We're now at the point in the tournament where most of the battles are more major compared to some of the others. As such I'll be trying to write them to be more action packed as well. Aside from that, the ones that aren't considered too major will have other segments with the other characters and I'll try to keep things moving. Anyway, enjoy!
Sleep came difficult to Jack after he had listened to the information regarding Singularity and the rest of Team Dark Star. Too many thoughts scrambled in his head as he tried to rest until a dreamless sleep came to him. He had awoken the next morning before Diego did, normally he would have woken him up to prepare for his battle but he ultimately decided against it. The explanations he had been giving regarding Singularity and his actions had deeply rooted themselves into his min and Jack's primary focus was now ensuring that the whole organization burned. Typhoon was the one who got his physical description and was the one to ultimately turn Jack into a wanted man, and he still had a grudge against him for that, but it was under Singularity's order. That fact already put the Dark Star boss on Jack's bad side, but learning what that man did to his wife and daughter turned that anger into sheer fury. Jack had remembered his mom and dad telling him stories about how the bosses of Team Aqua and Team Magma weren't the nicest of people, but they ultimately reformed themselves for the better. People like Malakai Paraeah though... they could get no such redemption.
It wasn't until he felt his PokeNav vibrate in his pocket that his thoughts finally shifted to something else. His League battle was among the first of the day and his opponent was coincidentally a former Dark Star member. With the short amount of time he had before the battle, Jack tried to think of a strategy. If Max battled even remotely similarly to Sandra, he was going to be in for a tough fight. Max was definitely going to be a crafty opponent, he is a scientist after all, and as he gave Jack his Banettite that could imply that Max himself specialized in Ghost pokemon, or at least had a Banette of his own. If that was the case then Mightyena and Jack's own Banette would be useful, though Max would likely have precautions in place to counter the two.
Jack looked over at the rest of the bracket, the fact that the tournament was down to the top 16 seemed surreal. A good number of his friends were still in the tournament as well, so there would be a pretty big chance that he would have to eventually face them. In fact, his traveling companions made up exactly half of their side of the bracket. Later in the day, Renée would have to face someone named Jin, Jack didn't know who he was but he was sure Renée would win. If she did though, she would have to face whoever won between Diego and Pandora which was a match that Jack was both excited and a bit concerned to see. Of course he wanted his best friend to win, but knowing how timid Pandora could be and how she felt towards Diego, he wasn't sure how it would end up.
Then there was the battle that would take place shortly after Jack's own; Julia facing off against Alan. Jack and Diego had their first real battle against each other shortly after receiving their first pokemon, but Alan felt like the first real test Jack had as a trainer. Despite their encounters with each other being rather uncommon, the two felt like bitter rivals and he knew that Alan would be relentless against Julia. It would certainly be rough to watch and he was definitely not in the mood to see Alan talk down to anyone, especially Julia. Jack felt conflicted about the thought of facing Julia, but against Alan he knew that, if nothing else, it would potentially be one of the most intense fights of the whole tournament.
"Morning Jack." Diego yawned, pulling Jack away from his thoughts.
"Morning." Jack replied, his voice still a bit sharp as he sounded on edge. His tone prompted Diego to raise an eyebrow and look towards his friend in concern.
"You alright man? I know what went down last night was heavy but... you said you want to kill the Dark Star boss..."
"I know..." Jack sighed. "But you have to understand where I'm coming from. That man tortured and sacrificed countless pokemon just to play God with his two abominations and frame ME for his crimes! Then I come to learn that he's been torturing pokemon for years and joined not one but two different terrorist organizations, serving no sort of punishment for his time with either of them, then he goes on to do unspeakable things to his daughter, who is a child, which pushes his wife to end her own life! That demonic bastard is still walking around and his kid has to live with what happened!"
"Dude, this isn't you!" Diego snapped, getting up and placing his hands on his friend's shoulders as he looked right into Jack's eyes. "We don't know where that creep is, but the Professor and his people are gonna find them. We'll handle them together, all of us, and make sure he pays for what he's done! But when we finally catch him I don't want you to take him out. If you do then you'll be no better than he is and you know that!"
As Diego let go of Jack, the black-haired young man let out a sharp breath he wasn't even aware he was holding.
"Right..."
"Look man." Diego continued, giving Jack a warm smile. "Why don't we get some breakfast and for now you focus on that battle of yours coming up. Getting hung up on this ain't healthy. Besides, your family back in Hoenn is watching and I don't think your parents would like you looking like a Primeape on camera."
That remark managed to get a chuckle out of Jack as his mood seemed to lift, even if just a bit.
"Alright, alright. I am pretty hungry."
It was as if the universe wanted Jack's mood to brighten as a knock on the door caught the attention of the two boys, opening it revealed the twins who gave the two boys a cheerful smile that had a hint of concern when they were aimed at Jack.
"Good morning!" Julia sang as she gave Jack a big hug. The blush on the boy's face wasn't as pronounced as usual but it was still noticeable to Renée and Diego, who exchanged a look of relief.
"It looks like someone's in a better mood." Renée noted.
"So, you're not still mad about everything we heard last night?" Julia asked.
"No, I'm definitely still mad." Jack replied. "But I know now's not the time for me to focus on that."
Julia silently sighed in relief before the sound of Diego's stomach rumbling broke the silence.
"And on that note, let's get some grub!" Diego proclaimed, though Renée blocked him from advancing.
"Oh no, you are not going out there in your pajamas!" She asserted, forcing him over to the room's closet to change as Julia and Jack laughed.
The four trainers had made their way to the dining room of their hotel and had gotten their food. Renée and Jack looked around for some of their classmates and did see a few of them, but their teacher and the other officers were nowhere to be found. Cynthia was also nowhere to be found and it could be assumed that she was with the officers, Verity likely with her mother. With the rest of their classmates either not there or currently preoccupied, the group sat at a table amongst themselves, wanting to avoid the topics discussed the previous night, they instead chose to talk about the tournament.
"Guess we'll be facing against each other next round." Diego stated as he nudged Renée in her arm. Julia's eyes widened a bit as she sank into her seat.
"You don't know that yet." The more grounded twin replied.
"Let's be honest though, it's gonna happen." The confident trainer shrugged. "I mean, come on, we've managed to smash through everyone that's we've been up against in this tournament so far, what's stopping us now? You're gonna beat whoever you're against and then face me after I beat Pandora later. I will admit that it kinda stinks that I'll have to face off against her, but I don't plan on letting her off easy. Aside from that, Jack's gonna beat Max and Julia's gonna mop the floor with that jerk, Alan!"
"Someone is most certainly confident in his abilities." The four turned to see Max giving them a formal smile. "Though I suppose if one manages to defeat Sandra, they have a right to be confident."
"Oh hey, this guy's here to say the same edgy-sounding stuff that Sandra was telling me before I battled her." Max raised an eyebrow but decided to ignore Diego's comment.
"I can assure you that I have no intention of trying to goad Jack into forfeiting. I was simply going to say that I was going to the arena now and that I wished for him to join me, there are some things I wanted to discuss with him."
Jack looked over to his friends, the four not really sure what Max wanted to talk about but nobody really had any reason to decline.
"I guess I'll see you guys in the arena." Jack said, grabbing one last muffin before getting up and walking with Max. The two were silent as they exited the hotel, the sky was cloudy but it didn't look like it would rain, at least not anytime soon. With a cough to clear his throat, Max began to speak.
"Well, Jack, I suppose we should discuss the metaphorical Copperajah in the room; Singularity and the rest of Team Dark Star must be beaten."
"Yup, and the next time I see that man I'll tear him apart!"
"Yes, I suppose we all share that sentiment. However, while your reaction to learning what we did is natural, I feel as though I can speak for everyone who was with us when I say that you shouldn't let your anger cloud your judgement. It may cause you to do or say something that you might regret." Jack looked down at his feet as the two continued to walk. "Besides, I would like to battle you at your best, when your mind is clear and your focus is on me."
With a sigh, Jack looked at his opponent and gave him a friendly smile.
"Right." He nodded. "I've come too far to let myself lose sight of what's important right now." The two arrived at the arena as a few members of the audience began to enter.
"Precisely." Max's expression then changed to one that was much more serious as he turned to look at Jack right in his eyes. "Now as I said earlier, I'm not like Sandra, I won't try to psyche you out and boast about my abilities. Though there is a reason I have reached this point of the tournament. While my friend's battle strategy involves her overwhelming her opponents with her Fire type pokemon and attacks, my way of battling is different. I won't tell you my strategy, though I'm sure you at least have some sort of idea of what kind of pokemon I specialize in. If you've forgotten, I'm the one who gave you your Banettite, and I told you that I have one of my own. But whether I use my Mega pokemon or not is something you will have to wonder as you plan your own strategy."
"Not to mention what sort of field our battle will be on." Jack added.
"Of course, we may have a field that benefits or hinders me, you, or neither of us. You are a strong and resourceful trainer, Jack. Even if he allowed you to win, holding your own against Singularity is no small feat, and you've only grown more since you first fought him. I'd like for you to show me just how much you've grown and I will show you the same. Regardless of what happens I'm sure this battle will be spectacular! May the best man win, Jack."
With a shake of hands, both boys went their separate ways as they entered the arena...
"Goood morning everyone!" Dallas the announcer greeted. "We're back with another round of the Indigo Tournament! After some of the blazing hot battles of the previous round, we start with a battle that just might be as adrenaline-pumping!"
"That's right, Dallas." Juanita added. "Many viewers agreed that the battle between Sandra and Diego stole the show yesterday, now we begin today's battles with the best friends and traveling partners of those two. From Littleroot Town, we have Jack, who many have considered to be one of the potential winners of the tournament as a whole."
"He's certainly someone to keep an eye on, but up against him is a trainer some might consider a sleeper pick to win. From Hearthome City up in Sinnoh, hereeee's Max!"
"Whew, right on time!" Diego said as he and the twins took their seats in the audience.
"I wouldn't exactly say 'right on time' but you all arrived right before the battle begun." Sandra remarked, startling the three who did not realize she was there. Her brother sitting on the other side of the fiery redhead.
"Should have figured you would be here." Renée noted.
"Of course, Max is my traveling companion and friend. It would be rude of me to not be here."
"Plus she wanted to be here to support her boyfriend." Apollo chuckled, causing the redheaded girl to turn as red as her hair.
"He is not my boyfriend!" She snapped before taking a deep breath to try composing herself, her brother roaring in laughter. In an attempt to change the subject, she turned to the three trainers. "So where's, um, you know who and her daughter."
"Oh, you mean Aunt C?" Julia asked. "She's with Looker planning our next move against 'them' while the Professor and Looker watch over our cousin."
"I see." Sandra nodded, Apollo stopped laughing as he heard the mention of TDS. "And what about Jack? He looks to have calmed down a bit after what we all learned, but who knows what could be going on in his head." Julia sighed softly as she looked down at Jack.
"We don't exactly know. We talked about it and he says he'll try to not let it get to him but it's definitely still on his mind." Renée admitted. "We're all kind of just hoping he won't completely lose it if they ever show their faces again." Sandra nodded in understanding as everyone's eyes went back to the field.
The two trainers took their places on the battlefield and took a moment to look at the terrain. Like the mirror field, the space they were given appeared to be under a glass dome. Dotted along the dome in a hexagon pattern were small, yellow lenses that appeared to project the field onto the interior of the glass, blocking the audience from the view of the two trainers. Instead, Max and Jack saw what appeared to be stars dotting the night sky all around them. The space they were meant to battle on looked to be a field made out of stars and cosmic dust packed together to look solid.
"Looks like we'll be starting off with one of our more visually impressive fields. This is the Starlight Field!" Dallas began. "Who's going to take their place among the stars? Which of these two will end up becoming a falling star? Make a wish and let's find out!"
"I... I don't even know what to say to that..." Juanita responded. "Let's just get this battle started."
The two boys cast their gazes away from the arena and at each other, neither of the two saying anything for they had already said what they needed to before and simply threw their pokeballs to begin the battle. Jack's Fearow stretched her wings before becoming airborne and turning to look at her owner.
"Jack... Boss?" The voice from nowhere made Jack look around a bit. "It's us, in here." Jack looked down at the pokeballs on his belt as they twitched ever so slightly.
"Good, you can hear us all again."
"Gallade?" Jack asked softly.
"Yes. Looks like the telepathic link we all had before was severed a while back. Before it was because of the massive amount of humans and pokemon in the area clouding the connection. Even though we managed to regain that connection, your mind was so clouded with a myriad of emotions that we couldn't complete the connection until now."
'That's great but I don't think this is really the best time for this...' Jack replied mentally.
'That's true. The six of us just wanted to reach out to you first. We wanted to talk after this fight is over, for now though we should focus on the task at hand.'
With attention now refocused on the field, Jack was able to watch Max send out his first pokemon. Despite the arena looking like a collection of stardust, the full weight of Max's Golurk stomping onto the field shook the ground.
"And here we go!" Dallas announced. "Fearow versus Golurk. An interesting opener for sure, both pokemon have their advantages and disadvantages against the other."
"True, but I don't think we'll be seeing the field have much of an effect, at least not yet. The most we can do is watch and see how things turn out."
"Well than, Jack, show me just how skilled you are!" Max proclaimed. "Golurk, Ice Punch."
"I intend to." Jack replied. "Fearow, use Drill Peck!"
The Automaton pokemon rushed forward as fast as it could, which wasn't all that fast given its large size, its right arm rearing to deliver a massive punch with the spiritual energy within Golurk's body condensing into it's hand and cooling the air around it enough for a cold mist to form around it. As it reared back to throw the punch, the Beak pokemon dove down towards the ground, avoiding the strike and rising upward in a spinning motion, drilling its beak into the ghosts pokemon and knocking it backwards. As the Automaton stumbled and tried to regain its balance with a pained hum.
"One more time!" Jack ordered. With a shrill shriek, Fearow spun towards Golurk as the golem regained its footing.
"I'm afraid tricks like that won't work twice. Golurk, knock that bird down with Brick Break!"
Despite its silent and emotionless form, Golurk appeared to have a glint in its eye as it reared its arm back and prepared its attack. Fearow aimed its attack at the crack of escaping energy on the Ghost's torso getting closer and closer until...
WHAM!
A swift chop smashed the bird pokemon right onto the field faster than anyone was expecting! Golurk towered over the avian pokemon, who was stunned by the strike and croaked out in pain while slowly rising back up onto her talons. Despite his attack connecting full on, Jack couldn't help but notice Max shaking his head in what appeared to be disappointment.
"Oooh, that definitely had to hurt!" Dallas announced. "That fist of Golurk has to be just as big as Fearow itself! Who could have guessed that Golurk was hiding just how bad it could move, too!"
"Not bad so far, but I want these two to start using the field to their advantage." Juanita added. "I know they're both resourceful enough to do it!"
"So Max specializes in Ghosts?" Diego pondered.
"For the most part. Just as I do, he uses several pokemon that can cover up the weaknesses of the type he prefers or have abilities and attacks that can do the same. Just as you did, Diego, Jack will have to get creative if he wants to win. It's strange though, something about Max seems... off. What that is though, I'm not sure."
"Follow up with Heavy Slam!"
With what sounded like a low grumble, Golurk crouched a bit before leaped high into the air and reaching the top of the dome they were battling in. With a cross of its legs in midair, the behemoth began to plummet towards the ground with its hindquarters aimed square at the Beak pokemon.
"Not a chance!" Jack proclaimed. "Fearow, use Quick Attack to get away!"
Just as Golurk was getting close, Fearow lunged forward and zoomed into the air. Golurk landed with a heavy boom as Fearow turned back towards the Ghost.
"Golurk, get up and use Ice Punch!"
"Don't give them the chance, Fearow! Use Throat Chop!"
"Fearow can use Throat Chop?" Diego asked in shock. "What is it chopping with?!"
"I wasn't aware that it could use Quick Attack either. "It looks like Jack was might have been more prepared than any of us anticipated."
The Automaton slowly rose back to its feet and prepared another punch, but wasn't able to rear its fist back before Fearow dove right into it with a beak cloaked in a dark energy that almost looked like it had additional starlight flowing into it. The sheer force of Fearow's momentum pushed Golurk onto its back. The green energy on its body dimming ever so slightly as it stopped moving.
"And there's the first one down! Now, I'm not sure if any of you were able to catch that, but that Throat Chop was indeed boosted by the field! On this field, Dark type attacks receive a power boost, but is that really the only thing this field does?" Dallas exclaimed.
"It was a bit hard to tell, but I'll let it slide this time. After all, Throat Chop is one of my favorite moves." Juanita added with a shrug.
"Aww yeah, first blood!" Diego cheered as the twins clapped.
"The field's power boost to Dark moves is certainly an interesting quirk of the field but it isn't as much of a hindrance to Max as you might be expecting. If Jack isn't careful then the field itself may end up being used against him." Sandra noted as she adjusted her glasses.
Max remained silent as he recalled his Golurk and sent out a Dusknoir. The Gripper pokemon opened up the jaw on its abdomen and let out a bellowing roar. The darkness of the field made its singular eye stand out even more.
"Another Ghost? Even after we just saw Jack's Fearow use a Dark type move?" Juanita questioned.
"Bold move." Dallas agreed. "But you don't get this far without making some of those, what could Max be planning?"
Jack had that exact question on his mind as he watched his opponents, unsure of what their next move would be. Max appeared to be doing the same as he simply stood with his hands behind his back and a stoic look of calmness on his face. With the action almost coming to a complete standstill, Diego was just about to vocalize his boredom when Jack finally spoke.
"Guess we'll have to do this then. Use Drill Peck!" As the bird began to speed forward, Jack watched Dusknoir closely. 'You wanted me to make the first move so that you could make your counterattack. Well, you got your wish...' He thought to himself.
Max appeared to wait until Fearow was only seconds away from Dusknoir before making his move.
"Will-O-Wisp!"
"Noir!" The ghost bellowed, its jaw opening wide as the beast waved its arms and summoned purple flames all around its form. Fearow slammed right into the flames and squawked out in agony as her feathers began to burn.
"Now follow up with a Thunder Punch!" With its target stunned by the burns, Dusknoir reared back its right hand and rammed it into Fearow's abdomen. Sparks burst out upon impact and the poor bird pokemon croaked out in pain before collapsing onto the ground in a heap twitching ever so slightly but unable to do much else.
"Yeesh that was brutal! I loved it!" Juanita squealed.
"It certainly was, and with the playing field now even, what will Jack do next?" Dallas added. Without missing a beat, Jack sent out his Mightyena as his second pokemon. The Bite pokemon sniffing at the air within the field for a moment before turning his attention at the Ghost.
"Seems you're trying to take advantage of the power boost the field gives Dark attacks." Max presumed with his assumptions affirmed as Jack nodded his head.
"Hey, if an opportunity to do more damage presents itself in a battle like this then I'd be a fool to not take it."
"I suppose that's well said. But it's a shame that I will not let you take that opportunity!"
"Sucker Punch!" "Will-O-Wisp!"
Mightyena appeared to almost sink into the shadows as it lunged forward, he was almost completely invisible the only sign of movement being small bits of star dust catching onto where the hound was moving, almost making the canine look like some sort of comet in the dark field as it's dark grey body turned into a soft silver. As Mightyena moved Dusknoir began to create another barrier of flames surround. As he reared in close, Mightyena saw an opening between the small flaming spheres and smashed its skull right into Dusknoir's abdomen, creating an explosion of stardust that appeared to glow in the darkness.
The sheer power of the attack and the added dust threw Dusknoir for a loop as the Gripper reached down for its abdomen in pain and groaned.
"Now follow through with Crunch!"
Max tried to command his pokemon to use Brick Break, but the most Dusknoir could do is lift its head up and watch as the Bite pokemon pounced onto it with its fangs bared. A muffled scream rang through the field as Dusknoir fell onto its back, its screams dying down as its arms went limp.
"Now that is brutal!" Dallas exclaimed as Juanita clapped at the sight with a wide grin. "Those terrain-boosted attacks mopped the floor with Dusknoir, a pokemon that already has surprising bulk. If it can go down that easily to only two attacks on this field, who knows what else this battle might have in store for us!"
"Very impressive." Max hummed. "Allow me to be cliche for a moment and say that this was just the easy bit. Now begins the real test!" Just as Max sent out a Malamar as his third pokemon, Jack recalled his Mightyena. "Oh, is there a reason you chose to call back your Mightyena?"
"With how well he does on this field, it would be smart to save him for when it's absolutely necessary." Jack answered as he sent out his Kingdra, the sparkles that came out of its pokeball upon being released almost mixed into the stars among the field. Despite the field lacking water of any kind, Kingdra appeared to be able to breathe and float in the air without any problems. Max smirked and nodded at the answer before addressing his pokemon.
"This is it, Jack! If you can't knock out Malamar then this battle will end faster than you'll be able to comprehend! Malamar, use Superpower!"
The Overturning pokemon's eyes and six abdominal lights began to glow reared its two large tentacles back and began to lunge at the Water pokemon.
"Scald!" Jack commanded. As Malamar grew closer, the Dragon pokemon blasted out a burst of boiling hot water that hit its target dead on. The heat turned Malamar's sleek skin a bright red as small flames began to spark off of its body. Despite the burning, Malamar pressed onward and delivered a smack to the aquatic pokemon, who managed to take the hit much more easily due to the burns weakening Malamar's physical strength.
"AH, YES, YES! BURN!" Juanita cheered.
"Remind me not to get on your bad side..." Dallas remarked as he moved himself away from his co-announcer ever so slightly.
"I think I like that announcer chick." Apollo snickered.
"You would..." Sandra scoffed before turning to the rest of the gang. "I hope Jack knows he got lucky with that attack burning Malamar."
"Nah, that's what we call skill right there!" Diego assured, placing his hands behind his head and leaning back into his seat.
"Lucky or not, I'm sure Jack would have had a backup plan in case it didn't burn."
"And do you know what that plan may have been?" The silence Sandra received seemed to tell her all she needed to know. "I thought so."
"Bravo. You managed to burn my pokemon, but with my Malamar's Contrary ability and the power of this field, I don't think that will be much of a factor, and we'll show you why! Malamar, use Psycho Cut!"
With its body lighting up again, the Overturning pokemon raised its tentacles and raced forward with surprising speed. Its appendages gathering the astral energy of the field as the whip-like tentacles sharpened to an absurd degree as the pokemon made its first swipe at Kingdra. The seahorse pokemon swiftly dodged the attack and then dodged another tentacle coming for her in a downward swipe. As Kingdra continued to avoid the swipes, Jack watched the two closely with a certain focus in his eyes while Max called for his pokemon to continue the assault.
"Your pokemon can't dodge forever."
"She doesn't need to, all we need is timing! Kingdra, Signal Beam!"
Malamar swiped with both tentacles in a cross-swipe only to miss when Kingdra ducked under the attack and aimed her snout at Malamar's midsection. More stardust seeped into Kingdra's snout before being blasted out into the Dark pokemon with the dust causing starlight to surge within the beam as it looked like it had almost cut clean through Malamar as it was blasted back to Max, the pokemon's luminescent body shutting off as the pokemon groaned in pain and tried to get back onto its feet only to collapse back down again.
"Wow, and with a star powered Signal Beam, Jack has furthered his lead!" Dallas exclaimed. "Talk about getting your Signals crossed, am I right?!"
"I'd say your bad puns are sending everyone mixed signals, Dallas. But Max is down to just two pokemon remaining. If he wants to advance he's going to have to pull out his absolute best, use the field to his advantage, and maybe even have a bit of luck on his side."
"Hmph." Sandra scoffed. "Luck is irrelevant. Still, with everything that's transpired in this tournament so far, perhaps miracles can happen."
"Yeah, but it's not gonna be for your boy." Diego proclaimed. "Jack's got this in the bag!"
"It's not over yet. Don't get me wrong, I want Jack to win too, but Max is smart. He might have something none of us are expecting."
"There is one thing that bothers me." Sandra added. "It doesn't seem like Max is battling to win."
"What do you mean?" Renée asked, raising an eyebrow in both confusion and intrigue.
"When you spend enough time with someone, you start to pick up on distinct qualities they have in and out of battle. Max usually has more energy and spirit in him, but right now it's like he's all business..."
Back on the field, Max sighed and nodded to himself as he reached for his next pokemon's ball. With a glint in his eye he tossed it onto the field, the pokemon that emerged from it made Jack's eyes go wide in surprise. Instead of the Banette he had been anticipating, a Sharpedo with it's Key Stone dangling from its top fin stared at his Kingdra with a nasty glare.
"That look in your eye tells me that you were expecting something else." Max began. "But you should know by now that things are not always what they appear to be. Whatever strategy or plan you had before must have just faded away! Adapt, Jack, that's all you can do now!"
"Yeah, I definitely wasn't expecting a Sharpedo, but you're forgetting that it's still a Dark type. We've just shown how easily we can blow one back, especially in this Starlight field! Kingdra, let's show them another Signal Beam."
"It's never that simple, Jack! Protect!"
The starlight infused beam once again blasted out of Kingdra's snout and generated a dazzling light throughout the arena before being completely blocked by the barrier that the Brutal pokemon created. The shield sparkled in a black, blue and silver hexagonal designed light that almost matched that of the arena.
"Wait, if that's the pokemon he's going to Mega Evolve, why didn't he do it right away?" Diego asked.
"Speed Boost." Renée answered.
"Huh?"
"One of Sharpedo's abilities before it Mega Evolves is Speed Boost. Max didn't need to do it right away if he was going to use Protect and have his pokemon become faster than Jack's entire team. That's when he'll activate his Mega Evolution and just overpower whatever Jack tried to throw at him."
"Bingo, Sunshine." Apollo chimed in. "Your boy is gonna have to work fast if he wants to win, pun entirely intended." Julia looked back at the field with a concerned expression as she waited for what would happen next.
Max's gaze darkened as he activated the Key Stone he had on his armband. "Well Jack, this is where your test truly begins! If you cannot beat my last two pokemon, then you cannot even think about beating Dark Star at their best! Sharpedo, use your own Crunch!"
"Signal Be-!" Jack called out.
In a burst of light, the Shark pokemon emerged from a cocoon of light in its transformed state and rushed at Kingdra faster than she or Jack could react to and sank its powered up jaw into the weakened aquatic pokemon. Once it released Kingdra from its maw, the Dragon had already passed out and couldn't move as it collapsed onto the starry field in a heap.
"Incredible! With just one move Max has shortened Jack's lead! Do I smell the beginning of a comeback?" Dallas asked.
"I think that's just you." Juanita scoffed. "Though that does explain why I'm feeling nauseous."
"Now there's no need to be rude Juanita, we're both professionals!"
'Kingdra took a few hits against Malamar, but with its burn it shouldn't have done all that much and Kingdra definitely had more in the tank. I know the announcers mentioned Dark moves getting a power boost, but do they change type, too? Malamar's Psycho Cut looked like it also got powered up. I'm taking a really big risk doing this, but I don't have too much of a choice right now...'
A bead of sweat dripped down Jack's head as he sent out his Venusaur, Max hummed to himself as he saw Jack's choice.
"A type advantage won't help you here. Sharpedo, use Psychic Fangs!"
"Oh come on, that thing can use Psychic type attacks?!" Diego called out.
The Brutal pokemon swam through the field just as easily as it would swim through water, Jack caught a glimpse of Sharpedo's teeth lined with purple energy and what appeared to be stars patterned on the energy itself as it chomped down onto his strongest pokemon. The Seed pokemon let out a wail of pain as Sharpedo's teeth sank into his flower. Despite the super-effective attack and the power boost the field was granting it, Venusaur let out a soft croak of pain and took the attack, though taking heavy breaths while shaking in pain from the bite.
"Hang in there! Use Spring Buds!" Jack commanded. Venusaur steadied himself and rustled the large flower on his back. A barrage of seeds blasted out and bombarded the Shark, some immediately spread their roots and sapped the energy of the Mega pokemon.
"Use Psychic Fangs one more time!"
"Stop them with Giga Drain!"
The Buds managed to slow Sharpedo down just enough for Venusaur to send out an array of vines to catch Sharpedo, who's fangs were already bared and glowing. With a roar, Venusaur began to drain Sharpedo's energy, causing the Mega pokemon to cry out in agony. After about half a minute Venusaur finally released Sharpedo, and allowed it to collapse onto the ground of the field and transform back into its base form, the formerly Mega pokemon no longer able to battle.
"Wow, what an astounding move! That Giga Drain managed to heal Venusaur back quite a bit! Max is also down to his last pokemon, Jack might have this one all wrapped up, folks!" Max looked at Jack and clutched his last pokeball.
"Perhaps this battle is over, but before it ends I need to know if you're ready for anything, even the unexpected. Let's see if you're able to take down this last pokemon as easily as the rest of my team!"
With a bit more pep in his toss, Max sent out his last pokemon which, at the very minimum, certainly raised a few eyebrows. It was a Typhlosion, but not one that the audience was familiar with. The flames that sprouted from this Typhlosion had more of a pink and purple tint to it as well as a few flames shaped like orbs sprouting from its neck, which also had the blue fur that normal Typhlosion usually only have on their back. The shape of the fur almost made this Typhlosion look like it was wearing some sort of hood.
"WOW! This is certainly a first!" Dallas observed. "Max's last pokemon is a Hisuian Typhlosion! They were once thought to be completely extinct until very recent scientific research allowed for the recreation of the type of environment of the ancient Hisui region, now known as modern day Sinnoh."
"That's right." Juanita added. "And this environmental recreations have allowed pokemon that once lived in Hisui to live again in the modern era. They're very rare as of right now, so even seeing one is an experience in and of itself! The fact that it's my favorite Hisuian pokemon only makes this more amazing!"
"That's a Hisuian Typhlosion?" Renée asked in awe, Sandra nodded with a delighted smirk.
"It certainly is! Max had taken a short trip to Ecruteak City over in Johto before the tournament to study the history there and to continue his training. He told me that the Burned Tower there is actually a special 'power spot' which is the perfect environment for a Quilava to evolve into a Hisuian Typhlosion. Other spots like that exist around the world for other pokemon that have Hisuian forms and evolutions, but research for them is still ongoing."
Diego curiously scanned the regional variant with his pokedex.
'Typhlosion, Hisuian Form; the Ghost Flame Pokemon. Said to purify lost, foresaken souls with its flames and guide them to the afterlife. It is believed its form has origionally been influenced by the energy of the sacred mountain towering at Hisui's center that is known today as Mt. Coronet.'
"This is it, Jack!" Max began. "It's now or nothing! Typhlosion, use Fire Blast!"
"Nature Power!"
Typhlosion clasped its hands together and grinned, summoning balls of flame from thin air and letting out a soft laugh as it launched the attack at Venusaur. The Seed pokemon began to glow white as its body absorbed the energy of the field. With a flash in his eyes, Jack's Venusaur roared and exhaled an off-pink sphere from its mouth. The sphere absorbed the cosmic dust, with it forming a crescent moon within the attack. As the lunar energy surged through the Moonblast, it collided with the Fire Blast. The two attacks exploding into a thick cloud of smoke.
"Hold your ground, Venusaur!" Jack commanded.
"Now Typhlosion, reveal yourself and use Fire Blast again!" Max ordered. The Ghost Flame pokemon leaped out of the smoke, surprising both Jack and his pokemon. Jack called for Venusaur to use Nature Power again, but with Typhlosion being much closer than the previous time, Venusaur was left with no time to charge the attack. With a pained roar, Vensaur was left to be engulfed in the flames and succumb to the damage it had taken as Typhlosion looked down upon his fallen form and snickered.
"And that Typhlosion is certainly bringing the heat as this battle is now at a two against one scenario!" Juanita announced, her excitement clearer than ever. "Can this enchanting pokemon bring this battle back in Max's favor?"
'Well it's still definitely a Fire type...' Jack thought to himself. 'Would have liked to hit it with Spring Buds though. This field seems to make Dark moves stronger but also makes them deal Fairy type damage too, so Mightyena wouldn't be too bad here but still not ideal. But he's already Mega Evolved while I still have mine!'
"Well, you didn't bring your's but I certainly brought mine!" Jack exclaimed, sending out his Banette and activating his own Key Stone to empower it immediately. The purple-haired boy couldn't help but laugh upon seeing the Marionette pokemon.
"Haha, I see you were planning on us having a sort of Banette Showdown!" He cackled. "Well, truth be told, I wasn't against the idea and Banette is actually my favorite pokemon. But I have my reasons for not bringing it to this battle. For now though, I'm afraid I'll have to put your pokemon down; Typhlosion, Shadow Ball!"
"Shadow Sneak!" Jack commanded. Max's Typhlosion began to softly cry out as if it were chanting as the ghostly energy came together in its hands to form the attack. With a shout, the Ghost Flame pokemon lobbed the sphere at Banette like a baseball. Just like Mightyena before it, Banette slipped into the darkness of the field, though unlike his canine teammate, Banette did not gather any of the field's dust as it moved.
From seemingly out of thin air, the gold of Banette's zipper mouth was the first part of his body to appear as the rest of his body soon followed. The Marionette pokemon delivered a quick smack to Typhlosion head. With a quick grimace and yelp of pain from the attack, Typhlosion recoiled before glaring at Banette with a devious smirk that it shared with its trainer.
"Thank you for getting close! Infernal Parade!"
Typhlosion's eyes began to glow a deep purple color and a lowly growl ignited the flames that burned around the neck of Typhlosion. More spectral purple flames sprouted from the air around the Hisuian pokemon and with a wave of its hands, the flames burst onto Banette. With the Marionette being in such close proximity to its opponent and having must completed an attack, there was no chance to evade. The flames circles around Banette, encircling the Ghost with an indescribable heat and blasting it back ever so slightly while also causing him to burst into flames. Despite the pain, Banette stood back up onto his feet, his zipper closed shut to muffle his screams of discomfort.
"Hang on Banette, let's get this done as fast as we can! Shadow Claw!"
Despite his weakened power, Banette threw himself at Typhlosion and raked the face of the Fire pokemon with his own burning claw. The super-effective attack managed to stun Typhlosion but it was nowhere near enough to take the Hisuian pokemon down.
"Take them out with another Infernal Parade!"
More flames battered Banette, the added flames added to the burns the Marionette was already suffering from and consumed his entire form. Once more Banette was blasted away, though now in its base form as the embers danced in the air upon the attack's end. Banette tried to stand for a moment before succumbing to the pain and fainting where he stood.
"And with that gorgeous attack, Max has evened this up to a one-on-one scenario!" Juanita announced. "Is the power of ancient Hisui going to be enough for Max to move on to the top eight?!"
"Nah... nah Jack's still got this!" Diego said, eyes locked on his friend. Sandra and Apollo both remained silent. Typhlosion laughed to itself as Jack recalled his pokemon, the young man sweating a bit as he was admittedly growing nervous. As he watched the regional variant cackle, he noticed that the pokemon itself was also sweating. In between its laughs, the Ghost Flame pokemon was gasping for breath and rubbing the spot that Banette scratched, a noticeable mark left on its face. With a bit of his confidence returning, Jack sent his Mightyena back out onto the field. One way or another this battle would soon end.
"This is it, Jack." Max called out. "Your last chance to advance. Regardless of what happens I want you to know that this was an enjoyable battle."
"For sure." Jack answered. "But I'm going to be the one who moves on."
"Is that so? Well, you'll have to be able to withstand the force of my Hisuian Typhlosion. Speaking of which, Typhlosion, use Focus Blast!"
"You can't beat what you can't touch! Mightyena, Sucker Punch!"
Typhlosion steadied its breath and shut its eyes, hands raised above it. A bright yellow ball of energy began to form and expand in the air, the sphere almost resembling a lone star in the night sky. With a deep breath, Typhlosion flung the sphere towards the Bite pokemon. The hound snarled as it sped into the dark field, passing right by the field and stopping right in front of the Ghost Flame.
Instead of shock, Typhlosion instead smirked as clenched its fist, shifting the momentum of the Focus Blast and forcing it towards Mightyena's new location at a breakneck speed. In a swift motion, Mightyena pounced into Typhlosion, with the hound driving its skull right onto the scratch mark left by Banette only seconds before the Focus Blast would have hit its mark. With its concentration now shattered, the sphere broke apart and faded into nothingness as Typhlosion stumbled backwards, its vision beginning to blur as the Ghost Flame pokemon began to lose its footing. As the flames on its shoulders finally extinguished, Typhlosion collapsed onto the field, raising its hand as if to reach out towards any remaining willpower it might have had to battle, but alas it was not meant to be as the Hisuian pokemon finally lost consciousness. With a secure victory, Mightyena gave off a mighty howl as the hound allowed the stardust to dance around him.
"And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen! It seems the stars aligned for Jack to come out on top in this battle!" Dallas exclaimed. With a sigh of relief, Jack recalled his pokemon and looked towards Max, who recalled his own pokemon and looked at him in the eyes, nodding his head and giving the young man a smile.
"Congratulations, Jack." The purple haired boy began. "That was a spectacular battle. I'm pleased to see you pass my test."
"Test?" Jack asked.
"Yes. If we are to try beating back Team Dark Star and their boss, I needed to know if you were truly up for the challenge. I've had the displeasure of seeing only a fraction of how strong Singularity truly is firsthand. While I would have liked to win this battle and advance in this tournament, I needed to know I could put my faith in a trainer who had the drive to stop that man. You already have the confidence, but now I know that you just might be strong enough to do it. So, Jack, you have my support to go all the way in this tournament. So do it, go on and become the Champion that will finally put Team Dark Star down!" Hearing that made Jack give the type of smile that his friends were happy to see.
"I will." Jack replied. "Count on it!"
"That was awesome! You really made it to the quarter-finals!" Julia cheered as she and the others caught up with the two combatants.
"Well it definitely wasn't easy. I certainly wasn't expecting to go up against a pokemon from Hisui." Jack admitted.
"In fairness that was only the first true battle I've used my Typhlosion in." Max explained. "Thankfully it exceeded my expectations."
"You really must let me know how exactly you evolved it. I might want one for myself." Sandra added. "Still, what Max said after the battle rings true. Regardless of who wins this tournament, we all need to be strong enough to take down Team Dark Star."
"And we will be." Renée stated. "Those creeps won't know what hit 'em! For now though, let's wait until the next battle starts so we can watch my sister move on next."
"She won't win." A serious-toned voice said from behind the group. Recognizing the voice, the main group turned and saw Alan standing before them. The sight of her next opponent caused Julia to begin sweating as her blood ran cold. Completely ignoring Julia, Alan's gaze rested onto Jack. "Congrats on the victory, I'll be seeing you in the next round.
"Oh no you won't! Julia's gonna stomp you flat!" Diego asserted.
"Unlikely." Alan replied flatly. "I've seen you battle in this tournament and I'm already certain that I can beat you. All you are is just another stepping stone before my battle with Jack."
"I-I won't go down so easily!" Julia remarked, though Alan remained stoic.
"I don't expect you to. But I already know you're not strong enough to beat me. Even if we've never battled before I already know I can beat both you and your sister. I've already beaten the loudmouth as well. Out of you four, Jack is the only one who's beaten me, and I intend to pay him back in kind."
Without another word, Alan stepped inside the arena to wait for his battle, ignoring Diego's furious outbursts.
"What a guy..." Renée shook her head in displeasure. "Don't worry about him sis, you'll show him!"
Everyone turned to look at Julia, who was shivering as her nerves overwhelmed her. Jack placed a gentle hand on her shoulder as the two looked into each other's eyes.
"Hey." He began. "Don't worry about him. Like he said, I've beaten him before and he's nowhere near as tough as he makes himself out to be. Plus, you're just as good of a trainer as I am. I know you can beat him. Alright?"
"Mommy look, there they are!" Another pair of voices caught everyone's attention as the sight of Cynthia and her daughter, Verity, running to them came to them. The toddler holding a stuffed Kantonian Meowth toy.
"It looks like we're right on time! Congratulations on your victory, Jack, I heard it was a spectacular battle!" The Sinnoh champion greeted.
"Thanks! If you don't mind me asking though, where were you two?" Jack inquired.
"I was discussing the best course of action to take against You Know Who. We located one of the plates around Mount Mortar and your old teacher is planning to find it and take it before they do. They should be preparing to go as we speak and since we have no other updates, I wanted to watch the next couple of matches until I received any updates. It wsa just my luck when I noticed Julia's was next." Cynthia explained.
"As if battling that creep wasn't stressful enough, now I have to do it while Aunt Cynthia is watching..." Julia lamented.
"Julia, I want you to look at me." Cynthia began, taking her niece by her shoulders. "You are stronger than you realize. You, your friends, your team of pokemon, they have faith in you. All of us know that you have what it takes and everything you need to win." With a deep breath, Julia nodded, a smile starting to break through on her face as she looked at her friends and family.
"Okay... Okay, I'll do my best!"
Alan took his place onto the field, the sight of all the pink on the field didn't seem to sit too kindly with him. It looked like too much like what one would imagine in an old fairy tale story. He looked across at Julia, who had a confident look on her face, he couldn't help but wonder if she thought she would get a fairy tale ending from this battle. If she did then Alan knew he would have to be the one to turn that fairy tale dream into a nightmare.
"Boss, we've located the Stone Plate. It looks like it's in the innermost caverns of Mount Mortar."
"Good. Go get it." The Team Dark Star boss replied as he cast an aloof glance towards Typhoon.
"R-right." The admin replied, he made a motion to leave before he stopped himself. "Actually, Boss, there's one thing I wanted to ask. What are we going to do about the alleged mole in our ranks? Is it going to slow down our next attack?"
"Andromeda and I will handle the turncoat. Keep the scientists and recon teams focused on finding the remaining Plates. Every other member should be focused on the assault. If all preparations are complete, then we will make our move tomorrow. Now leave me, I have my own preparations to make."
"Yes, sir!" Typhoon smirked, saluting his boss and leaving the room. It was about time he finally saw some action, sitting around and waiting just wasn't his style and he was looking forward to showing off the results of his own training.
From his office, Singularity looked at a laptop open in front of him with what appeared to be a 3-D diagram of the Chimera open with different parts of its body annotated with specifications. With a few clicks, a new figure appeared on the screen to the right of the Chimera, this figure was three times the size as the Chimera but no physical features were clear as the screen only featured a silhouette. A line of text was also situated above a loading bar.
'EVOLUTION PROCESS COMPLETION: 94%'
"Soon, oh yes very soon!" Singularity said with a pleased smile. "Once you evolve then we can truly begin planning for our ascension!"
Julia was absolutely stunned, all of the confidence that had grown within her before her battle had vanished as she looked over at the screen showing the pokemon she and Alan had remaining. The sight of her Walrein, Gardevoir, Froslass and Heracross greyed out while only two of Alan's pokemon had fainted only seemed to make her feel worse. On top of that, Alan seemed to have an almost unreal level of control over the battle through the usage of the Fairy Tale field they were battling on. All Julia had left was her Dragonair up against Alan's Grimmsnarl.
At the start of the battle, Alan made a note of how Julia was 'delaying the inevitable', at the time she thought of it as nothing but an intimidation tactic, but now... now she realized he was right.
"Are you done moping around yet?" Alan asked in a bored tone. "If so then I might as well end this."
"Dragonair, use Iron Tail!" Julia called out suddenly, she didn't even realize her eyes were watering until after she made her outburst. The Dragon pokemon flew towards Grimmsnarl as the tip of its tail began to turn silver. 'Maybe this will work?' Julia thought. 'The field is supposed to be like a fairy tale, right? In those stories the brave knight always triumphs with an iron sword and beats the wicked dragon or evil troll to give the story a happy ending.'
"Spirit Break." Alan ordered.
'Every girl dreams of a happy ending, some end up getting it one way or another. Some fight for it, others might get it handed to them...' Julia continued thinking to herself. Dragonair slammed her tail down onto the ground with a swipe that crushed the dirt beneath it with the sound of a sword swipe trailing in its wake. However the impact did nothing to harm the Bulk Up pokemon, who had swiftly dodged the attack. The hair covering the Dark type's fist tightened as some of its strands began to glow pink. With a swift blow it drilled its fist right into the side of Dragonair's head.
'But some don't get to have their happy endings..'
Dragonair collapsed onto the ground in a heap, having no chance to take the incredible blow Grimmsnarl delivered onto her.
'I guess I'm one of those girls...'
"Wow! That emphatic Spirit Break attack sealed the deal on this one, folks! That's a clean win for Alan!"
Julia recalled her pokemon and simply walked away as she could feel the tears beginning to fall onto her face...
"Julia, honey, you have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of." Cynthia said serenely as she, Verity and Renée consoled Julia, who was still wiping the tears from her eyes. The boys decided to keep their distance and allow Julia's family to console her, though Jack did want to console Julia, her sister insisted he step back.
"She fought well."
The sound of Alan's voice was not exactly one that was welcome right now, as evident by the death glare Renée was sending his way. Before Renée or Diego could speak their mind, Alan continued.
"Let me set the record straight. Julia isn't a bad trainer, nor is she weak by any means. In fact she was actually tougher than I thought." Both twins raised an eyebrow as they looked at the boy. "But it's like I said earlier, I knew I could beat her, and in the next round I'll beat Jack. I need to pay him back for his victories over me." The two boys locked eyes as they shared the same serious glare. "Starting in the next round, every battle is going to be a full six against six battle. Every move will count and any error could prove fatal. I expect you to bring your absolute best, Jack."
"Oh, don't worry, I intend to."
With a nod of his head Alan walked away, the young trainers glaring at him as he went. With a steely resolve, Jack turned to look at Julia.
"I'll beat him." He said. "I'll pay him back for making you cry. Believe that!"
AAAAAAA THIS CHAPTER WAS SUPPOSED TO BE UP MUCH EARLIER I'M SORRY!
Still, we're quickly approaching some really intense action soon, I promise! While I do want to show some battles on the other side of the bracket, I'm considering having the characters on that side and those not in the tournament go on missions with the Goff, Looker and Anabel. Aside from that, the tournament is slimming down to the quarter-finals soon. While this does mean longer battles, it does mean more action!
Let me know what you'd all like to see in future chapters as there's always room for improvement and hearing your thoughts is nice too! Until next time!