Summer and Weldon began their journey to Fortree City by attending the Annual Hoenn Berry Harvest Festival. The Kantonian met Summer's relatives and enjoyed the activities while Summer participated in the Berry harvesting contest to prevent Huánglóng from getting information from her uncle. Though neither of them won, Summer was relieved her uncle's secrets were safe. The two continued their travels on Route 119 and reached a town with another festival and another contest. What is the festival for and who will win the competition?
Chapter 38- Fanning a Ring of Flames
After getting a fresh start, Weldon, Lightning, and I walked on Route 119. Luckily, it wasn't raining, but just in case, we had umbrellas and rain jackets.
"Wow, I never expected this route to be so wet," Weldon noted as he stepped into a puddle.
I laughed. "The areas east toward the ocean tend to rain more frequently compared to the rest of the region. To be honest, most of this part of the region is pretty new to me."
"Really? Even though you've traveled around as a junior research assistant?"
"Well, Professor Birch is more of a terrestrial researcher than a marine one, so the only places I've visited are Fortree City and Lilycove City. And Mt. Pyre…is not a place I like going to."
He noticed my sadness at the end, but he didn't press it. "Oh, yeah. I just remembered. Isn't the PokéRinger contest today?"
I checked my Pokégear. "It is. Do you want to watch, or even participate?"
He stroked his chin. "I'm fine with watching, but I'm…not sure if I want to do it. What about you?"
I crossed my arms. "If Errol wants to. I feel he's on the verge of mastering Heat Wave thanks to Norman's advice."
"Then that'll be a perfect way for him to fine tune the move." Weldon shifted his hat. "Would you…want me to join the contest, Summer?"
"Of course. I think it'll be fun. Plus, we can experience something a little different from competitive battling"
"Hm… When you put it that way, I guess I can give it a shot. Who knows? Maybe we'll see each other in the finals."
I laughed. "We'll see. Come on, we better get there before it gets full. It's just beyond those mountains."
We ran north towards the gray landscape and found ourselves in a town nestled in the center of the mountain range. A large wooden sign labeled, "Crossgate Town", was decorated with colorful balloons and rings. The streets were also lined with balloons and rings, with various Flying type Pokémon hovering around their Trainers. We made it to the registration booth and signed up before it closed.
As we wandered around the vendor booths, a familiar husky man approached us. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Summer and Weldon."
I smiled. "It's been a while, Scott."
The scout adjusted his sunglasses. "Yes, it most certainly has. You both are entering this year's PokéRinger contest, am I right?"
Weldon nodded. "Are you here to watch?"
"Of course. The Trainers I'm looking for need to adapt to any type of Pokémon competition."
Hm…that's an interesting thing to say. I wonder what he's scouting for.
A gong reverberated throughout the town.
Scott said, "Oh, that's the signal that the PokéRinger contest's about to start. Good luck, you two. I'm sure you'll make it pretty far."
The man waddled away, carefully looking at other people and their Pokémon.
"He's a weird one, isn't he?" Lightning inquired.
I sighed. "At least he's not sneaking up on us." I turned to my coach. "Come on, Weldon. We shouldn't be late."
"Right."
We walked to the designated place where the remaining six contestants were. While most of them seemed friendly, there were two who looked more aggressive.
A teenage girl with a red and orange feather clip tossed her long blonde hair back when she saw us. "So that's Summer Scorcher and Weldon Leland?"
A teenage boy with glasses and a purple bowl cut snickered. "They're not so tough. I bet I can beat either of them."
The girl adjusted her red vest, which covered her tan T-shirt and orange shorts. "Oh, please, Xen. I'll beat them before you do."
Xen fixed his glasses and straightened out his kaleidoscope-colored shirt and white jeans. "I know you definitely will, Pilvi. After all, you're the strongest Trainer I know."
"Do they know we can hear them?" I whispered to Weldon.
My coach bluntly replied, "Don't listen to them, Summer. They're doing it on purpose."
I bit my lip. "It sounds like…you've experienced this before."
Weldon sighed as he pulled out a green eyepatch. "You can say that. There's always people like that at every battle-based competition."
"What's that for?"
He gave me a bitter smile as he put it over his right eye. "To make it fair, of course."
Some of the contestants, especially Xen and Pilvi, snickered at Weldon's unusual look. I wanted to ask him more, but a man approached the crowd of competitors to discuss the rules.
His explanation was very dry, but I got the gist of it. It was a tournament consisting of three rounds against Trainers with Flying type Pokémon, with the objective being to get a ring into a goalpost. We would battle from hot air balloons shaped like our Pokémon to get the ring from the opposing pair. Since there were Pokémon that can use Psychic type moves, those moves cannot be used on the opposing Pokémon but can be used on the ring for a maximum of five seconds, as long as it's not near the goalpost.
After the lecture, I looked at the tournament board. To my displeasure, not only was I in the first preliminary match, I was also facing Xen. The purple-haired teen looked at me with an unnerving gleam in his eyes. Pilvi, on the other hand, glared at Weldon, who she could potentially face if he won his preliminary match.
A volunteer guided me across the wide dirt field to a large grayish-white box where a Noctowl-shaped hot air balloon was waiting for me.
I took deep breaths as the balloon slowly ascended. Okay, Summer. It's just temporary…the feeling of being in the air…is just temporary…
When the basket stopped, I gripped the edge tightly, only to remember it was being tied from below. I regained my balance and looked across from me. Xen floated to about the same height in his balloon.
The creepy teen laughed. "Looks like strong Summer Scorcher's afraid of heights! I'm definitely going to win for sure."
Clutching the basket tightly, I replied, "Don't count your Eggs before they hatch, Xen."
A small yellow and white balloon holding a pink ring but a thin string floated above us as a tall metal framed structure appeared from the ground. A three-pronged hook was at the top, showing where we needed to put the ring.
We let out our Pokémon. Errol cautiously eyed Xen's Pokémon, a strange green bird-like Pokémon with white wings and two red feather crests that hovered in the air. She had a sharp orange beak, red and black tips on the wings, and one yellow stripe across her body. The most striking features though were her wide, unblinking eyes and two red eyes under her neck.
{Xatu, the Mystic Pokémon, and the evolved form of Natu. It has the enigmatic power of foreseeing the future. Some people in different lands have long believed that Xatu are emissaries from another world.}
No offense to that Xatu, but she's almost as creepy as his Trainer.
A whistle sounded, signaling the start of the match.
"Errol, fly in and take the ring!" I shouted.
He nodded and flew up. The Psychic type remained still, making me cautious.
Xen chuckled. "How predictable. Kachina, Tailwind!"
She raised her wings, and a sudden breeze blew past her Trainer's balloon. Errol was flung off-course, and the ring broke off its tether.
"Now, Kachina, grab it and bring it to the goal!"
She scooped up the ring with her psychic powers and descended. Errol regained his balance and chased after her.
"Air Slash!" I commanded.
He shot a swirling orb of air at his opponent's back. The Air Slash hit its mark, and Kachina dropped the ring. Errol then snatched it with his beak.
I felt the wind starting to pick up from the west. "Errol, use the wind to make your descent!"
He followed my directions and was about to make it close to the goal when Kachina appeared in front of him.
Xen laughed. "Confuse Ray!"
"Counter with Hypnosis!"
Kachina launched a small bright white ball as she was hit with the glowing white rings. Errol was hit by the Confuse Ray, and the pupils in his eyes turned to swirls. Kachina fell onto the field, sound asleep, as the ring fell from Errol's beak and landed on the dirt.
The purple-haired boy gritted his teeth. "Looks like Synchronize won't do me any good! Well, no matter. Poor Errol's not faring much better."
Ignoring his taunts, I shouted, "Errol, snap out of it!"
Upon hearing my words, he shook his head and returned to his senses. But unfortunately for us, Kachina woke up and grabbed the ring.
Her Trainer cheered, "Excellent, Kachina! Now use Double Team!"
The Xatu made five copies of herself holding the ring, confusing Errol again. Noticing he had trouble distinguishing the copies, I made a risky move.
"Errol, use Heat Wave!"
He inhaled deeply and flapped his wings. Small embers flew out from his feathers, but it wasn't enough to make a strong breeze.
Xen snickered. "Kachina, Tailwind once more!"
The copy of the Xatu behind Errol turned into the real one, and she launched the Noctowl back towards my level. Kachina took off and headed towards the goalpost.
No, it can't end here!
"Errol, Air Slash!"
He flipped over and quickly released the airy orb.
"How pathetic. Just accept defeat, Summer Scorcher!" Xen taunted. "Double Team!"
Kachina made more copies of herself, causing the orb to pass through one of them. This time, though, the impact from it hitting the ground forced dust into the air. The remaining Xatu copies coughed, but Errol stayed calm.
I waved my arm. "Errol, grab the ring!"
Xen nervously adjusted his glasses. "Y-You can't find the ring amongst my Kachina copies!"
"Oh yeah? Remember the other ability a Noctowl can have?"
The teen focused on the Normal type zoning in on a particular Kachina. "Oh no… Keen Eyes! Kachina, Confuse Ray!"
But she kept coughing, rendering her unable to conduct the counterstrike. Errol snatched the hoop from her beak and flew towards the goal.
Xen gritted his teeth and made one last ditch effort. "Use Psychic on the ring!"
With the dust settled, she focused on the ring in Errol's beak and surrounded it with a blue energy. The Owl Pokémon struggled to fly and keep the ring in his control.
Seeing the goalpost was in close range, I shouted, "Use Psychic on the ring yourself, Errol!"
His eyes glowed magenta, and the ring started to pulsate between magenta and blue energies. Errol continued to fight by flapping his wings hard. I noticed the embers forming around his feathers.
"Errol, don't give in! Use Heat Wave!"
"Ha! That failed move?" our opponent jeered. "It won't save you now!"
"Don't listen to Xen, Errol! I know you can do it!"
He tugged the ring harder and flapped at a higher speed. The embers turned into larger flames, and a wind of fire blew from his wings. Kachina was surprised as the Fire type move hit her, and she lost her concentration. Now regaining control of the ring, Errol threw the object onto a hook.
{GOAL!} the announcer shouted. {First-time participant, Summer Scorcher, has defeated Xen Xun to make it to the next round!}
The crowd cheered, and I gave Errol a congratulatory pat. Xen, on the other hand, moped as his balloon descended. As I happily returned to solid ground, I wondered how the rest of the tournament would go.
A few hours later…
After easily defeating our second opponent, I watched Weldon and Pilvi battle on the TV from the backstage waiting area. Weldon defeated his first opponent with ease, but Pilvi and her Pidgeot, Horus, was putting up more of a challenge.
Pilvi's really good, especially with her Agility-boosted Quick Attack strategy. Weldon's holding her off, but he hasn't landed any powerful hits. Wait, could it be?
A soft snickering startled me. I turned to my left and saw Xen and his unsettling grin.
My former opponent adjusted his glasses. "You really don't know why Weldon Leland's not battling at his full potential?"
I looked back at the action. "It's the reason why he has the eyepatch on, isn't it?"
"You're quite observant for an ex-researcher. Yes, it's because his battling ability is most effective when both eyes are used. If one eye is blocked, then the ability is weakened."
Frowning, I replied, "So essentially, he's crippling himself to be on even ground, so to speak. That seems unfair, to be honest."
Noticing the anger in my voice, my former opponent vented, "Do you know how many times Pilvi and I lost to battfams like him?! They use their abilities to flaunt them in our faces! The PLA knows this but awards those cheaters. They don't care about the rest of us, only the wealth they gain from those rich battfams!"
I rose to my feet. "Not all battfams are like that, Xen! Sure, they've been winning more often, but they also face judgment and bitterness amongst themselves. And, not all of those families are as rich as you say they are."
"Oh please," he scoffed. "Don't tell me you sided with them."
"Only with the nice ones. And besides, maybe if you trained harder, you wouldn't lose to them as often like you lost to me."
"W-Why you-!"
Loud cheering interrupted our intense argument. We looked at the TV and saw a replay of Weldon's Fearow throwing the ring onto the goalpost.
"See?" I said with a smug look.
The teen stepped back in shock. "N-No… Even with the handicap, Pilvi lost!" He ran out of the waiting area, holding back tears.
Though he was gone, I still processed our argument. Wow, I didn't expect myself to react like that. But this isn't Weldon's fault. The war against battfams and regular Trainers is getting out of control… I can see why Camilla mentioned the institution of the three division regional leagues and rule for repeat winners. Making things fair is causing more friction between the two groups. Still, they're only looking at the negatives. Even though I've lost to Weldon many times, I know he's not as snobbish since I met him. I clenched my fists, knowing I had a discussion to make.
A few minutes later…
I slowly ascended in my Noctowl balloon, keeping in mind to keep breathing. Across the way, Weldon, still wearing his eyepatch, was lost in thought.
I let out Errol and clenched the basket. All right, Summer. It's now or never.
Before the referee said the words to begin the match, I shouted, "Weldon, wait!"
Surprised, he responded, "H-Huh? What is it, Summer?"
The crowd became silent.
I gave my opponent a solemn look. "Weldon. You don't have to disable yourself so we can compete on even terms."
He sighed. "You know I need to, Summer. Otherwise…"
"No, it's not fair to you. I want you to have fun, not worry about the tension between battfams and regular Trainers."
"But…"
"Summer's right, Weldon!" Scott shouted from the stands. "Be yourself and take off the patch!"
The scout kept repeating his last words, and the rest of the audience joined in. "TAKE OFF THE PATCH! TAKE OFF THE PATCH!"
The constant cheering made Weldon smile. Then, he did what the crowd wanted him to do. After they cheered, he wiped a tear.
"All right, Summer. Since you asked for it, I won't hold back!"
I laughed. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
The referee waved for us to start, and our Flying types charged at the ring. Fearow was faster and grabbed it in his talons.
His Trainer smiled. "Great work, Fearow! Now head towards the goalpost!"
"Oh no you don't!" I said with a smirk. "Errol, Air Slash!"
The Owl Pokémon threw a swirling orb at his rival, and Fearow dropped the ring after being hit. Errol scooped it up and descended.
Weldon chuckled. "You may have the advantage in long-range moves, but we have it in close quarters. Fearow, Steel Wing!"
The Kanto Pokémon charged at Errol with silver glowing wings. My Pokémon tried to dodge the attacks, but he was struck on the chin and tossed back. The Fearow grabbed the loose ring and turned back towards the ground.
Seeing Errol restabilize himself, I shouted, "Errol, use Psychic on the ring!"
He nodded and surrounded the target with magenta energy. Sensing the pull from the Johto Pokémon's powers, Fearow braked and tried his hardest to keep the ring in his beak.
Weldon saw the ring starting to loosen from his Pokémon's mouth and smiled. "Fearow, Heat Wave!"
The Flying type flapped his wings and unleashed the fiery wind.
"Errol, use your Heat Wave!"
The Noctowl tried to counter with his version of the Fire type move, but it wasn't strong enough. The flames pelted Errol's feathers, and the Owl Pokémon crashed into the ground. Fearow readjusted the ring in his mouth and took his time to arrive at the metal tower, thinking it was an easy win.
"Are you okay, Errol?" I asked.
He slowly got up. "Y-Yes, Ms. Summer."
Hearing the disappointment in his response, I said, "Remember what I told you Norman said? You have to think like a Fire type."
"A Fire type…" Errol returned to the sky. "That is correct… I must follow Mr. Blaze's example and not succumb to pressure. But how can I approach him in time?"
He's right. Errol's too slow to catch up with Fearow, and if we do try, they'll definitely react quickly. Unless…
"Errol, can you use Psychic on yourself?"
"M-Myself, Ms. Summer?"
I nodded. "I know we haven't tried that strategy yet. But if you combine the psychic energy with your physical strengths…"
The Owl Pokémon's eyes grew wide. "I…understand."
His eyes glowed magenta, and the color spread along his body. Locking onto his opponent, Errol used his psychic powers to charge at Fearow at a faster speed. The Beak Pokémon was caught off-guard as his rival slammed into his body.
Weldon gritted his teeth as Errol scooped up the falling ring. "You always surprise me with your battling strategies, Summer." Seeing his Pokémon recovered, he pointed at the descending Noctowl. "Fearow, Aerial Ace!"
The Kanto Pokémon charged at his rival, eager to get the hoop back. The Owl Pokémon stopped and faced the attacker with a determined gaze.
Knowing what he wanted to do, I shouted, "Errol, Heat Wave!"
He took a deep breath and flapped his wings. Embers spread from the generated wind, and the Fire attack made direct contact. The Beak Pokémon screeched in pain, and he fell onto the ground. Seeing he wouldn't get up any time soon, Errol placed the ring onto the goalpost.
{GOAL!} the announcer shouted amidst the roar of the crowd. {With a spectacular come-from-behind goal, Summer and Errol win this year's PokéRinger Contest!}
I was so ecstatic about the win, I didn't notice the balloon moving until it hit the ground. I ran over to my equally delighted Noctowl.
"You did it, Errol! You won and mastered Heat Wave!"
We hugged each other, and he responded, "I owe it to you and Mr. Blaze, Ms. Summer."
Weldon and Fearow approached us, the former grinning with excitement. "Congratulations, Summer. You and Errol did really well, and mastering Heat Wave was a nice bonus. Even though I lost, it was a really fun battle. I-I can't thank you enough."
I grasped his outstretched hand and gave it a pat. "Me too. It's all because of the training you've given me that I can battle better."
The audience applauded our sportsmanship, and Errol and I got our photo taken as well as a plaque commemorating our honorary citizenship for Crossgate Town. Once all that, and the interviews, were done, Weldon and I got ready to leave.
To our surprise, Xen and Pilvi were waiting by the town sign. The Pidgeot Trainer smiled.
"Looks like we made it in time."
I became cautious. "In time for…what?"
Xen stuttered, "W-Well…y-you see…"
My coach crossed his arms. "Summer told me your feelings against battfams. Sure, I'm from a well-known battling family, and I use my ability whenever I can. But that doesn't give you a right to assume I would be a jerk because of my background."
Our opponents bowed. "We know, and we're so sorry, Weldon!" they said simultaneously.
I raised an eyebrow. "This is…unexpected…"
Pilvi spoke first. "I can explain. Weldon, I thought I would win easily since you couldn't use your ability properly. But as the match went on I realized I still couldn't keep up with you. You had strategies I never thought of, and you did them without the full use of your power. I should've trained more instead of taking out my hatred on you."
"But what made you hate battfams in the first place?" the Kantonian inquired.
"It's because of…your brother, Stanley."
Weldon sighed. "First off, he's my half-brother. Second, I can see why that made you hate us. He may be a battling prodigy, but he sucks at being a decent human being."
We chuckled, easing the tension.
Xen grinned, this time a genuine one. "It looks like Pilvi and I still have much to learn. We'll keep a more open mind about battfams; even if they're not like you, Weldon, we won't let that ruin our perception of them."
"I'm glad to hear that. And, I accept your apology."
Relieved, our new rivals said their goodbyes and left.
The Kantonian felt the breeze passing through. "You know what? I'm glad I got to participate."
"Really? What makes you say that?"
He took off his hat and smiled. "It made me better understand the struggles we have against regular Trainers. I still have to keep it in mind, but I shouldn't be scared about showing my full potential. Some people like that challenge, strangely enough."
"Hey, are you calling me strange?"
Chuckling, he responded, "You're strange, but in a good way. That's one of the things I like about you, Summer."
"Th-Thanks…" I turned away, hoping he didn't see my blush.
"Anyway, are you ready to go?"
I nodded. "I can't wait to get to Fortree City. I really need some rest after all the excitement we've been through."
Weldon replied, "I agree. Let's hurry before the rain starts again."
We ran back towards the forest and made it to the city before nightfall.
Summer's Pokémon:
Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, Blaze Ability, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut
Errol (Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, Keen Eye Ability, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Air Slash, Heat Wave (learning)
Aurora (Dewgong, female): Calm Nature, Thick Fat Ability, moves: Water Pulse, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Signal Beam
Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, Static Ability, moves: Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch, Grass Knot
Rocky (Steelix, male): Lonely Nature, Rock Head Ability, moves: Stone Edge, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail
Olive (Grovyle, female): Timid Nature, Overgrow Ability, moves: Fury Cutter, Double Team, Mega Drain, Quick Attack
Weldon's Pokémon:
Venusaur (male): Serious Nature, Overgrow Ability, moves: Razor Leaf, Earthquake, Sludge Bomb, Vine Whip; in rotation- Solarbeam, Body Slam
Fearow (male): Adamant Nature, Keen Eye Ability, moves: Heat Wave, Steel Wing, Fury Attack, Aerial Ace; in rotation- Drill Peck
Golem (male): Bold Nature, Rock Head Ability, moves: Rock Slide, Earthquake, Rollout, Double Edge
Gyarados (male): Sassy Nature, Intimidate Ability, moves: Surf, Ice Fang, Payback, Waterfall
Arcanine (male): Naughty Nature, Flash Fire Ability, moves: Hyper Beam, Extremespeed, Flare Blitz, Fire Blast
Electabuzz (male): Rash Nature, Static Ability, moves: Thunder, Mega Kick, Thunder Punch, Shock Wave
Questions for the Chapter:
What do you think of the PokéRinger contest?
What did you think of Xen and Pilvi?
What did you think about the arguments Xen and Summer made about battfams?
How will Summer do against the Fortree City Gym Leader?
