Note- Welcome to Heart and Soul in 2024!
I can't believe we've already made it to March of this year. Usually January and February drag like crazy, but this year they've been packed with some fun moments. Unfortunately, that means I've not had as much time to write week to week. Despite that and some seasonal depression, I've somehow managed to crank out what might be the longest chapter in Heart and Soul history! For that, I'm very thankful. And I really appreciate your patience over these past two months.
As for the chapter itself, my oh my; we have a doozy today!
Important conversations. Crucial battles. Multiple journeys will be altered today. I'm so excited to bring this pivotal chapter to everyone. I've been thinking about this section of the story for months. So without any more delay, let's jump right into it!
Please consider dropping a review and follow/favorite for notifications about future chapters! Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 71
When her eyes opened, Kayla's first thought was that she'd died. A warm glow covered her and the bed she lay in. Further away, tiny lights twinkled in every direction. As she blinked away the overpowering brightness, her adjusted vision revealed a bedroom. The light that flooded the room came through a window on her right. The small, brilliant sparkles: the reflection of this light off picture frames and the large mirror resting atop a dresser.
Kayla slowly slid over to the edge of the bed, but couldn't bring herself to sit up. She stifled a yawn. Arceus, she couldn't remember the last time she'd slept so well, let alone in a bed this comfy. She had lived on the road for the majority of this past year, with her very limited supply of money going toward the basic necessities. She'd slept in Pokémon Centers when beds had been available, which had been rare. One of the few perks of attending the Silver Conference had been the free room and bed she'd been provided. It hadn't been nearly this comfortable, and she'd barely used it with how late her surveillance had kept her up, but on the rare occasions she—
Surveillance.
May 8th.
Kayla swung her torso up and jumped out of bed. She immediately regretted the decision as both her legs locked up in severe cramps.
"Shit."
She slumped to the carpeted floor and squeezed at her quads, then her calves. A sharp pain lanced up from her legs and into her lower back, forcing her to contort her spine to relieve the stabbing sensation. That swiftly brought on a dull ache that reverberated through her shoulders and neck.
I'm fucking broken.
She laid there, teeth gritted as the pressing pain slowly, ever so slowly, faded to a more tolerable discomfort. Kayla looked back up at the ceiling. All of the features of the room's covering had been washed out by the light. She couldn't see the material, the texture, or even its color.
Warm, stinging tears came bubbling up.
Even my eyes are hurting.
She rubbed at the moisture and her hands balled into fists. She slowly rolled onto her stomach and tried to ignore her back screaming at her. Despite also being sore, the pain in her arms felt much more manageable. She grabbed hold of the carpet's white fibers and began an army crawl that could not have felt more out of place. She shimmied around the foot of the bed and past the chair next to it. Instead of barbed wire, she wiggled beneath the coffee table that rested between her and the door.
As she reached the room's exit, a surge of adrenaline filled her. She wouldn't—couldn't— let herself be seen crawling like a helpless child. That was already how the rest of her family saw her. The last thing she needed was to give such an impression to these strangers. Elm would ship her right back to her family and her mission would be snatched away. Kayla caught sight of a series of handles on the shelves of the dresser beside her. She stretched for the highest one within reach, but the lancing pain through her back ended that fantasy. Her second attempt had her aiming for a much lower grip. The large dresser shook as she pulled on it with her weight, but all four of its legs stayed grounded. She worked her way up each grip, her nose burning as she forced all inhales and exhales through it. She refused to make a sound with her mouth. She'd raced across Johto with only her Pokémon and her wits. She'd made it to the Silver Conference finals, battled hordes of wild Pokémon, and climbed one of the largest waterfalls in the world for Arceus's sake. This was nothing.
Her hands found the top shelf, and she swung her elbows up to rest on top of the furniture. She let her body lean against the front as a long exhale passed through her lips. Her legs softly unfolded and she placed each foot onto the ground. After gingerly applying some of her weight sparked pain, but no cramps, she slowly pushed off from the dresser until she finally was standing on her own.
No sweat.
As she grabbed the doorknob, she became suddenly aware of faint noise coming from the other side of the door. Multiple muffled voices. So then she would have to have her act prepared right away. She took another deep breath and slowly opened the door.
A much larger room came into view. It looked to be a combined living and dining area. A pair of couches sat on the left side, pointed toward a television which seemed to be producing the majority of the noise. A small creature rested on the table in front of the device. The blue fur atop its back and its long snout revealed it to be a Cyndaquil.
Movement snapped her attention over to the kitchen that wrapped around the wall on the room's far right corner. A man stood at the sink with his back to Kayla. As he wiped down a plate with a towel, Kayla studied his messy brown hair.
"Professor?"
The man jumped, launching the plate several feet into the air. The plate would have shattered into a million pieces had the pointed ceiling not rested so high up. The dish might still have broken had the man not made a bobbling catch.
"Oh!" Elm gave a sheepish smile as he held the plate in his trembling hand. "You're up."
Kayla gave an awkward shrug. "Yeah," was all she could think to say.
"I hope you are feeling alright."
"Well rested," Kayla said. She tried to take a casual step forward, but had to grab the couch to keep from toppling over. "Maybe still a little fatigued."
"That's understandable," Elm said with a nod. "I'm sure you've had an eventful set of months."
That's putting it mildly.
Kayla took another step, this one looking and feeling much better now that she had something solid to hold onto. Elm continued smiling at her, seemingly oblivious to her struggles.
"We made some breakfast for you. I kept your plate in the microwave so the Pokémon wouldn't get to it. I'll reheat it if you've got an appetite."
"Yes, please." Kayla took another step, then paused. Reheat it. Her eyes darted around, quickly spotting a clock mounted on the wall closest to her. Thirty minutes past noon. As Elm turned toward the microwave, she went to take a quick step forward, but spotted a green object on the ground in front of her, and nearly toppled over the chair to avoid stepping on it. She froze against the chair, but Elm tapped away at the buttons on the microwave, seemingly oblivious. Once she'd identified the obstacle beside her as a sleeping Chikorita, Kayla slowly straightened back up and tried to regain her composure. "I'm so sorry for sleeping late."
"Oh, it's no problem at all. You probably could use even more rest!"
Kayla could only nod to that. She tried to tiptoe around the grass starter, but the pain from her achilles quickly ended that plan. Hope he's a deep sleeper. She shuffled her feet until she'd cleared the sleeping creature and took hold of the chair tucked under the kitchen island. She shimmied into it just as the professor brought out her plate.
"Can I get you something to drink with this?"
"Water would be great. Maybe a bigger glass, if that's alright."
She tried not to immediately tear into the food the moment he set the plate down. She took a couple slow bites, chewing the food, but she couldn't show the same restraint with the water. Kayla tipped back the cup and downed it in one go.
Elm's eyebrows rose and he grabbed the cup to refill it. "You've really been through it, haven't you?"
"Unfortunately. Navigating everything on my own has been challenging."
"You don't have family here in Johto?" The professor's eyes went wide, and he quickly added, "Well, you know, any other family?"
Kayla shook her head. She needed to get away from this topic immediately. "They're down in Hoenn. I'm not really close with most of them."
"And yet you managed to complete the Johto Gym Challenge and advance far into the Silver Conference. What, you didn't think I would do any research?" He chuckled. "You gave me some extra time this morning to look into it."
A bang from across the room nearly launched Kayla from her seat. She reached for her Poké Ball strapped belt, but only felt the soft fabric of her sweatpants.
"Toto'!"
A small, blue crocodile came waltzing through the swinging door. Actually, waltzing would have been an understatement. The bipedal creature hopped, skipped, and practically floated over to Kayla and the professor. One of his jumps nearly landed him on the table. Kayla caught him taking an excited look at her food as he dropped below the counter. She waited for him to pop back up from where he had landed, but when he resurfaced, he somehow had snuck over to the other side of the island. He hurdled toward her food, his mouth wide open, like he would engulf the whole plate with one chomp.
"Not so fast."
In an impressive feat of speed, the professor snatched the Water-type from the air and swung him away from the table. Elm held him away from his body, all while the feisty creature twitched, wriggled, and snapped down repeatedly with his large jaws.
"This was the chief reason I kept your food put up," Elm said, training his hard stare on the creature. "Totodile will take a bite out of anything, even if it isn't food."
Two squeaks and a bump at the door grabbed both human's attention. A pair of little yellow rodents scurried through the open room, following the same path as the creature in the professor's arms. Kayla recognized them both as Pichu, but something seemed off about these two. Kayla had grown very familiar with this evolution line, having trained a Pikachu for most of her journey. One of these Pichu had the exact same color as its Electric rodent evolution. The other Pichu looked much more normal, but there was a subtle difference she couldn't quite place. It looked like one of its ears may have—
"Now the party has arrived," Elm said, shaking his head. He walked over to the opposite side of the room, pausing to cradle the now flailing Water-type, and opened a door to the outside. "If you guys still have this much energy, I'll need you to stay out in the back and play till you don't!" He pointed with his free hand and waited for the two electric rodents to scamper past and down a flight of stairs. "As for you, little guy, you definitely—SHOOT."
Elm's arm swung one way, then another, but the crocodile's jaws stayed firmly clamped onto it. The professor next tried a couple of vigorous shakes, but Totodile showed no signs of releasing. It wasn't until Elm had dropped to a knee, that Kayla finally eased herself out of her seat and hobbled over to his side.
"Hey, little guy," she said, stooping to place one hand under the water starter's neck and the other hand close to the base of his tail. She gritted her teeth as pain reverberated from her knees and channeled it into tightening her grip. Slowly, she began to lift up. "It's alright. Let's get you outside where you can play."
The Big Jaw Pokémon didn't relent at first, but as she continued to gradually rise, Kayla could feel his grip weakening. Elm had caught on and began rising back to his feet. Kayla was impressed he could move so steadily while surely in a ton of pain, but perhaps she could have said the same about herself. Totodile let out a soft snort, then finally let the professor's arm fall from his jaw.
"I'll get you… some food… LATER." The professor gave a weak wave with his uninjured arm and Kayla gently placed the water starter outside. Elm kicked the door shut the moment she stepped back inside and hobbled back over to the kitchen.
"Are you alright, professor?"
"Oh yes. This used to happen all the time." He leaned up against the kitchen counter and pried open a drawer. "I learned after enough mistakes what to avoid with this species. Looks like I may have gotten a little too comfortable around that fella though."
Kalya made it back to her seat and tried to hold off on eating out of respect for the professor's well-being. But nearly losing her food to the Big Jaw Pokémon had only made her value it more. She snuck in a few quiet bites as Elm swabbed the bite marks with a disinfectant.
"I was very impressed with how you were able to remove Totodile," Elm said, breaking off small chunks of ice from the freezer. "Do you have much experience with the species?"
Kayla waited to speak till she had fully swallowed her food. "None, actually. But I did start my journey with a water starter. Holding Mudkip below his throat and tail was how my grandfather taught me to move him."
Elm gave a slow nod. He opened another drawer and brought out a long roll of gauze. "Your grandfather knew more about Pokémon than most professors, myself included. He earned that nickname of his."
She felt a stinging sensation in her throat and quickly cleared it. There was no time for that. Especially when she still needed to stuff some more food through it.
"I guess that brings us to why you're here." Elm took a seat across from her and began wrapping his arm. His left eye twitched as he worked, but he kept his voice even. "What information were you wanting to share?"
Kayla opened her mouth and the words began to spill out along with half chewed food. "Criminals around Johto. They were at the Silver Conference. Heard the date May 8th. And Route 32." Even with the benefit of extra rest, she still couldn't find a well thought out way to present the information. It felt as though the longer she delayed getting to the point, the more likely the important details would slip from her mind.
"I'm sorry. What did you say was happening on May 8th?"
"I heard these guys talking about bringing something in. They had bad intentions. I think it has something to do with Ghetsis."
Elm frowned. "What do you know about him?"
Kayla quickly racked her brain, but very little came back. She only knew his name from talking with Chris and what research she had conducted during her few stops. "I know he's done some terrible things. And that he has something in store for Johto."
"And you think that's connected with this May 8th date?"
"At Route 32, yes."
"Hm."
The two of them sat there for several seconds, Kayla twisting her fork in hand and Elm clutching the roll of gauze.
"I appreciate your work in getting a specific date and location. But I have to say, it doesn't sound like we can fully bank on this being something super significant."
"I mean, maybe. But I trust my team on this."
"What do you mean?"
"My Medicham sensed something malevolent about the individuals discussing this stuff."
Elm's head tilted one way, then another. "Did you happen to get a good look at any of these individuals?"
Kayla let out a sigh. "Not a great look, no. There were three of them: two men and a woman. One of the guys walked past me and looked huge. It was dark, though. And I didn't get to see the other two."
Elm pursed his lips. "It might be tough to get a lot of support for looking into this. Law enforcement is spread thin through the region as is. The routes around Olivine and Goldenrod have taken up most of their attention."
That sparked a memory Kayla had all but forgotten. "They mentioned that!" She bounced in her seat. "They referred to themselves as criminals and thieves. And, yeah, they mentioned Inter… Inter-something.
"INTERPOL?"
"Yes! And they talked about how agents and police were focusing on those areas you mentioned. That's part of what helped me realize this was serious."
"Really?"
Kayla tried to muffle her sigh. Hopefully she has said enough now. "What do you think we should do?" she asked.
"I'm definitely going to pass this on to the authorities. No doubt about it." Elm tore off the band and finished wrapping his arm. "There's trouble afoot here. Even if this doesn't involve the masterminds behind whatever is going on, we need to put a stop to whoever is trying to harm this region."
"You're damn right we do. So how can I help?"
"How can you…" Elm kept his eyes on her as he cleared his throat. "Well, Kayla, I think you've already helped tremendously. Without you, we wouldn't even know there was something about to happen."
"But I can still help," she pleaded. "I can rest up these next couple days and then scout the scene. Or I can help you with any resistance these guys put up."
Elm let a smile show, but it wasn't the kind Kayla wanted to see. "I know you would do an excellent job with that, but I can't in good conscience put you in harm's way. You've already been through too much."
"But I want to!" Kayla stood up, but had to grab the island counter to keep from tumbling over. "I'll be good to go. Just give me a little bit of time. I'll sign off on a waiver or whatever."
"I can't guarantee your safety with something like this. I owe at least that much to your grandfather."
Kayla's hands curled into fists against the marble countertop. This man clearly wouldn't or couldn't keep sentimentality out of this. Arguing with him would be pointless.
"I promise we'll have the best people on this," Elm continued. "I'll get in touch with the top officials in the region. They'll know how to deal with this. And hopefully this will get us one step closer to finding your grandfather."
Kayla let her head fall. "Alright."
"I'm going to go make the call now and then let's get in contact with your closest relatives. I think it would be good for you to have some people with you over these next few months. You've had to do this alone for too long."
"...Okay." Kayla rubbed at her eyes. "While I'm waiting for you to get back, would you mind telling me where my team is at? I would really like to see them."
"Of course. They're in their Poké Balls over on the table along with your bag. Our sleeping Cyndaquil was dutifully protecting them, although it looks like he's finally waking up now."
"Thanks."
As Elm strutted out of the room, Kayla staggered the opposite direction. She grabbed the back of the couch and froze as movement on the ground caught her eye. It looked like Cyndaquil wasn't the only starter that had woken up; Chikorita stretched as she slowly rose to her feet. She mercifully seemed either oblivious or unbothered by Kayla's presence. The same could be said for Cyndaquil as she reached the table. She opened up her backpack, grabbed her belt, and quickly strapped it around her waist. It didn't exactly hold firm against the side of her sweatpants, but she would have to adjust it later. She closed up her backpack and threw one of the waterlogged straps over her shoulder. As she hurriedly attached the six Poké Balls to her belt, she noticed the fire starter had yet to even acknowledge her presence. The little fire mouse seemed entranced by the television in front of him. She threw a quick glance at the screen, then did a double take.
A Nidoking and Roserade had just begun a furious exchange of attacks. Kayla's eyes narrowed as she watched the Drill Pokémon swerve away from his opponent's Shadow Ball and deliver a super effective Ice Beam. Her suspicions were confirmed when the camera cut to reveal the Poison/Ground-type's trainer.
"We'll see this through."
Kayla shuffled around the furniture and followed Totodile's path out the door.
"Are you going to be alright?"
For the umpteenth time, Kamon wished there was a better place to watch these battles. During the pool round, he had tried watching the battles from his hotel room, but the producers had seemed set on only showing the most boring battles. He had hoped things would have improved once the finals began, but the constant camera cuts and pop up advertisements had soured what should have been enjoyable battles. He had finally mustered the strength to make it over to the stadium, but his attempts to watch from the upper deck had been blocked by security. He had argued for his ability to disguise and watch in anonymity, but the higher ups had still vetoed it. It had been another frustrating reminder of the danger prominent figures around the region had been facing.
And so here he was again, watching battles with people who he couldn't hide from. It hadn't been as bad in the early rounds when most Gym Leaders had skipped out. But now…
"I'm fine," Kamon said. He tried to relax his grip on his chair's armrests, but his knuckles wouldn't straighten. He glanced up to see who had spoken to him and found Olivine City's Gym Leader staring back. Jasmine, he recalled. Kamon couldn't remember the last time he had spoken to her. She stayed pretty quiet on the Gym Leader conference calls, but she had become more vocal in recent months about safety concerns. A sharp pain in his side followed that realization. He opened his mouth to try and thank her for her concern, but she had turned and was moving toward an open seat by the Goldenrod City Gym Leader.
"You look tense."
Kamon let a long sigh pass through his open mouth as Morty plopped down into the seat beside him. He slowly turned to face the Ecruteak Gym Leader.
"Your boy has come out the gates strong," Morty continued. "He's already got a lead and is playing it smart with these switches."
"You would like all this switching," Kamon said. "And he's not my boy."
"Of course not."
The two sat there in silence for a moment watching as Chris's Gyarados powered up with Dragon Dance. Kamon hadn't seen the Atrocious Pokémon use that move before. And with all the distance Chris's opponent had put between her Heracross and Gyarados, it didn't seem like she had seen it either. By the time the Single Horn Pokémon had closed the gap, Gyarados had already finished his enhancement. That free boost could end up—
"You ever miss competing in tournaments like this one?"
Kamon bit down on his lip to keep from letting his scowl show. "Not particularly. I prefer battling in more lowkey settings."
"But didn't you battle in this tournament back in the day?"
"I did. But that was to fulfill a promise, not because I enjoyed the spectacle."
Morty nodded slowly. "Ah."
For the briefest of moments, Kamon actually thought they had reached the end of this conversation. Leaning forward, the red haired young man watched as Gyarados slammed into Heracross like a roaring waterfall, launching the Bug/Fighting-type skyward.
"You can tell these two battles have been pretty entertaining. This is the longest I've ever seen the suite stay this full."
Kamon closed his eyes and took a breath. "Grabbing coffee once doesn't make us friends."
"Says who?"
"Says one of the two required people."
Morty laughed. "Well, us carrying on a conversation doesn't have to mean we're friends. I feel like that's a pretty big assumption. "
"Hm."
On the battlefield below, something had shifted. Despite scaring away a bad matchup against Luxray with a super charged Earthquake, Chris and his teammate now found themselves up against a sturdy wall in the form of a Gastrodon. The Sea Slug Pokémon took a direct bite from Ice Fang and responded with a Scald that, based on Gyarados's violent recoil, left the Atrocious Pokémon with a crippling burn. Chris switched to Scizor, but his opponent had almost simultaneously replaced Gastrodon with Infernape. She wasted no time punishing Chris's second switch to Nidoking with an all out assault from her starter. Despite the Drill Pokémon's resistance and super effective Ground-type moves, Infernape stayed directly in the line of fire. Even after Nidoking had regained his footing and began returning the powerful blows in kind, Infernape refused to concede ground. That looked to change as Nidoking unleashed a powerful Earthquake attack. With Infernape right in harm's way, Kamon waited to see which teammate Sarah would switch to. He would have guessed her Gastrodon.
Morty shifted forward in his seat. "What is she doing?"
Kamon glanced up at the monitor to get a closer look. As the ground rumbled beneath him, Infernape planted his feet into the shifting earth. The flames on top of his head now blazed brighter and taller than before. His chest puffed out even as rocks slammed and stabbed into it. No matter how tough a Pokémon was though, those kinds of critical hits were hard to recover from.
Kamon shook his head. She was going to get her starter—
"Shit."
There was a flash of orange light, then a concentrated stream of inferno spiraled out to strike and completely engulf Nidoking. Kamon blinked and the Drill Pokémon was gone. His eyes whipped from the screen to the actual battlefield below. He could just make out an unmoving figure laying in front of Chris's trainer box.
"She got him," Kamon mumbled.
"But she nearly lost her Infernape in the process," Morty replied. "I don't know if that's a good tradeoff."
Kamon's eyes narrowed as Chris returned his defeated teammate and replaced him with Scizor. Something was definitely off. That feeling only grew stronger when Sarah immediately switched to Roserade. The change gave Scizor enough time to close the distance, but Sarah didn't seem too focused on him. Dark purple barbs sprung from the flowery appendages of her teammate. They didn't come close to striking their charging opponent, instead landing in a rough line along the ground on Chris's side of the battlefield.
Kamon's eyes shot up to the scoreboard. Most of Sarah's team had already been cycled through in some capacity. In contrast, only three of Chris's Pokémon had been revealed, but the Gym Leader knew what teammates the boy possessed. And based on what he had seen and the high stakes of this battle…
"Nidoking was it."
"What?"
Scizor's glowing wings sent Roserade rolling across the ground. The Grass/Poison-type managed to swivel back to her feet after several rotations, and Sarah wasted no time… calling for the same move. Kamon watched as another wave of poison darts arced over Scizor and pounded into the ground. A cold, pricking sensation moved down Kamon's spine.
"Nidoking was his only Poison-type."
"That's it!"
Chris pumped his fist as Scizor slammed into the fading energy that had been Roserade. He'd predicted the switch at the perfect time, and Scizor had capitalized with his powered up Pursuit. It hadn't knocked out Sarah's teammate, but she had to be close to dropping. Chris glanced up at the scoreboard. Both trainers had only lost one Pokémon, but that didn't tell the full story. Four of Sarah's remaining five Pokémon had taken damage, including the recently returned Roserade, who had to be on her last legs. In contrast, only his Gyarados and Scizor had seen action, and neither of them were anywhere close to Roserade's condition. He had Nidoking to thank for that. The Drill Pokémon had dished out punishment to most of Sarah's team before finally folding. If they came out of this with a victory, his first capture would have earned himself some special praise.
If.
There would be no celebrating till then. No taking their foot off the gas. They had to build on this momentum.
He couldn't keep a grin from surfacing as Infernape reappeared. Sarah's starter wouldn't last much longer at this rate. And even if he would have loved for Typhlosion to get the chance to finally knock out the Flame Pokémon, he wouldn't complain if another one of his teammates got to it first.
"Mach Punch!"
Infernape darted forward, his speed seemingly unhindered by his wounds. That surprised Chris, to the point he almost didn't call for a counter in time.
"Bullet Punch!"
Infernape's first punch landed home against Scizor's lower abdomen. He went to throw another, but the Pincer Pokémon got in a jab first. Infernape slid one leg back to keep his balance and position, then snapped out another punch. Scizor returned the blow in kind, then the two broke into an uninterrupted vortex of whirling fists.
As much as he enjoyed watching the exchange, Chris knew it was only a matter of time before Infernape started unleashing Fire-type moves. The moment the two opponents broke off their exchange, Chris thumbed the button on Scizor's capture device. As The Bug/Steel-type vanished, he launched the other Poké Ball he'd kept on standby. Gyarados materialized onto the battlefield, but his opponent was nowhere in sight. Sarah was now tossing out her own capture device, and Chris had no doubt about who was inside.
"Earthquake!"
"Wild Charge!"
Luxray landed onto the battlefield just as Gyarados's tail slammed the ground. He took off at a full sprint, reaching the stadium's center before the ground began to roll.
"Don't stop!" Sarah called.
Sparks snapped across Luxray's crown as he lowered his head. He stayed low to the ground, even as dirt exploded against his stomach. He stumbled as rock splintered up from the ground and stabbed at his front legs, but his back legs continued to churn, driving him forward. Chris could hardly believe what he was seeing, but then, he caught a shudder from his own teammate.
Shit.
Luxray took one more wobbly step, then pounced. Electricity coursed down from his head and danced along his fur as he soared through the air. The current held tight to his figure, with only a couple of loose sparks trailing through the air behind him. Gyarados pulled the upper half of his body back in a last ditch effort to avoid the electrified missile, but Luxray's aim held true. The moment the two creatures touched, the explosive current transferred from one to the other. The massive serpent recoiled, his tail spinning out in a wide arc that nearly caught Luxray as he landed. With a high pitched shriek, the Atrocious Pokémon shook the ground once more as he toppled over.
As the judge declared his teammate was unable to battle, Chris forced himself to take a deep breath. He had been counting on Gyarados's surprise Dragon Dance strategy to at least knock out two of Sarah's team. They had nearly made it there, but Sarah's switching and that frustrating burn from Scald had just not made it feasible. Still, the Atrocious Pokémon had wreaked havoc throughout the battle. He'd dealt damage to over half Sarah's team on his own, and knocked out one of her major threats in the form of Heracross. They hadn't lost their advantage.
As Chris went to reach into his jacket, he paused. Up until this point, almost all of his decisions had been immediate and obvious, a mix of playing the matchups and gaining free hits on Sarah's near constant switching. But losing a teammate meant he had an extra beat to consider. And with Sarah having planted multiple layers of Toxic Spikes on his side of the field, he couldn't afford to make mistakes with his choices. Scizor wouldn't have to worry about being poisoned, but the Pincer Pokémon had already seen a fair bit of action, including that punching barrage just moments prior. He wasn't ready to bring in his starter just yet, and none of his other remaining teammates had a type-advantage against Luxray. How about a taste of her own medicine, he thought.
Espeon let out a painful cry upon materializing as multiple poisonous barbs stabbed into her feet. Chris gritted his teeth, the sinking realization that he would be seeing this several more times throughout the remainder of the battle. Luxray recoiling in a similar manner helped somewhat cushion that blow. The Psychic-type's Synchronize ability would at least help balance out the entry hazard's long term draining effect. He actually found himself smiling as he looked over at Sarah's trainer box. Even at this distance, he could see her realization quickly turning to frustration.
You're not playing us.
As the judge called for the battle to continue, Chris didn't take his eyes off his opponent. Luxray had taken serious damage and now found himself badly poisoned. And based on how she had been switching, now was the time to go for it.
"Calm Mind!"
His shout came through a wide grin as Luxray vanished. A swirling sphere of multicolored light spun around Espeon as Sarah quickly brought in the last of her six teammates, Mamoswine. Chris had been worried about the Ice/Ground-type being the last of her six, especially with his ability to set up Stealth Rock. It had been one of the deciding factors on him going with Nidoking over Crobat. But instead of immediately trying to set up the powerful entry hazard, Sarah called Ice Shard. The quick hitting move bolted the massive creature across the battlefield just as Espeon finished his boosting maneuver.
"Psybeam!"
The Twin Tusk Pokémon had made it within striking distance by the time Espeon managed to fire off the multicolored psychic beam. Even boosted by Calm Mind, a direct hit from Psybeam couldn't keep Mamoswine from barreling forward to collide with Espeon. The blow launched the Eeveelution airborne, but the Sun Pokémon quickly spun his body around so that he could land on his feet. Only, Chris wasn't going to have him land.
"Baton Pass!"
Sarah's call for Stealth Rock came a split second later. It sounded like more of a shriek than a shout.
Too late.
Chris brought up both arms, a Poké Ball in each hand. Espeon dematerialized into one and then the other burst open with a white flash of light.
Typhlosion's body didn't move as the toxic spikes shot up from the ground to prod his hindquarters and right leg. With his back to his trainer, Chris couldn't see his starter's expression, but it was obvious who he was looking at. And that person stared right back at him. Her expression gave nothing away, despite the surprise she had shown only seconds prior.
The floating rocks of Mamoswine's attack settled on each edge of Chris's side of the battlefield, never approaching Typhlosion. They had made the switch in time.
As his starter rose onto his hindlegs, Chris allowed himself the briefest of moments to relish what they had done. Weeks of training with the Karate King had given his Eevee the focus and patience needed to learn Calm Mind. Their training after leaving Luke's home had seen Espeon learn this switching maneuver. These two weeks at the Silver Conference had been full of early mornings and late evenings, cultivating the right timing and strategy to pull off this kind of switch. And as Typhlosion reached his full height and flames burst from his shoulders, Chris felt a wild excitement surge through his body. This had been a long time coming.
"Eruption!"
Sarah had clicked the return button before the command had even fully left Chris's mouth. Gastrodon had just materialized in Mamoswine's place when the ground began to violently shake. There was a blinding flash, like someone flipping on the lights in a pitch black room. Then came a blast of heat hot enough for Sarah to feel through the translucent barrier.
"Stay low!" she warned.
The wall of inferno that slammed into Gastrodon was larger than any Fire-type attack she'd experienced. If Mamoswine had still been standing in his place, the Ice/Ground-type would have been immediately overwhelmed by the flaming geyser. The Sea Slug Pokémon kept his body and head pressed tight against the dirt, just as Sarah had instructed. Once this had passed over him, Chris and Typhlosion would be vulnerable to—
"Gastro'!"
Sarah blinked and suddenly her teammate had vanished. A flash of pink among the roaring flames revealed her worst fears. Whether by explosive force or the sucking nature of the heat, Gastrodon had been vaulted backward, completely ruining any chance of priority on a counter attack.
The Hoenn native shoved a fist into the back pocket of her pants, but she could still feel it shaking there. After laying the groundwork for Toxic Spikes, their next step had been to dispatch Typhlosion as quickly as possible. The aforementioned entry hazard had at least started the latter's process, but Stealth Rock should have already been there as well.
Why did I fucking go for Ice Shard?
She'd gotten greedy. Plain and simple. They had really opened things up with Nidoking and Gyarados out. Landing a hard blow on the fragile Espeon with her fresh Mamoswine would have really hammered home just how much things had changed. But her lack of experience with Chris's Psychic teammate had mucked that up. He'd seized back the momentum with one command. So now she would have to do the same.
"Earth Power!"
Gastrodon finally spun free of the cascading flames, landing just a few feet in front of his trainer. He disappeared from Sarah's view momentarily as the remainder of the roaring inferno slammed against the energy barrier in front of her trainer box. When it had dissipated, she found the ground beneath his stomach had already begun to glow. As she squinted across the battlefield, she thought she could make out something similar happening beneath their opponent, though the scorched ground around him made it difficult to say for sure. Typhlosion had risen onto his back feet once more, with his front paws at his side holding a slowly expanding sphere of energy. Sarah couldn't believe it. They're actually going to take the attack, she thought. That could end up being a huge break.
She pumped her free fist as a pulsating blast reverberated up from the ground beneath the fire starter. The super effective move whipped Typhlosion's head back and forced him to shuffle his feet as rock and dirt peppered his face and torso. But the creature found his footing amidst the upheaval and swung his arms forward, releasing the golden energy orb. The attack sliced through the air, somehow picking up speed as it traveled. It seemed to reach Gastrodon even faster than the previous wall of fire. With her slow teammate only having just finished his attack, Sarah was forced to watch the concentrated ball of energy explode against his long neck. The collision sent Gastrodon tumbling backward, his body doing a full rotation, and then somehow another. Sarah took a step forward, reaching up to press both hands against the energized barrier. Her right fist had stayed balled up, but now she couldn't tell if it was still shaking on its own or because of the vibrating wall of energy.
When the Water/Ground-type's body finally came to a stop, Sarah waited for him to reorient himself and rise back up.
He didn't move.
Neither did Sarah.
"Gastrodon is unable to battle!"
A low rumble emanated from the crowd. It was the first time Sarah had even noticed the thousands of spectators. She could feel the air around her being pulled away, almost as if everyone in the stands had collectively gasped. Then it all came roaring back as a tidal wave of cheers and shouts washed over the battlefield. Even with a microphone, the judge's words were nearly drowned out by the crowd noise.
"Please choose your next teammate."
Sarah went to return Gastrodon, but realized she didn't have his Poké Ball. In fact, she didn't have a capture device in her hand. This had been a matchup she had wanted. Gastrodon was her best counter for Typhlosion. She hadn't planned on switching until they'd gotten the Volcano Pokémon reeling, and only after the desperate switch out from Chris.
Breath.
She closed her eyes to block out the judge's stare and the thousands of other eyeballs watching her. Even then, she could still feel someone's gaze pierce through the darkness.
Play to your strengths, a familiar voice echoed out from the back of her mind, and we both know that's playing to your opponent's weaknesses.
Sarah forced her eyes back open, but directed her stare to the scoreboard. They both had four Pokémon remaining. And even though all of her team had taken some damage, they had managed to set up both Toxic Spikes and Stealth Rocks. They could make this a battle of attrition. They could win.
Sarah dug into her jacket, rotating each of her teammate's devices in her hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Chris's starter shake. When she trained her full attention on him, she could see a poorly concealed wince on his face. That brought a smirk to hers. She knew just how to play to their weaknesses.
Infernape materialized onto the battlefield and dropped immediately into a squatted position, one hand planted firmly against the ground. Normally, Sarah had him do that so he could take off at a full sprint and get a quick hit in. On this occasion, it looked more like a posture to relieve some of the pressure from his legs. Glancing at the flame atop his head, she thought she could make out golden sparks popping just above his ears. Her starter had taken some heavy blows, especially during his battle with Nidoking. But that beating would ultimately be what won them this battle.
"Begin!"
"Overheat!"
As her starter reared back to unleash his attack, Sarah closely watched the other side of the battlefield. Something was delaying their opponents. She squinted to try and see if Chris held another Poké Ball. You both want to see this through, regardless of what the smart decision is.
"Eruption!"
Sarah's smirk grew as Infernape's spiraling beam of fire closed in on Typhlosion, who had only just dug in his heels. It lessened somewhat as she watched the Volcano Pokémon drop to all fours and lower his head till his face nearly touched the dirt. Another flash of light and blast of heat whipped across the battlefield. Infernape's concentrated fire attack met and then vanished inside of what Sarah could best describe as a pyroclastic flow. The release angle of Typhlosion's attack had scooped up dirt and any loose rock to form a terrifying cloud of inferno. The rumbling wave overtook Infernape and forced Sarah to flinch as debris smacked against the barrier in front of her.
"Are you alright, Infernape?" she shouted.
As the tumultuous attack ended, she could hear coughing from somewhere inside the dark haze. An affirmative grunt came shortly after. As Sarah waited for visual confirmation, a golden glow began to emanate from within the cloud of rubble.
I'm going to have to play this carefully. I can't lose Infernape yet.
A high pitched shriek grabbed her attention. She could see the golden glow bouncing back toward her trainer box. It drew close enough for Sarah to confirm it was in fact her starter. His fiery crown had expanded, the flames swinging left and right as the Flame Pokémon hopped backward. He reached the edge of the cloud and suddenly another figure appeared just in front of him.
"Shit."
Typhlosion swung an electrified paw that just missed Infernape's shoulder. He followed it up with a straight line jab that hurtled toward the primate's face.
"Mach Punch!"
Infernape twisted his body to try and find a sturdy platform, but his right leg buckled. The Flame Pokémon fell backward just as Typhlosion's punch passed through the space his face had just occupied.
"Plant with your left and throw with your right!" Sarah directed.
As his body toppled, Infernape brought his left arm back and his paw found the dirt. In an impressive display of upper body strength, Sarah's starter pushed off the ground, raising his upper body just enough to put Typhlosion's face in reach. The quick right jab didn't pack a lot of weight behind it, but it carried enough force to push Typhlosion off to the left. Another quick positive came a moment later as the Volcano Pokémon tried to regain his balance but staggered, his poisoned leg clearly bothering him. Sarah went to capitalize, but found her teammate now stumbling sideways to try and stay upright.
"Eruption!" came Chris's distant shout.
Sarah gritted her teeth. She hated to do it, but it just couldn't be helped.
As another tumbling wave of fire rolled toward Infernape, the Flame Pokémon disappeared into a blob of red light. Luxray appeared in his place a moment later, and quickly vanished beneath the inferno.
Fuck.
Sarah held her breath, watching as the flames poured over the battlefield. They seemed to subside quicker this time, a gift and a curse as she waited to see how bad a shape her teammate was now in. She was shocked to find Luxray somehow still standing. Just that image was enough to send a jolt up her spine. The Electric-type may have been pretty beaten up, but he still had a good amount of fight left. That fact proved they were wearing down Chris's starter. They were going to fucking do this.
Prinny sat and watched.
His eyes darted back and forth as Sarah brought in her Luxray, only for Chris to switch to Ampharos. The latter's battle began the moment she materialized, with both stones and poisonous barbs striking her. The two creatures traded electrical shots, then switched to more neutral moves. Seeing Luxray use Psychic Fangs had Prinny jotting down a couple notes in his Pokégear. With how much he utilized protective barriers, a move like that would be a real concern. Even with such an impressive array of coverage moves, it was clear Luxray was on his last legs. Once Ampharos had coated him in a thick layer of cotton, the Power Gem KO was merely a formality.
Prinny took a deep breath. He wished there had been more time between his battle and this one. With the way his opponent had ramped things up throughout their battle, Prinny's heart rate had yet to fully slow. He'd managed to swing by concessions on the way to his seat, but the only vendor not completely swamped had been a dessert stand. Arriving at the trainer box, he found it more crowded than he'd seen it in any of the previous few rounds. It might have even rivaled that first day of the Finals. A hand had waved him toward the only open seat: a hard back chair tucked into the corner of the section, complete with a broken cup holder.
So there he sat, an exhausted crumpled human ball, scribbling notes, all while a donut uncomfortably digested in his otherwise empty stomach. He tried to tell himself it could be worse. At least the person beside him had remained quiet for a few—
"Which one of Chris's teammates are you most worried about?"
Prinny closed his eyes. If he had seen who had been attached to that waving hand earlier, he might have chosen to stand instead.
"Not sure," Prinny said.
"Oh, come on, broski."
Prinny turned his head and slowly opened his eyes. The eagerness on Dobbs's face could have convinced anyone that he would be the one battling the winner of the battle below. Prinny almost wished that was the case. He would have loved to still be in bed back at his hotel. Spending all day in a quiet room with a queen sized bed and chilly thermostat would have him feeling more relaxed than he had in weeks.
Just a few more days, he told himself. Once the Finals were over, he'd put his team on a mandatory three week break. Now, only two battles stood in the way of that.
"You're telling me there isn't one of Chris's Pokémon you're worried about?"
"I may not even be battling Chris. You know this battle isn't over, right?"
Dobbs pointed at the battlefield. "He's about to take a four to two lead. Did you forget what happened in your battle when you got a two Pokémon lead late?"
"That was very different. I had done a lot of set up to ensure my lead was insurmountable. Between getting up those protective barriers and Cradily's healing trifecta, her making a comeback just wasn't going to happen."
"Chris has put damage on all three of her remaining teammates. Roserade and Infernape can't have much left in the tank."
Prinny nodded slowly. "That is true. She's got a great thing going with Toxic Spikes and Stealth Rock, but she'll need to really stretch this battle for them to make the ultimate difference."
Mamoswine rumbled back onto the battlefield, tanking Ampharos's Power Gem and countering with a super effective Earthquake. As she went to try and stand, Ampharos dropped back to her knees, clutching at her poisoned ankle. Chris wisely switched her out and brought in Scizor. Prinny liked the choice, as he would be immune to poison and could withstand Stealth Rock's chipping damage. He also possessed a typing that could dish out some damage to the opposing Ice-type.
"Do you have a plan to deal with Scizor? Your team doesn't have much in the way of Fire-type moves."
Prinny watched as the Pincer Pokémon shot across the battlefield, just avoiding the epicenter of Mamoswine's Earthquake, and landed an off balanced, but effective Bullet Punch. "That's true. I do have Talonflame. He resists both of Scizor's types, but I suppose his attacks are physical."
A low rumble drowned out the cheers around them as a wall of snow suddenly surged up around Mamoswine. The tumbling wave of ice pressed forward, swallowing up Scizor, who had just landed another Bullet Punch.
The rolling tumult had pushed across the battlefield's center before Scizor managed to free himself. The Pincer Pokémon shuffled on his knees as he scrambled free of the blast, unable to follow up on Chris's timely Pursuit command as Sarah simultaneously switched out Mamoswine.
He's gotten damn good at predicting those switches. Prinny may not have switched as often as the average trainer, but the threat of being punished by Pursuit still concerned him. Those knockouts on a switch could completely derail a trainer's gameplan.
"She really is getting back into this," Dobbs mumbled, before turning to Prinny. "You think I should start mixing in some more entry hazards?"
"Your Skarmory knows Spikes, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, but that doesn't hit Flying-types. That really cost me in my battle with Chris."
"Toxic Spikes doesn't either," Prinny countered. "And it can even be absorbed and dispelled by Poison-types."
"Yeah. What about Stealth Rock though?"
Prinny nodded. "That could be a good addition. Your Onix is fast enough to pull that off. He could be a good opening choice for a six-on-six battle."
"Hell yeah."
A bright light and flash of heat drew Prinny's attention back to the battlefield. Infernape was back, and the Overheat he unleashed glowed with a golden aura only the Blaze ability could provide. Infernape really had reached his limit.
Scizor flew to his left, narrowly avoiding the spiraling stream of fire. He pivoted as he landed and shot forward like a cannonball. He reached Infernape as he finished his fiery assault and drove both pincers into the starter's face. Infernape's head snapped back, and for a moment, it looked like the rest of his body would slowly follow suit.
A vortex of blue fire leapt from his fiery crown and swirled down his back, halting his backward momentum. The spiraling flames expanded to coat his entire body, then surged forward to envelope Scizor. Infernape's neck swung forward and his skull slammed into Scizor's. A loud, metallic clang echoed out over the stunned crowd, followed by the inaudible collapse of Scizor.
"Scizor is unable to battle!"
As the crowd roared back to life, Prinny watched Sarah's starter recoil, both legs nearly buckling simultaneously. It was a miracle the Flame Pokémon could even still stand.
"That makes it three to three," Dobbs said, taking a giant sip of his soda. "You might've been right, broski. I think my future girlfriend is going to pull this off."
Chris's heart pounded against his chest. His breath came in gasps. He stuck his hands into each of his jacket pockets, both to pick his next partner and to hide their shaking. This battle had gone from him breaking things open to an even affair in just a few minutes. When she'd called for it, Chris had known Stealth Rock would spell trouble long term. Even without Crobat in this battle, all of his remaining teammates would take neutral or super effective damage from switching in. That fact was only exacerbated by all three of his remaining teammates also dealing with the lingering poisoning from Toxic Spikes. As someone who had a third of his team made up of Poison-types, it felt strange to finally be on the other side of the issue.
We have to score this next knockout, he told himself.
If there was one silver lining, it was in the obviousness of his next pick. Espeon had a good matchup against both Sarah's current teammate and one of her two remaining members. If Sarah kept her starter in, Chris believed they would score the knockout. Even if she switched to Mamoswine and they somehow ended up taking each other out, that left an advantageous two-on-two matchup. As Chris's left hand brought out the Psychic type's capture device, he found his right already clutching another. The device felt scorching hot. As he pulled it from his jacket pocket, he already knew who it held.
There were times throughout his journey he'd made concessions to his team: giving his clumsy Nidorino another shot at Whitney, using Magikarp against Morty's Ghost-types, and carrying through on his promise to use Crobat in their Blackthorn Gym Battle. Was his pact with Typhlosion worth risking their entire Johto journey over?
White stars began to feel Chris's vision. He took a couple quick breaths and rubbed at his eyes with a forearm. When he pulled his arm back, he found a giant wet spot on his jacket sleeve. Shit, he was pouring sweat.
The judge's stern voice made him flinch. "Chris, please send out your next teammate!"
Chris tore his gaze from the two capture devices. Across the battlefield, Infernape still stood—or maybe slumped was the better phrase. Radiant blue flames poured off his head, dancing through the air back toward Sarah. From this distance, Chris couldn't make out any particular emotion on her face. She probably felt just as anxious, even if she didn't show it. That thought gave him a much needed confidence boost. Now the real question was would he be confident enough to do something he might regret.
Luke jumped from his seat and grabbed a fistful of hair with both hands.
"Damnit, Chris."
Pointed stones sprung up from Typhlosion's left and right, stabbing the fire starter's sides. The Volcano Pokémon recoiled and quickly shuffled backwards, causing the rock shards to topple back to the ground, but the damage had been done.
"Why didn't he fucking bring in Espeon?"
"Infernape can barely stand," David said. Luke could feel his friend's confused stare on him. "I know you like type matchups, but I think even a strong breeze will knock over Sarah's starter."
"It's more than that." A sharp pain had started up in Luke's jaw. He was grinding his teeth like this was his own battle. "Typhlosion has a type advantage on both of Sarah's remaining teammates. If he goes down now…"
"Hm." David rubbed the side of his face. "Maybe he's saving Espeon to take those two down. They've taken a beating and Espeon is still pretty fresh."
"Maybe."
Luke's stare stayed on his Chris, even as the battle below started up again. Since he'd met the Cherrygrove native, he'd always known the guy to battle with his heart. He put every ounce of himself into each encounter, to the point that he sometimes looked more drained than the teammates who had actually done the fighting. Luke wouldn't have been surprised if that was why he'd barely seen his friend during these last couple weeks. These waves of high stake battles would take an even greater toll on somebody like that. But if Chris was going to put everything into these battles, that also should have included his mind.
"Tell me you didn't leave that behind."
Typhlosion's Eruption and Infernape's Overheat collided at the battlefield's center, canceling one another out in an explosion of sparks and smoke. Sarah was thankful for the cover, as it kept her opponent from seeing her slowly growing smirk. The fool had taken the bait again, and now Sarah had the perfect switch opportunity.
"Come on back, Infernape!"
As her starter dematerialized, she peered into the fading smoke cloud. Typhlosion had already begun to charge, though his labored movements hadn't taken him very far.
If we can score this knockout…
Sarah had called for Venoshock before Roserade had even fully materialized.
The Bouquet Pokémon lifted both her flowered appendages and let loose a concentrated stream of poisonous liquid. Even with the oncoming attack, Typhlosion continued his straight line charge. Not that it mattered; the Volcano Pokémon's fatigued muscles wouldn't have allowed him to dodge anyway.
"Flame Wheel!"
Fire spun up around Typhlosion, meeting the poison as it splashed down. Purple vapor hissed up as much of the liquid evaporated, but Roserade's boosted attack couldn't be completely burnt up. Typhlosion let out a painful roar and began to stumble.
"Keep it up, Roserade!"
The Bouquet Pokémon kept her arms up and kept the poison flowing. The toxic cloud around her slowly approaching opponent had expanded now. The fire starter's roars had turned to shrieks as his progress grinded almost a halt. Shit, at this rate, Infernape wouldn't have to—
Light flashed from within the growing cloud and waning flames. A wave of golden fire surged up to encompass both. Sarah blinked and suddenly found these new flames had taken the shape of a large, quickly approaching ball. Peering closer, she could just make out Chris's starter inside it.
She bit down on her lower lip as Typhlosion collided with her surprised teammate. The flames swirled up to overtake and then lift the Grass/Poison-type off her feet. When she toppled back to the ground, the only movement that followed came from the flickering flames around her.
"Roserade is unable to battle!"
As Sarah returned her fallen teammate, she shifted her gaze to Typhlosion and found him staring right back. They were only a couple dozen feet from each other. He stood on his hindlegs and had his shoulders pinned back to add to his height. Even surrounded by the shimmering heat and the golden flames pouring off his back, one look at his face and labored breathing betrayed his bravado. She could bring in Mamoswine and finish this with one Earthquake, but they would definitely take a hit back in return. Either a weakened, but still super effective, Eruption, or a super effective Focus Blast. Even on his last legs, Typhlosion would get his attack off before Mamoswine's, and Sarah's teammate was too big a target to miss.
She kept her eyes locked with the fire starter, even after the judge prompted her to choose her next partner. Infernape had taken an absolute beating, much more so than Mamoswine. But if he could take out Typhlosion, the resulting two-on-one would see her Ice/Ground-type have a neutral matchup against Espeon and a super effective matchup against Ampharos.
"Trainer, you must—"
"Let's go, Infernape!"
The Flame Pokémon materialized into his usual low stance, one paw planted against the ground. As the judge went to raise his flags, Sarah threw a quick glance at him and winced. He looked beat to shit.
"Begin!"
"Focus Blast!"
"Dodge and go for Mach Punch!"
Infernape jumped back, but he couldn't quite get his feet under him as he landed. He tumbled backward, extending out both arms to keep from falling onto his back. Mercifully, the awkward spill kept him low enough to avoid the golden energy ball that passed overhead. He pushed himself back into a semi squatting position, shuffling his feet to assume his sprinter's stance. He managed to kick off the ground with his back foot, but the quick maneuver didn't provide him much forward momentum. Sarah grimaced. If Typhlosion went for another Eruption, he'd get it off before they could reach him.
"Ty'!"
Typhlosion's body began to violently shudder. The Volcano Pokémon shrieked, staggered, and then dropped to all fours as a dark purple ooze dripped from his lower extremities.
"Go!" Sarah roared.
Infernape surged forward, legs churning, blue flames cascading up from his crown.
"Thunder Punch!" Chris shouted.
The fire monkey's jab caught Typhlosion right across the cheek, snapping the Volcano Pokémon's head to the left. Sarah rose onto her tiptoes as she noticed the rest of Typhlosion's body begin to tilt that way.
Sparks burst from Chris's starter's front right paw. Typhlosion shoved off with his other, still planted leg, his body moving forward in a flail-like motion. Infernape didn't have the time or the strength to avoid the electrified fist that swung in and thudded against his chest. As he staggered backwards, currents of electricity rippled out over his torso and shoulders.
"You can take it!" Sarah shouted. She could feel a strange heat rising up through her chest and into her raw throat. Usually she liked to be the cool, calm, and collected fighter. But fuck it, she wanted this. And seeing Typhlosion flop onto his stomach gave her a renewed confidence they could see it through. "Knock his ass out with Close Combat!"
Infernape howled, his high pitched cry a mix of pain and something even more primal. Somehow, the Flame Pokémon kept his balance. Blue flames swirled down to wipe away the remaining sparks. Infernape lifted both his arms and curled his paws into clenched fists. Without much strength left in his legs, both trainer and Pokémon knew he'd have to carry the move out with his arms. But a couple of punches and forearm blows would still be enough to do the job. Especially with Typhlosion still struggling to even lift his stomach off the ground. As Infernape reared back to deliver the first of his punches, Chris simultaneously shouted a command.
"Eruption!"
Chris wasn't sure Typhlosion could even hear him over the crackling golden flames around his neck. Then again, they looked a lot smaller now, especially with the Volcano Pokémon's stomach dragging the ground. It didn't even look like his legs could fully extend to hold his weight.
When that last Thunder Punch had landed and Infernape looked like he'd topple over, Chris had hoped they might get out of this with a double knockout. But now, with Infernape barring down with one of his sharp elbows…
"We're not done!" Chris found himself shouting, whether from belief or desperation, he really couldn't say.
Infernape looked to let gravity do its work, swinging his whole body into a forearm shiver aimed at the back of Typhlosion's suddenly flame covered—
A loud hiss reached Chris's ears a split second before light filled his view. A golden spout of inferno rose into the air, with smoke pouring out quickly behind and beneath it. The familiar blast of hot air came soon after. As the echoing boom fainted, the soft pitter patter of raining dirt filled the silence. Chris couldn't believe he could even hear it with his ears still ringing, but the near complete silence of the crowd certainly helped with that.
As Chris peered into the swirling cloud of fire and debris, he was reminded of the first time they'd used Eruption. That explosion had been a surprise, one sparked by a subtle build that neither trainer or Pokémon had noticed. It had nearly knocked Chris off the mountain they'd been battling on. When the smoke had faded from that blast, he had seen the awestruck expression of Sarah's starter. Now, as the swirling, super heated clouds drifted off toward the edges of the battlefield, he found he couldn't see the Sinnoh starter's face at all.
Infernape had come to rest a couple dozen feet from where he had been just a few seconds prior. He lay on his stomach, his face pressed into the ground, just off to the left of his trainer's box. Sarah stared at her unmoving teammate, but Chris couldn't make out her expression. Things grew a bit clearer when she turned to look straight ahead, though it didn't appear to be Chris she was looking at.
Typhlosion stood on his hind legs with his back as straight as Chris had ever seen it. The golden flames had vanished from them, but even without their added height, the Volcano Pokémon stood nearly as tall as his own trainer.
"Infernape is unable to battle!"
The judge's next few words were drowned out by a guttural roar. Typhlosion brought his front legs up and puffed out his chest as he finished his primal shout. Sarah remained stone-faced at the display, returning Infernape back to his capture device without a word. Before she could bring out her final teammate, movement from Chris's starter captured both trainers' attention.
Typhlosion's neck drooped, then his raised legs. His hind legs buckled and the rest of his body collapsed. He dropped onto his hindquarters, the tuft of fur there splaying out as the rest of his body weight pressed down on to it. He stayed in that seated position, his whole body slumped forward.
"Typhlosion is also unable to battle!" the judge declared, unable to hide the surprise in his voice. "So then both trainers will release their next teammates simultaneously."
Chris triggered the return mechanism on his starter's capture device and watched him dissolve back into it. He twisted the Poké Ball in his hand, the metal cool against his palm and fingers.
"You put everything into that one," Chris muttered. "And it paid off."
Even with Sarah being the trainer down to her last partner, it somehow felt like Chris was in the same boat. If he brought out Ampharos now, she would only be able to handle maybe one attack before falling. And none of her moves packed the super effective punch to knock out a Mamoswine that still had some fight left in him. Espeon needed to bring this home.
As the two Pokémon materialized onto opposite sides of the battlefield, Chris didn't have time to warn Espeon about the entry hazard. He winced as the stones stabbed into his partner's legs, but the Psychic-type held his ground.
"Begin!"
"Calm Mind!" Chris directed.
The move made sense on several levels. Espeon would need some extra power behind her attacks to finally topple the sturdy creature. Being one of his newer teammates and now battle-worn, the Sun Pokémon also could use the inherent calming effect of the move itself, especially when the creature was already so naturally jumpy. And then, there was the even more subtle third motivation. Sarah had seen Chris utilize this move to great effect with Baton Pass. If they could just plant the thought into the back of her mind, even if she never fully acted on it…
"Ice Shard!"
Chris bit down hard onto his lower lip as Mamoswine's charge closed the distance between both Pokémon. Sarah's move made a lot of sense too. And with the Ice/Ground-type's surprising speed, the massive mammoth reached striking distance just as Espeon had finished channeling the surging energy. Sarah's teammate shoved both tusks forward, launching their opponent several feet backward. Thankfully, Espeon managed to stay right side up, making it easier for Chris to call their next move in confidence.
"Shadow Ball!"
Espeon had fully charged the dark sphere of energy before landing. The moment his feet touched the ground, he let loose the attack.
"Avalanche!"
Even as the ball of energy smashed against Mamoswine's face, Chris felt his stomach drop. A rushing cloud of snow had swallowed up the final wisps of Espeon's attack before they even had a chance to vanish. It overtook Espeon a moment later.
"Espeon!" Chris shouted.
The tumbling pile of snow surged further from Mamoswine than Chris had expected. He couldn't believe how much power the Twin Tusk Pokémon still carried. It only reinforced just how badly they needed to win this without relying on Ampharos. If Mamoswine's Earthquake still carried this much force, they couldn't risk taking even one of them. For a moment, Chris feared they would have to, as no movement came from the now still pile of snow. He reached a shaking hand into his jacket and had just brought out Ampharos's capture device when a pink head popped out from the side of the white hill.
When no immediate command came from Sarah, Chris threw a quick glance across the battlefield. Her head looked to be turned toward her teammate, but the Cherrygrove native sensed her stare on him. If he was wrong, his next command might just cost them the whole battle.
"Psybeam!"
"Earthquake!"
Even with only his head free, Espeon still managed to turn it toward his opponent and unleash a powered up beam of brilliant light. The psychic attack blasted against Mamoswine's underbelly as he rose onto his back legs, but the Twin Tusk Pokémon never looked in danger of toppling backward. Chris braced himself as Mamoswine allowed gravity to bring the front of his body back down. The mammoth's paws slammed into the ground and…
Nothing.
Chris pressed up against the barrier, squinting at the large ball of fur as he staggered to the left. Son of a bitch; they'd confused Mamoswine. They could get the KO here.
"Shadow Ball!"
"Ice Shard!"
Chris could feel the heat of the energy barrier searing his left cheek as he tried and failed to push through to the battlefield. They could score a knockout. All they needed—
"Esp'!"
The rest of Espeon's body appeared from beneath the snow pile, but the way it flailed kept Chris from celebrating. The Psychic-type let out a cry as he rolled across the ground, flashing his stomach, where an oozing purple liquid now poured out. Chris watched in horror, expecting his teammate's body to go limp at any moment. Somehow though, Espeon managed to get his feet under him. With an incredible effort, he fought back to a standing position—right as Mamoswine collided into him. The judge had already begun to call the knockout before Espeon's tumbling body came to a stop.
"Espeon is unable to battle!"
Chris returned his teammate with a soft murmur of what he hoped sounded like coherent praise. His dry mouth struggled to move and his mind had suddenly become enveloped in a fog. It felt like someone had punched him in the side of the head.
"Trainer, please send out your next Pokémon!"
Chris looked across the battlefield. Mamoswine swayed to the left, then back to the right, but the massive creature wasn't about to fall. He looked beyond the Ice/Ground-type and to his trainer. Even if he couldn't make it out, he could sense her smile. After all this, she still thought she was going to win.
A one-on-one battle for all the marbles. He'd known it could happen. The thought had been lingering in the back of his head since their last battle in Blackthorn. Even when it looked like they'd gained a three-to-one advantage just a couple minutes prior, some small part of him had refused to believe it would be a stress free ending. But over the past few months, he'd only ever seen this scenario playing out with Typhlosion getting his revenge on Infernape. He would have never wanted it to play out with Mamoswine having a huge advantage over—
"Trainer! You must—"
"Let's go, Ampharos!"
Even though it was his partner's legs that were pierced by the stones, it was Chris who felt like crumpling to the floor. A stabbing pain in his leg made him suddenly aware of his knees banging together. He spread his legs out. He tried to take a deep breath, failed, and had to settle for a shallow one instead. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the judge raising both flags. There was only one move he could call for. Clouded mind and dry mouth be damned. He had to be swift and clear.
"Begin!"
"Earthquake!"
"Power Gem!"
Mamoswine had risen onto his back legs before Sarah had even finished the word. Ampharos, to her credit, had materialized the orbiting stones only a second after Chris's command. But Mamoswine undoubtedly held the speed advantage. He would get his attack off first.
The Twin Tusk Pokémon's front legs slammed down against the ground, sending out a visible shockwave that lifted the top layer of earth off its foundation. Cracks rippled out in every direction, launching hundreds of tiny stones into the air. Ampharos's attack did the same, though her projectiles hurdled with a much more horizontal trajectory. The fracturing earth reached the battlefield's center well before Power Gem. Chris could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing as he watched the barrage of energized stones hurdle toward Mamoswine. At this point, he needed them to make it there, even if it resulted in a draw. Shoot, he couldn't even remember what the rule was on a draw in the Finals. It didn't matter. He would take it at this point.
Chris's stare was ripped back to his teammate as Ampharos dropped to her knees. The splintering earth hadn't even reached her yet and she was already faltering. Please. He'd take a draw. They just could not lose.
Chris watched, his body refusing to exhale, as the Electric-type guided her attack forward. Despite her hunched posture, she kept one arm extended and steady, as if pushing the stones forward with an invisible hand. How on earth she was able to keep any part of her body from shaking when the earth…
The ground around her remained still.
The same could not be said for Mamoswine's side of the battlefield. The earth rolled and rumbled all across his half. It was the Twin Tusk Pokémon himself who seemed to be struggling with his attack. Then came Ampharos's.
The energized shards slammed into Mamoswine's face, just to the left of his snout. Each collision created a miniature explosion of blue energy. The cumulative effect created a cloud that momentarily obscured the Ice/Ground-type's head. It reappeared a moment later as Sarah's teammate dropped beneath the shroud and slumped to the ground.
"Mamoswine is no longer able to battle! That makes Ampharos and Chris the victors! Their team will be advancing to the semi-finals!"
I don't know about you, but I needed a minute or two to catch my breath after that. We've reached the end of a climactic battle. One winner, one loser. What will this victory mean for Chris moving forward? Can he parlay it into a Silver Conference title? How will Sarah fare now that her journey has hit a major snag? What will her next step look like? And how about Kayla? Where will she be off to next? And will Professor Elm manage to utilize her valuable info?
Thank you again for reading and hopefully enjoying this story. I'm still having such a blast writing it. And things are only going to continue to pick up from here. It has me as excited to write as I hope you'll feel reading it. No promises on when Chapter 72 will be dropping, but I'll be tentatively shooting for the beginning of April.
Please drop a review and follow/favorite if you are enjoying. I'll see you in the next installment. Take care!