Alola, trainers! It's been a while, hasn't it? At this time, I'm probably playing the new Scarlet & Violet games and having a blast! But I'm also not about to abandon a story that I've spent quite a lot of time working on. So, we're finally back!
Last time we left off, the third match of the semifinals came and went with Trent beating Ryuki 6-4. Now he, Gladion and Erika have advanced to the semifinals, with only one spot remaining. Will Calvin take the victory? Or will it be Paige?
I think it's time we find out! Welcome back to "The Challenge of a Lifetime"!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
"Well folks, we've had a trio of triumphs already in the Lanakila Conference quarterfinals so far!" Jim noted over the loudspeakers as the crowd murmured with excitement, "Now it's time for the last of the quarterfinal matches!" he declared, with everyone cheering.
"Oh man, I'm so pumped!" Erika proclaimed excitedly, "This is Cal's first full battle, too!" she pointed out.
"From what I remember, Paige was the first trainer he won a battle against," Ash mentioned, folding his arms over his chest, "It'll be interesting to see how he does now," he noted with a smile.
"Peekah chuu!" Pikachu cried out.
"Jah, jahng moh!" Jangmo-o chirped excitedly. Making their way out onto the turf field below were the two quarterfinalists, each with determined looks in their eyes. The crowd cheered for the pair as they made their way onto the pitch, standing about a few dozen yards apart from each other. Dan raised his right arm.
"Trainers, this is a six-on-six full battle!" he informed them, "When one side's Pokémon are all unable to continue, the battle will be decided!" he explained on, "Furthermore, both of you are allowed to make substitutions at any time," he added. Hearing that, Calvin pulled out a Net Ball into his right hand, enlarging it with a press of its button. Paige did the same for a Poké Ball she had. "Now please select your Pokémon!" the referee called out.
"Araquanid, you're up first!" the Ketchum boy yelled, flinging his Poké Ball forward.
"Let's go, Flygon!" his silvery-haired opponent exclaimed as she threw her own spherical container. Both of them burst open, with their lights spilling out and forming in midair. The light around Calvin's side of the field dissipated to reveal Araquanid, who landed upon the turf.
"KWAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" he bellowed out. Meanwhile, the light on Paige's side faded to unveil her Flygon.
"Furraaaiii!" he screeched out. Both Pokémon had their images appear upon the big screens underneath their respective trainers.
"The first match of this last quarterfinal battle will be between Araquanid and Flygon!" Jim noted into the microphone.
"Araquanid's been a huge help to Calvin in earlier battles of the tournament," Tom pointed out, "While he did end having a rough time against Guzma in the last round, he's still a valuable force for Calvin's team," he explained.
"Now we'll see just how much of a force Araquanid can provide as we're about to get started!" the play-by-play commentator remarked excitedly. Dan raised his right arm up again.
"Let the battle… begin!" he exclaimed, swinging his arm down.
"Araquanid, Lunge!" Calvin ordered immediately. The Water Bubble Pokémon had a yellowish-green aura shroud his body before leaping up into the air, heading toward his foe.
"Dragon Claw!" Paige commanded. Her Flygon had a greenish, claw-shaped aura shroud his claws before thrusting them out to intercept his foe. They were at a deadlock as their respective trainers clenched their teeth, already starting what was about to be an unforgettable battle…
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
Crushed by a Crush?!
The deadlock between Araquanid and Flygon continued as sparks flew about wildly. Everyone watched on with bated breath, wondering who would falter first. Ultimately, the Water Bubble Pokémon managed to slam his foe down against the ground hard in a flurry of dust.
"And Araquanid wins the first struggle of the match!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast, as the Water Bubble Pokémon hopped back, landing in front of his trainer.
"Furraaiii…" Flygon groaned as he managed to stand back up, grimacing a little.
"You okay, Flygon?!" his trainer asked, earning a nod in response from the Mystic Pokémon.
"In terms of advantages, neither Flygon nor Araquanid really have any against each other…" Leslie noted from the stands.
"But both of them could have moves that would super effective," Sawyer pointed out, "Only time'll tell if that's brought into play…" he mentioned, folding his arms over his chest and narrowing his eyes.
"Flygon, Sandstorm!" Paige called out. Flying up into the air, the Mystic Pokémon spun around, creating a torrent of sand that spread around the field. Both Calvin and Araquanid grimaced as they felt the granules spreading around them.
"And Flygon retaliates by setting up what could be a problematic Sandstorm!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers, "How will Calvin deal with that?!" he wondered aloud.
'It's the same as when Milo's Tyranitar had a sandstorm on his side…' the Ketchum boy remembered through his thoughts as he held onto his cap, 'In that case…' he continued, throwing his right hand out.
"Araquanid, Aqua Ring!" he yelled.
"Kwah!" the Water Bubble Pokémon responded, having rings of water appear around his body, followed by a greenish, healing aura flowing up his form.
"So you're gonna try and offset all the damage?" Paige assumed, "Well, let's see if you can handle this!" she challenged, "Rock Slide!" she commanded. Still in the sandy air, Flygon had several small boulders with white, sparkling outlines appear around him. Swinging his tail, he fired them out towards his foe below.
"Counter with Liquidation!" Calvin instructed. Lifting up his front legs, Araquanid had water burst out from the bubbles upon them, swirling around his limbs. He swung them out, bashing through the boulders one after another. However, he was getting pushed back in the process.
"Araquanid fights back against Flygon's Rock Slide, saving himself from taking too much damage with the sandstorm in play!" Jim explained excitedly into the microphone.
"Ergh…" Paige growled out in frustration, "Dragon Claw!" she ordered. A greenish, claw-shaped aura shrouded the Mystic Pokémon's arms before he dove toward his foe.
"Icy Wind!" Calvin commanded, causing the silvery-haired girl to gasp in shock. Bringing his legs down, Araquanid reared his head back slightly before expelling a chilling air with blue sparkles onto his incoming opponent. He grimaced, feeling a frost start to form along his body. However, he pushed through it, slashing at the Water Bubble Pokémon as he flew by, sending him sliding back.
"Flygon manages to land a Dragon Claw despite taking a super effective Icy Wind!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast, "But is that going to be good for him?" he wondered. At that moment, Calvin grinned in realization.
"Araquanid, use Liquidation on the ground!" he instructed. Making water swirl around his front legs once again, the Water Bubble Pokémon slammed them against the ground. Water gushed fiercely up into the air, breaking the sandstorm apart to the shock of both Paige and Flygon.
"Amazing!" Jim yelled through the loudspeakers, "Araquanid's Liquidation breaks away that sandstorm in one fell swoop!" he noted excitedly. The silvery-haired girl grimaced.
"Use Earth Power!" she commanded, sticking her right hand out. The Mystic Pokémon flew down as his eyes glowed a bright orange. He landed hard upon the ground, causing the earth to swell underneath his opponent.
"Use Liquidation to jump!" Calvin advised quickly.
"Kwah!" Araquanid responded, having water expel from the bubbles around all six of his legs. As the earth burst beneath him, he propelled himself high up into the sky.
"Whoa!" Erika yelped out with a smile.
"Flygon, Rock Slide!" Paige ordered. Small boulders with sparkling white outlines appeared around the Mystic Pokémon as he fired them up towards his foe above.
"Go, Araquanid!" Calvin yelled. The Water Bubble Pokémon spun around, with the water expelling from his legs acting as a ring, shielding him from the incoming boulders as he shattered them instantaneously. However, pieces of them managed to nick his body, making him wince slightly. Below, the silvery-haired girl grimaced.
"Dragon Claw!" she commanded desperately. Flygon made a greenish, claw-shaped aura appear around his arms again, flying up to meet his incoming foe. They collided in a powerful blast, followed by a figure falling out from the ensuing smoke, crashing onto the field hard. Araquanid landed down safely in front of his trainer, who cracked a small grin.
"Furrraaaaiii…" the Mystic Pokémon groaned out, lying on the ground in a daze with swirls in his eyes as the smoke cleared. Dan ran over to assess his condition. He then lifted his left arm up.
"Flygon is unable to battle!" he confirmed. The crowd cheered, while the Mystic Pokémon's image on the big screens was greyed out.
"And Calvin secures an early lead with Araquanid's victory over Flygon!" Jim noted into the microphone.
"Those were quite some ingenious strategies he employed with Araquanid's Liquidation," Tom mentioned, "From doing away with Flygon's Sandstorm to using his Earth Power to get a higher jump on him," he pointed out. On the field, Paige returned his fainted partner to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Thanks for the hard work out there, Flygon," she said out of gratitude, "Take a good rest," she insisted, putting the spherical container away after pressing its button to shrink it.
"Ah, kwah…" Araquanid breathed out somewhat tiredly, even as the Aqua Ring was healing him ever so slightly. Noticing that, his trainer took out his Net Ball.
"Take a break for now, Araquanid," he requested, recalling him to the spherical container in a beam of red light.
"Wait, he's switching already?" Erika inquired out of surprise.
"Weird…" Leslie uttered, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"So it seems like Calvin's going to wait on getting Araquanid's help again after he got that first victory," Jim noted over the broadcast.
"He probably took some damage from Flygon's attacks, so he's playing things safe," Tom assumed. Both trainers on the field readied new Poké Balls in their hands.
"Mandibuzz, you're up!" Paige yelled, throwing her Poké Ball up into the air.
"Let's go, Toucannon!" Calvin called out, firing his own spherical container out to the sky. Both of them burst open, with their lights forming in midair. They dissipated to reveal the Bone Vulture Pokémon and the Cannon Pokémon respectively.
"Baaahhhh!" the former squawked out, flapping her wings.
"Too kah!" the latter chirped, descending before landing gently upon the ground. Both of their images appeared upon the big screens.
"We've now got a battle of two Flying-types to look forward to, folks!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers, "What'll be the outcome of this matchup?!" he wondered on.
"Mandibuzz, Tailwind!" Paige instructed. Flapping her wings, the Bone Vulture Pokémon created a gust that blew against her opponent below, who narrowed his eyes.
"What's that?" Erika inquired from the stands.
"Tailwind'zzz a move that helpzzz increase the speedzzz of the user and any of their teammatezzz for a little while," Rotom explained in response, getting her attention.
"So now, Mandibuzz has the advantage in speed," Leslie mentioned, "Question is, will that be enough?" she wondered, folding her arms underneath her chest.
"Toucannon, Rock Smash!" Calvin commanded. The Cannon Pokémon made the tip of his beak glow a bright reddish-orange, flying up toward his foe. However, the wind pushing back against him slowed him down as he grimaced. Paige smirked.
"Gotcha'," she remarked, "Dark Pulse!" she commanded. Opening her mouth, Mandibuzz unleashed a beam of purple-and-black circles that struck her target head on, sending him crashing into the ground.
"Ah!" Calvin gasped.
"Ooh, and Mandibuzz's Dark Pulse downs Toucannon before he can reach her!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone.
"That Tailwind is going to be a key factor going forward," Tom mentioned.
"Now Rock Tomb!" Paige ordered. Multiple gray rocks surrounded in a whitish outline appeared around the Bone Vulture Pokémon. She flapped her wings forward to fire them down towards her opponent below, who was just getting up onto his feet.
"Dodge and use Bullet Seed!" Calvin called out. Toucannon was quick to flap his wings to propel himself back, evading the rocks as they crashed against the ground. He then opened his mouth and fired off a flurry of golden seeds shrouded by a light green aura. Mandibuzz folded her wings to block them off, being barely fazed by them.
"Now Dark Pulse!" her trainer commanded. Opening her mouth again, the Bone Vulture Pokémon unleashed a beam of purple-and-black circles. Her foe tried to evade it, but the wind pushed against him, forcing him to end up struck by the beam.
"Toucannon!" Calvin screamed.
"Another Dark Pulse leaves its mark as Toucannon finds himself in quite a rough spot!" Jim remarked over the broadcast.
"Kahhh…" the Cannon Pokémon squawked out as he pushed himself up onto his feet.
"Oh man…" Hau uttered out from the stands.
"If Calvin doesn't think of something soon, Paige'll even this battle up…" Erika noted, clenching her fists over her knees, "You can do it, Toucannon!" she cheered loudly.
"Pika peekah!" Pikachu exclaimed.
"Jahng!" Jangmo-o yipped.
"Mandibuzz, Brave Bird!" Paige commanded, thrusting her left fist forward. The Bone Vulture Pokémon had her body become shrouded in red flames, which then burst into a blue aura as she spread her wings, diving toward her downed foe. Seeing her coming, Calvin blinked in realization.
"Toucannon, use Beak Blast!" he ordered. Perking up, the Cannon Pokémon started heating his beak up as it glowed orange. His opponent collided with him in a fierce blast, making everyone gasp in shock. She emerged from the smoke, gliding off without so much as a scratch, though sparks of blue electricity crackled around her.
"Brave Bird lands, giving Mandibuzz another solid hit on Toucannon!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers, "Even if he's not down yet, I'd say that did quite a bit of damage!" he mentioned on. All of a sudden, embers of fire came off of the Bone Vulture Pokémon's body, making her grimace.
"What?!" her trainer exclaimed, while everyone widened their eyes.
"Oh, and Mandibuzz ends up getting burned from Toucannon's signature Beak Blast!" Jim noted emphatically into the microphone. "How about that, folks?!" he yelled.
"Let it fly, Toucannon!" Calvin called out, pumping his fists forward. The dust settled around the Cannon Pokémon as he opened his mouth, having an orange mass of energy appear in front of it. He fired off a powerful, burning beam of light into the air.
"Quick, dodge it!" Paige screamed. Mandibuzz attempted to fly away thanks to the help of the wind she had gathered. But without warning, it petered out, leading to her getting struck by the orange beam in a powerful blast.
"Maaaaahhhh…!" she screeched as she tumbled through the air toward the ground. Fortunately, she managed to catch herself, flapping her wings to regain her balance. However, embers flickered along her body again as she winced.
"Mandibuzz takes a direct hit from Beak Blast and is still reeling from the effects of that burn!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast, "Could this be a comeback for Toucannon?!" he wondered excitedly.
"Now Rock Smash!" Calvin ordered. The tip of the Cannon Pokémon's beak glowed a reddish-orange as he flew out toward his foe.
"Stop him with Rock Tomb!" Paige yelled, enticing Mandibuzz to have several grey rocks appear around her body before she threw them out at her incoming opponent. He weaved around each of them, closing in on her. Her trainer grimaced. "Tailwind!" she called out.
"Buhhhhh!" the Bone Vulture Pokémon squawked, flapping her wings to form yet another gust in the air. That didn't stop Toucannon from flying above her, jabbing the tip of his beak against her back to send her crashing down onto the ground in a flurry of dust. Dan ran over to assess her condition. The dust settled, revealing the swirls in her eyes as she lied upon the turf.
"Mandibuzz is unable to battle!" the referee declared, raising his left arm again. The crowd erupted into another flurry of cheers. In the meantime, the image of the Bone Vulture Pokémon greyed out on the big screens.
"And Toucannon completes the comeback with a solid win to give his trainer a two-to-nothing advantage in this battle!" Jim confirmed through the loudspeakers.
"That said, Paige did manage to have Mandibuzz use Tailwind one more time before she fainted," Tom pointed out, "I get the feeling that'll be important for whoever she decides to choose next," he mentioned.
"Woohoo!" Erika cheered, "Way to go, Toucannon!" she yelled out excitedly.
"Calvin's really showing off all kinds of strategy he's put together," Leslie pointed out, "Between Araquanid's Aqua Ring and Liquidation to Toucannon's Beak Blast, he's really taking advantage of how his team's set up," she noted on.
"Not to mention he'zzz switching hizzz Pokémon around, zzt!" Rotom buzzed, "Erika didn't really do that in her battle…" it mentioned, causing its user to grimace.
"Come on…" she grumbled as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of her head. Meanwhile, Paige returned her Mandibuzz to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light. She looked at it sadly afterwards.
"Sorry…" she apologized, "I promise, I'll make your efforts worth it," she vowed, putting the spherical container away after shrinking it.
"Toucannon, are you still good to go?" Calvin asked of the Cannon Pokémon, getting his attention.
"Kah!" he squawked in response with a nod. They watched as Paige readied another Poké Ball in her right hand.
"Mudsdale, go!" she yelled, flinging it out onto the field. It burst open, and its light formed upon the turf to reveal the Draft Horse Pokémon.
"Muhhhhh!" he neighed.
"Mudsdale, huh?" Calvin said, taking on a nervous expression.
X
"Mudsdale against Toucannon…" Mirajane noted, "It's like we're watching our boy's grand trial match all over again!" she pointed out to her husband, who chuckled.
"I wonder how different Paige's Mudsdale is compared to Hapu's…" Leslie said curiously.
"She's probably got something up her sleeve, especially since Ground-types don't affect Flying-types…" her little sister replied.
"Muhh…" the Draft Horse Pokémon huffed from the field, with steam coming out of his nostrils.
"Paige's third Pokémon is Mudsdale, while Calvin decides to stick it out with Toucannon!" Jim noted into the microphone, "What'll come from this matchup?" he wondered aloud.
"Stay on guard, Toucannon!" the Ketchum boy advised of the Cannon Pokémon.
'If her Mudsdale's anything like Hapu's, he'll probably have moves like Heavy Slam and Rock Slide,' he assumed inwardly, 'We've gotta fight from a distance to start!' he decided.
"Hyper Voice!" he commanded, thrusting his left hand forward. Opening his mouth, the Cannon Pokémon let out a powerful scream, with turquoise waves of energy emitting as they headed towards his target.
"Mudsdale, Bulldoze!" Paige ordered.
"Muhhh!" the Draft Horse Pokémon neighed, bringing his front legs up before slamming them down onto the turf. It surged up, intercepting the sound waves in a powerful blast. Calvin let off a grimace, while Paige smirked.
"Now Focus Blast!" she commanded. Mudsdale raised his head and opened his mouth, forming an orb of yellow energy. He shot it forward, sending it tearing through the cloud of dust as it honed in on his foe.
"Dodge it!" his trainer cried out. Toucannon flapped his wings and flew over the orb as it collided with the ground in a fierce blast. "Now Bullet Seed!" he ordered. Opening his mouth, the Cannon Pokémon unleashed a flurry of golden seeds with a light green aura shrouding them. They collided with his target, only for a reddish aura to flow up his body.
"Aw, that's not good…!" Erika realized with a grimace.
"Mudsdale's Stamina, right?" Hau assumed, earning a nod from Leslie.
"And with Toucannon using Bullet Seed, he's making it even worse…" she mentioned.
"Mudsdale easily endures a super effective Bullet Seed!" Jim noted over the broadcast, "What's Toucannon going to go now?!" he inquired loudly.
"Use Rock Smash!" Calvin commanded. The tip of the Cannon Pokémon's beak glowed a reddish-orange as he flew in, gliding toward his foe. However, Paige didn't issue an order in retaliation, let alone call for Mudsdale to dodge. She let her partner get struck head on by his foe… and he didn't even budge. "Ah!" the Ketchum boy gasped.
"Incredible!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "Mudsdale's defense is so high now, not even Toucannon's Rock Smash can move him!" he pointed out excitedly.
"Now Counter!" Paige called out. A reddish-orange aura shrouded the Draft Horse Pokémon as he whipped and kicked his opponent away with his hind legs, making him crash hard onto the turf.
"Toucannon!" his trainer screamed, seeing him struggle to push himself up.
"Let's finish this here!" the silvery-haired girl declared, bringing her right leg up, "Mega Kick!" she commanded. Charging toward his opponent, Mudsdale had his hind legs glow a bright white.
"Mudsdale charges in as Toucannon's still reeling from that strong Counter!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers, "I'm not sure he'll be able to take this next hit, folks!" he mentioned. Calvin grimaced, clenching his fists.
"Quick, Beak Blast!" he instructed. Perking up, the Cannon Pokémon heated his beak as it glowed a bright orange. Mudsdale closed in, whipping his hind legs around to strike him, sending him flying past the Ketchum boy before he tumbled along the ground, coming to a stop upon his back.
"Kaaaahhhh…" he weakly chirped as his mouth hung open, having swirls in his eyes. Dan ran over to assess his condition. He then raised his right arm.
"Toucannon is unable to battle!" he confirmed. The crowd cheered as the Cannon Pokémon's image on the big screens was greyed out.
"And now Calvin's lost his first Pokémon of the battle as Toucannon goes down to Mudsdale sheer power!" Jim noted excitedly over the broadcast, "That brings the score back to two-to-one!" he mentioned on.
"We've still got a lot of battle left to get to," Tom pointed out. In the meantime, the Ketchum boy returned the fainted Cannon Pokémon to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"You did great out there, Toucannon," he affirmed with a smile, "Take a nice long rest," he advised, putting the spherical container away after shrinking it.
"Huh…" Paige exhaled with relief.
'Yeah, I'm still on my game…' she assured of herself, 'We just have to keep up the momentum and win this!' she affirmed inwardly.
"Get ready for what's next, Mudsdale!" she called out.
"Muhhh!" the Draft Horse Pokémon neighed in response, only to suddenly start wincing as embers flickered off of his body.
"Ah!" his trainer gasped.
"Oh, would you look at that?!" Jim yelped into the microphone, "In spite of his victory over Toucannon, it seems like Mudsdale did end up getting burned from his charging Beak Blast before he fainted!" he noted out of surprise.
"Even with what was left of that Tailwind from Mandibuzz, I don't think anyone could've expected that," Tom added.
"Ergh…" Paige growled in frustration. What felt like a decisive victory was now gone. It was only a matter of time before the Draft Horse Pokémon would succumb to the flames flickering around his body. In the meantime, Calvin prepared his Net Ball again.
"You're up again, Araquanid!" he called out, tossing it forward. It popped open, with its light forming upon the ground and dissipating to reveal the Water Bubble Pokémon.
"Kwaahhh!" he exclaimed.
"And Araquanid returns, aiming to likely finish what Toucannon started!" Jim remarked over the broadcast.
"I wonder how Cal's planning to work around Mudsdale's Counter…" Leslie admitted aloud.
"He can't use moves like Liquidation or Lunge if he doesn't want that happening…" Hau pointed out.
"You can do it, Araquanid!" Erika cheered, pumping her left fist out.
"Jah moh!" Jangmo-o chirped excitedly.
'Araquanid again, huh?' Paige noted to herself, 'Is he trying to save the rest of his team for whoever I have left after Mudsdale?' she assumed, narrowing her eyes, 'It doesn't matter…' she affirmed inwardly, clenching her fists tightly, 'I have to make sure Mudsdale at least makes whatever time he's got left worth it!' she declared through her thoughts.
"Use Bulldoze!" she commanded. Bringing his front legs up, the Draft Horse Pokémon brought them down hard, causing the ground to surge toward his opponent.
"Dodge with Lunge once it reaches!" Calvin instructed, much to the silvery-haired girl's surprise. Araquanid cloaked his body in a yellowish-green aura. As the surging earth reached where he stood, he leapt off of it, going high up into the air.
"No way!" Paige exclaimed.
"Wow!" Jim yelled into the microphone, "Araquanid uses Mudsdale's Bulldoze to get a better launch with his Lunge!" he pointed out excitedly. The Water Bubble Pokémon then came down and collided with his foe head on, making him grimace.
"Counter!" the silvery-haired girl shouted. A reddish-orange aura shrouded the Draft Horse Pokémon before he whipped around to kick his opponent off of him. He landed and skidded across the turf, coming to a stop.
"You okay, Araquanid?" his trainer asked.
"Ah, kwaahh!" the Water Bubble Pokémon responded with a nod.
"Ergh…" Paige growled in frustration.
"Mudsdale's Counter isn't dealing as much damage as it normally would've with him burned," Tom noted over the broadcast, "Paige really needs to make the most of this situation, or she'll be down three Pokémon against Calvin's five," he mentioned.
"Mudsdale, Bulldoze!" the silvery-haired girl commanded. Bringing his front legs up again in spite of the embers flickering upon his body, the Draft Horse Pokémon slammed his hooves around the ground, causing it to surge toward his opponent. It struck him, but he only was pushed back a few feet.
"Aqua Ring!" Calvin instructed. Araquanid had rings of water appear around his body, with a greenish, healing aura flowing up his form.
"And with that Aqua Ring brought back into play, Mudsdale might not get the chance to steal another victory for Paige…" Jim added through the loudspeakers.
"Mega Kick!" the silvery-haired girl ordered. The Draft Horse Pokémon charged forward, making his hind legs glow a bright white.
"Araquanid, use Icy Wind!" the Ketchum boy commanded. As Mudsdale closed in, the Water Bubble Pokémon expelled a chilling wind with blue sparkles from his mouth. It washed over his foe, who winced. However, he pushed through it, whipping around and thrusting his hind legs out to strike his foe, making him slide back several feet.
"Muhhh…" he groaned weakly as the embers flickered along his body again, making his trainer grimace.
"Now Liquidation!" Calvin ordered. Araquanid charged in, making water emerge and from the bubbles at his front legs, swirling around them. He closed in on his opponent, who widened his eyes to see him approach.
"Quick, use—!" Paige's command came too late as the Draft Horse Pokémon was struck by his foe's legs, getting sent tumbling back along the turf. He stopped on his right side, groaning with pain. Dan ran over to assess his condition, seeing the swirls in his eyes. He raised his left arm.
"Mudsdale is unable to battle!" he declared. The crowd roared with cheers. Meanwhile, the Draft Horse Pokémon's image on the big screens was greyed out.
"And Calvin retakes a sizeable lead in this battle!" Jim noted excitedly over the broadcast, "Now Paige only has three Pokémon left!" he pointed out amidst the cheering crowd. However, Erika and Leslie weren't amongst those excited. They worriedly looked toward the battlefield, seeing the silvery-haired girl return her fallen partner to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light. She didn't even say anything as she clenched her teeth together in frustration.
"Paige…" Erika uttered out. She knew that the silvery-haired girl was a much better battler than what was currently being shown. Something was holding her back. And it was the very person she was battling.
X
"As we take a brief intermission for the second half of this quarterfinal match, let's go over how things have gone so far," Jim advised through the loudspeakers. The crowd was murmuring with excitement, enjoying how the battle had gone with all its twists and turns. That said, not everyone was managing to find it enjoyable.
"She's holding back, isn't she?" Leslie assumed, causing everyone aside from her little sister to look over at her in surprise.
"What do you mean?" her mother questioned, arching an eyebrow.
"Normally, trainers would try to advantage of certain strategies their opponents set up, like Araquanid's Aqua Ring or Toucannon's Beak Blast," Leslie explained in reply, "For everything that Paige's Pokémon did in battle so far, it ended up not working out for her," she pointed out.
"Yeah…" Ash agreed, "Flygon's Sandstorm, Mandibuzz's Tailwind…" he listed off, "Those could've been really helpful in the long run, but they didn't amount to much…" he noted.
"That's because she barely even tried to counter Calvin's unique strategies," his eldest daughter replied, "And now… she's paid for it with three of her Pokémon," she mentioned. Erika looked down toward the field, seeing the silvery-haired girl with her head hung low.
"Paige…" she uttered worriedly. She remembered when her fellow trial-goer had confessed to kissing her brother and was developing a crush on him. To her, his kindness knew no bounds. And someone as nice as him wasn't a person she wanted to battle. At least not as seriously as she would've.
'Dammit…' she cursed inwardly, clenching her eyes shut, 'Why can't I put my stupid feelings aside for just today?!' she wondered on, almost on the verge of tears. Seeing that from afar, Calvin gave off a worried look. Paige was someone he admired for her tenacity and strong spirit. But even though she was a bit of a tough girl, he liked that she had a softer side, especially when he gave her the Stufful that hatched from his egg. He wanted her to do well, just as much as he was. So he took a deep breath…
"Hey, Paige!" he called out, getting her attention as she perked up, "You wanna win this battle, right?" he assumed, closing his right hand into a fist, "Then give it your all and don't hold back!" he insisted as he thrusted his extremity forward. His opponent blinked in surprise, recalling all of her adventures leading up to this point, including her endeavors with the boy she liked. She had always tried her hardest, no matter the odds. So to suddenly start taking things easy just because of a boy she liked… was disrespectful to both him and her. She shook her head to regain her composure, taking on a determined expression.
"Thanks for that, Calvin…" she said with gratitude, "From here on out, I'm giving it my all!" she vowed, readying a Poké Ball in her right hand as she pressed its button to enlarge it.
"Oh, it looks like Paige is ready to bring her A-game this battle with the second half of her team!" Jim noted excitedly over the broadcast.
"Let's go, Electivire!" she called out, throwing the Poké Ball she had out onto the field. It popped open, with its light shooting and forming upon the ground. After a moment, it dissipated to reveal the Thunderbolt Pokémon.
"Vyyy!" he exclaimed, pounding his chest as sparks of yellow electricity came off of his body.
"Paige brings out Electivire in hopes of mounting a comeback!" Jim pointed out into the microphone, while the Thunderbolt Pokémon's image appeared upon the big screens.
"Araquanid, you're still good to go, right?" Calvin inquired of his partner, who stood in front of him.
"Kwah," he responded with a nod. Up in the stands, Rotom brought up an image of Electivire upon its screen.
"Electivire, the Thunderbolt Pokémon, and the final evolved form of Elekid," it began, "When he gets excited, Electivire thumps his chest. With every thud, thunder roars and electric sparks shower all around. A single Electivire can provide enough electricity for all the buildings in a big city for a year," it explained thoroughly.
"Water-types aren't a good matchup for him…" Leslie noted, "What's Calvin thinking?" she wondered.
"Maybe he's gonna see how much damage Araquanid can do before switching?" Hau suggested with a shrug.
"Come on, Calvin! Araquanid!" Erika cheered.
"Pika, pee!" Pikachu squeaked out.
"Let's start off strong…" Paige insisted, "Electric Terrain!" she instructed. Smacking his fists together, Electivire had electricity spark all around his body. He then released multiple bolts randomly onto the field, making it glow yellow as it sparked.
"Electivire starts things off with an Electric Terrain, which'll give him quite the boost!" Jim affirmed excitedly through the loudspeakers.
"Electric Terrain boosts the power of a Pokémon's Electric-type attacks…" Sawyer noted, "Calvin's gonna need to be careful..." he pointed out, narrowing his eyes.
"Araquanid, Liquidation!" the Ketchum boy ordered. Water swirled around the front legs of the Water Bubble Pokémon as he crawled forward, closing in on his foe.
"Thunder Punch!" Paige commanded. Orbs of yellow electricity crackled over Electivire's fists as he charged out at his incoming opponent. The two intercepted their respective attacks, creating a powerful shockwave upon impact.
"Ergh…!" Calvin grunted out, flinching from the force, as did his rival.
"A collision of Liquidation and Thunder Punch starts what looks to be quite the fight!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone. Both Pokémon blew each other back, sliding to a stop. The rings of water reappeared around Araquanid briefly, resulting in a greenish, healing aura flowing up his body.
"At least Aqua Ring's still in effect," Hau pointed out.
"Yeah, but who knows if that'll help…" his eldest cousin mentioned to his surprise.
"Electivire, Thunder Punch!" Paige ordered again. With orbs of yellow electricity still crackling around his fists, the Thunderbolt Pokémon charged in once more, rearing his right arm back.
"Dodge with Lunge!" Calvin called out. Araquanid was quick to have a yellowish-green aura cloak his body. As his foe closed in, he took a great leap over him.
"Araquanid once again gets away with a well-timed Lunge!" Jim noted over the broadcast, "And once he comes down, he'll be dealing some serious damage to Electivire!" he added. However, Paige let off a smirk.
"Use Low Sweep!" she commanded.
"Vyyrrree!" her partner responded, taking a ready stance as he pulled his right leg back. His foe came down onto him hard, making him grimace. However, he retaliated by kicking his middle left leg, making him wince as he stumbled back.
"Araquanid, you okay?!" his trainer cried out.
"Kwwaaaahhh…" the Water Bubble Pokémon winced out, managing to stand tall.
"Now Thunder Punch!" Paige ordered with a pump of her fist. With an orb of yellow electricity crackling over his right arm, Electivire charged in yet again.
"Use Icy Wind!" Calvin commanded. Araquanid expelled a chilling wind with blue sparkles from his mouth. It washed over the Thunderbolt Pokémon, causing frost to start forming upon his body. However, it didn't deter him in the slightest as he leapt forward.
"Elekkk… VYRRREEE!" he exclaimed, slamming his electrically-encased fist into his opponent's back.
"KWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screeched in pain from being zapped. When his foe finally jumped back, he fell onto the ground in a heap.
"Araquanid!" his trainer screamed. Dan ran over to assess the Water Bubble Pokémon's condition. After a moment, he raised his right arm.
"Araquanid is unable to battle!" he confirmed. The crowd cheered wildly. Meanwhile, the Water Bubble Pokémon's image upon the big screens was greyed out.
"Araquanid finally goes down after defeating two of Paige's Pokémon!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers, "However, Paige still has to deal with whatever four Pokémon Calvin still has left…" he pointed out.
"And she only has two that haven't come out into play yet, keep in mind," Tom mentioned. On the field, Calvin returned his fainted partner to his Net Ball in a beam of red light.
"Great job out there, Araquanid," he complimented with a smile, "We'll handle the rest from here," he promised, shrinking the spherical container by pressing its button before putting it away. As he readied another Poké Ball, he saw Paige pull out her own, aiming it at Electivire.
"Nice work, Electivire!" she called out in gratitude, "Take a break for now!" she advised, returning him to the spherical container in a beam of red light.
"Wait, she's switching?" Erika noted curiously.
"I would've thought she'd stick with Electivire, given that the Electric Terrain's still up…" Leslie admitted, putting her right hand onto her chin. Calvin was a bit thrown off from his rival's decision. But he didn't let it deter him in the slightest as he reared his arm back.
"Let's go, Togedemaru!" he called out, throwing his Poké Ball out onto the field. It burst open, with its light shaping into form upon the ground, dissipating to reveal the Roly-Poly Pokémon.
"Toh!" he squeaked determinedly. His image appeared upon the big screens underneath his trainer.
"Calvin's third Pokémon turns out to be Togedemaru, who helped a great deal in that matchup with Guzma before the quarterfinals!" Jim noted over the broadcast, "Now let's see who Paige is gonna call upon next to counter…" he said with anticipation. The silvery-haired girl readied a new Poké Ball, pressing its button to enlarge it.
"Bewear, you're up!" she called out, flinging the spherical container forward. It burst open, with its light forming upon the ground and dissipating to unveil the Strong Arm Pokémon.
"Keeeee!" she screeched out.
"M-M-Maahhrooo?!" Togedemaru stammered in shock.
"So Stufful evolved…" Calvin noted with a grin. Bewear's image appeared upon the big screens underneath her trainer.
"Bewear seems like a really strong Pokémon…" Leslie pointed out from the stands.
"If I remember, Rotodex said something pretty scary about it…" her sister mentioned with a grimace. Her Pokédex pulled up an image of the Strong Arm Pokémon upon its screen.
"Bewear, the Strong Arm Pokémon," it began, "She boasts tremendous physical strength. Many people call Bewear the most dangerous Pokémon in the Alola Region. This Pokémon has the habit of hugging her companions. Many trainers have left this world after their spines were squashed by a Bewear's hug," it explained thoroughly, causing both girls to pale in fright.
"I'm sure that's just an embellishment…" Sawyer chimed in with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"And so it's Bewear against Togedemaru to continue this quarterfinal match!" Jim noted excitedly into the microphone, "Which one'll take the victory this time?!" he wondered loudly.
"Hey Calvin!" Paige called out, getting her opponent's attention, "I'm glad I brought Bewear for this match," she noted, "We get to show you how much we've grown since she first hatched in Malie!" she mentioned, clenching her left fist determinedly.
"Yeah, but we're not gonna lose!" the Ketchum boy affirmed, "Togedemaru, Zing Zap!" he commanded.
"Mah roo!" the Roly-Poly Pokémon squeaked, making his spikes stick up before spinning forward, with yellow electricity crackling around his body. Paige smirked.
"Bulk Up!" she called out. Bewear had a reddish aura shroud her body as her muscles thickened. Her incoming foe leapt up and collided with her, but she hardly budged as he flew back, tumbling along the turf.
"Ah!" Calvin gasped.
"Whoa!" Jim yelped over the broadcast, "Bewear barely flinches from enduring a powerful Zing Zap, even with the Electric Terrain still in effect!" he pointed out.
"That's crazy!" Erika exclaimed from the stands.
"Bulk Up does raise physical attack and defense…" Leslie noted, "but there's no way Bewear would've taken it that well…" she added, crossing her arms.
"That'zzz probably because of her ability, zzt," Rotom buzzed, getting their attentions.
"Ability?" its user repeated, earning a nod from the Pokédex.
"Bewear'zzz ability is Fluffy, meaning that physical attackzzz, aside from Fire-type movezzz, are halved in damage…" it explained.
"And with Bulk Up added, it's only gonna be tougher for moves like Zing Zap to deal any lasting damage…" Leslie realized additionally.
"Now Brutal Swing!" Paige commanded. The Strong Arm Pokémon had her front legs glow a bright pink before she charged forward.
"Togedemaru, Spiky Shield!" Calvin called out quickly. Getting to his feet, the Roly-Poly Pokémon made his spikes stick up and shine a bright green before green force field appeared around him with spikes. Bewear struck with her front right leg, sending him sliding back in spite of his barricade. At the same time though, the Strong Arm Pokémon winced.
"Bewear's added strength can't break through Togedemaru's Spiky Shield, dealing her some damage!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers.
"Now Iron Tail!" Calvin ordered. As the barricade around him disappeared, the Roly-Poly Pokémon had the tail-like needle atop his head shine a silvery-white before he dashed forward.
"Stomping Tantrum!" Paige commanded, sticking her left hand out. Bewear's body became outlined in yellow as she stomped the ground repeatedly, much to the Ketchum boy's confusion. She then struck the ground hard, causing splinters of the earth to fly out towards her incoming foe.
"Togeh?!" Togedemaru yelped before he wound up struck, tumbling back along the ground.
"Togedemaru!" his trainer cried out.
"Togedemaru takes a super effective Stomping Tantrum head on before he can get close!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "Is he already on the ropes, folks?!" he wondered loudly.
"Bulk Up again!" Paige instructed.
"Keeeeeeeee!" Bewear screeched, having her muscles tighten again as a reddish aura glowed around her body.
"Ergh…" Calvin growled out in frustration, "Togedemaru, Discharge!" he commanded. Perking up, the Roly-Poly Pokémon had his spikes stick up as yellow electricity crackled around his body. He then randomly unleashed lightning bolts all around the field, as some managed to strike his foe, though she barely flinched.
"That's not gonna be enough to stop us…" Paige proclaimed, "Bewear, Brutal Swing!" she ordered. To her surprise though, the Strong Arm Pokémon's body suddenly crackled with yellow electricity.
"Keee…" she groaned out.
"Oh, it looks like Bewear's found herself paralyzed as a result of Togedemaru's Discharge!" Jim noted over the broadcast, "I'd say it's still anyone's game right now!" he affirmed confidently.
"Alright, use Zing Zap!" Calvin commanded.
"Mah!" the Roly-Poly Pokémon responded, zipping up to his opponent as his spikes stuck up, making his body crackle with yellow electricity. He spun around, colliding against her chest as she winced a little.
"Bewear, hang in there!" Paige cried out.
"Now Iron Tail!" Calvin ordered as he pumped his right fist. Togedemaru had the electricity around him dissipate, followed by making his tail-like needle shine a bright silvery-white. He leapt up and struck the Strong Arm Pokémon upside her head. However, there was a determined look in her eyes.
"Superpower!" her trainer commanded. An orange aura shrouded Bewear as she brought both of her front legs up. Before her foe could properly react, she slammed him hard against the turf surface.
"TOGEDEMARU!" Calvin screamed. Dan ran over as the dust started to settle, along with the electricity surging throughout the field. When the dust finally cleared, it revealed that the Roly-Poly Pokémon lied in a hole shaped like body, having swirls in his eyes as he groaned with pain.
"Togedemaru is unable to battle!" the referee announced, raising his right hand. The crowd cheered again, while the image of the Roly-Poly Pokémon greyed out upon the big screens.
"And Togedemaru falls to Bewear, bringing the battle back to a three-to-three tie!" Jim noted into the microphone excitedly.
"Oh man…" Hau uttered in shock, "I bet Cal's regretting getting Paige all pumped up…" he pointed out with a grimace.
"No," Ash replied to his surprise, "I'm sure he's happy to see that she's giving it her all," he affirmed with a smile. His son returned his fainted partner to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Sorry about that, Togedemaru…" he apologized, "But you did great, definitely," he assured, "Now take a good long rest," he insisted, shrinking the spherical container with a press of its button. Meanwhile, Bewear appeared to wince from the electricity sparking around her again. Seeing that, Paige pulled out her own Poké Ball.
"Take a break for now, Bewear," she insisted, recalling her to the spherical container in a beam of red light.
"Huh?" Calvin uttered in surprise.
"Well, what a surprise!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast, "Once again, Paige opts to switch instead of sticking it out," he noted, "Will she be bringing Electivire back into the battle…" he started to infer, "or will she choose her mysterious last Pokémon?" he wondered on. Back on the field, the Ketchum boy readied a new Poké Ball, enlarging it with a press of its button.
"You're up, Incineroar!" he yelled, throwing it forward. It burst open, with its light shaping into form and dissipating upon the turf, revealing the Heel Pokémon.
"Sehh rawwwrrrr!" she bellowed into the air.
"Incineroar already?" Erika uttered in surprise, "I would've thought he'd save her for later…" he pointed out.
"It's not a bad idea to try and stop a losing streak with your ace," Leslie noted, getting her attention, "I guess that's probably what Cal's thinking here…" she assumed. Meanwhile, Paige readied her own Poké Ball.
"Let's take 'em down, Blaziken!" she exclaimed, throwing the spherical container out onto the field. It popped open, and its light formed upon the field, dissipating to reveal the Blaze Pokémon.
"BLAAAAYYYYY!" she roared, with the flames at her wrist bursting to life.
"And Paige is going for Blaziken…" Hau pointed out.
"Looks like we're about to get ourselves a battle between two Fire-types, folks!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers. Both Pokémon on the field took ready stances, awaiting the first orders from their respective trainers.
"Flare Blitz!" Calvin commanded.
"Blaze Kick!" Paige ordered. Incineroar rushed forward, engulfing herself in orange flames with yellow embers coming off from them. Meanwhile, fire erupted at Blaziken's feet. She whipped around sharply to gain momentum, slamming her right foot against the head of her foe fiercely. A huge blast erupted upon their impact, causing them to both slide back along the turf.
"And the blazing battle begins with a powerful exchange!" Jim yelled into the microphone.
"Blaziken, Bulk Up!" the silvery-haired girl called out. A reddish aura shrouded the Blaze Pokémon as his muscles tightened up and grew.
"Use Darkest Lariat!" Calvin ordered, enticing Incineroar to have dark red flames erupt from her hands. She spun forward toward her foe.
"Sky Uppercut!" Paige commanded. Blaziken reared her right fist back as it glowed a bright orange. As her opponent closed in, she swung it up, striking her in the stomach just before she could reach.
"Incineroar, no!" the Ketchum boy screamed, while his family in the stands gasped.
"Ooh, Incineroar takes a direct hit from a super effective Sky Uppercut!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast, "And with Blaziken's boosted attack, that's sure to be a really bad blow!" he added emphatically. However, the Heel Pokémon managed to steel herself, glaring at her foe, much to her surprise.
"Incineroar, Cross Chop!" her trainer commanded. Bringing her arms up and making them glow a bright orange, the Heel Pokémon brought them down sharply, swiping at her target in an x-shaped pattern, knocking her back in a yelp.
"Blayyy…" she groaned out, while her opponent stumbled back.
"Not bad, Calvin…" Paige remarked, "Blaziken, use Acrobatics!" she ordered. The Blaze Pokémon cloaked herself in a bluish light, jumping up and zipping about in midair. Incineroar gritted her teeth, struggling to keep track of her.
"Defend with Darkest Lariat!" the Ketchum boy advised.
"Rawh!" the Heel Pokémon responded, making dark red flames erupt upon her hands before she started spinning around. Blaziken closed in on her, only to end up knocked away. Any further attempts she made to strike were thwarted. Paige clenched her teeth together.
"Blaziken, Sky Uppercut!" she commanded. The Blaze Pokémon landed down in front of her trainer, making both of her fists glow a bright orange as she sped out at her spinning opponent.
"Outrage!" Calvin ordered. As she stopped spinning, Incineroar's eyes flashed red.
"RRRRRRAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" she roared, having a reddish aura flare up around her body. She lunged out at her incoming foe, swiping at her with her claws, which she countered with her fists. However, the Heel Pokémon managed to catch Blaziken off guard by kneeing her in the stomach, followed by relentlessly striking with her fists.
"Incineroar's Outrage overpowers Blaziken, who's now been put on the defensive!" Jim noted excitedly into the microphone, "Will she fall here?!" he wondered loudly.
"Use Blaze Kick to push yourself back!" Paige instructed. Understanding, the Blaze Pokémon planted her left foot onto her opponent, unleashing a burst of flames to propel herself away. She flipped over, landing on her feet before faltering slightly. Meanwhile, Incineroar groaned as she started to stumble.
"Uh oh!" the play-by-play commentator yelped over the broadcast, "Looks like Incineroar might've gotten herself confused!" he noted.
"That's the risk you run when using a move like Outrage," Tom pointed out.
"What'll Calvin do to recover?" Jim wondered. The Ketchum boy grimaced.
'I wanna save Incineroar's energy for later in case things get rough down the road,' he noted to himself, 'So in that case…' he continued inwardly, reaching to his belt. He then pulled out his partner's Poké Ball.
"Incineroar, return!" he called out, sending the Heel Pokémon back into the spherical container in a beam of red light.
"So Calvin decides to give Incineroar a rest after Outrage left her confused," Jim noted through the loudspeakers.
"A good call on his part," Tom added. The Ketchum boy readied a new Poké Ball, enlarging it with a press of its button.
"Mimi, let's go!" he called out, firing it forward. It popped open, and its light spilled onto the ground, shaping into form before dissipating to reveal his shiny Mimikyu.
"Meee!" she squeaked. Her image appeared upon the big screens.
"Alright, it's Mimi!" Erika exclaimed, "She really helped Cal out during that triple battle round against Ilima!" she remembered excitedly.
"So what'll Paige do in response?" Leslie wondered. To their surprise, they saw Blaziken get returned to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Good work, Blaziken," her trainer complimented, "I'll bring you back in later," she promised, shrinking the spherical container and putting it away. She then grabbed another, enlarging it with a press of its button. "Go, Electivire!" she called out, throwing the Poké Ball out onto the field. It burst open, and its light formed upon the turf, dissipating to reveal the Thunderbolt Pokémon.
"Elek vyyyrree!" he exclaimed, pounding his chest excitedly with his fists as electricity sparked off of them.
"Meeee…" Mimi hissed, prepared to battle her foe. With three Pokémon left each, both trainers couldn't afford to make any mistakes.
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, the last quarterfinal match has begun! It feels so good to be writing for this story again, especially with the fact that it's all about battles for the next ten chapters. Considering that by the time I'm writing this, we're in the Masters 8 tournament in the anime, I'm very happy with what I've got.
Anyways, here's the summary to hold you all over until next time!
SUMMARY
Calvin and Paige are neck-and-neck for that last semifinal spot! It could be anyone's match based on how both of them are performing! Who'll win and move on to the semifinals?!
END SUMMARY
See you all next time, folks!