Note- Welcome back to Heart and Soul and welcome to 2025! Where I'm at, we're in the trenches with cold spells and short days. Maybe that's why I locked in these last few weeks and finished up this behemoth of a chapter. Thankfully, I can sense spring inching closer, and with it, a renewed motivation to get out and enjoy life to the fullest!

Meanwhile, in Chapter 77, spring is in full swing! And with us smackdab in the middle of the Silver Conference semifinals, you know the heat is on! With one battle concluding and the other beginning, we'll encounter some seismic shifts both on and off the battlefield! I've made you wait almost two months, so I won't delay any longer!

Please consider dropping a review and follow/favorite for notifications about future chapters! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 77

Something like faint thunder echoed through the ceiling. One of the fluorescent lights flickered, snapping shadows in and out all over the room. It was the big one; the sound of a battle ending.

Prinny didn't need to check who won. He could feel it in his bones. The ache pulsed from his feet up through his mucus filled chest, stopping at his pounding head. The winner of this battle would be the only person who could stop his brother from winning the region title. Just another reason he needed to walk out of this stadium the victor.

Prinny stood up and instinctively checked his belt. All six of his team's capture devices were accounted for. Slowbro's Poké Ball was on the far left, meaning he would be Prinny's first onto the battlefield. The other five devices had their own order meaning, but those were much more loose. Prinny knew better than to think he could predict every one of Chris's moves. The Cherrygrove City native may have been one of the more predictable Silver Conference finalists, but he was too talented a trainer to underestimate.

Footsteps out in the hallway grabbed Prinny's attention. He shuffled over to the doorway and poked his head out. Light poured in through the battlefield's entrance at the end of the hallway, illuminating two large men in suits. Prinny blinked. No, there were four men in the hallway, all dressed identically. The other two stood opposite each other a dozen feet from the locker room. The latter two turned their cold stares on him. The man on the left half turned away and spoke into a walkie talkie. Prinny couldn't make out his words, but the communication device's overly loud speaker hissed back, "Make sure he stays there. We're routing Waz through the other tunnel."

Prinny slowly leaned back into the room. He found himself smiling.

Those officials really were afraid he'd beat his brother's ass. Or maybe even better, Waz had requested the security detail. Knowing his brother's pride he doubted that was the case, but dammit, it felt fun to consider. That piece of shit may have been bigger than him now, but Prinny could leverage his smaller stature better than most. His training with Scrafty had helped him develop an even lower center of gravity. He'd hip toss that bastard into oblivion the next time he saw him.

Movement by the door nearly had him toppling backwards. He first expected it to be one of the massive security guards, then thought it might somehow be his brother, but it turned out to be a slouching trainer about his age. His long, black hair and olive skin triggered Prinny's memory. Kahekili. One of the large officials followed just behind the Alolan trainer, and motioned for him to enter the locker room. Prinny took an extra step back and watched the trainer as he trudged to one of the lockers and withdrew his belongings. The security guard now stood beside Prinny, his eyes very much staring a hole into the side of his head. Prinny wasn't sure why he had been tagged as a threat to other's safety. His heart only carried violence toward one person.

Kahekili approached the door, his backpack now slung over one of his slumped shoulders. As he passed, he turned toward Prinny, the ghost of a smile on his lips. "Hope you guys have a great battle," he said.

Prinny stared back. He tried to reply, but his mouth felt glued shut. Even the occasional intrusive thought of losing to his brother had put Prinny into bad moods that lasted hours. Here was a man who had lost to him on the biggest stage, costing him a chance at a championship and ending his current team's second and final run through a region tournament… and he had just resigned himself to it?

Prinny continued staring as Kahekili shuffled out into the tunnel. Then he turned the corner and was out of sight.

Static hissed from the device on the security official's waist. It vanished as a voice came through. "We're ready for Prinny at the battlefield entrance."

"Like usual, you'll walk out on my signal."

Chris squinted out through the flaps that hung down to separate the tunnel from the stadium's center. The scarred battlefield Waz had claimed his victory on had been cycled into the earth and replaced by an untouched, pristinely painted surface. The air above it carried a golden hue and seemed much brighter than usual. Chris tilted his head up to see if he could catch a glimpse of sunlight through the stadium's translucent ceiling, but the overhead lights suddenly swiveled his direction, and he found his eyes full of stars.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the stadium speakers boomed, "let's welcome our competitors for the second semifinal battle today!"

As Chris rubbed at his eyes, the official beside him began a countdown. "Eight, seven, six, five…" It was a process he'd done several times at this point, but he still couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride. This kind of production value was only reserved for the bigger stages in battling. It spoke to how far the team had come and proved they were still alive. As the man finished his countdown, Chris's name rumbled through the overhead speakers. "That's your cue."

Chris stepped around the thin canvas and into the swirling pool of light and sound. He'd watched several battles from the trainer box, but being at the center of the spectacle brought a different level of sensation. It normally took his eyes and ears a few seconds to adjust to the plethora of stimuli. The front row on his right burst to life with voices and flashes as the media captured the moment. Chris kept his head forward, just as he had in the lead up to all his battles. He could feel his feet moving faster with each step. This forty eight hour stretch of time had been the longest in his life. He was ready for this battle to begin. Needed it to, in fact.

As he reached the trainer box, the crowd noise swelled, with that one word chant returning, and along with it, Chris's grin.

Joh-to. Joh-to. Joh-to.

He pressed on toward the center of the battlefield. He was Johto's final rep. The region that had raised him and amazed him with its legends, beauty, and culture. The region that hadn't had a native son or daughter win its region title in almost ten years. The region that had received undue disrespect from those outside it.

Joh-to. Joh-to. Joh-to.

He suppressed the urge to look up into the stands. His dad and friends were up there. They believed he could do it. Above them, he knew Kamon would be watching from the Gym Leader suite. There was a man who knew what it took to win this tournament. The man who had beaten his brother to take home the title.

Joh-to. Joh-to. Joh-to.

He reached the judge, but found Prinny still a ways off. The short trainer had on that same purple jacket he'd worn during every one of his Silver Conference battles. He had the hood down, but even as he drew close, seeing his face now gave nothing away. He stopped in front of Chris and stood like a stone, indifferent to the waves of sound and light that poured over him.

The official stepped up between them. "This will be a full six-on-six battle with switches allowed at any time. You will send out your Pokémon on my first signal. The battle will not begin until I give a second. Are there any questions?" In all the Silver Conference battles Chris had seen and participated in, there had never been any questions. That trend continued here. "Then please shake hands and head to your trainer boxes."

Prinny was the first to extend his hand. Chris took it and shook it. He nodded his head, his mouth working to say something—anything—but no words came. After a couple of seconds, it was clear Prinny also had nothing to say. The Sevii Islander released his grip, placed both hands in his jacket pockets, and calmly began the short walk to his trainer box.

Chris's trip to his own box felt much quicker—almost too fast. The Joh-to chants now felt like ocean waves crashing on his head, the sound of them like teeth-shaking thunder. Even after the protective barrier materialized around the battlefield, the chants still came through like someone was shouting right beside him.

"Trainers," the battlefield speakers pounded the judge's voice into both ears. Had the volume always been this loud? "Are you ready?"

Chris took in a long inhale and held it. He took his hand out of his jacket pocket and stuck his arm out straight, maximizing the Poké Ball in his grip. Across the battlefield, Prinny looked to be mirroring the gesture. At the end of the judge's countdown, both capture devices were tossed. Chris's choice of Espeon was met by Prinny's pick of Slowbro. And just like that, the battle finally had a shape.

Chris exhaled.

"Begin!"

Not a bad matchup to start the battle, but why not improve the odds even more?

"Trick Room."

Espeon's Shadow Ball exploded against Slowbro's chest, but it did nothing to prevent his teammate from encasing the battlefield inside a shimmering prism. Espeon's second Shadow Ball went wide right as Slowbro now sprinted toward his fellow Psychic-type. Seeing his iconically slow teammate moving so fast still struck Prinny as hilarious, but he couldn't focus on humor now.

"Scald!"

The steaming water struck Espeon and made him recoil. Prinny squinted, but couldn't tell if they'd scored a burn. Either way, they were going to make Chris switch.

"Psychic!"

"Calm Mind!"

Two different auras lit up around Espeon. It was clear as the Sun Pokémon was launched off his feet which technique went through first. Slowbro swung an arm one way, then the other, and Espeon's body complied. Chris's teammate remained compact however, and the red jewel atop his head continued to glow. Slowbro's psychic link was snapped and Espeon spun around to land on all fours. Chris had called for a Psybeam before the elegant creature had even landed.

The multicolored beam covered the ground between the two Pokémon quickly, but Prinny knew he had nothing to worry about. He called for Slowbro to sidestep the move and his teammate followed through without difficulty. They'd have Chris switching after this next attack, and there was only one Pokémon he could possibly choose to counter Slowbro.

"Scald!"

It was Chris's turn to call for his teammate to dodge an attack. The concentrated stream of water traveled too quickly for Espeon to step around it, but the cat-like creature managed to flatten himself against the ground, the boiling water passing just between his two long ears. In that brief window of Prinny's surprise, Chris called for a Shadow Ball. This time, Prinny couldn't get his teammate out of the way in time. The dark ball of energy—this one bigger than the first two—smashed into the side of Slowbro's head as he shuffled backward. His feet tangled, the spiky shell around his tail catching in the dirt, and the Hermit Crab Pokémon went over backwards.

Prinny kept his mouth closed, but he couldn't keep his teeth from grinding together. He looked at his fumbling teammate and then at Espeon. The latter had already started up another Calm Mind. No doubt Slowbro could strike them with a Scald before they'd finished the move, but at this point, what would that accomplish? Espeon already had great defense against special attacks, and now that had been bolstered by two Calm Minds. Even if the attack managed to burn the Sun Pokémon, his ability would burn Slowbro in return. No. Prinny would have to move to his second contingency for Espeon. He reached for Slowbro's Poké Ball.

As Dobbs watched the battle below, he thought back to his last conversation with Prinny.

It was true the two hadn't seen eye to eye in the beginning. It was also true they'd spent much of these last few days arguing. He wasn't sure if Prinny even really liked him. But to be fair to himself, there was a lot he didn't like about the Viridian City trainer. He had a haughty demeanor that simmered just beneath the surface, like he knew more than everyone around him. It made it difficult for Dobbs to give any advice and… wait… what had he been thinking about before?

"Last conversation," Dobbs mumbled. Then quieter, "Last conversation."

Prinny had mostly asked for Dobbs's input on the physical side of battling—strength and conditioning, positioning, gaining leverage—but Dobbs hadn't been able to stay silent about a problem he saw going into this battle.

"He doesn't switch as much as you think," he had told Prinny. The winner of the Winter Invitational had told him he wasn't interested in his strategic insights, but Dobbs had pressed on. Prinny's plan had banked on Chris's constant need to switch to get out of increasingly dire situations. Prinny's team was set up very well to create those unbalanced odds: strong defenses across the board, several teammates possessing self healing moves, and a wide variety of coverages to resist threats of any type. Trick Room was also an inspired choice when going up against a trainer who fed off speed and quick instincts. There was something here though that Prinny hadn't seen and maybe still didn't. Something that Dobbs hadn't—or didn't want to—see.

You could say a lot of things about Chris: his team's type variety lacked imagination, he couldn't win the biggest battles, he held on too tightly to his beliefs, he… no, not again.

Dobbs shook his head as Espeon used Baton Pass, subbing in Ampharos to take what would have been a super effective Payback from Scrafty. As Ampharos went on the offensive and Scrafty struggled to keep up, it became clear that with Trick Room's dimension-altering effect, Ampharos actually had become the faster Pokémon. And that just went to punctuate the point he'd tried and failed to convince Prinny of. Chris, for as predictable as his team's strategy was, lacked nothing in the execution department. Dobbs would never have verbalized it to anyone—very few people deserved open praise—but Chris prepared his team as well as any trainer Dobbs had ever been around. He had noticed it especially during his stay at Luke's family estate. The cardio, the honing of the timing and aiming of moves, and their ability to quickly adapt in battle, all culminated in versatile, resilient battlers. Dobbs may have never been overly impressed with Chris's skills as a strategist, but the Cherrygrove native got the most out of every member of his team. And in Dobbs's humble, but correct, opinion, Prinny had severely underestimated the endurance of those teammates.

As if to punctuate the point, Ampharos took a Drain Punch to one shoulder and held her ground. Based on his reaction, the point blank Thunderbolt that shot through Scrafty's body took away more health than what he had just stolen. The exchange prompted a switch from Prinny and a loud burst of cheers from those sitting a few rows behind Dobbs. He peered back over his shoulder and found an animated David clutching Chris's father's arm as they both hooted their excitement.

Of all the people Dobbs had met along his journey, David felt the most relatable. The trainer went to school only a couple miles from Dobbs's own. During their time together at Luke's house, they'd discovered mutual friends and enemies. They both had started out their trainer journey's with no one to guide them and both had made incredible strides. The air felt lighter when David was around, the laughter more frequent. Aside from his team's success, Dobbs couldn't find much to root for in the world around him. Some levity was needed, and that, in combination with the aforementioned additions, made it easy to root for him. But that rooting interest had turned sour when David had advanced to the Finals and Dobbs had not. That was the kind of nonsense that made Dobbs believe the whole world was against him, that luck fell more on some than others… or at least that's what he had thought. Now he wasn't sure.

Next to David sat Luke. The Tohjo Falls trainer had a smile on his face as he watched, but his eyes stared off at something well beyond the stadium. They reminded Dobbs uncomfortably of the first time he had seen his reflection after his battle with Chris. It had driven him to his bed, where he'd stayed for Arceus only knew how long. This loss was still fresh for Luke. Yet here he was, suffering through it.

Dobbs blinked as he suddenly realized Luke was looking back at him. Luke spoke before he could turn away. "You wanna come join Chris's cheer section?" he asked.

Dobbs snorted. "No dice, broski."

"Aw, come on, Dobbs!" David shouted, shaking Chris's father's arm. "It's more fun in the winner's circle."

"There's a lot of battle left," Dobbs said. He gave both trainers a serious look, pushed up his glasses, and turned back around. There may have been a lot of battle left, but Prinny needed to pick things up. Chris had snatched the momentum early and had yet to lose it.

As Dobbs took in the current matchup of Scrafty and Scizor, he frowned. One of the few points of emphasis Prinny had let slip involved ensuring Slowbro was on the battlefield anytime Scizor came in. With Trick Room in effect and Scald's high burn chance, Dobbs understood the logic. Scizor could strike for super effective damage with X-Scissor, but Slowbro would be able to move faster, getting multiple shots to burn his opponent while healing himself with Slack Off. Even if Scizor had tried to use Bullet Punch to get around Trick Room's effect, the Psychic/Water-type resisted Steel-type attacks. But Scrafty possessed none of those advantages and Scizor's Bullet Punches repeatedly landed with great speed and effectiveness. And for a teammate Prinny normally liked to leave in and set up with, this already marked the second time Scrafty had entered the battlefield. The speed of Bullet Punch and the threat of Wing Attack left the Dark/Fighting-type no opportunity to set and keep up a Substitute. So Scrafty instead countered with Payback, then Drain Punch, but it was clear Scizor was wearing him down. Prinny must have realized it as well, as he returned Scrafty to his Poké Ball the moment he finished his punch.

Flashing lights high above the battlefield were accompanied by a 'whoosh.' Energy glistened all around the protective barrier, taking the familiar shape of square panels. Dobbs's eyebrows rose as he watched those translucent objects rapidly fall and dissipate into thin air. Trick Room's time was up.

Morty glanced down at his Pokégear, hair prickling the back of his neck. A voice came through the device's speaker, repeatedly saying his name, but the Gym Leader was having trouble finding words to say.

"Just… just a sec," he managed. His eyes darted around the hallway. One end led to the Gym Leader suite he'd been on his way to, the other end led to a private walkway for prominent individuals looking to discreetly leave the stadium. Both options still risked someone being within ear shot. He needed to discuss this now, to begin processing the situation immediately. A sign on the door beside him identified a single use bathroom, the green symbol beneath it revealing its vacancy. Morty hurried inside.

"When was the last time you contacted her?" he asked.

"Two days ago," the security official answered. "She had just left Olivine that morning and was on her way back to Ecruteak."

Morty rubbed his forehead. "What about her security?"

"We found one dead at the intercept site, not far from the ranch on Route 39. We haven't found any sign of the other three."

"Who all have you told?"

"We spoke with Karen. We tried to contact Lance, but all we could reach was his team."

"And I'm the third call?"

"Yes sir."

Morty let out a long exhale and nodded to himself. "Okay. I need your office not to speak with anyone else about this."

"But what about the other Kimono—"

"I'll let them know about Sayo. I'll make the calls right after we're through." Four painful, repetitive conversations, but he needed to speak with them directly. The prior disappearances had been awful, but this one sent a clear, more alarming message. The Kimono Girls had all been traveling incognito, their traditional garb discarded and their security dressed in casual attire. So either these attackers were able to recognize Sayo's face or, more worrisome, they had been tipped off about her location. That could mean they really were after the bells.

When he'd first had his vision about the sacred items, he'd been hesitant to call it anything more than a dream, even after Karen had taken it as a sign to split the dancers up. When combined with the other disappearances, it made the decision a little bit easier, but Morty still felt reluctant to trust his infrequent psychic episodes. His interpretations of them had been incredibly hit or miss over the years, with one particularly wrong prediction leading Blue north of Blackthorn City, deep into the heart of Mt. Rose, in search of the mysterious Sinjoh Ruins. He'd come back with nothing to show for it except a nasty bit of frostbite on his leg. Morty had made a real effort in more recent years to meditate after these episodes and not speak as much about them. His patience though had come with a price; Eusine had begun teasing him about old age zapping his mental faculties.

Morty found himself grinning and quickly shifted his lips back to a frown. The time for meditation would be later. He needed to act.

"In the meantime," he swiped to his contact's page as he spoke, "I need you to get in touch with local authorities in Ecruteak. Tell them to buff up their patrols around the western and southern—"

The bathroom door swung open, the edge just missing Morty's shoulder. Shit. He'd forgotten to lock it.

"Oh—sorry."

Kamon.

The two Gym Leaders shared a shocked look, then Kamon quickly backpedaled into the hallway, with the door swinging shut behind him. Morty once again found himself smiling. He shook his head and finished relaying his request to the official. After hanging up, he stepped over to the sink and washed his hands. When he stepped back into the hallway, he found Kamon standing by the wall just a few feet away.

"Hopefully you weren't in a rush," Morty said.

"Lucky for you I wasn't."

"You were moving like you had to go."

"Can't say I see the appeal of a bathroom for much else." Kamon's eyebrows lifted. "Especially for a phone call."

Morty shrugged. "Doing your business can mean a lot of things."

A smile peeked around the edge of Kamon's lips. "Doing your business. That's pretty good."

"Thanks," Morty said, not hiding his own grin. "How's your wonder lad doing out there?"

Kamon didn't seem to register the question. "Any more news from around the region?"

"Nothing to discuss at the moment," Morty quickly replied. Technically, that wasn't a lie. He really wasn't ready to discuss what he'd just learned. He needed to formulate a plan and carefully disseminate it to those he could trust. Based on the way Kamon tilted his head though, he wasn't buying it.

"Anything you can elaborate—"

"How's Chris doing?"

Kamon looked him dead in the eyes, his pupils completely motionless. Morty found it hard not to step back into the restroom. This was the look that made it difficult to forget Kamon's checkered past and gave credence to the rumors about whose progeny he was. That intense stare disappeared as Kamon closed his eyes and let a long breath pass through his nose. When his eyelids pulled back, his entire expression had relaxed. "He's doing alright."

"Does he have a lead?"

"Neither of them have lost a Pokémon."

"Ah." Morty nodded. He tried to think of something else to add to keep the conversation from tapping into any of his million thoughts about the most recent disappearance, but nothing came. He really needed to get out of here.

"Are you coming to the suite to watch?" Kamon asked.

"Nah. I… have to run a couple quick errands. And I need to make a call or two." He peered over Kamon's shoulder, back toward the Gym Leader suite. "I can hear all the noise from here." Morty mimicked tipping back a glass. "Something tells me I wouldn't be getting a thing done."

"Are you sure everything is alright?" Kamon's tone and expression were softer now. There was real concern in his voice. It made Morty feel like he had an outlet to drop at least a little bit of the weight this new crisis had placed on his shoulders. Morty licked his gums. But not too much.

"Well… not really. I'm not ready to share the info with anyone yet, but you'll be hearing about it by tomorrow, I'm sure."

"Bad news?"

"Unfortunately."

Kamon nodded. "When you're able, just let me know what I can do to help."

"Thank you for the offer," Morty said, and he scanned the younger Gym Leader's face. Kamon stared back, unflinching. "I will," Morty said. And he meant it.

Luke felt like the two trainers battling had swapped bodies. The normally methodical Prinny had switched through four of his Pokémon already, with each taking real damage along the way. His slower teammates had been forced into a more aggressive pattern. That made for an interesting sight as they fired off rounds of attacks without ever even attempting to recover or take defensive precautions. Chris, on the other hand, had only made a few switches, with a couple of them bringing the added benefit of a boost from Espeon's Calm Mind to Baton Pass combo. The offensive and defensive boosts from that maneuver had allowed Ampharos to deal an immense amount of damage while shaking off the weaker counterattacks. It made Chris feel like the trainer who emphasized setups and sturdy teammates.

Sturdy teammates.

Luke swallowed and tasted sickness in the back of his throat. The sturdiness of Kahekili's teammates had ended his tournament run. Even with a couple days to process it, the sting hadn't vanished. It was strange; Luke knew that making it to the finals meant he'd eventually face more experienced and skilled trainers. Something about making it through the first couple battles and then being so close in that quarterfinal matchup. And then, if he just could have closed it out, he would have faced another rookie in Waz this…

Luke shook his head. He'd gone through this multiple times already. He'd lost. He was out of the tournament. And that was that. The pain lingered, but it would lessen with time. It had already been dulled somewhat by Morty's expedition proposal. That gave him something to latch onto and be excited for in the not-too-distant future. And it felt good to have some direction after his last year's worth of work seemingly ended with one battle. In his mind he knew that wasn't true, but the Silver Conference had been the biggest thing in his sights. Now, having a new goal felt refreshing, and the fact he'd be working alongside some legendary figures to accomplish it had him buzzing again.

He turned his grin toward the other two members of Chris's cheer section, but both men had lost their smiles. Their constant chatter had stopped as well. Luke followed their concerned stares down to the battlefield, where a thick haze filled the air. Squinting through the dark cloud, he caught sight of the brightly colored Ampharos on Chris's side. It took much longer to spot the dark, floating orbs that comprised Weezing's body, and only after they had been illuminated by a mustard colored glow.

Chris's dad pointed to the opposite side of the battlefield. "Ampharos has that same energy around it," he said.

"Do you think it's some kind of status changing move?" David asked.

"That wouldn't be a bad idea after using Haze, but I don't think it is. There aren't many status moves I know of that affect both Pokémon."

As the dark shroud dropped away from the battlefield, the energy around the battling creatures shifted. Ampharos backpedaled as the yellow aura ripped itself away and vanished. She had to stick an arm out to catch herself as she dropped to one knee. Looking back at Weezing, his aura also dissipated, but without any kind of violent motion. The big screens around the stadium filled with a close up of the Poison-type Pokémon.

"He looks like he's recovered some of his strength," Chris's father said, his face scrunching up.

"Pain Split," Luke said quietly. Then louder, "He used Pain Split."

David brought a hand up to his mouth. "Fuck."

Prinny watched as Chris brought in Espeon, then nodded to himself as Weezing's Toxic attack washed over the Psychic-type. The Sun Pokémon's body glowed beneath the Toxic sludge, but Prinny knew better than to worry about it. Working around Espeon's powerful Synchronize ability had been crucial, especially with the Psychic-type possessing good matchups against a sizable chunk of Prinny's team. Now they'd neutralized that ability, and soon, Espeon would fall.

It had been a much rockier start than he'd expected, but Prinny hadn't wavered in his approach. They had scouted their opponents and had prepared the right strategy. He and his team were experienced enough to make adjustments as needed, of course, but the overall game plan stayed consistent. Winning battles came down to discipline and staying at least one step ahead. He didn't believe in seizing momentum and he had worked hard to teach his teammates not to fall into that line of thinking. The concept of momentum in battle was a dangerous one. Prinny had seen trainers with sizable leads completely fall apart and lose a contest at the first sign of 'losing' momentum. A young Prinny hadn't been above those same mistakes and misconceptions, but in studying some of the best trainers in the world, he'd noticed a calm commitment—a steady march toward victory. Whether a present exchange delivered a positive or negative outcome ultimately didn't matter that much.

So Prinny had no second thoughts in subbing out his teammate after their successful poisoning maneuver. He called for Ingrain before Cradily had even fully materialized from his Poké Ball. It was just as well he had, as the Rock/Grass-type had only just planted his roots when Espeon's Psybeam blasted the side of his head. The Barnacle Pokémon managed to stay upright thanks to his planted leverage, but Prinny didn't immediately call for a counterattack. Chris had surprised him with his limited switching, but there was no way the trainer would keep that up. Even if the Cherrygrove native scored an early lead from the tactic, his team was not constructed to get into a war of attrition. He would have to begin leaning into switches to try and score quicker knockouts in super effective matchups. Planting Cradily with Ingrain meant committing to this belief.

"There it is," Prinny muttered as Espeon disappeared back into his capture device. No Baton Pass meant Chris would be bringing in a physically attacking teammate. With Cradily as his opponent, that really only left him a couple options. "He's one," Prinny mumbled as the massive red Gyarados slammed onto the ground.

"Wring Out!" Prinny said, this time his voice a shout.

Cradily's neck extended forward like it was made of chewed up gum. The eight tentacles around his face shot out like a nest of Ekans scared from their den. The pink tendrils managed to stretch all the way around the upper portion of Gyarados's own serpentine figure. Before Chris could get out a command, the appendages constricted, wrapping the Atrocious Pokémon in a stranglehold. Gyarados shook violently against the tentacles, but all he got was a facefull of dirt as Cradily slammed him headfirst into the ground. The aggressive swing and friction from the ground did allow Gyarados to shimmy away from Cradily's already retreating appendages, but Prinny knew the real damage had already been done. This was the Water/Flying-type's first appearance in this battle, meaning Wring Out had hit with its maximum strength. Now, Prinny could focus on setting up for the rest of Chris's team.

"Dragon Dance!" Chris shouted.

"Stealth Rock," Prinny directed. He had been prepared to bring in Cradily earlier just for this move, but Chris's lack of switching had forced him to be patient. He wouldn't make the same mistake as Chris's previous opponent. Her momentary delay in setting up Stealth Rocks might very well be the reason he was battling Chris instead of her.

Gyarados finished his boosting maneuver before the stones had fully settled around the edge of the battlefield. That meant Chris's call for Earthquake also came before Prinny's Giga Drain command. The ground erupted beneath Cradily, with clumps of earth and rock slamming into the Barnacle Pokémon's lower body. More concerningly, a few of the roots connecting Cradily to the ground were ripped apart by the churning earth. The Rock/Grass-type persevered, unleashing a new wave of tendrils into the air, with these being made purely of energy. The green vines didn't have to travel far, as Gyarados was already charging. The massive creature swam through the air with impressive speed, barely giving the energy absorbing attack time to latch on before he'd snapped his icy fangs onto Cradily's exposed neck. Both creatures went still as their attacks landed. Prinny watched Gyarados's face, hoping to see his furious expression recoil in pain, but he got no such look. Instead, it was Cradily that shuddered and wriggled in pain, struggling and ultimately failing to pull away from Gyarados's jaws. He's still standing though, Prinny realized. Giga Drain and Ingrain were one hell of a combo. Cradily probably couldn't withstand another Ice Fang, but the recovery moves would at least help him deliver one more blow.

"Giga Drain again!" he called.

Chris also called for Gyarados to repeat his attack. Even with Cradily's energy needing to travel less than a foot, the Atrocious Pokémon still managed to snap his fangs back down first. A white cloud expanded out from the bite sight. With the two creatures on Prinny's side of the battlefield, he could see a layer of ice quickly forming around Cradily's neck. Meanwhile, the green tendrils had emerged from the base of the fossil Pokémon and stabbed into Gyarados's underbelly. Prinny looked from Chris's teammate to his own and blinked. The icy coating had spread from Cradily's neck and now covered everything from his pink tentacles down to the four stumpy growths at the base of his body. The thick bands of energy emanating from the yellow spots by those stumpy appendages ceased. Chris shouted for Gyarados to back away and the monstrous creature did so with surprising care, allowing the frozen Cradily to remain stationary and still.

"Cradily is unable to battle," the judge declared, raising her flag toward Prinny. "Please choose your next teammate."

Prinny watched Cradily disappear back into the Poké Ball in his hand. Then he looked across the battlefield at Gyarados. The red water serpent struggled to resume his usual upright posture, his breath now passing through his wide maw as loud, ragged gasps. As Prinny pulled out another capture device, he let his gaze drift to Gyarados's left, over to the corner of the battlefield, where a large rock splinter resided. Even if Cradily had fallen, he'd done exactly what Prinny had needed him to. Prinny nodded at the fossil Pokémon's capture device before putting it away.

He released Slowbro onto the battlefield. One look at his teammate reminded him of just how much damage Espeon had dealt during that opening confrontation. But damaged as he was, Slowbro had ways to recover and turn the tables on the faster, fatigued Gyarados. The Atrocious Pokémon also didn't have any attacks that could really punish the defensive Water/Psychic-type. So it was not surprising in the least to see Chris make a switch the moment the judge restarted the battle. That still worked in Prinny's favor, as it gave time for Slowbro to set up Trick Room as Chris's next choice materialized onto the battlefield.

Ampharos came into view as the translucent panels that made up Trick Room appeared around the battlefield. The moment her feet touched the ground, two rocks shot toward her from the two closest corners. She stuck both arms out instinctively, and the earthy projectiles exploded against them. Prinny saw the Electric-type grit her teeth as her body leaned forward, her shoulders drooping. She sank low enough for the orb dangling at the end of the necklace around her neck to scrape the ground. That managed to chisel a smirk into Prinny's stiff face. Amparos had already taken some real damage… and that was the Life Orb Nidoking had used in Chris's previous battle. So not only could he expect Ampharos to wear down more quickly, but he also could pretty safely assume Chris was not using Nidoking. That was probably a wise choice as Nidoking's Ground-typing would serve more as a hindrance when compared to someone like Crobat and that creature's Flying-typing. But with Stealth Rock in place, Prinny could use that typing against the Bat Pokémon.

Prinny nodded. This wasn't supposed to be a rollercoaster ride. Battling was more like a chess match. It was about coordinating one's moves in such a way that each led the trainer closer to victory. Retreats were fine if they allowed one to better position themselves for a winning attack. A wise competitor came in with his targeted approach and played off the moves of his opponent with that ultimate plan in mind. Prinny could sense that the winning attack wasn't so far off.

Chris had no illusions about steamrolling Prinny in this contest. The older trainer was too experienced and had a team built to handle an aggressive battle style. Chris's limited switching strategy seemed to have caught the Viridian City trainer off guard, that was true, but Prinny had already evened things back up, even if the scoreboard above didn't show it.

That became clear as Ampharos and Slowbro went to war. The now faster Hermit Crab Pokémon pressured Ampharos repeatedly with his telepathic blasts. Ampharos, for her part, fought back with some devastating Thunderbolts. Even with the speed advantage, Chris couldn't see how Slowbro would be able to trade blows with an Electric-type opponent, especially one with the power and resilience of Ampharos. He got his answer when Slowbro paused his attack to use Slack Off. The Thunderbolt that struck him after still did a solid amount of damage, but it was clear he wasn't fainting anytime soon.

That presented Chris with a choice: continue battling with Ampharos or switch to his other super effective attacker in Scizor. The Pincer Pokémon was still fresh and could shake off the residual damage from Stealth Rock, but the threat of Scald loomed large. The memory of Gyarados being neutralized by a burn in his last battle was still fresh. Chris needed the Bug/Steel-type to be at or near max strength to take on the other positive type matchups lining Prinny's roster. His resistance to Venasaur could also be a gamechanger. It would have to be Ampharos. A straight forward firing of attacks and counter attacks was the last thing Chris had expected in this battle, but it at least aligned more with his approach than Prinny's.

"I know these Psychic attacks are hurting," Chris said to the Electric-type, "and I know that Life Orb is probably feeling heavier with each attack you fire. I need you to dig deep and make these next couple attacks hit with everything you've got!" A faint pink aura surrounded Ampharos as Slowbro locked on for another psychic blast. "Thunderbolt!" Ampharos crouched and tucked both arms in as the telekinetic energy swarmed her from every side. Chris gritted his teeth as she was lifted a dozen feet into the air. "Try to land on your feet!" he shouted.

One casual wave of Slowbro's arm brought her hurdling back toward the ground. Ampharos's limbs sprung back out, her body twisting so that her feet did indeed hit the ground first. Her body shook with the force of the landing, but she didn't topple over. Just like our battle against Sarah. She's the toughest I've got.

"Let him have it!"

A brilliant wave of sparks dispelled the remaining psychic aura around Ampharos. She extended her right arm and an arcing bolt of electricity leapt from her paw. The electrical current slammed into their derpy looking opponent's chest. A low, thunder-like rumble echoed around the battlefield, followed seconds later by a comically delayed groan of pain from Slowbro. Before either trainer could issue a follow up, another shower of sparks erupted over a Pokémon, but this time it was Slowbro.

"Yes," Chris said, pumping his fist. Paralysis could be the one, surefire way for Ampharos to outlast the bulky creature. As Chris looked at his Electric-type teammate, he realized it might need to be their saving grace.

Ampharos clutched at the ground with both arms, her legs having completely given out. It looked like she was struggling to breathe. Chris couldn't tell if the last Psychic attack had hit harder than he realized or if the Life Orb was taking its toll. Either way, it didn't look like she would be firing off another attack anytime soon. At least Slowbro was also—

A hissing sound reached Chris's ears just as the concentrated stream of water crashed against the top of Ampharos's drooping head. The collision sent the steaming current splashing in every direction, with several drops stinging against the protective barrier in front of Chris. It was all over before Chris could even piece together what had happened. The hand clutching Ampharos's capture device fell limply to his side.

"Ampharos is unable to battle!"

How had Slowbro been able to attack so fast? His paralysis should have…

The glowing panels of Trick Room flashed briefly around him. "It made him faster," Chris breathed.

"Please choose your next teammate!"

As Ampharos vanished back into her capture device, Chris took a deep breath. He had hoped to save Scizor for later, but Slowbro's typing and ability to recover had to be dealt with immediately.

The Bug/Steel-type shrugged off the entry hazard shrapnel as he appeared on the battlefield. Chris kept his focus on Prinny though. It was hard to tell at this distance, but it looked like he had a Poké Ball in his hand. If he switched out Slowbro, Chris didn't have another teammate he felt comfortable battling him with later. They had to end this now.

"Begin!"

"Pursuit!"

"Scald!"

Prinny's command came a full second after Chris's, bringing a grimace to the latter trainer's face. He faked me out.

Scizor had only made it halfway across the battlefield when Slowbro's attack washed over him. The water clanged against his metallic plating, with steam rising and then trailing behind the charging Pincer Pokémon. By the time the attack had ended, Chris's teammate had gotten too far away to check for a burn. The shoulder tackle he laid into Slowbro sure didn't look like it had been weakened. The Hermit Crab Pokémon stumbled backward, his arms comically flailing in slow motion. Chris now knew better than to judge the dopey creature in this environment, especially with Prinny already calling for another Scald. They couldn't let up for a moment.

"Bullet Punch!"

Slowbro had only just opened his mouth when one of Scizor's pincers came rocketing into the side of his jaw. To Chris's horror, Slowbro's head barely budged in response. And now Scizor stood directly in front of him at point blank—

A surge of sparks rippled across Slowbro's torso. The Water/Psychic-type let out a groan as he tried and failed to put them out with his slow pats.

"X-Scissor!"

This time Scizor struck Slowbro with crossed arms, each surrounded by a bright green glow. His thin wings beat faster than Chris had ever seen them, and slowly, Scizor pushed Slowbro back and then over. The sudden lack of resistance sent Chris's teammate stumbling past the Water/Psychic-type. By the time he'd regained his balance and turned toward his opponent, the judge had already declared Slowbro unable to battle.

Chris wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. Ampharos had managed to take out Slowbro after all. I just wish I still had her, he silently added, trying to ignore the bitter taste in his mouth. Even though none of her moves would have been super effective against the remainder of Prinny's team, her toughness and lower speed would have been perfect for this sort of Trick Room brawl. And the word brawl really had been fitting. Prinny had stayed committed to this shockingly straightforward exchange of attacks.

That pattern continued as Scrafty reentered the battlefield and the two physical attackers immediately set to beating each other. A Bullet Punch attack was countered by Drain Punch. Wing Attack landed, but not before Scrafty had already begun bolstering himself with Bulk Up. The super effective attack did knock Scrafty into the air, but the Dark/Fighting-type landed on his feet and immediately retaliated with a boosted Payback. With Trick Room still in effect, Scizor didn't have time to get his arms up to block. The Hoodlum Pokémon drove his shoulder right into the middle of Scizor's abdomen. The Bug/Steel-type careened backward, his feet shuffling, but struggling to gain traction.

"Bulk Up!"

"Shoot."

Chris triggered the return mechanism on Scizor's Poké Ball. He had hoped to continue overpowering Prinny's team in these one-on-one affairs, but he couldn't let Scrafty keep this up. Those Drain Punches would become overwhelming if this battle continued. It also would be crucial to have a fresh Scizor ready to resist Prinny's Weezing and Venusaur.

Crobat took to the sky as he burst out of his capture device, but even airborne, he wasn't safe from Stealth Rock. Chris grimaced as the stones shattered against a wing on each side of Crobat's body. The Bat Pokémon didn't flinch, but the entry hazard had to have hurt. Chris was just thankful that was the only damage the Poison/Flying-type had taken. As he stared up at his teammate, something dropped and disappeared just off to his right. He only just caught a glimpse before it vanished, but the falling object looked familiar. Was that… one of Trick Room's panels?

"Acrobatics!" Chris shouted. Having several months to prepare for the Silver Conference had given the trainer time to go back and evaluate his team's makeup and movesets. They'd worked with Electabuzz for several weeks when teaching Typhlosion Thunder Punch. Knowing what kind of powerful opponents they would face had made developing the movements that would become Gyarados's Dragon Dance all the more crucial. Espeon's Baton Pass strategy had also come along later, the timing of the switch move only recently reaching a speed where Chris felt comfortable trying it in a real battle. He'd worked to take Prinny's advice and his encounters with other skilled trainers to heart. That had led him to buy the Life Orb that Nidoking and, more recently, Ampharos had used. Acrobatics had been different though.

Crobat took off toward his opponent, who had only just finished his boosting maneuver. Scrafty looked almost twice as big, the veins in his biceps now uncomfortably visible. With Drain Punch being resisted by both of Crobat's types, it made sense for Prinny to have the swollen creature take the attack and then strike back with a charged up Payback.

As the Bat Pokémon closed in, he brought all four of his wings up and let his body hurdle toward the ground like a falling cannon ball. His trajectory made it look like he would land several feet short of his target, but Chris knew better. Just as he dropped below his trainer's eye level, Crobat swung all of his wings down in a silent, but powerful flap. The tips of his bottom appendages scraped the ground, sending up a smattering of dirt and a faint brown cloud of dust. The slight contact did nothing to slow down his forward momentum, nor prevent his body from lurching upward with even greater force.

"Payback!" Prinny shouted right as Crobat's attack landed.

The Bat Pokémon slammed into Scrafty's puffed out chest. With two buffs under his belt, Chris had a real fear that his teammate might just bounce off their opponent like a bird hitting a window. Scrafty's head whipped backward, then the rest of his body followed suit. The Fighting/Dark-type left the ground, his arms flailing in surprise.

"Let's go!" Chris shouted.

"Land on your feet and carry out the counter." Prinny's voice had gone up an octave.

Scrafty managed to rotate and land on his feet. Then he was charging.

After contact, Crobat had completed the pendulum motion and swung back up to his usual hovering altitude. The Bat Pokémon had carried out the move to perfection. No items. No strength or defensive boosting. The new attack just allowed Crobat to fully take advantage of his remarkable speed. A surge of pride momentarily eclipsed the baseline anxiety Chris had felt, even as he watched Scrafty leap up to tackle his teammate. You're not touching us.

"Dodge it!"

Prinny frowned up at the dozens of shimmering panels falling around the battlefield's edges. His frown only deepened as Scrafty's flying tackle found nothing but air. Trick Room had been an incredible asset these last couple battles, but the move's duration still felt difficult to ascertain. Most new moves had their challenges. They usually involved some sort of timing, but it often came down to making sure a Pokémon's body or energy moved with a proper, repeatable rhythm. Even for a trainer that loved less aggressive moves, Trick Room presented a different kind of challenge. During their training sessions, Prinny had timed the duration of the move on his watch. That had worked well in a less intense setting, where he had time to prepare and start the timer. He had managed to keep up that practice throughout his battle in the previous round, and even remembered to do so at the beginning of this battle. But not this time. And now that Slowbro had been knocked out, he wouldn't get another chance.

Scrafty landed on the ground, and had only just turned around when the ghostly glow of Confuse Ray overtook him. Prinny opened his mouth to speak, but no words would be beneficial now. He returned his staggering teammate to his capture device. Crobat had been a bad type matchup to begin with, and without Trick Room, the Bat Pokémon's speed and ability to confuse spelled Scrafty's doom. The Fighting/Dark-type had already dealt a good amount of damage to Chris's team, but Prinny would need even more from him in the late stages of this battle.

It wasn't surprising to see Chris switch out Crobat the moment Klefki materialized onto the battlefield. It was clear the Cherrygrove City trainer had seen Klefki battle and knew about Fairly Lock's trapping ability. None of Crobat's moves would be able to hit the Fairy/Steel-type very hard anyways, and whatever speed advantage the Bat Pokémon possessed would be counteracted by Klefki's Prankster Ability. Prinny also wasn't shocked to see Chris go with Typhlosion. The Fire-type shrugged off the rocks that smashed into each side, but Prinny knew they had to hurt. He also knew what the opposing trainer's first command would be.

"Swagger!"

"Eruption!"

Klefki shook rapidly, the collected keys around its ring-like lower body rattling loudly. Even from this distance, Prinny could identify each of the seven keys. The first one Klefki had taken, and the inciting incident that led Prinny to notice and eventually capture him, had been the green key for his apartment's mailbox in Kalos. The orange key had opened the front door of their old Sevii Island home. There was the bronze key that opened up the safe back at his parent's place. And so on. The rattling was quickly drowned out by the roaring inferno that issued up from the other side of the battlefield.

Prinny's eyes narrowed as he caught sight of Typhlosion stumbling beneath the explosion issuing from his shoulders. He'd never seen that happen during a normal use of the move. His eyes shifted to the flames and earthen debris that now arced toward his Fairy/Steel-type teammate and he felt his chest tighten. Klefki's move had definitely caused confusion, but as the fiery blast drew nearer, he wondered if such an attack could even miss.

Man, these tournament battles have been relentless! Waz is on to the finals, but who will be there to face him? And with the disappearances around Johto stacking up, what does that mean for those impacted and the region itself? And what in the world has happened to Kayla?! I promise you'll get answers to these questions next time. In fact, Chapter 78 is shaping up to be the most pivotal, intense chapter I may have ever written! I'll be so excited to share it with you all! Until then:

Please drop a review and follow/favorite if you are still enjoying. I'll see you in the next installment. Take care!