Wow, what can I say. Life can be a wild ride. I'm in my first year of teaching and I'm loving every second of it. Unfortunately that's caused some issues with my free time, but never for a moment did I plan on abandoning this story. This means too much to me. Now then, when we last left Chris, he had arrived in Olivine with Waz and was preparing to board the Whirl Island Cruise. That's exactly where we pick up today! Please Review and Subscribe if you enjoyed it!
Chapter 29
Midday in Olivine City was quite the experience. Festivals were a constant in the ocean side province; the jovial inhabitants were more than happy to find any reason to celebrate. The area had once been used as a docking station and transition bay for traders and sailors. Over time, the business aspect expanded and the natural beauty of the coastal landscape brought in hordes of people. Until Cianwood City was founded, Olivine had been considered the western edge of the tranquil, Johto Region. It was a cultural mecca in much the same way as Goldenrod. All sorts of ethnicity and traditions had found their way into the daily life of the western city.
Currently, the main party seemed to be centering around the docks. A massive ocean liner had tied off on the main stretch, drawing large crowds to its side. A banner reading, "Welcome to the Whirl Islands Cruise!" had been attached to the side of the vessel. There were hundreds of people lined up in front of a ramp that connected the ship to the dock. Two men dressed in black and a couple Machamp seemed to be checking tickets and guarding the entryway as passengers boarded. As the scene unfolded, one trainer and his team made their way through the crowds, taking in the sights.
Chris checked his Pokégear and saw that they were just an hour away from shipping out. "Now, where in Arceus' name is Luke?"
The trainer had decided to arrive early to find Luke. Upon seeing this sea of humanity though, Chris was seriously beginning to doubt he would find the trainer.
"Scy," the Mantis Pokémon stared at the large vessel in awe.
"I know," Chris shook his head. "I had no idea there would be this many people. Searching for somebody in this crowd is gonna be a lost cause." Chris and his crew spent their remaining free time exploring vendors around the dock. Outside of weaving through traffic, the team had an enjoyable hour.
"We're beginning our final round of boarding!" a speaker nearby blasted the announcement.
"Nido!" the Drill Pokémon urged his trainer to get a move on.
"We're heading that way," Chris tried to calm down his friend. "You know I hate being late."
Quilava rolled his eyes. "Quil..."
"Hey now," the trainer laughed, "I never try to be late. Sometimes it just... happens."
The group slid into the back of the boarding line as Chris fumbled through his pack to find his ticket. The trainer found his pass near the bottom of the bag. He instinctively held it close as they approached the ramp. "I hope Luke didn't lose his ticket."
"Flaaf," the Electric-type glanced around nervously.
"True," Chris sighed. "but I'm sure he remembered."
When the group finally arrived to the front of the line, a row of Machamp and men in black greeted him.
"Welcome, sir." One of the guard extended a hand. "May I see your ticket?"
"Of course."
The guard looked over it closely. "Everything checks out. While boarding though, we politely ask that all Pokémon be kept in their devices until announced otherwise."
"Oh," Chris shot an apologetic look to his team, "okay." He quickly returned his team to their Poké Balls.
"Have a great trip."
As Chris made his way up the ramp, he really began to think about his situation. A fantastic cruise and tournament had the trainer giddy about the next step in his journey. The trainer stepped onto the main deck, and nightmarish flashbacks of Goldenrod City soon surfaced. Hundreds of people were moving in Chris' direction, lining the side of the ship to wave goodbye to friends and family. Chris pushed his way through the fawning crowd and managed to find some peace near the back of the deck. He leaned against the railing in the nearly deserted corridor, staring out at the open ocean as the anchor was raised.
"How on earth am I going to find Luke on this ship?" Chris thought aloud. "It's like a floating city!"
The trainer used the ship's directory to find Room 67, his home for the trip. Chris placed his stuff down and plopped down on the bed. The room was quite large for one person, possessing a large leather couch, flat screen TV, full sink and counter space. It was practically a miniature condo.
"Man," Chris took it all in, "I forgot how much money pops makes."
The trainer laid on the bed for several minutes, gathering his thoughts. Eventually, he decided it was time to explore the ship. He left his trainer bag, but strapped his six Poké Balls to a specialized belt he had purchased in Olivine City. As he made his way around the ship, Chris was pleased to find that the crowds had dispersed. The deck was so massive that Chris doubted there would be another traffic jam like the boarding situation. There were also many rooms and spaces to check out around the boat, but Chris wanted to first enjoy the refreshing sea breeze that was swirling around the sailing ship. He noticed a set of stairs leading up to the top of the ship and quickly began to scale them. As he did so, an announcement came over a nearby intercom.
"At this time, passengers may release one Pokémon to accompany them. Thank you for your cooperation."
"Only one?" Chris felt a twinge of disappointment. "Guess the team will have to take terms."
The trainer reached the top of the steps and found a nice, open lounge area. It gave Chris a wonderful view of the open ocean.
"Quilava's gotta see this."
The Volcano Pokémon was released from his device and immediately began exploring the top deck. Chris motioned for him to jump on the rail beside him to get a better view. The look on the Fire Starter's face already made the trip worthwhile for his trainer. Quilava spun in every direction and was stunned to see only clear, blue water to each horizon. Chris wasn't sure the Pokémon could tell the sky apart from the sea.
"Quil..." the Volcano Pokémon seemed slightly hesitant.
"I know being surrounded by water probably doesn't excite a Fire-type like yourself," Chris chuckled, "but I hope you'll try to enjoy what all the trip has to offer. Plus, you know the rest of the team is gonna love this."
The Volcano Pokémon nodded, drawing a smile from Chris. "Thanks bud."
"Quil!" the Fire Starter pointed to the horizon, back towards Olivine.
A small speck had appeared in the distance, and was quickly approaching. The sun was still shining high in the sky, cutting into Chris' vision. The trainer threw on the gold aviator shades he had purchased in Olivine. As the object approached, Chris realized he was looking at a Pokémon; a large creature with wings, and a draconic appearance. Examining it closer, Chris noticed something, or someone, hanging from the creature's clawed hand.
"No way."
"'Lava!" flames burst from Quilava's back.
With a roar, a Charizard landed beside Chris, dropping a young man to the ground beside it.
"Welp," Chris laughed, "good to see Charmeleon is doing well!"
A disheveled Luke rose slowly, rubbing his ears. "You'd be amazed how cold that air is when you're traveling 80 miles per hour."
Chris noticed Luke's Charizard helping him to his feet. The young man from Cherrygrove could see worry in the fire lizard's eye as he aided his trainer. Chris found that Quilava had also noticed this, and the two exchanged an intrigued look.
"How have you been, man?" Chris extended a hand.
"I've been alright," Luke shook the trainer's hand and leaned up against the railing. "Been on the move, as I'm sure you can tell."
Before Chris could respond, a man dressed in black quickly approached the group. He was accompanied by a Machoke.
"I'm going to need to see your boarding pass, sir."
Luke dug a hand into his silver satchel. He pulled out a wrapped up document and tossed it to the guy. "This work?"
The man studied the paper closely, and for much longer than Chris' had been. After close to a minute of study, the guard begrudgingly handed the ticket back to Luke and walked away.
"You have a good fuckin' day too, buddy." the dark haired trainer sighed, putting away the ticket.
"You sound a little tired, bro." Chris tried not to sound too obvious about it.
"I kinda am, man." the trainer chuckled. "I'll have to tell you about these past two months after I've rested up a bit."
Chris nodded. "Sounds good."
As they went to leave the upper deck, Chris glanced back at the two starters. Charizard kept his eyes on his trainer as they headed down the stairs. Chris was stumped by the concern the Fire/Flying-type was showing Luke. Beside him, Chris noticed Quilava was also staring, but had his gaze fixed solely on Charizard. The trainer had never seen such animosity in his Pokémon's eyes. The Volcano Pokémon barely blinked, and seemed disgusted just to have to look up at the winged lizard. The trainer would have to have a discussion with the Johto starter soon.
"So what room are you in?" Chris wondered if they'd be on the same side of the ship.
"Ticket said room 67."
"Wait," Chris paused, "that's my room."
"Huh," Luke shrugged. "I remember your dad mentioning that he'd planned this cruise for your mom and him, right?"
"Dang, you're right."
"So one bed?"
"Yep."
Luke sighed. "I'll take the couch."
Chris grinned appreciatively. "You're the real MVP."
After Chris had shown Luke to the room, the trainer set out to explore the rest of the ship. He found several gambling centers, filled with slot machines and card tables. He was permitted to walk through, but could feel monitors watching him with each step. After passing through, Chris came across multiple showrooms and auditoriums. A schedule of times had been placed on the entrances, with descriptions of fire breathing, Farfetch'd juggling, and an Alakazam levitation act.
"Farfetch'd juggling?" Chris gave an incredulous look.
After some more exploring, Chris found himself on the stern of the ship. A nice, open space, the back of the ship had a large pool in the center, with lounge chairs surrounding it. Chris passed by this and leaned against the rail overlooking the wake behind the ship. Now that he had found a place to stop, he motioned for Quilava to jump on the rail beside him.
"You've probably noticed," Chris glanced back at an elderly group swimming in the pool. "I don't think this cruise ship was meant for younger people."
Quilava made the mistake of looking back at the pool. The Volcano Pokémon shuddered at the sight of the bathing suit clad seventy year old crew, causing Chris to break into a hysterical fit. "Different species, same reaction." Quilava shot the trainer a frustrated look before nodding reluctantly.
"But I do have something I wanted to speak to you about." The trainer's tone shift caught Quilava's attention. The Fire-starter feigned ignorance, but Chris knew his Pokémon was well aware of where he was going. "Earlier, when Luke showed up, you seemed really angry about something. It kinda seemed that you were upset at seeing Charizard." At the mention of the fire lizard's name, Quilava's fur bristled. An iron clad look of determination came over the creature's face.
"Quil." the Pokémon's response was curt, but Chris knew what was most likely bothering his friend.
"I know we've had this discussion before," Chris placed a calming hand on Quilava's back. The trainer didn't want to admit it, but he wasn't sure how safe his hand really was. "Evolution is not the end-all-be-all. You know there is more to strength, skill, and smarts than a form change."
The look in Quilava's eyes told Chris that his Pokémon still believed those words. The starter Pokémon's pride was willing to accept this, but the trainer could sense that something else was eating at his teammate. The Fire-type lowered his head and rose a paw into the air. "'Lava."
Chris was flabbergasted. "You're mad because... he's taller than you?!"
The Volcano Pokémon gave his trainer an angered look. "Quil!"
"I mean," Chris raised his hand off of Quilava's back slowly, "I don't like being looked down at either. But we all have to experience it at some point in our lives. Because once we've grown, I don't know, I guess we get to see how far we've come."
Night was quickly approaching the ship. An announcement was made that they'd be docking at the first island tomorrow, at nine o'clock. Chris was curious about how this would work, since the Whirl Islands were known for, and even named after, their seemingly impenetrable whirl pools.
The trainer returned his Pokémon to his device as they returned to their room. Luke, true to his word, was passed out on the pull-out couch. As Chris settled into bed, he felt a touch of anxiety beginning to build in the back of his mind. Would he be facing top Water-type trainers from across the globe? Thoughts of his first round loss in Goldenrod began to creep into his mind.
"This is a learning experience," Chris mumbled several times. The trainer would give anything not to get worked up over big matches. Maybe that's what drove him to work and compete as hard as he did though. Even so, it was making for many a stressful night. "Magikarp is going to give it all he's got." Chris felt his mind ease. "All I can do is the same."
The rocking of the boat soon made the trainer's eyes heavy. After setting an alarm for 8 A.M. and writing a quick message to his parents, Chris was out.
A high pitched ringing sound was the next thing Chris heard. The trainer slowly rose, practically fell out of bed, and crawled over to pull the curtains open. Sunlight cascaded into the room, blinding Chris. Luke seemed to notice the sudden change too.
"Fuck."
"And a good morning to you also, sir."
The trainer rolled off the couch and lie still. "I fell asleep as soon as I got back. How long was I out?"
"Thirteen hours, give or take a few minutes."
"Shit."
After getting cleaned up, the duo found a breakfast buffet close by. They found seats near a window facing out to the ocean. The ship had slowed significantly, leading Chris to believe they were close to their first stop. The trainer turned back to speak with Luke, but found the young man stuffing his face. The trainer from Tohjo Falls seemed to sense Chris' bewildered look, and gulped down what remained of his food.
"Guess it's about time I tell you what's happened over these last two months." Luke took one last, long sip of his coffee.
"Wow."
Luke had just finished the recap, leaving Chris to try and process all of the details. "Welp, you picked up your third and fourth Gym Badge at least."
"After hearing that I was mauled and almost froze to death," Luke laughed, "the key pick up for you is that I got some fuckin' Gym Badges?" The young man gave Chris an incredulous look. "You ever step out of trainer mode?"
"Not if I can help it," the trainer grinned. "I am glad to hear you made it here in one piece. Same for your team."
"Yeah, being in Cianwood really gave me an opportunity to catch a lot of new Pokémon."
"I really hope we have enough time to hit up the Safari Zone." Chris stood up to stretch. "By that point, my current squad should be hitting our groove. Some new partners would help us moving forward."
Luke also stood up, but paused for a moment. "How many Pokémon have joined you?"
"I have six so far."
An intrigued look came over Luke's face, prompting Chris to bounce the question back.
"Sitting currently at seven 'Mons."
"My gosh," Chris thought about his current training regimen. "I can't imagine having to sub teammates in and out yet. How do you keep them all together strength-wise?"
"I haven't really been able to yet," Luke shook his head. "I caught them all in such a short period of time. It's made it a challenge to keep everybody balanced. I just do my best to rotate the extra one in when I can."
A voice came over the intercom announcing that they'd be arriving in fifteen minutes. This motivated the trainers to head to the top deck. As the beautiful, blue expanse came into view, Chris' jaw almost dropped.
Two islands, surrounded by massive rock croppings, stood tall against the flat horizon. As the boat passed by them, two more islands came into view. None of this amazed Chris compared to the gigantic whirlpools that rested by the opening of each island.
"The Whirl Islands," Luke seemed energized just by the sight of the landmarks. "Places like this are why I chose to start in the Johto Region."
The whirlpools were so large that the water seemed to swirl in slow motion. All of the low capped, rolling waves around them were being sucked into the four foaming underwater cyclones. It was a display of nature's power unlike any Chris had seen. All of the passengers, including Chris, gasped as they passed alarmingly close to the nearest vortex.
"I wonder where," the boat came to a sudden stop, answering Chris' question before he could finish it. Looking in front of the ship, the trainer was shocked to see what appeared to be a small town floating on top of the water.
"What the hell?" Luke pointed towards what looked like a dozen large pools encased by bleachers. "How long has a town existed here? This is like a mini Pacifidlog Town."
"That's actually where they drew their inspiration from," an older man clarified beside them. "It gives this event a larger, perfectly themed venue. Plus, it makes the camera crew's life much easier."
"We could be on TV again," Chris nudged Luke.
Luke shook his head. "I'm in no hurry to grab the spotlight. The media will hype your ass up, and then send you crashing back to earth. Just look at Lt. Surge and Blaine."
"True." This didn't change the fact that Chris would have a chance to show the world what he and his team could accomplish. Plus, a worldwide broadcast would hopefully bring out the best talent. "This time though, there won't be a first round exit."
Boats were brought out to collect tournament participants and spectators separately. It took longer for the trainers to be shipped off, as security checked that each trainer had a Pokédex to verify their trainer status. After arriving at the makeshift island, the group were led to a room inside its largest building and given a debriefing. The tournament would last two days, with the second picking up once the semifinals had been established. Thirty-two trainers had made the trip, meaning Chris would have to win his first three matches to survive the day. Each trainer's info, including the Pokémon they'd be using, was uploaded into a randomized bracket. As this was going on, Chris tried to study his competition. There were a couple of older trainers, but the majority of the participants seemed to be around Chris' age.
"Here are the matchups."
On a large screen in the front of the room, a bracket appeared. There were sixteen trainers on each side of the bracket. Chris found himself near the top left side.
"Shit, I'm on the right side." Luke looked over at Chris. "I guess we'll have to meet in the finals."
"Magikarp and I plan on making it there," Chris winked after seeing a look of disbelief come over Luke's face.
The trainer from Tohjo Falls glanced around to make sure their competitors weren't paying attention. "You aren't actually using Magikarp, right?"
"Oh yeah!" Chris pulled out the Fog Badge from his bag. "Magikarp is one of the big reasons I have this badge."
Luke's face slowly turned pale. "I knew I should have challenged Morty."
"On the bracket," a woman in black spoke, killing the dialogue in the room, "by your first opponent, you will notice a number. This number will tell you which battlefield you will be on. When you are released, you will find your battlefield and wait for further instructions from the appointed official. Best of luck trainers."
The doors were opened and the trainers were ushered out.
"So I'm at three..." Chris noticed each battlefield had a post with a number as its identifier.
"Best of luck man," Luke patted him on the back as he headed in the opposite direction.
The trainer found the correct battlefield and was placed on one end of a large pool by the official. Upon further inspection, Chris realized that the pool in front of him was actually just a sectioned off part of the ocean. A net had been placed several feet below the surface to prevent wild Pokémon from interfering with the battles. The stands were filling up slowly around Chris as his opponent showed up. His adversary would be a middle aged man that seemed to have brought his family as support. His wife, two children, and even their pet Phanpy were all in the front row, adamantly cheering him on. The way the man was interacting with them made Chris think he was dealing with a mostly inexperienced part time trainer. Still, the young man from Cherrygrove planned on not holding back.
A man dressed in officiating gear stepped onto a platform by the middle of the pool. "Both trainers, please release your Pokémon."
"Let's go," Chris tossed the Poké Ball into the air, releasing his golden Magikarp into the water.
"Oh honey," the older man pointed at Chris' Pokémon. "Check out that cool looking fish. Get a picture of that!"
"Uh, sir," the judge prompted the man to focus.
"Oh, right!" he rubbed his head and laughed. "Here we go!"
The man released a Slowpoke into the water, but the creature waddled back on to land. The judge gave the trainer a questioning look.
"He's not a great swimmer," the man explained. "He wants to save his energy for battle."
"Alright then," the judge rubbed the bridge of his nose, "begin."
"Quick approach!" Chris directed as the audience of mostly older people began to cheer.
The Fish Pokémon wasted no time in showing off his impressive speed. In a flash, he had crossed the entire length of the pool.
The man was almost too shocked by Magikarp's speed to call out a command. "Try a Water Gun!"
Chris knew his Pokémon could handle the jet of water that came from Slowpoke.
"Muscle through the attack and land a Tackle!"
The golden fish did an excellent job of whipping his body through the opponent's blast of water. Slowpoke kept his same derpy expression as Magikarp delivered a powerful tackle to him. It took several seconds for the blow to register, leading Chris and Magikarp to stand flabbergasted when Slowpoke suddenly dropped over and moaned in pain.
"Uh, follow up with another Tackle." Chris finally commanded after struggling to comprehend what was happening.
"There you go, buddy," the man cheered on as Slowpoke rolled around in pain, "use your position to roll out of the way of the attack."
As Magikarp closed in, the pink Pokémon did not stop rolling back and forth. Chris was stunned to see Magikarp's attack land cleanly, knocking Slowpoke back several more feet. As the crowd looked on, Slowpoke suddenly rolled sharply to the left.
"About five seconds too late with that dodge." Chris slapped his forehead as the Dopey Pokémon began to cry out in pain.
"Let's get back up and use Headbutt!" Chris' opponent remained optimistic, as did his family in the stands. In fact, the entire crowd seemed to have fallen in love with Slowpoke. The people roared as the Water/Psychic-type got to his feet and began to slowly charge at Magikarp.
"Use Splash to bounce over the attack," Chris' Pokémon carried out the order, easily clearing his opponent. The trainer didn't feel like they needed to continue the battle any longer. "Now, use Flail."
The Fish Pokémon snapped forward and whacked Slowpoke, who hadn't turned around yet, with his tail. The blow knocked Slowpoke into the large pool of water that had largely been ignored in this match.
"We finally got Slowpoke onto the battlefield," Chris sighed.
The Dopey Pokémon emerged, but seemed to be struggling to stay afloat. The creature suddenly sank back beneath the surface.
"Magikarp!" Chris knew the match was over. Safety was now the priority.
The Fish Pokémon flipped into the pool and swam quickly down to where Slowpoke had sunk. After a few seconds, Magikarp returned to the surface, carrying Slowpoke on his back. Chris' opponent dove into the water to retrieve his fainted Pokémon. After returning him to dry land, the man scooped up the pink Pokémon in his arms.
"Good to see you're okay, buddy!" the man embraced Slowpoke tightly.
"Slow," the Dopey Pokémon voiced his agreement before waving appreciatively at Magikarp.
"Thank you guys!" the trainer voiced his gratitude before turning to the judge. "I guess the battle is pretty much over."
"You are correct," the judge raised a flag towards Magikarp and Chris. "The winner of the bout is Chris!"
"There we go," Magikarp splashed over to Chris, who caught his Pokémon. The trainer bumped heads with the Fish Pokémon in celebration. "Great job!"
"Trainers," the judge pointed back towards the building they had previously left, "please return to the main facility to have your Pokémon treated and to await further instructions."
The crowd gave both men and their Pokémon a nice round of applause as both parties left the battlefield. When Chris returned to the facility, he found it completely devoid of any other trainers. His opponent had stopped to speak with his family, leaving Chris to slowly walk over to the nurse's station. The woman took Makigarp's Poké Ball and placed it in the same device that had been used at the Goldenrod City tournament.
As time went by, trainers started to rapidly return. Just by the looks on their faces, Chris could tell which trainers had won and lost. One of the last trainers to return was Luke, who Chris was happy to see had a relieved expression.
"That was a close one," he told Chris as the nurse healed his Pokémon. "The girl's Seaking gave Quagsire all he wanted."
"Our battle didn't last two minutes," Chris quickly dismissed Luke's impressed nod. "He was a novice."
"May I have your attention please?" the head official had returned. "Thank you all for a great first round. Would those trainers who lost please see my advisor by the nurse's station. We have a free shirt for you before you go. We hope you will add to the fun crowd that has come here to check out the tournament."
After the losing trainers had split off, the front screen flashed the updated bracket. The field had been cut in half, but Chris was just ecstatic about making it past the first round. Even though it was against a weaker opponent, Chris would have faced some serious frustration if he had made back to back first round exits. This win at least gave he and Magikarp something to build on.
"For the remaining sixteen trainers," the woman brought their attention to the bracket, "you will once again see a number by your matchup. That will be your designated battle zone. You will also notice a time by your slot. That is the time your battle begins, so please be there at least five minutes beforehand. You are dismissed."
Chris checked his Pokégear. It was currently 1:30. The trainer's next match wasn't until 3, giving Chris enough time to catch Luke's 2:15 match. This would give Chris a chance to see how far Luke's Quagsire had progressed.
After seeing an impressive showing from Luke and his victorious Quagsire, Chris felt even more motivated to take home the gold. And as the tournament went on, Chris and Magikarp's synergy only increased as their opponent's skills improved. Despite reaching the second round, Chris' opponent still did not seem to acknowledge Magikarp's abilities. The opposing Tentacruel maintained close combat with Magikarp, playing to the Fish Pokémon's strengths. Seeing this, Chris employed a guerrilla warfare strategy he had seen his brother use in the past. Eventually, the Jellyfish Pokémon fell beneath the repeated blows and surprising speed.
Chris was happy to see afterwards that Luke's next battle would also be before his. This left both trainers with one final match a piece to set up the semifinal round. A setting sun served as the backdrop for Luke's battle. His Quagsire's opponent would be an eager looking Seismitoad.
The two competing creatures went blow for blow in the opening stages of the battle. Quagsire dished out a mix of long and short range attacks to try and keep Seismitoad off balance. The Vibration Pokémon would not back down though, gaining back health with a mix of Drain Punch and its ability, Water Absorb. Quagsire's stamina seemed to sharply decrease as the battle went on, motivating the other trainer to keep up the pace. Luke called for an Earthquake to push the opponent back, but Seismitoad was called to leap from the water, clearing the underwater assault. Using gravity, the toad came crashing back down, smashing Quagsire in the process. The blow, mixed with all the previous damage, proved too much for the Water Fish Pokémon. Chris cringed upon seeing the battle close. A tough end for Luke after an otherwise successful day. The audience gave their thrilling match a standing ovation.
"This is gonna be the match of the day," Chris mumbled to himself, "unless we have something up our sleeves."
As Luke made his way back to the trainer base, Chris tried to discern the young trainer's thoughts. Luke's face seemed expressionless, mirroring the distracted nature the young man had shown since they had reunited. The last two months might have hit Luke harder than the trainer had let on. Chris sensed that the Tohjo Falls native may be fighting some personal battles. Luke seemed to realize how odd he was coming off, because the trainer turned to spot Chris in the crowd, giving his friend a disappointed shrug. It was a small gesture, but it encouraged Chris to see his comrade respond.
The trainers would have to converse later though, Chris thought, because it was time for the last battle of the evening.
The trainer walked a short distance to his designated battlefield. An older woman was already standing on the opposite side of the pool of water. With a Poké Ball already in hand, and a confident smirk, Chris could tell he was dealing with an experienced trainer. As the young man from Cherrygrove came to stand in the trainer box, the judge stepped onto his platform.
"Trainers," the female judge pointed her flags at both competitors, "the winner of this match will take the last spot in the semifinal round. On my mark, both trainers are to release their Pokémon." She paused to give Chris a chance to bring out the capture device. "Begin!"
As Chris launched his Poké Ball into the air, he examined the release of his opponent's Pokémon carefully. A flash of white light revealed a decent sized shell fish with a massive, clawed appendage. Chris was able to identify the creature as a Clawitzer with a quick scan of his Pokédex. A native of the distant Kalos, Chris had never seen the Pokémon in person before. With its large claw, Chris assumed the Water-type to be an incredibly formidable physical attacker, much in the same vein as Kingler. The trainer would soon find out, as his opponent was quick to take the offensive.
"Launch an Aura Sphere!"
Chris was taken aback by the Special Attack, giving him barely enough time to guide Magikarp around the orb. A Dragon Pulse quickly followed, striking the Fish Pokémon before Chris could counter.
"I was wrong," Chris mumbled, gritting his teeth. Powerful, long range attacks would make this battle an incredible challenge for Magikarp. Chris would have to close the distance. Our margin for error is going to be small at best. "Let's get up close and personal, Magikarp!"
The Fish Pokémon sped beneath the water's surface, slashing around the projectile assault from his grounded adversary. Clawitzer stood at the edge of the pool to improve its vantage point, giving Chris hope that he could strike the Howitzer Pokémon before it could switch to defense. As Magikarp closed the gap, and Chris prepared an attack, his opponent backed the shrimp away from the water's edge. As Magikarp reached the edge of the pool,Clawitzer pointed its cannon-like claw at the water's surface, waiting for movement.
The battle had reached a standoff, with one side waiting for the other to make the first mistake.
"I know not to underestimate your golden Magikarp," the woman chuckled. "You've gotten this far with it for a reason. That Pokémon is much more powerful than others of its species."
"Thank you," Chris struggled to snap out of battle mode, but the trainer managed a smile. "We've worked hard to get to this point."
As Clawitzer continued to scan the top of the water cautiously, Chris knew he would have to make the first move. Magikarp's one natural attribute, his speed, would need to come in to play.
"Use Splash!" Chris quickly commanded.
The Fish Pokémon spun out of the water, and in to the air. Instantly an Aura Sphere was launched at the exposed creature. Magikarp did an excellent job of rolling his body in the air, propelling himself to the left of the attack. The move carried Chris' Pokémon onto the land, exposing the aloof fish, but Chris sensed the momentum of the battle may have shifted. Magikarp was now almost within striking distance.
"Dark Pulse!"
Chris had experience with the attack from his battle with Morty. The move was a wide reaching, horizontal blast. Chris had to draw on his limited experience quickly as Clawitzer launched the attack.
"Use Flail to bounce above it!"
Magikarp responded with the improved quickness that Chris had come to respect. The Fish Pokémon whipped his body into the air, narrowly avoiding the black energy wave.
Chris saw his opening. "Now bring the pain!"
Magikarp completed the combo he and his trainer had come to utilize often. The golden fish utilized gravity, completing Flail with a powerful whip of his tail. The blow bashed the shrimp's head onto the metallic platform, momentarily stunning the creature. Magikarp followed the finished move with an equally successful Tackle attack, knocking Clawitzer onto his side. It was at this point that Chris realized the main weakness of the energy launching shrimp. The disproportion size of the shrimp's right claw seemed to imbalance the creature, especially when under duress. On top of that, the Howitzer Pokémon was much slower than Chris had initially guessed. Lateral movement was an issue for the shrimp, providing Chris with the perfect game plan to take it down. It wasn't long before Magikarp had dished out several more attacks, served by his ability to quickly bounce laterally. One final Tackle attack was enough to drop the shrimp for good.
"Clawitzer is unable to battle," the judge raised her flag towards Chris, "therefore Magikarp is the winner!"
"Great job, Magikarp!" Chris caught the Fish Pokémon in his arms after he had swam back over. "You keep amazing me. It's incredible how far you've come in such a short time."
"Karp." the Water-type always had the same oblivious look, but Chris thought he could sense some satisfaction in his Pokémon's tone.
"That was a fine battle," Clawitzer's trainer grabbed Chris and his Pokémon's attention. "I've never seen someone do so much with a traditionally weak Pokémon. I just wanted to commend you and your friend on that."
Chris gave her an appreciative nod, before turning to the approaching judge.
"You are to report back to the trainer building," she said promptly. "Details of tomorrow's final rounds will be given there."
"Thanks."
Chris gave his Pokémon one last word of gratitude, before returning him to his device.
A lot of battles and a lot of excitement! Hopefully this can partially make up for the HUGE gap that preceded the last chapter and this one's release. Thank you again to my fellow readers and Heart and Soul supporters. I love you guys and gals! I'll see ya in the next chapter of Heart and Soul! (Promise it won't be as long of a wait!)
