Chapter 40: Under the Same Sky
Beautiful.
That was the first word that came to my mind when I saw them back when I was a child with Ducklett.
Those flocks of graceful Swannas.
Each one was like an animate piece of art. The graceful air they breathed out was gentle but powerful, enough to make my small heart pound harder by their sheer beauty.
But what took my breath away were those large wings of porcelain white. Each wingbeat was mighty enough to send shivers down my spine.
It was breath-taking. I felt like I was soaring alongside them.
"They're so beautiful…" I breathed a sigh of amazement.
I could tell Ducklett was just like me. She was admiring her evolutions with stars in her eyes.
"I wonder if you'll look like that one day too, Ducklett?"
After the Preliminaries.
"Skyla, what's gotten you into a hurry?" Lt. Surge asked.
The blonde man was sitting across his old friend's granddaughter with a concerned look.
"That was just the Preliminaries and yet, you went all out. It was like a kamikaze attack."
The lieutenant was about to light up a cigarette before stopping himself to not set an example to the impressionable teenage girl.
"Rushing is never the solution. I understand you wanna be a Gym Leader as soon as possible…"
"But this isn't the young girl I've known all those years ago. You've lost your smile."
The auburn-haired teen gripped her teacup's handle tighter upon hearing the man's insight.
"…Right now, I don't have the luxury to fight like usual, sir," Skyla simply replied.
Lt. Surge narrowed his eyes upon hearing the word 'fight' instead of 'battle'.
"Furthermore, from my perspective, the Grand League is the 'battlefield'. I don't see the problem in overwhelming my opponents with strength and aerial superiority, sir," Skyla explained calmly.
"…You're right, there's nothing wrong with that," Surge sighed despite finding no faults with the girl's statements
"And I do get where you're coming from by calling it a 'battlefield'."
"But take it from me. A Pokémon Battle is nothing like a real battlefield. Plus, if you're aiming to be a Gym Leader then there's something you can't forget."
"And what's that, sir?" Skyla asked inquisitively.
"To have fun," the man chuckled.
"Battling with all you've got while having the time of your life. Hell, that reminds me of that insane Pikachu kid back then."
Skyla was caught off guard by Surge's simple answer.
'Have fun?' she thought.
'I don't understand those words…'
"Archeops, [Stone Edge]!" Skyla commanded.
A muti-coloured raptor manifested a tower of stone unto Cleffy.
"Cleffy!" Blue cried out in worry.
{ HOW BRUTAL! }
{ SKYLA'S SECOND POKEMON IS ARCHEOPS! IT CLOSED THE DISTANCE AND DEFEATED CLEFABLE IN A BLINK OF AN EYE! }
Before fainting, Cleffy turned towards his Trainer and gave a thumbs up.
The imaginary subtitles activated within Blue's delusional mind.
[ I've done all I can… I leave the rest to you… ]
"Okay! Leave it to me!" Blue sobbed in exaggeration while giving her Pokémon her own thumbs up.
{ CLEFABLE IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! }
Skyla then heard the cheers from the audience. Not for her victory over Blue but to the fainted pink fairy.
"That was awesome Clefable!"
"Cleffy was so cool!"
Hearing those cheers made Skyla balled her fists in confusion and frustration. The auburn-haired teen could not understand.
'I want to win. What I want are actual results,' she mused in her head, trying to decipher her conflict.
'When you win, you're happy. And if you win while looking cool, that's even better.'
'But it's embarrassing to lose. It hurts.'
Skyla gazed at her young opponent thanking her recalled Pokémon within the PokéBall.
'Isn't that the case for everyone?'
But to her confusion, although the chestnut-haired girl lost…
Blue was still smiling towards the auburn-haired teen.
Lt. Surge's words echoed again in her thoughts.
"To have fun."
'I… don't understand her,' Skyla concluded with a blank expression after being unable to make sense of those words.
With Cleffy's defeat, [Gravity]'s effect dissipated, allowing Archeops to take to the skies.
{ QUITE A RARE POKÉMON WE HAVE HERE BEFORE US! }
{ THIS IS A POKÉMON FROM A PREHISTORIC ERA REVIVED VIA THE FOSSIL LABORATORIES! }
"An Archeops, how marvellous," Sycamore admired.
"Professor, what is that Pokémon?" Trevor asked, seemingly fascinated by the feathered raptor.
The entire hall waited for the Pokémon expert to explain.
"That Pokémon is Archeops. Otherwise known as the First Bird Pokémon," the young professor explained.
"It's a prehistoric Pokémon that is said to be an ancestor of modern bird Pokémon. Not only that, but it also has incredible legs stronger than even Dodrio and can run at speeds comparable to modern automobiles."
The students marvelled at Skyla's second Pokémon upon digesting the information Sycamore gave and got excited.
{ BLUE'S SECOND POKÉMON IS… }
"I'm counting on you, Omi!" Blue summoned her Pokémon.
From the Ball came out a blue ammonite with a spiky shell.
{ WHAT A SHOCKER! BLUE HAS SENT OUT A FOSSIL POKEMON AS WELL, OMASTAR!}
Skyla steeled her eyes at the girl's second choice.
"Hehehe. The credits have rolled on our romance film…" Blue smiled while looking for the perfect shot with her fingers again.
"Let us begin our second film, a Kaiju movie!"
'Ehhhh? This isn't PokéStar Studios though,' Skyla groaned internally.
Blue and Skyla began their second bout.
'Fossil Pokémon all have Rock type properties… This time, we'll hit their weak spot!' Blue mentally strategized.
'A high Defense Omastar against my high Attack Archeops?' Skyla clicked her tongue.
'What's more, Omastar's partial Water typing gives her an edge. She may appear like she's messing around, but she's not fooling me.'
"[Water Pulse]!" Blue called out.
A torrent of water blasted from Omi's mouth towards the flying Archeops.
'But that's useless…'
With a flap of its wings, the raptor speedily zig-zagged its way around [Water Pulse] without difficulty.
'If you can't hit us!'
"It's fast!" Ash exclaimed while holding up the flag.
"Flying types can fully utilise the field from a 3-dimensional perspective. That fact alone gives them an advantage," Misty explained, watching the match closely with a fan-waving Pikachu on her lap.
From the skies, Archeops dived towards the field used its next move.
"[Earthquake]!" Skyla ordered.
The violent tremors hit Omi directly, sending it rolling towards a broken tree. The impact caused the blue ammonite's shell to break apart.
{ AMAZING! IT'S A DIRECT HIT FROM THE SKIES! }
{ IT'S SUPER EFFECTIVE! }
{ AND ARCHEOPS IS STILL IN HOT PURSUIT! }
"Omi!" Blue cried out to her Pokémon.
"Finish it, Archeops!" Skyla commanded.
But to everyone's surprise, Omi began slithering up the broken tree and stopped at eye level with the surprised flying raptor.
The blue ammonite then hissed towards its opponent, baring its circular mouth of spiralling teeth.
"It's scary!" Ash cried out in horror with Pikachu getting grossed out.
"It's adorable!" Misty squealed in delight towards the Water type.
'…[Shell Smash]?! It lowered Omastar's Defense but increased its Speed and Attack in return!' Skyla surmised from Omi's performance.
"Let's go, Omi!" Blue called out confidently.
"[Hydro Pump]!"
A jet of blue water burst towards the flying raptor almost at point-blank.
Skyla widened her eyes in shock at Archeops' imminent doom.
As far as I can remember, I have been surrounded by the cheers of the folks back at Mistralton.
The people would all gather at the Gym…
And the Gym Leader everyone was watching…
My grandfather. He was everything I aspired to be.
I remembered every match he battled. Ducklett and I had always thought he was invincible.
Grandpa and his Braviary were the coolest.
However, … That didn't last long.
The image of Mistralton City firmly etched into my memories.
After a while, his partner Braviary passed away. And Grandpa closed the Gym.
Since then, I would always find him atop of Celestial Tower, mourning for his lifelong partner.
The Gym he had built after he had been injured in the war to bring smiles to both people and Pokémon alike.
But Grandpa rarely smiled since the closing.
"Grandpa… Everyone is waiting for you," I called out to him, who rung the bell everyday almost religiously.
Without looking at me, he sighed.
"I've been starting to feel my age for a while. It was the right time."
He knew. He knew what I was thinking.
I wanted to know why he closed the Gym that he and Braviary loved so dearly.
Even as a kid, I knew that Grandpa was a terrible liar. He wanted to keep the Gym running even after his partner's passing, but the grief was too much to handle; hence, his decision.
Then, I ran.
Towards the edge of the Tower…
And jumped without hesitation.
"Skyla!" Grandpa cried out in horror. He thought the worst had happened to me.
Silly Grandpa.
Swanna, who had evolved, held me firm and gently by my shoulders and flew me up, much to Grandpa's surprise and relief.
"Everyone who came to the Gym always had so much fun. Now it's my turn."
My words carried my desires. I loved the place Grandpa had created, and I never want it to close. That's why, I vowed right there and then.
"I'll become the Gym Leader in your place! And I'll bring back the Mistralton Gym that everyone loves sooo much! That's a promise!"
Swanna chirped in agreement with my convictions.
And then, for the first time since Braviary's passing, I saw Grandpa smile genuinely.
Then, years later, I got impatient.
{ Why go through all the trouble to enter the Indigo Grand League? }
I contacted Grandpa's friend, Lt. Surge, for ways to enter the Grand League.
"I don't yet qualify for the Gym Leader examination, sir," I curtly answered.
It was true. Although I had been training my Pokémon since I was a little girl, I've only had my official Trainer license for a year.
The examiners wanted me to prove myself worthy to inherit the Gym. Unova's Gym examiners were just that strict. But I obliged.
Even if only a moment's sooner, I scoured for real results. And the Grand League will make my dream come true.
Another reason why I had to get them fast… was due to merciless time.
At this rate, Mistralton Gym will be forgotten by everyone and left behind. They'll forget about Grandpa's legacy.
I won't let that happen. I'll make them remember by force…
The symbol of Grandpa's legacy!
With swift movements, Archeops suddenly contorted its body around [Hydro Pump] and flung itself towards Omi at breakneck speed.
Then, the raptor gripped onto the ammonite and prepared its final move.
"[Acrobatics]!" Skyla cried out.
"Wha—"
Blue's surprise was cut short as Omi was plunged onto the earth by the aerodynamic raptor, causing a devasting impact of dust.
With a loud roar, Archeops announced its victory as Omi lied fainted beneath its talons.
{ OMASTAR IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! }
{ ARCHEOPS IS THE WINNER IN THIS FOSSIL SHOWDOWN AS WELL AS TWO CONSECUTIVE WINS UNDER ITS BELT! }
Blue then recalled Omi, but not before Skyla called out to her.
"Before, I got caught up in your strange style… But that's not gonna work on me anymore."
"They who controls the field win the battle."
A declaration of pride.
"And I rule the skies!"
{ THEY WHO CONTROLS THE FIELD WIN THE BATTLE. }
{ AND I RULE THE SKIES! }
"That's the coolest quote I've ever heard!" Calem cried out in excitement.
"That Archeops is no joke. I mean, it managed to dodge a near point-blank [Hydro Pump]!" Shauna exclaimed in surprise.
"Let's go, Blue! You can do it!" Serena cheered harder, undeterred by Omi's loss.
Froakie and Grace followed suit.
Soon after, the students resumed their exhilaration towards the two Trainers.
Back at Mistralton City, an elderly man was watching the Grand League with a young Rufflet by his side.
His eyes carefully watching his granddaughter's performance.
Similarly, from the stadium's security room, Lt. Surge watched Skyla's battle closely.
"Thank you, Omi. You did well," Blue thanked and prepared her final Pokémon.
'Omi did her absolute best, and yet, it still wasn't enough to beat Skyla…' she mused.
'Maybe… she's also carrying some weight on her shoulders.'
Ash and Misty watched as the chestnut-haired girl held a certain PokéBall close to her heart.
Gary did too, albeit with a look of indifference.
That was when it clicked for Blue.
'I'm… not the only one who's special.'
'Everyone has their own battles to fight. And that all comes out in a clash between Pokémon.'
'I already knew it, but… it's different competing in a League-level battle compared to the norm. I wasn't ready.'
With that thought, her lips formed a toothy grin of excitement.
'Looks like there's still so much for me to learn from the whole world!'
'I'm glad. I'm so glad I left Pallet Town. Otherwise, I would've never gotten to experience the world!'
Seeing her grin, Ash smiled warmly at his friend having fun. And although he was at odds with his rival and Blue, Gary could not sneer or laugh at the girl's jovial expression, and instead opted to watch her battles with a calculating look.
'That look…' Skyla jolted in surprise as it was the same expression Blue wore when she sent out Omi.
"Here we go! Espeon!" the chestnut-haired girl summoned her ace.
{ BLUE'S FINAL POKÉMON IS ESPEON! }
A purple feline with a red gem on her forehead made her entrance.
Wasting no time, Skyla took the initiative.
"Archeops, [Agility]!"
The raptor started dashing towards Espeon.
However, the purple feline merely yawned at the raptor's approach, causing the latter to pop a vein.
"[Stone Edge]!"
A flurry of stone spikes caused Espeon to jump in the air to dodge. At that moment, Archeops caught Espeon with its talons as it carried her high into the air.
"Espeon got grabbed!" Ash widened his eyes.
"Slam it into the ground, [Acrobati—"
Skyla choked on her words as she noticed Archeops falling while Espeon was floating in the air.
"[Psychic]!" Blue called out.
The purple feline then controlled the water from the earlier [Hydro Pump] in the battlefield and slammed it towards the helpless falling raptor.
{ ARCHEOPS IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! }
{ ESPEON USED THE WATER LEFT BEHIND BY OMASTAR TO EXPLOIT ARCHEOPS WEAKNESS! }
"Get some rest, Archeops," Skyla thanked her recalled Pokémon.
'That was the sleep-inducing move, [Yawn],' she ascertained.
'I let my guard down at that smile. She used a seemingly useless move for such an effective strategy. What the hell is wrong with this girl?'
The auburn-haired teen was intimidated by the juxtaposition of the young Trainer's innocent smile and her ruthless tactics.
"Hey, Misty," Ash began, catching the redhead's attention.
"...Blue's kinda crazy, isn't she?"
"Wow, Red. Pot calling kettle black much?" Misty teased.
"Kindly shut up, please."
But Misty agreed with the boy's comments.
"Well, that's true. She has this vibe that makes others wanna try and catch her. And she capitalizes on that, slipping away easily the more one tries."
"Blue is…" Misty remarked.
'This girl…' Skyla thought.
Their words matched each other to describe the chestnut-haired girl.
[ Strong. ]
The sight of Blue having fun while hugging a smiling Espeon caused Skyla unease.
Her gloved hand clenched her last Pokémon. Her ace.
"Please, Swanna!"
{ SKYLA'S LAST POKÉMON IS THE WATER-FLYING TYPE, SWANNA! }
Upon hearing that the swan was a Water type, Misty's eyes sparkle with excitement, creeping out Ash.
{ HERE WE GO, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! }
{ THE FINAL BOUT! }
"Swanna, use [Tailwind]!"
"[Yawn], Espeon!"
Swanna was faster as with one flap of her large wings conjured up an enormous spiral of wind.
"Woah!" Ash let out a gasp as he managed to catch his escaping cap.
"Kyaa!" Blue yelped as she pulled down her skirt that threatened to flip due to the gust.
{ A FIERCE WIND HAS BREWED UP ON THE FIELD! }
{ WITH THIS, THE SPEED OF THE WIND HAS MADE IT SO [YAWN] WAS UNABLE TO ACTIVATE! }
"If that's the case, [Psychic]!" Blue called out.
Before Espeon could use it, Swanna covered herself with water and dived towards the feline, striking a direct hit in the process.
"[Aqua Jet]!" Skyla ordered.
Recovering fast, Espeon used [Psychic] on a tree and prepared to impact it onto the swan. But Swanna had already returned to the skies, rendering Espeon's preparations useless.
'With this wind, we can't hit Swanna with a tree or rock,' Blue internally grumbled.
'If that's the case…'
"Espeon, [Psychic] directly on Swanna!" Blue cried out.
A purple mass of energy emerged from Espeon's body, forming into a giant hand that tried to grab the flying swan. However, the swan was too fast for the [Psychic] hand to grab, evading it with ease.
"…Tch. Goddamnit, Blue."
Gary watched with a frown. Although a part of him wanted to laugh at her pathetic attempts, the suppressed affection for the girl halted him from doing so. With that, his calculative mind got to work.
'[Psychic] requires you to know the location of the subject.'
'What's more, it's hard to hit something that's accelerating at double Speed due to [Tailwind].'
[Aqua Jet] lunged towards the target once more.
'[Psychic] is indeed a strong move…'
Espeon cried out in pain as [Aqua Jet] hit its mark again.
'But it's not an invincible one.'
"Keep going as usual, Swanna!" Skyla barked out.
"Continue moving in her blind spot and use your physical attacks to finish her off!"
Swanna stared at her Trainer for a moment before carrying out her duty.
{ SWANNA CONTINUES THE HIT AND RUN WITH [AQUA JET]! }
{ SHE HAD SHOWN THIS OFF DURING THE PRELIMINARIES! WHAT A RUTHLESS STARTEGY! }
"Espeon!" Blue worryingly cried out towards her ace that was being attack by barrages of fast and deadly [Aqua Jets].
'It's a fierce attacker despite its gentle appearance,' Blue thought.
'But… I feel like there's something wrong.'
'Swanna's been working hard,' Lt. Surge mused while smoking a cigarette.
'An attitude that thrives from achievement and victory for its own sake. As a fellow Trainer, there's no mistaking that drive.'
'However, …'
A transparent mirror blocked the final [Aqua Jet] assault.
"Nice [Reflect], Espeon!" Ash shouted out whilst waving the large flag around.
"Tch! Get back into [Tailwind], Swanna!" Skyla commanded.
The swan took a moment to stare into her Trainer's eyes. However, the auburn-haired teenager was getting desperate and barked out again.
"What are you doing?! Counterattack!"
The swan took to the skies with increased Speed thanks to [Tailwind].
{ SWANNA'S BACK IN THE AIR! }
"Accelerate at maximum Speed and decide this match with one blow!"
Swanna entered the slipstream made by [Tailwind], getting faster by the second.
'In order to win, you must attack as fast as possible. If you stall, you'll just crash! Grab victory as fast as you can!'
'My dream!'
The fierce billowing winds were causing Espeon to let out a strained mew, but holding her ground, nonetheless.
"…I see," Blue muttered in understanding, solving the uneasiness in her heart.
"The air around is different, and their styles are like night and day…"
"But… Skyla and Green are similar."
'Even though we're battling with Pokémon, the Pokémon themselves reflect the Trainers' conscious in action,' the girl mused.
"If that's the case, let's show them, Espeon!" Blue roared.
"We'll show them how it's done!"
The purple feline hissed in agreement, preparing for her opponent's descent.
"That's enough, Swanna!" Skyla called out.
The auburn-haired teenager was more than convinced her next attack would be the deciding factor.
'I've increased her Speed to the limit,' she thought confidently.
'And now we convert that Speed into power!'
From the skies, Swanna burst into high gear and descended towards the purple feline.
Surges of water were once more encapsulating the swan's body. However, it was different this time.
If [Aqua Jet] was akin to a light jab, then this attack was a fully powered haymaker.
"[Liquidation]!" Skyla spelled out her move.
Now combined with the slipstream from [Tailwind] earlier, the teen was expecting her Pokémon to come out as the victor.
Suddenly…
Swanna widened her eyes in bewilderment as the purple feline had disappeared. A moment later, a throbbing pain made its presence known on her right wing.
Skyla shared a look of disbelief and shock.
A gaping hole had formed where the armour of water around Swanna's wing was, as well as the loss of a chunk of the swan's pristine feathers.
The falling swan sensed a shadow above her.
{ WHA… }
A bead of sweat rolled on her feathery face as she stared in disbelief.
{ WHAT ON EARTH?! }
Above her, was Espeon flying on a [Psychic]-controlled tree trunk, its tip sharpened. The purple feline was like a witch on a broomstick.
{ ESPEON HAS JUMPED ONTO A FALLEN TREE AND PIERCED SWANN'S WING! }
"Eh? Why did Blue let Espeon go to the sky, where her opponent is at her strongest…?" Misty said in confusion.
But the raven-haired boy next to her shot a knowing look towards his childhood friend.
"She's gonna do it, she's really doing it."
The red eyes glistened as they gazed upon the aerial dance of lilac and white.
"Since Espeon got hit by a close-up attack, she probably wants to get payback in the same way."
Pikachu reminisced of his battles with Eevee back in Pallet Town.
"We've competed for a long time, so we know…"
Pikachu grinned towards Espeon who was glancing towards him, as if she was showing off for the electric mouse.
"Espeon's as much of a sore loser as Pikachu."
"Grr! [Liquidation] again!" Skyla shouted out in frustration.
The water-armoured swan stopped its descent and zoomed towards the tree-riding feline speedily.
Just before the beak could pierce the feline, Swanna halted to a stop.
Espeon looked towards the swan with wide eyes that glistened beautifully. It was the epitome of the word 'cute'.
[ Would you really attack me…? ]
The [Baby-Doll Eyes] stunned the flabbergasted swan for a moment. And Espeon took advantage of that.
Using [Psychic], the feline gave a mighty blow to Swanna, the huge trunk swung in an arc and landed cleanly on the swan's face.
"Oh God…" Ash sent his condolences as he watched the poor swan getting batted violently by an innocent-looking Espeon. The jarring contrast was almost psychotic in his eyes.
A vein popped on Swanna as she squawked in indignation towards the impertinent feline. With that, the battle between the graceful swan and the feline witch resumed.
They clashed. They pulled back. And they clashed again. Rinse and repeat.
{ NO WAY, NO WAY! }
The two flying Pokémon were duking it out in the air as if it were a dogfight.
{ IT'S AN AERIAL FIGHT! }
Lilac force met aqua wings. The two opposing attacks parried each other, neither wanting to lose their momentum.
"…!"
Gary widened his dead eyes at the dogfight as it reminded him of something. Or rather, someone.
"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked in surprise.
"No way…!" Ash's gleaming red eyes were now wide as saucers. The shining red tracing the familiar sight back to S.S Anne.
'That's…'
His partner's [Volt Tackle] vs Raticate's [Quick Attack].
The zig-zag clashes were nearly indistinguishable from that day.
Blue found her opportunity and seized it.
As Swanna recoiled back again, she found her back planted against something hard. Behind the swan were 3 mirror-like squares preventing her escape.
'[Reflects]?! When did—'
Skyla could not finish her thoughts as Blue gained the upper hand.
"[Swift]!"
From Espeon's [Psychic]-covered body came rays of star. The spinning stars rapidly made their way towards the target. Not even one missed.
Small detonations bloomed from the stars' prey and plummeted her to the earth.
Then, with a cocky smile, Espeon taunted the fallen Swanna. The imaginary subtitles came to life.
[ This whole field belongs to me~ ]
Ash and Pikachu folded their arms and narrowed their eyes towards the feline.
"Geez, now there's two of 'em…"
"Pika…"
The crowd exploded into applause at the magnificent display of aerial combat by the two Pokémon.
'...'
Gary was at a loss for words. The orange-haired boy was silently judging his ex-partner's mockery of himself.
Blue, on the other hand, did not expect Espeon to go full-on Gary mode and laughed sheepishly, hoping she did not offend the boy.
Meanwhile, Pokémon Academy was having a blast.
The boys roared in cheers while the girls screamed out 'Girls rule!' towards their new subject of admiration.
Serena clapped while laughing alongside an amused Froakie on her lap.
Back in the battlefield, Skyla dropped to her knees.
Her battered and bruised Swanna laid on a puddle of water, a residue from her [Liquidation].
"Swanna…" she muttered in horror.
'She… was taken down…'
Sweat poured from the teenager's forehead.
'Why?! I've carried on the tradition!'
Her thoughts were in disarray.
'Using Flying types for mobility and deciding the match in melee combat.'
'That is the Mistralton Gym's way that drew the people in…!'
'We have to win with its tradition, otherwise it's meaningless!'
Then, a rustle from Swanna's beak broke her Trainer from her plaguing thoughts.
The beak clamped down at the damaged feathers and with a swipe, pulled them from the wing's roots.
Swanna glared at Skyla and let out a cry of displeasure. Then, she began shining a bright light.
{ WHAT IS THIS…? }
The white swan was now huddled on the now transparent puddle of water with her beautiful wings spread across the water.
Rings of water surround the swan, creating faint motes of light. Each of the ring flowed towards the damaged wings and replaced the lost feathers. The water mirages finally crystallized into actual white feathers, effectively regenerating them.
{ I THINK IT IS RECOVERING USING A COMBINATION OF [AQUA RING] AND [ROOST]. }
The commentator's voice was subdued as he took in the amazing sight.
The swan's recuperation had everyone holding their breath in sheer awe. It was the actualization of the word 'beauty'.
May and Dawn watched with glimmering eyes as Swanna's gentle appearance compliment the aqueous halos as well as [Roost's] motes of healing.
'Melee… I see. Your feathers got damaged, and you didn't like that?' Skyla mused in understanding.
'Didn't… like that?'
An epiphany struck the auburn-haired teen. Lt. Surge's words rang in her mind once more.
"To have fun."
Her memories ran backwards. She recalled how Archeops and Dodrio were raised by warfare. But not Swanna.
The small girl only had one wish.
And it was to have fun alongside her little Ducklett.
"Traditional… No, that's not it," she breathed out in realization.
"Swanna… That's right, Swanna…"
The swan took flight and glanced towards her Trainer. The glare was only to snap her awake. Replacing them now were a gentle stare of encouragement.
"That day when we went to the lake…"
"What we saw… What we longed for…"
The porcelain white wings of freedom.
The small auburn-haired girl gazed in wonder at the majestic swans with a wide smile. The blue duckling watched with glistening eyes.
"I wonder if you'll look like that one day too, Ducklett?"
"It was so much freer than this."
Blue and Espeon did nothing. They would not interrupt this moment between Trainer and Pokémon. They were merely bystanders.
"…I'm sorry," Skyla apologized.
"I've been forcing you to battle in a way that isn't right for you."
"I've just been focusing beyond my dreams and not at you…"
"I'm sorry."
The audience watched in silence as the teenager poured her heart out for Swanna. No one dared to speak lest they ruin this moment of honesty between partners.
"One more time. Just give me one more chance!" she begged.
But she did not need to.
Swanna had flew high above and landed on her Trainer's shoulders.
The sight looked as if Skyla had grown a pair of porcelain wings.
"I'll become the Gym Leader in your place! And I'll bring back the Mistralton Gym that everyone loves sooo much! That's a promise!"
Skyla's eyes began to water, and the tears broke out as a gentle beak nuzzled on her cheek.
"Thank you…!"
From the shadows, a displeased Gary clicked his tongue.
"…Tch. What're just standing there for?"
Although not as cynical, Misty shared his grievances.
"You're too sweet, Blue," she sighed.
"It's nice but…"
But a raven-haired Trainer disagreed.
"No… For Blue and Espeon, this is an important moment," Ash shook his head as the blood red eyes could feel the emotions the two were undergoing.
A muted Blue stared without a word.
'We could finish this with one attack…' she pondered.
'But I can understand what Espeon's conveying to me.'
The red gemstone on Espeon's forehead formed a telepathic link to her Trainer, showing her the time when she evolved from Eevee to who she was now. Blue smiled nostalgically.
'They're the same as Espeon and I that day…'
Skyla and Swanna were back.
The two had steeled their resolve and resumed.
"Ya know… I was full of openings," she called out to the chestnut-haired girl.
"And yet, you waited for me… Blue."
Blue smiled back at the teen.
"Don't get the wrong idea, Skyla," the girl replied.
"I've been recovering here too."
Espeon was bathed in gold, her wounds carried away by the light. [Morning Sun] had been active for a while and vanished just as Blue replied.
Gary watched without a word while Arcanine stared at the golden light from inside his Ball.
"And…" Blue continued.
"I just wanted to make sure."
"What is the meaning of a Trainer? And I've got my answer."
"It's to understand their feelings and walk with them."
Ash smiled tenderly towards Blue while Gary narrowed his eyes in annoyance. The orange-haired boy could not help but get enraged by those words. His curse would not allow him happiness.
"Thank you, Blue," Skyla thanked.
"This time, let's give it our all!"
"Yes!" Blue agreed with matching vigour.
The two continued their bout.
"Swanna, [Water Pulse]!"
"Espeon, [Dazzling Gleam]!"
A torrent of water blasted towards the tree-riding feline but was ultimately blocked by a shining pink light resembling that of a cross-shaped star.
{ AFTER RECOVERING TOGETHER, THE CLASH BEGINS ONCE AGAIN! }
"Rise and turn!"
"After them, Espeon!"
Swanna took flight with Espeon right on her tail. [Swift] manifested again but was now quickly repelled back with [Air Slash]. The colliding moves burst into small fireworks.
{ THEIR BATTLE HAS RETURNED TO THE SKY AGAIN! }
However, it was different this time.
Wings of shining light spun with the wind as the blades of air parried the starry missiles conjured by the witch on her broomstick.
The chase was now taking place over the loud audience, Showers of fireworks sparked their eyes and the vibrations of their speeding clashes sent shivers down their spines.
The enjoyment from the proximity battle burst into forms of deafening roars.
{ A- AMAZING! BOTH OF THEM ARE EVEN FASTER THAN THEY EVER WERE BEFORE! }
'It's not that the traditional style is bad,' Skyla thought.
'It just doesn't fit Swanna's way of battling. The ability to move in 3 dimensions by using wind and long-range attacks is much more to Swanna's strength!'
With a huge beat of her wings, Swanna delivered a cross attack of [Air Slashes] towards the incoming feline, zipping in the air with rapid speed.
'I believe in beauty and freedom.'
The impact burst into an explosion of smoke and splinters.
'For Swanna, her love of flight whenever there's a sky.'
Skyla widened her eyes in surprise by the aftermath.
Espeon had managed to defend against the cross attack, but in exchange, the tree trunk had now been split into two sharp branches slightly bigger than the feline. She smiled while preparing [Psychic].
"Alright, Espeon! An eye for an eye…" Blue exclaimed, high on adrenaline.
'Blue… you are…'
"A cross attack for a cross attack!"
The two branches had turned from Espeon's footing to two blades zooming towards Swanna, courtesy of [Psychic]. With its flexible body, the swan managed to evade by a feather's breadth.
'You've always respected what your Pokémon wanted to do…'
The two Pokémon grinned at each other, relishing in their battle.
'That's why they're all so alive… Because they were satisfied, and you were having fun.'
The smiles Blue made started to make sense to Skyla.
'Ah…'
'The people that gathered at Grandpa's Gym. They weren't there just for his tactics and strategies.'
'It's because it was so satisfying, and he was smiling so vividly and lively.'
The auburn-haired teenager found herself mesmerized by the dance of purple and white.
From the crowds, she could hear one half cheering for Blue while the other cheered for her.
"Swanna… you can do it!" a little girl cheered with her arms spread wide in excitement.
"Hang in there, Blue!" Misty cried out in encouragement.
"Skyla! Skyla!" an enthusiastic fan howled.
"Go, Espeon!" Ash shouted out whilst waving his flag again.
Unbeknownst to her, even people from other regions watching cheered for them.
Be it children of Gym Leaders, future Coordinators, or even Champions.
That thought crept into her mind. And it made her show a smile with tears.
'Everyone is having a good time.'
'Because we're all watching…'
'Under the same sky.'
She wiped her tears quickly, but they would not stop due to the myriad of emotions she was undergoing.
'I see. It's not enough to just have a winning attitude.'
'It's about building a relationship between humans and Pokémon, in order to bring out the best in each other.'
'One who teaches of potential through battles.'
'That kind of existence…'
'They call it a Gym Leader.'
"Let's fly, Swanna!"
'I can't break through,' Blue furrowed her brows.
'She's got such a wide range of movement and I can't close the distance.'
Espeon moved close to the ground and used [Psychic] on more dead branches. She calculated the vectors for launch, the sharpened ends ready to strike. Magnitude and direction. The feline fired them like arrows.
But Swanna would always dodge them flawlessly and retaliate with her own blades of wind, which prompted Espeon to guard them with the extra branches behind her. The two were in a stalemate.
Espeon cried out towards her Trainer, the telepathic link still active.
"Yeah… Skyla and Swanna have changed now," Blue agreed.
The blue eyes steeled with determination while her mind looked back to the past. More specifically, the old Ash and Pikachu.
'People and Pokémon can change.'
'That was the first time I learned about it.'
A raven-haired boy covered in wounds walked out of Viridian Forest with an injured Pikachu in his arms.
'Chased out by other Pokémon, abused by humans.'
'The stray Pikachu who hated the world.'
'The same Pikachu that had changed when he met Red.'
She remembered the time Ash saved her from her bullies.
'I used to be called an 'airhead'…'
'But to be honest, that was more of a Red thing.'
'Seeing how he charged into fights without a second thought, and never flinching from pain…'
'It was as if he had no sense of self-preservation. He wouldn't care for his well-being if it means saving someone other than himself.'
'Like a mindless machine.'
'It unnerved me. It frightened me.'
'Those empty red eyes, as if they were without purpose… Like a lost child.'
'...'
'But then… he changed when he met her.'
'The straw hat girl that the professor told us about.'
'Since then, he would always wear a smile. When Pikachu came along, he got even better.'
'You take one step, and you move forward. That's how it's supposed to be.'
'No matter how difficult, we still go on.'
'Even if people change, they can still walk in the same direction. How miraculous is that?'
'I know it well. Pokémon and Trainers can communicate and change.'
'Skyla and Swanna have already taken the first step.'
'The miracle of taking one step.'
'I've never felt so alive in my entire life!'
'No battle has ever made me so excited!'
"Let it all out, Espeon! Time to go all out!"
The purple feline gave a grin and unleashed [Psychic]…
To every broken tree littered around the battlefield.
Small trees. Large trees. Thin trees. Thick trees.
It did not matter. [Psychic] plundered every last one from the ground.
{ EVERY TREE! EVEN THE HUGE ONES! THEY ARE ALL SURROUNDING SWANNA LIKE A CAGE! }
"Woah!" Ash exclaimed at the incredible sight.
"I see. You've used [Psychic] to bring these broken trees back to life," Skyla muttered aloud.
"However! I've told you, didn't I?"
"I own the sky."
The porcelain wings fluttered powerfully after those words.
Blades of gale circled around the air. Their speeds shredded the air, roaring for its presence to be heard.
Blue shielded her eyes from the intense winds while Espeon tried her best to hold onto the tree she was on.
{ W-WHAT IS THIS?! }
'If you leave the ground for even a moment…'
'That's the sky. And in the sky…'
'We are the ones in control.'
{ SWANNA'S STRONG WINGS HAVE CREATED SOME STRONG WINDS! }
{ IT HAS TURNED INTO A HUGE STORM OF ALL THE TREES! }
Espeon's one moment of lost focus became detrimental as [Psychic] released its hold on the trees and were now taken by the spinning tornado.
"[Psychic] has been undone!" Misty cried out in worry.
'This is Swanna's strongest move!'
"Kuh! This… might be bad!" Blue groaned while struggling to hold her hat in place.
'Espeon's only got enough juice for one last attack,' she pondered.
"Ah, screw it! Espeon, we're taking a page out of the reckless idiot's book!" she called out to her ace. Ash's mouth twitched in slight annoyance.
"Come, Blue! It's time for our final battle!" Skyla declared, pointing her finger at her opponent.
With no more platform to hold onto, Espeon covered herself with the last remaining fumes of [psychic] at her disposal.
Seeing the purple feline's ascension towards her, Swanna unleashed her final attack.
"[Hurricane]!"
The soaring trees came crashing onto the feline, the latter weaving and dodging every single one by a hair's breadth.
The crowd gasped and exclaimed in shock as the purple blur zip past the falling trees, some cheering the feline on.
"Holy! Is Espeon gonna survive that?!" Calem cried out in bewilderment at the descending trunks.
"That was so dangerous," Shauna whimpered in fright.
Serena watched anxiously with Froakie narrowing his eyes on the chaotic battlefield.
"It's… okay! Keep dodging to get close!" Blue gritted her teeth at the raging storm before her. The girl's instructions carried to Espeon via their still active telepathic link.
Suddenly, …
A giant tree spun towards Espeon's right and slammed the small feline. The light from Espeon's eye trailed a long line as she got unceremoniously taken away by the tree's trunk.
'Gotcha,' Skyla victoriously celebrated as the purple blur was no more.
The giant tree was at least half the size of the entire battlefield when placed horizontally and had a width the size of a human. The auburn-haired teen was sure she had seized victory…
'I wi—'
Before Blue propped up her 'perfect shot' pose.
"Didja think you've won?" Blue grinned.
The deep blue eyes stared at Skyla with a glint in them. And those eyes persuaded them to take a second look at the giant tree.
Swanna and Skyla widened their eyes in surprise.
Espeon was still on it, albeit breathing heavily from the initial impact. The feline had come back into view after the storm had spun the tree around one revolution. And with the conclusion of said revolution, Espeon focused every last drop of [Psychic]…
And blast herself towards Swanna with blinding speed.
'Wha?! [Psychic] shouldn't be enough to—' the auburn-haired teen's thoughts were cut off as realization kicked in.
'She used the centrifugal force of the storm!'
"Swanna, dodge!" she cried out in a panic.
No matter how fast Espeon was, it did not change the fact that Swanna had the advantage in aerial combat. With a swift turn, the swan managed to evade the speeding purple bullet.
But to the swan's horror, what followed from the purple bullet…
Were multiple transparent mirrors of light spawning from both of her sides. And Espeon was right behind her, landing on one.
'[Reflect]…!'
The deep blue eyes recalled the distant boy she grew to love.
'Green… Arcanine…'
'If you guys think you can just forget about Raticate…'
'Then we'll just etch him into your memories!'
"[Quick Attack]!"
[Reflects] surrounded Swanna sides. From behind, Espeon lunged towards the swan swiftly, landing a clean hit onto the swan…
And she landed on one [Reflect] and sprung towards Swanna again.
[Quick Attack]
She landed on the left this time. She leapt once more.
[Quick Attack]
And again.
[Quick Attack]
Again.
[Quick Attack]
And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again.
[Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack] [Quick Attack][Quick Attack] [Quick Attack]
Espeon launched a series of omni-directional [Quick Attacks] at Swanna. The swan could only take them helplessly as the purple feline gave no room for error.
Ash and Gary widened their eyes at the consecutive chained [Quick Attacks]. Both remembering their battle's conclusion at Cerulean City.
"On its own, [Quick Attack] isn't that strong of a move but add in the bridge's handrails as platforms, Ratatta could hit and run from any angle he wants, creating an omni-directional assault."
Ash and Pikachu recognized the attack. The blood red eyes shimmered as they saw a mirage of Raticate alongside Espeon, mirroring her moves.
"That's his…!" the raven-haired boy grinned in excitement. His blood rushing with adrenaline as every move Espeon made was a perfect imitation of Raticate's strikes.'
Gary's dead green eyes glared daggers at Espeon's consecutive [Quick Attacks] while Arcanine watched with some light back in his black eyes as his idol's best friend honoured his signature move.
Each strike aimed at different parts of her porcelain body. The wounds accumulated without rest. Pain shocked across Swanna's battered body.
And she fell from the skies. Her eyes were glazing as she began to black out from the unbearable agony. Before she did, the swan took one last glance at her opponent.
Espeon was descending towards the ground as well but not before using a miniscule amount of [Psychic] to slow down her fall. With that, Swanna fluttered her eyes close in defeat.
The purple feline landed gracefully while the swan fell from grace. The beautiful feathers signalled her end.
Skyla saw her ace on the ground. She had lost.
However, instead of gritting her teeth in anger…
The auburn-haired teen smiled in satisfaction.
{ SWANNA… IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! }
{ THE WINNER IS… }
{ BLUE OF PALLET TOWN! }
The crowd went crazy, and the stadium was once again filled with roars of cheering. Pokémon Academy mirrored the same behaviour.
Espeon made her way towards Blue and pounced on her with a blushing smile, hugging her Trainer lovingly. Naturally, the chestnut-haired girl obliged with no hesitation.
"WE DID IT!" she cried out happily.
"PIKA-PIKA~!"
"YEAHHHH!"
{ THE STORY-FILLED AERIAL DUEL HAS BEEN SETTLED! }
Oak's mind raced back to when Blue from a year ago being too afraid to touch Pokémon due to Eevee. And now watched the two hugging each other, battered up from the storm and battle.
"You did so well!"
"You were soooo amazing, Espeon!"
"You're the best!"
'She used to be afraid to even touch a Pokémon. I never thought that same girl would come so far as to have a heart-to-heart battle with the same Pokémon that bit her,' Oak smiled.
Gary composed himself after seeing the girl he loved smile so radiantly. He was tempted to do the same as well.
Skyla recalled Swanna back into her Ball.
"You did well, Swanna," she thanked, tears trinkling down from her eyes.
"Sniff… From now on, I'll work to become someone who can bring out more of your charm. That's a promise!"
The tired swan smiled at her Trainer's declaration.
The two competitors then met at the centre of the battlefield.
"Haaah… You really came at us with everything you've got. It's my loss," Skyla playfully bemoaned her defeat.
The teenager's nonchalant laments gave the chestnut-haired girl a chuckle.
"Thank you, Skyla. You and Swanna were amazing!"
"Ehehe… Thank you!" Skyla bashfully thanked with a wide smile on her face.
Blue noticed the shift of demeanour from the teen.
The Unovan Trainer was now more radiant in her blue eyes than before, and she could not be happier.
"Hey, Blue. If the first battle was a romance, and the second was a Kaiju movie… Then, what genre was Espeon vs Swanna?" Skyla curiously asked.
Blue gave a soft smile at the question and closed her eyes in remembrance.
"The glistening, shining past. A past that clouds your mind. Both Espeon and I had to our own demons to fight… and through all that, we grew into a new version of ourselves."
"Like the swiftness of [ExtremeSpeed], or the flash of [Thunderbolt]. It's a moment that has passed by quickly but was certainly a miracle nonetheless."
"So… A coming-of-age movie, I guess?"
Skyla widened her eyes at the mature answer she received from the 11-year-old, amazed at her wisdom to say such words.
Espeon gave a soft smile towards the swan inside her Ball, the latter doing the same.
Satisfied with her answer, Skyla extended a hand towards the young girl.
" *Thank you so much, Blue! I had the best time!* "
(*Spoken in Unovan)
Blue was stunned for a moment but gave a beaming smile towards the auburn-haired teen, accepting her hand.
"I'll be rooting for you, Blue. Keep up the great work!" Skyla congratulated.
"Yep!" Blue nodded.
{ BOTH OF THESE TRAINERS SHOWED US HOW FREELY SPACE CAN BE USED AND THE VARIOUS EXPRESSIONS OF POKÉMON! }
{ A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THEM BOTH! }
Skyla's grandfather watched as his granddaughter waved towards the camera and her fans, eliciting a pleased smile for the old man.
Lt. Surge did the same.
{ AND WITH THAT, BLUE OF PALLET TOWN HAS ADVANCED TO THE NEXT ROUND! }
"Way to go, Blue! You've got a strong rival, Ash!" Misty clapped her hands before noticing the raven-haired boy's silence.
"…Ash?"
"Oh man… My heart can't take any more of this," Calem wheezed, catching his breath.
Apparently, the mid-air barrage of [Quick Attacks] with [Reflects] as platforms made the boy unconsciously hold his breath for way too long.
"I don't blame you, Cal. I've never seen anything like that before," Shauna replied while trying to get more air into her system.
'Or whatever we've seen during this tournament…' the tanned girl continued in her head.
"Truly marvellous! That battle in the skies was remarkable. It would also serve as good material for the students," Sycamore nodded his head in approval.
'I don't think the students would be able to follow any of that though…' Grace nervously chuckled with a sweat drop.
Then, the mother turned towards her daughter who had been strangely silent.
"…Serena?"
Blue turned towards the giant screen and saw her profile following an arrow going up…
Next to Green of Pallet Town.
As if on cue, a certain orange-haired boy made his way to the edge of the stands above the girl. His dull green eyes locked into her deep blue ones.
The crowd watched the two with bated breath as the air grew tense with excitement. A loud voice grew from the seats beside where Gary was standing.
"Oi, oi…"
"Oi , Oi, Oi, Oi, Oi, Oi, Oi, Oi!"
Serena could hardly keep the ends of her mouth from twisting up from exhilaration. So did everyone who were watching the trio's standoff.
Blue of Pallet Town. Green of Pallet Town. Red of Pallet Town.
'Wait a minute! Aren't they all from Pallet Town?!' Misty choked in realization.
"DON'T GO HAVING FUN WITHOUT ME!"
Chapter 40: Under the Same Sky
First Round Complete.