Note- When I published my last chapter, Summer had decided to stay a bit longer into October. Now, it appears old man Winter has decided to come early to make up for it! Welcome back everyone! I hope all is well. When we last left Chris, the young man had just arrived for the start of the Winter Classic Double Battle Tournament. What challenges await the team, both on and off the battlefield? What new and familiar faces will they find? We'll get the answers to these questions today in this chapter of Heart and Soul! Hope you enjoy! Please Review and Subscribe!
Chapter 46
Several minutes passed before the bracket materialized on screen. Images of the registered trainers appeared with visual effects accompanying them. As time passed, the small crowd around the screen grew. A buzz filled the area as trainers crossed the battlezone and poured out from the nearby buildings.
Chris stared at the screen in absolute silence. Ampharos had gone back into her Poké Ball, but his nerves had returned in kind to keep him company. He watched each trainer's image shoot across the screen. A moment of levity struck him when he got a better look at his own. Staring at the near buzz cut he had formerly rocked—courtesy of his mother's free service—he was reminded of just how much had happened the day that picture was taken. The image came from the morning he'd started his journey—the day he received his Pokédex. It had been the same day Cyndaquil had joined him, and the same 24 hour stretch that saw him recruit Nidoran to his team, and win over Golbat. That first evening had also played host to him meeting Luke. The tightness in his shoulders vanished, and a small smile worked its way onto his lips. How fortunate he was to have come this far.
A picture flashed across the screen, trailing not far behind his own. Chris' breath caught in his throat at the sight of the wide jaw and spiky bangs.
"Yo', broski."
The voice came from over his shoulder, but Chris didn't need to turn to identify the speaker. "And just when I thought my day couldn't get any better," he said, turning slowly around for dramatic effect. He found his own face staring back at him, courtesy of a familiar pair of dark brown glasses.
"I seem to get that response everywhere I go," Dobbs' replied. "At least, until I battle them, that is."
"I take it your trip west was a success?"
Dobbs' hand dropped to his pocket and reemerged an instant later. Something sharp struck Chris' face a moment later, drawing a hiss from the young man. He looked down and saw a Mineral Badge at his feet. His narrowed eyes found their way back to Dobbs' relaxed face. He had his hand extended toward Chris, a Storm Badge in hand.
Chris raised both his arms. "What was that for?"
"I just wanted to show you my badges," Dobbs answered evenly.
"So you hit me in the face with one?"
"I didn't actually plan for that to happen."
Chris waited a pair of seconds for an apology, but one look at Dobbs' calm expression reminded him of exactly who he was dealing with.
The quirky trainer nodded at his fallen badge. "Would you care to get that, broski?"
Chris didn't know whether to laugh or yell. He ended up doing a mix of both as he squatted down to retrieve the badge. He was glad to have his body fairly rested. A month ago, retrieving this badge might have ended up with him passed out on the ground.
"Here," he said, shoving the badge into Dobbs' outstretched hand.
"You're bleeding by the way."
Chris reached up and touched his cheek. A drop of blood trickled down his finger. "Guess I should be glad I still have both eyes," he said.
"Exactly," Dobbs replied, nodding. "Now, you'll actually be able to intimidate your first round opponent."
"Perfect," Chris said, a small smile sliding back onto his lips. He might never know why, but he just found it hard to be mad at this young man. "So it looks like we both have six badges. Unless you've found time to take down Mahogany's Gym Leader."
"I was going to wait till after I had a tournament win under my belt. "
"Same."
The sound of a horn blared from the speakers surrounding the screen, grabbing both trainers' attention.
"It's time for the bracket reveal!" a booming voice announced over the speakers.
The screen went black for a pair of seconds, then flashed back to life as white, branching lines spread across the display. As the lines split and came to a halt, the trainer images materialized into their positions on the bracket. With fifty-six entrants, eight trainers would receive a first round bye. Two of these byes existed in each of the bracket's four 'regions,' lovingly named after popular Johto landmarks. Chris' eyes were immediately drawn to these valuable spots, but he soon discovered that he had not received one. As for the trainer beside him…
"They must have known I would win my first round battle," Dobbs said, folding his arms.
"If they know you're that good, why didn't they just put you in the championship?"
Dobbs shook his head. "Spectators come to watch great battling. No tournament would pass up the chance to show off my Pokémon and our skill in battle. A bye in the first round is as close to finding a middle ground as they'll get."
Chris had to force his eyes not to roll into the back of his head. "Of course." He scanned the rest of the positions, finding his image halfway down the first cluster, fittingly named the 'Bell Tower' region. He looked over the rest of the bracket. Seth had been placed on the side same of the draw, though in a different region. He continued scanning the bracket, nearly doing a double take when he caught sight of a young, almond-skin toned man. He looked closer, swearing it was a picture of Waz, but the short, curly hair, slimmer cheeks, and dark freckles proved otherwise. He shook his head, before bringing his eyes back to his own region. That's when he caught sight of Sarah's image. They were on opposite sides of the region, meaning they couldn't meet until only eight trainers remained.
"The 'Ice Path' region," Dobbs said, reading the name of the sector he had been placed in. "Looks like they put us on opposite sides of the bracket. Lucky for you, I guess."
"So we still aren't acknowledging our battle in Ecruteak?"
"Better focus on your next battle," Dobbs replied. "You're not even in the second round yet, unlike yours truly."
Chris opened his mouth to retort, but a voice from the speaker cut him off. "All six battles in the Bell Tower region, as well as the first battle in the Ilex Forest region, will begin in five minutes." Numbers appeared beside each of the seven battles mentioned. The number four resided between the picture of Chris and his opponent. "Please report to the numbered battlefield listed on screen."
"Try not to lose," Dobbs said. He adjusted his glasses and pushed back his short, spiky bangs. "I'll be watching." He spun and powered walked his way out of sight.
"Guess I better show him something, then."
Chris turned and strode into the midst of the staggered battlefields. The nearest lined off area had the number seven painted beside it—it's two occupants already in position to duke it out. He passed two more, each decreasing by one in number, until he reached the battlefield perched atop the arrowhead shaped layout. The edge of the lake rested only a hundred feet from where he now stood. The number four was painted in white, and an official stood beside it, his stare expectant. The man looked at the number pinned to Chris' shirt and checked his data pad.
"You are Chris Aedan?" he asked. When Chris had nodded, he continued. "You will be battling in the blue corner, here." Chris took his position in the trainer box. He looked across the battlefield, but found no opponent waiting for him. Somehow the absence of an opponent only added to his lingering nerves. He pulled his eyes away from the empty box and found the lake to his right. The sun had risen above the distant tree line, and now fought to penetrate the icy fog. One ray of light had managed to pierce the grey shroud, illuminating a nearby section of the lake. As Chris squinted at the glistening water, he felt his muscles relax. Glad my first battle is by the bank, he thought.
"Are both trainers ready?"
Chris spun around and found a young man now resided in the opposite trainer box. He held a Poké Ball in each hand. Chris hurriedly brought out his two as well.
"You may release your Pokémon."
Both trainers did just so. Typhlosion and Scyther burst into existence. Each Pokémon stood at their full height, their bodies tight like a coiled spring. Opposite them, Chris' gaze was first drawn to a pale, floating creature. After a moment, he recognized the swaying, yellow-eyed creature as a Froslass. Donphan stood in stark contrast: his stiff frame bent low to the ground, feet dug into the grass, and a snarl etched into his horned jaw.
The judge typed away on his data pad as both sets of trainers and Pokémon looked on anxiously. The sound of clashing fists, explosive collisions, and all other acoustics of battle echoed across the open field. But as the judge put away his data pad, and brought up his two flags, all the sound seemed to dissolve into a faint echo.
"Chris Aedan versus Elijah Jasper. Let the battle commence!"
Through all their planning and practice, Chris felt confident in launching his first wave of attacks. "Flamethrower on Froslass! Wing Attack on Donphan!"
The flames on Typhlosion's shoulders were already alive as he dropped to all fours and launched the stream of fire. Scyther slashed through the air, his wings aglow.
"Hail," the other trainer quickly countered.
Froslass brought back her arms and let loose a melancholy wail. A swarm of grey clouds soon enveloped the battlefield's airspace. The attack left her open to the oncoming Flamethrower, which had nearly reached her at this point. Donphan still had not been commanded, and stood like a statue. This trainer was in for a surprise if he thought Froslass could easily handle a direct—
"Jump up and Use Protect!"
Donphan's stout legs drove him into the air, and directly in front of his partner. As the first of Scyther's glowing wings swung forward, it was intercepted by the green orb that suddenly appeared around the Armor Pokémon. Scyther went to swing again, but Chris yelled for him to fly left. The Mantis Pokémon just managed to spin away as Flamethrower smashed into the being between it and its intended target. Donphan's protective orb managed to hold against the consecutive strikes, but their force drove the airborne creature backward. Unfortunately for Chris, Froslass had already finished Hail and had just moved out from behind him.
"Double Team!" came the trainer's higher pitched call.
Seeing Scyther near both adversaries, Chris wasted no time in calling for a counter. "Pursuit!"
The Snow Land Pokémon managed to create three doppelgangers of herself, but not before receiving a super effective tackle from the speedy Mantis Pokémon. The blow forced Froslass back to the edge of the battlefield, but her doppelgangers followed quickly behind, and soon, she had mixed herself in among them.
"Focus back on Donphan!" Chris called to his starter. "Flamethrower!"
"Meet it with Rollout!"
Like a spinning tire, Donphan came rushing toward the Volcano Pokémon. The stream of fire struck the Ground-type, but Donphan managed to outlast the attack, though it ultimately forced an end to his spinning frenzy. Seeing the spinning tackle gave the trainer from Cherrygrove alarming flashbacks to Whitney and her tank of a Miltank.
"Give him some backup, Scyther!"
As the Mantis Pokémon turned to fly back, shards of ice began to drop from the sky. The frozen condensation burst upon hitting the back of the unsuspecting Sycther's head, knocking the creature momentarily loopy. Donphan didn't enjoy the rain of hail, but his tough hide seemed to handle it well enough. At his trainer's command, he spun into a second round of Rollout. Typhlosion shrugged off the ice assault and waited for his trainer's command.
"Let's show them our Focus Blast!"
Typhlosion rose onto his hind legs and brought his forelegs together. His face twisted as he concentrated his focus and energy into the space between his paws. A yellow orb of energy crackled to life there, slowly expanding as time went on. But Donphan gave him no time to finish. The Armor Pokémon crashed into Typhlosion just as the Volcano Pokémon had finished charging the attack. The increased power and super effective nature of the attack knocked the fire starter on to his back. The orb of energy between his paws dissipated with a hiss. Scyther made reached him a moment later, but Donpan had already managed to create some distance between them. When his spinning had ceased, Chris called for Scyther to execute a Wing Attack counter. That's when a chill came over Chris' entire body. His head whipped around, and he found Froslass and her doppelgangers, their raised arms barely visible behind an approaching wave of snow, ice, and wind. Chris barely had time to warn his teammates before the Blizzard overtook them. The arctic blast knocked Scyther to the ground and even forced the super-heated Typhlosion to turn away. As the attack reached Donphan, the Armor Pokémon—at his trainer's direction— raised his protective orb. The arctic burst of energy passed harmlessly over the green shield.
"Darnit!" Chris hissed between chattering teeth. As the increased cold took the feeling from his limbs, his mind still painfully screamed at him. What the heck am I doing wrong? he asked himself. He'd jumped out at the start and dictated the pace of the battle. Even now, Typhlosion and Scyther were still attacking before either of their opponents. But somehow, their opponents had taken and held the advantage since the beginning. He called out another round of attacks, but Typhlosion's Flame Wheel was easily avoided by the shifty ghoul and her doppelgangers. Donphan shrugged off Scyther's Wing Attack and knocked him away with another round of Rollout. Scyther landed next to Typhlosion, who had just retreated back to the center. Both creatures leapt in opposite directions as Froslass' Shadow Ball exploded into the space they had just occupied. Wait a sec… The gears in Chris' mind continued to turn as Typhlosion's Flamethrower was countered by another Blizzard, and Donphan's second Rollout blasted through Scyther's X-Scissor. "It's just like sparring with Kiyo," he muttered. Jabbing to keep me at just the right distance… to open me up for the heymaker. Donphan's continuous attacks… the counters and evasion tactics… and Froslass' widespread assaults…
Kiyo's words pounded against the inside of his skull. You distract, annoy, and wear them down with the jab. Then you let 'em have it.
Donphan spun toward Typhlosion now, his third Rollout looking to finish off the Volcano Pokémon. Chris' feet spread wider as the muscles in his arms tightened. His daily beatings in his sparring sessions with Kiyo had been brutal, but the trainer had learned of a way he could at least land an occasional strike on the martial artist. If we can't swing with them... we'll counter-punch.
"Use Quick Attack to get above Rollout!" Chris directed.
Typhlosion followed through and soon found himself soaring above his spinning foe. But before he had even done that, Chris' attention was already on Froslass and his trainer. The Snow Land Pokémon had already charged her Shadow Ball attack. She released it the moment Typhlosion went airborne.
"Use Pursuit to take care of Shadow Ball!"
Scyther pounced into the air, and had surrounded himself with a dark energy by the time Shadow Ball was upon Typhlosion. The Mantis Pokémon drove his shoulder into the orb. The tackle disrupted the black core, destabilizing the attack, and ultimately forcing the orb to collapse in on itself. That opened Typhlosion up to a maneuver that had ultimately earned the team their Plain Badge.
"Put him in the dirt with Flamethrower!"
A burst of fire leapt from Typhlosion's mouth and engulfed the rolling creature. The gravity enhanced blast, mixed with the G's generated by Donphan, had the desired effect. Donphan's spinning came to a quick halt, but Chris felt a twinge of frustration when he saw that the Armor Pokémon had managed to keep most of his body above ground.
"I'll take what I can get," he mumbled. He didn't stay quiet for long though. Froslass would try to strike them now while Donphan had them occupied. And with the Armor Pokémon's Protect he could shield himself from any collateral damage. "Double up on Froslass! Flame Wheel and Wing Attack!"
Froslass had been in the process of preparing a Blizzard, but halted at her trainer's command upon seeing the approaching attackers. Chris took some satisfaction in seeing his intuition confirmed. The four Froslass suddenly changed their stance, bringing their arms forward, and a dark energy beginning to swell there. Typhlosion and Scyther were on the party a short moment later. As they went to jump, heavy ice began to fall from the sky once more. The duo powered through the debris, their focus on the two visible Froslass gliding inside the frozen maelstrom. Typhlosion spun into the air, the flames from his shoulders expanding out to wrap him in a vortex of fire. He hurdled into one of the Froslass a half second after Scyther had done the same. Both their attacks passed through the creatures, who dwindled in to nothing a short moment later.
Chris growled. They'd had a fifty-fifty chance. "Back to me!"
Both Pokémon came racing back, though neither looked very eager to give up their two-on-one assault.
"Bulldoze!"
Chris spun back to look at Donphan. The Armor Pokémon remained grounded, but the trainer from Cherrygrove began to wonder if that really was a negative. The earth began to rock beneath Chris' feet as two waves of visible tremors pulsed out from the Armor Pokémon's location. Scyther took to the sky, but as Typhlosion went to do the same, a dark orb shot from the hail storm behind him, nearly taking his head off. The ball exploded harmlessly to his left, but the move served as enough of a distraction.
"Typhlosion!"
The ground split apart beneath the Volcano Pokémon. The earth seemed to rise, latching on to Typhlosion's legs as it did so. Then, like a large breaker on the shore, the wave of earth crashed back down, dropping the Fire-type flush on his back. Typhlosion let out a poorly muffled howl of pain.
"Calm," Chris hissed through gritted teeth. His arms were shaking. What little pain remained in his legs had been replaced by the rush of endorphins that now pumped adrenaline throughout his body. Donphan is still grounded, Chris reminded himself. And whether that helps his attack strength or not, it eliminates his mobility for the time. He turned to look back at the two remaining Froslass veiled among the falling hail. She's too far away to deal immediate damage. Chris brought back his shoulders. "X-Scissor on Donphan!" he instructed. He then turned to his starter, who had only now begun to shake off Donphan's super effective attack. "Give Donphan a Focus Blast!"
"Protect!" the word was quick to leave the opposing trainer's lips, but it came too late.
Scyther drove his crossed arms into the crown of the exposed Donphan. On his trainer's direction, he held his position and kept the pressure on. As the ice continued to fall, Typhlosion slowly rose on to his hind legs. A familiar yellow orb swirled to life between his outstretched forearms. As he charged the attack, Chris turned his attention to the Froslass. With Donphan on his side of the battlefield, and no chance to throw up a Protect, the opposing trainer couldn't fire off a Blizzard. Chris knew that meant a Shadow Ball would be inbound. He turned back to Typhlosion and saw the energy ball had swelled to the size of a basketball.
"Fire!"
As Typhlosion thrust both arms forward, sending the yellow orb toward the two engaged creatures, a second, black ball of energy came hurtling toward his back.
"Stay strong, Typhlosion!" Chris shouted. He then turned his attention to Scyther. Focus Blast was on target and had nearly arrived. He waited another half second, then called, "To the sky!"
The energy surrounding Scyther's bladed arms vanished as he straightened up. He planted his feet on Donphan's trunk and went to leap up.
"Thunder Fang!"
Sparks leapt between the Armor Pokémon's tusks as he opened his jaw wide and bit down on the closest of Scyther's feet. A visible current of electricity raced up the Mantis Pokémon's leg and zapped his entire body. He shook violently to free himself, but Donphan wouldn't relinquish his hold. With a screech, Scyther's wings stopped beating, and he fell to the ground with a thud.
Focus Blast arrived an instant later. The orb struck Donphan head on and exploded on contact. Despite being half submerged in dirt, the force of the blast ripped the Armor Pokémon free and sent him tumbling backward, his grip on Scyther's foot now unwillingly released. Shadow Ball struck Typhlosion's back a second later, drawing a cry of pain from the Volcano Pokémon.
A moment of silence and stillness overtook the battlefield as both trainers examined their injured teammates. Froslass and her doppleganger remained partially shrouded in the icy veil that her hail storm created. Typhlosion stood hunched over, his breathing coming heavy and often. Both could obviously continue. Donphan and Scyther, however, remained motionless on the ground.
"The Pokémon must be returned to their devices before the battle can continue," the judge proclaimed, raising both flags. He held them high until Scyther and Donphan had dematerialized off the battlefield.
"Great job, Scyther," Chris muttered under his breath. He looked up and found Typhlosion watching him from the corner of his vision. The trainer gave his partner a thumbs up. "Let's bring this home," he said.
"Let the battle continue!"
"Overwhelm them with Blizzard!" Elijah commanded.
"Counter with Flamethrower!"
Both Froslass' made the correct motions, but barely managed to launch the maelstrom in time. The flurry of ice and wind instantly met the red and orange stream of fire. For a moment, both attacks pressed against one another, with neither force gaining an edge. Typhlosion's flames began to slowly lessen, and the icy assault pressed forward. The stream of fire thinned and then vanished. But as Froslass' frozen storm swept over Typhlosion, and then his trainer, Chris couldn't help but notice how weak the winds felt. As further proof, Typhlosion stayed on his feet, his body not recoiling away from the chill. Chris looked down and noticed the bruises on his feet, the lingering mark of Donphan's Bulldoze.
"Quick Attack!" Chris called. He noticed a look of surprise on the opposing trainer's face. Must have thought that last Blizzard would put us on the ropes, the trainer mused. He must not realize how drained his teammate is. Still… we can't dodge Blizzard while this hail storm is going on.
Typhlosion bounded forward, the speedy tackle making up for the lingering slowness brought on by Bulldoze. The two weren't far apart, leaving Chris little time to add to the assault.
"Transition into Flame Wheel," he got out just as Typhlosion left the ground.
The flaming badger sliced through the falling hail, striking the Froslass that hovered on the left. Chris held back a curse as his starter passed through the final doppelganger. Several shards of ice struck Typhlosion in the face as he lingered in the air. The remaining Froslass turned to her falling opponent and Chris felt his entire body coil like a spring.
"Finish this with Blizzard!" Elijah yelled.
Froslass brought up both her arms, but at that moment a light suddenly pierced through the grey sky above. The yellow glow started as a narrow shaft, but quickly spread as the clouds thinned and parted. The hail had completely come to a stop. Chris looked back to his starter, and saw the Fire-type basked in the golden light. It took him a moment to realize the bright aura had also enveloped the new flames around Typhlosion's shoulders.
"Strike him now!" the opposing trainer encouraged.
Froslass brought down her arms, and a channel of ice swirled toward her descending opponent. But her slight hesitation and the departure of hail had their repercussions.
"Roll to the right!" Chris called.
Typhlosion was already turning over before his feet had even touched the ground. He landed hard but did not stay motionless. As the maelstrom looked to swallow him, he furiously kicked at the ground beneath him. The fiery badger spun sideways just as the icy blast struck the ground where he'd landed.
"Let them have it!"
Typhlosion rolled back to his feet, the golden flames surging brighter than the late morning sun. He opened his fanged mouth, and a Blaze-boosted stream of fire exploded upward. The fiery cascade overtook Froslass before she or her trainer could counter. With nowhere to go, their opponent could only shriek as the super effective attack swirled around her. Even as the icy ghoul drifted limply below the flames and back to the ground, the stream of inferno continued into the sky, taking on the appearance of a long distance beacon. As Typhlosion closed his maw, and the flame around his shoulders lost its golden hue, Chris breathed a sigh of relief.
"The battle is over," the judge said. He brought up both flags. "Chris and his team advance to the second round!"
Chris stumbled out to the center of the battlefield, the stiffness in his legs making him feel as though he'd spent the day training with Kiyo. He went to extend his arms around his starter, but caught a stern look from the Fire-type. Chris shot him a strange look, which drew a single digit reply from Typhlosion's paw.
"Ty'," the Volcano Pokémon calmly said.
That sobered Chris right up. He nodded. "This was only the first round," he agreed. "But this battle showed us a lot. Despite several flaws, I think we've got potential." The trainer rapped his knuckles against the side of Typhlosion's outstretched leg. His starter's stern expression gave way to the smallest of smirks. "You may be my starter, but you aren't that overly serious Cyndaquil anymore. Ampharos said it best: we're here to see where we stand and to grow from there. We can't take ourselves too seriously... yet."
Nearby footsteps drew both trainer and Pokémon's attention to their vanquished foe. Elijah had returned his Froslass, and approached them with both hands tucked away in his pockets.
"Thought I had you early on," he said, brushing a strand of hair from his eyes.
"Not going to lie, I thought you did too. We were all out of sorts at the beginning."
His high pitch voice evened out. "Props to you for adjusting. Guess that's what I get for sticking with one game plan. Even though it'd brought me some success in the past—"
"Those who have finished their battle must exit the field," the judge cut in. "There is a lot of battling left, and we're going to need every available space we can get our hands on to finish the first three rounds today. There are healing stations for your Pokémon scattered throughout the bordering community."
The two trainers parted with hastily thrown out thanks and well wishes. Chris gave his starter a few more encouraging words before returning him to his Poké Ball. As he neared the line of buildings, he noticed someone coming out to meet him.
"Looks like you just survived that one, broski," Dobbs' voice echoed across the open field. He stopped twenty yards in front of Chris and waited for the trainer to cover the rest of the distance. The young man from Cherrygrove held off on his rebuttal until he'd already passed the enigmatic trainer by.
He gave his rebuttal without turning around. "Sounds like you were watching my battle closely then. Hope you were taking some notes." The sound of hurried footsteps nearly made Chris laugh. He put on an apathetic expression and bit his lip to keep it from slipping.
Dobbs appeared at his side an instant later. "You haven't seen what me and my team are capable of," the stout trainer declared.
"We've already battled you."
That was like five months ago."
"I saw you battle my friend," Chris countered.
"That was almost three months ago."
Chris shrugged. "I guess that's fair. I know my team has gotten a lot better since then."
"All I know is that you better pay close attention to my battle. It looks like you could use some double battle pointers."
He's not wrong there, Chris silently admitted. Aloud, he said, "Hope you can back those words up. That first round battle showed me just how stiff the competition will be."
They'd reached the first row of buildings now. Like a productive colony of ants, the crowd swirled and ebbed between shops and restaurants alike. He looked up and noticed that several of the buildings possessed an open, second floor balcony. All of these were packed with people, many of whom leaned on the railing that faced the seven battlefields. He noticed several of the balconies had been roped off for the use of cameramen and the media. A hand on his shoulder pulled his gaze back down. Sarah stood beside him.
"Sorry about that tough first round," she said.
"Not sure why you'd be sorry," he replied, giving her a knowing smile. "We managed to get our act together by the end. Good enough to make the second round, at least."
Sarah's pale cheeks rose with her eyebrows. Her jaw dropped a fraction. "You… won?"
Chris tilted his head at her. "Well, yeah. Did you not watch?"
"I saw the beginning and thought I'd seen enough."
Chris went to spout off some wise jargon that burst into his consciousness, but Dobbs didn't give him the chance.
"She was probably watching the same battle that split my attention," he said.
Chris went to inquire about the battle, but was cut off again, this time by Sarah. "Who are you?" she asked.
"I'm known in most parts as Dobbs," he said evenly, pushing back his glasses. "But for this tournament, you can call me 'champ.''"
"Right..." Sarah's tone was light, but Chris could see her fighting the urge to roll her eyes. She gave him a wry smile. "I can appreciate the confidence."
If only you knew, Chris wanted to say.
"Am I to take it that you've already advanced to the second round?" she asked.
"Of course," Dobbs answered. "Didn't have nearly as much trouble as Chris, here."
You had a bye, Chris inwardly screamed, but no sound came out. This topic wasn't worth pursuing into the illogical rabbit holes Dobbs could trap people in.
"Nice," Sarah replied. "The tourney gods blessed me with a bye, but that just means my first match will be against a proven winner."
The trio made it to a second row of buildings. Chris noticed numerous tables spread out around these structures, all of them brandishing signs that read 'Healing Centers.'
"If you'll excuse me," he said, "I need to get my teammates healed up." He gave Dobbs a hard stare and added, "You may want to heal your team too. Even after an easy first round, I'm sure your teammates would appreciate the added care."
The color drained from Dobbs' face. He began to rock ever so slightly on his toes. Chris didn't even attempt to hide his smirk.
"I guess that wouldn't hurt," he finally replied. Pushing back his light brown bangs, he turned back to Sarah. "It was a pleasure meeting you…"
"Sarah," she said dryly.
"I look forward to seeing you both on and off the battlefield."
"I'd say only one of those is looking like a possibility."
In an instant, Dobbs had bent his knees and spread his feet. He swung his arms up, palms out, as if he were hoping for a high five. "Don't worry, Sarah. Once you see my abilities in battle, you'll believe that are union can also exist in that arena."
Sarah stood there, arms at her side, her pink lips parted, completely motionless. Her eyes were wide, but Chris couldn't tell if she were amused, touched, horrified, or maybe a mix of the three.
Dobbs brought his arms back and bowed low. "Let's not worry about this for now. You still have many tests before we can be united. Take care." And with that, he spun around and strode toward the nearest healing center.
Chris glanced back at Sarah, who still looked to be in shock. He fought against the urge to say something, and instead, chased after Dobbs. "What was that?" he asked when he had finally caught up.
Dobbs kept his eyes on the upcoming station. "I'm honestly not surprised you didn't catch on. Don't take this the wrong way, broski, but you don't seem like a ladies man."
Chris ignored the thinly veiled insult. "You're saying…"
"That was true love."
Chris peered closely at the young man's face, looking for even the tiniest trace of humor. There was none.
The nurse on hand took turns placing each of the trainers' capture devices into the healing pod on hand. The device looked nearly identical to those used in the previous two tournaments, but it didn't seem to take nearly as long to heal each of their Pokémon. Whether the technology had improved in the last few months, or the intensity of the last hour still had Chris' nerves in a bind, the trainer soon found himself heading back toward the combat field. Dobbs stopped him on the outskirts of the line of buildings, pointing at a sign instructing all onlookers to stand behind that point. A row of people stood in front of the two trainers, but Chris' height let him see over them. He scanned each battlefield, hoping to find one match that he could lock onto and study. His mind, however, refused to stay fixed on any one battle. When his eyes tried to follow suit, the young man ended up with a headache.
"You worried?" Dobbs piped up.
"Not really," Chris replied, rubbing his temple. "I just think I need to step away for a minute. May speak with my Pokémon."
"Whatever you say, broski."
Chris stepped over behind the nearest building—a check in station—and released his teammates. "How are you feeling?" he asked them.
"Ty'!" the Volcano Pokémon roared. Flames erupted from the pores on his back, sending a steam cloud high into the cool air.
"Scy'," came the Mantis' Pokémon's quiet, but agreeable response.
Chris turned to face Scyther. "You sure you're not still hurt?"
The Mantis Pokémon adamantly denied it, but the young man didn't take his eyes off the Bug/Flying type. "Despite my mistakes, you guys did great. I'm not sure what to expect from our next opponent. She battled the same time as us, and finished before we did. That's all I know." Scyther's face soured at that, but he said nothing. We'll have to chat after our next battle, Chris told himself. He put on a smile and placed an arm on each of their shoulders. "We toughed out a dub in the first round… so how about we flex on our next opponent?"
The beginning of their next battle had a much more promising start. The opposing Fearow and Magcargo did not possess as effective a tandem offense as the crew's previous opponents. Typhlosion proved to be just as fast as the speedy Beak Pokémon, and Scyther easily quicker. Chris' teammates swarmed their opponents with a flurry of attacks, with Chris attempting to mix in some of the jab/haymaker maneuvers their previous opponent had used. Scyther managed to avoid the multitude of super effective attacks dished out by the duo, thanks in part to Typhlosion's long range coverage. The battle took a dramatic turn for the worse with one simple command.
"Shell Smash!"
The maneuver managed to offset Chris' speed advantage just enough to turn the tide of battle in the opposing trainer's favor. As Scyther narrowly sidestepped a drive-by Drill Peck, he found the Lava Pokémon awaiting nearby.
"To the air!"
Chris' command came a moment too late. A flurry of newly formed rocks leapt from Magcargo's side and caught Scyther just as he'd begun his retreat. The glowing stones exploded against Scyther's torso, launching the Mantis Pokémon off the battlefield. Chris knew his teammate was out done before he'd even landed.
The judge halted the battle to give Chris time to return his defeated Pokémon. As the last of Scyther's essence was absorbed into his capture device, Chris caught a quick look from his starter. The Fire-type had looked to him after the double knockout in their last battle, but his expression had been vague. Now, despite exhaustion and the grim odds they faced, Typhlosion's red eyes bulged from their sockets. He came onto his back legs and let out a new torrent of fire from his back. Chris stared back at him blankly. He thinks we can do this.
"Let the battle continue!"
As Fearow and Magcargo came forward, Chris came onto his toes. Not sure if he's right... but we're damn sure gonna try. Typhlosion spent the next pair of minutes dodging a flurry of attacks, all while Chris guided him away from being cornered. It wasn't until the two Pokémon backed off, and Magcargo began charging Ancient Power, that Chris finally felt he could breath. As the line of glowing rocks swirled around the Fire/Rock-type, his trainer called for Fearow to strike with Drill Run. The Beak Pokémon nosedived as Magcargo's attack rocketed toward Typhlosion.
"Dodge Ancient Power with Quick Attack!"
Typhlosion pounced to the left, narrowly avoiding the flurry of rocks. The Volcano Pokémon's momentum brought him closer to Fearow, who had just begun to spin his entire body. Chris had seen the Normal/Flying-type use the move effectively earlier in their fight, though the Beak Pokémon had struggled to slice through the cold, hard earth. Fearow's super effective Drill Run would rip through any of Typhlosion's available attacks. All the bird had to do was drop low enough to whip up the earth into his assault.
"Use Flamethrower on the ground between you and Fearow!" Chris followed up. Even though he couldn't see his face, the trainer was sure the command perplexed his starter. Regardless, Typhlosion quickly launched a stream of fire into the already brutalized grassland between he and Fearow. Out of the corner of his eye, Chris could see Magcargo using his increased speed to back away from the two fighters. The trainer remembered the Magma Pokémon's previous attempt to create separation with the help of his partner earlier in the fight, but Scyther had been around to chase it down with Pursuit. They were finished if Magcargo succeeded this time.
"Prepare Focus Blast!" Chris directed.
"Ty'?"
"Trust me on this one!" the trainer pleaded.
Without another second of hesitation, Typhlosion came onto his back legs and brought his forearms together. Fearow had drawn close enough to bring his spinning body into the top layer of the scorched grassland. The speed of his rotation seemed to snuff out most of the flames as dirt began to kick upward. But the flames burned much hotter the closer he drew to Typhlosion. Even so, Fearow continued forward without slowing. During this time, the opposing trainer called for his other Pokémon to use Recover.
"Keep charging!" Chris encouraged.
Fearow reached the last stretch of earth that Typhlosion's flames had touched. As the Normal/Flying-type drilled through it, large embers were whipped up into his outstretched face. The Beak Pokémon let out a squeak—his rotation noticeably weakening—but continued on. That hesitation gave Chris the chance to turn his attention back to his starter. The yellow energy ball in Typhlosion's hands had expanded to its full size. The time to fire was now.
"Let Magcargo have it!"
The opposing trainer and all the Pokémon on the battlefield, including Typhlosion, seemed stunned by the command. With a roar that might have been more from frustration than adrenaline, the Volcano Pokémon turned and launched the glowing orb. With his target's back to him, Fearow pushed ahead with even more vigour, driving his beak into the unscorched earth between Typhlosion and himself.
A sharp snap echoed across the battlefield, followed closely by a squawk. Fearow's rotation had come to an immediate stop, with the bird's beak lodged firmly into the ground. Though his head had stopped moving, the rest of his body's momentum continued forward. Fearow's torso and talons swung over his head and slammed into the untouched earth in front of his beak. At that moment, Focus Blast found his mark. Magcargo had only made it halfway through his healing technique when the energy ball struck. Despite his partially recovered health, the super effective strike, coupled with Shell Smash weakening his defenses, proved to be too much. The energy blast burst against the side of his shell. Rock and fire blasted into the air as the Magma Pokémon spun sideways like a hydroplaning vehicle. He toppled over the moment he came to a stop.
"Magcargo is unable to battle," the judge announced, raising his flag.
As his opponent returned the defeated Pokémon, Chris found that Fearow had managed to free himself during the knockout blow. The Normal/Flying-type had taken back to the air, but Chris could see bruises already forming around the creature's torso and beak. As the battle continued, Fearow's beak proved to be too damaged to use Drill Peck and Drill Run—it's primary attacking moves. Having to resort to Wing Attack, and clearly not being as comfortable with a one-on-one battle, it wasn't long before Fearow also fell.
The judge made it official a moment later. "Fearow can no longer battle. Chris and his team advance to the third round!"
Remembering the immediacy in the previous judge's voice, Chris scrambled over to his starter at midfield. He was soon met by his vanquished opponent.
"Great battle," she said.
"It was," he returned.
"Slowing down Fearow with the flames and then letting the frozen ground do the rest…" she shook her head. "Guess you could say you used mother nature as a second battler there."
"I just knew we needed an opening," he said with a chuckle. "Thank you, though." He caught the judge approaching them out of the corner of his eye. "We better move off the battlefield," he said, motioning for Typhlosion to follow. "Found out in the first round they don't like loitering."
With words of hope for his success in the next round, his round two opponent disappeared into the crowd of onlookers. Chris decided to keep Typhlosion with him as he sought out the nearest healing station. The creature managed to walk on his hind legs—keeping him closer to Chris' eye level—though his back curled forward and his shoulders were slouched.
"Ty'," his starter growled, his tone apologetic.
Chris shook his head. "I don't blame you for second guessing me," he replied. "When we began that sequence, I wasn't sure if any of it would actually work."
Typhlosion's ears perked up and he tilted his head sideways. "'Phlosion?"
"We'll call it a calculated risk."
They found an unoccupied station nearby. After a brief wait, the nurse returned both capture devices. "Congrats on making it to the third round," he added.
Chris thanked him for both the healing and the compliment. When he turned to leave, he half expected to find Dobbs or Sarah at his side. When he found neither, his curiosity led him toward the battlefields. Just before reaching the edge of the onlooking crowd, Chris' feet pulled him north. He passed through a pair of alleys, finally stopping once he'd reached the lake's bank.
A cool breeze swept across the water and pushed back the bottom of his unzipped coat. Looking down at the muddied water, he caught sight of a pair of Wooper darting after one another. A few Bug-type Pokémon toiled around the weeds growing at the water's edge. He looked out at the center of the lake, but could only see the overcast sky reflected against the surface. With the early morning fog gone, these clouds now took up the sun blocking mantle. Chris glanced down at his Pokégear and found it to be a couple hours past noon. Names were being called over the speakers a ways behind him. He listened for a moment, but soon recognized them as competitors on the opposite side of the bracket.
"I have time, then," he said aloud. A moment later, his entire team—save Gyarados— had spawned on the grass beside him. The Atrocious Pokémon materialized into the lake, much to the creature's liking. He cleared his throat, and they all turned to face him. He could see eagerness on the faces of the four non competitors. "Good news to report," he told them. "We're through to the round of sixteen." He paused to let them shower Typhlosion and Scyther with congratulations. He was happy to see neither battler show too much pride in response, though an alarm did go off at the sight of his Scyther's frown. He forced his focus back to the rest of his team. "We'll probably be battling again soon, but I just wanted to let you guys know that we're still in this. We'll update you guys again after the next round." He paused to let his teammates give their battling companions some final words of encouragement. After he'd returned them to their capture devices, Chris turned back to Scyther. The Mantis Pokémon looked as though he might just stare a hole into the ground. Typhlosion seemed to have noticed his partner's ill expression and silence, but he showed no signs of stepping in. Chris motioned to him, and the two stepped to the Bug/Flying-type's side.
"What's up, Scyther?"
"Ty'?"
The Mantis Pokémon didn't lift his head to look at either of them. He slowly brought up an arm and jabbed the scythe toward the distant battlefields.
"We won those battles," Chris gently reminded him.
Scyther brought up his other arm and pointed at himself.
"'Phlosion!"
"Typhlosion is right. Getting knocked out in both battles isn't your fault. You can't control our opponent's typing." Chris took a deep breath and tried to gather his thoughts. After the stressful battles and what felt like nonstop action, his heart and mind had yet to truly slow down. "If you want to blame anybody, blame me. I haven't been great with this two-on-two stuff. You guys have saved my butt twice today."
Scyther adamantly shook his head and pointed his bladed arm west. "Scy'," he softly hissed. He jabbed his bladed arm again, this time further north. "Scyther!"
Chris turned to Typhlosion for guidance, who pointed at one of his backpack's pockets. Upon further inspection, Chris found it to be his badge compartment. It took him a few more seconds to understand. "You may not have battled in our last two Gym challenges, but that does not mean you've been useless to the team. Your training and sparring during that time helped us all grow stronger. And before all that, you helped us win our Fog Badge!"
Scyther was silent and still for a moment. Then he slowly turned and pointed to the south. "Scy'?"
Chris turned and followed his outstretched arm. "Mahogany's Gym?" Scyther nodded, drawing a sigh from his trainer. "Against an Ice-type team…" he hesitated, but forced himself to answer, "no, you won't be a battler. I wouldn't throw you out there against one of your major weaknesses with no attacks to do significant damage. Kamon is too skilled."
Scyther nodded at that, but his dejected look didn't change. Typhlosion looked to his trainer, unsure of what to say. Chris found himself staring back in the same situation.
"Why don't we go watch some battles?" he suggested. "I think we might find some inspiration, and Arceus knows I could use all the double battling tips I can get."
With seven battlefields to examine, it took Chris several seconds to identify any of the trainers. He was shocked to see Sarah still out there. Her battle couldn't have been put on long after his. She looked to be in a tight contest with another female trainer. Sarah's partner, Heracross, currently had her horn locked in the antlers of a Pokémon Chris didn't recognize. From this distance, his Pokédex wouldn't be able to identify the species. He thought about asking the man next to him, but instead decided to do one better.
"What's up with the battle on field six? It's been going for a while, hasn't it?"
"Oh yeah," the man answered. "I didn't get here until after that brown haired girl's first Pokémon was knocked out. Her Heracross took out that other trainer's Jellicent, but got burned in the process." Chris recognized the name of the Jellicent species, but couldn't picture what the creature looked like.
"So that's why the battle has dragged on?"
The man nodded and took off his glasses. As he wiped them with his shirt, he continued, "Sawsbuck is weak to Bug- and Fighting-type attacks. Without that burn, Heracross would have won this thing a long time ago."
The creature known as Sawsbuck suddenly pressed forward. His antlers took on a white glow as he threw all his weight into the strike. That's when Sarah made a motion with her arms. In the blink of an eye, Heracross had swept under Sawsbuk's swinging antlers, and wrapped the creature in her powerful arms. In one quick motion, the Single Horn Pokémon spun around and launched her opponent over her head back the way he'd come. Sawsbuck tumbled across the grass and came to rest on his side. The judge raised his flag toward Sarah and the battle was over.
Think that was Reversal, Chris mentally noted. He glanced over at his teammates. Typhlosion's head twitched left and right. Like his trainer had attempted to do earlier, he appeared to be trying to take in all the battles at once. Chris decided to let him figure out the folly of that approach himself. Scyther, however, was entirely focused on the same battle Chris had just watched. His gaze seemed to be fixed on Heracross.
"See something?" Chris quietly asked.
Scyther didn't respond right away. He slowly brought up his arms and pointed toward the skin just above one of his blades. Chris tried to make sense of the gesture, but still found himself confused after a moment of thought. He managed a reassuring nod, and turned his attention back to the battlefield.
After a quick conversation with her opponent and the judge, Sarah made her way toward the border area. As she passed through the crowd, Chris made sure to wind up at her side.
"Sorry about that tough second round," he told her.
She stuck her tongue out. "Oh, hush."
"To be fair, I only got to see the end," he admitted.
"The beginning wasn't much prettier," she answered with a sigh. "I'd never battled against either of those Pokémon before. That Jellicent really proved to be a pain for—" she faltered upon noticing Scyther and Typhlosion. "Did you end up winning your second round battle?" she asked. After Chris' nod, she continued, "And you said you saw exactly how much of my battle?"
"Just the last couple of exchanges between Heracross and that antler Pokémon."
She threw back her head and chuckled. "Good."
He frowned at her. "I'm surprised you're not asking more about my battle."
She threw a glance back at his Pokémon, her eyes lingering on Scyther for a long moment. "What's there to ask that isn't already written on your teammate's face?"
Chris felt his own face tighten. "Is it that obvious?"
"I'm still not actually convinced you won."
He stifled a groan and rubbed his temples. "Then, would you be willing to give me some advice?"
She put a finger to her jaw and turned her eyes to the clouds. She gave a quick glance over her shoulder, then shrugged. "Why not?"
Chris turned to look at the Mantis Pokémon. The Bug/Flying-type's face held a scowl. The trainer didn't doubt he knew what was coming and would be pissed about it. Even so… "Scyther isn't happy with his durability."
"You tried giving him any Iron or Zinc?"
Chris shot her a glare. "I think the problem goes beyond what a vitamin boost can provide."
She shrugged again. "I mean, what do you expect? He's a Bug-type. They just happen to have a lot of weaknesses. Trust me, as someone who battles with a Heracross, I know a thing or two about it. You have to have something to offset it."
"Yeah, but Heracross are naturally stronger and have better bulk. Scyther can't just..." Chris' words trailed off.
A grin slipped on to Sarah's face. "Can't just what?
"Nothing." Chris felt his left hand reach for one of the pockets of his backpack.
"Well," she said, brandishing two Poké Balls, "while you're thinking about nothing, I'm going to heal my teammates. But before I go, I thought I'd be kind and tell you something about your next opponent."
"I'm touched by your generosity. All this advice has me feeling like I'm speaking with a completely different person."
"You've known me for less than a day," she reminded him. "Still, don't get used to it." She gestured toward the battlefield. "Your next opponent battles with two Pokémon that hold a type advantage over Scyther."
Chris' head fell. "At this point, I feel like that could be half the Pokémon in existence." He caught a glimpse of Scyther out of the corner of his eye. The creature's expression was impossible to read. He kept his head lowered and didn't move. The trainer wasn't sure what to say.
"Your gratitude is noted."
Chris' head suddenly snapped back up. "Why are you helping me?"
"Because I'm a nice person, despite what your limited perception may show. And I don't want to live in a world where strangers can't help each other. Even if you didn't indulge me during our first meeting, I've chosen to be the bigger person." And with that, she departed.
Chris stood flabbergasted for what felt like an eon. His jaw still hung open as he turned to his confused teammates. "How did I become the bad guy?"
Talk about an action packed chapter! Chris, Typhlosion, and Scyther found themselves close to defeat on more than one occasion, but they've still managed to fight their way into the third round! With talented trainers like Seth, Sarah, and even Dobbs having made it through also, victory isn't guaranteed for our trainer from Cherrygrove. And what's up with Scyther? Our normally faithful, stoic companion has grown unsure of himself and his potential as a battler. For resolution on these events as well as others, I encourage you to tune in next time for another thrilling installment of Heart and Soul! Please Review and Subscribe!