A/N:*Walks pass, then backs up* Huh? What's this? A new chapter is out in less than 6 months? It's a miracle! So don't get used to it!
Alright, Theme Music!
see notes at the end.
Harry sat on one of the benches and watched the TV, as the battle round roster was being made.
"Time to find out our round two matchups!" Marian announced, getting everyone's attention. "And you all know how we do that; our computer gives it a random shuffle!"
On the screen the pictures of the eight, coordinators turned over before shuffling around for a second before turning back around, now bracketed into pairs.
"And here they are!"
Harry saw that he would be in the first round and had been matched against a girl with burgundy hair and glasses. He looked around and spotted her across the room, watching the TV. She had used a Smoochum in the appeal round and they had gotten a great reaction from the audience from what he could remember.
Looking back to the screen, he found Kyle had been put in the second round. Which meant they would be going up against each other in the semi-finals if they both won.
Harry shook his head to try and clear his thoughts.
'I just need to focus on the next battle. No need to get ahead of myself.' He thought as he stood up to make his way to the changing room. He should take the time during the intermission between events to freshen up since he had already had Murkrow looking her best. I wouldn't do to have a tip-top pokémon with a scruffy coordinator.
"It's time for our second-round contest battles! In a few short minutes, our final coordinators will work to show off their pokémon and their moves to the fullest while shrinking their opponent's total points as much as they can." Marian explained from her spot in the middle of the stage.
"Now, for our first match-up. It's Harry on one side," She gestured to one side of the stage where Harry was standing, before gesturing to the opposite side. "And Connie on the other!"
"Five minutes on the clock. Let's go!"
As the clock started counting down both coordinators sent out their chosen partners.
"Murkrow, you're on!"
"MurKrow!" Murkrow emerged in a plum of black smoke.
"Magcargo, start the show!"
"MagCargo." Magcargo made its entrance in a blaze of blue flames.
"Magcargo, Roll Out, let's go!" Connie immediately instructed when her partner appeared.
"Mag"
Magcargo withdrew into its shell and started rolling at high speed.
"And Magcargo starts the battle with a speedy Rollout, take about fast!"
"Murkrow, up!"
At Harry's command, Murkrow quickly flew higher into the air.
"Now, use Flamethrower!"
"Left!"
The two sequences of command and execution were all done so fast that they all seemed simultaneous.
While still in its shell, Magcargo blew out a stream of fire, launching itself into the air at an incredible speed. Only for Murkrow to tilt herself sideways to dodge around Magcargo in a split-second aileron roll.
Both Connie's and Harry's points went down, though Connie lost more than did Harry.
"Magcargo boosted up that already speedy Rollout with Flamethrower! But Murkrow dodge with some lightning-fast ariel acrobatics!"
"Murkrow, use Feint Attack!"
"Krow"
Murkrow's wing started glowing purple as she swooped down towards Magcargo.
Murkrow disappeared from where she had been coming toward Magcargo from the front and repapered behind it with her other wing glowing.
"Use, Heat Wave!"
Just before Murkrow could make contact Magcargo's body began glowing with a magma pattern sheen as flames liked along its shell before it expelled an orange wind.
"And not only does Magcargo pull off a counterattack! But the glow from that Heat Wave against its lava made its body glow beautifully!"
"MurKrow!" Murkrow cried in pain as she was knocked back and down to the ground by the Heat Wave. Harry's points going down as well.
"Use Rollout again!"
"MagCargo."
The lava pokémon, once again, withdrew into its shell and began rolling.
"Use Haze and dodge!"
Murkrow pushed herself up and released a thick black smoke out and around herself as she started flapping her wings.
Magcargo barreled into the Haze, disappearing in the growing smoke cloud briefly before coming out of the other side and coming to a stop.
"Alright, get rid of the Haze with Heat Wave!"
"Mag!"
Magcargo glowed before releasing another gale of orange wind at the smoke.
"Murkrow, use Night Shade!"
"MuurKrooow~"
Still hidden from view inside the Haze, Murkrow let out a long trill just before a section of the smoke in the center was blown out as red shockwaves of energy were emitted from a purple-glowing Murkrow.
The Night Shade and Heat Wave hit each other and clashed for a few moments, before bursting in an explosion of red and orange sparks.
Both coordinators had been losing points steadily throughout the exchange.
"And we've just hit the thirty-second mark!"
"Magcargo, Yawn!"
Magcargo opened its mouth, releasing a large pink bubble that floated up towards Murkrow.
"Use Feint Attack,"
Murkrow had begun flying at Magcargo, her left wing glowing, when the Yawn it. The bubble popped in her face, and in mid-flight, Murkrow's eyes fluttered shut as she went from flying at her opponent to falling at it.
"Now, finish it with Flamethrower!" Connie called a smile of triumph already on her lips.
"Not so fast," Harry said with a smirk.
As Magcargo reared its head back to fire its attack Murkrow's eyes snapped open as she vanished, before reappearing in front of a shocked Magcargo. Using her now glowing right wing, she sent the fire/rock-type flying type back.
"And that's all she wrote," Marian announced as Connie lost the remainder of her points and the timer ran out. "And the coordinator heading the second round is Harry!"
The screen switched from the two coordinators' images, point gauges, and timer, to Harry and Murkrow's picture under the word "Winner".
"Brilliant!" Harry cheered, as Murkrow perched on his forearm. "You were great out there." He praised, running a knuckle down her side.
"MurKrow!" The dual-type crooned in pride and, for once unhidden, happiness.
Harry stood just outside the doors getting ready to go onto the stage for his second round.
The rest of the first-round matches progressed in quick succession.
Although Harry had missed a good portion of them. He had been preoccupied with treating Murkrow's minor injuries and had only been able to watch the tail end of the third match, the guy with the Kricketot was now using a Sunflora and had been the winner of that round, and the fourth match.
He had missed Kyle's battle completely and only knew that he had won. Which meant the two were going to be up against each other in the semi-finals.
He took a calming breath and let it out. He had gotten past his nerves now that he was in the thick of the competition and was now feeling the same elation he had back in the Enlightenment town contest.
'Alright,' He thought, holding up his ball capsule. 'let's go bet this friendly tosser.'
With a smile, he walked out the door onto the stage heading for his spot on the battle stage, across from where he could see Kyle already standing.
"And now, it's time for the first round of the semi-final stage.
As Marian started her opening commentary, Harry met Kyle's gaze from across the stage.
The two coordinators appraised each other for a moment before Kyle gave Harry a cocky smirk and a wink.
The bespectacled boy's eyebrows shot up as he blinked owlishly, completely caught off guard by the action.
"Alright, we've got five minutes on the clock! Let's Go!"
At the announcement of the start of the battle, Harry snapped himself out of his surprised confusion and took out his Pokeball.
'Is he just creating new ways to needle me at this point?'
While Harry was thrown for a loop, Kyle released his partner.
"Chinchou, you're up!" The brunette called as his partner emerged in a shower of red confetti.
"Chinchou!" The little round, piscine Pokémon flapped its small fins happily as the two yellow, teardrop-shaped orbs on the ends of its antennae and its yellow, plus-shaped pupilled eyes, flashed.
'I can't think about that now. I need to focus on the contest.' Harry thought to himself resolutely before sending out his partner.
"Murkrow, you're on!"
"Murkrow!" Again, the duel type emerged from a plum of black smoke.
Not wasting a second, Harry immediately called an attack.
"Murkrow, use Feint Attack!"
Not missing a beat Murkrow swooped down, wing glowing, straight for the angler Pokémon.
"Murkrow starts with a speedy Feint Attack!" Marian commented as Kyle's points went down.
Kyle, for his part, did nothing but smile as his opponent Pokemon closed in on his own.
As Murkrow got only a few meters away Kyle finally made a move.
"Chinchou, use Brine straight down!"
Chinchou released a strong stream of water from its mouth at the floor and shot itself high up into the air just as Murkrow swiped her wing where it had just been.
"Up!" Immediately at the single-word command, Murkrow turned up and followed along the water stream after the ascending water and electric type.
"Even with the incredible use of a powerful Brine to doge, Harry and Murkrow aren't giving an inch!"
"Now Chinchou, use Thunder Wave!"
"ChinnnnChou!" Chinchou's antennae glowed and sparked as a ball of yellow electricity formed between them before firing several rings down the water stream.
"Mur?" Murkrow looked at the water near it in confusion as it pulsed with rings of electricity for a moment before the pillar of water electrified water burst outwards in blue sparkles, and coating Murkrow in eclectic sparks.
Murkrow suddenly slowed to a stop, just hovering in the air.
"Oh no! Don't tell me." Harry cursed out, already knowing what had happened due to the sparks dancing around Murkrows feathers.
"That Thunder Wave sent through the water now has Murkrow paralyzed!"
"Now, Brine!"
Chinchou opened its mouth and fired another powerful stream of water.
"Dodge it,"
"Mur" Murkrow winched as her body sparked with electricity. She tried to follow Harry's order to no avail before letting out a squawk of pain as she was knocked to the ground by the Brine.
"Alright, now use Signal Beam."
Harry's eyes widen in worry after hearing the command.
'Oh no,'
"ChinCho" Chinchou's antennae bulbs glowed blue as a light blue ball of light formed between them, it then fired a rainbow-colored beam.
"Murkrow, up and use Haze!"
"Mur"
Murkrow released the black smoke of her Haze from her beak as she managed to push herself off the ground. Just barely avoiding the Signal Beam.
"And Murkrow gets out there just in the nick of time!"
As she flew up Murkrow became enveloped in the black smoke of the Haze.
Harry felt himself relax slightly at the sight of the Haze.
'Alright Murkrow should be fine now,' He thought to himself before smiling as he was suddenly hit with an idea.
"Murkrow keep on using Haze," Harry called out before closing his eyes and focusing.
A muffled caw was heard from inside the Haze as the dark cloud in the middle of the stage steadily grew bigger.
"Chinchou, use Icy Wind!"
"Feint Attack left and around!"
Chinchou opened its mouth and the inside of it started glowing blue, but before it could fire Murkrow shot out from the side of the Haze, both of her wings glowing, making a hard turn mid-flight and colliding with the other duel-type.
"Wow talk about fast, looks like the Haze has cleared up Murkrow's paralysis!"
"Murkrow back into the Haze."
"MurKrow!"
Murkrow immediately flew back into the black mist and out of sight.
Oh no you don't, Chinchou, use Brine and get in there."
"ChinChou"
The angler Pokemon jumped slightly before shooting out a jet of water from its mouth and rocketing itself through the air and into Haze.
"And now blow it away with Icy Wind!" Kyle ordered
The next moment, a gale filled with sparkly blue snow burst out of Chinchou's mouth as it swept across the Haze, dispersing it and leaving the stage dusted in glittery ice blue sheen.
"And we just hit our 30-second mark."
Murkrow let out a squall as she flapped her wings hard and endured being hit by the Icy Wind.
"Push back with Night Shade!"
"MuurKroooow~" Murkrow opened her beak as her eyes and body began to glow and let out a trill releasing red ring shockwaves.
"Chinchou use, Thunder Wave!"
Chinchou formed a ball of electricity between its glowing antennae before shooting a beam of yellow rings.
The red rings and the yellow rings of the two attacks meet before overlapping as they pass one another to their targets. Chinchou was knocked back as Murkrow was jolted by electricity and once again paralyzed.
"Er! Not again! Murkrow use Haze!"
"Chinchou quick use Signal Beam!"
Chinchou started to form a blue ball between its antennae and Murkrow opened her beak when...Bing!
"That's it! Times up!"
"Huh?" "What?" Kyle and Harry questioned at the same time. They had both gotten so caught up in the battle they were caught off guard by the timer. Both coordinators looked to the screen to who had more points.
"After that fierce battling the coordinator moving on to the finals is?"
Harry only got to see that he had about half a quarter of his points left before the screen changed.
"Wow, it's Kyle."
Kyle and Chinchou's picture under the word "Winner" was now on the arena screen.
Kyle just stared at the screen dazedly for a moment before his entire face lit up with joy. "Alright," He ran over to his Chinchou. "We did it, you were great out there. Battle like that in the finals and our second ribbon will be in the bag." He praised his partner. "ChinChinchou!"
Across the stage, Harry had looked up at the screen with a feeling of detachment. Now, fundamentally, he knew that just because he had won a contest, and beaten Kyle before, didn't mean it was inevitable that he'd win this match. But still, he somehow hadn't thought about the possibility of losing.
Harry clenched his fist and gritted his teeth.
As the fact that he had lost the match, as well as the contest, finally registered with him, he felt disappointment and anger start to rise inside him.
Suddenly he was hit with what Olympia had said during their conversation after he had lost to Roark.
"No trainer likes seeing their Pokemon hurt in battle, and nobody enjoys losing, but both are inevitable in any sort of battle."
Harry closed his eyes and unclenched his fist as he let out a sigh. He felt himself calm down a bit as he recalled those words and the wisdom behind them.
"Losing is an inevitability." He said to himself before opening his eyes and walking over to Murkrow, who for her part was glaring down at the stage. The green-eyed psychic could feel the same feelings of disappointment and anger he had felt a moment ago coming from her.
He knelt next to her and ran one of his knuckles down her back the way he knew she liked.
"You were fantastic," He praised. At felling her disbelief at his words he went on. "I couldn't have asked you to do anything better than you did." He held out his arm for her to perch on. "They might have beat us this round, but next time we'll win the whole thing." He said as he turned to where Kyle and Chinchou were standing ready to hear the judge's commentary.
"Excellent, using a variety of moves in a variety of ways was a splendid way to show off Chinchou's versatility as a duel type. And the way Murkrow's movements and split-second reflexes highlighted its incredible flying. "
"Right, remarkable."
"I can't wait to see what kind of performance we'll see from Chinchou on the final stage. I'm sure we'll be seeing incredible things from Harry and Murkrow as well."
Before heading off the stage, Harry looked over to where Kyle was beaming at his Chinchou. The pure joy and pride he sensed from the Pokemon had him smiling despite his loss.
The other boy caught Harry looking over at him and smirked. Surprisingly, the action didn't make Harry bristle the way it usually did.
"Good luck in the finals," Harry said before the brunette could say anything to ruin the calm he was feeling and walked off backstage. As he walked away he didn't see the smirk fall off to be replaced by a look of befuddlement.
Harry was making his way out of the contest hall, now again in his street clothes and Sylveon at his side when he saw Kyle, also in his street clothes, sitting off to the side in the lobby his head down with his elbows on his knees. Not thinking about why, he went to approach the older boy.
"Hey," Harry said, getting Kyle's other boy's head shot up, a dejected look on his face he didn't even bother trying to hide.
"Maybe saying "Good luck" really is a jinx on stage. Maybe I should have said; Break a leg, Huh?"
Kyle stared at the other coordinator for a few moments before letting out a short laugh and giving a sad smile.
"Yeah, maybe, "He agreed softly before scowling. "But that guy and his Roselia were not messing around. I mean I barely had any points left and we got with almost 2 minutes still on the clock." He continued, now sounding less sad and more agitated.
"Hey, how do you think I feel? I lost to the runner-up, not even the winner." Harry gave an exaggerated huff as crossed his arms and slouched his shoulders. "So lame." He punctuated with an overdramatic eye roll.
Kyle looked taken aback at Harry's little display.
"Buutt." Harry continued, letting a smile and a look of determination crossed his face."That won't be the case next time."
Kyle blinked at him twice before giving his usual friendly smile as he stood up from his seat.
"Yeah, you're probably right," He said as he casually swung an arm around Harry's shoulders and started heading toward the front door."Next time you probably won't even make it past the appeal round."
Harry was thrown off by the familiar gesture, he and Kyle were not that close. he was so surprised that it took him a bit longer to realize what had been said.
Harry glared as he lightly elbowed Kyle off of him with a muttered "Prat," as the two exited the building.
"What?' The taller boy questioned, never having heard the word, before dismissing his question with a shrug. "Anyways, I guess I'll see you at the next contest." He said as he turned to face the shorter boy.
"You'll have to just have to show up and see," Harry said evenly.
Kyle just gave him that friendly smile as he took his sunglasses out from his collar and placed them over his eyes. "Well then, looks like this is it for now," He said as he turned and started walking away. Before saying over his shoulder "Till next time, Shorty." in his usually, almost disingenuously friendly tone.
Harry did a double take at the other's farewell, his right eyebrow twitching.
He watched as Kyel continued to walk away for a moment before letting out a sigh of equal parts irritation and resignation.
"Note to self; Next time leave the twat to wallow."
He extended his arm to Sylevon to wrap a ribbon around as the two started making their way back to the Pokemon center.
A/N: Harry is slowly starting to learn that losing isn't the end of the world or a matter of life and death the way it used to be for him. Back in the wizarding world losing meant someone being squashed by a troll, eaten by giant animals, or mauled by a teacher, etc.
Here losing a contest or gym battle is just 'Uh oh, now you've got to try all over again.'