Chapter 38
Blue always started with the same Pokemon.
With a cry, Pidgeot circled the stadium, its red and yellow head crest flowing like ribbons. It seemed to glare at Leaf when it passed her.
Leaf had known for a while who should face Pidgeot. It would've been crazy of her to consider anyone else.
Fearow circled the stadium, opposite of her opponent. Their gazes were glued to each other, not breaking for even a second. In them, Leaf watched their history play out. The last time they saw each other, they were allies, working together to take down Team Rocket at Silph Co. But before that, they fought three times, with Fearow losing twice. The one time she won was when she evolved mid-battle, pushed into a corner by the stronger, more experienced bird.
How many Pokemon had Fearow defeated over the past year? Too many to count. And yet, there was one Pokemon who consistently overpowered her. Fearow and Pidgeot were rivals in the same way Leaf and Blue were rivals. For this final showdown, Fearow needed to be the one to face Pidgeot, to prove once and for all that she was no longer a small, scrappy Spearow.
Blue didn't seem the least bit surprised to see Fearow. "Ladies first."
Leaf pointed to the sky. "Fearow, Fly!"
Fearow cawed and shot towards the sun.
"Fly, Pidgeot!"
In a blink of an eye, Pidgeot was flying right above Fearow. Leaf's jaw dropped; she didn't remember it being that fast. Fearow ducked, barely keeping her face away from the eagle's talons. But as she turned to fly in a different direction, Pidgeot's talons shot out again and grabbed her left shoulder.
"Aerial Ace!" Leaf cried.
"Feather Dance!"
Fearow slashed at Pidgeot's legs with her beak. Pidgeot shrieked and released her, but not before raining feathers all over. As it withdrew, Fearow frantically tried to shake off the pesky feathers.
"Aerial Ace!" Blue ordered.
"Aerial Ace!" Leaf blurted out.
Fearow and Pidgeot lunged at each other. With some of Pidgeot's feathers clinging onto her, Fearow couldn't move quite as fast. Pidgeot veered to the left, dodging Fearow's beak, and dragged its talons along her body. Fearow's cry of pain was still in the air when Pidgeot turned and raked her other side, bringing out another sharp screech.
Leaf thought quickly. "Wing Attack!"
Pidgeot turned to attack Fearow a third time. As it neared, Fearow started wildly flapping her wings around, hitting it in the face, shaking off the last of its feathers off her. Pidgeot careened and before it could regain control of itself, Leaf shouted, "Aerial Ace!"
Fearow must've predicted that order because she was already darting towards Pidgeot. She slashed its right wing. With a cry, Pidgeot began to drop.
"Roost!" Blue called out.
Pidgeot's feathers glowed a soft blue and immediately, Leaf knew it was healing itself. Oh no you don't. "Aerial Ace!"
Fearow tucked her wings in and dived, fast as a rollercoaster. When she caught up to Pidgeot, she spread her wings and slashed. The eagle stopped glowing.
"Aerial Ace!" Blue shouted.
Fearow shrieked as Pidgeot ripped at her with its talons. But instead of retreating, Fearow continued to slash with her beak, began to flail her talons and wings. Pidgeot was also swinging its wings and beak at Fearow. This was no longer a strategic duel, but a bloodthirsty brawl. With each swipe of beak and talons, each beat of a wing, the two birds screeched.
And they were plummeting towards the ground. Fast.
Leaf wasn't going to let Fearow fall. "Grab Pidgeot's wings!"
Fearow kicked her talons up and latched onto the eagle's wings. Pidgeot shrieked and slashed at Fearow's legs, but the vulture refused to let go.
"Feather Dance!"
"Throw Pidgeot down!"
The two birds were swallowed by a mass of feathers before they crashed onto the ground. Leaf leaned forward tensely, waiting for the feathers to get out of the way. Did that shade of brown belong to Fearow or Pidgeot? When the feathers settled, Leaf saw ragged Fearow perched on top of Pidgeot, breathing heavily.
The referee raised a flag. "Pidgeot is unable to battle!"
Leaf clapped her hand over her mouth. Fearow tossed her head back and cawed before flying towards Leaf. Up close, Fearow looked even worse. She was so ruffled, like she'd just been electrocuted. She was also missing feathers in several places. But the vulture didn't care. Fearow's eyes shone brighter than they ever had.
Just a year ago, Fearow struggled to fly against the wind. Just now, she defeated Pidgeot, known as the Strongest Bird in Kanto, and earned Leaf the first win of the Championship battle. Leaf's heart swelled. "Congrats on being the stronger bird."
Fearow cooed, but not for long. Their moment was interrupted by a thunderous roar.
Even though Leaf knew about this Pokemon, she found herself beginning to freeze. Bruno's Steelix had overwhelmed her with its sheer size. The bipedal beast across the battlefield was half the Steelix's height, but it had a viciousness that made Leaf feel it could wreak twice the havoc. It was an olive, armored dinosaur with spikes on its head, back, and the tip of its tail. There were triangular holes on its chest and knees, and its belly was covered in stormy blue scales. The claws on its hands and feet looked sharp enough to cut through stone.
Tyranitar. The inspiration for Godzilla. It raised its head and let out another ferocious roar. Sand whipped up around it and flew across the entire battlefield, so thickly that the Tyranitar was barely visible.
Leaf returned Fearow. Tyranitar wasn't actually a Kanto Pokemon: it hailed from Johto. Leaf didn't know how Blue acquired one, but she knew it was a rock-type, so Fearow wouldn't be able to do much to it. She didn't want to rely on type advantages, but for this battle, she couldn't risk anything.
Golduck was a dark shape in the sandstorm. Leaf couldn't see his reaction to the Tyranitar, but she imagined he wasn't looking forward to battling another titan. I'm sorry, Golduck. I just trust you the most against them.
"Earthquake!"
"Surf!"
Chaos ensued.
The Tyranitar stomped down hard and with a boom, the ground jerked and split open. Leaf couldn't assess the extent of the Earthquake's power because almost simultaneously, water exploded from the fissures, mixing with the sand. She heard the Tyranitar roar.
"Thunderbolt!"
Huh?
There was a flash and Leaf heard the crackle of thunder, Golduck screaming. She bit back a curse. Of course Blue found a way to prevent his stone dinosaur from getting wet. But she could manage that. Not all of Golduck's attacks were water-based. "Psychic!"
Leaf knew Golduck was using Psychic because the water seemed to be draining from the battlefield. But then, she heard Blue yell, "Rock Slide!" and not long after, spotted giant pieces of rubble hovering over Golduck's vicinity.
"Psychic!" Leaf blurted out again. She wanted to specify that Golduck should Psychic the rubble, not the Tyranitar who somehow resisted it, but there wasn't enough time. With the sandstorm still raging, she couldn't tell if the crash she heard meant Golduck was hit or he managed to redirect the Rock Slide.
"Earthquake!"
"Surf!" Leaf knew what was going to happen next, but Golduck didn't have a better defense against Earthquake.
"Thunderbolt!"
A boom, a rush of water, a roar, a crackle. Leaf couldn't really see or hear Golduck, but she knew on top of the attacks, Golduck was getting buffeted by the sandstorm, which hurt any Pokemon that wasn't a rock, ground, or steel-type. If they kept going on like this, it would come down to a battle of pain tolerance, of willpower. Leaf wasn't confident that Golduck could accept more pain than Godzilla.
"Rock Slide!"
"Psychic the rocks!"
Golduck would only be able to defeat the Tyranitar with a water attack.
Crash.
But using Surf or Hydro Pump would just get him electrocuted.
Crash.
"Whirlpool!" Leaf shouted. This was Golduck's only water attack that wouldn't send a current of electricity to him.
The Tyranitar roared as water twisted around it and began pummeling it from all directions.
"Iron Tail!"
Leaf saw a flash and knew the Tyranitar was cutting away the Whirlpool, exactly how Lance's Aerodactyl tried to. But unlike Lance's Aerodactyl, the Tyranitar was going to succeed. Whirlpool wasn't enough to bring it down. Leaf was back to square one.
"Earthquake!"
Golduck was just going to have to be electrocuted. Unless he wasn't in the water.
An idea came to Leaf. "Hydro Pump beneath you!"
As the ground violently shook, Leaf heard a blast of water and in a second, Golduck was soaring above the sandstorm.
"Surf!"
"Thunderbolt!"
A rush of water, a roar. Golduck began to fall and lightning struck the air above him.
"Ice Beam!"
Leaf rarely had Golduck use Ice Beam. Why would he, when Surf and Hydro Pump were much stronger? But this time, there was a clear reason to use Ice Beam. Leaf remembered how Lorelei's Lapras froze the entire pool so that it wouldn't touch the toxic water.
When Leaf didn't hear a splash, she smiled. "Surf!"
"Thunderbolt!"
The Tyranitar roared as a giant wave crashed into it. Lightning shot out from its body. If Golduck was indeed standing on an ice platform, the Tyranitar would have to aim at him and Leaf would be horrifically impressed if it could aim in the middle of a tsunami.
In fact, she was already horrifically impressed that, despite getting barraged by massive waves multiple times, the Tyranitar was still standing. It truly was a beast.
Blue must've realized that Thunderbolt wasn't working out because he shouted, "Rock Slide!"
"Keep Surfing!" Leaf exclaimed. Come on, Golduck! Finish it!
The sandstorm somehow seemed thicker than before. The only thing she could see was the Tyranitar's imposing shadow, jostled by the waves. It was impossible for Leaf to discern Golduck's condition. She just had to trust that Golduck was alright.
Another shadow, the height of the Tyranitar, rose. A giant wave, like the one from that famous painting, like the one from that story about humans and animals seeking refuge in a boat. The titan let out a deafening roar as it toppled over. There was a loud splash and water flew everywhere.
Leaf held her breath. She could hear the water draining. She wasn't sure if Golduck was waiting to make a move or simply exhausted. The sandstorm was beginning to clear up. Gradually, Leaf saw more and more of what was ahead.
The first thing she noticed was the Tyranitar, lying in the warzone, looking monstrous even when unconscious. Seeing all the rubble and fissures, the mud and puddles, Leaf thought whoever was responsible for battlefield maintenance deserved a generous raise. Her gaze flicked over to Blue, who was doing a great job as usual at appearing nonchalant. Then, she looked down at Golduck and grinned.
The duck, covered in sand and bruises and scorch marks, was standing on a tiny patch of ice. He looked up at her and smiled.
The referee raised a flag. "Tyranitar is unable to battle!"
Two of Blue's Pokemon down and Leaf hadn't lost any yet. Leaf tried to stay calm. She didn't want to jinx it.
Blue sent out his next Pokemon and Leaf knew instantly her streak was over.
A thick, six-foot-tall palm tree with legs stood across from Golduck. Where there would've been coconuts, there were three yellow heads wearing different expressions: excitement, bliss, and smugness.
Exeggutor, the evolution of Exeggcute. It was a strange Pokemon, but it was strong. And a grass-type. Golduck was so beaten up that even a battle without any type disadvantages would've been tough. Technically, Leaf could send out someone else, like Ninetales, but she already swapped a Pokemon out once. It would not look good if she did it again.
Leaf prayed for a miracle. "Ice Beam!"
"Psychic!"
The pale blue beam had barely come out when Golduck stiffened.
"Psychic!" Leaf cried.
"Egg Bomb!"
Either Golduck was too exhausted or the Exeggutor's Psychic was more powerful or both, because he remained frozen as the walking palm tree bent down. A giant white ball shot out of its fronds. It hit Golduck in the chest and exploded.
The Exeggutor straightened itself, the light in its eyes fading. When the smoke cleared, Golduck was lying on his back.
The referee raised a flag. "Golduck is unable to battle!"
Leaf didn't feel much when she returned Golduck. Was it fine that Golduck fainted? No, but it was bound to have happened. What mattered was that Golduck took down the Tyranitar. He didn't have to defeat anyone else.
For knocking out Golduck though, Leaf was going to hit the Exeggutor hard.
Ninetales growled when she saw the Exeggutor. She leaned forward, prepared to start running. Leaf cleared her throat and opened her mouth to command Ninetales.
"Isn't it boring?" Blue suddenly asked, catching Leaf off-guard. As Champion, Blue never made small talk with his opponents. "Just sending out whoever has the type advantage? I think we should shake things up a bit."
Before Leaf could think of a response, Blue returned the Exeggutor and sent out a different Pokemon: an orange canine with jagged black stripes, diamond-shaped ears, and shaggy beige fur covering its muzzle, chest, and head. More fur grew from behind its elbows and around its ankles, and it had a billowing, beige tail that was bent in the middle. It snarled at Ninetales, revealing sharp fangs. Leaf wasn't sure if she imagined it, but for a moment, Ninetales trembled.
Arcanine, the evolution of Growlithe. Like Nintales, it was a fire-type. Their strongest attacks were useless against each other. Leaf's lips twitched upwards. She was amused, in an irritated sort of way. It was just like Blue to make a game out of such a significant battle.
Fire-type or not though, Ninetales could handle whatever was thrown at her. "Quick Attack!"
"Extreme Speed!"
Ninetales and the Arcanine blinked out of sight. A fraction of a second later, Ninetales was tumbling to the left. She'd barely gotten back up when she was knocked to the side again by a flash of orange and beige.
Leaf's body went cold. Extreme Speed was the faster move. The Arcanine was the faster Pokemon.
Leaf shoved the thoughts away. "Fire Spin!" It wouldn't hurt the Arcanine much, but maybe it would be enough to keep it away momentarily.
Flames began to dance around Ninetales' paws. As quickly as they came, they vanished when the Arcanine barreled into Ninetales again, sending her flying.
Leaf had to try something else. "Roar!"
The Arcanine slammed into Ninetales. Instead of a groan, a roar that could rival a lion's boomed out of her mouth. Footsteps away from Ninetales, the Arcanine halted, completely visible now that it wasn't teleporting.
Leaf seized the opening. "Quick Attack!"
The Arcanine yelped when Ninetales tackled into it.
"Extreme Speed!"
Leaf saw a blur of golden fur where the Arcanine just was. In the same second, there was a flash of orange and Ninetales' yelp was in the air again.
Leaf refused to give up, especially not after seeing that Ninetales was capable of landing a hit. "Ro––"
"Bite!"
In an instance, both Ninetales and Arcanine were visible again. Ninetales was flailing, her neck caught in the Arcanine's jaws.
"Hyper Beam!"
Leaf was blinded by an orange so bright, it was nearly white. Her eyes had still not fully recovered when she heard the referee say, "Ninetales is unable to battle!"
Leaf bit her lip. She barely took in Ninetales' limp body as she returned her. She couldn't win the match with type advantages removed. Shame flooded her.
Then, anger. Blue must've expected the battle to go this way. He wanted to humiliate her. Well, he wasn't going to succeed. With Golduck out of the game, there was no Pokemon she could use who had a huge advantage over the Arcanine. She could redeem herself.
Who should she send out? Probably not Venusaur, who was disadvantaged. Fearow wasn't at full strength, so maybe not her. That left Gengar and Dragonite. Both were fine options, but which one should she save for another opponent?
The reporters flinched when Dragonite emerged and began to circle the stadium. They were probably pissing themselves and Leaf couldn't blame them. The last time they saw Dragonite, just a week ago, he tried to make himself the last thing they ever saw.
Even though Dragonite looked perfectly calm now, Leaf's hands were clammy. Just because she had no intention of having Dragonite use Outrage, didn't mean he wouldn't go berserk. There was a moment earlier this week when Leaf considered not sending Dragonite out at all, but she needed his power. Plus, she hoped that this time, everyone could see Dragonite totally in control.
By accident or on purpose––she couldn't tell––Leaf's gaze met Blue's. Were her eyes deceiving her, or was there a tiny smirk on his face? Either way, she was certain he was remembering the last time he saw Dragonite: as a little Dratini, who was terrified of everything, who he helped grow stronger.
With the aid of his Growlithe, now Arcanine. Leaf had nearly forgotten that Dratini had evolved after defeating the fire dog. She hadn't planned on pitting them against each other again––she just thought Gengar should be saved for someone else––but here they were. Though they'd not yet met as fully evolved Pokemon, they recognized each other. They held their unblinking gazes the same way Leaf and Blue did just now.
Blue broke the silence. "Extreme Speed!"
Leaf's first reaction was to kick herself. Lost in her memories, she'd forgotten that the Arcanine would have to recharge after using Hyper Beam. She should've made a move when it was immobilized. Then, watching the Arcanine dart around the battlefield, she felt confused. Dragonite wasn't on the ground. How was the Arcanine supposed to touch him?
Suddenly, there was a flash of orange against the wall closest to Dragonite and the Arcanine was in the air, soaring towards him. Dragonite began to fly higher, but he was too late. He roared when the Arcanine's teeth sank into his tail and dragged him down several feet.
"Shake it off!" Leaf called out.
The Arcanine's jaw must've been made of steel, because it held on no matter how desperately Dragonite flailed.
"Iron Tail!"
The Arcanine's tail glinted. Using the momentum from being swung around, it kicked itself over, ramming its tail into Dragonite's side. Dragonite dropped further down, roaring.
Blue's strategy was clear to Leaf now. "Fly straight up!"
Dragonite's face was red and tight as he flew higher, the Arcanine still hanging from his tail. The fire dog wasn't light. Dragonite was flying significantly slower than usual. But fortunately, he was still able to move up.
"Let go!" Blue ordered, once Dragonite reached a certain height.
The moment the Arcanine opened its mouth, Dragonite shot upwards and Leaf felt lighter. "Rage Twister!"
Dragonite spun in the air, firing purple and yellow energy that formed into a twister. The Arcanine leaped out of the way. Dragonite redirected the twister, but the Arcanine was fast, even without using Extreme Speed.
Leaf kept her gaze on the Arcanine. If she could pinpoint a pattern to its movements, then she could figure out a way for Dragonite to land the Rage Twister.
"Flamethrower!"
The Arcanine leaped away from the Rage Twister and before Dragonite could redirect it, it turned towards it and fired a Flamethrower. There was a boom and smoke covered the battlefield, hiding the Arcanine. Up in the air, Dragonite grew still as he tried to locate his opponent.
"Hyper Beam!"
Leaf braced herself for a blinding orange beam. It didn't come as soon as she expected.
One moment, all she saw was Dragonite and smoke. The next, an orange movement from the corner of her eye, immediately followed by the blinding beam. Did she hear Dragonite roar? She couldn't tell because her mind was still processing that the Arcanine had launched itself in the air again to get a closer shot.
The smoke disappeared and the Arcanine landed on its paws. With a swallow, Leaf looked up to see if Dragonite was falling to the ground.
Leaf gasped.
Dragonite was still in the air, circling the stadium. From what she could tell, he seemed to be in the same condition as before. The Hyper Beam missed.
And the Arcanine had to recharge.
Leaf wasn't going to make the same mistake as earlier. "Rage Twister!"
Dragonite hovered directly over the Arcanine. He spun and rained a vortex of dragon energy onto the dog. The Arcanine yelped as it was pinned down, but it had no way of fighting back.
Eventually, Leaf heard Blue yell, "Extreme Speed!"
All the Arcanine did was struggle. Enough time had probably passed for it to recharge, but the force of the Rage Twister was too powerful. It couldn't just run away.
The Arcanine stopped moving. Dragonite didn't stop using Rage Twister, not because he lost control, but because he had no way of seeing his opponent. Leaf hoped the reporters would know that. "That's enough, Dragonite!"
Dragonite stopped immediately. The referee raised a flag. "Arcanine is unable to battle!"
Leaf smiled. Take that, Blue. Dragonite won while staying lucid. And he received minimal injur––
Her train of thought was interrupted by a groan. Dragonite was shakily lowering himself, nearly tripping when he landed. Now that he was closer to Leaf, she could see a black mark on his left wing. Leaf's heart sank when she realized what it was.
The Hyper Beam didn't completely miss. It hit Dragonite's wing and now, he couldn't fly properly. It was probably just the adrenaline that kept him going earlier.
Technically, Dragonite was still strong. He was far from losing consciousness. But if he was not well-trained to battle on foot, did it make a difference, how healthy he was?
Blue sent out his next Pokemon. Leaf recognized the yellow and brown humanoid with a spiked head and long mustache. It raised the spoons it held, forming a battle stance.
Alakazam. Leaf had last seen it as a Kadabra, but she had experience battling Alakazam in general. It was Sabrina's ace Pokemon. Sabrina's Alakazam had been a challenge. No doubt, Blue's would be even tougher.
Leaf straightened herself. This battle was never meant to be a walk in the park. "Rage Twister!"
"Psychic!"
Dragonite had barely moved when he suddenly stiffened and was slammed against the wall.
"Roar!" Leaf shouted.
Dragonite's roar boomed even louder than the Tyranitar's. Instantly, Dragonite was on his feet again, the Alakazam's concentration broken.
"Rage Twister!"
"Calm Mind!"
Leaf forgot that Alakazam were faster than they looked. Blue's leaped away from the Rage Twister, pressed its hands together as if in prayer, and closed its eyes.
"Psychic!"
The Alakazam's eyes flew open and the Rage Twister vanished just as it was about to make contact. Dragonite was stiff and off the ground again.
"Roar!"
The roar had barely come out when Dragonite was thrown down. As he was lifted, he tried again, and Leaf nearly covered her ears on instinct.
"Rage––"
Dragonite was thrown down again, making Leaf jump. Maybe that roar wasn't as loud as she thought it was. "Roar!"
Dragonite's roar reverberated in the stadium. Either Leaf's ears were too sensitive or the Alakazam was selectively deaf, because it brought Dragonite down over and over and over again.
The Alakazam must've gotten bored because it started slamming Dragonite onto the ground from side-to-side, rather than straight down. Dragonite continued to roar to no effect and that was when Leaf remembered. Calm Mind. She'd seen that move before. It strengthened the user's attacks.
Leaf swallowed. No wonder Dragonite couldn't break free from Psychic, at least not enough to retaliate. Blue made sure that no one could escape the Alakazam's control. If that was the case, how was Dragonite supposed to win? She wracked her brain for a game changing move, but all she could think of was, "Roar as loud as you can! Roar like there's a bomb inside you!"
But Dragonite couldn't properly roar when he was continuously getting the wind knocked out of him. For a moment, Leaf wished that Dragonite wasn't so tough, that he would faint right now. A quick loss seemed preferable to this dragged out torture session.
Leaf's fingers had just touched Dragonite's PokeBall when there was a flash of purple and yellow.
Dragonite was standing now, energy swirling around him, eyes glowing. With a mighty roar, he rushed at the startled Alakazam and swung at it, energy bursting from his fist. The Alakazam tumbled several feet away. As it scrambled back up, Dragonite lunged for it again, and Leaf noticed that his feet weren't touching the ground, that his wings were flapping.
In his rage, Dragonite had forgotten that one of his wings was injured. But him forgetting didn't mean that his wing was actually fine.
Before Dragonite could reach the Alakazam, he collapsed onto the ground. In the next breath, he was stiffly suspended in the air, once again under the Alakazam's control. The Alakazam flicked its wrist and Dragonite was soaring across the battlefield. Leaf winced when Dragonite crashed into the wall and fell to the ground with a thud.
The referee raised a flag. "Dragonite is unable to battle!"
The air seemed to have been sucked out of the stadium as Leaf returned her dragon. Dragonite, the pseudo-legendary who defeated some of the most powerful Pokemon in Kanto. And Blue's Alakazam, who took him down with relative ease. Sure, Dragonite had been effectively handicapped. The Alakazam would've taken more damage had the dragon been able to fly. But Leaf's gut told her that Dragonite still would've lost and that was when it hit her: she might not leave the Indigo Stadium as Champion.
Leaf clenched her fists, shut her eyes, and tried to expel the thought from her mind. Even though it was a real possibility, she couldn't allow herself to consider it. It was making her chest feel tight, making it difficult to breathe.
Leaf desperately clung onto hope. Half of Blue's team was down. On the surface at least, they were evenly matched right now. She could win. She could become Champion. She just needed to have faith in her Pokemon, in herself.
Leaf instructed herself to breathe slowly and deeply, like her doctor would when checking her lungs. When her heart rate was normal enough, Leaf opened her eyes and sent out her next Pokemon.
Upon seeing its spoon-wielding opponent, Gengar cackled and blinked out of sight. Leaf wondered if Gengar could sense the Alakazam's power. Ghost-types had the advantage over psychic-types, but Gengar was also part poison, which was weak against psychic. Both Pokemon could severely hurt each other.
The Alakazam closed its eyes as it tried to pinpoint Gengar's location. Leaf glanced at Blue to see if he might shout a command. But he was as still and stoic as his Pokemon.
Leaf didn't want to wait for the Alakazam to detect Gengar. "Shadow Ball!"
"Psychic!"
The Alakazam side-stepped, dodging the invisible Shadow Ball. It whirled around and Leaf figured it was using Psychic. A second passed, and there was no sign of Gengar. The Alakazam missed.
Another Shadow Ball must've flown towards the Alakazam's back. It dodged again, eyes flashing. Gengar was still invisible and silent.
Gengar was moving away as soon as it spat out a Shadow Ball. It was a good way to avoid Psychic, but clearly not to land a hit.
That could be changed. "Double Team!"
The Alakazam looked around, as if it could sense the sudden increase in ghosts.
"Shadow Ball!"
"Psyspin!"
The Alakazam held its spoons out in opposite directions. Beams shot out the spoons in a myriad of colors as the Alakazam spun like a top. Bursts of colors and darkness told Leaf that the Alakazam was successfully blocking the Shadow Balls.
Leaf had never seen this move before. Blue had definitely come up with it. But Gengar could circumvent it. "Twin Shadow Punch!"
"Psychic!"
The Alakazam suddenly stopped spinning, eyes flashing.
Leaf heard Gengar before she saw it. Its screech of pain, so terrible that Leaf would never get used to it, sliced the air. Gengar was in sight now, floating above the battlefield, limbs stretched out. The Alakazam wasn't banging it on the ground like it did with Dragonite. Leaf couldn't quite tell what sort of torture the psychic Pokemon was inflicting on her ghost. But she knew that Gengar was in unimaginable pain.
"Torment!" Leaf cried.
Gengar cackled, but the sound was so strained that it had no effect on the Alakazam.
Leaf's heart sank. Gengar wasn't going to win. Once again, she would lose to the Alakazam. Once again, Blue was going to have the upperhand.
Then, Leaf's heart sank even further. There was something Gengar could do to make the loss more bearable. She didn't like it one bit.
Leaf waited.
She didn't know for how long, but it felt like an eternity with Gengar's screeches cutting her ears. It wasn't just the sound itself that was so gut-wrenching, but the knowledge that Gengar was suffering and she was allowing it.
Gengar's screeches were raspier, quieter now. It was time. Leaf swallowed before saying, "Destiny Bond!"
A shadow appeared underneath Gengar, on the battlefield, and stretched towards the Alakazam. Blue was already ordering the Alakazam to release Gengar, but Destiny Bond was not an attack that could be dodged. Just when Gengar hit the ground, the shadow reached the Alakazam and vanished.
Gengar didn't get up. After a heartbeat, the Alakazam's eyes rolled back and it fell forward.
The referee raised a flag. "Both Alakazam and Gengar are unable to battle!"
Leaf felt as if she was being tugged in different directions. She was relieved that the Alakazam was done for, but she hated the cause of it. Why did Gengar have to resort to Destiny Bond? Worse was that this wasn't the first time Gengar had to use it to win.
Red would never have needed it. Leaf shoved the thought away.
Blue sent out his Exeggutor. Leaf sent out Fearow. She didn't feel bad about sending out a Pokemon with a type advantage. Fearow was still a mess from her battle against Pidgeot, whereas the Exeggutor was at full health.
"Fly!"
Fearow soared high in the sky.
"Sunny Day!"
The sun became so bright that Leaf couldn't see Fearow. After a moment, she spotted a dark shape moving closer to the ground. It was still fairly high in the air, but low enough that––
"Psychic!"
As Fearow screeched in agony, Leaf understood why the Exeggutor used Sunny Day. High up, Fearow would be blinded by the harsh sunlight. Blue was trying to keep Fearow in Psychic's range.
It was a clever trick, but nothing Leaf couldn't handle. "Mirror Move!"
Fearow's wings spread as she broke free of Psychic's grip.
"Aerial Ace!"
Fearow lunged for the Exeggutor and lifted her beak. Before she could bring it down, she stiffened.
Leaf reacted immediately. "Mirror Move!"
"Egg Bomb!"
The explosion was so loud, Leaf's ears rang. Smoke spread quickly over the battlefield. Leaf held her breath as she waited for it to dissipate. When it finally did, the sound that came out of Leaf's mouth was a mix between a sob and a cheer.
Fearow and the Exeggutor were both against the wall, opposite from each other. They shakily began to get up, their bodies streaked with soot. It was obviously from the Egg Bomb, but Leaf could only guess why the Exeggutor had been hurt and why Fearow was still conscious.
Somehow, Fearow had used Mirror Move a second time, countering the bomb with one of her own.
Leaf smiled. Fearow truly was amazing. She wasn't quite sure how to take the Exeggutor down, but she trusted Fearow to succeed. Pointing at the palm tree, she shouted, "Aerial Ace!"
"Psychic!"
Leaf was about to say, Mirror Move, when she noticed Fearow doing something interesting. The vulture was darting around the battlefield, so fast that she seemed to be teleporting. The Exeggutor desperately looked around, trying to capture Fearow with its glowing eyes, but to no avail.
Leaf's smile widened when she recognized the move, Agility. Fearow was too fast for the Exeggutor. "Drill Peck!"
Fearow appeared right behind the Exeggutor. It made a strange sound as Fearow pinned it to the ground with her beak and began to spin.
"Psychic!"
The Exeggutor's eyes were flashing, but it was in too much pain to stop Fearow.
"Sleep Powder!"
The Exeggutor jerked its fronds, tossing green powder onto Fearow. Fearow immediately drew back, nearly falling over in the process. The Exeggutor shakily began to stand. It was barely on its feet when it slumped forward.
The referee raised a flag. "Exeggutor is unable to battle!"
The referee's words went through one ear and out the other. Leaf was watching Fearow; the sunlight had toned down so it wasn't difficult. The vulture was flying back to her, slowly, tilting from side-to-side. When she reached their side, instead of staying in the air, she landed and shook her head.
Leaf just realized that Fearow had made contact with the Sleep Powder when Blue sent out his next and final Pokemon: a large bipedal blue turtle with a cream underside. Resting on top of its tough, brown shell were two powerful cannons. A chill crawled down Leaf's spine.
Blastoise, the final evolution of Blue's starter Pokemon. Leaf had only battled him as a Wartortle, but she knew Blastoise was a force to be reckoned with. The only Pokemon she'd ever seen him lose to was Red's Pikachu. And that made him even more terrifying than Lance's Dragonite.
Leaf swallowed and glanced back at Fearow. Could the vulture take on Blastoise, the Strongest Pokemon in Kanto, when she was drowsy? Maybe battling would wake her up more.
"Agility!"
Fearow began to glide over the battlefield and Leaf instantly felt a wave of dread.
"Hydro Pump!"
Water blasted out of Blastoise's cannons. Fearow didn't make a sound as the water shoved her against the wall. When Blastoise ceased fire, Fearow splattered onto the ground.
The referee raised a flag. "Fearow is unable to battle!"
Leaf returned Fearow, biting her lip to stop herself from snapping at the referee. She wasn't upset per se that Fearow lost. She was actually very proud of the vulture for defeating two of Blue's Pokemon. But was it really necessary for the referee to state the obvious?
Chill, Leaf. He's just doing his job. Leaf took a deep breath. She was so close to becoming Champion that the thought of losing now was unbearable. But she knew from the start that this battle was going to be the toughest one. In fact, deep down, she expected the battle to turn out this way.
Leaf sent out her final Pokemon.
The moment Venusaur appeared, she locked eyes with Blue. This time, it was intentional. The final showdown was her starter against his. Their most powerful Pokemon, who'd been with them since the beginning, given to them by Blue's grandpa. Their dynamic was like Fearow and Pidgeot's, except Venusaur had never been able to beat Blastoise. The tortoise was always a step ahead of him.
Just like how Leaf and Blue were destined to face each other today, Venusaur and Blastoise were destined to determine once and for all who the stronger trainer was.
If Blue was nonchalant earlier, he was solemn now. The last time Blue had to use his entire team was against Red. How poetic that his "lesser" rival would put him in that position again.
Blue must've recognized that because he said, "Congrats on getting this far. You can have the first move."
Leaf closed her eyes. Venusaur had the type advantage, but if she'd learned anything from her journey, it was that that didn't mean everything. Nearly all her past battles with Blue had ended with Ivysaur losing to Wartortle.
No way in hell was she going to let history repeat itself.
Leaf opened her eyes. "Sunny Day!"
Leaf forced herself not to squint when the stadium lit up. She knew Sunny Day was the right move to start with. Some of Venusaur's attacks would be charged up from it, while some of Blastoise's would be weakened.
"Solar Beam!"
"Rapid Spin!"
Blastoise's head and limbs retreated into his shell as Venusaur kneeled and fired a bright green beam. He spun to the side and the Solar Beam blasted the wall. Venusaur redirected the beam, but for such a large and heavy-looking Pokemon, Blastoise was fast. Like a drone, he flew away from the attack.
They needed to use a move with a wider range. "Toxic Leaf!"
"Ice Beam!"
Venusaur sent a flurry of sharp leaves at the tortoise. Before they could make contact, a blue light shone from the shell openings and the battlefield began to hail frozen leaves.
The spinning, flashing shell was moving towards Venusaur. When it was close enough, Leaf yelled, "Solar Beam!"
Venusaur quickly swapped the leaves with a bright beam. It slammed into the shell. Instead of being knocked back, the shell held its place, pushing against the Solar Beam. Leaf grit her teeth, as if she was pushing as well. Come on, Venusaur!
"Rain Dance!"
In an instance, a giant shadow swallowed the stadium and rain began to pour in buckets. The Solar Beam faded and Blastoise shot forward, hitting Venusaur in the head, pinning him against the wall. Venusaur bellowed.
"Sludge Bomb!" Leaf frantically cried.
Purple sludge burst out of Venusaur's flower, falling on top of Blastoise. Immediately, the tortoise flew back to Blue's side. He stopped spinning and emerged from his shell. There was a boom when his feet hit the ground.
Leaf's mind was scrambling to process what just happened. Did Blastoise…use three moves at once? Rapid Spin, Ice Beam, Rain Dance. All while getting hit with a Solar Beam. Even if they weren't the most complicated attacks, her Pokemon had never been able to do such a feat. And although the Sludge Bomb was able to drive Blastoise away, the tortoise didn't seem particularly hurt from it.
Venusaur was making his way back to his original spot. His gait was a little shaky, but Leaf knew he was still strong enough. The million thoughts in Leaf's head slowed down. It didn't matter how impressive Blastoise was. Venusaur had a chance, especially since Leaf potentially spotted a weakness.
"Rapid Spin!"
Blastoise withdrew into his shell and began to spin. It was raining so hard that Leaf could barely see him.
"Vine Whip!"
Leaf could make out Venusaur's vines, two dark whips, trying to swat the flying tortoise. She hoped Venusaur wasn't struggling to see like she was.
"Ice Beam!"
There was a flash of blue from the corner of Leaf's eye. Venusaur immediately swung a vine over, striking the bottom of the shell. It crashed into the wall, the light in its openings replaced by Blastoise's head and limbs, and that was when Leaf understood why the Sludge Bomb had worked.
It wasn't that the top and bottom of the shell were more sensitive to pain. Venusaur had been aiming for the sides, where Blastoise could release a counter attack. Since the top and bottom didn't have that, Venusaur could hit them and ruin Blastoise's momentum.
Blastoise hit the ground and Leaf jumped on the opportunity. "Toxic Leaf!"
Venusaur fired a barrage of poisonous leaves. Blastoise quickly turned and hid in his shell. The leaves ricocheted off the shell's top.
Leaf bit her lip. The impact didn't seem to have hurt the Blastoise as much as she'd wanted. This could be a long battle.
"Surf!"
Water erupted from the ground, nearly making Leaf jump. It shot up so high that Leaf thought the entire stadium would go under. When the wave crashed down, Leaf fleetingly saw a snake-like shape reaching for something. She prayed that Venusaur could find something to hold onto. Unlike a couple of her other Pokemon, he wasn't a good swimmer.
"Ice Beam!"
Leaf saw Blastoise in the corner freezing the surface. The ice spread quickly and Leaf was reminded of Lorelei's Lapras. Her eyes scanned the water for Venusaur and found him clinging onto a large piece of rubble. The ice was about to reach him.
Leaf couldn't tell what Blue was planning, but she wasn't going to let him succeed. "Toxic Leaf!"
"Rapid Spin!"
While still using Ice Beam, Blastoise flew around, avoiding the leaves.
"Vine Whip!"
The vines stretched towards Blastoise's underside. At the last second, the shell turned sideways and the vines were met with the Ice Beam. Venusaur let out a cry, vines flinching away.
The water drained, allowing Venusaur to stand again. It seemed Surf couldn't be used concurrently with other attacks. Ice rested on top of half the battlefield. Whatever Blue's plan was, it didn't seem to have worked out.
"Earthquake!"
Blastoise stomped on the ground hard. It shook violently, toppling Venusaur over. The battlefield began to split open.
An earthquake in the middle of a storm. It looked like the climax scene of a disaster film. And sometimes, the only way to fight chaos was with chaos.
This was either going to make or break the battle.
At the top of her lungs, Leaf screamed, "Frenzy Plant!"
There was another boom as giant branches burst from the ground. Leaf couldn't see Blastoise. She heard a roar and hoped it was from him. Was the world shaking because of the Earthquake, Frenzy Plant, or both?
"Ice Beam!"
Flashes of blue. Leaf imagined Blastoise trying to freeze the branches.
The battlefield stilled and Leaf got a clearer view of what was going on. Blastoise was trying to wriggle out of the branches. Some of them had patches of ice. She glanced down at Venusaur, standing still as he recharged.
"Ice Beam!"
Tangled in the branches, Blastoise pointed his head towards Venusaur and fired. Venusaur turned his head away and the Ice Beam struck his neck.
Leaf tensed. Eventually, Venusaur would be able to move again. He just needed to bear with the pain.
But what should he do once he could? For now, Blastoise was stuck in the branches. They needed to take the utmost advantage of that.
Venusaur roared, breaking Leaf's train of thought. From her angle, Leaf could now see the ice spreading across his body. Nearly his entire left side was frozen. It sent a chill down her spine.
In her panic, Leaf blurted out, "Frenzy Plant!"
Either he hadn't fully recharged yet or was too weak, because Venusaur just continued to roar until the ice stretched over his face. And soon enough, to Leaf's horror, her starter Pokemon was completely encased in ice.
Leaf's body was stiff and cold, as if she was frozen herself. It wasn't until she noticed Blastoise redirecting his Ice Beam at the branches that she began to hysterically cry, "Frenzy Plant! Toxic Leaf! Vine Whip! Sunny Day!"
The rain cleared and for a moment, Leaf thought Venusaur was alright. But then, she realized the sun was barely poking out of the clouds and her starter was very much still trapped in his ice prison.
"Frenzy Plant! Toxic Leaf! Sludge Bomb!"
There was a loud snap. Blastoise had broken one of the branches.
"Frenzy Plant! Toxic Leaf! Sludge Bomb! Solar Beam!" There was no strategy, no trick. Everyone knew that when your Pokemon was frozen, you couldn't really do anything. You had two options: wait for the ice to melt or hope to god that your Pokemon was strong enough to break through it. And usually, the opponent would knock your Pokemon out before either could happen.
"Frenzy Plant! Frenzy Plant! Frenzy Plant!"
Blastoise let out a triumphant roar when it broke free of the branches. Leaf thought she might get a heart attack on the spot.
"Frenzy Plant! Frenzy Plant! Frenzy Plant!"
Venusaur remained frozen.
"Skull Bash!"
Blastoise advanced towards Venusaur with heavy footsteps. Was he limping, or was that Leaf's wishful thinking? Regardless, it would be very bad if Blastoise landed a Skull Bash. That was the attack that took down Lance's Dragonite.
"Frenzy Plant! Frenzy Plant! Frenzy Plant!"
Blastoise reached Venusaur. He got down on all fours and slid his head back into his shell.
"Frenzy Plant! Frenzy Plant! Frenzy Plant!"
Leaf's voice hung in the air when, fast as lightning, Blastoise's head shot out.
The world slowed.
The ice around Venusaur's head shattered. The shards flew in the air, shining like crystals as they caught the sunlight. The impact sent Venusaur gliding towards the wall. There was a roar.
The world accelerated.
Branches exploded from the ground, throwing Blastoise into the air.
"Rapid Spin!"
Before Blastoise could spin away, the branches came crashing down on him. There were flashes of blue as Blastoise tried to use Ice Beam, but Leaf knew as powerful as he was, he couldn't defeat Frenzy Plant.
The branches calmed. Blastoise hung limply from them.
Leaf sucked in a breath and immediately looked down at Venusaur. He was against the wall, ice scattered around him in large pieces.
He wasn't moving.
Leaf's chest tightened. A tie had never occurred before, but the rules stated that if it did, the win would be given to the Champion. She'd effectively lost.
The referee raised a flag and Leaf forgot how to breathe. "Both Blastoise and Venusaur are unable to battle! The winner of this match is––"
There was a bellow. Leaf's jaw dropped when she saw Venusaur shakily begin to get up. As soon as he was on all fours, his knees buckled and Leaf was certain he would faint. Instead, Venusaur bellowed again and straightened himself, raising his head defiantly, as if challenging anyone who dared to underestimate him.
There was a pause and Leaf began to worry that Venusaur would lose the strength to stay up. But then, the referee raised a flag.
"Blastoise is unable to battle! The winner of this match is Leaf Green of Pallet Town! The Indigo League has a new Champion!"
Champion. Leaf nearly collapsed. Triumphant music blared over the speakers. Scott Morey was saying something, how incredible the battle was, how exciting it was to have a new Champion. It wasn't until Leaf heard her name again that she pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
She was still standing in the Indigo Stadium. She looked down to see Venusaur smiling up at her. And that was when Leaf knew it was real. She was Champion.
Tears welled up in Leaf's eyes. Everything that happened the past year hadn't been for nothing after all. She wiped the tears away and beamed. There was a voice behind her: it was Kelly. She squealed and hugged Leaf. The two security guards with her gave Leaf a thumbs-up.
Kelly drew back. "I'll take you to the battlefield now. Scott will meet with you there! Don't return Venusaur quite yet."
As she threw an arm around Leaf and began to lead her away, Leaf looked back. She didn't know why, but she did. And she saw Blue returning Blastoise, his expression unreadable. He stuck his hands in his pockets, turned, and walked away.
Leaf's smile fell a bit. She was numb as they made their way down. She couldn't tell if her mind had no thoughts or if there were too many for her to process.
The moment she stepped onto the battlefield and saw Venusaur, however, Leaf was consumed with joy. She dashed towards her starter and wrapped her arms around his head. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't. There was just too much.
She let go of Venusaur when she heard a throat clear. It was Scott Morey. He grinned and shook her hand. "Congratulations, Champion Leaf! Let's take a photo to commemorate this day, shall we?"
Champion Leaf. The title ran continuously in Leaf's head as she glanced towards the photographer and grinned so widely, her face ached.
END PART ONE
Happy new year everyone! This chapter took me a while to write...it's double the length of the other chapters. I thought about splitting it in half but decided against it.
Leaf is finally Champion. That concludes her main Pokemon journey and Part 1 of this story. Stay tuned for the first chapter of Part 2.
Thanks for reading! Would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter.
