Alola again, everyone! It's been a while, hasn't it? As I'm writing this, I'm currently playing the new Pokémon Scarlet & Violet games! They're actually a lot of fun when you look past the glitches and graphical issues! I think they're a step in the right direction for the series. I only wished it looked nicer.
But anyways, we're back with more of "The Challenge of a Lifetime"! We're closing in on the final round of the Lanakila Conference! With Erika already in, who'll she end up facing? Will be it be Calvin or Trent?
I think it's about time we got into this! Let's see who'll come out on top to face Erika in the finals! Welcome back to "The Challenge of a Lifetime"!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
"Both Calvin and Trent are now down to three Pokémon each, though Calvin's got two waiting in the wings as opposed to Trent!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast, "Which trainer will turn the tide sooner?" he wondered aloud.
"Cal's got the advantage since he's still got two Pokémon he hasn't brought out yet, right?" Hau presumed from the stands.
"Yeah, but both Golem and Greninja haven't taken any damage yet, either," Leslie pointed out, "Whoever Calvin's got left, they'll have to really make these next few matches count…" she noted, folding her arms over her chest.
"Come on, Calvin!" Erika cheered loudly.
"Jah, moh!" Jangmo-o chirped upon her lap. Down on the turf field, the Ketchum boy was considering his options.
'I've already lost Tsareena, Marowak, and Gumshoos…' he listed off inwardly, 'And Araquanid's taken a bit of damage from battling Arcanine…' he noted to himself, 'Still, knowing all of Trent's team helps a little…' he added through his thoughts. He then readied a Poké Ball, pressing its button to enlarge it in his right hand.
"Toucannon, you're up!" he called out, flinging the spherical container out onto the field. It burst open, with its light forming in midair and dissipating to reveal the Cannon Pokémon.
"Kah!" he squawked, flapping his wings before descending onto the turf. His image appeared upon each of the video boards in the arena.
"Toucannon gets called out as Calvin's fifth Pokémon as this semifinal match continues to heat up!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers excitedly, "How'll Trent respond?" he inquired. The dark green-haired boy readied a Poké Ball of his own.
"Skarmory, go!" he yelled, firing it forward. As it popped open, the spherical container released a mass of blue-and-white light, shaping into form before dissipating to reveal the Armor Bird Pokémon.
"Skaaahhh!" he screeched out as he landed upon the turf, spreading his metal wings. The electricity crackling around his body was still present, but he was ignoring the pain as he and his foe glared at each other.
"An aerial battle appears to be on the horizon as Toucannon and Skarmory face off!" Jim noted excitedly, while both trainers gave off determined looks amidst the cheering crowd.
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
Semifinal Smackdown!
"Start off with Steel Wing, Skarmory!" Trent ordered. The Armor Bird Pokémon flapped his wings to take off into the air, making his wings shine a bright silvery-white and expand.
"Bullet Seed!" Calvin commanded, enticing Toucannon to rear his head back. As Skarmory closed in, the Cannon Pokémon opened his beak, unleashing a flurry of gold seeds enveloped in a light green aura. His foe swatted them away with ease, but suddenly winced as the electricity around his body sparked wildly again.
"Skarmory!" his trainer cried out.
"Now Rock Smash!" the Ketchum boy ordered. Toucannon made the tip of his beak glow a reddish-orange as he flew up, thrusting it out and slamming it against his opponent's stomach, making him gasp in pain.
"Ooh!" Jim yelped into the microphone, seeing the Armor Bird Pokémon fall to the ground in a flurry of dust, "Skarmory takes a tough blow from that Rock Smash!" he pointed out loudly. The dust settled, revealing that he was still standing, though he winced from the electricity crackling around him.
"Gumshoos paralyzing him earlier really paid off," Leslie realized, folding her arms over her chest.
"Even if some Pokémon don't end up winning battles for their trainers, their efforts aren't put to waste," Mirajane noted.
"Exactly," her husband agreed, "Everyone's giving it their all," he pointed out.
"Now Hyper Voice, Toucannon!" Calvin commanded from the field.
"Tooo…" the Cannon Pokémon began, rearing his head back, "KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" he screeched, opening his beak to release a beam of wind with turquoise rings, as the inside of his mouth glowed white. The wind crashed onto Skarmory, who grimaced.
"Hang in there, Skarmory!" Trent exclaimed to his partner, "Use Air Slash!" he ordered. The Armor Bird Pokémon perked up, making his wings shine a bright blue before spinning around quickly, unleashing several energy discs of air all around him. They broke through the sound waves, striking a shocked Toucannon and sending him flying back.
"Toucannon!" the Ketchum boy cried out, seeing the Cannon Pokémon tumble over the turf before managing to come to a stop.
"Skarmory retaliates with a powerful flurry of Air Slash, leaving Toucannon in a tough spot!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast, while the Cannon Pokémon got back onto his feet.
"Now Steel Wing!" Trent commanded. The Armor Bird Pokémon ran forward, making his wings glow a silvery-white and expand.
'He's not flying?' Calvin noted through his thoughts in confusion.
"Use Rock Smash!" he ordered, enticing Toucannon to make the tip of his beak glow a bright reddish-orange again. He flapped his wings to fly up, followed by gliding toward his incoming opponent. However, Skarmory leapt over him, veering back around.
"Do it!" Trent yelled. The Armor Bird Pokémon swiped at his foe from behind with his wings, knocking him down hard onto the turf.
"Toucannon, no!" the Ketchum boy exclaimed in shock, while those in the stands widened their eyes.
"Well, what a turn of events!" Jim yelled through the loudspeakers, "Even though he was paralyzed after his victory over Gumshoos earlier, Skarmory's still finding a way to have the advantage in speed over Toucannon!" he mentioned excitedly.
"It's like how Paige's Mandibuzz used Tailwind to give her other Pokémon the speed advantage in the quarterfinals…" Erika recalled.
"Either that or Toucannon's just too slow…" her older sister chimed in, "Not to mention that he doesn't really have any moves suited to fighting Skarmory…" she added grimly.
"Skarmory, Brave Bird!" Trent commanded.
"SKAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the Armor Bird Pokémon screeched, engulfing himself in a burst of orange flames as he took off into the night sky again. The fire then turned into a light blue aura as he dove toward his foe.
"Quick, Beak Blast!" Calvin instructed of Toucannon, getting his attention.
"Kah!" he squawked in response, heading his beak up as it began glowing a bright orange. His opponent collided with him in a fierce blast of smoke, flying out from it as sparks crackled around him once again.
"Skarmory lands a critical blow with Brave Bird, finishing off a series of strong attacks!" Jim pointed out into the microphone, "But will that be enough?" he wondered aloud. The smoke had yet to settle, but Trent could see the faint orange glow coming from it. Inside, Toucannon's beak had heated up intensely. His eyes then jolted open.
"TOOOKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screeched, opening his beak to unleash a bright orange beam of light that tore through the smoke in an instant. His opponent had no time to dodge as he was struck, shrieking in agony.
"Skarmory, no!" Trent cried out, seeing the Armor Bird Pokémon fall to the ground in a heap. The dust settled moments later, revealing him lying upon the turf field as he groaned, having swirls in his eyes. Dan raised his left arm up.
"Skarmory is unable to battle!" he confirmed. The crowd cheered, while the Armor Bird Pokémon's image upon the big screens greyed out.
"And just like that, Skarmory falls to a surprise Beak Blast from Toucannon, falling and leaving Trent with just two Pokémon left!" Jim noted over the broadcast.
"Yes! Way to go!" Erika cheered from the stands.
"Pika, peekah!" Pikachu squeaked excitedly.
"So now the score's three-to-two…" Sawyer noted aloud.
"Still, the two Pokémon Trent has left haven't really taken any damage…" Ash pointed, putting his left hand onto his chin.
"Hmmm…" Rumi hummed, starting to grow disinterested. Back on the field, the dark green-haired boy returned the fallen Armor Bird Pokémon to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Thanks for all your hard work out there," he said gratefully, "We'll make it worth it," he promised, shrinking the spherical container with a press of its button before putting it away.
"Huh…" Calvin sighed out.
'That didn't go as smoothly as I hoped it would've…' he admitted to himself, 'If I brought Togedemaru or Incineroar, maybe we'd have a better time against Trent's team…' he inferred, 'No, don't worry about that,' he insisted through his thoughts, 'You've still got Golem and Greninja to battle…' he pointed out inwardly, 'In which case…' he continued, narrowing his eyes as he saw his rival ready his next Poké Ball.
"Golem, you're back in!" he called out, throwing the spherical container up into the air. It burst open, with its light forming upon the turf field, dissipating to reveal the Alolan Megaton Pokémon.
"Gollll!" he bellowed out.
"So it's Golem now, huh?" the Ketchum boy noted aloud.
"Golem makes his return after Trent loses his fourth Pokémon!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers, "Can he be the key to turning things around?!" he wondered loudly.
"And how's Calvin going to respond?" Tom inquired additionally. The Ketchum boy took out his partner's Poké Ball, aiming it toward him.
"Toucannon, retur—"
"Kah!" the Cannon Pokémon squawked as he whipped around to face his trainer in refusal, "Too, too kah!" he chirped out insistently.
"You wanna keep going?" Calvin presumed in surprise. Up in the stands, Ash chuckled.
"What's up, Dad?" Erika inquired upon noticing.
"Nah, it's nothing," he responded, folding his arms over his chest and grinning, "I've just been where Calvin's at before," he pointed out.
"Peekah," Pikachu squeaked to attest the point.
"Looks like Calvin won't be switching here…" Jim noted into the microphone, "Is he trying to save the rest of his team's energy for what'll likely be tougher foes?" he assumed.
"Don't forget, he still has one Pokémon that's yet to come out," Tom mentioned.
"Toucannon, Bullet Seed!" Calvin commanded, sticking his right hand forward. Opening his beak, the Cannon Pokémon released a flurry of gold seeds with a light green aura, heading towards his foe.
"Steamroller!" Trent ordered.
"GOLLLLLL!" Golem bellowed, engulfing his body in a yellowish-green aura before tucking his arms and legs in, rolling forward. He bowled over the incoming seeds, completely unfazed to the shock of Calvin and Toucannon.
"Quick, dodge!" the Ketchum boy cried out. The Cannon Pokémon was quick to fly upward, evading the Alolan Megaton Pokémon as he rolled by.
"Use Rock Blast!" Trent commanded. Golem hopped up, coming to a stop. He then turned and aimed his back upwards, as the boulder atop it glowed a bright silver.
"Counter with Rock Smash!" Calvin yelled with a pump of his left fist. As the silvery rocks were shot his way, Toucannon made the tip of his beak glow a bright reddish-orange, using it to bash the incoming ammunition to pieces.
"Toucannon's able to counteract Golem's Rock Blast, but how long can he last?" Jim wondered over the broadcast.
"With all that damage he took from the battle against Skarmory, I say anything goes…" Tom admitted.
"Golem, Heavy Slam!" Trent ordered, enticing the Alolan Megaton Pokémon to have a silvery aura erupt around his body before he leapt toward his airborne foe.
"Dodge!" Calvin quickly shouted. Toucannon was easily able to avoid his opponent as he moved aside. However, Trent smirked.
"Now Rock Blast!" he commanded, pumping his fists forward. Still in midair, Golem turned and aimed his back right at his target, who widened his eyes in surprise. Before he could think to do anything, he was bombarded over and over by the silvery rocks shot from the Alolan Megaton Pokémon, sending him crashing onto the ground.
"Toucannon!" his trainer screamed.
"Oh, and Golem catches Toucannon totally off guard with a midair Rock Blast!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers as the Alolan Megaton Pokémon landed upon the ground, sliding to a stop, "Could this signal a defeat for Toucannon?!" he presumed loudly. The dust settled, revealing the Cannon Pokémon getting to his feet, even as he grimaced.
"Toucannon…" Calvin uttered, clenching his fists.
"Is he gonna make a switch now?" Pyrrha wondered from the stands.
"That'd probably put someone else at risk…" Hau pointed out with a grimace, "Make your stand here, Cal!" he insisted as a cheer, pumping his right fist up.
"Golem, Heavy Slam!" Trent commanded from back on the field. A silvery aura erupted around the Alolan Megaton Pokémon before he lunged forward again.
"Counter with Rock Smash!" Calvin called out. Making the tip of his beak shine a bright reddish-orange, Toucannon flapped his wings and flew toward his incoming opponent. Both of them collided, resulting in a powerful shockwave that made their respective trainers flinch. After a few moments, Golem ultimately won the deadlock, slamming his foe against the ground in a flurry of dust. "Toucannon!" the Ketchum boy screamed again.
Dan ran over as the dust settled. The Alolan Megaton Pokémon loomed over his opponent, who had swirls in his eyes as he groaned. The referee then lifted his right arm.
"Toucannon is unable to battle!" he confirmed. The crowd cheered, while the Cannon Pokémon's image upon the video boards was greyed out.
"Toucannon's efforts end up not paying off for Calvin as he falls, bringing the score back to a tie!" Jim pointed out into the microphone.
"Oh man…" Erika uttered worriedly in the stands, holding Jangmo-o close. Her brother returned his fainted partner to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Nice job out there, Toucannon," he complimented, "We'll take care of the rest from here," he vowed, shrinking the spherical container with a press of its button before putting it away.
"Trent's Golem has gone ahead and taken down both Marowak and now Toucannon!" Jim noted over the broadcast.
"With such a variety in his moves, it's no wonder he's had a huge advantage thus far," Tom mentioned.
"What's Calvin gonna do?" Pyrrha wondered from the stands.
"He could go back to Araquanid or use whoever his last Pokémon is…" her mother inferred as an answer.
"Araquanid may have a type advantage over Golem, but the same could also be said for him," Bea pointed out, folding her arms over her chest.
"Guess we'll have to wait and see what he does…" Ash affirmed, giving off a confident grin. His son readied a Net Ball in his right hand, enlarging it with a press of its button.
"Araquanid, go!" he called out, throwing it out onto the field. It popped open, and its light spilled upon the turf, shaping into form before dissipating to reveal the Water Bubble Pokémon.
"Kwahh!" he exclaimed in greeting.
"Araquanid makes his return as the battle gets closer to its finale!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers, "Will it be him or Golem who helps retake the lead?" he wondered aloud as the two battlers glared at each other determinedly.
X
"Golem, use Rock Blast!" Trent ordered immediately. Aiming his back forward, the Alolan Megaton Pokémon unleashed small, silvery-glowing boulders towards his new foe.
"Dodge with Lunge!" Calvin instructed. Araquanid cloaked his body in a yellowish-green aura, squatting before leaping over the incoming rocks. He then came down and collided with his opponent, making him slide back a few feet.
"Already, Araquanid takes advantage of having more speed than Golem, avoiding a Rock Blast and then landing that strong Lunge!" Jim yelled into the microphone.
"Now Icy Wind!" the Ketchum boy commanded. Hopping back, the Water Bubble Pokémon took a sharp inhale before expelling a chilling wind with blue sparkles out toward his opponent.
"Steamroller!" Trent shouted. A yellowish-green light outlined Golem as he tucked his arms and legs in, rolling forward. He charged through the wind, even as frost formed along his body.
"Counter with Liquidation!" Calvin called out. Bringing his front legs up, Araquanid made water swirl around them before thrusting them out at his incoming foe, resulting in a burst of steam that blew both of them back.
"Gohllll…" the Alolan Megaton Pokémon groaned out, faltering a little.
"Uh oh!" Jim yelped over the broadcast, "Looks to me like Golem took a hard hit there!" he pointed out.
"That's probably due to the fact that Toucannon's Rock Smash lowered his physical defense," Tom chimed in, "Even though he lost, he did manage to deal a crucial blow for the rest of the team to pick things up for him," he explained on.
"Golem, Rock Blast!" Trent commanded. The Alolan Megaton Pokémon aimed his back forward, unleashing more silvery-glowing boulders from it.
"Use Lunge to dodge!" Calvin instructed again. Araquanid had a yellowish-green aura burst to life around his body once more, leaping about to evade the rocks shot his way.
"Atta' way, Cal!" Hau cheered from the stands.
"And with Icy Wind slowing Golem down, he's got a huge advantage when it comes to speed…" Leslie mentioned.
"Come on, Araquanid!" Erika cried out as a cheer.
"You can do it, zzt!" Rotom buzzed, floating beside its user.
"Jah, moh!" Jangmo-o chirped. Back on the field, Trent grimaced. Things weren't looking good for Golem, and it only seemed like they would get worse if he didn't think of something. At that moment, he blinked in realization, letting off a smirk.
"Use Heavy Slam!" he ordered. The Alolan Megaton Pokémon stopped firing his boulders, making a silvery aura flare to life around him. As Araquanid was heading toward him, he lunged up and slammed right into his underside, blowing him back.
"Araquanid!" Calvin cried out.
"Ah!" Erika and Hau gasped.
"And Golem retaliates with a fierce Heavy Slam!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers, "It's a critical blow as Araquanid seemed to have the edge for a while!" he pointed out additionally, as the Water Bubble Pokémon landed upon the turf on his feet, staggering a little.
"Kwahhh…" he groaned out.
"How'd that do so much damage?" Hau wondered aloud, "Steel-type moves aren't that effective against Water-types…" he recalled.
"Heavy Slam'zzz a move that dependzzz mainly on a Pokémon'zzz weight," Rotom explained, getting his attention along with Erika's, "The heavier a Pokémon izzz, the more damage they cause, zzt," it added thoroughly.
"That's not good for Cal…" the Ketchum girl realized.
"Yeah…" her sister agreed.
"Now Rock Blast!" Trent commanded. Golem aimed his back forward again, unleashing more silvery-glowing boulders out at his opponent.
"Bash them all with Liquidation!" Calvin called out. Water swirled around Araquanid's front legs. He lifted them up, continuously striking and shattering the rocks that came his way.
"Araquanid hangs in there, fighting back as his Liquidation breaks through Golem's Rock Blast!" Jim pointed out into the microphone.
"Let's see you break through this…" Trent challenged, "Use Steamroller!" he ordered, sticking his right hand out. Tucking his arms and legs in, the Alolan Megaton Pokémon had a yellowish-green light outline his body, rolling forward toward his opponent.
"Use Liquidation on the ground to dodge!" Calvin instructed quickly. Water erupted from the bubbles on Araquanid's four other legs, as he propelled himself upward in an instant. Most of the crowd gasped with awe.
"WOW!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast, "Araquanid takes to the sky thanks to Liquidation!" he noted excitedly.
"Nice one, cuz!" Hau cheered.
"Golem, Giga Impact!" Trent commanded, pumping his left fist up. As he came to a stop, the Alolan Megaton Pokémon turned around. A purple aura surrounded his body, along with yellow streaks of energy spiraling around him.
"Araquanid, Liquidation!" Calvin ordered. With water still swirling about each of his legs, the Water Bubble Pokémon descended quickly toward his foe, who leapt up at him. The two collided, resulting in fierce blast that engulfed most of the arena. Both trainers flinched, bracing themselves as the rush of wind blew by them. Those in the stands watched on in complete awe, wondering what had ultimately happened.
The smoke settled, revealing both Araquanid and Golem still standing, with scrapes and bruises lining their bodies. They stared at each other for a few moments, breathing heavily. And then, they both toppled over onto the turf, much to the shock of their respective trainers. Dan ran over, hearing them groan as he inspected their conditions. He then raised both of his arms.
"Golem and Araquanid are unable to battle!" he confirmed. The images of both Pokémon on the big screens were greyed out.
"This is unbelievable!" Jim yelled through the loudspeakers, "Araquanid and Golem both go down, leaving their trainers with one Pokémon each!" he pointed out, while the crowd cheered.
"So this is it, huh?" Leslie noted from the stands.
"It'll be Greninja against whoever Calvin's got left," Sunset added with her arms crossed over her chest.
"That frog didn't even get scratched earlier…" Rumi recalled.
"Depending on what Calvin's final Pokémon is…" Bea continued.
"Yeah, it might just decide the battle overall…" Pyrrha finished for her. On the field, both trainers returned their Pokémon to their respective Poké Balls in beams of red of light.
"You did great out there, Araquanid," the Ketchum boy assured, putting his spherical container away, "Leave the rest to us," he insisted, looking out at his rival, who also placed his Poké Ball back onto his belt before grabbing another one.
"You know, Calvin…" he began, causing him to blink in surprise, "I've wanted to really battle you ever since we met back at the Trainer's School," he confessed, "Going all out like this really proves just how strong you can be with your team," he mentioned on, "though I'm a little disappointed…" he admitted.
"Huh?" Calvin uttered in confusion.
"Incineroar's not your last Pokémon, right?" Trent assumed to his surprise, "Don't worry, I get it," he assured as he lifted up his left hand, "After last night's match against a Mega Evolution, I'm sure you wanna save her energy for the final round…" he pointed out, "Still…" he continued, "even if she was on your team tonight, that doesn't mean we're gonna lose," he firmly stated, "Ever since I came to this region, I've always had the goal of being a top trainer in mind," he told his rival, "And now that there's a Pokémon League like this," he continued, "I can make that goal a reality," he affirmed.
"Trent…" the Ketchum boy uttered out.
"I've got two big walls ahead of me though…" his rival noted, "And I'm ready to bring them down!" he declared additionally, rearing his arm back, "Greninja, go!" he yelled, throwing the Poké Ball in his right hand out. It burst open, and its light formed upon the turf, dissipating to reveal the Ninja Pokémon.
"Jah!" he croaked, taking a ready stance.
"Greninja makes his return as the last one standing on Trent's side of the field!" Jim pointed out into the microphone, "Now who'll turn out to be Calvin's sixth Pokémon?" he wondered aloud. The Ketchum boy prepared a Poké Ball in his right hand, enlarging it with a press of its button. He stared at it for a moment.
'I'm the same as you, Trent,' he noted to himself, 'There are so many walls I wanna get over, and I'm sure there're only more even after all of this…' he mentioned inwardly, looking towards the stands to spot his family, 'So that's why I won't lose here,' he declared through his thoughts. He reared his arm back.
"Mimi, I choose you!" he exclaimed, throwing the Poké Ball forward. It opened up, with its light forming upon the field and dissipating to reveal his Mimikyu, as sparkles emitted from her body.
"Mee!" she squeaked out.
"Mimikyu makes her grand entrance as the last of Calvin's Pokémon for this semifinal match!" Jim noted over the broadcast, "Will she take home the victory, or will Greninja pull through instead?!" he inquired excitedly.
X
"Your ticket should be all set," Wicke confirmed to Lillie, handing her the slip of paper as they were standing just outside of Lusamine's room at Aether Paradise.
"Thank you, Wicke," the blonde-haired girl said with gratitude, "I do feel bad about having to leave so suddenly, but…" she started to admit, only for the assistant to put a reassuring hand onto her left shoulder.
"Your mother insisted you go, remember?" she pointed out in question, "Besides, she'll be fine for now," she promised.
"Right," Lillie responded. She looked at her ticket and smiled. "I feel like it's been so long since I last saw everyone…" she admitted aloud, "I hate to have to leave when the battle's almost over…" she continued, "but I'm looking forward to cheering on my friends," she affirmed happily.
"We'll take good care of the president in your stead, Lillie!" Milo vowed, peeking out from the door with Selene.
"Make sure you say Alola to Erika for me," the latter of the employees insisted. The blonde-haired girl giggled.
"I will!" she promised, "Well, I'm off!" she declared, turning and jogging down the hallway. Wicke smiled, happy to see her go. After all that she endured, it was nice to see her in such high spirits again. Just then, she felt a buzz in her pocket. She reached into it and pulled out her phone, blinking in surprise at the notification upon the screen.
"Something wrong, Miss Wicke?" Milo asked out of concern.
"I have to take this call," the assistant confirmed, "Could you see to the president?" she requested of her colleagues.
"Understood, ma'am," Selene replied, heading back into the room along with her fellow employee. Back at Manalo Stadium, the tension in the air was thick as Greninja and Mimi stared each other down.
"This battle's come down to the wire as we're left with Greninja and Mimikyu as the last two Pokémon standing!" Jim pointed out into the microphone, "Though Greninja's already seen some action, he didn't take any damage in his battle against Tsareena, despite being at a severe type disadvantage!" he mentioned thoroughly.
"With Mimikyu being part Fairy-type, she has the advantage here," Tom chimed in, "But like you said, type matchups aren't everything," he added.
"Come on, Mimi!" Hau cheered from the stands.
"Yeah, you got this!" Pyrrha cried out. The others watched on with bated breath, awaiting the first moves to be exchanged.
"Shadow Sneak!" both trainers commanded. Greninja and Mimi each had their shadows darken, gaining a pair of red eyes as they extended outward. They rose up in front of each other in the shapes of their respective persons, swiping fiercely.
"We're kicking things off with a battle of shadows as Greninja and Mimikyu fight desperately for the sakes of their trainers!" Jim noted excitedly over the broadcast. Eventually, the shadows dissipated between the two battlers.
"Now Play Rough!" Calvin ordered.
"Mee!" the shiny Disguise Pokémon squeaked in response, dashing forward.
"Dodge with Acrobatics!" Trent instructed. A sky blue light cloaked his partner before he flipped around, evading Mimi at every opportunity.
"Mimikyu's trying to land that super effective Play Rough, but Greninja's just too fast for her to keep up with!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers.
"Now Night Slash!" the dark green-haired boy commanded. The Ninja Pokémon brought his webbed hands together, forming a purple blade of light that he pulled out.
"Counter using Shadow Claw!" Calvin quickly called out, enticing his Mimikyu to draw forth one of her arms from beneath her costume, cloaking it in a dark aura outlined in purple. She thrusted it out, meeting her foe's blade as a small shockwave erupted from the impact.
"Meeee… keeeooohhh…" she growled out, trembling a little as she tried to stand her ground. Greninja was the same, grimacing under his scarf-like tongue.
"Shadow Sneak!" Trent ordered. The Ninja Pokémon had his shadow darken again before it extended out upon the turf and rose up behind his opponent, who hadn't even realized it was there.
"Mimi, watch out!" her trainer screamed.
"Mee?" she squeaked, only to turn and wind up swiped at multiple times by the shadow, knocking her onto the ground.
"Now Night Slash!" Trent commanded as he swung his right arm out. As the shadow dissipated, Greninja readied his purple energy blade again, dashing forward in an attempt to slash his opponent.
"Dodge it!" Calvin exclaimed. Seeing her foe coming, the shiny Mimikyu rolled back to evade his attempted slash. "Now Play Rough!" her trainer ordered. The Disguise Pokémon lunged forward, slamming head first into her foe's chest to knock him off balance. What followed was her enveloping him in a cloud of dust as she struck him multiple times with her tail-like stick and her other appendages.
"Mimikyu retaliates with some super effective damage thanks to that Play Rough!" Jim pointed out into the microphone excitedly, "Looks like Greninja's in a bit of trouble!" he mentioned.
"Hang in there, Greninja!" Trent cried out, "Water Shuriken!" he yelled. Perking up from within the cloud of dust, the Ninja Pokémon smacked the markings at his legs, drawing forth several watery throwing stars. He flung them out, striking Mimi while also making the dust cloud around them break apart.
"Mimi!" Calvin screamed, seeing her slide back. And then, the head of her costume popped off, slumping to her right. "Uh oh…" her trainer uttered worriedly, while Erika and Hau grimaced with fright from the stands.
"Is she going to go nutzzz again?!" Rotom wondered in concern.
"Be ready for anything, Greninja!" Trent advised of his partner, who took a ready stance. To his surprise though, Mimi stood up, not even caring that her costume was ruined.
"Mimi?" her trainer said out of surprise.
"Well, whaddaya know?" Jim remarked over the broadcast, "Mimikyu, who's normally very fussy about her costume's appearance, doesn't seem to be worried about it in the slightest at the moment," he noted thoroughly.
"I think she knows that there's more important than that for her to worry about," Tom chimed in.
"Mee, mee keeoohh!" the shiny Disguise Pokémon squeaked insistently to her trainer, getting his attention.
"Yeah, let's keep things up!" he insisted, "Wood Hammer!" he commanded, thrusting his right fist out.
"What?!" Trent yelped. Around her tail-like stick, Mimi had a green, stump-shaped aura appear over it. She lunged out at her opponent, swinging it toward him. He leapt back to evade it in the nick of time, seeing her collide with the ground fiercely.
"Mimikyu almost lands a powerful Wood Hammer!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers, "Was that why Calvin was keeping her waiting in the wings?!" he wondered loudly.
"Yeah, keep him on his toes, Mimi!" Erika cheered.
"Jah, moh! Jahng!" Jangmo-o loudly chirped from her lap.
"Greninja, Night Slash!" Trent commanded, enticing the Ninja Pokémon to draw forth another purple blade of light from his webbed hands.
"Wood Hammer again!" Calvin ordered. His Mimikyu kept the green, stump-shaped aura shrouding her tail-like stick before she lunged out at her opponent, clashing it against his blade.
"A fierce exchange continues this battle between both Greninja and Mimikyu, as neither's willing to back down!" Jim pointed out excitedly into the microphone.
"Now Acrobatics!" the dark green-haired teen yelled, swinging his left hand forward. A sky blue light cloaked the Ninja Pokémon, who zipped about rapidly around Mimi as she blinked in surprise, unable to keep up with him. He then rushed by and struck her multiple times with his legs, even clotheslining her with his right arm. Most of those in the crowd gasped.
"Hang in there, Mimi!" Calvin called out, "Shadow Claw!" he commanded. Steeling herself, the shiny Disguise Pokémon made one of her appendage come out from underneath her cloak, encasing it in a dark aura outlined by purple. She thrusted it out, swiping at her opponent to blow him back.
"Jah…" he groaned out. His trainer cracked a smirk.
"We really can't breathe for even a second, huh?" he assumed, "Water Shuriken!" he ordered. Placing his hands against the marks at his legs, Greninja pulled off a pair of watery throwing stars, flinging them out at his foe.
"Wood Hammer!" Calvin shouted. The green, stump-shaped aura reappeared around the tail-like stick of Mimi, as she swung it out to break through the incoming throwing stars with ease.
"Use Night Slash!" Trent commanded. The Ninja Pokémon brought forth two purple energy blades from his webbed hands, dashing forward. He collided head on with his foe, resulting in a shockwave that blew them both back.
"Mee…" the shiny Mimikyu groaned out as she winced a little, breathing heavily.
"Come on, Mimi!" her trainer yelled, "We're not done yet!" he proclaimed.
"Mee keeooh!" the Disguise Pokémon squeaked in agreement.
"Neen… neen jah…" Greninja exhaled, clenching his fists, "Greh!" he croaked to his trainer, getting his attention.
"Yeah, I guess it's about that time," he confirmed, readying a Waterium Z upon his Z-Power Ring. Taking notice, Calvin blinked in surprise. "Let's do this, Greninja!" his rival shouted, crossing his arms to make the Z-Crystal flash brightly.
"Jah!" the Ninja Pokémon responded.
"Whuh-oh!" Jim yelped over the broadcast, "Looks like Trent is going to try and wrap things up with a Z-Move, everyone!" he pointed out excitedly.
"Mimi, close in and use Wood Hammer!" Calvin commanded quickly.
"M-Mee!" the shiny Mimikyu stammered, hurrying forward as the green, stump-shaped aura returned around her tail-like stick. Trent waved his arms around like waving water left to right, as a blue aura built up around his body. It shot out in streaks to his partner, merging with his body before the Z-Move symbol flashed in front of him. The Disguise Pokémon was closing in.
"Here and now, we're push past our limits and shoot ourselves into the finals!" the dark green-haired boy declared, "HYDRO VORTEX!" he bellowed. Becoming enveloped by a torrent of water, Greninja had more spread about the turf. He then dashed forward, circling Mimi as she screeched to a halt, followed by getting caught up in a tornado of water.
"MIMI!" Calvin screamed in fright, seeing her being carried upward. What followed was Greninja swimming up and striking her over and over before the torrent burst apart. The shiny Mimikyu fell to the ground in a heap, while her foe landed safely, walking away.
"Oh no…" Mirajane uttered in disbelief from the stands, covering her quivering lips with her hands. Everyone was left stunned. The Ketchum boy on the field grimaced.
"The Hydro Vortex lands with a critical blow!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers, "Could this be all she wrote for Mimikyu?!" he wondered loudly.
"Mimi…" Calvin uttered out with shaking eyes. Dan went over to assess the condition of the Disguise Pokémon, seeing her lying upon the ground, seemingly unmoving. Back in the stands, Erika stood up.
"DON'T GIVE UP, MIMI!" she screamed out, causing her brother to perk up and look over at her, "KEEP FIGHTING 'TIL THE VERY END!" she bellowed on, taking rapid breaths afterward.
"Erika…" Hau uttered.
"…Mee…" the shiny Mimikyu squeaked, getting Dan's attention. He backed away to see her getting back up, standing firmly as she glared ahead, even as her costume was left ruined by the water she had just been bombarded with.
"M-Mimi…" Calvin stammered out. The Disguise Pokémon looked back at him and nodded. He teared up a little, but then smiled, quickly wiping his eyes. "Alright!" he exclaimed, "Let's win this!" he insisted.
"Mee!" Mimi squeaked in agreement. The crowd cheered with excitement.
"This is incredible!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "Mimikyu withstands Greninja's Hydro Vortex and is ready to counterattack!" he noted loudly, "It's still anyone's game, folks!" he pointed out.
"Seriously…?" Trent uttered, grinning as sweat trickled down his head, "You're still full of surprises, Cal…" he remarked, "Greninja, Shadow Sneak!" he commanded.
"Jah!" the Ninja Pokémon croaked in response, having his shadow darken and extend outwards along the turf.
"Stop it with Shadow Claw!" Calvin instructed. Drawing forth both of her appendages from beneath her cloak, Mimi cloaked them in a shadowy aura outlined by a purple light. As her foe's shadow closed in, she thrusted them down onto it, causing it to dissipate instantaneously.
"Ah!" Trent gasped in shock, while Greninja widened his eyes.
"Now let's finish this!" the Ketchum boy declared, readying the Mimikium Z upon his Z-Power Ring. He crossed his arms over his face, making the Z-Crystal flash brightly. "You ready, Mimi?!" he called out in question to his partner.
"Mee!" she squeaked, readying her shadowy appendages. She mimicked her trainer's motions as he swung his arms around, shaping his hands into a heart before standing up on his right foot and holding his appendages out cutely. The silvery aura building up around him shot out to his partner, merging with her body.
"Greninja, Night Slash!" Trent commanded. The Ninja Pokémon brought his webbed hands together, drawing forth two purple blades of light. He dashed forward, heading for his opponent.
"Mimi, Let's Snuggle Forever!" Calvin ordered. As the Z-Move symbol appeared in front of her for a moment, the shiny Mimikyu had a glint in her eyes before she zipped out. She then hopped around her foe, who failed to hit her with his attempted swipes. He sweated nervously, hoping to hit her before she could get near him. Unfortunately, she got behind him, jumping up and expanding the size of her costume, engulfing her opponent.
"Greninja!" the dark green-haired boy yelled in shock. Within the costume, the Ninja Pokémon was struggling against his foe, being attacked over and over again. Ultimately, he wound up spat out, landing on the turf and sliding to a stop upon his back.
"Mimikyu's signature Z-Move lands!" Jim noted over the broadcast, "Was it enough to fell Greninja?!" he wondered. Dan approached the downed Ninja Pokémon, seeing him trying to sit back up. However, he wound up falling back down in a groan. The referee then raised his left arm.
"Greninja is unable to battle!" he confirmed, "Mimikyu wins!" he declared, gesturing toward the shiny Disguise Pokémon, who was breathing heavily, "And therefore…" he continued, looking over to the Ketchum boy, "the victor of the match is Calvin!" he declared. The crowd cheered excitedly.
"We… won…?" Calvin uttered out.
"Way to go, Calvin!" his twin sister yelled from the stands, getting his attention as he looked over to see her waving toward him, while those beside her were cheering excitedly.
"What a climactic finale!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers, "With Mimikyu withstanding Greninja's Z-Move and turning the tables with her own, she brings Calvin a victory and a one-way ticket to the finals!" he noted excitedly.
"Mee!" Mimi squeaked, getting her trainer's attention as he saw her waddle over to him.
"Mimi…" he uttered, laughing before going to pick her up in his arms, hugging her warmly. The video boards all showed his image and his six Pokémon with a big 'WINNER' sign underneath them. Meanwhile, Greninja finally sat up, seemingly dejected as his trainer came over.
"You did great, Greninja," he assured, "Honestly, I couldn't have asked for much better," he affirmed on, patting the Ninja Pokémon's back.
"Jah," he croaked gratefully, standing up. They then walked over and approached Calvin.
"Oh, Trent!" he said. His rival held out his right hand to him.
"Thanks for the amazing battle," he told him in gratitude, "You're not just some kid riding his dad's coattails," he pointed out to his surprise, "You're a real ace trainer," he confirmed with a grin, "That's what makes you so great!" he remarked.
"Jah!" Greninja agreed.
"Thanks, Trent," Calvin responded, taking his right hand and shaking it firmly with his own.
"And now, the stage is set for the final round of the first-ever Alola League!" Jim confirmed into the microphone. The video boards showed both of the Ketchum twins next to each other. "Calvin and Erika Ketchum are set to duke it out in a full, six-on-six match the day after tomorrow!" the play-by-play commentator pointed out, "Who'll take the title of Alola's first champion?!" he wondered loudly.
Turning his head, Calvin shared a look with his twin sister. Soon, they would finally get to battle again. And it looked to be one for the ages…
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 that concludes the semifinals of the Alola League! What'd you all think? Personally, I can't believe I've managed to get this far with the story. And I'm only looking forward to the remaining chapters that'll be covering the finals.
But for next time, we've got a bit of a break on deck. It's time for the twins to prepare for their final battle! Here's a summary to hold you over!
SUMMARY
The stage is set for the finals! And many people are coming to pay witness to the birth of Alola's first champion, including some new faces! As Calvin and Erika prepare their strategies, who'll they get to meet?!
END SUMMARY
Thanks for reading, everyone! I'll see you all later!