Chapter 20: Dazzling Flames!
Vermilion Contest Stage
The cheers of the crowd echoed through the stadium. People ranging from young to old; cheering on the Contestants on as the screen showed our pictures. As they cheered, the stage then transformed into a battlefield and lit multicolored lights around it. I flinched from the sound of the crowd, and then blocked my ears with my hands. "Hm? Uh... guys?" said Pat as he and the group turned to me; seeing what I was doing. "I think she's overstimulated." Celina replied as she and Zach patted my back and shoulders. "Overstimulated?" he replied curiously. "Her senses are completely overloaded, making it nearly impossible for her to fully process the information her brain is receiving." she replied. "Really?" he replied. She nodded her head yes to his question. "In a shorter and easier way to say it is... she is a highly sensitive person." she said. "Ah... gotcha." he replied. "Mhm." she replied. "Wait... is that why she's anxious? Because of how loud the crowd can get?" Sora asked. "Yep. Overstimulation and anxiety are deeply related to one another... but you would mostly see it in people who have ADHD and/or Autism." she replied.
"Really?" he replied curiously. She and Pat nodded their heads yes to his question. As the noise of the crowd began to go down, I started to feel nauseous. The group's eyes widened in shock to see me like this, and tried to figure out what to do. "Tay..? Do you need to throw up?" Zach asked me. "...Maybe..." I replied as I felt my stomach turn. "I'll take her." my Mom replied as she looked at us and noticed what was going on. We then stood up and left the room, quickly went to the bathroom to calm myself down, and then went back to our seats. "You okay now?" Celina asked me. I nodded my head yes to her question, and took some mint candy to calm my stomach. "Yeah... I don't know what came over me to do that." I said. "It's okay. You were just overwhelmed by the noise, and it made you overload your senses. It's not your fault." she replied. I nodded my head in agreement to her response, and then looked at the stage; seeing Aaron's picture on the big screen. "Looks like I'm last up again. Oh well... that's fine. At least now I get to watch to see who I might face if I win." I said in my thoughts.
I blinked my eyes, and then saw Joy standing in the middle of the field. "Ladies and Gentlemen! It is now time for the second round of the Contest! The Battle Round!" she said. The crowd cheered happily to her announcement. "Now for anyone just tuning into the performance on TV and livestream, the rest of the Contest will be a battle to the Finals! In this event, the battle will be a Double Battle! Our Contestants will only use two Pokémon against their opponent and battle for five minutes. When the time is up... whoever has lost the least amount of points in the circles below their pictures, the winner will advance to the next round of battles and repeat until they are eliminated!" she said. "Only two Pokémon, huh?" said Pat. "That means no substitutions. You gotta stick with the two you send out into battle until you win." Celina replied. He nodded his head in agreement to her response.
After that, we saw the spotlights shine on the stage, and the curtains slowly open. "Our first battle of the second round will be: Yuya vs. Gong!" said Joy. The crowd cheered for them as they walked onto the stage and stood at their respective sides of the field. "Yuya! Gong has been waiting for this moment for a very long time!" said Gong. "Yeah! And this time, we get to show the world how strong we have become!" Yuya replied. Gong smirked at him, and prepared himself for battle. Yuya smirked as well, and then prepared himself for battle. "Ready?" Gong asked him. "I was born ready." he replied. After that, they sent out their two Pokémon. On Gong's side of the field, Hariyama and Medicham appeared. "Hariyama!" said Hariyama. "Medi-cham!" Medicham replied. On Yuya's side of the field, Flygon and Clefairy appeared. "Cle-fairy!" said Clefairy happily. "What!? Yuya? How did you get a Clefairy? What happened to your Scyther?" Gong replied. "I got her in a trade from a good friend of mine. And I traded my Scyther to her. He was more of a battler than a performer." Yuya replied.
Gong was surprised at first, and then smirked at him. "Heh. Okay. Then let's see what your new Pokémon is truly made of! Medicham! Hariyama! You ready?" he said. "Cham!" Medicham replied. "Hari!" Hariyama replied. Yuya smirked back, and then saw Clefairy jump on Flygon's back; ready for battle.
Backstage
Zuzu, Aura, Sylvio, and Dennis watched the screen silently; knowing this battle will be a tough one. "So... friend against friend, huh? This should be interesting." said Dennis. "Yeah. These two have known each other for a long time. They know each other's strategies, strengths, and weaknesses. So this one will be one for the ages." Sylvio replied. Zuzu stared at the screen in silence, and then lowered her head and closed her eyes. "Vul?" said Vulpix as she looked up at her Trainer; wondering if she is okay. "You can do it, Yuya... I believe in you." she said softly to herself. She opened her eyes, looked at Vulpix, smiled at her, and then looked back up at the screen. "Alright! Battle, begin!" said Joy. After she said that, the clock began to count down; starting the round.
Battle! Yuya vs. Gong!
"Alright! Flygon! Dragon Pulse! Clefairy! Moonblast!" said Yuya. Flygon let out its battle cry and used Dragon Pulse. "Clef! Cle-fairy! Clef!" Clefairy replied as she used Moonblast. The attacks combined into one, and hit Medicham and Hariyama; pushing them back. As they got back up. Gong's points began to drop. "Heh. So that's how you're going to play, huh? Well let's see how you'll handle this! Hariyama! Arm Thrust Medicham towards them! Medicham! Ice Punch on Flygon!" he said. "Hari! Hari-yama!" Hariyama replied as he used the attack on Medicham as its fist charged up Ice Punch. "Me-di-cham!" Medicham replied as it used Ice Punch on Flygon; sending it to the ground and making Yuya lose some points. Flygon quickly got back up and shook off the pain. It let out a battle cry and flew up in the air; shocking Medicham.
"What!?" said Gong surprised. Yuya smirked, and watched Clefairy jump up on Flygon's head. "Okay, Flygon! Use Dragon Dance! Clefairy! Surround Flygon with Dazzling Gleam!" he said. Flygon let out a battle cry, and used Dragon Dance. "Cle-fairy!" Clefairy replied as she surrounded herself and Flygon in a multicolored light. "Hariyama! Heavy Slam! Medicham! Drain Punch!" said Gong. "Hariyama! Har-i-ya-ma!" Hariyama replied sh he used the attack. "Cham! Med-i-cham!" Medicham replied as it used the attack. "Dodge it with Dig!" Yuya replied. Flygon let out a couple cries, let Clefairy hang onto it, and then used Dig to escape from the attacks. "Whoa! Check it out!" said Sora. "Yeah! They saved themselves from the Heavy Slam by using Dig!" Celina replied. "Yeah! But... what are they going to do now? There's only about a couple minutes left." Zach replied. "Looks like we're about to find out." she replied.
We looked at the field, and saw Hariyama and Medicham looking around the field. Gong lightly growled in anger, and then got into his battle stance. "Hariyama! Medicham! Ice Punch the ground, and cover it in ice!" he said. "Medi! Medi-cham!" Medicham replied as it used the attack on the ground; freezing a part of it. "Hari! Har-i-yama!" Hariyama replied as he used the attack on the ground; freezing it solid. Gong smirked at this, and then he saw the ice begin to glow in multicolored light. "What!? What is this!?" he said surprised. "Sorry, Gong. But this ends here! Dazzling Quake!" Yuya replied. The ice began to crack for a moment, and then fully crack with glowing lights; hitting both Hariyama and Medicham. "Ah! Hariyama! Medicham!" said Gong worriedly. They fell to the ground, layed there for a moment, and then stood back up.
Gong smirked at this, and got into his battle stance again. "Alright, team! This is it! Time to knock out the competition! Use Focus Punch!" he said. "Hari! Hari-yama!" Hariyama replied as he began using the attack. "Cham! Me-di-cham!" Medicham replied as it began using the attack. "Dodge it!" Yuya replied. Flygon and Clefairy dodged the attack, and saw their rivals looking at them. "Clefairy! Hold them down with Psychic!" said Yuya. "Clefairy! Cle-fairy!" Clefairy replied as she used the attack; holding Hariyama and Medicham down to the ground. "Flygon! Use Draco Meteor!" he replied. Flygon let out a battle cry, and used the attack; watching it fall from the ceiling and hit its rivals. The smoke disappeared a moment later, and then we all both Hariyama and Medicham standing tall and holding onto their shoulders.
Before Yuya could call the next attack, the clock let out a loud beep; ending the battle. "And, time!" said Joy. The crowd cheered to this for a moment, and then we all looked at the screen. "The winner of the first battle is: Yuya Sakaki!" she said. The crowd cheered happily for him, and then he celebrated with his team. "Flygon! Clefairy! We did it! I'm so proud of you both!" he said happily as he hugged them. They let out happy cries, and then turned to Gong and his team. "Hariyama. Medicham. Thank you. Thank you for giving it your all. You both performed well. Gong is proud of the both of you." he said. They bowed in thanks, and then saw Yuya and his team walk over. "Yuya. That was a great battle. Gong can tell how much you've grown in the competition." he said. "Thank you, Gong. You and your Pokémon were excellent out there." Yuya replied. "Thank you, Yuya." he replied.
They shook hands for a moment, and then went backstage. "Wow... that combination of Dragon and Fairy elements was amazing." said Pat. "Mhm. He found a way to combine them together and use them in a way that Dragon-type Trainers have never seen before." Celina replied. He nodded his head in agreement, and then we saw the battlefield get fixed up very quickly. "Man... they know how to fix it fast." said Sora. We nodded our heads in agreement to his response, and looked at the screen; ready to see who was next.
Backstage
"Yuya! Congratulations on your win!" said Aura happily. "Thank you, Aura." he replied. "Yeah. Congrats on the win. Now you're in the semi-finals." Sylvio replied. "Yep. I sure am. But now I get to watch all of you guys and see what you can do." he replied. "Yep. And I'm going to be the one to make it there! Let's go, Zuzu. It's our time to shine!" Aura replied confidently. Zuzu was surprised to her response, and then began to follow her. They smiled at him, and then stood towards the curtains. "Zuzu! Wait up!" he said. She turned to him quickly, and then they both saw a Fire Stone fall out of her dress pocket. He knelt down, picked it up, and gave it back to her. "Here you go." he said. "Thank you, Yuya." she replied. They looked at the Fire Stone silently, and then saw Vulpix sniffing it. "Hey..? When did you get that Fire Stone?" he asked. "I got it at the Fossil Digging Site in Pewter City." she replied. "Really? That's awesome. When you first found it and picked it up... did Vulpix react differently to it?" he replied.
"Yep. She sure did. After me and the group gathered our Fossils and Stones, and went to our hotel room... I had a talk with Vulpix about the Stone. I let her understand that evolution is her choice. I promised her that I wouldn't force her to evolve by my own means, and I would want her to tell me when she's ready to evolve." she replied. "That's great, Zuzu. And I know that one day, you and Vulpix will find the perfect moment to achieve that moment together. As long as you both believe in yourselves and the dreams you share together, you both will overcome anything that comes your way." he replied with a warm smile. Zuzu's heart warmed up and skipped a few beats happily; knowing that his words touched her heart. She blinked her eyes, smiled warmly at him, and then shared a hug with him. "Thank you, Yuya." she whispered in his ear.
They let each other go, and then he gently held her right hand, moved it up, and kissed it; making her blush. "Good luck, Zuzu. I'm rooting for you." he said with a wink of his eye. Her eyes widened in awe to what he said, and then she nodded her head and winked her eye at him; making him blush. "Thank you. And I promise you that I will win this match for you!" she said confidently. He smiled proudly at her, shared a high five with her, and then watched her leave to the curtains. She then looked down at Vulpix, smiled at her, and then looked out to the stage as the curtains opened up.
Contest Stage
"And now, it's time for our second battle! First up, we have: Zuzu Boyle!" said Joy. We cheered for her alongside the crowd, and saw her looking at us; making her smile happily. "And her opponent: Aura!" said Joy. The crowd cheered for her too as she waved to them. They then went to their sides of the field and stared each other down. Vulpix stood by her Trainer's side, looked up at her, and saw the Fire Stone shine a bit in her pocket. She then grabbed her attention and they stared at each other. "Hm? What is it, Vulpix?" Zuzu asked her. They stared deeply into each other's eyes silently for a moment, and then Zuzu's eyes widened in shock and surprise. "Vulpix..? Are you sure about this..?" she said softly. She nodded her head yes to her question, showed off the determination in her eyes, and watched her take out the Fire Stone. They stared at it silently again, and then smiled confidently at each other. "Okay. Let's do it. Once she's off guard by one of the attacks, we'll use it to surprise her and the crowd." she said.
Vulpix nodded her head in agreement, and then jumped onto the field. "Trainers! Time to send out your Pokémon!" said Joy. "Okay! Kirlia! Mawile! Spotlight!" Aura replied as she threw up two sealed PokéBalls; revealing Kirlia and Mawile onto the field. "Kirlia!" said Kirlia. "Ma-wile!" Mawile replied. "So she's using Mawile, huh? Okay! Pikachu! Center stage!" Zuzu replied as she threw a sealed PokéBall; revealing Pikachu onto the field. "Pi-Pikachu!" she said. "Kirlia!?" Kirlia replied surprised. "Oh? You're using your Pikachu instead of Roserade? I see someone has learned her type match-ups?" Aura replied. "You bet. And with these two by my side, we're going to win it all!" Zuzu replied. Aura smirked at her comment, and then prepared herself for battle. "Battle, begin!" said Joy.
Battle! Zuzu vs. Aura!
"Pikachu! Use Charm on Mawile! Vulpix! Fire Spin!" said Zuzu. "Pika! Pi-ka-chu! Pika!" Pikachu replied as she used Charm on Mawile; surprising it. "Vulpix! Vul-pix!" Vulpix replied as she used Fire Spin to trap Kirlia and Mawile in place; making Aura lose some points. "Kirlia! Use Psychic to get rid of the Fire Spin! Mawile! Use Play Rough on Pikachu!" Aura replied. "Kirlia! Kir-li-a!" Kirlia replied as she used Psychic on the Fire Spin. "Wile! Ma-wile!" Mawile replied as she jumped out, charged at Pikachu, and used Play Rough on her. "Vulpix! Fire Blast on Mawile!" Zuzu replied. "Vul! Vul-pix!" Vulpix replied as she used Fire Blast. "Dodge it, Mawile!" Aura replied. Mawile jumped out of the way, landed on its knee, watched the attack hit the ground, and then jumped back to Kirlia. "Kirlia! Shadow Ball!" said Aura. "Kirlia! Kir-lia!" Kirlia replied as she used Shadow Ball on Pikachu and Vulpix. "Pi-ka!" Pikachu cried. "Vul!" Vulpix cried. "Ah! Pikachu! Vulpix!" Zuzu replied worriedly.
"Mawile! Steel Beam, go!" Aura replied. "Mawile! Ma-wile!" Mawile replied as it used Steel Beam on Vulpix and Pikachu; sending them to Zuzu's side of the field. They laid down for a moment, looked at Mawile as it stood by Kirlia again, and then they saw both Vulpix and Pikachu fully protected by Electroweb. "What!? How is that possible!?" said Aura surprised. "Let's just say that I learned this trick from a good friend of mine." Zuzu replied. The Electroweb disappeared from them, and they stood up on their feet; ready to continue. "Pikachu! Vulpix! Use a combination move of Iron Tail and Fire Spin on Kirlia!" said Zuzu. Both Pokémon nodded their heads to her, combined their moves together, and then Pikachu dashed towards Kirlia, and hit her with the attack. "Lia!" Kirlia cried. "Kirlia!" Aura replied worriedly.
Kirlia stepped back, looked at Mawile, and saw it bite Pikachu. It threw her back a moment later, and then both Mawile and Kirlia were caught with status ailments. Kirlia was burned, and Mawile was paralyzed. "Whoa! Check it out! They're burned and paralyzed!" said Zach. "Yeah! She's got 'em right where she wants them!" I replied. "Come on, Zuzu! This is it! Show her what you and your team are really made of!" Zach cheered. "You got this, Zuzu!" I cheered. Once she heard our voices, she smiled confidently and clutched her hand into a fist; ready for the finale. She then saw Vulpix turn around to her, saw the determination in her eyes, and then they nodded their heads to each other with confident smiles. "Alright, Vulpix? You ready?" she said as she took out the Fire Stone. "Vul!" Vulpix replied. She smiled happily to her, and then threw the Stone up in the air.
Once we saw the Stone on the screen, me and the group stood up happily. "No way! She's doing it! She's going to let Vulpix evolve!" said Sora. "Hell yeah she is!" Celina replied confidently. Vulpix saw the Stone up in the air, let Pikachu help her get a boost up in the air, and then grab the Fire Stone in her mouth. Once she grabbed it, her body began to glow and evolve! The crowd was completely stunned and surprised to see what was going on; making us and Yuya more prouder than ever. She then landed on the ground, and fully revealed herself as a Ninetales! "Nine-tales!" she said. Aura and her Pokémon were completely shocked and surprised to see what was happening, and then looked at Pikachu as she jumped up on Ninetales's back, and gently stood on top of her head. "She did it! She really did it! Vulpix is now a Ninetales!" said Celina. "Whoa... she's beautiful..." Pat replied.
As I stared at Ninetales, I took out my Phone and activated my PokéDex. "Ninetales, the Fox Pokémon. A Fire type, and the evolved form of Vulpix. Ninetales casts a sinister light from its bright red eyes to gain total control over its foe's mind. This Pokémon is said to live for one thousand years." said my PokéDex. I put my Phone away and smiled at her and Zuzu; knowing how far these two have come and grown together on this journey. "And now, it's time we show you what we can truly do! Ninetales! Use Energy Ball on the ground to block their sight!" said Zuzu. "Nine! Nine-tales! Nine!" Ninetales replied as she used Energy Ball on the ground in front of their feet. "Ah! Kirlia! Dazzling Gleam!" Aura replied. "Kirlia! Kir-lia!" Kirlia replied as she used the attack to remove the smoke. As she did this, they saw both Pikachu and Ninetales covered in fire and electricity; dashing towards them. "Now! Blazing Volt Tackle!" said Zuzu. "Pika-Pika-Pika-Pika-Pika! Chu! Pi-ka!" Pikachu replied. "Nine-tales! Nine!" Ninetales replied as the combo attack hit both Mawile and Kirlia.
The two Pokémon fell back, and then they all heard the timer. "And, time!" said Joy. We then looked up at the screen in silence, and then back at Zuzu. "And the winner of this match is: Zuzu Boyle!" said Joy. We cheered happily alongside the crowd at the results, and then saw her hug both Pikachu and Ninetales. "Pikachu. Ninetales. Thank you. We won this battle because of the both of you. Thank you so much!" she said. They let out happy cries, and then looked at Aura as she looked at them. "So? This was your little secret, huh? Letting your Vulpix evolve into Ninetales in this Contest?" she asked. Zuzu nodded her head yes to her question. Aura was pleasantly surprised by her response, and then smiled at her. They then shook hands, heard the crowd cheer, and then went backstage. As they went... I stood up, left the room, and went backstage; changing back into my Aaron disguise.
Backstage
"Zuzu! Congratulations on your win!" said Yuya happily. "Thank you, Yuya." she replied happily. They then looked at Ninetales and Pikachu as they looked at them. "And congratulations to you too. Ninetales. Pikachu. You two were amazing out there!" said Yuya. "Nine~" Ninetales replied happily as she wagged her tails. "Pi-ka-chu." Pikachu replied happily. They smiled at them happily, walked to the backroom, and saw Aaron walk into the room. "Aaron! Over here!" said Zuzu. My eyes lightly widened to her voice, and I turned around and saw them. "Zuzu, Yuya. Congratulations on your victories." I said. "Thank you, Aaron." Yuya replied. I blinked my blue eyes, and saw Ninetales approach me. "Hello there, Ninetales. Pikachu." I said. Ninetales and Pikachu stared at me silently for a moment, and then they began to nuzzle me. "Aww~ I think they like you." said Zuzu. I couldn't help but chuckle a bit after she said that. "Yeah. You must have a really good charm for Pokémon to act like this around you." said Yuya.
"Well... I guess you can say I give out a certain vibe, when it comes to Pokémon." I replied. They nodded their heads in agreement, and then we all saw the stage manager appear. "Sylvio. Alexis. You two are up next." she said. "Yes! Finally! Time for me and my team to shine on the stage once again!" Sylvio replied. Yuya, Zuzu, Dennis, and I shared an awkward laugh together as Sylvio walked to the curtains. "Go get 'em, Alexis." said Akiza. "Thank you, Aki. And good luck to you facing Mai." Alexis replied as she walked to the curtains. "Thanks, girl." she replied. Alexis smiled at her, and then passed by us. After she passed us, we watched her carefully. "Who is she?" I asked. "Alexis Rhodes is one of the top students at the Akaba Academy in Fuchsia City. Many people consider her to be the strongest student there." Dennis replied. "Really?" I replied. "Of course. I've seen her there plenty of times. After all, I am am student at the Academy as well." he replied. "Really? That's incredible. You must've learned so many things from her battles." I replied.
"Why, yes. I have learned a lot from her. But also from my other classmates: Celina, Sora, and Yuri." he replied. "I see. They must've been very great rivals to you when battling them or alongside them." I replied. He nodded his head in agreement, and then we looked at the screen; seeing both Sylvio and Alexis on the battlefield. I blinked my eyes and then looked down at Ninetales as she looked up at me. We then lightly smiled and winked our eyes at each other; making each other happy.
Contest Stage
"You got this, Alexis!" Sora cheered. "Yeah! Show him the true spirit of the Academy!" Celina cheered. Zach and Pat looked at them in surprise, and then turned to each other. "Wow... I've never seen them like this..." said Pat. "Yeah... me either. I guess when it comes to people they know from their school, they get more hyped up than usual." Zach replied. Pat nodded his head in agreement, and then saw my seat empty again. "Hey? Where's Tay?" he asked. "Oh. She went to get a snack." Zach replied. "Ah... okay." he replied. He then turned back to the stage, and listened to Sora and Celina's cheers again. As he did this, Zach leaned back in his seat and breathed a sigh of relief. "He really is that oblivious. That's good. As long as they don't catch on to what she's doing... we should be good." he said in his thoughts. He regained his posture, and then looked at the stage; seeing Sylvio preparing to send out his Pokémon.
"Go! Quaquaval! Tsareena! Time to take the center stage!" said Sylvio as he threw the two sealed PokéBalls up in the air, watched them open, and reveal his two Pokémon. "Quaquaval!" said Quaquaval. "Tsareena!" Tsareena replied. "Oh? So you're going with a Water and Grass duo, huh? Well then... let' see if they can handle this! Froslass! Nidoqueen! Spotlight!" Alexis replied as she threw up two sealed PokéBalls up in the air, watched them open, and reveal her Pokémon. "Fros-lass!" said Froslass. "Ni-do." Nidoqueen replied. "Yes! She's using her ace!" Celina replied excitedly. "Nido-ran!" Nidoran replied happily. "Her ace?" Pat replied. "Yep! Nidoqueen is her ace Pokémon. She is unbeatable in battle!" Sora replied. "I see. So Nidoqueen is an inspiration to Celina and her Nidoran?" he replied. Sora nodded his head yes to his question. As this conversation went on, Zach took out his Phone and activated his PokéDex.
"Froslass, the Snow Land Pokémon. A Ice and Ghost type, and the evolved form of female Snorunt. Legends in snowy regions say that a woman who was lost on an icy mountain was reborn as Froslass. When it finds humans or Pokémon it likes, it freezes them and takes them to its chilly den, where they become decorations. Female Snorunt evolve into Froslass by the use of the Dawn Stone. Nidoqueen, the Drill Pokémon. A Poison and Ground type, and the evolved form of Nidorina. It pacifies offspring by placing them in the gaps between the spines on its back. The spines will never secrete poison while young are present. Nidoqueen is better at defense than offense. With scales like armor, this Pokémon will shield its children from any kind of attack. Nidorina evolves into Nidoqueen by the use of the Moon Stone." said Zach's PokéDex. "Wow... they're both scary and deadly at the same time..." he replied to himself.
He put his Phone back in his pocket, and looked at the stage again; seeing the four Pokémon ready to battle. "Battle, begin!" said Joy.
Battle! Sylvio vs. Alexis!
"Quaquaval! Aqua Step on Nidoqueen! Tsareena! Knock Off on Froslass!" said Sylvio as he snapped his fingers. "Qua! Quaquaval! Quaval!" Quaquaval replied as it used its signature attack on Nidoqueen; surprising her for a second. "Tsa! Tsa-ree-na!" Tsareena replied as she used her attack on Froslass; making Alexis lose some points. "Froslass! Use Blizzard! Nidoqueen! Protect!" Alexis replied. "Nido! Ni-do-queen!" Nidoqueen replied as she created a shield around herself. "Fros! Fros-lass!" Froslass replied as she used the attack on her opponents; making Sylvio lose some points. "Come on, you two! I know you can withstand it! You can do it! Tsareena! Trop Kick on Nidoqueen! Quaquaval! Hydro Pump on Froslass!" Sylvio replied. Both his Pokémon heard his voice, broke through the Blizzard, and used their attacks on their opponents.
"Nidoqueen! Grab Tsareena by the crown!" said Alexis. "Nido! Ni-do!" Nidoqueen replied as she grabbed Tsareena by her crown; shocking her. "Tsa!?" said Tsareena surprised. "Qua!?" Quaquaval replied surprised. "What!? What is this!? Tsareena! Get out of there!" Sylvio replied worriedly. "I don't think so. Nidoqueen! Use Mega Punch!" Alexis replied. "Nido! Ni-do-" Nidoqueen replied as she charged up her attack. "Quaquaval! Hydro Pump! Quickly!" Sylvio replied. "Qua! Qua-quaval!" Quaquaval replied as it used Hydro Pump; hitting Nidoqueen in the face. She dropped Tsareena a moment later, and then she went back to her side of the field. "Heh. So you knew how to stop my Nidoqueen's Mega Punch? Look like I'll have to fight her in a different approach! Froslass! Use Shadow Sneak on Tsareena, and then grab her! Nidoqueen! Block Quaquaval!" Alexis replied.
"Lass! Fros-Froslass!" Froslass replied as she used the attack on Tsareena, and then grabbed both her arms and held them behind her back. "Tsareena!" Tsareena replied worriedly. "Ah! Tsareena!" Sylvio replied worriedly. Quaquaval tried to get to its ally, but Nidoqueen quickly blocked it from her view. "Now! Froslass! Ice Beam! Nidoqueen! Mega Punch!" said Alexis. "Fros! Fros-lass!" Froslass replied as she used the attack on Tsareena. "Tsareena!" Tsareena cried. She then fell to her knee, and looked up at Froslass; seeing the cold and haunted look in her eyes. "Nido! Ni-do-queen!" Nidoqueen replied as she used Mega Punch on Quaquaval; sending it to Tsareena's side. They both looked at their opponents, and then they heard the timer beep. "And, time! The winner of this match is: Alexis Rhodes!" said Joy.
"Yes!" Celina cheered. "Alright!" Sora cheered. The crowd cheered at the results, and saw both Coordinators hug their Pokémon; thanking them for their hard work. "Wow... I never thought that I would see the day that Sylvio would get beaten like this." said Pat. "Me either. But if she heard about him from Celina and Yuri... then this one might've been a little personal to her." Zach replied. Pat nodded his head in agreement, and then they looked back at the stage.
Backstage
Yuya, Zuzu, and I stared at the screen in shock to what had happened for a moment, and then we looked at each other. "Wow... that was... brutal." I said. "Yeah... I agree with you on that one. I just hope that one of us doesn't have to face her." Yuya replied nervously." We nodded our heads in agreement, and then we saw them return to the room. "Sylvio..? Are you alright?" Dennis asked him. "Hm? Oh. Yeah. I'm alright. I'm not upset about the loss." he replied. "Are you sure? It looked like she gave your team a beating." Dennis replied. He nodded his head yes to his question, and then began walking to his dressing room. "Hm? Hey! Where are you going?" Zuzu asked him. "To go heal my Pokémon at the Pokémon Center, and then go train for the next Contest." he replied. We were honestly surprised of his response, and then saw him wave goodbye to us.
Zuzu, Yuya, and Dennis waved bye to him, and then we saw Mai and Akiza stand up. "Looks like we're up next." said Mai. "Yep. We sure are. I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time." Akiza replied. "Agreed. Ever since I heard about you a few years ago... I've been waiting to challenge you on that stage." Mai replied. Akiza lightly smirked at her, and then they passed by us, and stood by the curtains. As they stood there, they turned to us and saw me looking at them. "Hey, Aaron. Just want to let you know that if you win, you have to face one of us in order to get to the Top 4." said Mai. "Top 4? There's no Top 5?" I replied curiously. "Yep. From what I heard here backstage, if you or Dennis win your fight, either you or him have to face the winner of our fight in order to advance to the semi-finals." she replied. My eyes widened in shock to this news. "So if I were you... I'd start preparing your team. Who knows what kind of tricks Dennis will pull out of his sleeve against you." Akiza replied.
I gulped in fear and nodded my head yes in understanding. They nodded back to me, and then went onto the stage. As they left, I turned and looked at Dennis. "Shit... they're right. Who knows which Pokémon he will use against me? Whoever he'll use... I just gotta play it smart and keep at a distance from his I make one mistake... then it's curtains up for me." I said in my thoughts. I clutched my hands into fists nervously, and then felt a giant hand on my shoulder. I turned around, and saw Yuya's Charizard looking down at me. He smiled at me, and winked his eye; catching me off guard for a moment. We then saw all of Yuya's and Zuzu's Pokémon looking at us, and then they winked at me too. Ninetales walked upto my side, stared at me, and then we instantly had a telepathic connection. My eyes quickly widened in shock to this, and heard her say that she and the Pokémon know my secret and are keeping it safe.
I breathed a huge sigh of relief, and gently patted her head. "Nine-tales~" she said happily. I gently smiled at her, and then looked at the screen; seeing Mai and Akiza prepare for battle.
Contest Stage
"Go, my darlings! Salazzle! Lopunny!" said Mai as she threw two sealed PokéBalls up in the air, watched them open, and reveal her Pokémon on the field. "Lopunny!" said Lopunny. "Sa-lazzle!" Salazzle replied. "Vileplume! Roserade! Let's go!" Akiza replied as she took out two sealed PokéBalls, threw them up in the air, watched them open, and reveal her Pokémon on the field. "Vile-plume!" said Vileplume. "Roserade!" Roserade replied. "Oh? Using your two Poison types, huh? Interesting. Let's see how they can protect their Grass type element!" Mai replied. "Bring it on! Our toxic vines are ready to take you and your team down!" Akiza replied. They smirked at each other, and then they saw Joy raise up her hand. "Battle begin!" she said.
Battle! Mai vs. Akiza!
"Salazzle! Sludge Wave! Lopunny! Bounce!" said Mai. "Pun! Lop-unny! Pun-ny!" Lopunny replied as she used the attack. "Lazz! Sa-lazz-le!" Salazzle replied as she used her attack. "Dodge them both! Quick!" Akiza replied. Vileplume and Roserade dodged both attacks, and stared at their foes. "Vileplume! Use Stun Spore on Salazzle! Roserade! Vine Whip on Lopunny!" said Akiza. "Roserade! Rose-rade! Roserade!" Roserade replied as it used the attack on Lopunny; making Mai lose some points. As it did this, Salazzle tried to jump in and protect her teammate, but then saw Vileplume appear above them. "Lop!?" said Lopunny surprised. "Lazz!?" Salazzle replied surprised. "Vile! Vile-plume!" Vileplume replied as it used its attack on both its foes; paralyzing them. The crowd gasped in shock to see a status move come out this early, and then looked at each other curiously; wondering what is Akiza's plan.
"Whoa! She paralyzed them early!" said Sora surprised. "Yeah! I guess she knew that those two were her strongest, so she had to shut them down quick!" Pat replied. The group nodded their heads in agreement to his response. "I am impressed that she did this so quickly. It takes me back to the days when Yuri used his Vileplume to do this back at the Academy." said Sora. "Agreed. I still remember our classmates dealing with Yuri and Vileplume when they slowed down their opponents in exam battles." Celina replied. "Mhm." he replied. "Wait? Yuri has a Vileplume?" Zach replied curiously. "Yeah." she replied. "I thought you told me that he has an Alakazam?" he replied. "He does. But he is mostly know for using Poison types when he battles. Alakazam is what he calls: his secret weapon." she replied. "I see... so... who else does he uses besides those two?" he replied. "He has a Alolan Meowth." she replied as she showed them a picture of him and his team. "A Alolan Meowth?" he replied curiously. "Yeah. He's always out of his Ball, and stays by his side all the time. Just like Tetrax and Zuzu's Pikachu." she replied.
"Wow... those are deadly." he replied. "Mhm. But they are not as deadly as you think they are." she replied. He nodded his head in understanding, and then looked back at the battlefield; seeing Salazzle and Lopunny shake off the paralysis. "What!?" said Akiza surprised. Mai chuckled, and then pointed at Akiza's Pokémon. "Salazzle! Flamethrower! Lopunny! Ice Beam!" she said. "Lazz! Sa-lazz-le!" Salazzle replied as she used her attack on her foes. "Lopunny! Lo-pun-ny!" Lopunny replied as she used her attack on her foes; making Akiza lose some points. "Vileplume! Sludge Bomb on Lopunny! Roserade! Extrasensory on Salazzle!" Akiza replied. "What!? Since when can Roserade learn that!?" Mai replied surprised. "Vile! Vile-plume!" Vileplume replied as it used its attack on Lopunny; knocking her away from Salazzle. "Roserade! Rose-rade! Roserade!" Roserade replied as it used its attack on Salazzle; damaging her. "Lazzle!" Salazzle cried. "Ah! Salazzle!" Mai replied worriedly.
Salazzle fell back from the attack, slowly struggled to stand up, and then unleashed her pink flames on her body with rage. "Vile!?" said Vileplume surprised. "Rose!?" Roserade replied surprised. "What!?" Akiza replied in shock. Mai was surprised too, and then regained her composure. "Salazzle! End this match with Dragon Pulse! Lopunny! Help her out with Ice Beam! Freezing Dragon Pulse!" she said. "Lopunny! Lo-pun-ny!" Lopunny replied as she used the attack. "Lazzle! Sa-lazz-le!" Salazzle replied as she used her attack. Both attacks combined into one and hit both Vileplume and Roserade. "Plume!" Vileplume cried. "Rose-rade!" Roserade cried. "Ah! Vileplume! Roserade!" Akiza replied worriedly. Both Pokémon fell to the ground, slowly struggled to get back up, and then they heard the timer beep. "And, time! The winner of the match goes to: Mai Valentine!" said Joy.
The crowd cheered to the announcement, and then they watched both Coordinators comfort their teams. "Wow... they don't call Mai a Contest Legend for nothing." said Celina. The group nodded their heads in agreement, and then they watched them go backstage. "Well... now with that match over... it's Aaron vs. Dennis next." said Pat. "Mhm." Sora replied. "Are you two going to cheer for Dennis?" Zach replied. "Yep. Though... I am interested in what Aaron can possibly do. Who knows which one of their Pokémon will go against each other?" he replied. "I see." Zach replied. "What? Are you rooting for Aaron?" Celina replied. "Yeah." he replied. "Why?" Pat replied. "I think his Pokémon are cool. The way he showed off the theme of Light vs. Dark was very interesting. Plus... he knew how to control the field around him." he replied.
They stared at him curiously, and then looked at the field; seeing both Aaron and Dennis walk onto it. "They're they are." said Sora. "Come on, Dennis! Show him what you're made of!" Celina cheered. "Yeah! Get him, Dennis!" he cheered. Dennis looked out into the crowd. saw them, and waved to them. As I watched him do this, I looked at the gem in my staff and began channeling my Aura with it; making it glow a bit. Dennis turned away from the crowd, looked at me, and saw me looking at him. "Aaron! The time has come! It's time for us to put on a grand spectacle of a battle that no one has ever seen before!" he said. "Yeah. I can't wait to see what you can do, Dennis!" I replied. He smiled happily to my response, and then took out two sealed PokéBalls. "Alright! Mr. Mime! Dusknoir! It's time to take the stage!" he said as he threw the two sealed PokéBalls up in the air, watched them open, and then saw his two Pokémon appear on the battlefield.
"Dusk-noir!" said Dusknoir. "Mr. Mime!" Mr. Mime replied. "Dusknoir, huh? That's a surprise pick." I replied curiously. I took out my Phone and activated my PokéDex. "Dusknoir, the Gripper Pokémon. A Ghost type. The antenna on its head captures radio waves from the world of spirits that command it to take people there. With the mouth on its belly, Dusknoir swallows its target whole. The soul is the only thing eaten— Dusknoir disgorges the body before departing." said my PokéDex. My eyes widened in shock to the entry, and I looked at Dusknoir again, and saw it charging up it ghostly energy in its fists; ready to fight. "Yeesh... this guy is guaranteed to be the big powerhouse... while Mr. Mime is going to be the support system. While I try to handle Mr. Mime, I gotta keep an eye on Dusknoir and make sure it doesn't stop my strategy." I said in my thoughts in my normal voice.
I took out two sealed PokéBalls, threw them up in the air, watched them open, and saw Scyther and Aurasoul on the field. "Scyther!" said Scyther. Aurasoul stared at his foes silently for a moment, and then turned to me. Once we looked at each other, he made his eye color change from red to blue. When I saw the eye color, I knew that this was Zoroark using his Illusion ability. We smiled at each other, nodded our heads, saw his eyes turn back to red, and watched him turn back to his opponents; ready to fight. "Oh? Using your Lucario, I see? I guess you noticed my Mr. Mime's weakness to Steel types?" Dennis asked me. "Mhm. Once I looked it up on my PokéDex, I knew that I had to take the risk and send out my Lucario to fight it... even if it has the moves to beat it." I replied.
He was honestly surprised of my answer, and then smiled at me. "I see. So you got into battle trusting your partners... no matter if they have the type advantage or not." he said. I nodded my head yes to his question, and then prepared myself to fight. "May the best man win, Dennis." I said. "Thank you, Aaron. I gladly accept your challenge." he replied. "Battle, begin!" said Joy.
Battle! Dennis vs. Aaron!
"Mr. Mime! Use Barrier! Dusknoir! Shadow Punch on Scyther!" said Dennis. "Mime! Mime-Mime!" Mr. Mime replied as he used the attack. "Dusk! Dusk-noir!" Dusknoir replied as it began to use the attack. "Scyther! Dodge it with Agility! Lucario! Shadow Ball!" I replied. "Scy! Scy-ther-ther-ther-ther-ther!" Scyther replied as he dodged the attack and used his attack; boosting his speed. Aurasoul jumped up in the air, got hit by Shadow Punch, and then used the attack on Dusknoir; pushing it away from him and make me lose some points. As he landed on the ground, the Illusion ability wore off and revealed Zoroark to everyone. "Mime!?" said Mr. Mime surprised. "Noir!?" Dusknoir replied surprised. "What!? Lucario was Zoroark all along!?" Dennis replied surprised. The whole crowd looked at us in shock, and then began talking amongst themselves.
"Whoa!" said Pat surprised. "Yes! He played him good!" Zach replied excitedly. "Yeah! He never saw it coming!" Pat replied. They turned to Celina and Sora; seeing them looking at me in shock. "Heh. Looks like he had a trick up his sleeve after all?" said Zach. They turned to him and saw a smirk on his face. They blinked their eyes, and looked at the field; seeing Dennis completely stunned. "How...? How did you do this?" he asked me. "Sorry, Dennis. It's a magic secret that I can't tell." I replied. He was surprised at my response, and then saw his Pokémon looking at him curiously and nervously. He blinked his eyes, clutched his hands into fists, and then pointed at my team. "Dusknoir! Stone Edge! Mr. Mime! Drain Punch on Zoroark!" he said. "Dusk! Dusk-noir!" Dusknoir replied as it used its attack. "Mime! Mime-" Mr. Mime replied as he used his attack. I smirked at this, and then saw Scyther stay behind Zoroark. "Zoroark! Use Night Daze to protect you and Scyther!" I said.
Zoroark let out his battle cry, and used his attack; stopping both Dusknoir and Mr. Mime from attacking and making him lose some points. "Mime-Mime!" Mr. Mime cried. "Dusknoir!" Dusknoir cried. The crowd gasped in shock to what just happened, and then looked at my team; wondering what is our next move. "Dusknoir! Use Brick Break! Mr. Mime! Create a Barrier shield around you from Scyther!" said Dennis. "Dusknoir! Dusk-noir!" Dusknoir replied as it used the attack. "Zoroark! Use Confuse Ray on Dusknoir!" I replied. Zoroark let out his battle cry, and used the attack on Dusknoir; confusing it. "What!?" Dennis replied in shock. I smirked at this, and then watched Dusknoir turn around and use Brick Break on all of Mr. Mime's Barrier's; breaking them all down. "What!? No way!" said Celina in shock. "How is this possible!? It's like he read him like a book!?" Sora replied surprised.
Zach and Pat looked at them silently, and then to each other. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Pat asked him. "A little bit." he replied with a small smirk. He was surprised of his response, and then they both saw Scyther and Zoroark stand back-to-back together. "Come on, Tay. Show him and the Academy what a Trainer like you can do." said Zach in his thoughts. He then looked back at Sora and Celina; seeing them still looking at the battle in shock. He lightly smirked again, and then saw Mr. Mime charging up an attack in his fist. "What the..? That attack? Is that... Focus Punch?" he said to himself. After he said that, he saw Mr. Mime charge at Zoroark; preparing to punch him. "Mr. Mime! Focus Punch!" said Dennis. "Mime! Mime-" Mr. Mime replied as he almost got close to Zoroark. "Scyther! Use X-Scissor behind Mr. Mime!" I replied.
"Scyther! Scy-ther!" Scyther replied as he quickly went behind Mr. Mime and used the attack on his back; striking him down. "Ah! Mr. Mime!" said Dennis worriedly. Mr. Mime stood up from the pain, and looked at us nervously. Dusknoir shook off the confusion, saw what just happened, and then prepared itself to attack. Once Dennis saw this, he smirked at me. "Perfect! Dusknoir! Dark Pulse!" he said. "Dusknoir! Dusk-noir! Dusk!" Dusknoir replied as it used the attack. "Dodge it!" I replied. Zoroark and Scyther dodged the attack, and then leapt up in the air. Scyther then used his feet to grab Zoroark's shoulders, and then they flew around in the air. Dennis growled angrily, and then pointed at them. "Dusknoir! Stone Edge! Mr. Mime! Focus Blast!" he said. "Mr. Mime! Mime-Mime-" Mr. Mime replied as he charged up his attack. "Dusk! Dusk-noir! Dusk!" Dusknoir replied as it used its attack. Scyther and Zoroark saw the attacks coming their way, and dodged them all together; wowing the crowd.
"What!?" said Dennis in shock. I smirked at him, and then pointed at Mr. Mime and Dusknoir with my staff. "Scyther! Zoroark! Spin around in the air, and combine X-Scissor and Shadow Claw!" I said. They nodded their heads, spun around like a drill in the air, flew down, and used their attacks on both our foes, and made a small explosion. The smoke disappeared, and the crowd saw both Scyther and Zoroark come out unscathed, and then saw Dusknoir and Mr. Mime with their arms wrapped around each other. Once all four Pokémon stared at each other, the timer went off. "And, time! The winner of this match goes to: Aaron!" said Joy. The crowd cheered excitedly at the results, and then clapped for the both of us for our performance. "Mr. Mime, Dusknoir... I thank you. Thank you for giving it your all. I know that you're upset that we lost, but the truth is... we gave the crowd a performance that they have never seen before. They've always seen us as nearly unbeatable... but today... we saw opponents that read our movement and took us to a new level of performance and skill. This is something that we must learn together. Not only as performers... but as partners." said Dennis.
Mr. Mime and Dusknoir nodded their heads to him, and then they saw us walk upto them. "Aaron... congratulations. Well done." he said. "Thank you." I replied. I helped him stand up and we shook hands. "You were outstanding, Aaron. You and your Pokémon were completely in sync. I've never seen a performance like that before. It was incredible." he said. "Thank you. You were a great opponent as well. The way you knew how to use defense first against me was a very smart move." I replied. He smiled and nodded his head in agreement to my response, and then we heard the crowd cheer for us. We returned our Pokémon to their PokéBalls, and I watched Dennis leave the stage. I began to follow him too, but the stage manager appear and motioned me to stay in place.
I did what she wanted me to do, and then looked around the room; seeing the crowd focusing on me. As I looked around, I saw my group looking at me. I blinked my eyes, and saw Red, Mom, Zach, and Tetrax wink their eyes at me; making me do the same. After that, I looked to the stage and saw Yuya, Zuzu, Alexis, and Mai walk out onto the stage. "Aaron! Congratulations!" said Yuya happily. "Thank you." I replied with a warm smile. "Yeah! Congratulations on your win, Aaron! Your battle strategy was incredible!" Zuzu replied happily. "Yeah! Your strategy really reminded us of how or friend, Tay, does in Pokémon battles." Yuya replied. "Really? I fight just like your friend?" I replied. They nodded their heads yes to my question; making me smile. "Ladies and Gentlemen! I introduce to all of you! Your Top 5!" said Joy as she saw the spotlights shine down on us.
The crowd cheered for us, and we smiled at them. "Now, before we begin the semi-finals, we must have our final quarter-final battle! And that battle will make the Top 5 into the Top 4 for the semi-final round! And that battle will be: Mai vs. Aaron!" said Joy. The crowd cheered as the spotlights shined on me and Mai. I blinked my eyes twice, and then turned to Mai as she looked at me. "Well, well... I get to finally face you, Aaron. After seeing how you defeated Dennis... I wonder what will you do next, pretty boy." she said. My eyes widened in shock to her response, and I looked away from her. As I looked away, we saw Yuya, Zuzu, and Alexis move towards the middle of the judges table, and sat down on a bench in front of them. Mai then moved to her side of the field, and stared me down.
I looked at her silently for a moment, took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and then jumped side to side for a moment; calming my nerves. "Huh? Yuya? Did you see that? He just did what Tay did in the battle against Lt. Surge." said Zuzu curiously. "What? Jumping side to side in place? Yeah... that's exactly what she does when she's anxious." Yuya replied. "But we've never seen anyone else do that except her." she replied. He nodded his head in agreement to her response, and then focused on me; wondering what I will do next. "Coordinators! Please send out your two Pokémon!" said Joy. "Gardevoir! Mandibuzz! Let's go!" said Mai as she took out two sealed PokéBalls, threw them up in the air, watched them open, and reveal her Pokémon on the field. Mandibuzz squawked loudly, and flew up in the air. "Gardevoir." said Gardevoir. "Lucario! Rapidash! Come on out!" I replied as I took out two sealed PokéBalls, threw them up in the air, watched them open, and saw Epona and Aurasoul standing on the field. Epona whinnied as she stood up on her hind feet, and then looked at Aurasoul as he got into his battle position. "Battle, begin!" said Joy.
Battle! Mai vs. Aaron!
"Gardevoir! Use Psychic on Lucario! Mandibuzz! Steel Wing on Rapidash!" said Mai. Mandibuzz squawked loudly and began to use her attack. "Gard! Gar-devoir!" Gardevoir replied as she began to use her attack. "Rapidash! Block the Psychic With Psycho Cut! Lucario jump up in the air, and use Bone Rush!" I replied. Epona whinnied, jumped in front of Aurasoul, was grabbed by Gardevoir's attack, lifted her up in the air, and then used her attack on Gardevoir; surprising her. "Voir!" Gardevoir cried. "What!?" Mai replied surprised. Aurasoul let out his battle cry, jumped up in the air, and used the attack on Mandibuzz; hitting her in the head and making her fall to the ground. "Whoa! I can't believe that worked!" said Yuya. "Yeah! I can't believe they used Bone Rush in the air to knock Mandibuzz down to the ground like that." Zuzu replied. "Yeah. But... isn't Mandibuzz part Flying type? And Bone Rush is a Ground type move? Ground type moves don't even affect Flying types, right?" he replied.
"Correct. Even though it's true... Aaron found a way to use it in the air that Mai and Mandibuzz never saw coming. After seeing what he just did... I think Aaron has this battle in the bag... just like what he did with Dennis." Alexis replied. "Really? Because he's fighting outside the box?" Zuzu replied. She nodded her head yes to her question. "Huh... now that you mention, it feels like when I'm watching him battle... it feels like I'm watching Taylor battle." said Zuzu. "Really? Is your friend as strong as he is?" she replied curiously. "No... she's a lot stronger than him. Though, she does a lot more out of the box strategies and uses the battlefield to her complete advantage... but when she's at the point of feeling like she's stuck in a corner, she and her Pokémon completely battle in a way that no one has ever seen before." Zuzu replied.
"I see..? Well then... your friend must be a very strong influence to both you and Yuya. Seeing as she always finds a way to beat the odds, you both were inspired to do that as well in the Contest scene?" she replied. Zuzu and Yuya nodded their heads yes to her question, and then looked back at me and Mai; seeing the battle continue. "Gardevoir! Shadow Ball! Mandibuzz! Dark Pulse!" said Mai. "Voir! Gar-de-voir!" Gardevoir replied as she used her attack. Mandibuzz squawked loudly and used her attack, and then they both saw my team dodge their attacks; shocking them. "Rapidash! Use Smart Strike on Gardevoir! Lucario! Blaze Kick on Mandibuzz!" I said. "What!? It knows Blaze Kick!?" Mai replied surprised. Epona neighed loudly, made her horn glow silver-white, charged at Gardevoir, and then hit her with the attack. Aurasoul ran towards Mandibuzz, set his feet ablaze, and then kicked her multiple times.
Both foes fell back from the attacks, struggled to get back up for a moment, and then looked at us; preparing our next move. Mai clutched her hands into fists, stared at us angrily, and then pointed her finger at us. "Mandibuzz! Brave Bird! Gardevoir! Hyper Beam! Shut them down!" she said. Both Pokémon charged up their attacks, and then fired at us. "Rapidash! Use Protect! Lucario! Get behind her!" I said. Aurasoul jumped behind Epona, watched her create the giant shield around them, and then helped her make it stronger with his Aura. "Whoa! Look at that shield!" said Alexis. "Yeah! Lucario's Aura is making the shield stronger!" Yuya replied. "Alright! Go, Lucario!" Zuzu replied. After the attacks ended, the shield was dropped, and Mai looked at us in shock. "What!? There is no way they survived that!?" she said.
I lightly smirked at her reaction, and then pointed my staff at her Pokémon. "Sorry, Mai... but this ends here! Lucario! Meteor Mash on Gardevoir! Rapidash! Rainbow Impact on both her and Mandibuzz!" I said. Aurasoul let out his battle cry, ran towards Gardevoir, and used his attack on her; knocking her away from him. "Gard!" Gardevoir cried. Mandibuzz squawked and flew down to her; checking her condition. As she did this, Epona surrounded herself in multicolored light that shined like a rainbow, and charged at them. As Gardevoir sat up, she and Mandibuzz saw Epona coming towards them, and then they were hit by the attack. "Voir!" Gardevoir cried. "No! Gardevoir! Mandibuzz!" Mai replied worriedly. Both her Pokémon fell to the ground, slowly stood up, and then heard the timer go off. "And, time! The winner of this match is: Aaron!" said Joy.
The crowd cheered to the results of the battle, and then saw us hug our teams. "Aurasoul. Epona. Great job out there. I thank you." I said softly to them. They hugged me happily, and then we saw Mai and her team looking at us. We walked over to them, and saw them staring at our eyes. "Aaron? Congratulations. Well done." said Mai. "Thank you, Mai." I replied. I helped her stand up, and we shook hands; making the crowd cheer. "I have to admit it, kid... you're something special. I haven't seen anyone like you come up with a strategy like that before. You were incredible." she said. "Wow... thank you, Mai. That truly means a lot to me." I replied. We ended the handshake, and then watched her and her team leave the stage. I then turned to Yuya and Zuzu as they looked at me; seeing them smiling at me. I smiled back, and then I turned back to the screen; wondering what will happen next.
"And now, Ladies and Gentlemen! It's time to see that match-ups for the semi-finals!" said Joy. We watched our pictures on the screen move around for a minute, and then reveal who was facing who. "Our first semi-final battle will be: Alexis vs. Zuzu! And then our second battle will be: Aaron vs. Yuya!" said Joy. The crowd cheered at the match-ups, and then we all looked at each other. "I'm battling against Yuya!? Oh boy... I know how good he is as a Trainer... but battling him as a Coordinator..? That is a whole different story. Whoever he's got for me to face... I know it's going to be tough." I said in my thoughts. I blinked my eyes, and then looked to Mom, Red, and Zach; seeing them looking at me in shock. I nodded my head to them, and then looked at the screen again; knowing now that I have to plan my next move.
Thank you so much for reading Chapter 20 of the story! Man... this was a battle filled one. So many people... so many different move combinations... and so many personalities shining through this Chapter. I will admit... I did make Mai and Alexis a little too powerful in their first matches... but after what just happened to Mai, Alexis better prepare for what Zuzu has in store for her ;) Oh! And making Vulpix evolve into Ninetales was something that I was planning for a while now. And evolving her against Aura was the perfect result of Zuzu having a trick up her sleeve after having that discussion with Vulpix. But how much stronger is she now after evolving? You'll have to find out soon.
Anyways, thank you so much for reading Chapter 20 of the story, and have yourselves an awesome day!
Next time, Chapter 21: Swinging Into Action! It is now the semi-finals for the Contest! Who will advance to the finals and win it all? Find out in Chapter 21, as the Journey continues!