Author's Note:
Yes, I am alive. I'm sorry about how long it's been...again. I just seem to be getting busier and busier these days as things come up. Soon, though...soon I'll at least be more consistent. Anyways...not much to say until after the chapter. So I hope you enjoy. Here it is.
Chapter 22: Anton's Secret
"Clemont, when are you going to battle?" a little girl's voice piped up next to Clemont, as he and his friends got into their seats in the main battlefield that had been opened up just next to the training facilities. It was similar to Clemont's gym, but had plenty more seats for the large crowds attending today's battles. Unfortunately, Clemont wasn't able to quite enjoy it, with his sister, Bonnie, deciding once again that she needed to find him a "keeper". "I need you to do a good job in your battle so that I can find you a keeper. More girls will be impressed if you win, so make sure you do."
Clemont wondered if he'd ever find a way to get Bonnie to stop embarrassing him. He knew it wasn't very likely, having no inventions that seemed capable of stopping her from doing so, with the exception of his Aipom Arm. He decided to just hope that once the battles began, she'd be distracted enough. That was the reason she'd come here after all. Well, that and his promise to let her help with the egg, which she was currently holding, Dedenne keeping an eye on it from her head. "I'm not up until Trevor's match is finished," Clemont told her, looking over to his left, where Ash was talking to Flint and Agatha about his own battle, which would wrap up the competition for the weekend. "Hopefully he can win, and then my job will be to keep the momentum going so that Ash can finish up strong for us."
"And if you do that, maybe I can convince Shauna to take care of you," Bonnie said, starting to giggle as Clemont whipped his head back, looking mortified as he saw Shauna, who was on Bonnie's other side, look at the little girl in confusion at the mention of her name.
"What was that, Bonnie?" Shauna asked, looking between Bonnie and Clemont. After noticing the look on Clemont's face, she seemed to figure it out, and then laughed as well, shaking her head and looking at Bonnie. "You think I'm a keeper?"
"Well you are Clemont's partner for this egg project," Bonnie pointed out, holding up the egg as she spoke. "And Clemont did mention that you guys were doing pretty well so far. Plus, with Serena clearly only interested in Ash, you're the best chance Clemont has right now."
"I've got plenty of chances!" Clemont argued, eyes widening immediately after he spoke. He grabbed his glasses, looking away and pretending to clean them, avoiding Bonnie's and Shauna's eyes. "Just take care of the egg, Bonnie."
Bonnie sighed, and even though Clemont wasn't looking, he knew she was exchanging some kind of mischievous look with Shauna that was definitely not good. "I knew he was struggling without me," Bonnie muttered, "but I didn't know he'd become delusional."
"Don't worry, Bonnie, I think Clemont will be fine," Shauna said, looking at Clemont as he put his glasses back on and gave his sister an exasperated look. "But like you said, he needs to show off some good battling skills in order to impress the girls here...and other places...like Shalour City, maybe."
Clemont tried to ignore that last part, although he couldn't help but imagine himself winning a battle while Korrina watched on, and he looked towards the screen over the right side of the battlefield. It showed six pictures, with Laverre's students on the left side, and Lumiose's students on the right. The points, currently at zero each side, were displayed at the bottom. However, Clemont also noticed on the top right, the standings for the Performance teams, which included the Shalour and Coumarine teams, who must've had their match yesterday as well. It didn't look good.
1st Place: Laverre University (4pts)
2nd Place: Coumarine College (3pts)
3rd Place: Shalour College (1pt)
4th Place: Lumiose University (0pts)
With the way things had gone for Lumiose University the day before, Clemont knew that it was very important for a bounce back from the Battle Team today, even if it didn't help the Performance Team in the short term. The morale boost was the most important thing at the moment, with everyone being down after yesterday's sweep. It had even looked like Dawn was going to at least give them something to cheer about, but Casey had managed to snatch that victory from her, gaining too large a lead for Dawn to come back from. Clemont's gaze drifted over to where the blue-haired Coordinator was, and could see her looking up towards the scoreboard as well, while Tierno and Serena sat quietly next to her, both of them still looking pretty down about their losses as well.
"Clemont's a pretty strong trainer," Bonnie said suddenly, causing Clemont to look at her in surprise, not really having been expecting a compliment from her. "He's one of the best gym leaders in Kalos, don't you know? He'll beat his opponent easily."
At this, Ash turned his head, apparently hearing the conversation. Clemont noticed that his friend wasn't looking quite like himself, but it was only for a brief moment, as Ash quickly gave a confident smile to Bonnie. "You bet! Clemont's been training hard, just like the rest of us. I'm sure he and Trevor will get us a couple of wins. Then it's up to me."
"Just make sure you trust Greninja, and yourself," Flint spoke up from behind Ash. "This is a big battle for the two of you, and I'm sure both of you are still trying to come to terms with your loss in the Kalos League."
Clemont glanced at Ash, wondering how he was going to respond to that, but the raven-haired trainer just nodded, looking out to the battlefield, sitting up straight as the sounds of opening doors were heard. Clemont looked up to see Trevor entering from the right side of the battlefield, while his opponent, the blonde girl, named Sasha, entered from the opposite side. A few moments later, a referee approached the centre sideline, while Professor Sycamore made his way to the centre of the battlefield. Clemont could sense the excitement of the crowd, the whispers all around the arena making him feel like he was in the Kalos League arena again, about to watch Trevor opening up that league instead.
"Welcome, Lumiose University and Laverre University, to the opening of the Intereschool Pokemon League – Battle Division!" Professor Sycamore announced, getting a loud cheer from the crowd. "I'm sure you're all quite anxious to get things started, but first off, I'll give a brief explanation for the format of these battles. As you all know, each team has three trainers. Our own, from Lumiose University, are Trevor, Clemont and Ash, who will each be battling a trainer from Laverre University. Each battle will be a one on one battle, and each individual victory, much like with the performances, will earn the victorious team one point."
"So three points are up for grabs," Ash said, looking over at Clemont. "We have to make sure we don't fall behind. We've got less points that we can catch up with than the Performance Team."
Clemont nodded, not even having thought about that. Even with just one less point available in this match, with all the remaining points available, that would be six less points than the Performance Team had available to them. They had much less room for error.
Sycamore continued on for a couple of minutes, explaining a few other somewhat repetitive battling rules, and then looked towards Trevor, and then Sasha. "Now, please give a round of applause for our first battlers, Trevor, representing Lumiose University, and Sasha, representing Laverre University. Good luck to both of you!"
With that, Sycamore began making his way towards his seat, while the crowd cheered for the nervous looking Trevor. A moment later, the referee stepped forward, raising his arms up, while Trevor and Sasha both pulled out their pokeballs, ready to begin the match. "This will be a one on one battle between Sasha, of Laverre University, and Trevor, of Lumiose University!" he shouted, while the crowd went quiet. "When one Pokemon is unable to battle, the other will be declared the winner. Do you agree?" Both trainers nodded, and the referee immediately waved his arms down. "Then let the battle begin!"
"Aerodactyl, let's go!" Trevor shouted, throwing out his pokeball, the purple, reptilian rock and flying type roaring loudly as it emerged, spreading its leathery wings wide and showing off its sharp teeth and massive jaws. Clemont was surprised Trevor wasn't using Charizard, but he couldn't say that Aerodactyl looked weak. And with how Laverre seemed so prepared for the Performance Team, it was probably a wise move for Trevor to not use his main Pokemon.
Clemont then turned his gaze to Sasha as she watched Aerodactyl for a moment. She didn't look too surprised, which Clemont had expected, but he was just hoping that she was hiding it. She then smiled, glancing down at her pokeball, and then threw it forward. "Weavile, come on out!" she shouted, as the pokeball opened, and the Sharp Claw Pokemon emerged. It was a weasel-like Pokemon, with a red, feathery crown on its head, and red feathers on its neck and back. It also had very sharp looking claws, which Clemont expected could easily match Aerodactyl's sharp fangs.
For a moment, Trevor seemed to be waiting for Sasha to make the first move, but it quickly became clear that she was going to win the waiting game, so he soon made the first order of the match. "Aerodactyl, up in the air, and then use Flamethrower!"
"Use Ice Beam to counter it!" Sasha answered immediately, raising a hand up and pointing to where Aerodactyl was coming to a stop midair.
"Weavile!" Weavile called out, lowering its body and opening its mouth, the orb of icy energy forming in its mouth, just as Aerodactyl screeched loudly and thrust his head forward, a massive jet of flames rushing out towards the ground, heading straight for Weavile.
The counterattack worked well, though, with Weavile immediately unleashing its beam of icy energy, which exploded against the flames, steaming on contact for a moment, before an explosion shook the air between the two Pokemon, smoke billowing into the air, while the shock wave, sent both Pokemon back a few feet.
The crowd cheered, clearly happy that it appeared as though Trevor was, at the very least, on even terms with Sasha. However, Clemont didn't think so. "Aerodactyl's Flamethrower should've been able to overpower an ice type attack," he said, causing Shauna to look at him curiously. "For a move that had the type advantage, those attacks were too close in power," he added.
"You don't think Trevor's going to lose just because of that, do you?" Shauna asked, looking back towards the two Pokemon. "It's just the start of the battle."
"No," Clemont said quietly, noticing Trevor watching Weavile nervously, likely having noticed the same thing Clemont had, "but Trevor's going to need to be more careful if he's going to win. If Weavile can defend a Flamethrower with that Ice Beam, it'll do a lot of damage as well. Not to mention what other attacks it might have."
And it wasn't long before Sasha decided to show off more of those attacks, as she quickly ordered Weavile into action. "Run forward, and then jump and use Metal Claw!" she shouted, eyes narrowed as she watched both Weavile and Aerodactyl, clearly ready for any counterattacks.
Trevor had to act, though, definitely not wanting Aerodactyl to be hit by Weavile's very sharp, shining Metal Claw. "Aerodactyl, counter it with Dragon Claw!" he ordered quickly, as the Fossil Pokemon roared loudly in answer, flew up, and then dove towards the leaping Weavile, claw out in front of him, glowing bright green. "Aero!" Aerodactyl screeched loudly, just as he thrust forward towards the incoming Weavile.
"Weavile!" Weavile grunted, just as the attacks made contact. For a moment, Clemont was sure that Aerodactyl's size and downwards momentum would give him the edge to overpower Weavile, but the Sharp Claw Pokemon managed to hold its own, straining against Aerodactyl's Dragon Claw with its Metal Claw, green and yellow sparks shooting towards the ground from the clashing claws. The two Pokemon tried once more to force their attacks through, but neither could do so, and they shoved one another back, Weavile landing softly on the ground, while Aerodactyl righted himself in midair.
"She's toying with Trevor," Ash said suddenly, sounding frustrated. "That Weavile is a lot stronger than it looks. Just like with the Ice Beam, that Metal Claw shouldn't have been so strong coming from below against Aerodactyl attacking from above. Sasha's just testing out how strong Aerodactyl is."
Clemont nodded, noticing Trevor looking a little more nervous, casting a few glances over towards his watching friends. Clearly, he was aware of what Sasha was doing. Clemont noticed Ash giving Trevor a confident nod, signalling that he shouldn't give up yet, which Clemont knew was true. If Trevor played it smart, he could still win this.
"All right, Weavile, let's keep it up! Use Ice Beam!" Sasha yelled suddenly, as Weavile leaped back to stand in front of her.
"Weavile!" Weavile shouted in answer, taking a deep breath, and then unleashing the blue, icy energy towards Aerodactyl.
"Quick, use Flamethrower and fly straight ahead!" Trevor ordered, watching the incoming attack closely.
"Aero!" Aerodactyl screeched, inhaling and then firing out his jet of flames, which immediately clashed against the Ice Beam, while he flew straight, keeping his attack going. The two attacks exploded against each other, smoke once again billowing into the air, while the icy energy and flames strained against each other for a few more seconds, before a larger cloud of smoke expanded between the two Pokemon.
"Now, fly through and then use Dragon Claw!" Trevor ordered, pointing ahead, looking exited with his opportunity. Clemont watched closely as the Fossil Pokemon flew into the cloud of smoke, while Weavile looked up in surprise, clearly not having expected this move, however, its trainer seemed prepared.
"Weavile, get ready with Metal Claw," Sasha ordered, staring up at the cloud of smoke and then smirking. "Jump now!"
"Aero!" Aerodactyl screeched, emerging in just that moment, green claw outstretched as it dove towards the ground. Its cry exuded confidence, but as soon as Aerodactyl noticed Weavile leaping towards him, he seemed to let up, clearly startled. As the two Pokemon approached each other, Weavile managed to slip past Aerodactyl's claw, slashing across his jaw with the Metal Claw attack. Aerodactyl screeched in pain, head rearing back from the strike.
Sasha wasn't done, though, clearly ready to take advantage of her opportunity. "Now, use Ice Beam, and then follow it up with another Metal Claw!"
"Vile!" Weavile answered quickly, inhaling as Aerodactyl attempted to right himself in midair. He was too late, though, as just as he managed to do so, Weavile unleashed its beam of blue, icy energy, that struck Aerodactyl hard in the chest. He screeched in pain, the attack sending him spiralling down towards the ground, as Weavile, followed, claw glowing white as he pulled it back, and then thrust forward with another attack. It struck hard along Aerodactyl's body, sending him speeding faster towards the ground, where he crashed, a large dust cloud shooting up around him, while Weavile landed softly and backed up, ready to attack again, already sensing victory.
"Aerodactyl, Flamethrower straight ahead!" Trevor called out quickly, seemingly out of desperation. Clemont tensed up, not sure if Aerodactyl would be able to respond quick enough, but then, just as it looked liked Sasha was about to order an attack, the crowd cheered as a bright light could be seen with the dust drifting away from Aerodactyl, and then, a moment later, the Fossil Pokemon unleashed a massive jet of flames, that rushed towards a stunned Weavile.
"Weaviiile!" Weavile shouted in pain, as the flames struck it in the middle of the chest, sending it flying backwards, before it crashed hard into the ground, body smoking from the attack.
"Ancient Power!" Trevor shouted, clearly sensing an opportunity to land another attack. Clemont and his friends cheered as Aerodactyl flapped his wings and quickly shot into the air, hovering above where Weavile was still struggling to stand. With a loud screech, stones began to rise up from the ground, circling around Aerodactyl, a blue aura surrounding them. With one more screech, Aerodactyl flapped his wings, and the large stones flew straight towards Weavile, just as it managed to rise to its feet.
"Use Protect!" Sasha ordered immediately, as Weavile braced itself for impact. The Sharp Claw Pokemon nodded quickly, folding its arms in front of itself, a turquoise barrier shooting up in front of it just in time. The large stones struck with full force, crashing hard against the barrier, even seemingly causing Weavile to slide back a few inches. However, it wasn't enough, and as the barrage of stones from Ancient Power stopped, the barrier dropped, leaving Weavile unharmed.
Trevor was quick to act, though, not ready to let one failed attack stop him. Clemont could tell that he was desperate to not let another attack strike him like before, relying on Aerodactyl's determination and speed to land as many quick attacks as possible. "Aerodactyl, use Giga Impact! Full power!"
Clemont smiled, looking at the shocked Sasha, seeing that she knew she was backed into a corner with this one. Protect likely wouldn't work a second time, so she'd have to meet this attack head on, with Aerodactyl already screeching loudly, the bright yellow and orange light already surrounding his body.
"Weavile, use Metal Claw!" Sasha shouted, apparently deciding dodging wasn't an option.
It wasn't good enough, though, as Aerodactyl screeched loudly and dove down towards Weavile, who quickly held up two glowing white claws to defend itself. Many students in the crowd gasped as Aerodactyl struck Weavile with full force, dust shooting up from the force of the impacting Pokemon. Weavile managed to hold him back for a moment, but Giga Impact was just strong enough to power through the Sharp Claw Pokemon's defences. With a yell of pain, Weavile was sent flying back, crashing into the ground in front of its trainer. Sasha looked surprisingly happy, though, almost as though she'd hoped for this.
"Now, finish this with Counter!" she suddenly yelled. Clemont's eyes widened at that, and he quickly looked towards a panting Aerodactyl.
"Aerodactyl can't move!" Clemont said nervously, seeing Weavile straighten up quickly, looking a little tired, but still ready to battle. "When that Counter attack hits..."
Nobody needed to finish Clemont's sentence, watching on in frustration as Weavile ran towards the very still Aerodactyl. It pulled back a fist, just as it leaped up in front of the Fossil Pokemon, and then it lashed out, striking Aerodactyl in the jaw, causing him to roar in pain as his body was thrown backwards.
As Aerodactyl's body flew through the air, Clemont could see that it was over. The Fossil Pokemon was barely moving, the force of Counter being twice that of his own Giga Impact attack. As Sasha ordered one last Ice Beam, and it struck the falling Aerodactyl, Clemont knew that he was going to need to put everything he had into his next battle. If he didn't, Lumiose University would lose another match.
"I'm sorry, guys, I let you down...I really thought I was going to win towards the end." Trevor could barely look at his friends as he sat down next to Ash, in the spot Clemont had been sitting in. Ash could see the disappointment in Trevor's eyes. "I thought this was a chance to prove that I belonged on the team."
"You've already proved that," Ash said, shaking his head at Trevor's comment. "You didn't lose a single battle at the tryouts, and you did really well in this battle, too. That first Ice Beam and Metal Claw combination that Sasha used would've taken out most Pokemon, but you and Aerodactyl nearly beat her after that."
Trevor sighed, looking out towards where Clemont was preparing for his battle, and then towards Laverre's trainer, the big trainer, named Dean, who looked as though he wanted to fight himself, rather than with his Pokemon. "I just don't like that I put you and Clemont into a rough position. Now we're already in a tough spot."
"We can come back no matter what," Ash said confidently, looking out towards the battlefield as well. And I'm sure Clemont's got a plan to win this thing. I'm not going to lose, either. Greninja and I have worked too hard to lose this one, right Pikachu?" he asked, glancing up towards the electric mouse.
"Pika!" Pikachu answered, nodding and giving a little fist pump to show his confidence. Ash knew that his loyal partner probably would've liked to be in this battle himself, but was happy that Pikachu seemed to understand why he was using Greninja. They needed this after their Kalos League loss.
After a couple more minutes of waiting around, Professor Sycamore once again approached the centre of the battlefield to get everyone's attention. "All right, everyone, it's time to begin the second battle between Laverre University and Lumiose University!" The crowd cheered excitedly at this, clearly still holding hope, as many of the students knew that Clemont was a fairly successful Gym Leader. "With Laverre University winning the first battle, it's up to Clemont to get Lumiose University back on track. This should be a good match. Good luck to both trainers!"
As Sycamore made his way to his seat, Ash could see the referee making his way forward, raising his arms up as he called out the rules of the battle to both Dean and Clemont. As both trainers signalled that they understood, the referee called for them to release their Pokemon, causing the crowd to go very quiet, excitedly watching for who each trainer would choose.
"All right, Bunnelby, let's go!" Clemont shouted first, throwing out his pokeball and releasing the Digging Pokemon. Ash was surprised that Clemont wasn't going with Luxray, but supposed the inventor was going for a similar strategy to Trevor, in trying to throw off his opponent's plan.
Dean didn't seem concerned at all, though. In fact, Ash was sure that the hulking trainer looked like he was amused by the choice. "This should be good," he called out, laughing as he held up his pokeball. "Diggersby, time to battle!" he shouted, throwing out his pokeball.
The crowd gasped as Diggersby emerged from his pokeball, looking far larger than Bunnelby as he looked towards his pre-evolved counterpart. Diggersby looked somewhat similar to Bunnelby, although he was much larger, with larger ears, a larger midsection and a much angrier looking face. However, as angry as Diggersby looked, Ash could see that Bunnelby was equally determined. Evolution wasn't going to give Diggersby an overwhelming advantage, although it did look quite strong.
Unlike Sasha, Dean was quick to act, ordering his attack right away. "Diggersby, use Hammer Arm! Then use Agility!"
"Diggers diggersby!" Diggersby roared, hitting his chest with his muscular ears and then charging forward towards Bunnelby.
"Counter it with Wild Charge, Bunnelby!" Clemont countered quickly, surprisingly willing to take the Hammer Arm attack head on.
"Bunnel!" Bunnelby answered, straightening up, his body beginning to crackle with electricity, before he too charged forward.
Everyone in the crowd seemed to hold their breath as the two Pokemon charged towards each other, their steps heard as they ran and the crackle of electricity heard as Bunnelby charged. They met with full force at the centre of the battlefield, Bunnelby's whole body straining against Diggersby's glowing, muscular ear. Ash could see that Diggersby was a little surprised by Bunnelby's strength, although the larger Pokemon managed to keep the smaller one back, as though the electricity wasn't doing anything. With one last shove by each Pokemon, each skidded backwards, glaring at one another, waiting for their trainers' orders.
"Use Mud Shot!" both trainers shouted, pointing ahead as they made their orders. Once again, both Pokemon responded quickly, Bunnelby leaping into the air as the three globules of mud formed above his head, while Diggersby stood still, his ears straightening up while his own attack was prepared. At the same moment, both unleashed their attacks, the brown orbs crashing into each other between the two Pokemon, exploding on contact, spraying mud and smoke up into the air.
As Dean ordered another Hammer Arm from Diggersby, and Clemont called for Bunnelby to dodge with Dig, Ash watched on nervously, already feeling uncomfortable with how this match was starting. While Bunnelby was doing well so far, Ash could see that Clemont was having him fight too much on Dean's terms. With Diggersby having the brute strength advantage, Clemont needed to be less direct in his attacks.
Ash winced as he saw Bunnelby just barely emerge from the ground in time to avoid it being shaken by a powerful Hammer Arm. Once again, Clemont had the Digging Pokemon get in close and use Double Slap, managing to land a couple of hits, before Diggersby blocked with his ears and then shoved Bunnelby backwards. "Clemont needs to be more careful," he said quietly, tensing up a bit as he saw Dean order a Double Kick, which Bunnelby was able to barely dodge. "Bunnelby needs to use his speed, and avoid directly fighting Diggersby. If Diggersby is able to land a Hammer Arm or Double Kick attack, it'll do a lot of damage."
"Maybe Clemont's trying to get Dean to overuse Hammer Arm," Trevor suggested, as they watched Bunnelby dart in one more time with Double Slap, but needing to roll away to dodge another Hammer Arm before he could land it. "Diggersby gets slower and slower each time he uses it."
Ash nodded, thinking that it would make sense for Clemont to do that, but as he watched Diggersby and Dean battle, he had a feeling that the Laverre trainer wasn't going to go into a battle without that in mind. He had a plan to deal with the speed disadvantage. Ash was sure of it. He just hoped Clemont would figure it out as well.
"Bunnelby, get underground with Dig!" Clemont shouted next, as Bunnelby leaped backwards, spinning his ears like a drill and launching himself into the ground, dust shooting up as he did so. Diggersby looked around in confusion, clearly trying to pinpoint where Bunnelby would emerge from, clearly hesitant to use Hammer Arm once again, as was his trainer.
"Diggersby, use Agility!" Dean suddenly called out, as the crowd watched the larger Digging Pokemon stare around, waiting for his pre-evolved counterpart to emerge.
So that was his plan, Ash thought, gritting his teeth as he watched Diggersby begin to jump around, speeding up as he moved. Eventually, he was hopping around so quickly that Ash knew it was going to be difficult for Bunnelby to manage to land a strike from below.
Clemont wasn't going to give up, though, quickly deciding to make his next order. "Bunnelby, jump up and use Mud Shot, and then use Wild Charge!"
"Bunnelby!" Bunnelby shouted immediately, emerging from the ground just behind Diggersby. He immediately shot out three globules of mud that sailed towards Diggersby at full speed, looking like they were sure to hit. However, the larger Digging Pokemon used his speed increase to his advantage, managing to just barely duck underneath the attack. Bunnelby was quick to act on Clemont's next order, though, already engulfed in electricity and running forward with Wild Charge. He leaped forward and slammed his body into Diggersby...and nothing happened. Bunnelby's evolved counterpart stepped back from the impact, but seemed to laugh at the attack having no effect.
"Diggersby is a ground type. Wild Charge won't have any effect," Dean called out to Clemont. "Shouldn't a Gym Leader know that?"
Ash narrowed his eyes, looking between the two trainers. He was wondering why Clemont wouldn't have thought of that as well. It hadn't crossed his mind, but with Clemont being an electric type Gym Leader, it would've made sense for him to have thought about it.
"Now Bunnelby, use Double Slap!" Clemont quickly ordered, Bunnelby's ears glowing white as soon as he heard the order. Quickly, the Digging Pokemon darted in behind Diggersby and then leaped up, slamming both ears hard into his evolved counterpart's back.
"He's using Wild Charge to get in close so that he can attack," Ash realized, smiling as he saw Bunnelby dart away from Diggersby, the larger Pokemon turning around in frustration at being hit like that. Ash still thought it was risky, but it had definitely worked in landing a good attack.
"Diggersby, attack with Mud Shot, now!" Dean ordered, narrowing his eyes as he looked across the field towards Clemont. "Then use Agility!"
"Diggers Diggersby!" Diggersby shouted loudly, straightening his ears, the orbs of mud quickly forming above them, before he swung them forward, surprising Clemont and Bunnelby with how quickly he was able to launch the attack.
"Dodge with Dig!" Clemont ordered, just as Bunnelby lowered himself to the ground in preparation to move.
"Bunnel!" Bunnelby answered, quickly spinning his ears and burrowing underground, just barely avoiding the attack. As soon as Bunnelby was underground, though, Diggersby once again began hopping around, picking up speed as he did so, clearly too fast of a target for Bunnelby to strike once emerging from the ground.
"Diggersby, use Hammer Arm and hit the ground!" Dean ordered, making Ash narrow his eyes. It was similar to a move he'd used with Pikachu and Iron Tail on opponents who used Dig, and he knew it was quite effective, as Bunnelby had nearly found out earlier in the battle.
"Diggersby!" Diggersby roared, his ears glowing white as he leaped high into the air. Ash could see Clemont looking nervous out of the corner of his eye, clearly knowing that Bunnelby wasn't going to get out fast enough this time. Then, a moment later, Diggersby slammed his ears into the ground, shaking it violently, dust shooting up all around him from the impact.
"Beee!" Bunnelby yelled, as the sudden shock wave fired him out of the ground. Ash clenched his fists, seeing that Bunnelby was in midair, in a vulnerable position for another attack.
"Now, finish this off with Hammer Arm!" Dean shouted, clearly knowing he had his chance.
"Diggers diggersby!" Diggersby shouted in glee, ears glowing white once more. He leaped up, getting himself close enough to Bunnelby that his pre-evolved counterpart's eyes widened with fear, knowing what was about to happen. "Diggers!" Diggersby shouted again, slamming down hard with his ears, sending Bunnelby rocketing towards the ground. As Bunnelby struck the ground, the dust starting to settle from the initial impact of Hammer Arm, yet another cloud of dust shot up. As the crowd gasped, many people leaning forward in their seats, desperately trying to see what had happened, Ash already knew.
Once the cloud of dust settled, it was an easy call for the referee to make as he stepped forward, holding his flag up towards Dean and Diggersby. "Bunnelby is unable to battle! This battle goes to Dean, Diggersby, and Laverre University!"
When Ash woke up in the morning, nothing but his upcoming match for the IPL was on his mind. He'd been thinking about it a lot over the past few weeks, but as soon as he'd opened his eyes on the actual day of the match, the thoughts of it consumed him.
Ever since his loss to Alain at the Kalos League, Ash had trained hard, harder than he'd ever trained before. Every day, whether it had been back in Pallet Town, or here, at the training facilities at Lumiose University. Training had been taking up so much of his time. Ash had been desperate to get his battling skills back to where he knew they could be. He'd been feeling off ever since his loss. He'd struggled against Gary, Dawn and Tierno, Trevor, and he hadn't even felt right in the battles that he'd won during his tryouts.
Ash didn't know what he'd have done without all of his friends. Without Dawn, he may never have come to Lumiose University. Without Clemont, he'd be overworking himself training. And Trevor, Shauna, Tierno and Marie had all been so supportive. And of course, there was Serena. Without her, Ash might've been lost in his disappointment over his loss, but with her, Ash felt far more confident about the future. He felt there was far more to look forward to.
It was still so hard for him to keep that loss from his mind, though. All of his losses continued to eat at him. He felt that he was still lacking so much. He felt that he'd lost a part of himself. He had to win. He, Pikachu, Greninja, and all of his Pokemon. They'd been working so hard. He didn't know how strong Laverre University was, but he was well aware of how they'd done up until now. He knew he and Greninja needed to be ready for this one. After all they'd done, it was time to bring back their true power. They wouldn't be held back again. They couldn't be held back again.
Ash got out of bed, deciding he should get a little bit of last minute training in. As he stood up, Pikachu woke up from the foot of his bed, staring up at his trainer in surprise, seeing him grabbing his clothes, despite it being fairly early in the morning.
"We've still got some work to do, Pikachu," Ash told his loyal partner. "You know how hard Greninja and I have been working to get that form back. I don't want to let that work go to waste. We're going to win this next battle no matter what."
"Pika pikapi?" Pikachu asked, looking somewhat concerned, clearly not liking the idea of a training session so close to the battles beginning.
"I know it seems like it's a bit much," Ash admitted, putting his hat on and reaching for his belt that had his pokeballs on it, "but you know me. I want to win, and I'm gonna work really hard to do it. I'll be careful. I won't overdo it."
A few minutes later, Ash had all of his things ready, and Pikachu hopped up onto his shoulder, still not looking overly pleased with the training idea, but obviously not willing to let Ash go with just Greninja and Rowlet. Ash stepped quietly out of his room, hoping not to disturb Clemont, who was likely still asleep in his room. He then made his way to the entrance, and stepped quietly out into the residence hall. Once he was out, he quickly made his way through the hall and towards the elevator, desperate to get moving so that he could make it back to have breakfast with his friends before the battles started up later.
When Ash finally got out of the Greninja building and began making his way out towards where the training facilities were, he glanced around, noticing that not too many people were out. The sky was still a bit dark, so it made sense. Ash looked up awkwardly at Pikachu as he realized just how early it was. "Sorry, buddy, maybe I'm going a bit crazy with this."
Pikachu just smiled back, though, obviously deciding that since they were up, they might as well just go ahead with the training. "Pika pikachu," he said, looking ahead as they continued to walk. Then, he seemed to notice something, as his ears perked up immediately and he leaned forward. "Pika?"
"What is it?" Ash asked, following Pikachu's gaze. As he looked ahead, Ash caught the sight of purple hair, a bandana, and, even though it was dark out, sunglasses. "It's Anton," he whispered, looking up at Pikachu in surprise. "Do you think he's going to train as well?"
Pikachu just shrugged, still looking curiously towards Anton, who just seemed to be walking absentmindedly, not really focused on where he was going. Ash wasn't sure whether or not the Laverre student noticed him, but decided that it made no sense to ignore one another, and made his way forward, making sure he was in view.
For a moment, Anton looked like he wasn't even looking at Ash, and hadn't even noticed him, not even reacting as Ash walked towards him. However, once they were within a few feet of each other, the purple-haired trainer stopped, tilting his sunglasses down as he looked at Ash. "You're up early," he said quietly, eyes going between Pikachu and Ash. "Nervous about your battle?"
"Of course not," Ash said quickly, narrowing his eyes. He wanted to be friendly, but since his initial meeting with Anton, it wasn't so easy. He did his best to shake that off, though, and smiled at his newest rival. "We were just heading over to do some last minute training. Greninja and I wanted to work on a couple of things."
"I heard that your Greninja is unique," Anton said quietly, looking up at the sky, sounding somewhat bored as he spoke. "I don't follow Pokemon Leagues, so I can't know what that means, but I hope your lack of preparation isn't a sign that it's all just talk."
Ash did his best to stop himself from giving an angry retort. He was well prepared, and he was sure Anton knew he would be. He was curious about what Anton had said about not following Pokemon Leagues, though. If that was true, there was no way he'd be as prepared for Ash's battling as the other Laverre students seemed to be for Ash's friends. "You're not interested in Pokemon Leagues."
"No, I'm not. I've got better things to do. Laverre University keeps me sharp, but once I'm done there, I'll be prepared to battle the Champion. Winning the IPL will give me that chance. I don't need to waste my time with Gym Leaders." Anton's eyebrows raised up at that last point, and Ash knew he was taking a shot at Clemont.
"You've got no idea what an adventure is like, then," Ash told Anton, narrowing his eyes, feeling Pikachu tensing up on his shoulder. "I wouldn't be nearly as close with my Pokemon as I am now without going on my badge quests."
"And where has that taken you?" Anton asked, rubbing the bandana that hung from his neck. "Your path has taken you nowhere. I've made sure that when I battle the best, I'll be ready, and I refuse to waste my time on a journey, when I can be training, and making sure that my Pokemon are ready for their toughest challenge. I don't let things get in my way, like you and your friends. I think you're realizing that, Ketchum, otherwise you wouldn't be at Lumiose University."
"Being here might not be like a regular journey, but it's still a new challenge," Ash argued, clenching his fists. "And I've made a lot of friends here, and they've supported me and have already helped me get better."
Anton shook his head, turning away, clearly deciding that he'd already had enough of talking with Ash. "I don't think you believe yourself. If they were helping you, you wouldn't be trying to train right before your next battle. If they weren't in your way, you would already be prepared." He then started walking away, stopping once more after he was a few feet away. "Don't make our battle a waste of time, Ketchum."
"Do you think Ash is okay?" Serena asked, watching as the raven-haired trainer approached his side of the battlefield, Pikachu perched on his shoulder, looking around at the crowd. "He looks a little bit tense, doesn't he?"
"Well, with the start we've had, I don't blame him," Dawn said sadly, sighing as she looked up at the scoreboard, which showed the standings for both the Performance and Battle divisions. It had just been updated with the points from the Shalour College and Coumarine College matchup, where Shalour had managed a sweep. Currently, the standings were:
1st Place: Shalour College (3pts)
2nd Place: Laverre University (2pts)
T-3rd Place: Lumiose University (0pts)
T-3rd Place: Coumarine College (0pts)
Serena nodded, also looking up at the scoreboard. It felt a little better knowing that their school wasn't the only one to be struggling, but considering they'd be in third and fourth place at best by the end of Ash's battle was definitely not the most encouraging of thoughts. Especially since they still didn't know just how strong Anton was, and with him being Laverre's Captain, Ash would probably have his hands full.
"Ash was super super strong at the Kalos League," Bonnie suddenly said, apparently having heard Serena and Dawn speaking. She leaned over past Shauna, looking excitedly at them. "Greninja was really strong. He had a huge Water Shuriken on his back and he even kind of looked like Ash.
Serena smiled, remembering the amazement of everyone in the crowd when Greninja had first shown his special form in Ash's first match. Serena hadn't seen much in the world of Mega Evolution up until the Kalos League, and while Greninja's special form was something slightly different, she could tell it could compete with the powerful Pokemon that could mega evolve.
"I hope he can get the form to work today," Shauna said, looking nervously towards Anton, who stood at his side of the battlefield looking pretty bored, fiddling with his bandana absentmindedly. "I have a feeling Anton's probably going to be a tough opponent, even for Greninja."
"Ash can handle it. We all know how hard he's worked with Greninja," Serena pointed out, looking once again towards Ash. "He won't give up until it's over."
At that moment, they noticed Professor Sycamore approaching the centre of the battlefield once more, to introduce the final two battlers to the crowd. Serena could see a hint of disappointment on his face with how things had gone so far, but he managed to smile as he congratulated Laverre University on their two wins so far. He seemed to become more excited as he looked between the two competing trainers.
"And now for our final match of the weekend," Sycamore said, gesturing to Anton, and then Ash. "We've got the two captains for each school. Anton, representing Laverre University, and Ash, representing our own Lumiose University! Both of these trainers have been very successful in their respective careers. Most recently, Ash has made it to the final round of the Kalos League, while Anton has led Laverre University to the final four in the Battle Division in two straight years, even getting to the finals last year."
Serena bit her lip nervously upon hearing that. She knew Laverre had done well last year, but didn't know Anton had been leading them even before that. She still had faith in Ash, though. As Professor Sycamore had said, Ash had been quite successful as well.
As Sycamore finished up and then made his way back to his seat, Serena looked towards Ash, seeing him pulling out his pokeball, Pikachu looking up confidently from his spot at his trainer's side. You can do this, Ash. Don't give up till it's over. She then glanced over to Anton, who'd already taken out his own pokeball, looking over to the referre, clearly ready to start the battle.
The referee then stepped forward, raising his arms and looking towards both trainers. "As with the other battles, this will be a one on one battle between Anton, of Laverre University, and Ash, of Lumiose University. Once one Pokemon is unable to battle, the other trainer will be declared the winner. Do you agree?" Both Ash and Anton nodded, and then the referee waved his arms down. "Then let the battle begin!"
Immediately, Anton threw his pokeball forward, clearly impatient and ready to start the battle. "Scizor, you're up!" he yelled, the pokeball flashing as it opened, revealing the Pincer Pokemon, who flew up, his body glowing bright red in the sunlight that shone down above the stadium. He hovered in the air as he watched Ash down below, ready to see who his opponent would be.
"A Scizor, huh?" Ash called out, smiling as he looked up at his opponent's Pokemon. "All right, well let's see what it can do against us. Greninja, I choose you!" he shouted, throwing his pokeball forward. Again, a bright flash of light lit up the battlefield, and a moment later, Greninja emerged, flipping through the air, before landing softly on the ground in front of Ash.
"Here we go," Dawn whispered, sounding pretty nervous. "This one should be good."
For what seemed like a full minute, although it may have been just a few seconds, Ash and Anton did nothing. Greninja and Scizor just glared silently at one another, both of them clearly sensing the importance of this match. Greninja clearly knew how badly his trainer, and his trainer's friends, needed him to win, and even though Anton didn't show it, Scizor did, and clearly wanted this victory for his trainer as well.
Finally, Ash decided to make the first move. "Greninja, start things of with Cut!"
"Counter with Bullet Punch!" Anton shouted quickly, not wasting any time in ordering his counterattack.
"Gren!"
"Scizor!"
Serena was stunned at how quickly both Pokemon moved, easily seeing the difference between them, and the other four Pokemon who had battled earlier that day. Within seconds, Greninja had his webbed hand at his hip, pulled out the white blade of light, and leaped up towards Scizor. As Greninja moved, Scizor pulled back a closed pincer, which immediately began glowing in a bright, white light, before launching himself down to meet his opponent. As soon as they were within reach of each other, each Pokemon lashed out with their attacks, Scizor's Bullet Punch and Greninja's Cut attack clashing with full force. The air seemed to shake from the impact and both Pokemon were thrown backwards, both looking stunned by the power emitted from their attacks. Greninja landed hard, sliding along the ground before quickly rising to his feet in front of Ash, while Scizor landed with a thud, before jumping up, flipping over, and standing straight in front of Anton.
"Don't let up, Greninja! Water Shuriken, let's go!" Ash yelled, clenching his fists at his sides as he made the order, just as Greninja seemed to be doing.
"Ninja!" Greninja answered, quickly putting his webbed hands at his hip, water forming quickly, Ash mimicking his movements. A moment later, Greninja leaped high into the air, pulling back with one arm and then launching his attack down towards Scizor, the watery ninja star spinning rapidly towards the Pincer Pokemon.
"Dodge with Agility!" Anton quickly ordered, Scizor immediately responding by seemingly disappearing, just as the Water Shuriken was about to hit, the ground where he'd been standing being struck hard by the attack, dust and water shooting up from the impact. Scizor then seemed to be doing a dance, in midair, shooting around the battlefield as he seemed to disappear and reappear all over it, Greninja staring around in surprise, clearly unsure of where his opponent was going to stop.
Serena felt her heart racing, wondering how Ash would be able to deal with Scizor's speed, but luckily, Ash didn't panic. "Greninja, use Double Team! Don't let Scizor confuse you!"
Greninja nodded quickly, looking up and following Scizor's movements for a moment, before breaking out into a run. A moment later, as Greninja ran, a copy of him emerged behind him, then another, and another, before suddenly, a couple dozen copies were running in a circle around the battlefield, each looking up towards Scizor, who continuously darted through the air.
"Find the real one. Use Fury Cutter!" Anton shouted, looking around the battlefield, trying to pinpoint where Greninja might be.
As Scizor darted down, his pincer appearing to extend and sharpen, glowing bright red, Serena looked worriedly towards Ash, wondering if Greninja had been spotted. However, Ash didn't seem too concerned, even as Scizor slashed one of the Greninja copies, before darting across the field and striking another.
Suddenly, Scizor's eyes seemed to lock onto a specific area and he darted forward, heading towards the centre of the battlefield. He pulled back his pincer, looking triumphant as he slashed down towards a startled looking Greninja copy.
"Aerial Ace, now!" Ash shouted, just as Scizor's attack struck, passing through yet another copy. Serena's eyes widened as the copies began disappearing, wondering just where Greninja could be. Then, not even a second later, a blue blur shot out behind a surprised Scizor, before jumping up and lashing out with a glowing white leg. The Pincer Pokemon staggered back, stunned by the strike, which hit just across his chest, before he was sent flying to the ground, by a second swift kick. Scizor's body crashed hard into the ground, dust shooting up all around him. He quickly got up, though, standing up in the newly formed crater, glaring at Greninja, as the Ninja Pokemon landed softly a few feet away.
"Enough of this, Scizor!" Anton yelled, causing many people in the crowd to look at him in surprise. "Maybe we'll show this Greninja some true power." Serena narrowed her eyes, wondering just what Anton could be talking about. Then, her eyes widened as he pulled up the bandana around his neck.
"It's a Key Stone!" Trevor almost shouted. "That means..."
"Scizor, show your true power! Show our true power! Mega evolve!" Anton shouted loudly, grabbing the bandana from his neck and holding it up, the Key Stone beginning to glow brightly. Serena's eyes then went to Scizor, who held up one of his pincers, opening it wide, something shiny glowing within it.
"Scizorite..." Serena could hear a few people whispering behind her. "They're mega evolving."
Suddenly, the battlefield seemed to be glowing, causing many in the crowd to shield their eyes or squint as bright lights extended out from both Anton's Key Stone, and Scizor's Scizorite. As the two lights met between Pokemon and trainer, Serena could just barely see Scizor's body glowing brightly as well, as his form began to change. As the lights finally dimmed, Serena gasped at the sight of Scizor's new form.
Scizor looked far more intimidating. His pincers were far larger, looking almost like a Tyrantrum's jaws as they opened and closed, the jagged edges looking like teeth. Scizor also seemed to have black armour over his face, shoulders and midsection, while his the wings on his back seemed to have extended and straightened out.
"Looks like Anton had a secret weapon, just in case Greninja was a little stronger than he thought," Dawn muttered, sounding somewhat frustrated.
"Ash has a secret weapon as well," Serena pointed out, looking over towards the raven-haired trainer, who did seem to be a little surprised by Anton's little surprise.
"Scizor, show off your true strength. Bullet Punch!" Anton ordered, sounding quite confident as he made the order, clearly expecting to have the advantage now.
And it appeared he was right, as Scizor quickly spread his arms out wide, embracing his power increase, before looking straight ahead towards Greninja, and launching himself forward. Greninja tried to jump back, but Scizor was far too quick, pulling his enlarged, closed and glowing pincer back and slamming it hard into the Ninja Pokemon's chest.
"Greninja!" Ash shouted in concern, many people in the crowd echoing him, clearly worried about the the direction this battle seemed to be going in. Greninja went flying through the air before crashing hard into the ground and sliding a few feet before coming to a stop in front of Ash. He lay still for a moment, breathing hard after the strike, but managed to slowly rise to his feet after a moment, breathing hard.
"This isn't good," Serena whispered, looking between Ash and Greninja, seeing the nervous look on Ash's face as he watched Greninja stand up. Come on, Ash, don't give up.
It was almost like Ash could hear her thoughts, as in that moment, he narrowed his eyes, just as Greninja looked back at him. Serena couldn't help but smile at the look the two of them exchanged, seeing their determination and their belief that they could still win. Over the past couple of weeks, there had been times where Ash seemed to lose that belief, as he'd struggled to train for the IPL, but in that brief moment, Serena could see it taking over, his body language showing it, as he and Greninja straightened up, both looking ahead to their opponents.
"All right, Greninja, how about we show our true power?" Ash called out, the crowd going quiet at the sound of his call. He raised a fist in front of his face, just as Greninja did, smiling ahead at a somewhat confused looking Anton. "We'll get much, much stronger!" he yelled, as Greninja shouted as well, both of them pulling their fists down, and looking up to the sky, an incoherent yell coming from them both.
Serena had seen it at the Kalos League, but even now, the sight stunned her. A veil of water suddenly engulfed Greninja's body, quickly rising up, vibrating wildly, becoming a massive torrent of water that stretched into the sky. Greninja's body glowed brightly within the water, a red light shining from his head, a blue glow coming from his back. Finally, with another incoherent yell from both Greninja and Ash, the torrent of water exploded, showering the field with water, causing both Anton and Scizor to shield their eyes from the spray, before looking up, completely stunned by what was in front of them.
"This battle just got a much better rhythm!" Tierno shouted excitedly, now on his feet, along with many people in the crowd as they looked at Greninja.
"It's Ash-Greninja!" Bonnie shouted excitedly. "Just like at the Kalos League!"
Serena laughed, eyes lighting up with excitement as she looked at Ash, seeing the confidence in his eyes as he looked at Greninja. Serena could see why Bonnie had called it Ash-Greninja, as Greninja definitely looked a lot like Ash, with the red fin looking like his hat, and the black fins at the sides matching his hair. Even his blue skin was much like Ash's jacket. As he stretched out, relishing being in his special form, Ash moved in sync with him, adding to the effect even more. Tierno's right. This battle definitely did just get a much better rhythm.
"So this is what makes your Greninja so special?" Anton asked, looking suspiciously at his powered up opponent. "Well, it doesn't matter. Scizor is still far stronger."
"We'll see about that!" Ash said confidently. "Greninja, use Cut!"
"Bullet Punch!" Anton countered quickly.
Once again, just as they'd started the battle earlier, both Pokemon rushed towards each other. Somehow, though, they managed to reach each other even faster. Serena could barely keep up as they kicked off from their spots in front of their trainers, Greninja pulling a crystallized, glowing sword from his hip, while Scizor's oversized pincer glowed in a bright white light. They met at the centre of the battlefield and struck one another with full force, pincer meeting sword with another shock wave of energy that shook the battlefield, and the rest of the arena. Serena winced at the rush of wind that passed her, even having to grab onto her hat to ensure it didn't fly away. She could even see Pikachu struggling to stay upright from his spot next to Ash, having to grab onto his leg.
Neither Pokemon was letting the impact push them back this time, though, as they each managed to hold their ground. Greninja immediately put his free webbed hand to his hip, revealing a second crystallized sword and striking upwards with it, just as Scizor lashed out with his second pincer, also glowing white. Suddenly, it was a rapid exchange of blows, both Pokemon lashing out with their attacks with everything they had, becoming a blur of blue and red as they desperately tried to land their attacks, each clash of Bullet Punch and Cut causing the arena to shake from the power emanating from the powered up Pokemon.
Finally, after one last exchange, both Scizor and Greninja leaped back, breathing heavily as they landed in front of their trainers, both clearly needing a breather from the exchange of blows. Serena couldn't blame them. It was kind of tiring just watching them. She cast a nervous glance over at Ash, seeing him panting as well, jaw clenched as he looked ahead towards Scizor. He looked a little frustrated, but Serena was sure he still had it in him. He and Greninja could do it.
"Greninja, Double Team, let's go!" Ash yelled, thrusting an arm forward as he made the order.
"Gren!" Greninja shouted in answer, jumping high into the air, as copies suddenly started shooting up all around him. There were far more than last time. There were dozens of them. Some remained on the ground, while others emerged in midair, all of them surrounding Scizor, who looked around quickly, clearly trying to pinpoint the location of the real one.
"Use Agility! Build up your speed!" Anton shouted, as he too scanned the field of Greninjas, apparently deciding he couldn't attack them head on like the last time. At least not yet. Serena was sure he had a plan that didn't just involve increasing Scizor's speed.
"Zor!" Scizor answered, darting into the air, before suddenly disappearing and reappearing a few feet away. Within seconds, he was making his way around the field, zigzagging as he disappeared and reappeared over and over again, somehow going faster and faster each time, until he was just a red blur darting around the field.
"Now, Fury Cutter! Destroy every copy until you find the real Greninja!" Anton ordered, sounding frustrated, almost as though he felt like this battle should've been over a long time ago.
"Scizor!" Scizor shouted, quickly darting forward and striking a Greninja copy with a bright, glowing red pincer. Within seconds, he'd slashed down a few more, quickly making his way towards the centre of the group, apparently deciding that was where Greninja was most likely hiding.
"Greninja, use Aerial Ace, now!" Ash yelled, as Scizor lashed out at another Greninja copy, destroying it immediately. Suddenly, the copies quickly began disappearing, and before Scizor could destroy another, it vanished right in front of him, leaving only one more, which quickly appeared behind the Pincer Pokemon.
"Gren!" Greninja shouted loudly, his fist glowing white as he lashed out, striking the turning Scizor in the jaw, causing him to stagger back. However, Anton was clearly prepared for this.
"Bullet Punch!" he ordered, as Scizor quickly righted himself and charged forward, his oversized pincer glowing white, just as Greninja spun around, preparing a kick with his glowing white leg. The two attacks struck hard against one another, once again shaking the stadium with the force of the impact. However, Scizor was quick to recover, pulling his other pincer back, and thrusting it forward, driving it right into Greninja's chest. Serena's eyes widened and she looked over to see Ash gasping in pain as he too felt the attack, a moment before Greninja crashed to the ground in front of him, causing him to drop to his knees from the impact.
"Ash!" she shouted in concern, her cry echoed by a few others in the crowd, including her friends. Luckily, Ash quickly got to his feet, though, grimacing in pain, but clearly willing to continue, as Greninja got to his feet as well.
Ash and Greninja quickly exchanged a look, nodding as they silently agreed on some kind of plan for the next stage of the battle. Serena couldn't help but feel worried, though, seeing the two of them breathing quite heavily, especially Ash. After being unable to use this form for so long, it seemed like Ash was struggling a bit to keep up. He needed to end this quickly. Otherwise...
"Greninja, Water Shuriken! Straight ahead!" Ash yelled, putting his own hands behind his back as he made the order, mimicking Greninja's movements. Greninja suddenly plucked the enlarged Water Shuriken from his back, spinning it over his head as he prepared to throw it, staring up towards Scizor, who hovered midair. "Go!" Ash yelled, throwing his invisible shuriken, while Greninja threw the real one. The watery ninja star sailed towards Scizor at full speed whipping through the air so fast that Serena could barely follow it. Scizor could barely react, even with his increased speed, and the attack struck him with full force, water spraying out as the attack struck him, while he spun through the air, struggling to right himself, and only just barely able to do so before landing roughly on the ground in front of Anton.
"We have to watch out for that Water Shuriken," Anton called out to Scizor. "Now, use your speed, and let's get this wrapped up. Bullet Punch!"
"Cut!" Ash countered quickly, him and Greninja putting their hands to their hips as Scizor charged forward, his pincers glowing white. Greninja just barely put his two crystallized blades in front of him in time, as Scizor's two pincers crashed into him. The Ninja Pokemon strained against his opponent, holding the blades in front of his body, desperately trying to push forward, while his trainer mimicked his actions from behind, face scrunched up from the effort.
"Now, use Vacuum Wave!" Anton yelled, sounding extremely confident as he made the order. Serena could see a smile on his face. He clearly knew he had Greninja trapped.
"Zor!" Scizor shouted loudly, as suddenly his pincers began to shake violently against Greninja's blades, causing the Ninja Pokemon to wince from the effort to hold his barrier. It wasn't good enough, though, as suddenly, it was too much. Scizor's pincers began to shake even more, suddenly thrusting outward, causing Greninja to stagger back as his blades were thrown from his hands and he fell back, barely dodging one of the pincers. Then, the pincers began to whirl around in circles, wind swirling around them, causing dust to shoot up in what looked like mini tornadoes in front of Scizor. With a loud shout, Scizor spun around, thrusting out with his pincers, sending a gust of wind towards Greninja. It struck with full force, sending the Ninja Pokemon flying back, so far back that he barely missed Ash, landing hard on the ground behind his trainer, as Ash dropped to his knees, gasping for air and clutching his chest.
"Oh no..." Serena whispered, seeing Ash wincing in pain, as he and Greninja both struggled to stand. She noticed Scizor fly up into the air, backing up so that he hovered in front of his trainer, ready for either his next order, or Greninja's counterattack. "Ash..."
"We can't give up, Greninja," Ash called out suddenly, raising his head up and looking up towards Scizor. He sounded exhausted, and Serena could see him breathing heavily, but he looked so determined. He so desperately wanted to win this. He wanted to prove that he and Greninja were back to where they should be.
"Gren!" Greninja answered, managing to get to a knee, and then straightening up just as his trainer did as well. He too was clearly desperate to show that they were still strong. To show that they were strong enough to beat any of their opponents, no matter what kind of power they had.
"We'll give them...everything we have! Start this off...with Double Team!" Ash yelled, wincing and holding his chest, breathing heavily as he made the order. "Go!"
"Ninja!" Greninja shouted, leaping forward, high over top of Ash, copies appearing around him as he leaped through the air. Serena glanced over to Anton and Scizor, seeing them both looking up, but apparently deciding to wait, rather than attack right away again.
Serena then looked back to Ash and Greninja, stunned as she saw more and more copies appearing around the two, each straightening out, the water shurikens on their backs glowing brightly and shining in the sunlight. She looked at Ash, seeing him taking a few deep breaths before narrowing his eyes and moving his hand to his back. "Ready, Greninja? All we have! Water Shuriken!"
"Gren!" all the Greninja copies seemed to shout at once, all bringing their webbed hands to their backs and pulling the Water Shuriken off, raising it high above their heads, as Ash raised his own hand above his.
"Scizor, get ready!" Anton shouted. "Counter with Vacuum Wave as soon as you get the chance!"
Serena knew it wasn't going to do him any good, though, smiling as she saw the Greninja copies all spinning their shurikens above their heads. Suddenly, the copies began to move, all converging onto a single point, up in the air, right above where Ash was standing. Serena could see one shuriken glowing brighter than the rest, spinning rapidly and growing larger as the copies began to rush towards the true Greninja.
"Ready, Greninja?" Ash yelled, holding his hand as high as he could get it. "Everything...we...have! Let's...go!" Then, finally, through his heavy breathing, Ash gave another yell, as Greninja yelled loudly as well, the Water Shuriken suddenly expanding and spinning rapidly, and glowing in a bright, yellow and orange light. It lit up the sky, almost like a second Sun. Greninja held it up high above his head, ready to throw it forward, knowing that there was know way Scizor could match his power.
Then it stopped.
For a moment, the crowd just stared in shock as the glowing shuriken stopped spinning. Then, everyone gave a collective gasp as it seemed to collapse, dissolving in midair above Greninja. Serena stared at Greninja with wide eyes, having no idea what was happening. She could see the shock on his face, as he looked up. It didn't take too long to figure it out, though, as a cry could be heard near Ash.
"Pikapi!"
"It's Ash!" Dawn suddenly shouted from next to Serena.
Serena's eyes quickly followed the Coordinator's gaze, widening as she saw Ash, her friend falling to the ground with his eyes closed. A moment later, Greninja dropped to the ground in front of him as well, body glowing briefly before he reverted back to his original form.
"Ash!" Serena yelled, jumping up from her seat, her friends quickly following her as she ran towards him.
Author's Note:
"Oh my god! Another loss! So stupid! It's Snivy all over again! Blah blah blah!"
To that I say...um...no. There's a lot I want to say on this, and I'll probably forget some of it, but let me give it a go. Okay...so yes, everyone lost. Each character lost. They lost to people that don't exist in the anime. New characters, that you've never seen before. However, does that mean that this is like Ash losing to a Snivy in BW. Absolutely...NOT! These OCs are NOT beginners. And these losses MEAN something. For EACH character. Did I need to show each and every loss in the detail that I did? Maybe not. However, I decided to, because I think it'll make what happens with them later on far more interesting. Now, I'm going to give a little explanation for each loss and what I've tried to convey that each character is learning from these losses.
I don't know if these next few things are spoilers, so if this mini explanation is unimportant to you, don't bother.
Shauna: I've made Shauna a bit of a..."ditzy" character. Slightly out of character at some points...a lot at some points, but not too bad I hope. She's focusing too much on other things and getting involved in Serena's personal life, and getting excited by the new school atmosphere, that she's not training as hard as the others. She's kind of lost her way with the performing. She also lacks a bit of confidence, seeing Serena as the far superior performer. Her loss is meant to inspire her to train a bit harder and be a little more confident.
Serena: A little more obvious. Serena likes to perform to make people smile. Gabby sees it as a job, a career. Something where you win at all costs. Serena falls for the dirty trick and sees Gabby effortlessly going through the performance, manipulating Serena's own act as she goes along. Serena doubts her own beliefs about performing, thinking she's doing the wrong thing.
Tierno: Tierno's a battler turned Coordinator. He tries to get his team back on track by beating his opponent in the same way he beat Dawn at the tryouts. Brute strength. Jimmy was prepared for this, knowing Tierno was a battler before. Tierno falls into the trap of attacking head on and forgetting about the main point of contests, even losing his own style in the process.
Dawn: Dawn's been struggling since the start. She's feeling down about contests after feeling like she's made little progress in a long journey and a successful start in Sinnoh. She showed signs in barely winning her screening battle, and then losing to Tierno in the tryouts. I'm trying to make her more of a leader in this story. She cheers up Serena, but puts it on herself to get Lumiose University back on track. The pressure, along with her earlier struggles, gets to her, and once she falls behind, it's too much for her to get back into the match. Also, Casey is no beginner.
Trevor: Trevor feels like an outcast in his group of successful friends. He wasn't even supposed to be in the advanced classes! He's managed to get on the team, and after seeing Laverre manipulate the Performance Team, he tries going with a different Pokemon, but weaker one, then he would normally use (Charizard). Aerodactyl and Trevor put up a good fight, but that slight lack of confidence is what does him in.
Clemont: Clemont thinks he's got the brains in this match, but once again, Laverre shows to be well prepared. Diggersby uses the combination of Agility and Hammer Arm to outspeed and overpower Bunnelby. Clemont tries the unconventional strategy of Wild Charge on a ground type, showing he's learning a little from Ash, but ultimately, he needs to do more to beat a trainer who thinks two steps ahead.
Ash: Ash has been going all out in training for the IPL, doing everything he can to get Ash-Greninja back. However, he might be working a little too hard. Perhaps a little bit of manipulation by Anton is messing with his head as well. Also, not being used to the form after losing it for so long, he can't keep up in the crucial moment. He needs to reevaluate and then move forward. I'll be a little more vague with this one since it's of particular importance.
I know OCs are frustrating sometimes, when they can beat these already established characters out of the blue. But I'm not changing what I've got planned, just because of a bit of frustration over losses. In fact, I'm glad you feel the same way these characters are feeling. The losses are supposed to sting, and drive them to get better. If you don't like it, don't read it. All I'm gonna say. See ya next time.