Note- Welcome back to Heart and Soul! The flowers are blooming, the temperatures are improving, and your boy is one happy writer. These last few months have given me plenty of time to write, but sitting at home or in a coffee shop can't compete with writing outside and feeling that warm breeze on my skin. And thank goodness I've had ample opportunity to write, cause this chapter was a MONSTER.
I know many of you enjoy the battles in this series, as do I, but they are quite daunting to write, especially in their entirety. This battle in particular saw a couple different rewrites and a restructuring of several scenes, including adjustments that spanned multiple chapters. I can thankfully say that after a couple months of work, I feel satisfied with the finished product. But before we dive back into that titanic battle, there is a cliffhanger away from the Silver Conference that must be resolved!
Please consider dropping a review and follow/favorite for notifications about future chapters! Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 78
Rain beat against the metal roofing of the workers' housing unit, creating a never ending cacophony. For Seth, it had long ago become white noise. He stared out one of the small windows facing the north end of the route. It was a nice break from how he'd spent the previous two hours: staring out the other small window facing south.
The site supervisor had brought them all together in the building shortly after he'd arrived. It hadn't been a long meeting, nor had it been all that informative. With bunk beds filling the room, it had made for an awkward set up, where the obscured man had just shouted out worker roles without any presentation. The supervisor had listed Seth as part of the moving unit, but what or where he and his team would be moving things was still a mystery. And after trying to inquire about it, he found out it would remain a mystery until the morning.
Seth glanced over at a couple men talking quietly by the bed nearest him. He hadn't seen many people conversing since he'd arrived. Most of these men looked at least twenty years older than him, many with visible scars and tattoos. None of that necessarily bothered Seth—the men his father had worked with in the mines and occasionally invited over to their house had carried a similar appearance. And their less-than-polite language came with this kind of territory as well. It had been the suspicious looks these men eyed one another with—something that felt so counterproductive considering they'd be working together on a presumably complex endeavor—that had set off alarm bells. He'd seen men go out and stand in the rain, heads tilted down in a vain attempt to keep their cigarettes lit, and never say a word to the man standing beside them. The first 'hello' he'd said to someone had been met with silence. The second with a 'get fucked'. He had yet to try a third time.
A flash of lightning and clap of thunder pulled his attention back to the window. He had hoped to get out and get some fresh air after having to suffer through another plane ride. This flight to Goldenrod City hadn't been the worst he'd been on, but then again, he had taken double the dosage of medication. During their descent, he could have sworn he saw Giratina itself swimming across an upside down waterfall in the sky. As bizarre as that hallucination had been, he would still take it over his usual airfare suffering.
More than just getting fresh air, he really wanted to talk with his team. Even if it wasn't a pre-battle meeting, Seth felt his team still needed further preparation. He had mentioned to them a couple of times about there being changes, but he had found it difficult to be specific. 'Moving', 'lifting', and 'building' had been words thrown around during those addresses, but he had never been able to say much more than that. Now the time had come for them to be fully filled in on their roles for tomorrow.
Seth felt a small smile tug at the corner of his lips. Then he had to fight back laughter. What did he have to tell them? That they would be moving something? He shook his head and let his stare stretch out past the rows of tarped supplies and through the curtains of rain.
He blinked.
There were two men quickly approaching the site. The taller one looked to be carrying a big bag over one shoulder. As they drew closer, Seth noticed the one without a bag had a stick that he was swinging back at something behind the other man. Squinting, he made out a smaller, darker object flying just behind the bag draped over the man's shoulder. As they reached the opening between the first row of supplies, Seth realized two things simultaneously: the object nipping at the man's bag was a Noctowl, and the bag wasn't actually a bag, but a young woman.
Seth pulled up the hood on his jacket and jumped through the window. When his feet hit the ground, they sent up a large splash and he tensed, waiting to feel the cold water soak his socks and shoes. When that didn't happen, he glanced down and saw the feet of his rubber boots. Oh yeah. At least this job had finally forced him to get some rain resistant shoes. The pair of high tops he traversed Johto in had been held together by tape and a prayer these last six months.
He picked up speed and jumped over the set of packaged tiles. His landing sent up another splash. No wet socks. Now he was grinning. Hell, this weather wasn't going to keep him from getting out. He might as well meet with his team while he was out too. A couple of them wouldn't love being out in this, but they could always meet under the closest line of trees.
The Noctowl had somehow broken the stick in the man's hand and was pecking at the other man's head. The now weaponless shorter man had resorted to waving his hand and shouting what sounded like 'shew.'
"Set her down!" Seth yelled. Neither man seemed to hear him, so he shouted it louder. This time the bigger man spun around to face him, and Seth motioned for him to set the girl down. He gave a shrug and the girl rolled off his shoulder and plopped into the mud beside him. Not exactly what I said. Seth waved them to leave and they hurried past him without a word.
Seth slid to a stop and stooped down. He could feel the Owl Pokémon circling just above him. No doubt trying to find the best angle to take my head off. He flipped the girl onto her side and lifted her head off the ground.
"Hey," he said quietly. When he got no response, he said it louder. Still nothing. Shaking his head, he gently smacked her cheek, and when she didn't move, he did it again, but firmer. A loud hooting sounded by Seth's right ear, and he felt something sharp poke against the back of his hood.
"Ugh," came the girl's groggy voice.
"Hey!" Seth shouted again.
The girl's head rolled to one side, her blonde hair twisting out of Seth's hands and flopping into the mud. "Wha…"
"Would you care to—fuck!" Seth twisted away as the creature's sharp beak found his neck and then his head. "Can you tell your Pokémon to stop attacking me?"
Her eyes opened slowly, pupils expanding and retracting. "N—Noctowl?"
The large bird let out an even louder hoot, but this one thankfully wasn't accompanied by a peck.
"Noctowl, it's… it's okay."
Seth nearly toppled over as he felt a large weight press down onto his shoulder. He twisted around, but his hood obscured most of his view. He shook his head and the covering fell back enough for him to see the Owl Pokémon standing on his shoulder. "Okay," was all Seth could think to say.
The girl sat up slowly and brought her fingers to her forehead. "Where am I?" she asked.
"Route 32."
She nearly cracked the bottom of his jaw as her head whipped up. "Where at?"
"Route 32. Southern end of it, I think. I don't know. I just got here." Seth rubbed the back of his head. And part of my brain may have gotten stabbed by your damn bird, he silently added.
If it were possible, the blonde girl's eyes got even bigger. "Are you… a trainer?"
Seth went to open his mouth, but paused. Was he still a trainer? He wasn't competing in a regional league competition. He wasn't battling on the tournament circuit. Did working a construction job while having your Pokémon help still grant someone trainer status?
"Yeah. I am."
The lines across the girl's forehead disappeared. "Oh. Alright."
"My name's Seth."
The girl pushed a strand of matted muddy hair out of her eyes. "Nice to meet you." She reached into her jacket pocket and brought out a Poké Ball. "Thanks for looking out for me, Noctowl," she said, returning the Owl Pokémon to it.
"I'm guessing you're a trainer as well," Seth said.
"Yeah." The girl blinked a few times, then looked around. "What's going on here?"
"We're about to build something—don't ask me what. They're just having me move stuff." Seth took a closer look at the girl's pale face. "You… look familiar."
The woman spun around and pressed off the ground, grimacing as she went to stand. She let out a groan, but managed to make it back to her feet.
"Did you compete at the Silver Conference?"
"No," she said, her stare fixed on the trees off to his right.
"Well, you look hurt. Let me see if we have a doctor on site."
"I'm fine." She started off at a brisk walk, but her stride immediately devolved into a limp.
"C'mon," Seth called after her. "You're hurt!"
The woman threw a half wave back at him. "So is Noctowl. I've gotta get him healthy first."
Seth let out a sigh and pulled his hood back over his head. He threw one more glance south, catching the girl as she reached the line of trees, then shook his head. He frowned as he felt raindrops pelt the back of his neck. He patted the top of his hood to make sure it was actually on, then ran his hand down the smooth material, back toward his ne—
"Fuck."
Kayla couldn't hold back her heavy breathing any longer. She let the exhales roll out, ragged and painful at first, but soon the fog lingering at the corners of her eyes faded. The trees in front of her came into fuller view. She needed to get out of this rain. She needed to get out of sight.
Close.
She glanced down at her PokéNav, amazed to still see it in one piece. Despite how dark the sky looked, the device's clock showed it was still early evening. She couldn't remember when they had taken off from the cliff, but it didn't seem like much time had passed.
The cliff.
She'd left Medicham there. And Swampert had been swimming around the base of the cliff. She needed to make it back to them.
Looking back over her shoulder, she saw the young man she'd just spoken to shuffling over toward the trees lining the eastern edge of the route. Even through her brain fog, she had recognized him right away. Her focus hadn't been on the Silver Conference competition itself, so she knew nothing about him, but she definitely remembered faces. He'd said his name was Seth. It seemed like he had recognized her too, but if her appearance was all he had to go off, she should be alright.
Still too fucking close.
Kayla felt a wave of relief as she passed under the long branches of an elm tree. She shuffled around its wide trunk and then fell against it, her body slumping to the ground. Telling Seth she was fine might have been the biggest lie Kayla had ever told. Her legs and stomach felt like somebody had taken a hammer to them. And after I had finally recovered from climbing Tohjo Falls. Pain lanced up through her gut and she gripped Noctowl's Poké Ball tighter. She hadn't lied about needing to get Noctowl to a Pokémon Center. In truth, her whole team could use a visit.
The constant patter of rain made her eyes heavy. She closed them, but stars filled the blackness. Her body needed sleep in the worst way, but the pain wouldn't let up. That was fine, though. She couldn't sleep. Not yet. She needed to heal her team and she definitely needed to get further away from the work site. She needed a plan.
Kayla pushed several burning breaths through her nose. Should she go to the southern center and heal up the Pokémon currently in her possession? Staying on this side of the route would put her in more danger, but if her short trip from Seth to this tree was any indication, she was in no shape to travel very far. Maybe that was move.
"But then who is going to get me back to the northern end?" she asked quietly. Trying to gain elevation during a storm while hanging onto Noctowl was a fool's errand. She was too big for Raichu to carry back. If she tried to ride Shelgon back, they wouldn't arrive at the cliff till June. She closed her eyes and rubbed at her temple. This was bad.
A loud cracking sound ripped Kayla's eyes back open. Her ears perked up as something crashed through the wooded underbush to her right. She fumbled with her jacket pocket, her hands grazing against the wet, metal spheres resting there. If it was a wild Pokémon, she could scare it off with her team. If it was someone from the nearby construction…
"Medicham!" her voice gave out at the end. She couldn't find it in time to say Swampert's name as he appeared right behind the Psychic/Fighting-type. Both creatures barreled toward her, their worried faces flashing in and out of view from the shadows.
"Well this simplifies things," she muttered, a ragged sigh carrying the words out. Swampert could carry her to the nearby Pokémon Center, she could heal her team up, and then they could set up again for tomorrow's big—
"''Cham!"
Kayla squinted at the Fighting/Psychic-type and frowned. Her shout of 'Quiet, Medicham' came out more like a croak. She gritted her teeth as he continued shouting and waving his arms. Her attempt to stand and wave him silent failed as a fiery pain lashed across her stomach. "Fuck." Lifting the soaked ruin that was her shirt, she could see ugly purple and black bruises tattooed all along her abdomen. I must have hit that water damn hard.
To Kayla's dismay, Medicham continued shouting even once he and Swampert had reached her, prompting the trainer to push through the pain and finally find a higher volume.
"Hush!" she hissed. She grabbed one of his thick legs and gave it a squeeze. "We're too close to the enemy. They will find us!"
Swampert rose up and grabbed Medicham's arms with his front legs. That kept the Fighting/Psychic-type from flailing, but it did nothing to prevent his continued shouting. Kayla fumbled with her jacket pocket, her anxiety rising with each passing second of Medicham's shouts. She finally found the creature's Poké Ball and thumbed the return switch. The Meditate Pokémon threw back his head, his wide eyes somehow expanding further, and gave one final scream, before his body vanished back into the capture device.
The forest went eerily silent, with only the faint hiss of the rain on the canopy high above. Kayla turned her head and strained to look around the tree trunk, back toward the open area where the construction camp had been set up. She scanned the haze, trying to spot any movement among the tarped equipment. After three passes of not seeing anything, her held breath came rushing back out. She closed her eyes and felt every muscle in her body go slack.
A soft whistling sound reached Kayla's ears. At first, she thought it was her wheezing gasps. It stopped suddenly, but a faint rustling sound started up immediately after. She heard her starter's low growl and she wedged one exhausted eye open.
"Oh, come on."
A dozen figures had appeared from the wooded shadows. They stood in a loose semi circle, all facing Kayla. The figure at the center of the formation stepped forward slowly. Even moving beneath the splotches of grey light where the branches overhead parted, the figure remained completely in shadow. Blinking back the spots that danced in front of her tired eyes, she could make out the approaching figure as human. When they had made it just a few steps from her, Swampert dropped onto his haunches, the bright fins on his body expanding and shaking. He pressed off his back legs, his body stretching forward as he lunged at the now stationary visitor. The back half of his body had only just left the ground when a red light overtook him, and he vanished back into the capture device in Kayla's trembling hand.
"Thank you, Swampert."
The black figure moved forward, stopping to stand over Kayla. They stayed there for a moment, before squatting down to be at eye level. The person brought a gloved hand up and pulled back the black mask. A pale, smooth jaw gave way to brown eyes. The man lifted the covering up to his forehead, where a spiky tuft of carmine hair poked out.
"Are you Kayla?"
Kayla's thoughts drifted toward one of the many fake names she had come up with… but damnit, she was tired. Too tired to lie. "Yes," she mumbled.
"My name is Lance. It's great to finally meet you."
"Lance? Like… the champion?"
"I was," he said, a small smile appearing.
Kayla shook her head. The flickering dots around the corner of her vision remained, but so did the man's sharp jaw. "Am I—am I dreaming?"
"No ma'am. We're actually here because of you."
"Me?"
His smile stretched into a grin. "You might be about to save the day."
Kayla couldn't hold up her heavy eyelids any longer. "Just get him back," was all she could say before they fell.
"Yes!"
Chris pumped one fist as the inferno from Typhlosion's Eruption slammed the opposite side of the battlefield. His teammate had accurately carried out the attack, despite the confusion Klefki had rendered him with. Chris's excitement waned somewhat as he caught sight of a round purple object amongst the flames. He switched to Weezing before the attack landed. That wasn't optimal, especially since Typhlosion might have been able to knock out the Steel/Fairy-type had his attack landed. Still, Weezing had already taken a beating, and as the flames swirled around the newly materialized creature, it looked like he might not be far from falling. The problem with Weezing was his ability to—
"Shoot." Chris grabbed his starter's Poké Ball and triggered the return mechanism. At the same time, he pulled back out Espeon's device and thumbed the release button. Weezing had already begun to take on that unappealing mustard glow. It spun up around Espeon before his feet had even touched the ground. Then came the splinters from Stealth Rocks.
Chris let out a small exhale. Espeon had already taken real damage, so Pain Split wouldn't be nearly as effective. Before Eruption had hit Weezing, Chris's teammate might have actually gained some strength from the move. But on top of his damage, Espeon would also have to deal with the draining effect of Toxic. Even so, with both Pokémon in rough shape, and the typing advantage favoring Espeon, Chris knew they could win this battle.
"Psybeam!"
"Smokescreen!"
Weezing's attempt at cover came too slow. The multicolored beam found the smaller of his two orbiting spheres, knocking the creature into a full spin. Smoke poured out from the openings in his rigid exterior, swirling out as he twisted through the air.
"Calm Mind!"
It was smart to make Weezing harder to hit, especially since the Poison-type didn't seem to have any real attacking moves. Stalling while Toxic took its toll was a sound strategy. A boost from Calm Mind, though, meant it would only take one more hit from Espeon to knock Weezing out. They just needed to get closer to line up a shot.
"Move in!" Chris directed.
Espeon stayed low, passing beneath the first wisps of dark smoke that had reached the battlefield's center. Chris called for him to stop and the Psychic-type halted less than a dozen feet from the completely opaque cloud Weezing had surrounded himself with. The Sun Pokémon shivered as he crouched. They couldn't drag this out. Toxic would take too much of a toll.
"Fire Psybeam into the cloud!" Chris shouted. "Left, right, and then middle!"
Espeon whipped his head up and launched the psychic beam into the left side of the cloud.
"Now!" Prinny's voice echoed out from somewhere behind the obstruction. As Espeon swung his head back around to aim straight ahead, the bottom layer of the smoke in front of him suddenly parted. There was Weezing—almost close enough to touch. Now though, he had taken on a white, almost painful glow. Chris had watched Weezing battle before and had never seen him look like this. Then the white light violently expanded out.
"Espeon!"
The shockwave from the explosion struck the barrier right as Chris finished the word. He refused to look away, but his arms instinctively shot up to cover his face. Explosion. When the hell had Weezing learned that?
"That bastard."
The intensity in Waz's voice had David halfway out of his seat.
"Damn, Waz. That explosion already scared the shit out of me."
Waz's fists were shaking, his knuckles white. "He blew up his own damn teammate."
David slowly sat back down. He needed to choose his next words carefully. "You, uh, not a big fan of self damaging attacks?"
"Not that one."
Luke leaned over. "What about moves with less blowback like Double Edge?" he asked.
"If the Pokémon is fine with using it, sure."
"But Explosion or Self Destruct is crossing the line?"
Waz nodded.
Chris's father brought a finger up to his chin. "So Curse and Destiny Bond would be out of the question too?"
"Any attack that requires you to sacrifice a teammate, no matter the competitive advantage, is shitty. A Pokémon should never have to worry about their trainer completely taking the battle out of their hands while they can still fight."
Ben Aiden rubbed at the growth around his chin. Luke sat back and went silent.
It was an interesting philosophy: refusing to use moves that made your comrades faint. David wondered if it might have had some merit. Waz cared deeply for Pokémon, and in return, they fought as hard as any team David had seen in this tournament. Hell, they had scrapped their way to the damn Championship battle. Knowing your trainer would stand with you no matter the odds and never doubt your fighting spirit… perhaps that gave a Pokémon the confidence to fight to their fullest ability. Or maybe it came down to a trainer having those kinds of tougher conversations with their team—an open and honest discussion about what strategies a Pokémon would willingly and freely carry out. It had David reflecting on if he had ever—
"Prinny's team knows what they've signed up for." The voice came from a couple aisles below, but David didn't need to look to know who had spoken. When he did glance down, he found Dobbs with that smirk that rode the dangerous line between hilarious and the most fucking annoying expression on earth.
"What?" The word sounded more like a threat coming out of Waz's mouth.
"They know what's at stake," Dobbs replied. He pointed towards Chris's side of the battlefield, where Espeon lay motionless. "They want to win just as badly as Prinny."
David was too nervous to look directly at Waz's expression, but based on how fast Dobbs spun back around, it must have been one hell of a death stare.
Chris took a deep breath as he returned Espeon to his capture device. He said a quick 'thank you' before tucking the Poké Ball into the pocket with Ampharos's device. Looking back up, he saw the battlefield now free of Prinny's Weezing and the smoke he had created. Nothing was going to stick around after that explosion.
It still didn't feel right to suddenly be without Espeon. He couldn't afford to dwell on that unfortunate turn of events though. Prinny had maneuvered his team back into this matchup. If nothing else, he had the momentum on his side.
I still have a lead, Chris silently reminded himself.
Granted, it was only a one Pokémon advantage, but the type matchups were still very much in his favor. Venusaur had weaknesses to both Typhlosion and Crobat. Klefki also wouldn't last long against Chris's starter. Scrafty may not have been weak to any of Typhlosion or Gyarados's moves, but he didn't have anything to hit back with that would be super effective. Chris just had to stay focused and play to their advantages. That made his selection of Crobat feel right, even after Stealth Rocks struck, and even when it turned out Prinny had chosen his one remaining teammate that didn't possess a weakness to the Bat Pokémon.
"Begin!"
"Confuse Ray!"
"Swagger!"
Despite Crobat's incredible speed, the glow from Swagger had surrounded him before he'd even summoned up his moves' ghostly aura. Prankster is so good.
Chris let out a relieved sigh as Confuse Ray's spiraling orbs found Prinny's stationary teammate. Crobat may not have had an ability that allowed him to move before others, but the ability he did have definitely helped the Bat Pokémon maintain his focus better than any of his other teammates.
"Play Rough!"
"Acrobatics!"
The two creatures started off charging one another, but both began to deviate in opposite directions as they drew closer. The resolution saw Crobat dive bomb the air a dozen feet away from his intended target, while Klefki struck the ground in front of him with a clanging barrage from his keys. If Chris had just been an observer, he would have burst out laughing. Instead, he muttered a curse and grasped for Crobat's Poké Ball. He did not love the idea of Crobat suffering through more Stealth Rock chip damage, but the thought of not being able to capitalize on his confused opponent felt even worse. As he switched in Gyarados, Prinny shouted for Klefki to lay down a layer of Spikes. The command made sense considering there was no real way for Klefki to mess that up. Gyarados had materialized before the sharp projectiles had a chance to bounce over to Chris's side of the battlefield—not that they would have affected him anyway. The same could not be said for Stealth Rock.
Chris shook his head as the rocky projectiles shattered against his teammate's massive, serpentine body. He had made it a point to not switch nearly as much in this battle, knowing Prinny would attempt this exact entry hazard strategy. He had to get back on track. He had to trust his teammates to see these fights through. They were as tough as any Pokémon Prinny could throw out.
"Earthquake!"
Prinny had switched out Klefki before Gyarados's tail could even hit the ground. Chris didn't mind it, as neither of the Viridian City's remaining teammates resisted the Ground-type. The moment Venusaur materialized onto the battlefield, the rumbling ground beneath him exploded upward.
"Now, Ice Fang!"
Prinny watched Gyarados begin to slither through the air toward Venusaur. He turned to see his starter still holding firm as the earthen upheaval beneath him finally ended. Then he glanced down at his left arm. Prinny had already revealed one secret maneuver through the use of Weezing's Explosion. Granted, he had planned on eventually using it against someone with as aggressive a strategy as Chris. He had in fact nearly implemented it in the previous round. And I damn sure will use it against that reckless bastard in the championship battle.
He gripped the edge of his jacket's left sleeve and looked up to see Gyarados had reached the middle of the battlefield. This was his last true surprise—a secret strategy he had wanted to save for the final battle. That felt even more justified now that he knew what shit stain was waiting for him there. Right now though, he couldn't afford to lose Venusaur. His odds of winning this battle would completely swing if that were to happen now. He needed his starter. He needed the Pokémon that had been with him since his journey began. The teammate who had been with him through Kanto, Johto, and that lonely sabbatical in Kalos in between. He needed his best friend like always… and now he needed him at his best.
The metal ring around Prinny's wrist reflected brilliantly beneath the overhead lighting. He finished rolling back his sleeve and slid his thumb over the glossy stone at the ring's center. He held his wrist up and away from his body as streams of multicolored energy poured out from the jewel. What started as a chaotic outburst soon twisted to focused channels that swam their way to the top of the thick, brown trunk on Venusaur's back. The flower petals around it lifted in response, giving Prinny the briefest glimpse of the Mega Stone tied beneath them.
Gyarados continued his charge even as a sphere of energy materialized around his target. He had nearly reached the grass starter when the energy fueled barrier cracked and shattered. When his ice covered fangs found Venusaur's head, they snapped down onto the newly bloomed pink flower resting between his ears. The Mega Pokémon's now thicker legs held firm, even as the ice at the top of his head exploded in response to Gyarados pulling his jaws away.
"Giga Drain!" Prinny directed.
"Bite him again!" Chris called out, his voice now a couple octaves higher.
The energized vines that poured from the fully grown vegetation atop Venusaur's back had doubled in size. They crisscrossed, wrapping around the red serpent's lengthy body multiple times before latching firmly in place. As Gyarados lunged forward for another icy bite, the green tendrils constricted tightly. The Atrocious Pokémon wrenched back his head and let out a high pitched shriek that still echoed in Prinny's ears several seconds after he had shut his gaping maw.
"Push through!" came the faint sound of Chris's voice.
To Gyarados's credit, and Prinny's frustration, the Water/Flying–type shook free of the leading vine and whipped his head down to stab his frozen fangs into Mega Venusaur's front left leg. This time the Seed Pokémon shuddered, his body tilting to the right as he was forced to put his weight onto his other leading leg.
"Recenter yourself!" Prinny called out. "Then Giga Drain again!"
The wide creature's shuffle didn't look the most graceful, but Prinny was just happy to see his starter reorient himself. The fresh wave of energized vines that shot out from the blossomed plant still found their target, and this time, Gyarados couldn't fight free. At Prinny's command, Venusaur withdrew his attack and let the limp water serpent topple over onto his side.
"Gyarados is unable to battle!" the judge declared, raising a flag. "Please choose your next Pokémon!"
Prinny watched Chris closely as he returned his fallen teammate to his capture device. Both trainers now only had half their teams remaining, with all of the Pokémon having seen significant action. Chris still possessed the better type matchups, but none of his teammates had any way of healing the damage they'd taken. And all of them would be taking more damage each time they entered the battlefield. So who would the Cherrygrove trainer be sending out next? Did he know about Mega Venusaur's Thick Fat ability? His call for Gyarados to repeat Ice Fang certainly made Prinny think he didn't. That might mean Typhlosion would be out next. Prinny didn't mind that matchup. They could whittle Typhlosion down, and even if he somehow outlasted Venusaur, he would be a nonfactor for the rest of the battle.
Prinny's eyes followed the Poké Ball as it flew from Chris's hand. It burst open, but the creature that appeared from it never touched the ground. The sight of Crobat made the corner of Prinny's mouth twist down. It remained even after rocky splinters shot up to strike the Bat Pokémon's round body. This was not optimal.
"Begin!"
Kamon tried to focus on the battle below him.
"I couldn't believe he said that!" someone was saying to his left. It sounded like Whitney, but the Gym Leader suite was so damn loud. Kamon kept his eyes locked on the battlefield, but he couldn't keep his teeth from grinding together. Any other battle and he would have watched it in his hotel room.
Glass shattered somewhere behind him, followed by an even more annoying burst of laughter. Focus on the main thing, he told himself. Win or lose, he felt he owed it to Chris to be here. The trainer had put in the time and work, helping him with the gym, treating Kirk and the gym Pokémon well, and then earning the Glacier Badge in a hard fought battle. He had seen potential in the Cherrygrove native, but he would have been lying if he said he had seen the trainer making it all the way to the semifinals. That just added to his intrigue, though. It unfortunately also added to his stress. He'd wedged his fingernails deep into his chair. As he watched the newly switched in Klefki take a shot from Crobat and then lay down another layer of Spikes, he felt his middle finger actually punch a hole through the cloth material. Fuck.
He wished he could vocalize his anxiety, but he really didn't want to start a conversation with any of these people. He had hoped to have Morty as a chill watching partner, but the thought of the Ecruteak Gym Leader only brought a different kind of stress. What bad news had Morty been informed of? Was the Pokémon League about to pass down some strict new mandate? Were there criminals running roughshod in some community? Arceus forbid, had someone else died or gone missing? Morty had said the news would be out the following day, but Kamon wouldn't be able to keep his mind from racing to every crazy scenario under the sun. He may have found some inner peace over these last eight years, but there would always be a baseline paranoia he battled. Considering he spent the first fourteen years of his life running from the police, maybe that was the price to be paid.
Kamon felt the muscles in his shoulders relax as Crobat blasted through Klefki's Play Rough attack with another Acrobatics. This time the exchange proved too great for Klefki; the Key Ring Pokémon flew backwards and smacked the ground, his keys splaying out in every direction. Kamon nodded as the judge lifted one of his flags.
Just two more.
Just two more.
Chris took a good look at Scrafty as he reappeared on the battlefield. Prinny hadn't brought him out since the early stages of their battle, meaning he would be as well rested as any Pokémon on either side. His use of Drain Punch had aided him as well. And if he can force one of my other teammates in, he'll probably use it even more liberally.
Looking at the bruises and cuts along Crobat's body and wings, Chris couldn't afford to put the Poison/Flying-type into a prolonged battle. They needed to blast through these final two Pokémon.
"Begin!"
"Acrobatics!"
Crobat must have sensed the urgency in Chris's voice. He had reached Scrafty before Chris had even prepared a follow up move.
"Payback!"
Prinny just managed to get his command in before the collision. As Crobat carried out the last flap to propel himself into Scrafty, the bottom edges of his lower wings scraped hard against the ground, kicking up more dirt than was usual for the move. The Bat Pokémon still drove his body into his opponent's chest, but with an apparent dip in speed. The distance Scrafty was knocked back seemed to verify Chris's observation. It allowed the Hoodlum Pokémon to stay within striking distance, which he capitalized on with a flying tackle that knocked Crobat to the ground.
"Back into the air!" Chris called out.
Crobat twisted around to try and regain his bearings, but his wings had gotten tangled up in the fall.
"Substitute!"
Shit.
Crobat had managed to flip onto his stomach and now had his wings reoriented. By the time he was back in the air and facing Prinny's side of the battlefield, his opponent had vanished, leaving some kind of large Scrafty doll in his place.
Chris eyed the doll with narrowed eyes. He knew exactly where their opponent was—that wasn't the issue. How they would reach him through this new line of defense and still endure to fight on… that was the real problem facing them. Chris couldn't afford to sit around and wait for the most optimal answer to come to him. He just knew he couldn't risk switching either of his other two teammates in right now. Even if they did take out Scrafty, between the entry hazard damage they would take and whatever boosted attacks the Dark/Fighting-type would muster after a Bulk Up, it would leave Chris's team too weak to finish off Prinny's resilient and shockingly Mega Evolved starter. Crobat would have to see this through. He'll do it.
"Break through it with Acrobatics!"
Chris was surprised to not hear Prinny call for Bulk Up in response. He stayed silent until Crobat had crossed the battlefield.
"Payback!"
Chris gritted his teeth as Crobat swung down to strike the doll. Wounded or not, Chris trusted his teammate to break through the substitute, especially with a super effective move. But even with Scrafty having to use some of his stamina to create the shield, the Dark/Fighting-type avoiding a super effective move meant he would come out ahead in this exchange. And Payback would still channel all the damage Crobat dealt to his substitute…
The top of the doll burst apart as Crobat's wings smashed into it. Before the Bat Pokémon could push through and begin gaining elevation again, a red crest popped up from the lower half of the substitute. The rest of Scrafty's body rose into view as he jumped up and undercut his passing opponent. Crobat flipped forward, his body doing a full rotation, and struck the ground at a blisteringly fast speed. Chris turned his head and then cursed himself for doing so. By the time he'd found his courage again, Crobat had rolled to a stop. He didn't move.
"Crobat is unable to battle! Please choose your next Pokémon!"
Crobat's Poké Ball felt numb in Chris's hand as he brought it out. He had to rub his thumb over the return button a couple of times before it triggered. He thanked his teammate as the last traces of the red energy he'd become vanished back into the ball. We're still in this, he reminded himself. It's just a two-on-two battle now. His team still had the type advantage. They could use that to make up for the entry hazard damage and recovery capability of Prinny's team. They would have to.
Scizor landed onto the battlefield with a surprisingly loud crunch. Surprise turned to horror as the Pincer Pokémon doubled over, and Chris saw several sharp metal splinters jutting from his feet. Less than a second later, two piles of earthen debris shattered against each of Scizor's sides. Chris had to pull back his tongue to keep from biting through it. The battle hasn't even technically restarted.
"Begin!"
"Bulk Up!"
One glance at Scrafty showed he had taken some real damage now. That substitute strategy would be a one time trick as long Chris didn't let him recover any more health. They'd have to strike quickly and then overwhelm Drain Punch's recovery with heavy damage.
"Bullet Punch!"
Even with his legs having been recently punctured, Scizor still managed to press off them as he launched toward Scrafty. His leading pincer found the Dark/Fighting-type's expanding chest. Pivoting somewhat gingerly to his other foot, the Bug/Steel-type threw another punch into Scrafty's chin, but the Hoodlum Pokémon didn't recoil.
"Drain Punch!"
Scizor had yet to pull back his second pincer when Scrafty's right hook found the side of his head. The blow sent him staggering sideways, his balance temporarily betraying him as he dropped to a knee, then popped back up. Chris waited an extra second to try and give Scizor a chance to reorient himself, but Prinny wasted no time calling for another Drain Punch.
Scizor had to go for a big attack. Hitting faster wouldn't do them any good if they ended up taking more damage in the exchanges. They would break through right here.
"Wing Attack!"
It was high risk, high reward going for Wing Attack. The move would be boosted by Scizor's ability and hit for super effective damage. It might just be the only attack that could break through Scrafty's increased bulk. It also requires Scizor to turn around, though. Disorienting his teammate further and opening him up to an unprotected shot from Scrafty wouldn't be ideal, but Chris trusted his teammate. They would knock Scrafty out first.
With Scrafty already approaching and such a short distance between them, Scizor didn't get much time to ramp up his speed. He only just turned around in time as Scrafty's punch swung in. Scizor's left set of wings found his opponent's chin, whipping back the Dark/Fighting-type's head. A clang rang out just a split second later as some part of Scrafty struck Scizor's metal body—presumably his fist, but Chris couldn't see where with his teammate now facing him. Chris waited for Scizor to do the full spin and strike with his right set of wings, but the Pincer Pokémon instead took an awkward step forward.
"Swing through!" Chris called out.
Scizor's upper body twisted, but his legs gave out. The Bug/Steel-type went down with a metallic thud. Behind him, Scrafty staggered backward, dropping to a knee as his left hand reached over to clutch his right fist. Drain Punch shouldn't be an option any more, Chris realized. Scizor could win this battle of attrition.
"Scizor is unable to battle!" the judge's familiar declaration rang in Chris's ears. It echoed around long enough for him to barely catch her usual follow up direction.
Chris looked back at his teammate and saw him still in a heap on the ground. How did that knock him out? Chris reached into his jacket pocket for Scizor's Poké Ball and felt only one other capture device beside it. How am I down to my last Pokémon?
Bringing both Poké Balls out, he returned Scizor to the first. He had to force himself to mumble some kind of praise as the Bug/Steel-type vanished into the device, though he wasn't actually sure what he said. He tucked it away with the other four and glanced down at his final capture device. It looked like it was shaking, till he realized it was the hand gripping it. He tried to loosen his grip, but his hand felt numb.
We'll go all out. We can still win this.
His nose burned as he forced a deep exhale through it. He took in another breath and squeezed the Poké Ball tight. He chucked the device as hard as he could, an unplanned shout ripping out from his throat to accompany it. An excited response echoed back from the crowd, loud in Chris's ears until the protective barrier fazed back around his trainer box. Goosebumps had already sprouted up by then, though. He knew he could do this—knew Typhlosion could. And to hear the crowd excited about it as well? This is gonna be one hell of a story.
Chris let a smirk slide onto his lips. It twitched down after seeing Typhlosion's appearance be met with spikes and stone, but the defiant roar he let out after quickly brought it back. Every bit of damage they put on him just gets us closer to Blaze's super charge.
"Begin!"
"Eruption!"
Scarfty's physically enhanced bulk would do him no good against the wave of inferno pouring from Typhlosion's shoulders. And if he did withstand it, his bruised fist had ruined any chance of recovering his strength with Drain Punch. Once they had blasted the Hoodlum Pokémon off the battlefield, a weakened Grass-type would be all that stood between them and victory. Mega Evolution be damned.
Even though he had known it was coming, Prinny still didn't feel good about switching his starter into the oncoming pyroclastic blast. Not that he couldn't handle it, of course. The ability Venusaur's Mega Evolution provided would mitigate some of the damage, and even though Typhlosion hadn't seen a lot of action, Stealth Rocks and Spikes would have done their job in weakening Eruptions' stamina-based power.
Prinny frowned as the flames washed over his teammate. The rolling inferno pushed back the massive plant atop Venusaur's back, slid the creature several feet back, and even lifted the front end of his starter up off the ground. He could justify the decision from a million different angles, but it still looked like it hurt like hell.
Typhlosion had already begun closing the gap by the time Prinny had called for a Sludge Bomb. That was fine, as Prinny needed Typhlosion to be closer for their strategy to work, but he felt his throat tightening as the lobbed toxic sphere passed harmlessly over their now accelerating, fire-wrapped opponent. Getting hit with back to back attacks wasn't fatal, but they needed to land this next move.
The rotating flames slammed into Venusaur, but the Grass/Poison-type held his ground this time. A spinning Typhlosion followed right behind the fiery whirlwind and nearly collided with Prinny's starter. That was good; now they wouldn't miss.
"Leech Seed!"
Venusaur stooped onto his front legs and the massive plant on his back swayed forward. A pair of large seeds shook loose from the top of the flower. One of them fell to the ground just to Typhlosion's left, but the other struck squarely against the fire starter's exposed torso. On contact, both seeds broke open, with the one on the ground sprouting greenery that exploded up, but then immediately died back down. The vines that burst out from the other seed quickly wrapped around the middle of Typhlosion's body, connecting at the middle of his back.
Prinny nodded as a faint red aura pulsed through the greenery. He nodded again as Typhlosion let out a hiss in response and dropped to all fours. Their spot in the championship had been sealed.
It wasn't ideal having the draining vines place a time limit on Typhlosion's stamina, and therefore the battle itself, but they would soon have this down to a one-on-one affair. Chris expected that might even be the case after he called for another Eruption and saw the now Blaze-boosted golden flames crash over Venusaur. The Seed Pokémon didn't collapse though, and instead retaliated with a Sludge Bomb. Typhlosion twisted to avoid the poisonous projectile, but it struck him on the side, unleashing the torrent of concentrated sludge packed within it. The collision sent Chris's teammate staggering sideways in the opposite direction. As he tried to halt his teetering, the vines around his torso began to glow a faint red. The Volcano Pokémon let out a frustrated howl and grabbed at the vines with his front paws.
"Stay focused!" Chris warned, but his starter had already taken to blasting the vines with fire from his mouth. The golden flames poured over the spider web-like vegetation but they stayed in place. More alarmingly, the normal ring of fire around his starter's shoulders had dwindled down to meager embers. Chris grabbed a fistful of hair. "You can't burn through those vines!" he yelled.
"Sludge Bomb."
"Dodge it!"
Chris took in a sharp breath as Typhlosion jumped back, narrowly avoiding the exploding ball of sludge. It didn't make sense. How was Venusaur still putting up this much of a fight? Between Gyarados and Typhlosion, he had taken four super effective attacks. Chris shook his head. It didn't matter at this point how it was happening—only that it was. Prinny had them on the back foot. He had them frustrated. It felt like they were standing on the edge of a cliff that had begun to break away.
"Focus Blast!" Chris heard himself shout. He immediately regretted the command, but he needed his friend to focus. One step at a time. One move at a time. Something about his choice of attack must have connected, as Typhlosion stopped wrestling with the vines and brought his front paws together.
"Petal Blizzard."
Typhlosion may have been much faster than Prinny's starter, but the preparation for this Focus Blast felt longer than any Chris had ever experienced. Based on the halfway collision point from the two attacks, it didn't seem to just be a feeling. The energized flower barrage struck and destabilized Typhlosion's attack, resulting in an explosion that covered the area between the two creatures in smoke.
The noise around the stadium hadn't stopped.
Individuals all around the designated trainer box continued to chatter away, Dobbs more than any of them. He twisted, threw up his fists, and turned back in his chair to shout about Prinny dominating and Chris choking. The targets of all his blustering sat silently.
Luke had expected David to fire back something, but his friend looked like he had completely zoned out. A good natured retort from Chris's dad wouldn't have been out of the question, but Mr. Aiden looked like he was about to stand up and run out of the stadium.
Why don't I say something back?
Luke looked from the battle to Dobbs. Then he looked down at his hands clenched around the arm rests of his seat. As tight as his grip on the chair was, he felt an even greater pressure pushing up on his jaw. How long had it been since he'd even drawn a breath through his mouth?
Dobbs shouted something, but Luke's gaze had drifted back to the battlefield.
As the dark plume of smoke wafted out, Prinny kept his focus on the collision point from the previous two attacks. He squinted, somewhat surprised the glow from Typhlosion's Blaze-enhanced shoulder flames wasn't at least partially visible. But even with no visual, the explosion hadn't been close to either Pokémon and Chris had yet to give another command. Positionally, things shouldn't have changed. An obscured battlefield also worked to Prinny's advantage as it gave more time for Leech Seed to do its work.
He heard Chris shout something about conserving energy, and then a command that sounded like Thunder Punch. Why use a move that's not very effective? Perhaps Chris had finally deduced Mega Venusaur's new ability. But even with Fire-type attacks no longer hitting for super effective damage, they still would be more powerful than something Venusaur resisted. The call to conserve energy also didn't make sense when Leech Seed would be continuously zapping their stamina. Prinny peered into the dark cloud, waiting for even the faintest glow of fire. All it would take is a well placed Sludge Bomb as the fire starter emerged, and they would pretty much have this wrapped up. But as the seconds passed, and no glimmer appeared on the outer edge of the smoke band, Prinny felt that familiar knot in his chest tightening. Could there be another reason they didn't go with a Fire-type move?
"Get away from the smoke!" Prinny shouted.
Mega Evolution did not grant Venusaur any kind of speed boost, and having sustained significant damage, the power up's extra weight only slowed the Seed Pokémon's retreat. Before he could even take his second full step back, a flameless Typhlosion burst out of the smoke just to his left. The Volcano Pokémon pivoted off one of his back feet, swiveled his entire body around, and drove an electrified paw right into the side of Venusaur's head. Sparks showered out from the collision, electricity lancing across his head and down his wide neck. The Seed Pokémon's sturdy frame shuddered, but the massive creature held his ground. It might have been better, however, had the blow dislodged or spun his starter. After landing his punch, Typhlosion had used his forward momentum to slide behind the Grass/Poison-type. Without time to turn around, Venusaur had only one usable move to hit Chris's starter with.
"Giga Drain!"
The energy vines whipped up from inside the expansive, but sagging vegetation atop Venusaur's back. They reached out toward the now charging Volcano Pokémon, whose exposed body still showed no signs of those golden—
"Flame Wheel!"
Fire exploded up from Typhlosion's shoulders and rapidly began to rotate. The swirling vortex quickly tightened up, encasing the Volcano Pokémon's entire body like he was an ember plucked straight from a massive campfire. As Typhlosion jumped into the nest of swirling vines, Prinny became suddenly aware of a prickling sensation across the back of his neck. He brought a hand up and felt the hair there poke against it.
The smoke rapidly drifted toward Chris, then whipped away completely like someone had turned on a massive fan. The entire battlefield became visible once more. The first thing he noticed was Venusaur. The Seed Pokémon faced him, but his shadow-covered body looked like it was trying to turn the opposite way. Just behind him, a tall wall of energized vines had sprouted up. They had twisted together and now looked to be pushing away from their creator. A flash of light appeared halfway up the snake-like energy tendrils. The vines there disintegrated as a rush of golden fire poured through. Soon, the flames had broken through other parts of the vegetation. There was a roar.
And there was Typhlosion.
"Go!"
The Volcano Pokémon landed on the back of Prinny's starter. The giant flower completely obscured Chris's teammate, but it couldn't hide the whirlpool of fire that swirled all across the Seed Pokémon's massive back. With the Grass/Poison-type still facing Chris, he could see the creature's bloodshot eyes go wide. His red pupils slowly rolled up into the top of his head. Then his body went the opposite direction.
Chris could feel the ground shake as the Mega Evolved creature flopped onto it. The spinning flames continued whipping off the ends of his shrinking back, but the brightest pocket of fire fell to the ground a short distance away at the battlefield's center.
Chris pressed against the trainer box's front barrier. "Typhlosion!" The flames slowly peeled back to reveal his starter laying on his side. Chris's breath caught in his throat as the Volcano Pokémon twitched, then swiveled, before slowly rising onto a knee. Just a few feet away, Venusaur once again took on a brilliant glow, but it quickly faded to reveal the Seed Pokémon had reverted to his normal state.
"Venusaur is unable to battle!" the judge declared. The statement nearly lifted Chris off his feet. They had done it. They had knocked out Prinny's strongest teammate—a freakin' Mega Evolved Pokémon! "Please send out your final Pokémon!" As far as Chris felt his body lifted by the first statement, the second sank his heart even further. They still had one more opponent left. As if in response to the horrifying reminder, the vines around Typhlosion's torso lit up once more, ripping a guttural howl from Chris's starter.
"Stay strong!" was all Chris could think to yell. Seeing Typhlosion roll onto his back and claw at the vines, he tried to gather his thoughts into something a bit more tangible and came up with, "We've got to focus on this last opponent. Back to your feet!"
The Volcano Pokémon fought with the vegetation for several more seconds, before finally struggling back to his feet. By the time he'd shuffled back over to Chris's side of the battlefield, Prinny had already switched out Venusaur for Scrafty. As banged up as the Dark/Fighting-type looked, Chris knew his starter was in worse shape. The fire that had encased Typhlosion's body was long gone. Flames sputtered along the red spots lining the top of his back, but they resembled more candles than campfire. Attempting Eruption would be ludicrous. Even trying to pull off a Flame Wheel might have been asking too much.
"Begin!"
"Move in a bit closer and use Focus Blast!"
They still had a super effective attack with Focus Blast, and with Scrafty's speed, they had a decent chance of landing it. Typhlosion shuffled closer to the battlefield's center, rising onto his hind legs as he brought his front paws together. Chris watched the opposing Pokémon also slowly move forward. Scrafty doesn't have enough health to sacrifice for a substitute. They'll either have to expend energy dodging the attack or, better yet, take it head on.
"Let them have it!" Chris shouted.
The golden sphere flew from Typhlosion's grasp at much too high of a launch angle. Very rapidly though, it began to arc back down. Chris rose up onto his tiptoes as he watched the Fighting-type energy swoop back down, getting closer and closer to its target.
"Stop." The simple command sounded much calmer than any Prinny had given thus far. And that was saying a lot for somebody as muted as him. His follow up sounded just as measured. "Use Bulk Up."
His tone must have caught Scrafty off guard as well; after halting, the Dark/Fighting-type twisted to look back at his trainer. Prinny just gave him a nod. Focus Blast's meteoric drop grabbed hold of Chris's gaze as it came back into center view. The glowing sphere looped closer and closer to its now flexing target. The physical attack boost would certainly benefit Scrafty, but it would do nothing to soften the blow from—
The golden orb struck the ground a half dozen feet in front of Scrafty. The projectile exploded on contact with the ground, but the dirt it kicked up barely made it to Scrafty's eye level. Short and weak.
"Ty'!"
The Volcano Pokémon was on his side once more, rolling one way, then the other.
"Advance."
"Fight through the pain!"
Typhlosion's body did a full rotation, his claws clutching at the dirt as he rolled onto his stomach. Chris could feel his own fingernails digging into skin. Scrafty moved slowly forward.
"Back to your feet!"
As the Volcano Pokémon went to stand, his legs gave out. Chris shouted the command again, but could hear the panic in his own voice. Typhlosion showed his fangs as he fought—inch by inch—to stand. Daylight appeared between his stomach and the ground, sparking whatever hope still burned in Chris's heart. His legs were shaking badly—worse than Chris had ever seen them. The fact he could put any weight on them meant he could still attack. And by this point, Scrafty had made it within striking distance.
"Flame Wheel!"
Sparks flared up along the Fire-type's back. It reminded Chris of the first time his starter had attempted to use Ember. Just like then, no flames materialized.
"Ignite!"
Scrafty took another step forward.
"Go!"
Typhlosion's hindlegs gave out and he was forced to sit back onto his haunches. Scrafty advanced to take up the lost space and turned his body to the side.
More sparks. Then a flickering flame appeared just behind his neck.
"Attack!"
"Payback."
Typhlosion's forward movement resembled more of a flail than a leap. The flame that spiraled up from around his shoulders barely made it beyond his head. Scrafty lowered his shoulder, allowing the flames to blast against it. Then he drove it, and the rest of his body, into the crown of Typhlosion's head. The weak hiss of the fire couldn't mask the dull thud that rang out from the collision. Typhlosion's head whipped back, then the rest of his body toppled over.