Sounds of battle resonate the air, persuading the audience to make cheers and gasps for their respective sides as neither participant is showing a sign of faltering, each of them focused on one thing: victory.
"Ivysaur, Seed Bomb." Yellow said before showing Ivysaur a quick hand signal as the Grass type obliged, sending a barrage of seeds unto their opponent.
"Not this again. Dodge it, Lucario!" Zane said in an annoyed tone.
"Block them, Nidoking!" Eric followed.
As the seeds rain down upon them, Lucario swiftly dodges the attack, using Aura Sphere or Shadow Ball to knock away some of the projectiles while Nidoking lifts its hands and blocks the attack, taking the punishment with little to no ease. While getting pelted by the attack, one of the seeds hitting the Poison type starts glowing until it quickly grows vines and entangles it, making the purple monster almost immobile.
"Wait! L-Leech Seed?!" Eric said, unable to fathom what just happened before the Pokemon used Growth and then engulf itself in light before tackling the Poison type which sends him a couple feet back ftom its initial position.
Meanwhile, Kadabra tries to attack Lucario, only being reward with misses as the Fighting type skillfully dodges its moves while it gets closer to the Psychic type. Waiting until the Fighting type gets close, the spoon wielding brown magician then unleashes a Shadow Ball which the Aura Pokemon quickly counters with its own Shadow Ball, creating a clash that creates a cloud of smoke, blocking both Blue and Zane's sight. When the smog almost subsides, Lucario appears out of the smoke about to attack Kadabra until it senses something, backing away as it dodges a Leech Seed. When it did, Blue thought quickly, using Psybeam on Lucario who nimbly dodges the move before he orders it to redirect the attack towards Nidoking who blocks the attack, unfazed despite the type advantage.
"W-what the hell?" The young Oak said in awe, Yellow looks in concern when seeing the Poison type shrug the attack before it prepares for its next attack.
Nidoking rushes towards Kadabra, clashing with it until Blue notices Lucario going towards Ivysaur who is using Growth, his Pokemon reading his thoughts as the Psychic type blasts away the Drill Pokemon before going towards the Fighting type, charging a Shadow Ball to stop the assault which resulted in a dodge, both giving it their all as they reach a stalemate. Seeing an opportunity, Yellow was about to give Ivysaur a command but was interrupted when Nidoking speedily strikes it, staggering the Grass type before it slams Kadabra with its tail, hurting the Psychic type. Lucario then takes this chance to overpower the Pokemon, cancelling out its attack before it launches two Shadow Ball towards the Psychic type which upon collision, sends its foe into an unconscious state.
"The hell?!" Blue said, rage coating his voice before he tries his best to keep his anger under control. He then returns his Pokemon, refusing to show weakness to his opponents as he takes out his next Pokeball, gripping it tightly.
"Now this is what I'm talking about! A battle!"
"They really managed to even the odds. Wow! Fuji's grandson is skilled."
"Damn. Imagine how it must feel for Oak's grandkid. Gotta sting his pride."
"Can't believe they're having so much problems taking down two Pokemon."
Hearing the comments from the audience made Blue angry until he sees Zane on the other side, a smirk on his face. "What's so funny, Violet?"
"You. You're a joke right now. You said you were about to beat me yet here I am. One Pokemon. You haven't even touch Lucario since I have sent him out." The purple haired teen said, looking confidently at the spiky haired brunette.
"Oh… so you think you're hot shit now because you were able to defeat a few Pokemon." Blue said, getting a glare from Yellow from his statement.
He clicks his teeth, forgetting that the blonde's soft nature makes her sees her Pokemon as her family, a thought that he cannot relate to. He doesn't want to be friends with his Pokemon, he just wants to be a Champion and his Pokemon are the only way in order to do so. He was knocked out of his thoughts when he hears Zane talk to him.
"Hey there, pot. The name's Kettle." He said, smiling at his rebuttal while Eric looks at him with a raised brow before sighing.
"So you got jokes, huh? Well, here's a sure fire one. Charmeleon, come on out!" Blue yelled at the top of his lungs, releasing the Fire type starter on the field who makes a battle cry, the flames on its tail shining brightly.
"Dragon Rage!"
"Aura Sphere!"
Both Pokemon unleashed their attacks, Charmeleon opens its mouth to let out a blue fire ball which clashes with Lucario's Aura Sphere which erupts in a cloud of smoke. As the smog cleared, they charge each other, their trainers focusing on each other as they voiced their attacks.
"Charmeleon, crush him with Brick Break!"
"Intercept with Bullet Punch!"
Obliging, both Pokemon readies themselves, lashing out punches against each other while they travel across the stage, Lucario handling the attack before trying to use Force Palm to secure a hit, unable to when Charmeleon's aggressive nature took over, not giving it the chance to land any blows. As the two trade blows, the Fire type breathes an Ember move which its canine opponent was barely able to dodge, getting grazed by the flames before it does a flips and lunges at the orange lizard, hitting it in the face with a Force Palm, much to Blue's annoyance.
Meanwhile, Ivysaur is holding its own on its side of the field and dodging Nidoking's attacks until running up one of its arms before shooting a Seed Bomb move point blank in its face, making the Pokemon stumble back in pain. The Grass type was about to hit it with Secret Power before it uses Seed Bomb to knock away a Shadow Ball, it and Yellow noticing Lucario coming towards them.
"Seed Bomb again to stop it!" Hearing her command, the Grass type then shoots a barrage of seeds, able to stop the blue canine as it's left to fend off the projectiles, doing so until it notices a fist in front of its face. Blue was smirking until he sees Lucario barely able to avoid Charmeleon by doing a backflip, ordering his starter to repeat the move which was closer than the last, just inches from the Aura Pokemon's face until it stops, much to him and everyone's confusion.
"What the hell? Why did it stop?"
"C'mon, Oak! You had him where you want him. Don't get cold feet now."
"Wait, guys! Look at its stomach!"
Everyone paid attention to Charmeleon, seeing that a fist connected to it, making it unable to carry out its attack and falling on the floor clutching its stomach.
"Damn it! Get up, Charmeleon!" Blue shouted, his hands clenching as he sees the orange lizard getting up from the floor, determination in his eyes before he glares at Zane, continuing. "We can't lose to them!"
"Hmph! Lucario, use Aura Sphere." Zane muttered, the Pokemon obeying as it quickly shoots the move into Charmeleon's face, knocking it back. In a split second, Lucario looks to its left, swinging a Shadow Ball to that direction, multiple collisions occulting until the move disperse has been shot, making it have to jumps out of the way, dodging various seeds that fall on the ground, the vines popping out of them is a sign of Ivysaur's Leech Seed.
Seeing the Pokemon protecting itself from the seed swarm, Blue takes the opportunity as he voices his next move. "Alright! Charmeleon use Brick Break!"
Obeying, Charmeleon makes a battle cry before it rushes to punch Lucario until its arm is grabbed by Nidoking who uses Thunder Punch through its arm which electrocutes Charmeleon while it holds it in place.
"Shit! Use Fire Fang now!" When Blue said this, the fire starter's mouth starts to become enveloped by flames until it bites Nidoking on its arm, burning the Pokemon who tries using its right arm to knock away the Fire type. It was about to go for another attack until the Fire starter uses its tail to unleash an Ember attack to the Ground type, both attacks separating them before they are able to get into a battle stance, awaiting orders from their trainers.
"Wow, Blue! It's just sad how hard you're trying not to get your butt kicked. Maybe you're not that great after all." Zane taunted, Eric agreeing but is still confused on his approach and constant insults towards the young Oak. This got on Blue's nerves, angering the teen as he lashes out in anger. "The fuck did you say?!"
"You heard me, Oak. You are not as great as you think you are. Just all talk and no skill."
"I swear…"
"All that ego. Just because you're Mr. Samuel's grandson."
"Don't you fucking dare…"
"With how you're battling, the road to being Champion might just be a fleeting dream."
Veins starts to appear on Blue's head, gritting his teeth after he hears the words that came out of Zane's mouth, each syllable stabbing his pride. Getting lost in his rage, he commands Charmeleon to fight Lucario, the Fire type obeying as they both go around Nidoking and confronts the Fighting type while Yellow is left to deal with the Poison type. "Blue, calm down. You gotta keep your cool."
"Shut the fuck up, Yel! I'm gonna beat this guy!" Blue said, his face showing pure rage as he turns to Zane which earns a gasp from the blonde.
Yellow tries again to calm him down but it falls on deaf ears as the brunette spits commands, his only goal being Zane's defeat. The fight rages on, Charmeleon attacking Lucario who dodges and blocks its moves, it and its trainer's aggressive approach causing mayhem for the other fighters as Ivysaur and Nidoking receive damage in the crossfire of their conflict. Yellow goes to her partner, trying herself to calm him down when he pushes her away and continues the fight.
"Woah! I forgot about Blue's temper." Red mumbles silently as he watches the onslaught of a fight. This lasts for a while as Charmeleon is getting is putting the pressure on Lucario. "This can be either a saving grace or an arrow to the knee for him."
"Blue. You need to calm down. Take deep breaths." The blonde quietly said, trying to make her voice soothing as possible for the spiky haired teen. Blue then grits his teeth before he takes a deep breath then exhale, able to calm his temper before he looks at Yellow, nodding as he looks on the field. "Alright…I'm cool…"
"Good. Now, Oak. We're going to really need to work together to beat these guys. Any ideas?" The girl said, watching Lucario's movements before she hears an answer. "We're going to have to try our combination moves right now. We need to find a way to trap the Lucario in order to take it down. The Nidoking will be alright to deal with afterwards."
Yellow nods as she and Blue continues the fight, trying their best to fend off Lucario and Nidoking as they try to trap Lucario only for it to nimbly dodge their attacks, putting their tactics to ruin before Nidoking comes in for the offensive. The battle intensifies, both sides holding their own as the crowd goes wild, everyone cheering at the top of their lungs.
"Oooh! Another strike from that Lucario to them! It is going neck to neck between these two."
"What the hell? That thing is unfair. It has never gotten a hit since this tourney started. Can anything hit it?! Sheesh!"
"Don't count out Ivysaur and Charmeleon! They're still in the game."
"Yeah. I still got my money on them."
Getting hit by another move which knocked their Pokemon back to their side of the field, Yellow started to understand Blue's frustration as she desperately tried strategy after strategy only for them to be futile due to Lucario's movements and Nidoking physical prowess.
"Damn it. How are we going to beat them? We tried every tactic in the book and still no dice." She said, frustrated before turning to her partner, surprised to see the anger in his eyes getting more apparent by the second.
"I'm…" As he said this, his Charmeleon endured a Force Palm to the stomach before Ivysaur tried to make a counter, only to fail, taking a Shadow Ball to the face.
"…getting real tired…" The Fire starter uses Ember which the Aura Pokemon easily avoids before using the seeds as a way to spread the flames and trap the Fighting type which proves to be futile when it uses Shadow Ball, jumps on it and then shoots more that manages to disperse the fire. Meanwhile, Ivysaur gets hit with a Horn Attack sending it right into Charmeleon before Lucario blasts them away with an Aura Sphere.
"…of this motherfucker thinking he's all that and his Lucario is powerful." Charmeleon was able to shake off Nidoking before it was about to use Thunder Punch but succumb to the Leech Seed which made it fall down, both were about to attack it until it punches the ground, shaking them off balance before Lucario knocks them both away with two Shadow Ball.
"I'm going to crush him if that's the last thing I'll ever do! Charmeleon, get the fuck! Up!" When he said this, the next thing that happened catches everyone by surprise including him as he feels an immense heat from the field. Turning his gaze to the field, his eyes widen when he sees the flame on Charmeleon's tail getting bigger to the point where its size was as big as Charmeleon, a little section in the middle of the flame showing a blue hue. Seeing the sight, Blue then notices that Ivysaur is glowing, absorbing the rays of the sun as the petals on its back starts to grow immensely as Yellow slow mutters the same words that he was thinking. "…Blaze and…Overgrow…"
"Is that so? This might just be the upper hand that we need." Blue said, smirking before Charmeleon made a battle cry that echoes throughout the ship. Ivysaur simply looks at Yellow, nodding with the blonde before they continue the fight. Zane and Eric starts to look at each other before one of them mentions. "That ain't good."
"You think, Eric?!" The purple haired boy said, quickly countering a fire attack from the orange lizard which is a lot more powerful thanks to its Blaze ability. The Pokemon then followed with a Brick Break, not giving Lucario any time to recover as it aggressively lashes out at the Steel and Fighting type. It looks over to Nidoking, requiring assistance until it realizes that the Poison type was also having issues, getting pushed back by the Grass starter who carefully attacked it, waiting for moments that it started to weaken before doing so.
"Alright! Dragon Rage now, Charmeleon!"
"Use Seed Bomb, Ivysaur!"
After the orders were made, both Pokemon did their respective attacks which combined into various blue flaming seeds coming towards their opponents. They plan to dodge the move however found themselves unable to do so when the orange lizard spread the Dragon Rage attack around them, trapping them in a ring of fire.
"Damn it. Block the attack, Lucario!"
"Stand your ground, Nidoking."
Lucario and Nidoking stand at alert, dodging the projectiles, Nidoking having issues which made it get pelted by some of the seeds, much to Eric's dismay. The Aura Pokemon was able to dodge the projectiles, about to make a counter attack until Charmeleon arrives in front of it in a burst of speed, Nidoking trying to stop it however was thwarted by Ivysaur who tackles it. Lucario was able to recover, quickly attacking with Force Palm which collided with the Fire type's Brick Break, the result ended afterwards with them being in a fistfight until both their arms are locked to each other, both pushing against each other with the goal on their mind to not falter, their trainers reflecting such vigor through their emotion and actions.
"Damn it. I gotta find some way to- wait! Fire Fang now!" Blue said, his arm outstretched. Charmeleon nodding, its mouth looking like a furnace as it gets closer to bite Lucario before Zane thought quickly. "Headbutt it to stop it from using the attack."
Lucario obliged, stopping Charmeleon by smashing its head towards it, the result being a stalemate as one pushes against the other, much to Blue's annoyance. He starts to rack his brain for answers before he remembers something that Yellow tells him, looking at Charmeleon's tail. 'That's it!'
"Ember now!"
As these words were spoken, Zane was confused, he could use it to stop the struggle war against Lucario and Charmeleon however what he wonders is how. 'Charmeleon's mouth is not in a position where this can work so where-"
He then notices Charmeleon's tail which it whips around with the huge flame on it as the fire gets bigger, his eyes widening at the realization.
"Oh no… get o-"
"Checkmate."
He was too late as the flames burst out, blasting both Charmeleon and Lucario back, the attack sending a harsh heat wave that coursed through the air of the stadium. The Fire type was able to hold its ground and balance as it stood up, looking at its foe as they wait for the results of the attack.
"D-did it work?" Yellow said, rubbing sand out of her eyes that came from the shockwave of the attack until she is able to see the field clearly.
'C'mon. It has to work.' Blue thought, not realizing how tightly his hands are clenched. After the smoke clears, they see Lucario on the floor, scorch marks and bruises on its body as it struggles to get up, much to their and the audience's surprise.
"D-did he just?"
"There is no way..."
"But he just did."
"His Lucario got hit!"
Leaf was surprised by the amount of skill used in the fight which made her all the more excited for the final match of the tournament. Red, on the other hand, senses something which had him on edge since Lucario came out on the field, like it's hiding something. 'I don't like the feel of this.'
Nidoking was also knocked back as well, making both Yellow and Blue share a high five before continuing their assault. When both voiced their command and their Pokemon obliged, they were unable to notice the look on the Fighting type's face as it stands up, looking at Zane who nods at the Pokemon before it exhales, the normal look it has being replaced with a different look which made a chill go up Red's spine before he notices something else. 'Is it…glowing?'
Within seconds, the Pokemon rushes forward, jumping on Nidoking's tail as Ivysaur was about to attack only for the Poison and Ground type to intercept it. The green plant frog tries to initiate another attack, the bulb on its back starts opening until Nidoking shakes the ground with a Brick Break that knocks the Pokemon off balance before it lowers itself and uses Horn Attack. Lucario was about to take out the Grass type until the Fire type came into its line of sight, using Brick Break which it easily countered with Force Palm, causing a clash. Thinking quickly, the Fighting type uses its foot to sweep Charmelon off balance before using an Aura Sphere which the orange lizard quickly cancels it out with a Dragon Rage move.
Both Pokemon aggressively hit each other, unable to land a blow on the other until they wind their arms, ready to initiate another attack. After their collision of fists, Lucario then speedily went on the offensive, aggressively striking it with Bullet Punch before ending the assault with a Force Palm, sending the Fire type into Ivysaur who was suffering from a Thunder Punch from Nidoking, making both Pokemon get hurt by the move.
"Damn it! Hold on, Charmeleon!"
"C'mon, Ivysaur! You can do it!"
Nidoking then punched the ground, trapping the two before it backs away, confusing both Blue and Yellow. Both trainers were unable to react when they see Lucario charging a purple and blue ball that was getting bigger by the second, their eyes widening before they quickly called to their Pokemon to get up and move out of the way which was futile due to their starters suffering from paralysis, unnoticed to everyone but Red. 'Paralysis…That ain't good…'
"Oh no! Ivysaur, get away!"
"Move now, Charmeleon!"
It was too late. As soon as Lucario unleashes the sphere, Blue and Yellow could only watch as their Pokemon are unable to move before they get hit by the attack which cause a shockwave so powerful that created a blast of wind, throwing Yellow off balance as she fell to the floor, Blue able to withstand the force with some difficulty. After they were able to regain their sight and look upon the field, their expressions were etched with horror and awe along with the rest of the audience as they observe the results of the attack. As their eyes laid on the field, they see Charmeleon and Ivysaur in the crater, both of them not moving which is a sign of their unconscious state.
"What…the…?" Blue said, unable to process what just happened as he stood looking at the scene in disbelief.
"…Ivysaur…" Yellow muttered, her tone getting more and more silent while she sits frozen at the sight of her injured starter.
The blonde then gets up and walks towards her Pokemon, with each step she is able to see more and more of the injuries on the Grass type, her heart sinking and her body instinctively cringing when she notices each new bruise. Stopping in front of the Pokemon and crouching, she outstretches her shaky hands, cradling Ivysaur as it weakly looks at her before its eyes closed, giving her an apologetic look. "H-hey. D-don't worry. You did great. Y-you don't need to apologize, Ivysaur. You don't need to-"
The Grass type tries to get up, moving from her arms only to fail as it fell back. "I-Ivysaur, y-you don't need to d-do anymore…it's ok. I-it's alright. It's m-my fault for putting you out there and for being a bad trainer."
Zane watches the young girl hugging her Pokemon with a look of sorrow, unable to look any longer as tears streamed from the blonde girl's eyes. Eric just looked at Blue who seems angry, his blank look still fixated on his Pokemon until he was able to shake himself from his stupor, returning his Pokemon without a single care as he mutters the words in a disappointing tone. "…pathetic…"
Zane could not believe what he just barely hear from the teen, his blood boiling as he tries his best to calm himself down before he hears a voice, his attention turning to Lucario. 'Are you ok, Master?'
"Yeah…just trying to calm down…I can't believe such a wonderful professor has a grandchild like that." Zane said, inhaling and exhaling to calm his nerves as he concentrates on the blonde, his thoughts speaking out. 'If there is one thing you're not and that is a bad trainer. To be able to understand your Pokemon's pain and understand when enough is enough. That is a sign of bravery as well.'
Yellow walked back to her side of the field, going into her bag to take out a Super Potion for her Pokemon when she notices Blue shaking, looking clearer at his face to see anger as his expression.
"Blue. L-let's just forfeit."
"What? Forfeit?! What the hell are you saying?!"
"But we-"
"Never saw you as a quitter, Yel…I never thought you were this pathetic, Yellow. I thought you wanted to be strong. Be powerful!"
"But-"
"No buts. I'll deal with this on my own. If you want something done, do it yourself." Blue said, not realizing how much his words sting the blonde as she runs away from the field, tears exploding from her eyes.
'Yep, His anger problem is just as bad as it was in the past. Probably worse because this is the first time he snapped against Yellow.' Red thought as he watches Yellow scamper off, fighting himself the urge to run to her because he knows that his presence would make everything worse. Leaf, on the other hand, sprints away quickly, dragging Red with her as they both chase after Yellow, their Pokemon following behind them.
"Go Raticate! We gotta beat these losers!" Blue shouted, his voice crackling due to his intense anger as he aggressively throw his Pokeball on the field, revealing his last Pokemon. Upon seeing Raticate, most of the crowd simply shake their heads, some getting up to leave as Blue yells an attack only to be easily countered, adding much to his anger. The spiky haired teen lashes out as he screams, the sheer power of Lucario and Nidoking being too much for his Raticate, making them knock it to the floor time and time again, the Normal type struggling to get up.
"Get the hell up, Raticate!" He yelled, veins popping on his forehead as the Pokemon got up, only to be knocked down again.
"Stop being useless and get up and fight!" Despite the bruises it has, it rises on its feet and looks at its opponents, surprising everyone in the crowd. Eric and Zane were both surprised until the purple haired teenager was able to understand what is going on as he silently mutters which only his partner heard. "It's trying to prove itself to its trainer…"
"I knew I should've went for something better like a Nidoran. Why did I choose a weak Rattata?" Blue lashed out in anger before he yells another command only to fail again. The young Oak shouted a slew of insults and commands to the Pokemon as it is barely able to move, panting heavily.
"Just forfeit, Blue. You can't win." Zane said, trying his best to not let his anger seep out, feeling sorry for Raticate.
"Yeah, man. Can't you see you're just causing the poor Raticate more pain?" Eric said, cringing at the sight of Raticate standing, limping towards their side of the field as it goes for another Hyper Fang. Lucario simply walked forward, charging an Aura Sphere as it hears a command from Zane. "Just…make it quick. Lucario."
'As you wish, master.' The Fighting type nodded as it turns towards its opponent, hitting it with a Force Palm before it quickly ends its assault with an Aura Sphere which collided with the Pokemon, knocking it to the ground. 'You have spirit and I will respect you for that. It's too bad that you weren't caught by someone else.'
"Get up, you damn Pokemon! Get up!" Blue said, not noticing the attacks that his Pokemon has endured. Realizing that Raticate is not moving, dread filled his heart when he sees the referee walking to the field, checking the Pokemon until he raises his flag and about to announce Zane and Eric's victory.
"Raticate is unable to ba-"
He lashed out in anger, saying. "What? We have not lost yet. Get up, Raticate! Get up! I caught you for a reason and that is to help me become the Champion."
Seeing no response from the Pokemon made him angrier, for the first time in his life, he lost a battle. He always was the best, no matter where he was but now, he could only watch as the referee announced his opponent's victory, his heart sinking as he sees the disappointed looks in the crowd before they walked away. He then looks towards the field, seeing the nurses taking up his Pokemon before carrying it to the infirmary as the reality hit him like a freight train. 'I-I lost? No way…'
Walking towards Blue, Zane looks towards the broken teen with a solemn look before he sighs, saying. "You see what I'm talking about now. You can't win a battle by just wanting it enough and getting stronger. You need to understand your Pokemon. Bond with th-"
Blue gets up and goes to punch Zane, surprised when Lucario blocks his attack, looking at him with a fierce expression. The purple haired teen simply shakes his head before he asks Lucario to release his hand, walking away until he utters a few words that Blue will never forget. "You are never gonna become a great Champion if you continue like this. You'll just be alone. Just like today."
The spiky haired youth's eye twitches upon hearing that, unable to control his rage as he yells out his thoughts. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN?!"
"That's for you to find out…just look around you…" Zane said, his voice fading out the further he is as he leaves the stadium. Blue then falls to his knees as he is the only one on the field, the entire place being empty as he searches through his thoughts. He then notices that Yellow is not within the area, looking around only to see trash that is dancing with the wind.
Yellow finds herself sitting in the break room, watching her Pokemon from the window while the nurses tend to their wounds. Tears stream out of her eyes as she watches, feeling bad for the amount of pain that she has put her Pokemon through in the tournament. She didn't understand how Pokemon trainers were able to do it, send their friends in to fight, watch them get injured and be able to continue fighting. Blue made it seem so easy and she thought that she could do it too.
How wrong she was.
"I'm such an idiot."
She could not do it. Watching them get hurt, seeing them struggle in order to win her battles. Since she became a trainer, it didn't seem so bad at first but as she continued her journey and her Pokemon and enemies got stronger, she could not handle it anymore, a pit in her stomach everytime that she fights.
She was knocked out of her thoughts when she feels a hand on her shoulder, looking up to see Leaf who has a look of worry on her face. "Are you ok, Yellow?"
Seeing the brunette sit beside her, Yellow turns her gaze towards the room, watching her Pokemon resting in the beds with a sorrowful expression on her face. "Well, you can see it for yourself. I-I'm a mess. I…I don't think that I'm…fit to be a trainer, Leaf."
"Don't say that, Yellow."
"Think about it, Leaf. As hard as I try to hide it, I don't like seeing my Pokemon get hurt. It makes me feel uncomfortable. I'm not like you or Blue. He always says I need to stop being a bleeding heart."
"Yellow, you don't need the opinion of another in order to know how good you are. Once you make them get to you, that's when you truly lose." Leaf said, surprising the blonde as she turns to her, dumbfounded. The brunette simply leans back in her chair before she looks at the ceiling before continuing. "That's…what my dad told me. He said sometimes you gotta keep trying even when everyone else thinks you suck. That is when you'll know if it's worth it or not."
"Ain't that's the truth." The two girls turn to see Zane walking in the corridor, his hands in his pockets as he looks at both girls with a smile on his face. He then turns to the window, looking at the injured Pokemon before apologizing to Yellow. "I'm sorry for this."
"It's not your fault. You…had to. We were in a battle so it's inevitable." Yellow said meekly, looking down to the ground with a melancholic face. "I just wasn't strong enough…"
"But you can be. You need to find your own battle style because slugging punches ain't your thing. Your friend is right. Don't let others tell you what to do. Follow your own path, fight your battles in your own way and train and live with your Pokemon how you want to." Zane said as he looked at Yellow before he gives her a present, putting a bell in her hand which upon receiving the gift, she looked at him with a skeptical look before he says. "That is a Soothe Bell. It helps you to be able to deepen your friendship with your Pokemon. Think of it as a parting gift for the tournament."
As he said this, he turns to Leaf, holding his arm out towards for a handshake which she accepts.
"I hope that you're ready for our match, Leaf. I look forward to battling the both of you." Zane said, a smile on his face.
"Same. I can't wait to fight both of you. Don't underestimate Red and me!" Leaf said, her voice coursing with enthusiasm.
"Oh! I look forward. Let the best team win!" Zane said as he walks away, a smile on his face when his anticipation and excitement for the next day increases by the second.
'Master, it seems that you're eager for the final match.' Lucario said, coming out of its capsule and walking beside her master which he smile in response.
"Yep! Those two are not gonna be pushovers. It's gonna be a match to remember." Was the last thing Zane said before he goes back to his room.
The morning of the final match is filled with excitement as everyone waits by the SS. Anne, the final match of the tournament on the top of their priorities as they patiently wait to go inside and take a seat and see if their team wins. As this was happening, within the cruise ships, all the participants for the tournament was already awake, getting themselves ready for the battle that will be happening later.
While they were getting ready in their room, Red comes out of the shower to realize that his red cap and jacket are missing which made him confused until he feels a tug on his leg, seeing Poliwag who point over to Leaf's direction. He then sighs as he calls over to Leaf who was in the bathroom. "You took my stuff again, Leaf. First, my cap then my jacket. What else do you want?"
"Your last nam- I-I mean your last pair of gloves!" Leaf yelled from inside the bathroom before she resumes, saying. "Thanks, by the way."
The raven haired teen simply sighs as he gets his things, going with wearing his black undershirt and black jeans before he plays with Poliwag while he waits for his roommate until he hears a knock on the door, opening it to reveal Meowth. 'I got the thing done for you.'
"Nice! Thanks for the help, Meowth." Red said, petting the cream cat who purrs in delight at the action.
'It's no prob. Just know you owe me for this.'
"No problem." He agreed, giving a thumbs up sign. He then see the door to the bathroom, seeing Leaf in his jacket and cap along with a black blouse and blue jeans.
"Hey, look. I'm you. Pretty cool. It's like we swapped color palettes." Leaf said, showing off her outfit to Red who nods and gives her a thumbs up, making her blush slightly. They both then ate breakfast before they made their way to their side of the stadium before they are able to hear the announcer's voice booming through the room.
"Welcome, everyone! Welcome to the final match of the SS. Anne Tournament! We have seen opponents big and strong, clever and conniving and even the obscure come to this field and wage combat against each other with pure vigor and excitement but now out of all of them we have reached our final trainers and they are gonna duke it out today in an epic match which only one team will remain and be able to claim the prize and be the winner! Let me hear you all. ARE! YOU! READY?!" As the announcer said this, the stadium was filled with loud cheers and shouts before he continues again.
"That's what I'm talking about! On my right, these two have been crushing through the competition, barely breaking a sweat and they smooth sailing to the finals, let's give it up for Zane and Eric!" Upon the announcement, both Zane and Eric walked on stage, Eric waving to the audience as they prepare themselves for the upcoming battle.
"And to my left are the newbies but don't underestimate them for they have more than shown that they aren't no pushover! Give it up for team Crimson Leaf: Leaf Green and Red Fires!"
Upon hearing the name, Red immediately looks at Leaf with a raised brow, the girl avoiding his gaze while she whistles and fidgets, lowering his cap to cover her face and kicking some air. He squinted his eyes until both Zane and Eric follow his gaze and look at her as she crosses her arms, mumbling. "I-it sounded good in my head…it was that or Burningleaf…"
"I know you're all just shaking in your socks, boots and sandals so without further ado, let's begin!" As the words leave his mouth, the four trainers on the field prepared themselves as they held their capsules in hand.
"Let's go, Absol!" Zane said, throwing a black Pokeball which reveals a dark blue and white creature on all fours that majestically walks towards the field before it lays down, taking a nap, getting a few laughs from the crowd. "C'mon, Absol. We're in a battle."
Getting no response from the Dark type, he sighs before he hears his partner released his Pokemon as it stands on the field. "Let's do this, Sandslash!"
"Buneary, come on out!" Leaf said enthusiastically as the Normal type appears on the field, hopping excitedly while it faces its opponents. All three Pokemon trainers see Red throwing his Pokeball, a light coming out of the ball which retreated straight back to him, revealing Beedrill who is hugging him, much to the crowd's amusement.
"This Red kid never cease to amaze me."
"First the Meowth…hahahaha and now a Beedrill! Hahahaha! This kid's a riot!"
"You can't count on him for a good laugh."
Able to calm down Beedrill, it hovers to the field, raising its stingers as it prepares for combat. After seconds of anticipation, Eric starts by bellowing his move. "Alright, let's start this with Bulldoze, Sandslash!"
"Quickly, jump in the air, Buneary!"
"Catch Buneary and go fly higher in the sky, Beedrill."
Immediately, Sandslash stomps and slams the ground creating a shockwave that aggressively shakes the field while Buneary quickly hops in the air, avoiding the attack before it is caught by Beedrill who hovers in the air while they both view the destruction of the field.
"Woah! That's some strength." Leaf commented, getting a nod from Red before they notice Absol's mouth starts to glow as flames spread around it, speaking his thoughts when he voices. "Uh oh."
"Flamethrower, Absol." Zane said with his hands in his pockets. Obeying, the Dark type breathes a stream of fire from its mouth which the yellow bee easily evaded before using Venoshock to block one of the attacks. Leaf gets an idea as she motions Buneary to jump off Beedrill towards the Dark type's direction before she makes her move. "Jump Kick on Absol now!"
The Normal type nods while it positions its body before it quickly descends to the ground. Red then notices the smirk on Zane's face, starting to sweat as he motions Beedrill to cover Buneary but fails when he is intercepted by Sandslash who trades blows with the Bug type, much to Red's dismay.
"Ice Beam."
After Zane stated his move, a blue beam was shot from the Dark type's mouth. Unable to dodge the attack due to being in midair, the beam hits the brown rabbit, instantly freezing it in a block of ice, much to everyone's surprise before he continues with another attack. "Now Night Slash!"
Red tries to intervene, making Beedrill able to knock away Sandslash to provide enough time to get to Buneary, his goal being to cover it while he voices to Leaf to return the Pokemon. However despite his effort, it is too late as Absol quickly struck the ice, breaking it and hitting the Normal type across the field, sending it by Leaf's feet. Caught off guard, she looks down to see the brown rabbit unconscious, not showing any signs of movement as she could barely voice out her words coherently. "What…the…"
"This is not good." Red mutters as he looks at his opponents, seeing Beedrill taking them both on but is getting quickly overwhelmed, making him click his teeth in frustration.
"This ain't good at all…"
Happy holidays guys! I hope you guys love the fight between Blue and Yellow and Zane and Eric. Now we're about to reach the finale of the tournament. Well, I'm on a roll and I have everything up to Celadon City fully planned out, just writing it out right now! So for now, I don't have much to say apart from I wish you all the best and hope that you all are safe. Hope you enjoy the story, thanks for your feedback and support. Sorry guys about what happened before. I was double checking on my end to make sure but I never saw the problems that you guys were facing. Enigma out!