The finals are here! Welcome back to "The Challenge of a Lifetime", everyone! And boy, do we have quite the next three chapters to go through! It's the final round of the Alola League!
We've got Calvin and Erika ready to duke it out in what'll be one of the biggest Pokémon battles I'll have written. It's gonna be a lot of fun, especially since I'm planning on a big story for after this finale. But you'll have to wait and see what that'll be in the coming days.
I've enjoyed writing this story so much. And I hope you're ready for what's to come with it, even beyond this. So without further delay, here you all go. This is the start of one of the biggest events in this story.
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
Stars shined in the night sky above as fireworks went off over Manalo Stadium. The crowd cheered as Serena and Lisia waved to everyone, having just finished their performance for the opening ceremonies. Up in the stands, Mirajane had Jangmo-o sitting in her lap as she clapped with those around her, being Rotom, Lisanna, Sawyer, Hau, Sunset, Pyrrha, Rumi, Bea, Paige, Trent, Nemona, Lillie, and Gladion. Down on the turf field, Rose stood at the center, holding the microphone he had in his right hand up to his lips.
"Hello, everyone!" he greeted to the massive audience around him, "Thank you all for coming tonight!" he called out gratefully, "We're about to witness a battle that'll leave a great mark on history!" he mentioned, "Tonight, the Alola Region's first-ever Champion shall be crowned!" he declared, causing the crowd to cheer wildly with excitement.
"He's really hyping this up…" Leslie noted from one of the tunnels leading to the field.
"It's always incredible, no matter where you are," Ash pointed out, standing beside her with Pikachu upon his shoulder.
"Peekah," he squeaked to attest his trainer's point, nodding his head.
"And we're about to witness something quite incredible," Cynthia mentioned, getting their attentions.
"Indeed," Diantha agreed, "It's exciting," she added with her left hand over her heart.
"It's a shame that not everyone could come here to see this unfold in person," Steven chimed in.
"I'm sure it'll make for a grand spectacle, wherever one may be," Geeta affirmed confidently.
"Then let's make sure we hype this crowd up for a Champion Time!" Leon declared as he posed, leading the way for the group to head out onto the field. Watching from the TV in the locker room were both Calvin and Erika, who smiled upon seeing their older sister and their father walking out onto the field, greeting the audience as their cheers echoed.
"Man, it seems even crazier than it was just the other night…" the latter admitted, seated on the bench next to her brother.
"Yeah…" he agreed, "We've come a long way…" he pointed out, thinking back to when the two of them had come to Alola for what was merely meant to be a vacation, only to wind up turning into their first adventure. There were ups and downs, but it turned out to be an incredible experience. And now, it was going to become something more.
"Hey, Calvin?" Erika said, getting her brother's attention, "What do you think you wanna do after this?" she inquired of him, causing him to blink in surprise, "I mean, there's a lot that Dad did, even after he won a championship," she noted, "He traveled to all sorts of places and saw so many things," she mentioned on, "Honestly, I feel like we took those stories of his for granted…" she confessed, closing her hands into fists over her knees, "We wanted to be different from our dad, but his life just passed onto us like it did for Leslie…" she concluded.
"Erika…" the capped boy uttered.
"Not that it's a bad thing," she quickly assured, holding her hands up, "It's just…" she continued, letting out a sigh, "I don't know what we could do next…" she confessed, "There's a ton of possibilities in front of us," she pointed out, "It makes me wonder how Dad always knew where to go next…" she said. Her twin brother glanced to the side in thought.
"I guess… it was always instinct," he assumed to her surprise, "It didn't matter if he never heard of a region or place," he noted, "He just wanted to go because that was part of who he was," he pointed out, "He wanted to be a Pokémon Master," he confirmed. Erika smiled.
"Then we don't really have to worry about it right now," she realized, standing up with Calvin.
"Yeah," he concurred as he smiled, "See you on the other side, Erika," he remarked, holding his right fist out to his twin sister. She grinned, bumping it with her own.
"You too, Calvin," she responded. As they disconnected their fists, they walked off through their respective tunnels. Determined expressions were in their eyes. Tonight would mark the end of their island challenge. And one of them would walk away as a champion.
OPENING
Insert "Rise Above" by Rainych
Opens with the sun dawning over Mount Lanakila. In spite of its freezing air, Calvin and Erika stand firm alongside their full teams of Pokémon as the wind rushes by. Near the base of the mountain is the site of what will be Alola's first ever Pokémon League, where Kukui stands with an excited grin on his face.
A rainbow of flower petals washes over the logo as we cut to Calvin lamenting on the boardwalk of the Seafolk Village, sitting alone and wondering if he can really take on the rest of the island challenge. At the same time, Erika is lying on her bed upon her side, thinking about the exact same thing. They both clench their fists determinedly, ready to see things through.
We cut to Calvin flying aboard a Charizard, while Erika's aboard a Pelipper. They fly throughout each of Alola's islands, smiling all the while. They see Ilima, Lana, Kiawe, Mallow, Sophocles, Acerola, Mina, Hala, Olivia, Nanu, and Hapu along the way as they arrive at the Pokémon League.
There, they're greeted by their parents and their big sister, who encourage them as they enter through the doors into the stadium. Inside, they find Hau, Pyrrha, Paige, Trent, and Gladion there. Others like Ryuki, Plumeria, and even Guzma are present. The Ketchum twins both grin excitedly, prepared to engage in some amazing battles.
The scene changes to Calvin commanding his Toucannon to use Beak Blast to take down a Machoke, while Erika has her Lurantis use X-Scissor to down an opponent's Bisharp. Hau's Decidueye goes up against Gladion and Silvally. The Synthetic Pokémon evades his foe's arrow quills before landing a powerful Fire-type Multi-Attack. Decidueye endures it, while Hau prepares a green Z-Crystal with a symbol similar to his partner, cracking a smirk.
We cut to Paige revealing a Key Stone around her neck as she uses it to Mega Evolve her Blaziken, who speeds out to attack Pyrrha's Typhlosion with a Blaze Kick. He counters by using Flamethrower. In the meantime, Trent commands his Alolan Ninetales to use Blizzard on Ryuki's Turtonator. The Blast Turtle Pokémon endures the freezing winds, unleashing a Flamethrower that appears to engulf his foe.
Calvin and Erika are then facing off, with Incineroar and Primarina battling for them. The two collide via a Flare Blitz/Aqua Jet, resulting in a powerful blast. As it clears, we witness Lycanroc slamming his clenched paws against the ground for a Stone Edge aimed to take down Araquanid. However, the Water Bubble Pokémon blasts the incoming stone pillars apart with Liquidation. Oricorio in her Baile Style comes out to unleash the searing fireball of a Revelation Dance toward Toucannon, who endures the attack and retaliates with Hyper Voice.
As the dust settles, we see Lurantis enduring Trop Kicks from Tsareena, gathering sunlight to unleash a Solar Blade onto the Fruit Pokémon. Mimi comes out from the dust, unleashing Shadow Claws onto Starbright, who endures them. She then strikes back with a Meteor Mash, merely busting the costume of the Disguise Pokémon as she chases after her opponent. Finally, we have Marowak using Shadow Bone to bash the incoming icicles of Sandslash, who dives down at him with an Iron Head.
The dust clears again, revealing the Ketchum twins staring at each other confidently with their teams. They're prepared for whatever else is ahead for them as they stand outside the stadium as the sun sets…
END OPENING
Twins of a Feather!
"We're all honored to see so many Champion Masters here at Manalo Stadium to witness what's bound to be an epic battle!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast, "And now, it's time to introduce our two finalists, who'll be duking it out for the title of Alola's first-ever Champion!" he mentioned as more fireworks went off. The lights flashed on towards the two tunnels leading to the field. The Champion Masters looked towards them, seeing the Ketchum twins walking out. The crowd cheered excitedly.
"Yeah!" Hau yelled from the stands.
"Do your best, you two!" Lillie called out amidst the echoing cheers. From afar, Marnie and Piers were watching on curiously, while Bede and Oleana were viewing from the V.I.P. section. Kukui and Burnet were witnessing from the standing area as well.
"Both Calvin and Erika Ketchum have gone through trial after trial to get to this point," Jim noted through the loudspeakers as the twins walked over to their positions on the field, "And as such, they've cleared those hurdles," he mentioned, "Now, we witness them on the greatest stage in front of an intense crowd, ready to cheer them on!" he declared excitedly.
"Huh…" Erika exhaled, stretching her arms and legs. Calvin removed his cap, wiping away any sweat from his brow. Just then, he felt a hand come onto his shoulder. He looked back to see his father there.
"Do your best," he insisted.
"Peekah, pika!" Pikachu squeaked, clenching right paw and pumping it.
"Yeah," the raven-haired boy responded, putting his hat back on and adjusting it. Erika stretched her back out one final time, letting a grunt escape her lips. Just then, she suddenly wound up pushed from behind, making her yelp as she stumbled a few steps forward.
"Hey!" she yelled, turning to see Leslie there as she was giggling.
"Don't go holding back out there," she advised of her little sister, who blinked in surprise. However, she cracked a grin.
"Why the heck would I?" she questioned in response. The Champion Masters walked off of the field, leaving the Ketchum twins behind to face each other as Dan stepped forward.
"Trainers, congratulations on making it to this point!" he complimented to the two children, "Your efforts in this tournament should be commended far and wide," he mentioned, "And as such, no matter who emerges as the victor today," he continued, "you should be proud for just managing to come this far," he affirmed. Both Calvin and Erika grinned. "Now, this is a full, six-on-six battle with substitutions allowed," the referee told them, "When all of one side's Pokémon are unable to continue, the match will be concluded," he added on, "Now please select your first Pokémon!" he advised of the finalists. Their images along with their arrays of six Poké Balls appeared upon the video boards through the stadium.
Erika grabbed her Moon Ball, enlarging it with a press of its button, while Calvin readied just a regular Poké Ball in his right hand. Both of them reared their arms back. Thinking back to the last time they battled each other, it had been quite a while. And now, they were about to face each other with full force.
"Let's go, Starbright!" the Ketchum girl yelled, firing her spherical container out.
"You're up first, Poliwrath!" the Ketchum boy called out as he threw his Poké Ball forward. Both of them burst open, with their lights respectively forming upon the ground as they shot out. They dissipated moments later, revealing both the Fairy Pokémon and the Tadpole Pokémon.
"Fayy!" the former squeaked out.
"Pollll!" the latter bellowed. Erika blinked in surprise at the sight of him.
"So you evolved your Poliwhirl, huh?" she noted, cracking a grin. The images of both Pokémon appeared upon the big screens underneath their respective trainers.
"Erika's starting things off with her Clefable, who gave her the victory in the Battle Royal round!" Jim pointed out into the microphone, "In the meantime, we see that Calvin's going for a brand new Pokémon in Poliwrath!" he mentioned, "We'll have to see just how well he ends up fighting in this big battle!" he confirmed excitedly.
"And… BEGIN!" Dan yelled, swinging his right arm down.
"Starbright, Magical Leaf!" Erika immediately commanded. A greenish light appeared over the Fairy Pokémon's hands as she swung them around, bringing them together to form an orb in front of herself. Several glowing leaves were then fired off, heading for her target.
"Waterfall!" Calvin ordered. The Tadpole Pokémon rushed forward, cloaking his body in a torrent of water. He weaved past the incoming leaves, closing in on his opponent.
"Fay?!" she yelped, seeing him close in. He struck her in a powerful uppercut with his right fist, making a column of water shoot up and knock her back.
"Starbright!" her trainer cried out.
"Incredible!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast, "Poliwrath shows his amazing power by landing a fierce Waterfall to kick things off!" he noted excitedly.
"Now Body Slam!" Calvin commanded. The Tadpole Pokémon rushed forward once more, leaping into the air.
"Use Metronome!" Erika advised of her partner.
"Kleh fay!" she responded, holding her fingers up and quickly wagging them, as their tips glowed. Just as Poliwrath was about to crash into her, yellow electricity crackled around her body before she released a small burst of lighting. It struck her foe, but he was hardly deterred as he slammed down onto her fiercely.
"Ergh… darn…" the Ketchum girl grumbled, while her brother smirked.
"That Metronome might've given Starbright a super effective attack to use, but it didn't look like it bothered Poliwrath at all…" Hau pointed out from the stands.
"That goes to show how tough he is now," Paige remarked with a grin, folding her arms over her chest. The Tadpole Pokémon jumped back from the dust cloud, keeping himself in a ready stance. The dust settled, revealing his opponent standing back up as she winced.
"You okay, Starbright?" her trainer asked.
"Fay!" she responded with a nod.
"Okay, then use Moonblast!" Erika commanded, swinging her right arm out. A golden aura shrouded the Fairy Pokémon as she started to form a pink orb of energy upon her hands.
"Poliwrath, dodge!" Calvin instructed quickly. Just as the orb was fired his way, the Tadpole Pokémon jumped over it, letting it strike nothing but the ground. "Now Submission!" his trainer ordered. His partner landed and ran up to his opponent, causing her to gasp in surprise. He grabbed ahold of her legs, rolling around with her as she yelped.
"Starbright!" Erika screamed.
"What amazing ingenuity!" Jim remarked through the loudspeakers, "Poliwrath's Submission, while a double-edged sword, is really dealing damage to Clefable!" he pointed out, "Can she break free?!" he wondered loudly.
"Fayyy…!" the Fairy Pokémon grunted, gritting her teeth.
"Starbright, Moonblast!" her trainer ordered, causing her to perk up. A golden aura shrouded her body again as she managed to form another pink orb of energy upon her hands. Poliwrath noticed too late as she fired it onto him, blowing him back in a powerful blast upon striking. The two fell to the ground upon their backs, groaning with pain.
"Poliwrath!" Calvin called out. Fortunately, the Tadpole Pokémon was quick to get back onto his feet, clenching his fists determinedly. His opponent slowly got up as well, breathing somewhat heavily. Erika grimaced in worry.
"Use Meteor Mash!" she commanded.
"FAAYYYYYY!" her Clefable screamed into the sky as a blue aura burst to life in front of her. She held her right hand out, closing it into a fist.
"Counter with Waterfall!" the Ketchum boy advised of his partner. With another torrent of water shrouding his body, Poliwrath rushed forward. His opponent lunged out at him, meeting his uppercut with her own fist as she tried desperately to push back against him. The two trainers watched on, clenching their teeth together. Ultimately, their respective partners blew each other back again, landing upon the turf field again.
"Poliwrath and Clefable collide again with some fierce attacks!" Jim noted over the broadcast, "However, it looks like Poliwrath still has the edge in strength!" he mentioned as the Tadpole Pokémon clenched his fists tightly.
"Kleh… kleh…" Starbright breathed out somewhat tiredly. Her trainer grimaced. While the Fairy Pokémon had fought well thus far, her foe's evolved power was something they hadn't expected to deal with. She took out her Moon Ball, aiming it at her.
"Starbright, return for now," she insisted, recalling her Clefable to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"She's switching?" Hau noted out of surprise from the stands.
"Even with a type advantage, it looked like she was having a bit of trouble…" Pyrrha pointed out.
"Then I guess we'll have to wait and see what kinda plan she's got next!" Nemona affirmed, excitedly clenching her fists.
"Erika makes the first substitution of the battle, deciding to save Clefable for a later battle!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers, "So who will she be turning to next?" he wondered curiously. The Ketchum girl readied a new Poké Ball in her right hand, enlarging it with a press of its button.
"Let's go, Palossand!" she called out, firing the spherical container forward. As it opened, its light shot onto the ground, shaping into form and dissipating to reveal the Sand Castle Pokémon.
"Pahlohhhh!" he echoed out. His image appeared upon the big screens in the Poké Ball icon next to Starbright.
"In a surprising twist, Erika switches over to Palossand to face Poliwrath!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "What kind of plan does she have in mind with him?" he inquired aloud.
"Palossand…" Calvin uttered in surprise.
'No, Erika wouldn't just bring out a Pokémon with an obvious disadvantage for no reason…' he noted to himself, 'She's gotta have some kind of plan up her sleeve…' he concluded through his thoughts.
"Sandstorm!" the Ketchum girl instructed. With his body flashing in a multicolored light momentarily, Palossand made the wind swirl around him, causing sand to start blowing about the field. Poliwrath grimaced, shielding his eyes with his arms.
"Palossand goes ahead and sets up a sandstorm, which could be very significant going forward!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast.
"Stay strong, Poliwrath!" Calvin advised of his partner, "Use Waterfall!" he commanded.
"Poll!" the Tadpole Pokémon croaked in response. A torrent of water enveloped him as he sped forward toward his foe.
"Shadow Ball!" Erika ordered. Palossand prepared a purple-and-black ball of energy in front of his open mouth, firing it out at his incoming opponent. He weaved aside to evade it, followed by landing a powerful uppercut to the Sand Castle Pokémon.
"Pahhh…!" he grunted out. However, a determined expression came across his face before a reddish aura flowed up his body.
"Wait, what?!" Calvin gasped out. His twin sister smirked.
"Whoa, what's that?" Paige wondered aloud upon noticing.
"It'zzz Palossand'zzz Water Compaction, zzt!" Rotom buzzed out.
"Water Compaction?" Hau repeated.
"It's Palossand's special ability," Nemona chimed in, getting their attentions, "Whenever he gets hit by a Water-type attack, his defense increases," she explained, "And since Palossand's part Ghost-type, Poliwrath's Body Slam and Submission attacks won't affect him at all," she mentioned.
"Whoa, you're right…" Trent realized, sounding impressed.
"Even a type disadvantage can be turned into an advantage if you've got the right plan in mind!" the ponytailed girl proclaimed, grinning excitedly.
"Now Shadow Ball!" Erika commanded from back on the field. Palossand prepared another purple-and-black ball of energy in front of his open mouth, firing it forward. It struck his opponent in a fierce blast, sending him flying back.
"Poliwrath!" his trainer cried out, seeing him land on his feet, only to falter slightly as he keeled over onto his right knee, breathing heavily. The Ketchum boy grimaced a little, followed by giving off a nervous smile to his twin sister. "You really thought ahead, huh Erika?" he presumed. She smirked in response.
"Earth Power!" she ordered. With his eyes flashing a bright orange, Palossand had the ground crack up, trailing towards his opponent before it formed underneath him.
"Dodge and use Ice Punch!" Calvin called out. Hopping up just before the orange energy burst forth from the ground like a small eruption, the Tadpole Pokémon closed his hands into fists, cloaking them both in an icy blue aura. He came down and punched Palossand fiercely, causing patches of ice to form upon his body.
"Shore Up!" Erika instructed.
"Loh!" the Sand Castle Pokémon responded, having sand build up around his body thanks to the sandstorm, causing a greenish, healing aura to appear over him. The patches of ice were melted away as well, much to Poliwrath's shock.
"Palossand's signature Shore Up gives him his health back, while Poliwrath's left speechless at how his bombardment's been rendered almost useless against him!" Jim noted thoroughly through the loudspeakers.
"Ergh…" Calvin growled out, "Poliwrath, go for Waterfall!" he advised of his partner, causing him to perk up. He leapt back, cloaking his body in a watery veil. Speeding forward, he clenched his right fist tightly.
"Palossand, Earth Power!" Erika commanded. The Sand Castle Pokémon made his eyes flash a bright orange again, making the ground rumble. Orange energy erupted at his opponent's feet as he closed in, knocking him off balance as he gasped. "Now Shadow Ball!" the Ketchum girl ordered, thrusting her right hand out.
Her partner formed yet another purple-and-black ball of energy in front of his open mouth. He fired it onto the Tadpole Pokémon, striking him in a powerful explosion. He tumbled out from the smoke, rolling back before coming to a stop upon his stomach. The sandstorm subsided as Dan ran over to assess Poliwrath's condition. Swirls were in his eyes as he groaned.
"Poliwrath is unable to battle!" the referee confirmed, raising his left arm into the air. The crowd erupted into cheers, while the Tadpole Pokémon's image on the video boards was greyed out.
"Poliwrath ends up being the first to fall as Palossand manages to take him down!" Jim pointed out into the microphone excitedly, while the sandstorm around the field subsided.
"Between Palossand's Water Compaction, Sandstorm, and Shore Up," Tom listed off, "I'd say he had the match well in hand from the moment he came out," he affirmed.
"Alright!" Pyrrha yelled from the stands, "Way to go, Erika! Palossand!" she cheered excitedly as she got onto her feet.
"Aw man, I'd really wanna battle that Palossand!" Nemona pointed out with clenched fists, "He looks so strong!" she added as her eyes sparkled.
'What the heck is with this girl?' Trent wondered, sweating a little from how enthusiastic she was. Back on the field, Calvin returned his fainted partner to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Nice going out there, Poliwrath," he complimented, "You did everything you could," he assured before putting the spherical container away.
"Pah…" Palossand exhaled, somewhat tired. Noticing, Erika took a moment to ponder her options. She then aimed her partner's Poké Ball toward him.
"Take a break for now, Palossand," she advised, getting his attention, "You were great," she affirmed, recalling the Sand Castle Pokémon to the spherical container in a beam of red light.
"Oh, what's this?" Jim said over the broadcast, "Seems like Erika's decided to make a switch yet again," he pointed out curiously.
"Even though Palossand's defenses were up during that battle, he still took a few direct hits from super effective attacks," Tom noted in response, "Question is, who'll she go to next?" he wondered aloud. The Ketchum twins readied new Poké Balls respectively.
"Counting on you next, Oricorio!" Erika yelled, flinging her spherical container out onto the field.
"You're up, Toucannon!" Calvin called out as he fired his Poké Ball. Both of them burst open, with their respective lights forming upon the turf. They dissipated, revealing the Dancing Pokémon and the Cannon Pokémon facing off with each other. The former had assumed her Pom-Pom Style.
"Korreee~!" she sang, waving her puffy feathers.
"Kah!" her foe squawked.
X
"So Erika went for Oricorio in the style she caught her with…" Leslie noted, standing in the V.I.P. section with her father and the other Champion Masters.
"An Electric-type has a big advantage over Flying-types," Ash pointed out, folding his arms over his chest, "That doesn't mean it's gonna be easy for Erika," he affirmed.
"Yeah…" his eldest daughter agreed.
"It's a battle of Flying-types on the horizon as Erika sends in Oricorio, while Calvin's brought Toucannon into the fray!" Jim noted through the loudspeakers, "Let's see which of them'll get the upper hand first!" he exclaimed.
"Oricorio, Teeter Dance!" the Ketchum girl instructed, sticking her right hand out.
"Koree~!" the Dancing Pokémon chirped, waving her wings around as a pink mist wafted off from her body, heading toward her foe.
"We're not falling for that!" Calvin declared fiercely, "Hyper Voice!" he commanded. Opening his beak, Toucannon had a white orb of light form within it before unleashing a beam of wind in a powerful squawked. Turquoise rings of energy were flowing with the beam as it blew away the incoming mist, also crashing onto Oricorio as she stumbled back a few steps.
"Koreee…" she chirped in frustration, narrowing her eyes.
"And Toucannon's Hyper Voice does away with what could've been a tough Teeter Dance to deal with!" Jim pointed out into the microphone excitedly.
"Now Bullet Seed!" Calvin ordered. The Cannon Pokémon opened his beak again, firing off gold seeds enveloped in a light green luminosity.
"Dodge and use Air Slash!" Erika called out. Charging forward, Oricorio leapt over the incoming seeds, making the puffy feathers at the tips of her wings glow a light blue. She spun around, releasing several crescent-shaped blades of energy towards her opponent below.
"Watch out!" the Ketchum boy yelled.
"Kah!" Toucannon squawked in response, unfolding his wings and flapping them to take to the sky, evading the blades as they struck the ground in bursts of dust.
"Looks like Cal's getting his groove now!" Hau pointed out excitedly.
"We'll have to wait and see…" Trent chimed in, folding his arms over his chest, while Paige watched on intently.
"Rock Smash!" Calvin commanded, enticing his partner to make the tip of his beak shine a bright reddish-orange as he dove toward his opponent, who landed upon the ground.
"Oricorio, Hurricane!" Erika ordered.
"Korrr… REEEEEEEEEEEE!" the Dancing Pokémon screeched, making her wings glow a light blue before flapping them mightily, causing a huge gust to form as it shaped into a tornado. Toucannon wound up diving right into it, wincing as the wind was rushing against him.
"Stay strong, Toucannon!" his trainer called out, getting his attention. He steeled himself, gliding with the torrent's current. Ultimately, he managed to break free from it.
"What?!" Erika exclaimed in disbelief, while Oricorio's eyes widened. Thanks to the added speed he gained from gliding in the tornado's current, the Cannon Pokémon instantly dove down and struck his foe with his glowing beak, making her shriek with agony.
"Incredible!" Jim exclaimed over the broadcast, "Toucannon endures a powerful Hurricane, retaliating with one heck of a Rock Smash!" he pointed out excitedly. A bluish aura flowed down the Dancing Pokémon's body as she winced. Her trainer grimaced.
'Even if those attacks aren't very effective, Toucannon's taking advantage of our own attacks to land stronger hits…' she noted to herself, 'And with Rock Smash lowering our defense, we're in trouble…' she realized additionally.
"Now Hyper Voice!" her brother commanded. Landing on the field, the Cannon Pokémon opened his beak, having a white orb of energy form within it.
"Oricorio, Revelation Dance!" Erika ordered. Perking up, the Dancing Pokémon rubbed her puffy feathers together, dancing around as electricity started building up. She then swung her wings forward, releasing a burst of yellow electricity from their tips. Before Toucannon could let out a screech, the electricity struck him, causing him to cry out in pain.
"Toucannon!" his trainer screamed.
"And Toucannon takes a super effective blow Oricorio's signature Revelation Dance!" Jim pointed out through the loudspeakers, while the Cannon Pokémon descended onto the field with smoke wafting off of his body, "Looks as if she's about to turn this around!" he noted on.
"Air Slash!" Erika commanded. The feathers at the tips of the Dancing Pokémon's wings glowed a bright blue as she flapped them, releasing several crescent-shaped blades of energy.
"Counter with Bullet Seed!" Calvin instructed. Opening his beak, Toucannon unleashed a flurry of golden seeds cloaked in a light green luminosity. They staved off the air blades in bursts of smoke.
"Whoa, so cool!" Hau exclaimed from the stands.
"For a battle between two Flying-types, it's not exactly what you'd expect," Paige pointed out.
"But it's still amazing all the same!" Pyrrha affirmed with a giggle.
"Jah, jahng!" Jangmo-o chirped from Mirajane's lap, making her smile.
"The clash between Air Slash and Bullet Seed continues as neither Oricorio nor Toucannon are willing to give an inch!" Jim yelled into the microphone. All of a sudden, a few of the crescent-shaped energy blades broke through the flurry of seeds, striking the Cannon Pokémon as he squawked with pain, stumbling back a step.
"Toucannon!" Calvin cried out.
"Too… kah…" his partner groaned, wincing all the while. Erika cracked a grin.
"Now Hurricane!" she commanded. The Dancing Pokémon had her wings fully glow a bright blue, flapping them mightily to create another vortex that was about to engulf her opponent.
"Toucannon, Beak Blast!" Calvin instructed.
"Kah!" the Cannon Pokémon responded, digging his talons into the turf as he started heating up his beak, making it shine brightly. The raging tornado washed over him, bombarding his body as he struggled to stay in place.
"Toucannon takes the Hurricane head on as he tries to use his signature Beak Blast!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast, "But can he last long enough for it?!" he asked loudly. Erika was sweating a little.
'Better to not leave anything to chance!' she decided inwardly.
"Oricorio, Revelation Dance!" she ordered.
"Ree~!" her partner chirped, dancing around and rubbing her puffy feathers together, building up electricity upon them. She spun around, clapping her wings to unleash a burst of yellow electricity toward the vortex enveloping her foe. Within it, however, steam was emitting from Toucannon's beak before his eyes jolted open.
"Do it, Toucannon!" his trainer yelled.
"Tooo… KAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the Cannon Pokémon bellowed, opening his beak before unleashing a searing beam of orange light. It tore through the tornado and eviscerated the incoming electricity, heading straight for his foe.
"Ree?!" she squawked in shock before getting struck in a fierce blast.
"Oricorio!" Erika screamed.
"Beak Blast lands!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers, "Tearing through that Hurricane and rendering Revelation Dance to ash, Toucannon still has a lot of fight in him!" he noted excitedly.
"Kah… kah…" the Cannon Pokémon breathed out tiredly as he staggered a little. The smoke was slow to settle. But once it did, it revealed Oricorio lying down upon the turf with her eyes in swirls as she groaned with her wings outstretched. Dan ran over to assess her condition.
"Oricorio is unable to battle!" he announced after a moment, raising his right arm. The Dancing Pokémon's image on the video boards was greyed out, while the crowd cheered.
"Incredible!" Jim shouted into the microphone, "Toucannon pulls off a big victory over Oricorio, knotting the score at one!" he pointed out.
"Beak Blast, hm?" Diantha noted from the V.I.P. section, "That's quite a powerful signature move," she pointed out.
"I hear that if a Pokémon makes physical contact with Toucannon when he's heating his beak up, they'll end up burned," Steven explained.
"Cal made that look pretty close, huh?" Leslie pointed out to her father, who nodded in agreement. Back on the field, Erika returned her fainted partner to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"You did your best out there, Oricorio," she assured, "We'll handle things the rest of the way," she promised, shrinking the spherical container with a press of its button before putting it away.
"Kah…" Toucannon breathed out, struggling to find his footing. His trainer readied his Poké Ball.
"Take a break for now, Toucannon," he insisted, returning him to the spherical container in a beam of red light.
"Like Erika did with Palossand earlier, Calvin's decided to swap Toucannon out after his victory over Oricorio," Jim noted curiously over the broadcast.
"Given how tough that matchup was, I think that's the right call," Tom affirmed. The Ketchum boy readied a new Poké Ball in his right hand, as did his twin sister.
"Mimi, let's go!" the former called out.
"You're up, Lurantis!" the latter yelled. They threw their spherical containers out, letting them pop open. Their lights shot forth and formed upon the ground, shaping and dissipating to reveal the Disguise Pokémon and the Bloom Sickle Pokémon respectively.
"Mee!" the former squeaked.
"Lurrrahhh!" the latter exclaimed, swiping at the air fiercely. Their images appeared upon the big screens underneath their respective trainers.
"And this match continues with Lurantis and Mimikyu facing off!" Jim yelled through the loudspeakers excitedly as both Pokémon glared each other down.
X
"Mimi against Lurantis, huh?" Hau noted from the stands.
"Neither of those two have a significant advantage against each other," Nemona pointed out, letting off a grin, "It's all gonna come down to power!" she confirmed, clenching her fists with excitement.
"Heh!" Rumi chuckled, "I like this girl!" she admitted.
"Mother, please…" Bea mumbled in embarrassment.
"With one Pokémon defeated on each side, there's still a lot of this match to get through!" Jim noted into the microphone, "Which side'll get the odds to swing in their favor next?" he wondered aloud.
"We're not gonna waste a second!" Erika declared, swinging her right arm out, "Lurantis, Petal Blizzard!" she commanded. Pink petals swirled up around the Bloom Sickle Pokémon before she swung her arms out, unleashing them in a flurry towards her opponent.
"Knock them away with Shadow Claw!" Calvin instructed.
"Mee!" his Mimikyu responded, drawing her appendages from underneath her costume as she cloaked them in a dark aura outlined in purple. As the petals closed in, she swiped at them rapidly, slashing them into ribbons their pieces fell harmlessly onto the turf.
"Mimikyu's Shadow Claw does away with that Petal Blizzard without too much trouble!" Jim pointed out over the broadcast, "It seems her energy from the semifinals hasn't left just yet, folks!" he mentioned excitedly.
"Now Play Rough!" Calvin ordered, thrusting his right hand out. Mimi dashed forward, closing in on her opponent.
"Quick, X-Scissor!" Erika yelled, enticing Lurantis to make her sickle-like arms shine a bright yellowish-green. She attempted to swipe at her incoming foe in an x-shaped slash, but she hopped over her, hurrying around before lunging in. She smacked her tail-like stick upside her target's head, making her stumble. What followed was a bombardment of blows, making her fall to the ground in a flurry of dust.
"Nice!" Paige exclaimed from the stands.
"Way to go, Mimi!" Hau cheered on.
"Lurrahhh…" Lurantis groaned as she sat up, shaking her head.
"It's okay, Lurantis!" her trainer assured, "X-Scissor again!" she instructed, swinging her right arm to the side. Hopping to her feet, the Bloom Sickle Pokémon made her arms glow yellowish-green once more as they sharpened. She charged toward her opponent, ready to cut her down.
"Dodge and use Mimic!" Calvin called out. Mimi leapt to the side, evading the sharpened crossed arms of her opponent, who widened her eyes in disbelief. A glint appeared in the shiny Disguise Pokémon's eyes before she landed down, sliding to a stop.
"Mee!" she squeaked to her trainer, who nodded.
"Now X-Scissor!" he ordered. His Mimikyu lunged out at her target again, drawing her appendages from under her cloak as they glowed a yellowish-green. She crossed them, swiping Lurantis in an x-shaped pattern.
"Lurraahhh…!" she grunted in pain from the impact.
"Lurantis, no!" Erika screamed.
"What a play!" Jim exclaimed through the loudspeakers, "Mimikyu's Mimic copies Lurantis' X-Scissor, allowing her to land a super effective blow!" he pointed out excitedly.
"Taking advantage of a move like that is quite ingenious…" Steven commented from the V.I.P. section.
"True," Cynthia agreed, "It certainly makes for an interesting challenge for Erika," she mentioned, while the Ketchum girl on the field grimaced.
"Lurantis, you okay?" she asked of the Bloom Sickle Pokémon, who slowly got back onto her feet.
"Lurrahh…" she groaned out, sounding frustrated. Her trainer clenched her fists tightly, knowing just how much she wanted to come away with a victory after the past few battles.
"Sunny Day!" she instructed.
"LURRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHNNNNNNNNN!" Lurantis screeched into the starry night sky. All of a sudden, it brightened as if there were actual sunlight, causing many in the stands to flinch.
"And Lurantis now sets up a Sunny Day!" Jim pointed out into the microphone, "Just what will that do?" he wondered aloud.
"Mimi, X-Scissor!" Calvin ordered. The shiny Mimikyu rushed forward again, drawing her appendages as they shined a yellowish-green.
"Petal Blizzard!" Erika commanded. Pink flower petals swirled around the Bloom Sickle Pokémon. She swung her arms out, releasing them towards her foe. She swiped through them with ease, but was surprised to find that her foe was apparently gone.
"Mimi, watch out!" her trainer screamed, causing her to perk up.
"Now Solar Blade!" the Ketchum girl ordered. Right behind the shiny Mimikyu, Lurantis prepared a mass of golden luminosity over her head. She then brought her right arm up to it, creating a blade of light that extended high above the stadium.
"Lurrraahhhh!" she screeched, bringing it down instantly onto her opponent in a fierce blast, engulfing the field in smoke.
"Solar Blade lands!" Jim yelled over the broadcast.
"And thanks to the earlier Sunny Day, it charged up a lot faster than it normally would," Tom added, "Erika's forged quite the strategy with Lurantis," he mentioned on, sounding impressed. As the smoke settled, it revealed both Pokémon still standing. Mimi's costume was ruined as its head was drooped to the side, breathing heavily like her foe.
"Mimi, use Wood Hammer!" Calvin commanded.
"X-Scissor!" Erika ordered. A green, stump-shaped aura surrounded the shiny Mimikyu's tail-like stick before she lunged toward her opponent. She readied her sickle-like arms, making them shine a bright yellowish-green, swiping in an x-shaped pattern to counter her foe's attack.
"Oh man, this is so intense!" Nemona pointed out excitedly from the stands.
"You're pretty into this, aren't you?" Lisanna presumed, getting her attention as she blinked.
"Of course!" she responded with clenched fists, "Pokémon battling is one of the greatest things in life!" she mentioned as her grin grew wider, "It's fun both ways, battling yourself or even just watching other battles!" she explained to those around her.
"That sounds a lot like someone I know…" Mirajane noted with a giggle. Up in the V.I.P. section, her husband suddenly sneezed.
"Whoa, you alright?" Leon asked in concern.
"Yeah…" the Pokémon Master responded sheepishly, rubbing his nose, "Not sure where that came from…" he admitted. Back on the field, Mimi and Lurantis continued to clash, exchanging blows as they swiped at each other.
"Lurrahhh…" the Bloom Sickle Pokémon grunted out as she staggered a little.
"Now Shadow Claw!" Calvin commanded, sticking his right hand out. Drawing just a single appendage from underneath her costume, the shiny Mimikyu cloaked it in a dark aura outlined in purple before lunging forward.
"Solar Blade!" Erika ordered quickly. A golden mass of light formed above Lurantis' head before she stuck her right arm up into it, forming a blade that rose high into the sky. Both she and Mimi screeched as they attacked, resulting in another fierce blast. The crowd watched on with bated breath as the smoke was slow to settle.
It cleared after a few more moments, revealing both Pokémon still standing with scrapes along their bodies, breathing heavily. They glared each other down, waiting for whatever would come next. And then, Lurantis dropped to her knees.
"Lurrr… ahhh…" she groaned, toppling over onto her stomach. Dan ran over to assess her condition, seeing the swirls in her eyes.
"Lurantis is unable to battle!" he confirmed, raising his right arm up. The crowd cheered as the Bloom Sickle Pokémon's image greyed out on the video boards.
"And Lurantis falls, giving Mimikyu the victory to bring the lead to two-to-one!" Jim pointed out excitedly over the broadcast, "Now things are spicing up for sure!" he remarked.
"Aw, man…" Pyrrha grumbled out.
"That Lurantis sure gave it her all though," her mother noted with her arms folded over her chest. Back on the field, Erika walked over to the Bloom Sickle Pokémon as she sat up and sighed dejectedly.
"Hey, you did great out there," her trainer assured, getting her attention as she crouched down beside her, "I promise, we're gonna make sure that Sunny Day works out in the end," she vowed, clenching her left fist.
"Lurahn…?" Lurantis uttered out worriedly. Erika giggled.
"Don't worry," she said, taking out her Poké Ball and aiming it at her, "We'll win," she promised, returning the Bloom Sickle Pokémon to the spherical container in a beam of red light.
"Mee… mee…" Mimi breathed out tiredly, wincing a little. Calvin took notice.
"Mimi, take a break for now," he insisted, recalling her to her own Poké Ball as well.
"And Calvin decides to call back Mimikyu, who did take two direct hits from Solar Blade during that fight," Jim noted through the loudspeakers.
"Seems like the smart call based on all that," Tom concurred. The Ketchum boy put the spherical container away before readying another one.
"Okay…" he uttered, giving off a grin as he enlarged the Poké Ball with a press of its button, "Let's go, Incineroar!" he called out, firing it into the air. It popped open, and its light spilled forth onto the ground, dissipating after forming to reveal the Heel Pokémon.
"RAAAAAAHHHWWWRRRR!" she roared out powerfully, while her image appeared upon each of the big screens underneath her trainer.
"Incineroar enters the ring!" Jim exclaimed into the microphone, "After sitting out from the semifinals, she seems recharged and ready to go!" he noted loudly.
"And with the sunlight in play, I'd say she's bound to be quite the threat to the remainder of Erika's team," Tom added.
"Rawwrrr…" the Heel Pokémon growled out, smirking as she punched her left hand determinedly. Erika made her way back to her side of the field, taking out a new Poké Ball and enlarging it with a press of its button in her right hand. She let off a grin.
"Don't think you're the only one with surprises, Calvin!" she yelled to her brother, causing him to blink in surprise, "Come on out!" she beckoned, tossing the spherical container up into the air. It burst open, with its light forming upon the ground and dissipating to reveal her Magmortar.
"MORRRRR!" he bellowed out.
"Magmortar?!" Calvin exclaimed in shock, while Incineroar sweated a little. The Blast Pokémon's image appeared underneath his trainer on the video boards as he stepped forward, prepared to face his foe. The twins' battle had only just gotten heated up...
ENDING
Insert "Who Are You?" by PELICAN FANCLUB
Opens at Aether Paradise as Lillie is with her bedridden mother, sleeping by her side. In her dreams, she's imagining becoming a Pokémon Trainer herself, journeying through regions with her Pokémon by her side. She starts running along the pathway, excitedly smiling all the while.
Throughout her journey in her dream, she comes across many great things. She encounters amazing Pokémon, strong trainers to battle, and memorable sights. Her Pokémon of choice is a Clefairy which she happily lifts in her hands.
All of a sudden, the area around them darkens as a shadow looms over them. Lillie looks up in horror to see a giant version of Lusamine engulfed by Nihilego overhead. She cowers in fright momentarily, but then notices a bright light shining up above.
It turns out to be Solgaleo, who comes down with Calvin and Erika aboard. They both offer their hands to Lillie, who happily accepts them as she climbs onto the Sunne Pokémon. They hurry off, avoiding the giant rocks Lusamine chucks their way. One is about to strike, but it's destroyed as Gladion appears aboard Silvally, slashing it apart.
Together, they lunge up to attack the Aether Foundation president, engulfing her in a shining, golden light. Lillie opens her eyes, lifting her head. She finds her mother awake in bed, giving her a weak, yet thankful smile.
Lillie smiles back, gripping her hand tightly. As Wicke wanders in to check on them, they turn on the TV as the Alola League is starting. Lillie giggles at the sight of the Ketchum twins in battle once again, happy that they're seeing their dreams through…
END ENDING
And that's part one done! Hope you all enjoyed this first section of the finals! It's gonna keep getting exciting as we close in on who'll be the victor! But for now, it's time to give you a summary for next week!
SUMMARY
The fiery finals continue between Calvin and Erika! As both sides reveal the remaining Pokémon they have, it all comes down to whose strength will take the victory in the end! Who will have the greatest advantage into the final stretch?!
END SUMMARY
Thanks for reading, everyone! I'll see you next time!