," Kukui argued in response, "You need to stop treating them like they're nothing more than his kids," he added seriously.
"And yet, that's how everyone else sees them," Rose pointed out with a dismissive wave of his hand, "As much as I dislike it myself, our audiences prefer to see matches like these that bring out the most famous of trainers around the world," he explained, "It's part of the reason why that trio of Galar's gym leaders were included," he noted on. The professor didn't seem remotely convinced. But he ultimately sighed in resignation.
"Just don't make it all about them, alright?" he requested before leaving the room. Rose cracked a small smile, watching as the door was closed. Back in the locker room, Paige was pacing back and forth.
"Ergh…" she growled in frustration, "Is this how you felt in the last round?" she inquired of Calvin, who was still seated on the bench.
"Yeah, kinda…" he replied with a nod, "But I know the wait's worth it," he affirmed confidently.
"Definitely," the silver-haired girl agreed, sitting next to him. A blush crept upon her face. "Hey… uh…" she uttered out, getting the Ketchum boy's attention, "It's… been a while since we last got to talk, huh?" she assumed. Now it was Calvin's turn to blush.
"Y-Yeah…" he stuttered in agreement, adjusting his cap by its brim. There was an awkward silence between the two. Paige then took a deep breath to calm herself.
"Calvin, I—"
"I'm sorry," the Ketchum boy suddenly apologized, causing her to blink in surprise as she looked over at him, "I haven't really given you a chance to talk with me since we started for the tournament," he pointed out, "And I'm pretty sure you wanted to," he mentioned.
"…Yeah…" his rival replied, "I'm sorry for being weird around you…" she apologized, "The truth is, I really think you're amazing," she admitted, causing him to blush again as a small smile came across his face, "But… that shouldn't be something that comes into play during our battle today," she affirmed, smiling herself, "Win or lose, let's both do our best," she insisted.
"Yeah," Calvin agreed, exchanging a handshake with her before they laughed amongst themselves. However, Paige was inwardly growing ashamed of herself. She didn't know if she could find the nerve to really face the person she liked in a serious battle. Not after everything he had done for her.
"With one battle down, another is about to begin!" Jim declared over the broadcast, getting their attentions as they looked back to the television, seeing both Ryuki and Trent preparing new Poké Balls, "Which Pokémon will we see next?" he wondered aloud.
"Rock on, Garchomp!" the guitarist yelled as he fired out his spherical container. It popped open, with its light spilling forth onto the ground, taking shape and dissipating to reveal the Land Shark Pokémon.
"Gaaahhh!" he roared out.
"So now he's going for Garchomp…" Erika noted from the stands.
"If I remember right, he had moves like Poison Jab and Dragon Claw to use…" her older sister mentioned, putting her left hand onto her chin as she narrowed her eyes, "Ninetales would've been a good match, but I think Trent's got another plan in mind," she pointed out. The dark green-haired boy reared his right arm back.
"Skarmory, you're up!" he called out, throwing his Poké Ball up into the air. It burst open, with its light forming in midair and dissipating to reveal the Armor Bird Pokémon.
"Skaaaahhhh!" he screeched.
"Looks like the next matchup will be Garchomp against Skarmory!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers, "Can't wait to see how it turns out!" he added excitedly.
"Skarmory, huh?" Ryuki said with a smirk, "Ice, Fairy, and Steel…" he listed off, "You really worked overtime to try and counter my dragons, huh?" he assumed of his opponent, who kept his expression firm, "Let's see how you like this then!" he yelled out, "Garchomp, Fire Fang!" he commanded. The Land Shark Pokémon's teeth glowed a bright red as flames billowed within his mouth before he lunged up at his opponent.
"Dodge and use Spikes!" Trent called out. Skarmory rolled aside to evade getting caught in his foe's jaws. He then spun his body rapidly, making multiple glowing red spikes shoot out and fall onto the battlefield below, sinking into the surface.
"The heck?" Ryuki uttered in confusion, while the dark green-haired boy smirked.
"Skarmory sets up a layer of Spikes onto Ryuki's side of the field," Jim pointed out into the microphone.
"That's going to be a key factor, especially later in this battle," Tom mentioned.
"Fire Fang again!" the guitarist ordered, enticing Garchomp to veer back around as flames were still billowing in his mouth.
"Dodge it!" Trent yelled. Skarmory was quick to avoid the Land Shark Pokémon again, flying over as he landed upon the ground and slid to a stop.
"Can't run forever…" Ryuki muttered out, "Dragon Rush!" he commanded, sticking his left hand out. Lunging forward, Garchomp became enveloped in a bluish aura shaped like the head of a dragon, heading for his target.
"Iron Head!" Trent ordered. Skarmory was engulfed in a whitish light as he glided out at his incoming foe. The two collided fiercely in a blast of dust, blowing each other back.
"Garchomp and Skarmory are not letting up on each other in the slightest!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast excitedly, "It's gonna be tough to tell who'll fall first, folks!" he added.
"Rock Slide!" Ryuki shouted out. Several small boulders appeared around the Land Shark Pokémon, who swung his arms out to fire them out at his foe.
"Dodge and use Air Slash!" Trent instructed, enticing Skarmory to weave around the incoming boulders, making his wings glow a bright blue. He folded them inward before swinging them out, unleashing several disc-shaped blades of air. Garchomp found himself bombarded with no way to evade them, gritting his teeth as he endured the barrage.
"Come on, Garchomp!" his trainer yelled, "Use Brick Break!" he ordered. Opening his eyes, the Land Shark Pokémon had his claws glow a bright white. He lunged upward, roaring before striking his opponent with his left claw upside the head, sending him toward the ground below. He managed to regain his balance, landing on his talons as sliding to a stop.
"Skaaaahhhh!" he screeched out.
"Nice job, Skarmory!" Trent complimented, "Now Autotomize!" he advised.
"Skah!" the Armor Bird Pokémon responded, having a greyish, metallic aura shroud his body as it sounded like grinding gears. A reddish light flowed up his form a moment later.
"Skarmory goes ahead and uses a Steel-type staple, Autotomize, hoping to outdo whatever speed Garchomp has!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers.
"That's nothin'!" Ryuki proclaimed confidently, "Dragon Rush!" he commanded, thrusting his right fist forward. A bluish aura shaped like a dragon's head enveloped the Land Shark Pokémon as he dove toward his foe below.
"Dodge it!" Trent yelled. Instantaneously, Skarmory dashed away as Garchomp collided with the ground fiercely.
"Whoa!" Erika yelped from the stands. She and the others were stunned to see the Armor Bird Pokémon moving so speedily around the field. Ryuki grimaced.
"Garchomp, Rock Slide!" he ordered. More boulders outlined by a sparkling white light appeared around the Land Shark Pokémon. He had them shoot out at his foe yet again.
"Iron Head!" Trent commanded. With a glint in his eyes, Skarmory dashed towards the incoming boulders. He hopped over and weaved around them, closing in on his opponent without even flying.
"Fire Fang!" Ryuki yelled out. Garchomp's teeth glowed a bright red as flames billowed in his mouth once more. At that same moment, a whitish aura shrouded the Armor Bird Pokémon as he closed in. The two met in a fierce explosion that had ensuing black smoke.
Skarmory was the first to emerge from it, leaping into the air and landing at his trainer's side of the field, coming to a stop and turning around. As the smoke started to settle, Dan ran out to assess the result. Once the veil cleared, it revealed the Land Shark Pokémon lying upon the ground with swirls in his eyes.
"Garchomp is unable to battle!" the referee announced, raising his right arm, "Skarmory wins!" he confirmed on. The image of the Land Shark Pokémon upon the big screens was greyed out. The crowd cheered again.
"Trent's team goes up two-to-zero as Skarmory downs what could've been a huge problem in terms Garchomp's power!" Jim noted excitedly into the microphone. With a frustrated grimace, Ryuki returned his fainted partner to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Sorry…" he apologized, putting the spherical container away.
"Way to go, Trent!" Erika exclaimed from the stands, pumping her right fist up.
"First Dragonite, now Garchomp…" Leslie listed off beside her, "The guy's real good for sure…" she complimented with a small grin.
"But we don't know what other kinds of Pokémon Ryuki'll have…" Ash pointed out, folding his arms over his chest.
"Peekah…" Pikachu agreed as he nodded.
"Skarmory, you still good to keep going?" Trent asked of the Armor Bird Pokémon back on the field.
"Skah!" he squawked in response, spreading his wings. His trainer grinned. They watched as Ryuki readied another Poké Ball, enlarging it with a press of its button.
"Guess we'll have to really rock out for this round…" he noted aloud, "Rock on, Drampa!" he called out, throwing the spherical container up into the air. It burst open, with its light spilling out into midair before shaping into form and dissipating to reveal the Placid Pokémon.
"Durrraaahhhh…" he yawned as he landed upon the ground.
"Drampa, huh?" Trent said, narrowing his eyes.
"Rotodex, what Pokémon is that?" Erika inquired curiously from back in the stands.
"Leave it to me, zzt!" Rotom responded, pulling up an image of the Placid Pokémon upon its screen, "Drampa, the Placid Pokémon," it began, "This Pokémon is friendly to people and loves children most of all. Drampa comes from deep in the mountains to play with children he likes in town. He has a compassionate personality, but if Drampa is angered, he completely destroys his surroundings with his intense breath," it explained thoroughly.
"Whoa…" the young Ketchum girl uttered in shock.
"Drampa seems harmless, but he's really strong, especially if he's upset…" Leslie noted, followed by widening her eyes, "And I think that's what Ryuki's counting on!" she exclaimed in realization, causing everyone around to look at her in surprise. Back on the field, small blasts erupted right underneath the Placid Pokémon as he winced.
"And the Spikes that were put in place earlier go off, catching Drampa by surprise!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast. However, the Placid Pokémon's eyes flashed red.
"DURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" he bellowed, much to everyone's surprise.
"Heh," Ryuki chuckled, "That's your mistake, pal," he remarked to his opponent, "Let's go wild, Drampa!" he called out, "Rain Dance!" he instructed.
"PAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" the Placid Pokémon roared up into the sky above. All of a sudden, the sky above darkened again with clouds. Though this time, rain was falling onto the field. Looking up at the downpour, Trent clenched his fists.
'We can't let our guard down, not even for a second,' he noted to himself.
"Skarmory, Air Slash!" he commanded. With a flap of his wings, the Armor Bird Pokémon took off into the sky. He made his wings shine a bright blue, swinging them out to unleash several disc-shaped blades of air that were heading towards Drampa.
"Dragon Pulse!" Ryuki ordered, pumping his right fist. Opening his mouth, the Placid Pokémon released a multicolored beam of light in the shape of a dragon's head. It engulfed the incoming discs, resulting in a powerful explosion of grey smoke, which was immediately washed away by the rain.
"Close in and use Iron Head!" Trent instructed. Skarmory dove toward his foe, enveloping himself in a whitish light. At that moment though, the guitarist smirked.
"Thunder!" he bellowed, causing the dark green-haired boy to widen his eyes. Drampa became surrounded by crackling yellow electricity as the clouds started to rumble overhead. All of a sudden, a massive beam of lightning burst out, coming down and striking the Armor Bird Pokémon.
"SKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screeched in agony.
"Skarmory, no!" his trainer cried out.
"Oh, and Drampa lands a surprise, super effective Thunder!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast.
"And when it's raining, Thunder is a guaranteed hit on an opponent," Tom mentioned.
"Whoa…" Erika uttered in disbelief. Skarmory was able to land down as the electricity subsided, but sparks were crackling all around him as he grimaced.
"Looks like we took care of that extra speed, too!" Ryuki noted with a wicked grin, "Now Dragon Pulse!" he commanded. Drampa opened his mouth again, preparing a multicolored mass in front of it.
"Quick, use Spikes!" Trent instructed. Managing to compose himself, Skarmory was able to spin his body around and release more red spikes from his body, letting them sink into the ground at his foe's side of the field. However, it didn't stop the Placid Pokémon from unleashing the multicolored beam of light in the shape of a dragon's head, engulfing his target in a powerful blast.
The rain finally stopped as the smoke cleared. Dan ran out to assess the Armor Bird Pokémon's condition. He saw that he was lying upon the ground in a daze, having swirls in his eyes.
"Skarmory is unable to battle!" the referee confirmed, raising his left arm, "Drampa wins!" he announced. The image of the Armor Bird Pokémon on the screens greyed out as the crowd cheered.
"Skarmory ends up being the first of Trent's Pokémon to fall in this quarterfinal match!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers, "We'll see how that changes things going forward!" he mentioned on.
"He was able to at least put down another layer of Spikes before going down…" Calvin pointed out from the locker room.
"Meaning if Ryuki switches, he risks letting his Pokémon take more damage…" Paige confirmed, narrowing her eyes. In the meantime, Trent returned his fainted Skarmory to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Thanks for all your hard work," he said in gratitude, "We'll handle things from here," he promised, putting the spherical container away. As he grabbed another Poké Ball, he was surprised to see Ryuki withdrawing Drampa to his own.
"He's switching?" Erika noted out of confusion, raising an eyebrow.
"I wonder what he's planning…" Mirajane said curiously. The guitarist grinned at his foe, who didn't seem remotely intimidated. Their battle was still just beginning…
X
"The score is now two-to-one in Trent's favor, but it looks like Ryuki's about to mount a comeback…" Jim pointed out into the microphone.
"He'll still have to deal with the Spikes that Skarmory had set up, of course," Tom chimed in, "You also have to factor that we've already seen half of Ryuki's team, and he's about to send in his fourth Pokémon," he added seriously.
"Well, we're about to see just what kind of strategy Ryuki has planned to try and turn things around, folks!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast. Meanwhile, Trent reared his arm back as a new Poké Ball was readied in his right hand.
"Greninja, you're up!" he called out, flinging it out onto the field. It burst open, with its light forming upon the ground and dissipating to reveal the Ninja Pokémon.
"Neen jah!" he croaked.
"And Trent decides to call upon Greninja as his third Pokémon!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers, "How's Ryuki planning to counter?" he wondered aloud. The guitarist readied an Ultra Ball, enlarging it with a press of its button.
"Rock out, Turtonator!" he yelled, firing the spherical container up into the air. It popped open, with its light forming in midair before dissipating to reveal the Blast Turtle Pokémon, who landed upon the ground.
"Turrrr!" he bellowed out. At that moment, the surface beneath his feet exploded, making him wince.
"And Turtonator comes out to the rude awakening of those Spikes!" Jim added into the microphone. Both Pokémon's images appeared on the big screens.
"He's using Greninja this early?" Erika inquired, quite surprised.
"Sometimes, it's better to mix things up with your team selections," her older sister pointed out, getting her attention, "That way, no one expects you to save your best Pokémon for last," she mentioned.
"Yeah," Ash agreed, "I've been caught off guard in a few of those situations myself," he admitted sheepishly. Back on the field, Greninja took a ready stance.
"Let's start off strong!" his trainer insisted, "Water Shuriken!" he commanded. Putting his webbed hands onto the markings at his legs, the Ninja Pokémon prepared a pair of watery throwing stars, which he fired out at his foe. However, Ryuki smirked.
"Sunny Day!" he called out.
"TURRRRRRRR!" Turtonator bellowed up into the air. All of a sudden, the sky brightened as if it were sunny, causing those in the stands to flinch. Meanwhile, the watery shuriken were starting to steam from the sudden heat. They splashed off of the Blast Turtle Pokémon harmlessly.
"Dang it…" Trent muttered out as he clenched his teeth together.
"Turtonator's Sunny Day staves off the Water Shuriken!" Jim noted over the broadcast, "Seems like this weather-based strategy of Ryuki's is really bearing fruit!" he mentioned excitedly.
"Heh!" the guitarist chuckled, "Now Dragon Tail!" he commanded. A greenish, scale-patterned aura shrouded the Blast Turtle Pokémon's tail before he charged forward.
"Counter with Night Slash!" Trent yelled. Bringing his webbed hands together, Greninja readied a purple blade of light in them, wielding it in his right. He swung it out to meet his foe's incoming tail, making sparks fly between them as they clashed. Turtonator seemed to be overpowering the Ninja Pokémon thanks to his weight, but the latter's speed was enough for him to get around his foe. He lunged at him from behind, readying his blade.
"Shell Trap!" Ryuki shouted. The Blast Turtle Pokémon didn't even bother to move, allowing Greninja to slash at him, hitting a few of the spikes upon his back. At that very moment, they exploded, engulfing him in a cloud of black smoke.
"Ah!" Trent gasped.
"And Shell Trap hits its mark, boosted by the sunny weather as well!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers. Greninja landed on the ground with soot all along his body. He looked to his trainer, who nodded.
"Shadow Sneak!" he ordered. The shadow at the Ninja Pokémon's feet darkened, extending out and gaining a pair of eyes. It zipped by Turtonator and rose up, swiping at him over and over. However, he didn't seem to be too deterred. Neither was Ryuki.
"Now Solar Beam!" he commanded, thrusting his right fist forward. In front of the opening of his snout, the Blast Turtle Pokémon quickly formed a golden ball of shining light that grew large. It staved off the attacking shadow as it disappeared from the brightness, followed by him unleashing a powerful beam of light toward his foe.
"Neen…!" Greninja gasped before getting directly struck, "JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screeched in pain.
"Greninja!" Trent cried out.
"Now a Solar Beam hits its mark, putting Greninja in even more of a tight spot!" Jim yelled into the microphone. As the light subsided, the Ninja Pokémon fell onto his hands and knees, breathing heavily.
"Oh man…" Erika uttered in disbelief.
"Peekah…" Pikachu squeaked out.
"If Turtonator wins here, I think the momentum's back in Ryuki's favor…" Paige noted from back in the locker room.
"Yeah…" Calvin agreed as he nodded.
"Greninja, you okay to keep going?!" Trent called out in question to his partner.
"Neen… jah!" he responded, getting onto his feet firmly, much to his trainer's relief.
"Okay, Water Shuriken!" he commanded. The Ninja Pokémon placed his hands at the markings on his legs, pulling off the watery throwing stars from them and flinging them out at his foe.
"Dragon Tail!" Ryuki ordered, enticing Turtonator to have a green, scale-patterned aura shroud his tail yet again before swinging it out to break the incoming watery shuriken.
"Water Shuriken still doesn't have that same bite under the sun unfortunately, leaving Turtonator in a good position!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast.
"Now Solar Beam!" the guitarist commanded, thrusting his fists forward. Balls of golden light came together over the Blast Turtle Pokémon's snout as he raised it up to the sky, forming a large sphere of energy which he then fired as a ray of luminosity.
"Dodge and use Water Shuriken again!" Trent instructed. Greninja leapt over the beam of golden light as it struck the ground in a fierce blast, followed by readying another pair of watery throwing stars. He fired off one after another at his foe, who let them strike in bursts of steam.
"He's still going for Water Shuriken?" Hau inquired from his family's section of the stands, "Why?" he asked on.
"I don't know…" his mother responded, putting her hand onto her chin in thought.
"Hmm…" Hala hummed, "I would think that Trent realizes that weather constantly changes, whether for better or worse," he pointed out. As Greninja continued to fling watery throwing stars down at his foe, the brightness of the night sky started to lessen.
"Turtonator, Dragon Tail!" Ryuki ordered. A greenish, scale-patterned aura shrouded the tail of the Blast Turtle Pokémon, who swung it out at his opponent as he was coming back down.
"Dodge and use Hydro Pump!" Trent called out, causing the guitarist to blink in surprise. The Ninja Pokémon somersaulted over his foe's tail, turning around and puffing his chest. As Turtonator turned around to face him, he released a powerful jet of water from his mouth, striking his target to send him sliding back several yards.
"Hydro Pump lands with all of its power, putting Turtonator on the edge now!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers.
"Now Night Slash!" Trent commanded, sticking his right hand out. Greninja readied another purple blade of energy in his right hand, dashing forward.
"Not gonna stop us!" Ryuki proclaimed, "Shell Trap!" he shouted. With his shell's spikes having reformed, the Blast Turtle Pokémon turned his back to his foe. However, he sped past him and slashed across his chest before he could even react. As he let his blade of light disappear, his opponent toppled over onto his stomach. Dan ran over to assess his condition, seeing the swirls in his eyes as he heard him groan.
"Turtonator is unable to battle!" he announced, raising his right arm, "Greninja wins!" he confirmed, gesturing to the Ninja Pokémon. The crowd cheered as the image of the Blast Turtle Pokémon on the big screens was greyed out.
"Turtonator ends up being the one to fall as Trent has himself a three-to-one advantage going into the intermission!" Jim noted into the microphone.
"Don't forget, Hau brought the match back into his favor with just two Pokémon remaining on his side, so anything's possible," Tom mentioned. Meanwhile, Ryuki returned his fainted Blast Turtle Pokémon to his Ultra Ball in a beam of red light.
"You did good, pal," he assured, putting the spherical container away after shrinking it with a press of its button. At the same time, Trent recalled Greninja to his own Poké Ball.
"Now folks, we'll be taking a brief intermission for our competitors to catch their breath," Jim stated over the broadcast, "I'm sure you'd all like to relax in your seats, too," he mentioned to the audience.
"Huh…" Erika sighed out, "That was closer than I thought it'd be…" she admitted sheepishly.
"Turtonator having Solar Beam with Sunny Day was a lot like your plan with Lurantis," Leslie pointed out, "Although, that didn't work in Ryuki's favor like he thought it would…" she added, seeing the guitarist impatiently tap his foot against the ground.
"Looks like he's still raring to go," Mirajane noted.
"He's quite the fierce guy," her husband mentioned with a smile.
"Didn't you say that you battled him before?" Leslie inquired of her little sister, getting her attention.
"Uh, yeah," she replied, "Primarina beat his Turtonator pretty easy," she recalled, "But he's definitely a lot stronger now…" she admitted as she narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Even so, Trent's in the lead," Ash pointed out, "I don't see him losing it anytime soon," he said with his arms folded over his chest. As the minutes went by, Ryuki was starting to get all the more impatient. It didn't matter if his team had tied the score or if they were still losing. He would still feel miffed about the intermission regardless.
"Alright, we're ready to resume the match!" Dan confirmed as he raised his arms.
"Finally!" Ryuki exclaimed as he readied a Dusk Ball in his right hand, "Been saving this guy for a comeback just like this!" he declared excitedly, giving off a wicked grin. Meanwhile, Trent prepared a Poké Ball in his own right hand.
"Mightyena, you're up!" he exclaimed, firing the spherical container onto the field. It burst open, and its light spilled onto the ground, dissipating to reveal the Bite Pokémon.
"Mrawr!" he barked out.
"Trent decides to have Mightyena come in for Greninja to start this next half of the match!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers, "And Ryuki's choice to counter is…" he began to say.
"Druddigon, rock out!" the guitarist exclaimed, flinging the Dusk Ball forward. It popped open, with its dark violet light forming upon the ground, dissipating to reveal the Cave Pokémon, who stood up.
"Druhhhhh!" he bellowed out before the ground exploded beneath his feet, though it barely made him flinch.
"Druddigon, huh?" Trent noted. Images of both Pokémon appeared upon the screen underneath their respective trainers.
"Never seen that Pokémon before…" Erika admitted as she folded her arms over her chest.
"Leave it to me, zzt!" Rotom buzzed beside her, getting her attention as she saw it pull up an image of the Cave Pokémon upon its screen, "Druddigon, the Cave Pokémon," it began, "The red skin on his face is harder than rock. In narrow caves, Druddigon squares off against his enemies and charges face-first right into them. Druddigon infiltrates tunnels that Pokémon like Diglett and Dugtrio have dug and quietly waits for prey to pass through," it explained thoroughly.
"So Ryuki really is a Dragon-type fanatic…" Leslie noted aloud.
"Let's get things started!" the guitarist insisted as his grin remained wide, "Dragon Claw!" he commanded. A greenish, claw-shaped aura shrouded Druddigon's arms as he charged forward.
"Snarl!" Trent ordered. Mightyena reared his head back before opening his mouth, unleashing purple and black rings of energy from it. However, his foe barreled through them, landing a powerful slash to send him tumbling back.
"Druddigon lands the first blow, charging through Mightyena's Snarl to land a powerful Dragon Claw!" Jim excitedly pointed out into the microphone.
"Now Iron Tail!" Ryuki yelled out. The Cave Pokémon made his tail shine a silvery white as he charged toward his opponent again, who was just getting back up.
"Ice Fang, quick!" Trent shouted to him. The Bite Pokémon had his teeth glow a bright blue as a cold mist wafted off from them. As Druddigon swung his tail at him, he leapt over it, biting into his right wing. A patch of ice formed and started to spread along the Cave Pokémon's wing as his foe kept a tight grip on him.
"Shake him off!" Ryuki roared. His partner flailed about, trying to throw Mightyena off of him. Eventually, the Bite Pokémon found himself thrown off as he landed on the ground and slid to a halt, growling angrily at his foe, who broke the ice off of his wing.
"DRUHHHHH!" he bellowed out.
"Druddigon withstands a super effective Ice Fang, still raring to go and get his trainer a crucial victory!" Jim noted over the broadcast.
"Mightyena, Play Rough!" Trent ordered. The Bite Pokémon had his eyes flash pink as he charged in on his foe.
"Rock Climb!" Ryuki commanded, clapping his hands together. Druddigon's claws glowed a bright white and grew longer before he thrusted them into the ground. The earth separated, protruding right underneath Mightyena as he yipped in surprise, being lifted high into the air. The Cave Pokémon then charged up to his opponent, who ran toward him. The two collided, but the Bite Pokémon found himself immediately overmatched as he was blown high up into the air.
"Mightyena!" Trent cried out. The guitarist smirked.
"Now Dragon Claw!" he ordered, thrusting his right hand out. Druddigon leapt out at his airborne foe, catching him by surprise. A greenish, claw-shaped aura shrouded the Cave Pokémon's right arm before he slashed at the Bite Pokémon, sending him crashing down onto the ground in an instant.
"Ah!" Erika gasped. As the dust settled, it revealed Mightyena bringing himself back up onto his feet as he grimaced. His foe landed behind him, catching his attention.
"Druhhh…" he growled out, stomping up to him.
"Mightyena, Ice Fang!" Trent commanded. The Bite Pokémon whipped around and lunged at his foe, having his teeth shine a bright icy blue as a mist wafted off from them again. He chomped down onto Druddigon's left arm, making a patch of ice start to form and spread like before. However, Ryuki didn't seem worried.
"Superpower!" he ordered. An orange aura shrouded the Cave Pokémon before he grabbed Mightyena with his right hand, lifting him up and slamming him hard against the ground in a burst of dust. Calvin and Paige's eyes were widened in absolute shock. Dan ran over as the dust settled, seeing the Bite Pokémon lying in a crater on his side, having swirls in his eyes.
"Mightyena is unable to battle!" the referee announced, raising his left arm, "Druddigon wins!" he confirmed.
"Druhh!" the Cave Pokémon huffed proudly.
"Well, that's one way to really kick off the second half of this match!" Jim remarked into the microphone as Mightyena's image on the big screens greyed out, "Now it's a three-to-two score as Ryuki looks to mount a comeback with what remains of his team!" he pointed out excitedly. As Trent returned Mightyena to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light, he looked toward his smirking opponent. Something about how arrogant he seemed vexed him. But he ignored it, ready to keep battling.
X
"Trent's got a lot of options still," Paige pointed out from back in the locker room, "Ninetales and Greninja can still fight, and he has two other Pokémon he hasn't called out yet," she explained over to Calvin, who nodded.
"But it's all going to depend on how he decides to approach Ryuki's team," he mentioned, "He's got Druddigon, Drampa… and I'm betting his last Pokémon'll be that Kommo-o we saw in the first round," he listed off.
"In that case, the best call's probably to use Ninetales," the silvery-haired girl noted. On the field, Trent readied a Poké Ball, enlarging it with a press of its button.
"You're up, Ninetales!" he called out, throwing the spherical container out onto the field. It popped open, with its light spilling onto the ground and dissipating to reveal the Alolan Fox Pokémon.
"Nyain!" she yipped out.
"Trent brings Ninetales back out after her victory against Dragonite to start this match," Jim noted into the microphone, "Is she going to claim a second victory?" he wondered aloud.
"Not a chance!" Ryuki proclaimed in response, "Druddigon, Iron Tail!" he fiercely commanded. The Cave Pokémon charged forward and took a great leap into the air, letting his tail glow a silvery white as he spun toward his opponent.
"Dazzling Gleam!" Trent ordered. Ninetales had a multicolored field of light appear around her, expanding outward. It struck Druddigon as he collided with it head on, having no way to evade it. He grimaced, but pushed through and managed to strike her with his tail, knocking her back.
"Oh, and Druddigon endures that Dazzling Gleam to land a super effective Iron Tail!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast.
"Yeesh…!" Erika yelped out, "Just how strong is that Druddigon?!" she wondered loudly, quite stunned by the Cave Pokémon's power.
"I'm guessing it's probably of his ability, Sheer Force," Leslie chimed in, catching her attention.
"Sheer Force?" she repeated in confusion.
"Let me explain, zzt," Rotom buzzed as it floated over, "It'zzz an ability that removezzz the additional effectzzz of certain movezzz in exchange for increasing their power," it explained.
"So normally, an Iron Tail has the chance to lower a Pokémon's physical defense when it lands," Leslie told her sister, dumbing it down for her, "But with Sheer Force, there's no chance you'll lower defense, but you'll still have an insane attack power," she mentioned.
"Whoa…" Erika uttered out. Their parents looked on at them with smiles.
"Ninetales, are you okay?!" Trent worriedly called out in question back on the field, seeing the Alolan Fox Pokémon slowly stand back up.
"Nyy!" she responded with a grimace.
"Ninetales stands tall as she faces down the heavy-hitting Druddigon!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers.
"Rock Climb!" Ryuki commanded. Making his claws glow a bright white and lengthen, the Cave Pokémon slammed them into the ground, causing the earth to separate and protrude underneath his foe, carrying her high into the sky. He charged up toward her, prepared to strike.
"Ninetales, Hail!" Trent instructed.
"ARRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" the Alolan Fox Pokémon howled into the sky. Dark clouds formed as snow and ice started to fall. It nicked the charging Druddigon, making him grimace. However, he closed in on his target. But his swipe at her failed to strike as a dense fog fell over the field.
"Hail activates Ninetales' Snow Cloak as she evades what would've likely been another devastating hit from Druddigon!" Jim noted into the microphone.
"Cheap tricks again, huh?" Ryuki remarked as he clenched his fists.
"Nah, it's just us playing smart!" Trent retorted in response, "Use Confuse Ray!" he called out. Druddigon was still searching for his foe in the thick fog. All of a sudden, multiple purple balls of energy came out and struck him all at once. He started to stumble about before falling off from the protruding earth, crashing into the ground below.
"Druddigon!" his trainer cried out.
"Now Dazzling Gleam!" the dark green-haired boy commanded. A multicolored energy field suddenly expanded from above, crashing into the Cave Pokémon as he roared in agony.
"And now the tables turn with a Confuse Ray followed by a super effective Dazzling Gleam!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast, "What's Druddigon going to do now?!" he wondered loudly as the dust settled, revealing the Cave Pokémon shaking his head to regain his composure, breathing heavily. He didn't realize that Ninetales had landed right beside him.
"Ninetales, use Blizzard!" her trainer ordered. Taking a great inhale of air through her mouth, the Alolan Fox Pokémon expelled a powerful rush of cold air onto her foe, who winced from the sudden rush of freezing wind.
"Push through and use Superpower!" Ryuki yelled. Druddigon steeled himself, having an orange aura shroud his body as he charged through the freezing wind. He tackled Ninetales, sending her flying back. She landed on her feet, wincing out of agony. However, her foe suddenly toppled over onto his stomach. Dan ran over to see his condition, noticing the swirls in his eyes.
"Druddigon is unable to battle!" he announced, raising his right arm again, "Ninetales wins!" he confirmed, gesturing over to the Alolan Fox Pokémon. The crowd cheered as the image of the Cave Pokémon greyed out upon the big screens.
"Despite his best efforts, Druddigon falls as well!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers, "That leaves Ryuki with just his Drampa and one other Pokémon," he mentioned.
"Way to go, Trent!" Erika exclaimed as a cheer.
"With four Pokémon to fight against just two, I don't see a way how Trent could lose this…" her sister noted, putting her left hand onto her chin.
"Especially since two of Trent's Pokémon haven't even been brought into battle yet," Mirajane added.
"I wouldn't make the call just yet," Ash advised, getting his family's attention, "I get the feeling we've still got more to see from this Ryuki," he admitted with narrowed eyes.
"Pika, pee," Pikachu agreed as he nodded upon his trainer's shoulder. Meanwhile, the guitarist on the field returned his fainted Druddigon to his Dusk Ball in a beam of dark violet light.
"Sorry, partner," he apologized, putting the spherical container away after shrinking it with a press of its button.
"Nyyy… nyyy…" Ninetales exhaled, looking rather weakened. Noticing, her trainer grimaced a little.
"Ninetales, take a break," he insisted, holding up the Poké Ball he had in his hand to her. She looked back and simply nodded, allowing him to return her to the spherical container in a beam of red light.
"Trent decides to make the switch himself, opting to give Ninetales a break after a big victory," Jim noted into the microphone.
"A good call, especially since she's had to go through two very strong Dragon-types," Tom added. Ryuki then readied an Ultra Ball in his right hand, pressing its button to enlarge it.
"Rock out, Drampa!" he yelled, throwing the spherical container out onto the field. It burst open, with its light forming upon the ground and dissipating to reveal the Placid Pokémon.
"DRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he bellowed out, followed the ground glowing red beneath him and exploding, making him wince.
"Drampa comes back out to face off against whoever Trent will throw into the ring next!" Jim yelled over the broadcast, "Will he be calling upon someone new?" he wondered aloud. The dark green-haired boy readied a Poké Ball in his own right hand, rearing his arm back.
"Pangoro, let's go!" he yelled, firing the spherical container forward. It popped open, and its light shot down onto the ground, dissipating to reveal the Daunting Pokémon.
"Pahh!" he exclaimed, cracking his knuckles.
"And Trent brings in Pangoro as his fifth Pokémon!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers as the Daunting Pokémon's image appeared upon the big screens, "Let's see how his presence will affect the battle going forward!" he advised excitedly. Up in the stands, Rotom brought up an image of Pangoro upon its screen.
"Pangoro, the Daunting Pokémon," it began, "From the slight twitches of his bamboo leaf, Pangoro deduces his opponent's movements. He's eager to tussle but kindhearted toward his companions. Pangoro is the type to talk with his fists. He doesn't say much as he pummels opponents with enough force to send a dump truck flying," it explained thoroughly.
"With Drampa being part-Normal-type, it's no surprise that Trent's using Pangoro," Leslie noted aloud.
"Don't forget, Drampa didn't seem like the best matchup against Skarmory either," her father pointed out.
"It'zzz all going to depend on who'zzz stronger, I think…" Rotom inferred, while its user beside it nodded in agreement.
"Pangoro, Bullet Punch!" Trent commanded. Clenching his fists and making them glow a light blue, the Daunting Pokémon charged toward his foe.
"Dragon Pulse!" Ryuki ordered, enticing Drampa to open his mouth to release a multicolored ray of light in the shape of a dragon's head. It soared out as Pangoro thrusted his fist onto it, resulting in a powerful blast.
"And we're already getting going with a clash of Bullet Punch and Dragon Pulse!" Jim noted excitedly into the microphone. The smoke settled, revealing the Daunting Pokémon gritting his teeth as his fists remained clenched.
"Now Rain Dance!" Ryuki called out.
"DRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Drampa bellowed up into the sky. Dark clouds formed overhead before rain started pouring down once again.
"Now Hyper Voice!" the guitarist commanded. The Placid Pokémon reared his head back, taking a deep breath. He then released a powerful shout as the inside of his mouth was glowing a bright white, with a beam of wind that had turquoise rings heading toward his opponent.
"Protect!" Trent called out. Sticking his hands out, Pangoro formed a turquoise energy field, protecting him from the supersonic shout as it washed over him.
'So he knows Hyper Voice, huh?' his trainer inwardly noted, letting off a grin.
"Pangoro, Hammer Arm!" he ordered.
"Pah!" the Daunting Pokémon responded, making both of his arms glow a bright white as he charged in at his foe once more.
"Heh!" Ryuki laughed, "Thunder!" he yelled out. Yellow electricity crackled around Drampa's body. All of a sudden, a massive lightning bolt rained down and struck Pangoro, making him grimace. However, he pushed through, managing to slam his right arm against the Placid Pokémon to blow him back.
"Durrrraaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Drampa bellowed as a reddish aura suddenly shot up his form.
"Uh oh!" Jim yelped over the broadcast, "Looks like that hit was enough to trigger Drampa's Berserk!" he pointed out.
"Berserk?" Erika repeated in confusion from the stands.
"It'zzz Drampa'zzz signature ability, zzt," Rotom buzzed, getting her attention, "When he takezzz an attack that leavezzz him with under half hizzz energy left, hizzz special attack goes up," it explained thoroughly.
"Now it's time to show you just how rockin' we really are!" Ryuki declared excitedly, "Drampa, Hyper Voice!" he ordered, pumping his right fist forward. The Placid Pokémon reared his head back, ready to unleash an even more powerful shot. But Trent smirked.
"Throat Chop!" he commanded. Pangoro cloaked his right hand in a purple light, thrusting it forward. He struck his foe's neck, making him gasp in pain.
"Drampa!" Ryuki cried out, while many in the crowd gasped. Erika then blinked with realization.
"That's the same strategy Miss Olivia used against me during our grand trial battle!" she remembered.
"It'zzz a move that preventzzz the target from using sound-based movezzz for a little while," Rotom explained.
"So Trent saw that Hyper Voice and took advantage of it…" Leslie concluded, letting off a grin, "He really is something," she noted.
"Grrr…" Ryuki growled out in frustration.
"Now let's keep up the pressure!" the dark green-haired boy insisted firmly, "Bullet Punch!" he ordered. Pangoro cloaked his fists in a light blue luminosity, rushing forward and punching rapidly at his foe, blowing him back.
"Pangoro goes on a rapid assault with that Bullet Punch after rendering Drampa's Hyper Voice useless!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast.
"Drahhh… pahhh…" the Placid Pokémon breathed out heavily. His trainer clenched his teeth together tightly.
"Dragon Pulse!" he commanded, thrusting his right forward. Opening his mouth, Drampa released a multicolored ray of light in the shape of a dragon's head, zipping toward his opponent.
"Protect!" Trent called out. Pangoro stuck his hands forward, forming a turquoise energy barrier again to block off the incoming ray as it exploded in a burst of smoke upon contact. Once it cleared, it revealed that he was completely unharmed.
"Pangoro shields himself from a Dragon Pulse, keeping the fight in his favor!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers.
"Looks to me like Trent has all the momentum going his way right now," Tom mentioned, "If he wins against Drampa now, he'll have four Pokémon to use against Ryuki's last one," he added. Hearing that, the guitarist grimaced.
"Now Hammer Arm, Pangoro!" the dark green-haired boy commanded fiercely.
"Paahhhh!" the Daunting Pokémon bellowed, making both of his arms glow a bright white as he charged forward.
"Use Thunder!" Ryuki ordered. Yellow electricity crackled around Drampa's body again before a massive lightning bolt rained down from the dark clouds above. It struck Pangoro, who yelled in pain. But like before, he pushed through it, closing in and slamming his right arm onto the Placid Pokémon, slamming him against the ground in a flurry of dust. As he backed up, yellow electricity sparked around his body for a moment, making him wince.
Dan ran over once the dust settled, seeing that Drampa lied upon the ground with swirls in his eyes. At the same time, the rain finally stopped as the dark clouds cleared. The referee raised his right arm.
"Drampa is unable to battle!" he announced, "Pangoro wins!" he confirmed, gesturing toward the Daunting Pokémon.
"PAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he roared proudly into the air. Meanwhile, the crowd cheered as the Placid Pokémon's image on the big screens was greyed out.
"Drampa goes down, giving Trent's team now a four-to-one advantage!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers, "Now it comes down to whoever Ryuki has left!" he pointed out.
"Way to go, Trent!" Erika cheered.
"I haven't seen a battle this one-sided in a long time…" Ash admitted, sounding quite surprised, "That Trent guy really is something…" he pointed out.
"Peekah…" Pikachu agreed as he nodded. Back on the field, Ryuki returned his fainted Drampa to his Ultra Ball in a beam of red light. He didn't even say a word as he put the spherical container away.
He was frustrated with his performance thus far. Being down four Pokémon to one was quite the uphill challenge. But he knew that it would never be easy if he wanted to be a star. His wicked grin returned as he readied a Poké Ball in his right hand.
"Time for the big show, Kommo-o!" he called out, enlarging the spherical container with a press of its button and flinging it forward. It burst open, with its light forming in midair before dissipating to reveal the Scaly Pokémon, who landed upon the ground.
"Mohhh!" he roared out. The ground burst at his feet, but he barely flinched. Up in the stands, Jangmo-o's eyes sparkled at the sight of his final evolution.
"Ryuki calls upon Kommo-o to be the last resort to bringing him back from the brink of defeat!" Jim noted into the microphone, "Can he do it?!" he wondered loudly as the Scaly Pokémon glared down his opponent.
X
"Kommo-o, the Scaly Pokémon, and the final evolved form of Jangmo-o," Rotom began as it had pulled up an image of Kommo-o on its screen, "His rigid scales function as offense and defense. In the past, Kommo-o's scales were processed and used to make weapons and other commodities. He battles valiantly with its fists, which are armored in steel scales. Kommo-o specializes in uppercuts," it explained thoroughly.
"Sounds like your little guy's got a lot to look forward to," Leslie remarked over to Erika, who was holding an excited Jangmo-o in her lap.
"Ryuki's still down four-to-one…" Lisanna pointed out from another section of the stands, "I don't see how Kommo-o can bring him back to winning…" she mentioned in admittance.
"I wouldn't underestimate the strength of a Fighting-type," Hala advised, getting her attention, "They have much willpower and determination," he noted, folding his arms over his chest. On the field, sparks of yellow electricity crackled around Pangoro's body as he winced. But he disregarded them, assuming a ready stance.
"Let's start this comeback tour!" Ryuki declared, pumping his right fist forward, "Flamethrower!" he commanded. Rearing his head back, Kommo-o spewed out a stream of orange fire from his mouth. It was heading for the Daunting Pokémon.
"Protect!" Trent called out. Pangoro stuck his hands to form a turquoise energy barrier in front of himself again, blocking off the fire as it split and dissipated.
"Pangoro again defends himself from yet another attack!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast, "But who knows how long that'll help him…" he mentioned on.
"Kommo-o, Sky Uppercut!" Ryuki ordered. The Scaly Pokémon charged in, closing his right hand into a fist as it was cloaked by an orange energy.
"Hammer Arm!" Trent commanded. Clenching his right fist tightly, Pangoro reared his arm back, making it glow a bright white. His fist and Kommo-o's met, resulting in a powerful shockwave. They pushed against each other, trying to break through. All of a sudden though, yellow sparks of electricity crackled around the Daunting Pokémon. That allowed for his foe to land a devastating uppercut to his chin, sending him flying back.
"Ah!" Erika gasped, seeing Pangoro land upon the ground on his backside, yelping in agony as he clenched his teeth together.
"Oh, and Pangoro takes a brutal Sky Uppercut that he just couldn't withstand anymore!" Jim noted loudly through the loudspeakers.
"Looks to me like he ended up getting paralyzed from that last Thunder he took in his battle against Drampa," Tom chimed in curiously.
"Pah… goh…" the Daunting Pokémon groaned as he brought himself back up onto his feet, wincing all the while.
"Pangoro, you okay?" his trainer called out in question.
"Now Flamethrower!" Ryuki commanded. Flames billowed within Kommo-o's mouth again before he unleashed another spray out at his foe.
"Dodge and use Bullet Punch!" Trent instructed. The Daunting Pokémon was ready to move, but suddenly found himself halted as the electricity around his body sparked again. He ended up being hit by the flames, pushing him back as he grimaced. "Pangoro!" his trainer screamed.
"Now Sky Uppercut!" Ryuki ordered as he pumped his left fist up. The Scaly Pokémon charged in, cloaking his right fist in an orange aura once again. His foe didn't even have a second to react before he wound up taking an uppercut to his stomach, sending him flying before he hit the ground hard, lying upon his back. Dan immediately ran to assess his condition, immediately seeing the swirls in his eyes.
"Pangoro is unable to battle!" he declared with his left arm raised, "Kommo-o wins!" he announced, gesturing to the Scaly Pokémon, who waved his arms to make his scales jingle.
"MOHHHH!" he bellowed out.
"And Kommo-o comes in with a quick victory over Pangoro, starting what could be one of the biggest comebacks in Pokémon League history!" Jim noted excitedly into the microphone.
"Based on how well Kommo-o did just now, that very well may be the case," Tom added.
"Whoa…" Paige uttered from back in the locker room.
"Yeah…" Calvin said, remembering just how powerful the Totem Kommo-o he faced was during the trial on Poni Island. Ryuki's was definitely a force to be reckoned with as well. On the field, Trent returned Pangoro to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Thanks for all your hard work, Pangoro," he said in gratitude, "We'll handle the rest from here," he promised, putting the spherical container before readying another one, pressing its button to enlarge it, "Ninetales, go!" he called out, flinging the Poké Ball back out onto the field. It popped open, with its light forming upon the ground and dissipating to reveal the Alolan Fox Pokémon.
"Nyy!" she yipped, followed by wincing.
"Ninetales returns to the battle, having the best advantage over Kommo-o!" Jim yelled over the broadcast.
"Keep in mind, she's already been through two tough battles," Tom mentioned, "Despite winning both of them, I'm not sure she'll be able to pull off the same here…" he admitted.
"Start with Hail!" Trent instructed.
"ARRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" the Alolan Fox Pokémon howled up into the sky. Dark clouds formed overhead yet again, with snow and hail falling down. It nicked Kommo-o, who merely narrowed his eyes.
"This trick again, huh?" Ryuki inquired in annoyance, seeing the fog starting to settle in.
"Now Confuse Ray!" Trent called out. As the fog veiled her from her opponent's sight, Ninetales had her eyes flash purple before several orbs of violet light appeared around her, all heading towards the Scaly Pokémon. However, the guitarist smirked.
"Use Flamethrower on the field!" he instructed, much to his foe's surprise. Kommo-o had flames billow up within his mouth before unleashing a blast of fire onto the ground, heating it up. The flames also spread to not only eviscerate the incoming energy orbs, but also cleared the surrounding fog.
"Unreal!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "Kommo-o stops the Confuse Ray and takes care of that pesky fog, giving him a chance to counterattack!" he noted on. Ryuki spotted Ninetales lurking in the veil and grinned.
"Now Flash Cannon!" he commanded, pumping his right fist forward. Opening his mouth, the Scaly Pokémon formed a light blue ball of energy, which then released a powerful beam of white and light blue luminosity.
"Dodge it!" Trent yelled. The Alolan Fox Pokémon was able to hop back in the nick of time as the beam struck the ground in a powerful blast. "Now use Blizzard!" her trainer ordered.
"Sky Uppercut!" Ryuki shouted. As Ninetales took a deep breath, her foe charged in, cloaking his right fist in an orange light yet again. His opponent unleashed a powerful rush of chilling air with snow onto him. But he charged through it, landing an uppercut to her stomach to send her flying back.
"And now Ninetales takes a brutal Sky Uppercut!" Jim yelled over the broadcast. The Alolan Fox Pokémon landed upon the ground on her side.
"Nyyy…" she groaned out as she got back onto her feet, clenching her teeth together.
"Kommo-o, Flamethrower!" Ryuki ordered. The Scaly Pokémon had flames billow within his mouth, releasing a stream of orange fire out toward his opponent.
"Quick, Dazzling Gleam!" Trent called out. Ninetales had a multicolored energy field emit from her body, expanding out to meet the incoming flames and break through them, heading out at her foe. However, the guitarist smirked.
"Flash Cannon!" he commanded, pumping his fist forward. Kommo-o took a great leap into the air, evading the incoming multicolored field. Trent and Ninetales were left to gasp as the Scaly Pokémon opened his mouth, readying another light blue ball of energy in front of it. He released a powerful beam of white and light blue luminosity downward, striking his foe in a powerful blast before she could even do anything else.
"Ninetales!" the dark green-haired boy screamed. The smoke settled as Dan jogged over, seeing the Alolan Fox Pokémon lying upon her side. Swirls were in her eyes.
"Ninetales is unable to battle!" he announced, raising his left arm, "Kommo-o wins!" he confirmed, gesturing to the Scaly Pokémon.
"Mohh!" he echoed proudly, while his trainer smirked. The crowd cheered as the Alolan Fox Pokémon's image on the big screens was greyed out.
"Kommo-o continues his charge through Trent's team, having taken out both Pangoro and now Ninetales!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers, "Seems like nothing can stop him now!" he mentioned excitedly.
"Oh man… Erika uttered in disbelief from the stands. She watched as the dark green-haired boy returned his fainted partner to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"You did great today, Ninetales," he assured, "We'll take care of the rest from here," he promised, putting the spherical container away after he shrunk it with a press of its button.
"Now Trent is down to two Pokémon as opposed to Ryuki's one," Jim added into the microphone.
"Keep in mind, there's one of Trent's Pokémon who hasn't been called out into battle yet," Tom chimed in, "Greninja being the other one, who did endure a tough battle against Turtonator," he recalled. The guitarist on the field smirked.
'That's right…' he noted inwardly, 'Kommo-o'll take care of whoever's next with his Z-Move, and we'll move right on to taking down that Greninja!' he declared through his thoughts, 'It'll be the greatest comeback for sure!' he affirmed on, clenching his right fist. In the meantime, the dark green-haired boy readied a new Poké Ball, enlarging it with a press of its button. He reared his right arm.
"Vikavolt, let's go!" he called out, throwing the spherical container onto the field. It burst open, with its light shooting out and forming in midair, dissipating to reveal the Stag Beetle Pokémon.
"Veekah!" he screeched as he buzzed about.
"Trent reveals his final Pokémon to be none other Vikavolt!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast, "Will he bring his trainer to a quarterfinal victory? Or will Kommo-o overcome him as yet another obstacle in his path?!" he inquired loudly.
X
"So his last Pokémon's Vikavolt…" Paige noted from back in the locker room, "He does resist moves like Sky Uppercut and Flash Cannon…" she recalled.
"But Kommo-o also has Flamethrower and another move it hasn't used yet…" Calvin pointed out, "Either way…" he continued as he narrowed his eyes, "I think this might be Trent's last stand…" he concluded. Out on the field, the two Pokémon stared each other down, awaiting the orders from their respective trainers. The dark green-haired boy then stuck his hand out.
"X-Scissor!" he commanded. Opening his mandibles, Vikavolt made them glow a yellowish-green as he zipped forward, heading for his foe.
"Clanging Scales!" Ryuki ordered. Kommo-o folded his arms over his face. He let the Stag Beetle Pokémon strike in an x-shaped pattern, making his scales jingles. He then unfolded his arms, releasing a powerful roar with blue shockwaves, blowing his opponent back.
"Ergh…" Trent growled in frustration, while the guitarist smirked.
"Kommo-o's signature Clanging Scales shows its power as Vikavolt gets sent flying from it!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers.
"That's a risky play, but it seems to be working in Ryuki's favor," Tom added.
"What does he mean by that?" Erika asked curiously from the stands.
"When Kommo-o usezzz Clanging Scalezzz, hizzz physical defenzzze decreasezzz," Rotom explained.
"So he's probably not gonna resort to that move unless he ends up in a really dire situation…" Leslie chimed in, folding her arms over her chest.
"Or maybe he's waiting for the right moment to use that Z-Move we saw back in the first round," her father inferred, getting her attention.
"Kommo-o, Flamethrower!" Ryuki commanded, pumping his right fist forward. Flames billowed up within the Scaly Pokémon's mouth before he unleashed a stream of fire out at his opponent.
"Dodge and use Acrobatics!" Trent instructed. Vikavolt flew away from the flames, zipping around before his body became cloaked by a bluish light. He then dashed down rapidly and collided with his foe's stomach, making him slide back.
"Kohhh…" he growled out, clenching his fists.
"Take him outta the sky!" his trainer yelled, "Sky Uppercut!" he ordered. Kommo-o charged forward, cloaking his right fist in an orange light. He swung it up, striking the Stag Beetle Pokémon to send him flying back.
"Thunderbolt!" Trent commanded. Regaining his balance in midair, Vikavolt surrounded his body in crackling yellow electricity. He unleashed a bolt of lightning down at his foe, who crossed his arms over his face to defend himself as the attack struck in a powerful blast. When the smoke settled, it revealed that he was seemingly unharmed.
"Kommo-o's endurance shows as he takes both Acrobatics and Thunderbolt back-to-back without so much as a care for either!" Jim pointed out into the microphone excitedly.
"Now Flamethrower!" Ryuki commanded, pumping his right fist forward. The Scaly Pokémon had orange fire billow up within his mouth, unleashing a stream of it toward his opponent.
"Quick, Dig!" Trent called out, enticing Vikavolt to dive into the ground in a burst of dirt and dust, evading the flames.
"What?!" Ryuki exclaimed in shock.
"Now Acrobatics!" the dark green-haired boy commanded. The ground shattered beneath Kommo-o's feet, causing him to widen his eyes before he wound up struck at the stomach by the Stag Beetle Pokémon, who was cloaked in a bluish light.
"And Vikavolt retaliates with an Acrobatics from below thanks to Dig!" Jim noted over the broadcast excitedly, "Looks like we've still got quite a matchup on our hands!" he mentioned.
"Kohh…" the Scaly Pokémon groaned out, looking to see his opponent still flying around him. His trainer gritted his teeth.
"Flash Cannon!" he ordered, enticing Kommo-o to open his mouth, forming a light blue ball of energy in front of it. After a moment, it unleashed a beam of white and light blue luminosity.
"Counter with Thunderbolt!" Trent instructed. Yellow electricity crackled around Vikavolt's body before he released a bolt of lightning to intercept the incoming beam. The two attacks were at a deadlock with each other. An explosion rang out after a few moments, enveloping the area with smoke. "Now Acrobatics!" the dark green-haired boy commanded. The Stag Beetle Pokémon became cloaked in a bright blue light again as he zipped through the smoke, heading for his foe.
"Clanging Scales!" Ryuki yelled. Kommo-o crossed his arms over his face to block Vikavolt as he attempted to strike, making his scales jingle. He then unfolded his arms, letting out a roar with powerful blue shockwaves to blow his opponent back.
"Veekah!" he buzzed, still flying about.
"Kohh… mohhh…" the Scaly Pokémon breathed out somewhat tiredly.
"Looks to me like Kommo-o's finally starting to feel winded in the wake of two victories," Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers, "Could this be the end for him?!" he loudly wondered. However, Ryuki smirked.
"Not even close!" he yelled, holding up his Z-Power Ring with the Kommonium Z upon it. Everyone gasped as they saw him cross his arms over his face, making the Z-Crystal flash a bright gold.
"Oh, and Ryuki's ready to pull out a last-ditch Z-Move to turn things around here!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone. Kommo-o copied his trainer's movements as he swung his arms around, moving his hands apart from each other as if they were an opening mouth. A golden aura was building around him all the while.
"Our souls are blazing with stardom! And we're gonna go out with a big clang!" the guitarist declared, letting the aura around his body shoot out in streaks to his partner, merging with his body before the Z-Move symbol flashed in front of him. He started dancing about, shaking his scales to make them jingle wildly. "CLANGOROUS SOULBLAZE!" his trainer bellowed out. The Scaly Pokémon took a great leap into the air, opening his mouth to release a purple shockwave that was heading for his foe.
"Vikavolt, Dig!" Trent instructed. Flying along the field, the Stag Beetle Pokémon dove back into the ground through the hole he had previously used. The shockwave struck the earth, making it shatter in an explosion of dust.
"Kommo-o's Z-Move goes off successfully!" Jim noted over the broadcast, "But did it make its mark in the end?" he wondered aloud. The Scaly Pokémon landed down in front of his trainer, looking around as the dust was starting to settle. He assumed that even if Vikavolt had gotten underground, the shockwaves would've still resulted in a lot of damage, as the earth was shattered. However, he then heard the ground crack beneath his feet.
"Acrobatics!" Trent commanded. Bursting out of the shattered earth, the dirtied Stag Beetle Pokémon cloaked himself in a bluish light, striking his opponent upside the head.
"Kommo-o!" Ryuki cried out.
"Oh my goodness!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers, "Vikavolt withstands the Z-Move and retaliates with a super effective Acrobatics!" he noted loudly. In that moment, the Scaly Pokémon faltered onto his hands and knees. He tried to push himself back up, but to no avail as he collapsed completely onto the ground, having swirls in his eyes. Dan ran over to assess his condition. After a moment, he raised his right arm.
"Kommo-o is unable to battle!" he announced, "Vikavolt wins!" he confirmed on, gesturing to the Stag Beetle Pokémon, "And therefore, the victory goes to Trent!" he declared, turning his attention to the dark green-haired boy. On the big screens, Ryuki and his Pokémon's images were erased, with Trent and his Pokémon being placed in the center, with a big 'WINNER' sign underneath them. The whole crowd cheered.
"And there it is!" Jim yelled into the microphone, "Vikavolt comes in and takes down Kommo-o, earning Trent the victory with two Pokémon left standing!" he noted excitedly. The Stag Beetle Pokémon landed on the ground in front of his trainer, who approached and crouched beside him.
"Way to go, Vikavolt," he complimented.
"Veekah!" his partner buzzed out gratefully. In the meantime, Ryuki returned his fainted Kommo-o to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light. He stared at it for a moment solemnly before letting off a little smile. He put the spherical container away before turning around and leaving the arena, but not before pumping his fist up determinedly.
"Phoo…" Erika breathed out, "That was way too close…" she noted, quite surprised.
"And now, it's finally time for Calvin's battle," her sister pointed out.
"Yeah," she responded with a nod. Back in the locker room, Calvin and Paige were ready to head off into their respective tunnels. The former looked over to his opponent and gave her a smile, which she innocently returned. But once he left, she let out a sigh. Her feelings were betraying her. And she could only hope that they'd push themselves away before the battle started…
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 so, Trent wins! This was a lot of fun to write! Obviously, there were a few things I needed to consider for this match to work, and I do apologize for confusion about the order yet again. But otherwise, I'm very happy with how this turned out.
Now we've got Calvin and Paige's match next time, and I'm sure you're all looking forward to that! Here's the summary to hold you over!
SUMMARY
The fourth and final quarterfinal match between Calvin and Paige is set to begin! But as the match gets underway, does Paige have the stomach to battle against the person she has such a huge crush on?!
END SUMMARY
The next few weeks will be dedicated to finishing up "Reality", so stay tuned for more updates! Thanks for reading!