Alola, everyone! We're back with more of "The Challenge of a Lifetime"! And I'm writing this at a great time, too! Ash and Leon's ultimate battle is currently ongoing, so it makes me all the more motivated to get this done!
When we last left off, Erika was in a bit of a bind when it came to the Pokémon she had left against Gladion. Now up against his Porygon-Z, her Lycanroc's on the verge of losing after taking a hit from Zap Cannon and getting paralyzed. Will he be able to pull through and get his trainer to the finals?!
Let's find out!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
"Lycanroc!" Erika screamed, seeing her partner wince as the yellow electricity crackled around him. Meanwhile, Porygon-Z was still readying the pink mass of energy at the tip of its bill.
"Seemingly paralyzed from that Zap Cannon, Lycanroc's about to take a direct hit from Porygon-Z's Signal Beam!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast, "Is this it for him?!" he wondered aloud as everyone watched on with bated breath.
"Fire!" Gladion yelled.
"Zeezee!" the Virtual Pokémon buzzed, unleashing a streaky beam of pink light with blue shapes around it, heading toward its foe. Erika grimaced, but then blinked upon realizing something.
"Lycanroc, use Stone Edge to launch yourself!" she instructed to the Wolf Pokémon, getting its attention. Managing to bring both of his clenched front paws up in spite of the electricity sparking around his body, he slammed them against the turf. Light blue stone pillars erected from the ground, including one that sprung him up into the air, over the incoming beam as it struck the rocks instead.
"What?!" Gladion exclaimed.
"Oh my!" Jim yelped through the loudspeakers, "Lycanroc uses Stone Edge to send himself flying, avoiding that Signal Beam!" he noted excitedly. The Wolf Pokémon grimaced from the electricity crackling around him as he continued to fly forward.
"Now Reversal!" his trainer commanded. A reddish-orange aura burst to life around the Wolf Pokémon as he clenched his front right paw, shrouding it in an orange light. Porygon-Z found itself surprised, getting struck upside its head and sent flying until it crashed into the ground.
"Porygon-Z!" Gladion cried out. As the dust settled, it revealed the Virtual Pokémon slowly floating back up from the turf, twitching crazily. Its foe landed in front of it, wincing again from the electricity crackling around his body.
"Use Crunch!" Erika ordered.
"Tri Attack!" Gladion commanded. As Porygon-Z prepped a trio of energy orbs in front of itself, Lycanroc rushed forward, having his teeth glow a bright white and sharpen. He chomped as he raced by his foe. A moment of silence passed before the energy orbs in front of the Virtual Pokémon dissipated, followed by it collapsing onto the turf in pieces. Dan ran over to assess its condition, noticing the swirls in its eyes.
"Porygon Z is unable to battle!" he announced, raising his left arm. The crowd cheered wildly as the Virtual Pokémon's image on the big screens was greyed out.
"And Porygon Z goes down!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "With that victory, Erika's removed one of the key Pokémon that brought Gladion to victory in the last round!" he pointed out.
"Way to go, Eri!" Hau cheered, pumping his right fist from the stands.
"Thank goodness…" Lisanna sighed out in relief, "I was worried she'd be in the same position Hau was…" she admitted.
"With Lycanroc hanging in there, the score's evened again," Sunset noted, folding her arms over her chest.
"Heh!" Rumi chuckled, "That girl's got some spunk!" she complimented, "You two really gave her the good genes, huh?" she commented to Ash and Mirajane, who blushed sheepishly.
"Mom, please…" Bea muttered with embarrassment, blushing herself. Leslie looked down onto the field, seeing her little sister take deep breaths to calm herself down.
'Great job, Erika,' she complimented through her thoughts, 'But don't relax yet,' she advised inwardly, 'You've still got three more to go…' she noted to herself, looking up at the scoreboard on the big screens.
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
Counting on the Edge!
"Erika's Lycanroc comes in and gives her a crucial victory over Porygon-Z to even the score," Jim noted over the broadcast as from the locker room, Calvin and Trent watched on.
"It did cost her though," Tom chimed in, "Aside from Sandslash going down, Lycanroc's now been left paralyzed thanks to that Zap Cannon he couldn't avoid," he explained.
"Yeah, that's probably not good…" the dark green-haired boy admitted, getting his future opponent's attention, "Instead of being an asset to Erika, Lycanroc being paralyzed hurts her more than anything…" he pointed out.
"I don't think so," Calvin said to his surprise, "Lycanroc's strong," he affirmed, remembering the times that he had gotten to see the Wolf Pokémon battle, "Something like that won't stop him," he added confidently.
"Huh," Trent huffed, "Whatever you say…" he remarked, putting his hands onto his hips. Back out on the field, Gladion returned Porygon-Z to its Heal Ball in a beam of red light.
"Thanks for all your hard work," he said in gratitude, shrinking the spherical container and putting it away.
"Rrrr…" Lycanroc winced out as the yellow electricity crackled around its body again. Erika grimaced a little. As much as she wanted to let the Wolf Pokémon keep going, she also understood just how weakened he was. She took out his Poké Ball and aimed it toward him.
"Lycanroc, take a breather!" she advised, recalling him to the spherical container in a beam of red light.
"Oh, and it looks like Erika's made the choice to swap Lycanroc out," Jim noted through the loudspeakers, "She has one Pokémon left to be revealed, so will we see who it is?" he wondered. Gladion readied a Friend Ball in his right hand, enlarging it with a press of its button.
"Go, Lucario!" he called out, throwing the spherical container out toward the field. It burst open, with its light forming upon the turf and dissipating to reveal the Aura Pokémon.
"Rah!" he barked, taking on a ready stance.
"Lucario returns to the battlefield after his early victory over Magmar that kicked things off!" Jim noted loudly, "And his opponent will be…" he continued expectantly, as Erika prepared a Poké Ball in her right hand, rearing it back.
"Drifblim, you're up!" she exclaimed, tossing the spherical container into the air. As it burst open, its light formed up above, dissipating to reveal the Blimp Pokémon.
"Blimmm!" he squeaked excitedly.
"Drifblim's back!" Hau yelled with a smile.
"He wazzz called back after Erika found out Silvally wazzz actually Zoroark, zzt…" Rotom remembered.
"Come on, Drifblim!" Pyrrha cried out in cheer, "You got this!" she assured.
"Lucario, be ready for anything," Gladion advised from his partner.
"Rah," he responded with a nod.
"Let's keep the pressure on and not let up, Drifblim!" Erika insisted of the Blimp Pokémon.
"Blim!" he replied, puffing his body up.
"Now, what kind of battle should we expect to see unfold from these two?!" Jim inquired into the microphone.
"Shadow Ball!" the Ketchum girl commanded.
"Dragon Pulse!" the former enforcer ordered. Drifblim readied a purple-and-black ball of energy in front of himself, while Lucario prepped a multicolored mass of light upon his forepaws. The former fired off the ball, and the latter unleashed the light in his forepaws in the form of a ray shaped like a dragon's head. It engulfed the incoming orb of energy, resulting in a powerful implosion that blew past the two trainers.
"Already things are kicking off with Lucario and Drifblim exchanging a show of powerful attacks!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast excitedly.
"Lucario, Flash Cannon!" Gladion yelled. Sticking his forepaws forward, the Aura Pokémon prepared a ball of light blue-and-white energy in front of them.
"Phantom Force!" Erika called out. With his eyes flashing purple, Drifblim had a thin purple portal appear underneath his body, allowing for him to sink down into it. The beam unleashed by his foe sailed by as he completely disappeared.
"Rrrr…" Lucario growled, looking around for a sign of his opponent.
"Calm down, Lucario," his trainer advised, getting his attention.
"Rah," he responded with a nod, closing his eyes and concentrating. Noticing from the stands, Ash and Leslie perked up in surprise. The appendages on the back of the Aura Pokémon's head lifted up as he made himself more aware of his surroundings.
"Lucario seems to be getting himself ready for wherever Drifblim may come from…" Jim noted through the loudspeakers. At that moment, the Blimp Pokémon emerged from another purple portal behind his foe, about to strike with his arms.
"Now, Ice Punch!" Gladion commanded. Pivoting around sharply, the Aura Pokémon clenched his left forepaw, making an icy blue aura emerge from it before striking his opponent squarely in the face, blowing him back.
"Ah!" Erika gasped.
"Dragon Pulse!" the former enforcer ordered, thrusting his right fist out. Readying another mass of multicolored light upon his forepaws, the Aura Pokémon fired off another ray in the shape of a dragon's head. It engulfed his foe, resulting in a powerful blast.
"Drifblim, no!" the Ketchum girl screamed.
"Ooh, Drifblim takes a succession of powerful blows in the blink of an eye!" Jim yelled into the microphone, "He might be in more trouble than one may think!" he added aloud.
"Lucario, Ice Punch!" Gladion commanded again. The Aura Pokémon clenched both of his forepaws, encasing them in an icy blue aura before lunging toward the cloud of smoke.
"Dodge with Acrobatics!" Erika cried out. Perking up, the Blimp Pokémon made his body glow in a bright blue light, zipping out of the smoke in order to evade his incoming foe. "Nice!" his trainer exclaimed, letting off a grin.
"Hm," Gladion huffed, smirking a little, "Flash Cannon!" he ordered. A ball of light blue-and-white energy was prepped in front of Lucario's forepaws, being fired out at his opponent in the form of a beam.
"Dodge again and use Payback!" the Ketchum girl instructed. Drifblim again evaded his foe's attack as he zipped about. He then cloaked the cloud-like tuft atop his body in a dark red light, heading down toward the Aura Pokémon.
"Ice Punch!" the former enforcer commanded fiercely. With his right forepaw clenched and covered in an icy blue aura, Lucario swung it forward to counter the Blimp Pokémon before he could strike, resulting in a deadlock as sparks flew about wildly. The two of them then blew each other back.
"Neither side's willing to give so much as an inch in this match, folks!" Jim noted excitedly over the broadcast.
"Drifblim, Acrobatics!" Erika commanded, swinging her right arm out. The Blimp Pokémon cloaked his body in a bright blue light, zipping about rapidly toward his foe.
"Dragon Pulse again!" Gladion ordered. Lucario prepared another mass of multicolored energy upon his forepaws, firing it off in the form of a dragon's head. However, his opponent evaded it as he gasped in surprise, followed by being struck multiple times by Drifblim.
"Yeah, keep going, Drifblim!" Hau cheered from the stands as the crowd roared with excitement.
"We're not done yet…" the former enforcer proclaimed back on the field, "Lucario, Ice Punch!" he commanded, thrusting his left fist out. The Aura Pokémon whipped around, clenching his right forepaw and cloaking it in an icy blue light once again. He slammed it against Drifblim as he closed in, making him stop. Ice started to form along his body.
"Drifblim!" Erika cried out.
"Uh oh!" Jim yelped through the loudspeakers, "Looks like Lucario's latest Ice Punch is freezing Drifblim up!" he pointed out, "Could this be it for him?!" he wondered loudly.
"Hang in there, Drifblim!" the Ketchum girl screamed, "Use Shadow Ball!" she commanded. Even as he was being frozen, the Blimp Pokémon managed to prepare an orb of purple-and-black energy in front of himself, causing Lucario to blink in surprise.
"Quick, dodge it!" Gladion yelled. Unfortunately, the Aura Pokémon found himself struck directly by the ball as it shot right onto his chest in a powerful explosion, blowing him back. He tumbled to the center of the turf field, falling onto his stomach. Dan ran over to assess his condition, noticing the swirls in his eyes.
"Lucario is unable to battle!" he confirmed, raising his left arm. The crowd exploded with cheers. Meanwhile, the Aura Pokémon's image upon the big screens was greyed out.
"Drifblim deals the final blow to Lucario, giving Erika her first lead in the battle!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone. Back on the field, the Blimp Pokémon shattered the ice upon his body, happily spinning about as he floated over to his trainer.
"Nice job, Drifblim!" she complimented, "You were awesome out there!" she noted on.
"Blimm!" he squeaked cheerfully. In the meantime, Gladion returned his fainted Lucario to his Friend Ball in a beam of red light.
"Thanks for all your hard work," he said with gratitude, putting the spherical container away after shrinking it with a press of its button.
"Now we're going to see what Pokémon Gladion has left…" Jim noted over the broadcast.
"We already know that Silvally's one of them due to Zoroark's Illusion ability from earlier," Tom chimed in, "Will that be the next Pokémon we see?" he wondered. Erika watched on carefully, seeing the former enforcer ready a regular Poké Ball in his right hand, rearing his arm back.
"Go!" he yelled, tossing it out onto the field. It burst open, with its light forming upon the turf. After a moment, it dissipated to reveal a Charizard.
"ROOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he roared, spewing a stream of fire up into the air.
"Charizard, huh?" Erika said, sweating a little. She could tell that it wasn't going to be easy to defeat him.
X
"Charizard comes in at a crucial juncture, being Gladion's second-to-last Pokémon!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers, "How will he fare against Drifblim and the other members of Erika's team?" he inquired. Up in the stands, Rotom brought up an image of the Flame Pokémon upon its screen.
"Charizard, the Flame Pokémon," it began, "He spits fire that is hot enough to melt boulders. A Charizard may cause forest fires by blowing flames. His wings can carry himself close to an altitude of four thousand six-hundred feet," it explained thoroughly.
"Between that and how powerful Charizard can be in battle, Erika's looking at an uphill climb right now," Leslie admitted, folding her arms underneath her chest.
"Yeah…" Sunset agreed, "Both Charizard and Silvally haven't even battled yet, while Erika's only got one Pokémon waiting in the wings," she pointed out.
"And Lycanroc and Drifblim are probably really worn down from their battles…" her daughter mentioned worriedly. Back on the field, Erika took a deep breath through her nose, exhaling from her mouth.
"Drifblim, be ready for anything," she advised of her partner.
"Blim!" he squeaked in response.
"Charizard, Shadow Claw!" Gladion commanded, thrusting his right hand out. A dark, shadowy aura surrounded by a purple outline appeared around the Flame Pokémon's arms, shaping into claws before he flew out toward his foe.
"Phantom Force!" Erika called out. A thin purple portal appeared underneath Drifblim, allowing him to sink into it before his opponent could reach him. He looked around for a sign of the Blimp Pokémon, flapping his wings to remain airborne. Another rift appeared next to him, with his enemy coming out and striking him with his arms, knocking him back.
"Charizard takes a hit from Drifblim's Phantom Force!" Jim noted into the microphone, while the Flame Pokémon recovered his balance in midair, "That looks like it'll be tricky to deal with!" he pointed out.
"Now Acrobatics!" Erika ordered. A sky blue light cloaked Drifblim as he zipped up, heading toward his foe.
"Air Slash!" Gladion commanded. With his wings glowing bright blue, Charizard flapped them to unleash a flurry of shuriken-like energy discs. His foe managed to avoid the first few, but wound up getting bombarded by others, losing the light around his body as he lost his balance.
"Drifblim!" his trainer cried out.
"Now use Shadow Claw!" the former enforcer ordered, enticing the Flame Pokémon to have his arms become shrouded in the dark, claw-shaped aura once again as he glided toward his target.
"Quick, Payback!" Erika yelled. The cloud-like tuft at the top of Drifblim's body became shrouded by a dark red aura, as he aimed it out to collide with Charizard, countering his attempted slash in the nick of time. The two of them blew each other back, coming to a stop in midair.
"Flamethrower!" Gladion commanded.
"Shadow Ball!" Erika ordered. As Drifblim readied a purple-and-black ball of energy in front of himself, Charizard reared his head back, unleashing a stream of orange fire from his mouth. The Blimp Pokémon fired off his energy orb, colliding with the incoming flames in a powerful blast.
"Drifblim and Charizard are exchanging blow after blow, not giving an inch!" Jim yelled over the broadcast, "But it's only a matter of time before one of them falters!" he mentioned.
"Drifblim, Acrobatics!" the Ketchum girl commanded. Cloaking himself in a sky blue light, the Blimp Pokémon zipped out toward his foe.
"Outrage!" Gladion roared out, causing Erika to blink in surprise.
"RRRROOOOOOAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Charizard bellowed, with a reddish aura bursting to life around him as his eyes flashed red. As his opponent closed in, he struck him fiercely with his left fist, sending him crashing onto the ground.
"Ah!" the Ketchum girl yelped, while Calvin and Trent widened their eyes from the locker room.
"Oh, goodness!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers, "Charizard suddenly retaliates with a powerful Outrage!" he noted as on the turf field, Drifblim struggled to push himself back up.
"Drifblim, you okay?!" his trainer cried out in question.
"B-Blimmm…" the Blimp Pokémon squeaked out weakly. Soaring down, his opponent struck him again, with his left claws, followed by stomping him against the ground. All of a sudden, Drifblim shined brightly before he exploded in a powerful blast, causing both trainers to brace themselves.
"Whoa!" Hau yelped, feeling the force of the blast from the stands as he reflexively shielded his eyes with his arms.
"The same thing happened in that battle against Gordie…!" Mirajane remembered.
"Yeah…" her eldest daughter said, "And that means…" she continued as on the field, the smoke started to settle. Dan ran over, seeing Charizard stumble back out, waving his head around crazily. The smoke finally cleared, revealing Drifblim lying upon the ground with swirls in his eyes.
"Drifblim is unable to battle!" the referee confirmed, raising his right arm. The crowd cheered again.
"Manalo Stadium explodes with excitement as Drifblim falls to Charizard, evening the score yet again!" Jim pointed out into the microphone, "With two Pokémon left each, it still seems like it could be anyone's game!" he mentioned. In the meantime, Erika returned her fainted partner to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"You did great out there," she affirmed with a smile, "We'll handle the rest from here," she promised, putting the spherical container away. She looked out to see Charizard shaking his head, recovering from his confusion as he spewed a stream of fire up into the sky.
'That Outrage was really powerful…' she noted to herself, narrowing her eyes, 'Lycanroc would be my best bet to take him down, but since he's paralyzed…' she mentioned inwardly, grimacing a little. She then readied a new Poké Ball, enlarging it with a press of its button in her right hand.
"Primarina, I choose you!" she called out, throwing the spherical container out onto the field. It popped open, and its light formed upon the turf, dissipating to reveal the Soloist Pokémon.
"Mah!" she yipped as she took on a serious expression.
"Primarina emerges, having been the Pokémon that brought Erika victory in the last round!" Jim noted over the broadcast, "Will she get a big win here?!" he wondered loudly.
"I guess she probably thinks Lycanroc's not in the best shape to take on Charizard…" Pyrrha assumed from the stands.
"Primarina does have a better advantage though," Bea pointed out, "Charizard's Outrage will be ineffective against her," she added, folding her arms over her chest.
"But we'll have to wait and see if Erika made the right call," Sunset chimed in. The Soloist Pokémon looked over to the big screen to her right, seeing that she was the last Pokémon brought out, with only her and Lycanroc remaining. And Gladion still had one Pokémon yet to be revealed, though she had a pretty good idea as to who that would be.
"Primarina, Sparkling Aria!" her trainer commanded. Standing up on her tail fins, the Soloist Pokémon let her ponytail come undone as she opened her mouth, singing a melody. A sparkling bubble of water formed at the tip of her pink nose.
"Air Slash!" Gladion ordered. Flying up, Charizard made his wings glow a bright blue before flapping them forward, releasing a flurry of shuriken-like energy discs. The bubble over Primarina's nose popped, releasing several watery streaks that each countered the air discs in bursts of smoke.
"An exchange between Sparkling Aria and Air Slash starts what'll likely be a long match, folks!" Jim pointed out into the microphone.
"Aqua Jet!" Erika ordered. Water erupted and swirled around Primarina, as she rocketed forward.
"Dodge!" Gladion yelled, enticing Charizard to move aside to avoid his incoming foe, who veered back around, "Use Shadow Claw!" his trainer commanded. A dark shadowy, claw-shaped aura outlined in purple shrouded the Flame Pokémon's right arm as he swung it out to counter his opponent in the nick of time, with sparks flying between them. The water then splashed apart around Primarina.
"Now Icy Wind!" the Ketchum girl shouted quickly. Taking a deep breath, the Soloist Pokémon expelled a chilling wind from her mouth with light blue sparkles onto her target, making him flinch slightly as frost formed along his body.
"Flamethrower!" the former enforcer ordered. Charizard didn't hesitate for a second as he unleashed a stream of orange fire from his mouth, striking Primarina before they both fell back onto the turf.
"Mahhh…" she groaned out in frustration, clenching her teeth.
"Should've known it wouldn't be that easy…" her trainer grumbled, "In that case…" she continued, "use Aqua Jet!" she commanded. Enveloping herself in another torrent of water, the Soloist Pokémon rocketed toward her foe once more.
"Flamethrower!" Gladion ordered again. The Flame Pokémon reared his head back, unleashing another stream of fire. It forced his foe to veer aside to evade the incoming flames. She found herself unable to reach her target with each blast of fire he unleashed to throw her off.
"Despite being at a type disadvantage, Charizard's doing his job and making Primarina work for the chance to beat him," Tom noted over the broadcast.
"We'll have to see if she manages to pull something off here, folks!" Jim mentioned loudly.
"Primarina, Moonblast!" Erika yelled. Letting the water around her splash apart, the Soloist Pokémon opened her mouth, forming a pink orb of energy in front of it as a gold light shrouded her body.
"Charizard, Air Slash!" Gladion commanded. The Flame Pokémon had his wings glow bright blue again as he flapped them, unleashing another flurry of air discs. Primarina fired off her energy orb at that very moment, colliding with the discs in a powerful blast of grey smoke.
"Ergh…!" Erika grunted, bracing herself from the shockwave that followed. She knew she and Primarina were getting nowhere with this match. They had to take a victory as soon as possible.
'Should I go for the Z-Move?' the Ketchum girl wondered, staring at her Z-Power Ring as the Primarium Z was upon it, 'I'd wanna save it for the end, but…' she continued, grimacing a little.
"Now Flamethrower!" Gladion ordered. Charizard reared his head back, releasing yet another blast of orange fire from his mouth up toward his foe.
"Dodge and use Sparkling Aria!" Erika instructed. Primarina was quick to spin herself out of the way of the flames, landing upon the turf. She stood up on her tail fins, letting her ponytail come undone before singing a melody again to form a bubble of sparkling water at the tip of her pink nose. It popped, releasing several watery streaks out towards her foe.
"Dodge!" the former enforcer yelled. The Flame Pokémon flapped his wings, flying up into the air. He rolled and weaved around each and every one of the watery streaks.
"Darn…" Erika muttered out under her breath.
"Charizard again evades what would've been a super effective blow, practically toying with Primarina at this point!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers.
"Man, Charizard's just too quick…" Hau pointed out from the stands, "There's gotta be a way for Primarina to catch up with him!" he exclaimed.
"Yeah, there is," Leslie confirmed to his surprise, "But it's up to Erika to try and figure it out…" she mentioned seriously with narrowed eyes. On the field, the Ketchum girl was trying to think of a solution.
'Charizard's either countering or dodging our stronger attacks…' she noted to herself, 'The only one that's hit so far is…' she continued, only to widen her eyes in realization, 'That's it!' she affirmed inwardly, letting off a big grin.
"Primarina, Aqua Jet!" she commanded. The Soloist Pokémon enveloped herself in another torrent of water, rocketing up toward her foe.
"Shadow Claw!" Gladion ordered. A dark, shadowy, claw-shaped aura outlined in purple shrouded both of Charizard's arms as he flew down at his incoming opponent, colliding with her fiercely. At that moment, Erika smirked.
"Now Icy Wind!" she yelled. Letting the water around her splash apart, Primarina took a deep breath and exhaled a chilling wind onto the Flame Pokémon, making a frost form along his body.
"Flamethrower!" his trainer commanded, enticing him to rear his head back and unleash a powerful blast of fire from his mouth, striking the Soloist Pokémon and sending her crashing down onto the ground.
"Primarina!" the Ketchum girl cried out. The smoke cleared, revealing that her partner was okay, shaking her head to regain her composure.
"Mah!" she yipped reassuringly.
"We're not done yet!" Gladion proclaimed, "Close in and use Shadow Claw!" he ordered. Charizard glided down, soaring only so high above the turf as he headed toward his foe. Once again, he had a shadowy aura outlined in purple shroud his arms, shaping into claws.
"Icy Wind!" Erika commanded. Primarina exhaled another chilling wind from her mouth. It washed over the Flame Pokémon, who winced. However, he pushed through it, managing to swipe at his foe and blow her back.
"Primarina lands yet another Icy Wind, but gets hit by Charizard's Shadow Claw anyway!" Jim pointed out into the microphone, "Just what is Erika up to?" he wondered aloud.
"Now Flamethrower!" Gladion commanded, pumping his left fist back. The Flame Pokémon soared up into the air, rearing his head back as flames started to billow within his mouth. The Ketchum girl cracked a grin.
"Aqua Jet!" she ordered, pumping her fists up. Enveloping herself in another torrent of water, Primarina launched herself up in the air. Before Charizard could even unleash his flames, his foe collided with his stomach fiercely.
"Roahhh…!" he gasped out.
"What?!" Gladion exclaimed. Those in the stands were astonished.
"Wow!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast, "Primarina lands an Aqua Jet before Charizard can fire off another Flamethrower!" he noted as the Flame Pokémon tumbled through the air before crashing onto the ground in a heap.
"Charizard, are you okay?!" his trainer cried out in question. He pushed himself back up, shaking his head to regain his composure.
"Primarina, Sparkling Aria!" Erika commanded. Still in midair, the Soloist Pokémon let her ponytail come undone before forming a sparkling bubble of water at the tip of her pink nose.
"Quick, Air Slash!" Gladion ordered, sticking his right hand out. Charizard readied his wings, having them glow a bright blue. However, the bubble over his opponent's nose popped, with several watery streaks raining down onto him before he could do anything, enveloping him in a cloud of grey smoke.
"Charizard continues to get bombarded by these super effective attacks from Primarina!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers, "Has she turned this match completely on its head?!" he inquired loudly.
"She's definitely managed to get the upper hand when it comes to speed," Tom chimed in, "By using Icy Wind consecutively, she's slowed Charizard to a point where him flying around is no longer an issue," he explained.
"So that's what Erika was doing…" Calvin realized as he grinned in the locker room.
"Sounds just like her," Trent remarked, folding his arms over his chest. Back on the field, Erika narrowed her eyes as the smoke had yet to completely clear. As it finally did, it revealed that Charizard was still standing, but barely.
"Roaggghhh…" he groaned out.
"We've got him on the ropes now, Primarina!" the Ketchum girl assured to her partner, clenching her right fist tightly, "Let's finish him off!" she insisted.
"Preemah!" the Soloist Pokémon responded. All of a sudden though, a fiery aura blazed to life around her foe, causing her and her trainer to blink in surprise.
"Whuh-oh!" Jim yelped into the microphone, "Seems like Charizard's Blaze ability activated from taking those super effective attacks!" he pointed out, "Looks to me like this'll be his last stand!" he proclaimed on.
"RRRRAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!" the Flame Pokémon roared. His trainer cracked a grin.
"Charizard, let that burning passion show!" he insisted, holding up his left arm, "We'll settle this here and now!" he declared. Erika blinked in surprise, noticing the Firium Z set upon his Z-Power Ring.
"No way…!" she gasped out.
"He's going for a Z-Move?!" Hau exclaimed in disbelief from the stands. They watched as Gladion crossed his arms, making the Z-Crystal flash. As he waved his arms around, Erika grimaced.
'This must be his last resort with Charizard!' she realized inwardly, 'Bringing him down to a last-ditch move with Blaze active to boost any Fire-type attacks…' she noted to herself, 'Even if it's not very effective against Primarina, it's still gonna hurt a lot if it hits!' she added through her thoughts, 'We can't take that chance!' she decided.
"Primarina, get ready!" she called out, crossing her arms and making the Primarium Z upon her Z-Power Ring flash a bright blue.
"What's this?!" Jim yelled over the broadcast in question excitedly, "We're about to see an amazing clash between two Z-Moves, folks!" he pointed out as both trainers swung their arms around, completing their respective dances with their partners.
"Burn down everything in front of you on a path to victory!" Gladion yelled out, aiming his hand forward as the reddish aura that shrouded his body shot out in streaks to Charizard, merging with his body before the Z-Move symbol flashed in front of him, "INFERNO… OVERDRIVE!" his trainer bellowed. Lifting his head up, the Flame Pokémon formed a massive fireball overhead, which radiated with intense heat. Erika gritted her teeth.
"Let's sing 'em a real good song, Primarina!" she insisted of her partner, waving her arms like flowing water left to right. The blue aura that had been building around her shot out to the Soloist Pokémon, merging with her body as the Z-Move symbol flashed in front of her afterwards. "Here goes!" the Ketchum girl exclaimed, raising her hands up like a conductor in an orchestra, "Oceanic… OPERETTA!" she echoed.
"Maaaaahhhhh~!" Primarina sang beautifully, standing up upon her tail fins as her ponytail came undone. Her melody helped her form a large bubble of sparkling blue water overhead, which she telekinetically pushed forward. At the same time, Charizard launched his massive fireball. The two collided with each other, resulting in an incredible explosion of steam that engulfed the entire field. Everyone in the stands braced themselves from the blast's force, watching on with bated breath.
The steam cloud had yet to subside, with both Primarina and Charizard lurking inside in search of each other. Erika closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and exhaling to calm herself, taking in her surroundings. She concentrated as best she could. Her eyes jolted open.
"Primarina, Aqua Jet, straight ahead!" she commanded, causing Gladion to gasp in surprise upon overhearing. Within the steam cloud, the Soloist Pokémon enveloped herself in another torrent of water, rocketing forward. Her foe had no time to react as she suddenly slammed into his stomach head on, sending him flying as the steam was blown apart.
"Charizard!" his trainer cried out, seeing him hit the turf upon his back hard. Dan ran over to assess the Flame Pokémon's condition, noticing the swirls in his eyes. He then raised his left arm.
"Charizard is unable to battle!" he confirmed. The crowd roared loudly. In the meantime, the Flame Pokémon's image upon the big screens was greyed out.
"Charizard falls, but not before doing some serious damage to Primarina!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast.
"That said, Primarina pulling through was quite the clutch victory for her and Erika," Tom mentioned, "But now, that leaves both trainers without the use of another Z-Move," he added aloud.
"Quite right!" the play-by-play commentator agreed.
"Primarina might've won that, but…" Pyrrha started to say.
"She used up her chance at a Z-Move," Bea finished for her, "I can't blame her considering what she was up against…" she noted on, folding her arms over her chest.
"Man, talk about intense!" Rumi remarked, "How come you never told me about this kinda stuff, Sunset?" she inquired of her friend sitting beside her.
"Because you wouldn't be the one doing the fighting…" she retorted in response, causing her to puff her cheeks out with chagrin.
"Oh, Mom…" Bea sighed out. Back on the field, Gladion returned his fainted Charizard to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"You did well, thank you," he said gratefully, shrinking the spherical container with a press of its button before putting it away.
"Huh…" Erika exhaled with relief. However, she knew things were far from over. Though she had two Pokémon to her opponent's one, both of hers were weakened from battle. In all likelihood, it was going to take a combined effort from both of them to win.
"Erika," Gladion called out, getting her attention, "I'm really glad that I have the chance to battle you," he told her, "You're the very person who stood up for me and my sister when things were getting tough," he recalled, "I can't tell you how grateful I am for all that…" he confessed on. The Ketchum girl blinked in surprise, but then smiled.
"You don't need to worry about how grateful you are!" she assured to his surprise, "I already know that from how you're going all out against me and my team tonight," she affirmed, closing her right hand into a fist, "You're really not making it easy for us…" she admitted, "But we're still gonna win!" she vowed fiercely.
"Pree mah!" Primarina yipped in agreement.
"I see…" Gladion responded with a grin, readying a Premier Ball in his right hand, enlarging it with a press of its button, "Then I'll keep that pace and beat you!" he declared, rearing his arm back, "Silvally, go!" he yelled, throwing the spherical container out onto the field. It burst open, with its light forming upon the ground, dissipating to reveal the Synthetic Pokémon. Like when Zoroark had disguised himself as it earlier, its eyes, spikes, drives and fin membrane were all green.
"Sivaaaahhhh!" it bellowed out. Erika nervously grinned as she wiped away some sweat rolling down the side of her head.
"This is it…" she noted aloud.
X
"Silvally enters the scene as Gladion's final Pokémon!" Jim's voice exclaimed from the TV in the hospital room of Aether Paradise, as Lillie watched on intently with her mother, Wicke, Milo, and Selene, "This is a familiar scenario for it, as Silvally had come in as the last resort against Hau's two Pokémon last night," he noted.
"And like that battle, both of Erika's remaining Pokémon have taken damage," Tom added.
"We'll have to wait and see what happens, folks!" the play-by-play commentator affirmed excitedly. Lillie smiled, excited to see that the battle had reached its climax. Back at Manalo Stadium, Silvally and Primarina narrowed their eyes onto each other, waiting to see who would ultimately make the first move.
"Primarina, Icy Wind!" Erika quickly commanded. Taking a deep breath, the Soloist Pokémon exhaled a chilling wind with blue sparkles out toward her foe.
"Charge through and use Iron Head!" Gladion ordered. Engulfing itself in a whitish light, Silvally rushed into the freezing wind, essentially ignoring it. To Primarina's shock, it broke through and slammed into her fiercely.
"Primarina!" her trainer cried out, seeing her fall onto the ground as she winced.
"Silvally pushes through Icy Wind to land a powerful Iron Head to kick this matchup off!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers.
"Mahhh…" the Soloist Pokémon groaned out, gnashing her teeth as she glared at her foe.
"Use Moonblast!" Erika ordered, sticking her right hand out. Primarina was ready to make a move, but suddenly winced in pain. "Huh?" her trainer uttered in surprise.
"Uh oh!" Jim yelped into the microphone, "Looks to me like Primarina's flinching as a result of that Iron Head she just took!" he pointed out.
"Hm," Gladion huffed with a grin, "Crush Claw!" he commanded. A reddish aura shrouded the claws of Silvally's front legs as it charged forward. The wincing Soloist Pokémon was unable to do anything as she wound up slashed by her foe, blowing her back along the turf. She brought her flippers down, managing to slow herself to a stop.
"That's it, Primarina!" Erika called out, "Now use Aqua Jet!" she ordered. A torrent of water enveloped the Soloist Pokémon as she rocketed toward her foe.
"Crush Claw, again!" the former enforcer commanded, enticing the Synthetic Pokémon to stand up on his rear legs as his claws shined a bright red. Its opponent collided with its underside, pushing it back several feet. However, it roared, managing to bring its claws down onto her and slam her onto the ground fiercely.
"Ah!" the Ketchum girl gasped. The dust settled to reveal her partner lying upon the turf, trying to push herself up. "Quick, Icy Wind!" her trainer yelled. Primarina inhaled sharply before expelling a chilling wind with blue sparkles onto her foe, making it wince.
"Don't let up!" Gladion shouted out, "Multi-Attack!" he ordered. A greenish aura flared to life around the Synthetic Pokémon as it raised its front legs up again, slamming them down onto its opponent fiercely. The crowd gasped.
"PRIMARINA!" Erika screamed. Once again, the dust cleared. Dan ran over to assess the Soloist Pokémon's condition.
"Mahhh…" she moaned out with swirls in her eyes.
"Primarina is unable to battle!" the referee announced, raising his right arm.
"And Primarina falls!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast as the Soloist Pokémon's image upon the big screens was greyed out, "That evens the score again as we head into the final matchup here!" he pointed out excitedly.
"Oh man…" Calvin uttered worriedly from the locker room, balling his fists.
"So Gladion had Silvally become a Grass-type…" Leslie noted in the stands, folding her arms under her chest, "And he deliberately made sure to bring Erika's team down to just Primarina and Lycanroc," she mentioned.
"Because then it'd have a type advantage," her father finished for her.
"Not to mention that Lycanroc's paralyzed from fighting Porygon-Z earlier…" Mirajane added worriedly.
"Peekah…" Pikachu squeaked out with concern.
"Jah! Jahng moh!" Jangmo-o loudly chirped, catching everyone by surprise. Leslie smiled.
"You really want her to win this thing, huh?" she presumed, rubbing his head comfortingly. Back on the field, Erika returned the fainted Primarina to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Thanks for all your hard work out there," she said gratefully, "We'll handle the rest from here," she promised, putting the spherical container away after shrinking it with a press of its button. She took on a serious expression, balling her left hand tightly into a fist.
'Dad… Leslie…' she uttered inwardly as she readied her final Poké Ball, 'How many times did you ever feel backed against the wall like this?' she wondered through her thoughts, 'How did you pull through?' she inquired on, rearing her arm back.
"I choose you, Lycanroc!" she yelled, firing the spherical container out onto the field. It popped open, and its light formed upon the turf, dissipating to reveal the Wolf Pokémon.
"Rahk!" he barked before wincing from the electricity crackling around his body.
"Sivahh…" Silvally huffed, taking a ready stance.
"This is where we decide it, huh?" Gladion presumed.
"Yeah…" Erika responded, "And we're not gonna lose!" she vowed fiercely.
"Alright then…" the former enforcer said, "Silvally, Iron Head!" he commanded. Dashing forward, the Synthetic Pokémon engulfed itself in a burning white light, charging at its new foe.
"Counter it with Reversal!" the Ketchum girl instructed. A reddish-orange aura flared to life around Lycanroc before he clenched his right front paw, cloaking it in an orange light. He swung it out to counter his incoming opponent, gritting his teeth while trying to push it back.
"A fierce exchange starts what'll be the final match of this semifinal battle!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers excitedly, "I know everyone in the crowd's just dying to see who'll come out on top!" he added. Both Pokémon on the field knocked each other back, sliding to a stop.
"Howl!" Erika called out.
"RAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Lycanroc howled mightily up into the air, making a reddish aura flow up his body.
"Silvally, use Grass Pledge!" Gladion ordered.
"Grass Pledge?!" Erika repeated in shock. The eyes of the Synthetic Pokémon flashed green before it brought its front legs up, slamming them down onto the turf hard. All of a sudden, torrents of leaves and grass erupted from the ground, trailing towards Lycanroc. They formed a ring, surrounding him as he looked around for a way to escape. At that moment though, the electricity sparked around his body again, making him wince. The pillars of swirling grass and leaves then combined into one, engulfing him completely as he was bombarded.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screeched out.
"Lycanroc, no!" his trainer screamed.
"Well, isn't this a surprise!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "Silvally's not only a Grass-type at the moment, but it's also got a move like Grass Pledge in its arsenal!" he pointed out loudly.
"Knowing that, Silvally was probably more than a match for Primarina," Tom added.
"Come on, Eri!" Hau cried out from the stands, "Don't let something like that beat you!" he yelled on. However, his cousin seemed troubled as to what to do next. She then blinked in realization.
"Lycanroc, use Stone Edge!" she commanded. Hearing his trainer's voice, the Wolf Pokémon endured the intense pain his body was feeling, clenching his front paws and slamming them against the ground. Stone pillars emerged from the turf, breaking apart the swirling torrent of leaves and grass.
"Not bad…" Gladion commented with a nervous grin.
"Heh…" Erika chuckled, "Crunch!" she ordered. Leaping over the stone pillars, Lycanroc made his teeth shine a bright white and sharpen. He landed down and charged toward his foe.
"Crush Claw!" the former enforcer commanded. Silvally had its claws glow a bright red as it raised its front legs up. However, the Wolf Pokémon managed to chomp on its right one before it could bring either of them down, making it wince with pain.
"Whoa!" Pyrrha yelped from the stands, "Did Lycanroc get faster?!" she wondered aloud in shock.
"I think Silvally got slower…" her mother clarified in reply.
"That's right, the Icy Wind!" Lisanna recalled, "Just like when Primarina used it against Charizard to slow him down enough in their battle!" she pointed out.
"Way to go, Erika," Leslie commented.
"Jah, jahng moh!" Jangmo-o chirped excitedly.
"Lycanroc, throw it around!" Erika instructed. Taking a tight grip on his foe, the Wolf Pokémon lifted it off of the turf, swinging it around before letting go, tossing him aside as he tumbled over the ground. "Now Stone Edge!" his trainer commanded. He clenched his right front paw again. But suddenly, electricity sparked around his body, making him wince as he stopped moving. "Ah!" the Ketchum girl gasped.
"Looks like Lycanroc's still feeling the effects of the paralysis he suffered from Porygon-Z earlier!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers, "Will he be able to keep going?!" he wondered loudly.
"Silvally, Iron Head!" Gladion ordered. Enveloping itself in a white light, the Synthetic Pokémon charged forward at its immobile foe.
"Quick, you gotta dodge!" Erika cried out.
"Rrrr…!" Lycanroc growled out, unable to move. It allowed for Silvally to ram right into him, sending him flying back. He tumbled over the turf, coming to a stop upon his stomach.
"Lycanroc!" his trainer exclaimed. Fortunately, the Wolf Pokémon pushed himself up onto his hind paws. He gritted his teeth determinedly, even as the electricity around him continued sparking.
"Not done yet, huh?" Gladion noted, letting off a grin, "Silvally, Multi-Attack!" he commanded with a swing of his left arm.
"Sivahhh!" the Synthetic Pokémon responded, making a greenish aura flare to life around its body before charging forward.
"Stone Edge!" Erika ordered, punching her left hand before slamming her fist against the turf.
"RRRRAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Lycanroc roared, bringing down both of his front paws onto the ground. Light blue stone pillars erected, trailing towards the incoming Silvally. It managed to weave its way around the rocks, though it did end up nicked by a few as it closed in, much to its foe's shock.
"Quick, dodge!" the Ketchum girl screamed. As the Wolf Pokémon tried to move, the electricity sparked around his body again, causing him to seize up completely. Silvally lunged in, swiping fiercely at him and knocking him back as his eyes widened. "LYCANROC!" his trainer shrieked seeing him start to fall over. Everything was starting to blur for him. But he could still hear Erika's voice. He could still remember what she had asked of him before their battle.
FLASHBACK
"Brrr…" the Ketchum girl shivered out, rubbing her arms as she stood out on the balcony in her pajamas, "I honestly shouldn't be out here so late…" she admitted, shuddering again.
"Rah?" Lycanroc uttered in confusion, tilting his head to the side.
"Tomorrow, we're gonna have an even tougher battle than the one against Pyrrha, I think," his trainer admitted, "I might have a team planned out, but that doesn't mean it'll work in our favor…" she noted on.
"Rykann…" the Wolf Pokémon huffed, looking out toward the stadium in the distance. His first battle in the tournament didn't end as well as he would've hoped it would. But he still wanted to be of help.
"Lycanroc?" Erika said, getting his attention, "I'm counting on you and everyone else tomorrow," she told him, crouching down slightly to his eye level, "You're gonna do your best, right?" she inquired.
"Rahk," he responded with a nod, bumping his front right paw against her fist, sealing their promise.
END FLASHBACK
"LYCANROC!" Erika screamed. With his eyes jolting open, the Wolf Pokémon mustered the strength to stay standing, grabbing hold of Silvally before it could swipe at him again.
"What?!" Gladion exclaimed in disbelief.
"Now, Reversal!" the Ketchum girl commanded. A reddish-orange aura flared to life mightily around Lycanroc, as he clenched his front right paw as an orange light engulfed it.
"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" he roared, slamming it against the Synthetic Pokémon's head fiercely. Everyone watching widened their eyes. They witnessed Silvally go flying, tumbling over the turf past its trainer, who looked back to see it crash against the wall. It fell onto its stomach, groaning with pain.
Dan ran over to assess its condition, while Lycanroc staggered, trying to keep his footing up for as long as he needed to. If his last-ditch attack turned out to not be enough, then he'd have to endure for as long as he could. Gladion approached his partner alongside the referee. It was still groaning, having swirls in its eyes. Seeing that, the former enforcer sighed with a smile.
"That's it, huh?" he said. Dan raised his left arm.
"Silvally is unable to battle! Lycanroc wins!" he announced before gesturing over to the Wolf Pokémon and his trainer, "Thus, the victory goes to Erika!" he declared, "She advances to the semifinals!" he confirmed. The crowd erupted into a sea of cheers.
"Incredible!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "In all my years of play-by-play commentary, not once have I seen a battle go so down to the wire!" he admitted aloud with excitement in his voice, "With this victory, Erika Ketchum has advanced to the finals!" he yelled out.
"She did it! SHE DID IT!" Pyrrha screamed excitedly as she hopped up and down in her seat.
"That was quite a spectacle," Bea commented with a small smile.
"Heh!" her mother chuckled out, "I really gotta get into this stuff!" she insisted, letting off a big grin.
"Way to go, Eri!" Hau cheered. Mirajane teared up with happiness, sniffling as she wiped her eyes.
"Peekah pika!" Pikachu squeaked from Ash's lap.
"Jah moh!" Jangmo-o chirped.
"Did you ever think Erika would make it this far, Dad?" Leslie asked of her father, getting his attention.
"That's the thing," he said, "You never know what'll happen," he pointed out, looking down toward the field at his youngest daughter as he smiled.
"We… won…?" she uttered out in disbelief, glancing over to the video board at her right, seeing her image along with those of the six Pokémon she had used lined beneath in the order they were called out. The 'WINNER' sign underneath them finally made the Ketchum girl widen her eyes with realization and happiness. "We won!" she exclaimed, hurrying out onto the field, "Lycanroc!" she cried out, getting the Wolf Pokémon's attention as he turned to his trainer running over.
"Rahh…" he weakly uttered with a grin, staggering forward and falling tiredly into her arms. She held him warmly.
"Thank you, Lycanroc…" she whispered in gratitude, "You were awesome out there," she affirmed as his head lied upon her left shoulder. Meanwhile, Gladion went ahead and returned his fainted Silvally to its Premier Ball in a beam of red light. He took a moment to look at it.
'In the end, I did everything I could with the way you trained me,' he noted to himself, 'Dad…' he uttered inwardly, looking up to the stars in the night sky, 'I hope you enjoyed our battle,' he said through his thoughts, standing up and walking over to Erika, who returned Lycanroc to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Erika," the former enforcer said, getting her attention as she saw him hold his right hand out to her, "that was a great battle," he complimented, "I'll be wishing you luck the rest of the way," he promised. The Ketchum girl stared at his hand for a moment before giggling a little. "W-What?" her former opponent stuttered in confusion.
"You really still think we're not friends?" she questioned back, going over and hugging him before he could react, much to his surprise as he yelped, "Thanks for the battle, Gladion!" she exclaimed gratefully, giggling all the while. The former enforcer blushed a little before letting out a sigh, embracing her back. Watching from the TV at Aether Paradise with her bedridden mother, Lillie smiled. Erika was the one who had helped bring her family back together in the end.
"So, now that we've got Erika as our first of the two finalists…" Jim began through the loudspeakers in Manalo Stadium, "it's almost time for the second semifinal match between Calvin Ketchum and Trent Brady!" he confirmed excitedly as the two remaining semifinalists listened on from the locker room, "Which of them will face Erika in the finals?!" he wondered loudly.
ENDING
Insert "Who Are You?" by PELICAN FANCLUB
Opens at Aether Paradise as Lillie is with her bedridden mother, sleeping by her side. In her dreams, she's imagining becoming a Pokémon Trainer herself, journeying through regions with her Pokémon by her side. She starts running along the pathway, excitedly smiling all the while.
Throughout her journey in her dream, she comes across many great things. She encounters amazing Pokémon, strong trainers to battle, and memorable sights. Her Pokémon of choice is a Clefairy which she happily lifts in her hands.
All of a sudden, the area around them darkens as a shadow looms over them. Lillie looks up in horror to see a giant version of Lusamine engulfed by Nihilego overhead. She cowers in fright momentarily, but then notices a bright light shining up above.
It turns out to be Solgaleo, who comes down with Calvin and Erika aboard. They both offer their hands to Lillie, who happily accepts them as she climbs onto the Sunne Pokémon. They hurry off, avoiding the giant rocks Lusamine chucks their way. One is about to strike, but it's destroyed as Gladion appears aboard Silvally, slashing it apart.
Together, they lunge up to attack the Aether Foundation president, engulfing her in a shining, golden light. Lillie opens her eyes, lifting her head. She finds her mother awake in bed, giving her a weak, yet thankful smile.
Lillie smiles back, gripping her hand tightly. As Wicke wanders in to check on them, they turn on the TV as the Alola League is starting. Lillie giggles at the sight of the Ketchum twins in battle once again, happy that they're seeing their dreams through…
END ENDING
And Erika advances to the finals! Very exciting things are happening for sure as we get closer to the climax of this Alola League! Sadly, it also means that we're getting closer to the end.
But now's not the time to dwell! Now that one semifinal match is out of the way, it's time to move on to the next one! Here's a summary for what's up next week!
SUMMARY
Calvin and Trent's semifinal match begins in a flourish! With Incineroar off of his team for the time being, Calvin has to really adjust his team to what he's up against! Will he be able to overcome how strategic Trent is?!
END SUMMARY
That's it for now, everyone! See you all later!