During the Tournament Round of 16 in the inaugural Alola Pokémon League, the battles were fought hard and full of spirit! The results: eight contestants remain! Now, we come to the second half of the Quarterfinals and any of the remaining competitors could win which means there are more exciting battles to come!
(Theme Song: Pokémon League Arc - Moon Pride (Sailor Moon Crystal ft. Momorio Clover Z))
MOON PRIDE! Anata no chikara na naritai (I want to be your strength)
The opening begins with an overview of Sarah, her friends, Asha, and Race standing together with their Partner Pokémon in the midst of a floral field and the full moon before the camera pans forward and passes Sarah upward before the main titles appear in a flurry of light, electricity, and snow.
POKEMON SUN & MOON: Pokémon League Blues!
Nine lights (red, gold, yellow, green, blue, white, crimson, cyan, and an orange/yellow/violet mix) flew around the main titles before passing by and the final light showed Asha, Race, Ash, Kiawe, Lillie, Lana, Mallow, and Sophocles standing in a circle with their backs to each other and looking out on the horizon (with the Alola girls having a tear fall from their eyes, the boys looking determined as they glared hard, Race looks contempt yet determined as a flash of lightning streaks by him, and Asha looks out to her right worriedly and with heartache)
Namida wa hono wo tsutai (Tears roll down my face)
Hitomo wa akaku moeru (My eyes are burning red hot)
Inazuma no yo ni hageshiku (Being just as violent as lightning)
Dareka ga ai wo sakeru (Someone cries out for love)
We then quickly pan over to Sarah as she holds her hands in a prayer position with her eyes closed as if she's in some sort of slumber before she eventually wakes up and the camera pans to the moon in a blissful space of wonder.
Tatoe Don'na (No matter what) Kurayami Demo (Dark it is)
Hitori janai yo ne? (You're not alone, you know?) Watashitachi Wo (We're together)
Terasa Moonlight (Shining in moonlight) (AH)
Sarah is then shown in Ula'Ula's Malie City on a rainy day (while in a hand-painted/CGI background and holding an umbrella over her head) where she turns and suddenly sees a person that looks like Dia with a Shiny Zeraora at a tree while holding an umbrella over his head and reading a book before they took notice of her. The little princess gave a brief yet nostalgic sigh before she was joined by Blitz and Curly and then her boyfriend, sister, and friends as they got together and cheered, throwing their umbrellas up in the air.
On'nankoko ni mo yuzurenu kyoji ga aru (Girls, don't give away your self-respect)
Sore wa ouji-sama ni unmei nagazu (Don't throw away your destiny for a prince)
Mizukara Tatakau Ishi (Fight for yourself)
Soon, Sarah's friends and Asha along with their Partner Pokémon start to fight against other trainers in the Alola League's elimination and quarter rounds as they climb their way to the Top 16 spots for the official tournament. Sarah and Race stand together as their Pokémon fight before they face each other and they order Blitz and Robbie to go at each other and see who's the better trainer and Pokémon between them.
Shiny Make-Up! Kagayaku yo hoshizora wo atsumete (Keep shining as you collect the starry sky)
Tada mamorareru dake no kayowai sonzai ja nai wa (We aren't weak girls who need man's protection)
In the midst of the competition, Team Skull appears to crush the competition and win in their own right with the most prominent of its members showing themselves as follows: Tupp, Zipp, Rapp, Plumeria, and Guzma (the main head of Team Skull preparing to compete himself). Kukui, Lusamine, Wicke, Faba, Burnet, Doug, Delilah, David, and Doug are shown together as they nod to wish everybody participating in the Alola League good luck and we even get a glimpse at an unknown Pokemon appearing from an Ultra Wormhole. Sarah reappears and draws Cosmic Grace before she holds it out and its light shines for all of Alola to see.
Shiny Make-Up! Tatakau yo hoshizora wo matotte (I will fight in the starry sky)
Atarashii densetsu ga ima koko kara hajimaru (A new legend begins from here)
La la, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
The opening ends with quick shots of the main group of nine as they and their Pokémon reappear together and do poses, ready to face the Alola League head-on and have fun no matter who wins or loses the entire tournament.
(Pokémon League Arc Opening Ends)
Outside the stadium, with Sarah, we find her and her family in their exclusively made recreation area to relax in between battles, filled with a mass of trees for all the shade they could get and a small pool for her family coupled with a portable food machine in the shape of Nebby called the Auto-Meal Maker (developed and programmed by Gleam's Creation Magic to make big hearty meals for the little princess and her entire family including Pokémon food made from Shaderoot/Iceroot Carrots for Glastrier and Spectrier, muffins, danishes, puppy food, milkshakes, berry/fish-flavored pancakes and waffles, and so on with instant selects or a few types on the machine's keyboard from Sarah to get the food she needed and deposit her selected meals in front of everybody which makes feeding them on the go easier and much less labor-intensive).
With Gleam, Jupiter, and Mint Burn, they were resting with Sarah's Lycanroc Quartet under one of the trees while Petunia decided to play with the Poms. As for Sarah, she and Aqua were training with Raine and Primarina for their impending rematch with Hau and Decidueye, teaching Aqua how to use Shadow Ball with Sho's help (as the Hisuian Zorua is immune to Ghost Type attacks, making him the perfect target for the exercise at hand).
"Come on, bring it! Give me your best shot!" the Spiteful Fox Pokémon smirked.
"Alright, Aqua, watch Primarina carefully and then imitate," Raine instructed Aqua, getting a nod from her as she and Primarina began the exercise. "Primarina, Shadow Ball!"
Primarina nodded as she fired a Shadow Ball at Sho with Aqua following her teacher's lead but only making a small Shadow Ball attack at best.
"…..What? Aww," she groaned, a little disappointed that her Shadow Ball was not as big and powerful as Primarina's.
"That's okay, Aqua! We're off to a good start, just keep practicing like that and we'll get it," Sarah reassured.
"Hey, look! There they are!" called Mallow as Sarah, her family, Raine, and Primarina saw her and the rest of her friends, Doug, and Delilah coming over to them.
"Alola!" Lillie smiled.
"There you are, baby!"
"Should've known you'd be up early today," Delilah and Doug smiled.
"And, here of all places with your old teach," chuckled Astrid.
"We were worried about you, Sarah. Since you weren't in your room when I went to wake you up, I wondered where you'd gone," Sophocles added as Togedemaru, Sandy, Toothless, Stryka, and Stormfly rushed over to play with Blitz and the rest of the little princess' Pokémon.
"Why are you up so early, anyway? You haven't been an early riser in so long since the end of Team Eclipse," Hiccup questioned.
"You can thank Aqua for dragging me out of bed today," Sarah replied, giving Aqua a knowing pet.
"Wow, Aqua woke you up at the crack of dawn? That early?" Sophocles balked.
"That's a shock."
"I've never known you to pull that off with how much of a heavy sleeper you are," Lana and Rotom-Dex admitted.
"*But, it's ab-sol-lu-te-ly logical, especially since Aqua's rivalry revival with Decidueye last night when she and our star dudette just got paired with him and Hau,*" Rotoscope replied, reminding everybody of Aqua and Sarah's match with Hau and Decidueye.
"Since then, she couldn't wait for us to finally have our match and to strut her stuff to him on such a big stage," Sarah chuckled.
"And, I can't wait!" Aqua grinned in agreement.
But, Kiawe grew worried as he said, "There's just one thing you and Aqua should know, Sarah; now that Dartrix has evolved into Decidyeye, and even if she got him before, he'll be tougher to beat now. Wouldn't a Fire Type like Kaji or Flareon be a better choice?"
"Kaji and Flareon's moves would probably be more super effective given their Type advantages, wouldn't they?" Sophocles quizzed, sharing Kiawe's worries about Aqua's chances of battling Hau's fully evolved partner.
"I think so!" Mallow concurred.
"That makes sense; Fire Type Pokémon do have the upper hand on Grass Types," Fishlegs nodded as Dratini cooed happily in agreement.
Sarah just shook her head as she replied, "Sorry, guys, but Aqua and I made our minds up with Hau and Decidueye since our first meeting. We're battling each other as we are in our match and that's that."
"But, Sarah..."
"Don't you have a plan?" Kiawe and Sophocles objected.
"Of course we do. Why wouldn't we be here training with Raine and Primarina right now?"
"Oh! So, that's why they were with you this morning!" Lillie grinned brightly.
"That makes sense!" Zenna nodded happily.
"Lady Raine, our sincerest thanks to you and your partner," Tsukumaro thanked, bowing to Raine and Primarina.
Raine chuckled as she humbly replied, "No worries, we're very eager to see how Sarah and Hau fare against each other in their match today after Aqua's training."
"Sarah," Lana began, concerned.
"Don't worry about it. Aqua will be ready for Decidueye soon and our fast-track training session this morning will prove it. Show 'em, girl," Sarah replied, having Aqua look directly into Kiawe's eyes as he noticed a fire of determination that was burning brighter and hotter within her.
Kiawe sweatdropped at this but he suddenly began to feel her passion and her willingness to battle Decidueye again, his eyes starting to burn as he yelled passionately, "You're so right! It's up to you, Aqua! Now, use your fiery spirit to win the whole thing!"
"I promise, Kiawe. When our match starts, not only will our battle burn hotter than Wela Volcano's fires... But, most of all, among Starter Pokémon, our battle will be LEGENDARY!" Aqua screamed passionately while everyone else looked awkwardly at them.
"We'll be cheering you on, then," Lillie smiled, getting over her awkwardness over the short exchange.
"You bet!" Pikachu concurred.
"Your match is the second one today after Gladion and Race's match, right?" Mallow reminded.
Lana nodded as she said, "Not much time, ready?"
"We'll be ready; I have a feeling our match is going to be a real banger and I won't be surprised if Hau's getting himself and Decidueye ready for today," Sarah replied reassuringly.
"And, if anything goes wrong, I'll be here to back her up," Rotoscope added as he floated up to his owner.
"Speaking of Race and Gladion, I'd love to help you but I have to get back to the stadium to watch my brother and your boyfriend. I'm sorry," Lillie apologized.
"And, since Race will be battling, you'll want to cheer for him, too," Mallow agreed.
"I know but Aqua and I have to do this. Give my regards to Gladion and Race when you meet up with them," Sarah told them before her friends and the others left for the main stadium and allowed Sarah and Aqua to continue training with Raine and Primarina.
Soon, it was time for Race and Gladion's match in the Top 8 battle roster, the crowd cheering loudly as the trainers in question took their places and Caster announced, "In the first match of our Quarterfinals second half, it's Gladion vs. Race; Gladion's a powerful trainer who's had no trouble winning so far but Race is no pushover either for he is once the Pokemon League and Battle Frontier Champion of his native region of Hoenn! This, in turn, makes their bout a must-see for battling Pokémon Trainers!"
"You can do it, Gladion!"
"Of course, he can!" Mallow reassured her best friend.
"Just watch out for overconfidence," Kiawe reminded.
"Give it to 'im, Daddy! Cleave Gladion and his Pokémon to the brisket!" Bella cheered loudly, having high hopes for Race's victory against Gladion and his chosen Pokémon.
"Alright, what kind of battle do we get?" Kukui grinned as he watched in anticipation.
From the viewing panel, Doug and Delilah rejoined their friends from the Aether Foundation with Lusamine anxiously watching his son prepare to battle Race, "Your mother's behind you no matter what."
Mohn smiled at his wife as Burnet chuckled (while they were having tea), "You worry too much."
Lusamine grew flustered as she cleared her throat and replied, "I'm not the least worried, at all!"
But, Burnet and Mohn laughed as the latter reassured, "Lusamine, you don't have to lie. You can tell us, we parents always worry about our children."
Lusamine blushed with embarrassment but Faba had confidence in Gladion and his abilities as he told her, "No, no, not to worry, Lady Lusamine. When it comes to winning, Master Gladion is a guaranteed shoo-in! I also believe Young Race is right up there with him in terms of strength."
"He's very talented," reassured Wicke in agreement, getting a smile from her friend as she joined them, Doug, Delilah, Nikki, James, David, and Donna (former queen) at the coffee tables just as the match was about to begin.
"Our first Quarterfinals second half match between Race and Gladion will begin momentarily as Hapu takes her position and our challengers choose their designated Pokémon!"
"Alright, then! Our first match in the second half of the Quarterfinals will be a Battle of the Silvallys between Race and his Silvally and Race and his Shiny Silvally: Tou-Tou!" Hapu announced, standing in as the referee in Race and Gladion's match.
"Let's get started," Gladion stated, his Silvally nodding in agreement as he stepped forward to face his youngest brother.
"Fine by me," Race nodded as he turned to Tou-Tou. "Ready, Tou-Tou?"
"Totally!" grinned Tou-Tou as he took his place, ready to go against his eldest brother.
"Battle, begin!" Hapu declared as the crowd cheered.
"Tenacity, for the win... Tou-Tou, use Tri-Attack!" Race began, making the first move as Tou-Tou fired off one of his and his brothers' shared attacks.
"Eat fire, ice, and lightning, Aniki!" snarked Tou-Tou as he fired his chosen attack.
"Dodge it, Silvally!" Gladion barked, allowing his Synthetic Pokémon to jump to the right and avoid Tou-Tou's Tri-Attack.
As Race and Gladion's Battle of the Silvallys got underway, back in her family's recreation area, Sarah and Aqua were still training with Raine and Primarina for their battle against Hau and Decidueye as they tried to come up with a strategy against them. The little princess and her Soloist Pokémon had finished telling Primarina and her human partner about their previous matches with Hau and Decidueye (during his days as a Dartrix) before and after Aqua learned Liquidation and Acrobatics.
"From what you told me, when he was still a Dartrix, Decidueye specializes in physical attacks so Reflect will be your best defense against him as a backup plan. If you want to counter his physical attacks, Aqua will need something to take him down a notch, especially since he might know Leaf Blade of all things," Raine began.
"I see," Sarah nodded thoughtfully.
As far as she was concerned, regarding Aqua's move set, the only moves she knew that could be classified as Physical Attacks were as follows: Pound, Aqua Jet, Flip turn, Acrobatics, Liquidation, and Triple Axel. The rest of her moves which include Hydro Pump, Bubblebeam, Reflect, Water Gun, and Sparkling Aria are mainly designated as Special Attacks (her main battle forte).
"I can teach her to use my Charm attack to counter Leaf Blade!" Duke offered as he floated towards them.
"He's got ya there, kitty. Charm can knock the effectiveness of Decidueye's Physical Attacks down by two stages so you can blaze through him and Hau in your match," Rotoscope concurred as he joined them.
"Plus, I think there's another move that could give you an edge besides Shadow Ball. Right, girl?" Raine while turning to her Soloist Pokémon.
"Yes, of course," Primarina nodded in confirmation.
Aqua raised an eyebrow while Sarah puzzled, "Like what?"
To demonstrate this, Raine and Primarina paired themselves up with Snivy as the little Grass Snake Pokémon prepared to go at her, much to the jealousy and chagrin of her brothers as they looked on with envy. Sho offered to join her so as to have Primarina show her trainee and Sarah her mystery move a second time if they didn't catch it the first time with Arrietty keeping a close eye on the demo match to ensure that he doesn't hurt himself too badly.
"Young lady, you and Young Sho may have the first attack," Primarina offered.
"Thanks! Here's my Leaf Blade!" Snivy grinned, eager to pull a fast one on the older and more experienced Soloist Pokémon but not knowing of the next move she and Raine would teach Sarah and Aqua later on.
"Incoming!" smirked Sho as he charged after her and transformed into a Kanto Persian.
As soon as they were within range, Raine smirked as she called out to her partner, "Now, Primarina! Weather Ball!"
Primarina charged up her mystery attack, Weather Ball, and threw it at Snivy, the attack turning into a Fire Type move which blasted Snivy and scorched her, throwing her back as her brothers rushed to her aid (the move shocking Aqua and Sarah in the process). Sho managed to dodge the first Weather Ball as he quickly changed forms to become a Pidgeot and did a power dive toward her. But, Primarina smirked as she dodged the disguised Normal/Ghost Type before he was knocked back by Pound which initiated the next phase of Raine and Primarina's demo match.
"Sarah! Have Aqua use Icy Wind and we'll take it from here!" Raine cried, getting the princess and Aqua to snap out of their stupor and do as she asked.
"Uh, r-right! Aqua, Icy Wind!" Sarah ordered, having Aqua perform Icy Wind on Sho which allowed Primarina to fire Weather Ball again (as it then changed into an Ice Type move on account of Icy Wind) and struck Sho with it, sending him back to his and Sniny's spot on the field.
"Ta-da~!" Primarina finished with a grand pose.
"I know; three moves beforehand does seem like a lot. However, Primarina and I came prepared should this ever happen," Raine reassured with a chuckle as she produced two discs called TMs (Technical Machines) and a single TR (Technical Record) from her handbag.
"Hey, are those things a Technical Record and two Technical Machines?" Sarah blinked, recognizing the discs.
"Girl! Are you kiddin'?! TMs 29 and 46 and TR 33, those hoozers can allow Aqua to learn Shadow Ball, Weather Ball, and Charm in a snap!" Rotoscope balked in amazement, looking over the TMs and TR and taking photos of them.
"Raine, are...… Are you serious?" Sarah asked, shocked.
Raine just nodded as she handed the discs to the little princess, Sarah realizing that with their new gifts, she and Aqua would have a chance against Hau and Decidueye in their upcoming match following Race and Gladion's battle.
"Wicked!"
"Awesome!"
"That's so cool!" the Poms cheered as they and Liberty joined the group.
"Sweet digs, girlfriend! Now, you won't have to worry about overshooting your match with Hau just to teach your little mermaid all those moves! The only one you'll have to nail before then is Double Team," Liberty beamed brightly.
"Raine, I... I don't know what to say, I mean," Sarah began, unsure of how to thank the Primarina Trainer.
Raine just smiled as she replied, "Don't worry about it. I've been wondering what to do with those moves ever since I taught them to Primarina, they were just collecting dust after we were through with them so I figured you can have them from now on."
"Thanks," Sarah smiled back before she turned back to her ecstatic Soloist Pokemon. "Alright, Aqua, now all we need to do is get you to learn Double Team. Ready to rumble?"
"Yeah!" Aqua grinned.
Meanwhile, returning to Race and Gladion's match, Silvally and Tou-Tou were breathing heavily from the damage they took. By now, the two brothers were evenly matched which meant the battle could go either way for them.
"It's down to the wire as Silvally and Tou-Tou are on their last legs! Both of them have taken heavy damage throughout their match but neither of them want to give up! Something's got to give but who's going to crack first at the end of it all?" Caster announced to the eager crowd.
"Wow, I never knew how much of a tough cookie Tou-Tou is," admitted a surprised Fishlegs.
"That's for sure," Snotlout grinned.
"This battle of the misfits would make Odin himself proud, those two brothers have displayed the fighting spirits of Vikings akin to two peas in a pod according to modern human speech," Stoick said, impressed at Silvally and Tou-Tou's fighting family spirit.
"Aye, they may look different but the way they fight is no different to our people's best warriors from one legendary family," Gobber agreed with an eager smile.
"You got it, Tou-Tou! Get 'im! That's right! Pound him hard! Knock your brother's block off, go!" Bella cheered, wanting Tou-Tou and Race to win the match even more than ever.
"That dark twerp and the champion twerp are pretty even to me."
"Whoever wins out at the end will move on to the rest of the tournament."
"Those two Pokemon are about as tough as they come," Meowth, Jessie, and James commented as they, Wobbuffet, Inkay, Gorgiest, and Mime Jr. looked impressed while they watched the match via a tablet they had on them.
"No joke, those two are powerhouses!" Wobbuffet concurred.
"Well, Gladion, I have to admit, you and your Silvally have got style. But, if you two want style, you got it," Race admitted to Gladion with a smile as he revealed his Z-Power Ring, preparing to end the battle with a Z-Move.
He turned to Tou-Tou as he called out, "Tou-Tou, time to end things off with a Z-Move bang!"
"I'm ready! Okay, Aniki! Here I come!" Tou-Tou nodded as he faced his brother and Race activated his Z-Power Ring, preparing to use Gigavolt Havoc (after giving Tou-Tou his Electric Type Memory Drive to turn him into an Electric Type).
"Quick, Silvally! Use Swords Dance!" Gladion shouted, having his Silvally power himself up with Swords Dance before he activated his Z-Power Ring which now housed his most recent Z-Crystal (a Normalium Z as he planned to use Breakneck Blitz to counter Tou-Tou's Gigavolt Havoc).
"My Mighty Beast Silvally, my Tou-Tou! Show your brother the true extent of your power! Reach for the skies, strike like lightning, and clear us a path to surefire victory in this tournament!" Race recited as he performed the Z-Move poses for Gigavolt Havoc and transferred his Z-Power to Tou-Tou.
"Alright, Silvally, this is it! Time to show everyone who's the best between you and your brother!" Gladion began as he performed the Z-Move poses for Breakneck Blitz and transferred his Z-Power to Silvally as he recited, "Mighty Beast Silvally, unleash your fury and bring an end to this contest of brotherly strength!"
"WOWZERS! It's a Z-Move showdown between the champion and dark twerps!"
"Electric vs. Normal!"
"Talk about ending with a bang!"
"A big Z-Move bang to end all big bangs!" Team Rocket gawked in amazement with Inkay, Mime Jr. and Gorgiest also left speechless as they watched.
"Use Breakneck Blitz/Gigavolt Havoc!"
With one final effort, Tou-Tou unleashed Gigavolt Havoc while his older brother charged forward with Breakneck Blitz, their Z-Moves colliding in a massive show of power. But, thanks to his prior use of Swords Dance, Silvally had enough strength to break Gigavolt Havoc and charged at a shocked Tou-Tou. The Shiny Silvally couldn't find it in himself to get out of the way in time as his brother plowed into him, the battle ending in a massive dust cloud as Gladion and Race shielded their eyes.
When the dust finally settled, they saw Silvally and Tou-Tou still standing after their Z-Move showdown. The silence was amazing, until... Tou-Tou finally gave in and collapsed, having swirls over his eyes.
"...Tou-Tou," Race gasped in stunned shock.
Hapu nodded in satisfaction over the battle and handed the match over to Gladion, "Race's Silvally is unable to battle! The winner of this match is Gladion!"
The crowd went nuts for Gladion and Silvally and extended their cheers to Race and Tou-Tou, both thanking them for such an incredible kickoff to the Tournament Round of 8 in the Alola League. Gladion and Silvally were glad to make it to the Semifinals but they were impressed to see how Tou-Tou and Race battled against them as they approached the pair and the eldest Synthetic Pokémon nudged his little brother awake.
When Tou-Tou came to and finally realized what was going on, however, he groaned in defeat, "...I lost? Aww, man! I can't believe it, I was so close!"
Silvally couldn't help but chuckle at him as he admitted, "Well, for a minute there, you had me reeling. I thought you were gonna win for sure before Gladion had me use Swords Dance to boost my Attack Stats. But, I had a lot of fun battling you and Race; for your first fight against me, you did pretty well."
Tou-Tou smiled softly before he tried to pull off a tough guy stance as he retorted, "Yeah, well... I didn't, wise guy."
Silvally just laughed as he replied, "Hey, come on, we'll get you a quick meal to cheer you up."
Tou-Tou, however, jokingly butted head scales with his brother as he quipped, "Nah, that's alright, Aniki."
Race and Gladion just grinned, chuckling at the two Silvally brothers as they shared a handshake and the latter said, "You and Tou-Tou fought well, Race. I can see now why you were once the champion of the Hoenn League and the Hoenn Battle Frontier."
"Yeah, well, I should be thanking you. I haven't had this much fun in a while since my Battle Frontier run with my family years ago," Race replied, grinning at him. "But, next time, Tou-Tou and I will work hard to perfect our craft and when we battle again, we'll show you and Silvally how much he's grown since then."
"We'll be waiting," Gladion smiled back.
"Oh, Mohn, I'm so happy! Our little boy has moved on to the Semifinals!" Lusamine cried with joy as she wiped her tears with a hanky.
"Now, that was a close match between two Silvallys in good hands!" Faba grinned happily.
"They were both excellent!"
"A true match between brothers; Silvally and Tou-Tou were amazing and so were Gladion and Race!" Wicke and Burnet gushed excitedly.
"Indeed, they were," Mohn grinned before he looked at his son with a father's pride. "I'm proud of you, son..."
Back in her family's recreation area, Sarah and Aqua were just finishing up their final training session with Raine and Primarina when Hau and Decidueye arrived. The two of them had finished up their training session as well and went out looking for the little princess and her Soloist Pokémon to check on them and wish them good luck before their impending battle.
"Hey, Sarah!" Hau greeted.
"Hey, Hau. I see you and Decidueye are perked up, ready for our battle?" Sarah grinned.
"You bet!"
Hau grew silent for a moment before he continued, "And, Sarah, just to let you know...… I want to become stronger, a trainer that's even more skilled than my gramps. That's why, my partner and I vowed that when we battle...…. We're gonna beat you and I'll win! All this time, before I entered, my only goal was to pass my gramps' Grand Trial but then, I realized something. That wasn't my true goal; I planned on going higher, farther, and faster! Once I win, my goal will soon be at hand and I'll be sure to know what I'll do now!"
"That's great, Hau. But, don't think you two will have it easier with me and Aqua, though. After our match, if we win, I plan on getting to the top and nobody's going to stop us!"
"And, it all starts with you two!" Aqua grinned cheekily at her rival.
Decidueye laughed as he agreed, "We'll see! Just don't hold back!"
Hau nodded happily, "That's just what I expected! Let's do our best and have a great time no matter who wins or loses between us!"
"SARAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" screamed a familiar yet frantic robotic voice as Rotom-Dex buzzed into view. "There you are, I've been looking all over for you!"
"Yo, Rotom, dude! Whazzup? Did you blow a circuit or something?" Rotoscope puzzled.
"No! I came to warn Sarah and Hau about their match! Sarah, Hau! Your match is about to start, Gladion just won his match against Race and now, everybody's waiting for you!"
"Your attention, please. Your attention, please," called one of the Nurse Joys at the Pokémon Center as an announcement reminder for Hau and Sarah was heard across the entirety of Manalo Stadium. "Will our next contestants, Hau and Sarah, please make their way to the stadium for the second match?"
Sarah and Hau gasped in frantic shock as they pointed to each other in realization, "Oh, no! We're late!"
Sarah's family gasped in horror as they also realized that the two of them, Decidueye, and Aqua needed to be at the main stadium before they would be kicked out with Blitz crying out in alarm and pulling his ears in exasperation, "Oh, the match! Hau and Sarah are in the second match in the Top 8 battle roster! Oh, my Arceus, Prof. Kukui's gonna kill us!"
"Their match is already starting?!" spluttered an equally horrified Curly.
"Oh, man! I completely forgot!"
"So did it!" screamed Aqua and Decidueye, completely flustered.
"Come on! We've got to get back to the stadium! Bye, Raine, Primarina!" Sarah shouted as she, Aqua, their family, Hau, and Decidueye scrambled to the stadium, leaving an amused Raine and Primarina behind.
"Bye, Sarah, Hau! Good luck and have fun!" the Primarina Trainer called as she and her partner giggled at their trainees before they trailed behind to watch from the sidelines.
"Hau and Sarah aren't even here yet."
"Where are they?" Sophocles and Togedemaru pondered worriedly.
"They couldn't have forgotten."
"They wouldn't if they're deep in training with Decidueye and Aqua," Lana and Mallow fretted.
"So, maybe we should go out and find them," Lillie suggested.
"With Rotom-Dex, Raine, and Rotoscope around, I'm sure that's been taken care of," Kiawe reassured, feeling unsure as the heroes grew worried and watched Nanu take his place as the referee for Hau and Sarah's match.
"No doubt Sis would've caught on the earlier announcement for her and Hau to show up."
"Yeah, Island Girl's not that dumb to miss out on all the fun, and neither is Hau. They'll show up, count on it," Asha and Race replied, both of them undaunted and having a little faith in Hau and Sarah's timely arrival.
Even Kukui was growing worried as he saw no sign of Hau and Sarah yet, wondering what happened to them and what they were doing as of now, "What in the world could Sarah and Hau be doing?"
"That's odd, the princess isn't here yet and neither is Sir Hau. Strange," Tsukumaro pondered as he watched from the viewing panel.
"Oh, Doug, I'm worried. Where has our baby got to?" Delilah fretted as she paced around the panel.
"I'm sure she's fine, dear. She's probably got her head deep in training so she forgot about the time," Doug reassured.
"Hmm. Much like you did when Zorro was training you and when Tsukumaro was in too deep in refining his magic, sweetie? I remember all too well you went through a whole day without eating because of your training and we had to drag you out of your moments of privacy just to stuff your mouths in," sniggered Donna (former queen), getting a laugh out of everyone else with them while Doug and Tsukumaro blushed with embarrassment before they turned away in a huff.
Delilah chuckled but she still couldn't help but worry for her daughter as she looked out into the vacant battlefield before she gasped in relief, seeing Hau, Sarah, Decidueye, and Aqua finally arriving as the crowd cheered for them.
"Hey, there they are!"
"ALRIGHT!" Ash and the gang cheered.
"For pity's sake, don't scare me like that!" Kukui sighed with relief as Raine and Primarina joined him.
"You can blame us for that, Kukui. She and her family were at their recreation area with us all morning for some last-minute training," Raine replied.
Kukui sighed with a sheepish yet exasperated smile as he quipped to his former student, "Oh, right, training...… I should've known."
"There you are, kiddo! I thought for sure you wouldn't show up," Nanu snarked in his usual bored tone, getting an awkward yet apologetic chuckle from his former challenger as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
"They made it."
"And, in the nick of time, too," Asha and Race remarked with relieved smiles.
"That's a relief," sighed Hiccup with a smile.
"I'm so glad they made it on time!" cheered Lillie as Blitz and Curly rejoined their friends while the rest of their family got into their designated spot.
"You made it!" Snowy cooed happily.
"Sorry," Blitz smiled sheepishly.
"It was a close case of Touch and Go."
"But, our girl and man of the hour blazed over here just in time to make this a match for the ages," Rotom-Dex and Rotoscope replied.
"Still, though, I wonder how Sarah and Aqua would fare this time against Hau and Decidueye," Mallow pondered.
"Grass vs. Water: The Sequel is in the house!" Lana gushed, eager to see what happens in the match as her eyes twinkled.
"Let's hope all that special training they did with Raine and her Primarina is successful," Kiawe hoped, he and Sophocles turning to Rotom-Dex.
"That might depend on your definition of 'successful'," Rotom-Dex admitted, getting an awkward sweatdrop from the Fire Type and Electric Type students.
"What does that mean?" groaned Sophocles.
"Uh, we're beginning the second match in the Tournament Round of 8. Battle, begin!" Nanu declared, beginning the match.
"Let's show these girls how far we've really come! Decidueye, use Razor Leaf!" Hau began, making the first move as his partner fired off Razor Leaf.
"Freeze them with Icy Wind!" called Sarah as Aqua used Icy Wind to freeze the leaves.
"Amazing!" gasped Decidueye in awe.
"Gotcha!" smirked Aqua.
"Now, batter up and hit 'em back with Pound!"
Complying with her mother's next order, Aqua shot the frozen Razor Leaf attack with Pound as if she's batting in a baseball game to which the fully evolved Arrow Quill Pokémon dodged with the grace and agility of a dancer as the archer he is.
"Use Aqua Jet!" Sarah continued, allowing Aqua to make the next move.
"Coming through!" the Soloist Pokémon boomed as she charged at Decidueye for a frontal assault.
"Use Leaf Blade!" Hau countered, having his partner use Leaf Blade to counter Aqua Jet before they ended up in a stalemate and they pushed each other back, their powers equally matched.
"Decidueye's gotten a lot stronger since the last time we met, don't you think?"
"Yeah, you have gotten stronger, much stronger than I realized. No surprise, really," Sarah admitted, impressed.
Hau nodded before he smirked and continued, "But, it's a good thing I did my research on every last one of your attacks 'cause you're about to get a taste of what I've come up with, just for you and Aqua! Spirit Shackle!"
Decidueye shared Hau's smirk as he swooped down and used Spirit Shackle on his rival, sticking her to her shadow.
"Urgh, I expected this!" Sarah thought, gritting her teeth knowingly.
"Aqua's pinned down with Spirit Shackle, what are she and Sarah going to do now?" Caster commentated.
Feeling as though he had his victory assured, Hau decided to end the battle immediately with his partner's signature Z-Move exclusive to his species, "Guess it's our turn! Let's go, Decidueye!"
"On your command, Master Hau!" grinned the Arrow Quill Pokémon as Hau activated his Z-Ring and they performed the Bloom Doom poses, Hala's grandson transferring his Z-Power to him for the final blow as he then recited, "Ruler of the silent forest, Decidueye!"
"Here it comes, Aqua!" Sarah warned her Soloist Pokémon, her Water Type daughter giving her a knowing nod.
"What are they doing?!" gasped Kiawe.
"Why are they just standing there?" Sophocles cried, unsure of what Sarah and Aqua were doing.
"What could they be planning right now?" Mallow pondered worriedly.
"Mom, Aqua...… What are you doing?" mused Star.
"She's got something up her sleeve and I'm sure Aqua's in on what plan they have in action," Keldeo replied, holding faith in Sarah and Aqua as they and the rest of their family and friends watched from their spot in the audience.
"Alright! Ready...… Use Sinister Arrow Raid!" Hau finished as Decidueye flew up in the air, readying his Sinister Arrow Raid Z-Move before he swooped down towards Aqua as he saw his and his partner's victory at hand.
"NOW!" Sarah screamed just as the arrows struck Aqua and a cloud of smoke from the explosion that followed covered the battlefield.
The heroes and Vikings along with the Pokémon and dragons gasped in shock and horror as Caster spluttered, "Sinister Arrow Raid makes its mark but a giant dust cloud has covered the entire field! What happened to Aqua, is it over for her and Sarah, already?!"
For a moment, it does seem to be the end of Sarah's tenure in the Alola Pokémon League with Aqua supposedly being hit by Hau and Decidueye's trump card but when the smoke cleared, they saw the impact marks that had been made by Sinister Arrow Raid. And, in the middle of the arrows that had been formed in a circle, stood Aqua as she held out her flippers while using Psychic. As she canceled Psychic and braced herself for another attack, both Hau and Decidueye gasped in shock; their initial plan to beat her and Sarah was thrown out the window after she used Psychic to counter Sinister Arrow Raid.
"Huh/What?!" they balked, their eyes bugging out.
Even Kukui gasped in shock at this but Raine and Primarina smirked as Caster expressed everyone's disbelief, "What's this?! Aqua forced Decidueye's Sinister Arrow Raid to miss her by using Psychic at the last minute and survived!"
The crowd was left stunned by the shocking turnabout they had witnessed as they looked between Hau, Sarah, and their partners. Eventually, their shocked silence gave way to ecstatic and hearty cheers as they hollered loudly for Aqua and the little princess; not once did they expect something such as that and they wanted more of the action.
"No way!"
"You're kidding!"
"How did they do that?!"
"Odin's beard!"
"That was nuts!"
"Was that part of their special training?" Lana, Snotlout, Sophocles, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Kiawe screamed.
Soon, Kukui gave an impressed smile and said, "Well, how unpredictable can you get?"
"That's incredible!"
"Holy Odin! That sure was a close shave," Stoick and Gobber blinked.
"Can Psychic be used like that?"
"I've never read or seen such a thing in my entire life!"
"That's amazing!" Mallow, Lillie, and Ash commented in shock, awe, and amazement.
"THIS CAN'T BEEEEEEE!? How is it possible!? The outcome and percentage of Psychic being used to stop a Z-Move like Sinister Arrow Raid are calculating, calculating, CALCULATING...!" Rotom-Dex squealed, feeling like he was going to explode as he flailed about.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! That's my girl! Always thinking outside the box on everything! BOOYAH!" Liberty grinned as she gave a hearty slap on the back to Pikachu (who yelped as he was batted forward hard and flinched in pain).
"YAY!"
"GO, AQUA!"
"THAT'S IT!" screamed Tot, Nano, and Mini ecstatically.
"WAY TO GO, AQUA, SARAH!" "YEAH!" Rosebud and the Buddies cheered.
"Well, then?" smirked Aqua to Decidueye.
"I see, so that's it; you trained just so you can deal with me in this state. Not bad, Ms. Aqua," Decidueye smirked back.
"You're good, Sarah! That's the last thing I expected but you won't escape next time!"
"Wrong, Hau, this match is just getting started!" grinned Sarah and Hau.
It's the second match of the Alola League Quarterfinals second half! Where will it go from here as the journey continues?