Draco: Finally got around to playing all the event songs in Colorful Stage through the Journey to Bloom, and I've done myself a disservice by putting it off until now. Those tracks are AMAZING.
Pokémon and all related properties © Nintendo. Virtual Singers of Piapro Studio © Crypton Future Media. Characters from Colorful Stage © Craft Egg.
On the Edge With the Idols
Jeanne did continue to have fun - and the next four battles gave her plenty of opportunity to recover from the tongue-tying that Haruka had inflicted on her. Emerging on the battlefield for the thirty-first round found another member of MORE MORE JUMP! emerging opposite her - though this one seemed to be sporting a mask. After a moment of wondering what the purpose was, Jeanne recognized the mask itself - pink Bunnelby ears emerging from a heart, and eye frames that evoked dark wings - and Airi lifted it away from her face with a confident grin.
"No backing down, now!" she warned, readying a Poké Ball at her side. "Give it all you've got!"
"You better believe it!" Jeanne returned, brandishing one of her own.
The two hurled their Poké Balls forward; a ferocious Water-type emerged in the red corner, and found herself staring down a Dragon-type who looked could match her muscle-for-muscle. "In the blue corner: Goodra! And in the red corner: Feraligatr! This could go anywhere!"
"Give 'em chills!" Airi commanded.
"Clap down!" Jeanne countered.
Feraligatr roared, calling down a vicious Avalanche towards the Dragon Pokémon; Goodra only reared back in return, invoking a blast of Thunder to come down on the Big Jaw Pokémon. Both attacks connected at about the same instant, consuming both corners in snow and voltage... but when the attacks cleared, both Pokémon were still standing. With a growl, Feraligatr made to charge forward - but Goodra only flung a wad of poison to intercept her, the detonation being enough to finish her off.
"Detonated by Sludge Bomb!" Miku exclaimed as the Big Jaw Pokémon slid to a stop; Airi withdrew him quickly. "The blue corner takes the lead!"
A Grimmsnarl was sent out to take his place, and promptly loosed lashed an arm forward; Jeanne elected to withdraw Goodra, sending out Volcarona to endure the incoming Spirit Break. The Sun Pokémon retaliated with a screeching Bug Buzz, shaking Grimmsnarl with the sound, and the Bulk Up Pokémon fell to one knee... and then lashed his head forward, tendrils of his hair slamming into Volcarona's wings.
Volcarona took the blow without issue, twisting into a Fiery Dance while she was still surrounded, and the blazes travelled up Grimmsnarl's hair and knocked him out in short order. Airi withdrew him and sent out a Mandibuzz to take his place; a harsh light began to gather around the Bone Vulture Pokémon, and Jeanne knew what was coming. Thinking quickly, she withdrew Volcarona and sent out Archeops to take his place, and the First Bird Pokémon rapidly invoked a barrage of Ancient Power to intercept Mandibuzz as she soared into him with a Sky Attack.
The Rock-type endured the blow much more easily than a Bug-type would have; Jeanne knew her Unovans well enough to take a gamble on Mandibuzz's next tactic, and lit up her Tera Orb before flinging it forward. Sure enough, as the crystals rose up around Archeops, Mandibuzz made to bring a Rock Tomb down on him - and was thus angered by the sight of the multilayered Tera Jewel atop his head once the crystals had shattered. Archeops retaliated with a full-on Rock Slide, the shower of stones battering the Bone Vulture Pokémon hard and fast; when that wasn't enough to knock her out, he dove forward and bombarded her with agile blows to finish her off.
"Outmaneuvered by Acrobatics!" Miku cheered as Mandibuzz his the ground. "The blue corner keeps gaining ground!"
Airi withdrew her and sent out a Lurantis to take her place, and suddenly Archeops' Tera Type was a detriment. Jeanne decided not to risk his offensive advantage, withdrawing the First Bird Pokémon as the Grass-type charged forward and sending out Froslass to meet the Leaf Blade that was lashed out. She took the blow well enough, but was completely unprepared for Lurantis to follow up with a Night Slash, leaving her reeling; even so, she managed to endure the blow, and retaliated with a point-blank Blizzard.
It didn't knock out the Bloom Sickle Pokémon... but it did immobilize her with a thick layer of ice. Airi yelled in frustration at the sight of Lurantis frozen solid; Froslass only swept her arms out in a wide arc, invoking a Hex to finish her off. Once the unconscious Grass-type was withdrawn, a Magmortar was sent out to take her place - to which Jeanne withdrew Froslass in turn, sending out Primarina instead.
The idol's diversity thus far told her better than to assume she had a straightforward advantage - but Jeanne was confident in her Pokémon's ability to make the most of the matchup. Sure enough, the Trainer hadn't even finished her Z-Pose before the Blast Pokémon took aim with one cannon, striking Primarina with a forceful Thunderbolt even as Z-Power converged around her. With a huff, the Water-type rose onto her tail, hair coming untangled as her first note gathered an ocean of water above her - Magmortar looked like she was trying to keep up a brave front as the orb of liquid moved above her.
The second note dispelled any such notion; by the time the wave of the Oceanic Operetta subsided, the Blast Pokémon was unconscious on the red corner. Airi withdrew her with a sigh, seizing her last Poké Ball and throwing it forward to deploy an Ampharos.
With a Mega Stone hanging from a cord around her neck.
"Time to say goodbye - to the you who never got to!" Airi reached for her face, seizing the mask of Happy Everyday. "And hello to the real you, for every one to see!"
The Ampharosite reacted to the idol's touch of the Key Stone, set into the mask that she now drew off her face with a flourish. The light of Mega Evolution consumed the Electric-type - and when it shattered, the shockwave sent her woolly mane and tail rippling in the wind. The Light Pokémon threw her head back and gave a forceful cry, and the red orbs that dotted her wool illuminated as she turned her attention on Primarina.
The Soloist Pokémon tried to strike while she could - but a Thunderbolt soared forward from Ampharos, slamming into the Water-type with enough force to knock her out. Jeanne swore under her breath, withdrawing Primarina and sending out Froslass to take her place; Airi had saved the best for last, and now the challenger could only pray that the combined efforts of her battered team would be enough. The Snow Land Pokémon loosed an Ice Beam at Ampharos, but neither knockout nor freezing ensued before a Power Gem bombardment finished off Froslass as well.
Archeops was deployed next, and dirt scattered around his Tera Jewel before he dug his claws into the battlefield, shaking the stage with an Earthquake; Archeops unleashed a Dragon Pulse before the tremors had even registered, and the First Bird Pokémon tumbled to the ground as his Terastallization shattered. Goodra was sent out and immediately unleashed a desperate Hyper Beam - but the ray missed by centimeters, and Ampharos had a smirk on her face as she struck the Dragon Pokémon down with a second Dragon Pulse; Volcarona was deployed next, but another array of jewels struck her down before she could even try to screech at Ampharos.
"Polished off by Power Gem!" Miku exclaimed as Jeanne withdrew the Sun Pokémon. "The red corner has pulled all the way back from the brink!"
"They did their best," Jeanne muttered, seizing her last Poké Ball. "Let's hope they did enough."
Lucario was sent onto the field, and Jeanne touched her Key Stone to set off his own Mega Evolution; Ampharos has a confident grin on her face as the light shattered, seemingly looking forward to the challenge. As he charged forward, the Light Pokémon began to stomp, sending tremors through the ground to Bulldoze him; Lucario tumbled into a roll, righted himself before his momentum had ended, and howled, his cry shaking the battlefield as he closed the distance.
A Meteor Mash slammed into Ampharos' midsection, leaving her doubled over. Voltage began to gather in her wool, ready to retaliate - but then Lucario's other paw came up, slamming into her jaw with a Drain Punch and knocking her off of the ground.
The Light Pokémon hit the ground and crumpled, her Mega Evolution subsiding as she fainted.
"What a close match!" Miku exclaimed; Lucario stumbled backwards, looking a little too shocked at his own success, as Airi withdrew Ampharos. "The blue corner has narrowly escaped defeat!" The Aura Pokémon glanced back at Jeanne, who gave him a reassuring smile before withdrawing him as well. "Looks like our challenger's winning streak isn't over yet!"
Airi crossed the battlefield to approach Jeanne; Happy Everyday's mask was in her hand at her side, and the lack of obstruction made the smile on her face all the brighter. "Looks like it's gonna be harder than that to cut you off," she observed.
"You say that like you were so easy an opponent," Jeanne retorted. "That's the last time I let myself feel good about a lack of knockouts before the battle's over."
+x+x+x+
Four more battles followed, and though Jeanne was able to get through them without too much trouble, she didn't dare get complacent. Sure enough, the last member of MORE MORE JUMP! emerged for the next; Shizuku came to a stop on the red corner, striking a very focused pose as she turned her attention to Jeanne.
"Alright, are you ready?" There was a practiced grace to her movements as she seized a Poké Ball from her belt, bringing it before her and then drawing it back like a bowstring. "No giving up now."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Jeanne assured her as she brandished a Poké Ball of her own.
The two each hurled a Ball forward; a round Normal-type appeared before Shizuku, and found himself staring down an elegant Water-type. "In the blue corner: Primarina! And in the red corner: Castform! Let's see how this plays out!"
"Wash 'em out!" Jeanne commanded.
"Heat things up!" Shizuku instructed.
Primarina rose on her tail, unleashing a Sparkling Aria; Castform took the shower without issue as he twisted into a spin, and sunlight began to sear down on the battlefield. His form changed, wrapping him in flames until the Weather Pokémon much resembled a sun himself. Jeanne wondered what exactly the benefit was supposed to be - Castform's newfound type disadvantage would offset the effects of the sunlight and leave him taking roughly as much damage as he would otherwise... but then she realized it wasn't for his own benefit.
"The red corner makes a tactical withdrawal!" Miku observed as Shizuku called Castform back; Primarina held back the Hydro Pump just long enough for the next Pokémon to be sent out before letting it surge, but the Meganium that was deployed took a lot less damage than Castform would have. The Herb Pokémon had a confident look on her face as the torrent subsided, eliciting a sheepish grin from Primarina, and Jeanne quickly realized there was no way for this matchup to end in her favour.
"The blue corner retreats as well!" Miku exclaimed as the Soloist Pokémon was withdrawn. "Who's going to slip up first?" Volcarona was deployed to take her place, and promptly took a Solar Beam that Meganium had charged far more rapidly under the harsh sunlight. The Herb Pokémon didn't seem too perturbed by the new arrival; in fact, as Volcarona began to advance, Meganium reared back and brought her forelegs down hard, sending an Earthquake forward to shake the battlefield.
Jeanne had suspected something like this; a Grass-type being sent out into a Sunny Day was, and going in without anti-Fire-type coverage was suicide. Even so, one Earthquake wasn't enough to knock out Volcarona, who quickly leapt forth and twisted into a Fiery Dance to batter Meganium with blazes. Ultimately, the heat was too much; the Herb Pokémon tried to retaliate with another tremor, but collapsed before the ground could be torn open, fainting as Volcarona leapt away.
Shizuku withdrew her, sending Castform back out onto the field. "Make it rain!" she commanded.
Volcarona elected to land a powerful blow while she had the chance, bringing down a Solar Beam on the Weather Pokémon as he twisted into a Rain Dance; it had little impact, but would have had even less a moment later as the sunlight faded. Raindrops began to fall, and Castform was cloaked in a drop; this time, when Shizuku withdrew him, Jeanne withdrew Volcarona in the same motion, sending out Goodra as the idol sent out a Milotic.
The Tender Pokémon looked worryingly unconcerned to be staring down a Dragon-type, and Jeanne quickly realized this matchup wasn't going to be as one-sided as she'd hoped. Sure enough, Milotic quickly twisted around to take aim, unleashing a forceful Dragon Pulse straight across the battlefield; Goodra managed to endure the blow, retaliating by calling down a blast of Thunder from the stormy skies above. The voltage wasn't enough to knock out Milotic, either, and the Water-type retaliated, invoking a Draining Kiss to strike Goodra and sap at his vitality to restore herself.
That second blow was - just barely - insufficient for a knockout, and Goodra retaliated by finishing off the Tender Pokémon with a second voltaic blast.
"Thunder claps down!" Miku exclaimed as Shizuku withdrew Milotic "The blue corner just won't take a knockout!"
Castform was sent back out once more, and this time the Weather Pokémon invoked a blizzard of hail. Goodra's third blast of Thunder came down a meter to Castform's left as he was shrouded in snowy winds; then light began to gather before him, and Castform flung a frigid Weather Ball straight at the Dragon Pokémon to finish him off.
Jeanne withdrew him with a curse, sending out Volcarona once more; the Sun Pokémon leapt forward, twisting into a Fiery Dance to knock out the Weather Pokémon at last. Shizuku withdrew him and deployed a Mienshao to take his place. The Martial Arts Pokémon promptly launched herself skyward, leaving Volcarona's blazes scattering ineffectively in the air, and she could only look up in terror before Mienshao came down feet-first, colliding with a super-effective blow and springboarding backwards as the Volcarona collapsed.
"Bounced off!" Miku yelped as Jeanne withdrew the Sun Pokémon. "The red corner keeps closing the distance!"
Froslass was sent out - and was pleasantly surprised by the hailstorm coming down. Mienshao's confidence faltered as the Ghost-type turned her attention on him; Jeanne quickly brandished her Tera Orb, illuminating it as the Fighting-type sprinted forward with flames around her feet. Froslass raised a hand skyward as the Tera Orb was flung forward, bursting above her and enveloping her in crystals; Mienshao leapt in the instant the crystals shattered, propelling herself into a Blaze Kick that slammed into Froslass and left her sliding backwards.
The spectral figure of her Tera Jewel, however, denied the blow the power it would have had without it. Froslass twisted into a spin as she invoked a hellish Blizzard; the cold of the hailstorm ensured that her frigid snows struck true, and Mienshao found herself frozen solid. Confident, Froslass began arcing her hands in a wide circle, spectral light dancing around her Tera Jewel... only for the ice to swiftly shatter, giving Mienshao the opportunity to strike with another Blaze Kick before the Hex could finish him off.
Shizuku withdrew the Martial Arts Pokémon and threw her next Poké Ball; when the light faded, a Hatterene was standing there, glaring across the battlefield. Froslass' Tera Jewel shone again as a Shadow Ball gathered before her, and the Hatterene's hair-tendril reached around as a Shadow Ball of her own formed. The two projectiles were flung in opposite directions on the same trajectory, passing through one another ineffectively before they each slammed into their targets.
Froslass' Tera Jewel shattered - and her attack did nothing.
"Not this Mulch again," Jeanne muttered as she withdrew the Snow Land Pokémon. Lucario was sent out to take her place, and Jeanne quickly reached for her Key Stone with a yell of "SHADOW!" Lucario understood well enough, halting in mid-charge; as soon as the light of Mega Evolution shattered around him, he unleashed a Dark Pulse against the red corner.
Zoroark stumbled back as the dark aura washed over her - but only retaliated by driving her claw into the ground, causing Bitter Malice to rip up around Lucario. The shadows weakened his muscles, and though it did little to hinder his second Dark Pulse, he wasn't anticipating what was going to come next as the Baneful Fox Pokémon fell to the ground.
There was a look of focus on Shizuku's face as she withdrew her Pokémon. "Beauty and happiness don't come easy," she warned, sweeping her last Poké Ball to her side. "We've worked hard, to come as close to perfection as we can!"
A Dynamax Band on her wrist shone, particles converging on her Poké Ball and causing it to expand. As Shizuku turned, she switched it to her opposite hand as she brought it back and threw it into the red corner with all the strength she had. The real Hatterene changed as her body was supersized, her form becoming more elaborate, and what should have been a single tendril ending in an orb and three talons was now three massive lengths extending from a pair of orbs much closer to her head.
Lucario's displeased growl was lost in Hatterene's echoing cry; he promptly sprinted forward, leaping into the air and then propelling himself with a burst of aura to drive a Meteor Mash into the Silent Pokémon's midsection. As he leapt back, Hatterene retaliated, stars coming down in a G-Max Smite; one slammed into Lucario and dragged him back down to earth before bursting, leaving him unsteady as he got to his feet. He couldn't even see straight enough to aim an Aura Sphere, and his attempt to charge at the red corner found him tripping on his own feet, tumbling to the ground as a second G-Max Smite came down on him.
Jeanne withdrew the unconscious Aura Pokémon, glancing at her remaining two party members. After a moment's contemplation, she seized Archeops' Poké Ball and swept it out to her side, setting off her own Dynamax Band; as the Ball expanded, she flung it backwards to deploy the First Bird Pokémon, who gave a triumphant cry as his own Dynamax finalized.
A massive stone slab burst out of the ground before Archeops, and then toppled forward in a Max Rockfall; Hatterene took the blow well enough, and even as a sandstorm began to rage, she retaliated with a barrage of massive seeds that struck the Rock-type and then burst up in a Max Overgrowth. The Silent Pokémon found her Gigantamax subsiding as Grassy Terrain spread across the field; a drop of Life Dew descended on her, soothing her wounds a moment before Archeops unleashed a Max Airstream to rip over her. With a glare, Hatterene swept her hair-tendril out towards the First Bird Pokémon, invoking a vicious Giga Drain to sap at him and hoping that the stolen vitality would be enough to keep her standing through one more Max Move.
It was not to be; Archeops dove into the ground for a Max Quake, and Hatterene was knocked out under the dirt as he emerged.
"And there it goes!" Miku exclaimed as Archeops soared back to Jeanne, his Dynamax subsiding as he did; Shizuku withdrew the unconscious Hatterene with a sigh. "The blue corner has won yet again!" Jeanne fist-bumped her Pokémon's talons before withdrawing him with a grin. "How much longer can our challenger keep doing this?"
She raised her gaze to find Shizuku approaching her. "You fought well," she praised, offering her hand. "I can't wait to see how much further you can go."
"I'm starting to wonder," Jeanne admitted, accepting the offered handshake. "I don't know how long I can keep doing this."
Shizuku offered a smile before starting to walk away... past Jeanne. The challenger double-took, and it took the idol a few moments before she realized she was approaching the blue corner; there was an embarrassed blush on her cheeks as she started back towards the red corner, and Jeanne shook her head with a chuckle before retreating for herself.
Draco: I honestly feel like Terastallization has a lot more value for defense than offense. An extra STAB option is nice, but being able to completely change what qualifies as a supereffective hit can completely turn the battle around.
Good freaking night... I might've bitten off more than I could chew, writing twenty battles out of a 100-battle challenge. I'm sorry if these fight scenes seem a little repetitive.
